Sweetie, don't look at him, kiss me.

After leaving the Imperial Cuisine Restaurant, Ji Xingqing anxiously got into a taxi, still unable to let go of Lin Qingmian.

Although my uncle's attitude was relatively friendly in the private room just now.

But she left unexpectedly. Will her uncle reveal his true colors and demand that Mianmian pay the price for what she did?

She became increasingly worried, but she couldn't go back.

Left with no other option, she simply dialed Ji Xingye's number.

The call was answered quickly.

Ji Xingye's somewhat tired voice rang out: "I just came from the film set. I have a reshoot to do later. Just say what you need to say."

Ji Xingqing pursed her lips: "Ji Xingye, something happened to Mianmian."

"What?"

The man's voice on the other end of the phone immediately rose several octaves: "What's going on?"

"A few days ago, I heard that on the day Sister Wan returned to China, my uncle was drugged..."

Ji Xingqing took a deep breath and told Ji Xingye everything she had heard from her mother that afternoon: "I came to the restaurant to find the mastermind who drugged my uncle, and I saw my uncle bring Mianmian into the restaurant."

"My uncle and Mianmian have never crossed paths before. They only met at the welcome banquet that day, so I think... he wants to confront Mianmian and demand an explanation."

"I originally wanted to stay there to prevent my uncle from harming Mianmian, but something happened to my parents, so I had to leave..."

After saying that, she closed her eyes, her voice tinged with anxiety: "Ji Xingye, do you have any ideas?"

"You know your uncle's temper. If he wants to target Mianmian... Mianmian's future days will be very difficult..."

Ji Xingye's fingers tightened around his phone, his knuckles turning white.

This was the tenth time in the past few days that he had the urge to return to China, and the twentieth time that he regretted his impulsive decision to go abroad.

Lin Qingmian needed him, but he was in Los Angeles, far away from her across the ocean.

Even if you book a plane ticket now, nothing will be resolved once he returns to China.

The person Lin Qingmian offended was his uncle.

They are someone that the entire Ji family, and even the entire Rongcheng, cannot easily offend.

"Ji Xingye?"

When she heard no sound from the other end of the phone, Ji Xingqing frowned and whispered a reminder.

"I'm listening."

The man on the other end of the phone took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "You go and take care of your second uncle and aunt's affairs first. As for Mianmian... I'll figure something out."

After saying that, he hung up the phone and immediately called Su Tingwan.

Su Tingwan is her uncle's fiancée.

Perhaps, she is the only one who can stop her uncle and help him protect Lin Qingmian in Rongcheng.

The call was answered quickly.

"Hoshino?"

Su Tingwan seemed to be getting ready for bed, her voice slightly nasal with sleepiness: "Why are you calling me at this hour? Is something wrong?"

"have."

Ji Xingye took a deep breath: "Listen, Sister Wan, I have something I want to ask you."

"Could you...go to the Imperial Kitchen now?"

Su Tingwan's voice remained gentle, but the refusal in her words was quite obvious: "Hoshino, it's very late back home now, and I'm getting ready to rest."

"What's wrong? I can tell you tomorrow..."

"My uncle works at the Imperial Kitchen."

Ji Xingye frowned and interrupted her: "My ex-girlfriend Lin Qingmian is here too."

After a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, Su Ting's voice came through as she got up and came downstairs: "What are those two doing at the Imperial Kitchen?"

"Because of what happened at the welcome banquet that day..."

The man frowned and repeated what Ji Xingqing had said before: "Uncle was drugged after Mianmian toasted him at the Imperial Cuisine Restaurant. Now he has taken Mianmian to that restaurant again, probably to settle the score with him."

"So, Sister Wan, I can only beg you to go and check on the situation for me, and while you're at it, try to persuade Uncle..."

"You are my uncle's fiancée, his closest person. As long as you plead for Mianmian, he will definitely not make things difficult for her."

Su Tingwan raised an eyebrow, quite pleased with his compliment: "Okay, leave this to me."

"I'm heading there right now."

After hanging up the phone, Ji Xingye let out a long sigh of relief, turned to look at the bright sunshine of Los Angeles, and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

After he finishes this busy period, no matter what Sister Chen says, he must return to China.

For some reason, he had a bad feeling—

If he can't get back to find Lin Qingmian this time, he might never have another chance...

Inside the VIP room of Yushanzhai.

Lin Qingmian had already eaten nearly half of the food on the table.

But the air inside the private room remained stuffy.

Because the private room was so quiet, the sounds from the hallway outside could easily reach their ears.

Passersby were chatting and laughing.

"Want to play Honor of Kings with me tonight and climb the ranks?"

"Great! I lost the qualifying round last night, I'm so upset, you'll help me get on the satellite TV network tonight!"

……

Listening to the conversation between the two, Ji Linzhou frowned, and the memory of the qualifying match that Lin Qingmian lost last night after he disturbed her resurfaced in his mind.

I'm sorry about your game last night.

The man paused for a moment, then looked up at the woman sitting across the table: "I've already arranged the compensation for you."

The game boosting service that Fang Shiyang found for him should be reliable.

Since she likes accounts with 100 stars, he'll give her one.

Lin Qingmian was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was referring to the game last night.

She frowned and waved her hand: "It's okay, it's just a qualifying match."

She never really cared about things in the game.

Moreover, she rarely played games during the events of that year.

If it weren't for seeing him and Su Tingwan last night...

She wouldn't use this game to vent her frustrations.

The air in the private room fell silent again, but because of the conversation just now, the atmosphere between the two was no longer so cold or awkward.

After another brief silence, Ji Linzhou spoke again: "Do you have any leads on the matter of being followed?"

Lin Qingmian lowered her eyes: "I... didn't."

"Then I'll have Bai Cheng investigate."

Ji Linzhou tapped his long fingers lightly on the table: "But starting tomorrow, you will have to report to me about where you go to and from school, and I will personally pick you up and drop you off if necessary."

Lin Qingmian paused for a moment: "No, isn't it a bit too much trouble?"

"You are my wife."

The man opposite her looked at her, his eyes unfathomable: "We're not sure yet whether they're following you because of you or because you're my wife, so you must obey my orders."

After a brief silence, Lin Qingmian lowered her eyes and nodded: "Okay."

He's right.

If the other person is stalking her because of him...

If something happens to her, it will cause him trouble.

Just then, the sound of high heels clicking on the wooden floor echoed down the corridor.

The sound of high heels approached from afar, finally stopping outside their private room.

"Knock, knock, knock." Someone knocked on the door of their private room.

Just as Lin Qingmian was surprised that the Imperial Cuisine Restaurant even had waitresses wearing high heels, a gentle, sweet female voice sounded from outside the door: "Linzhou, Qingmian, are you in there?"

"May I come inside?"