Manfred held Rylee’s hand in one hand and put the other arm around her shoulder. He pushed her into
the Land Rover. The interior of the car was warm and Rylee felt much better when she gradually
warmed up.
“Where is my mountain bike?”
“It’s in the boot. How would I dare lose your precious bike? You’ll kill me if I did.” Manfred joked and
was about to put on Rylee’s seatbelt for her but she had already done so.
She did not want him to put on the seatbelt for her as it was too intimate a gesture.
Manfred was momentarily stunned and then smiled wryly, “Girl, why are you so defensive? Perhaps
you could let someone get closer to you.”
Rylee turned and looked at Manfred, “Don’t nag, start driving. I’m famished.”
“Yes madam. Immediately.” Manfred smiled and drove off.
"This girl must be hurting inside and yet she acts as if she wasn’t bothered. How adorable." Manfred
thought to himself.
Rylee smiled when she heard Manfred addressing her as "madam". To think that the refined Manfred
would joke about this. Men had many faces. She suddenly thought of Timothy who kept a impassive
expression and did not like to joke.
“What would you like to eat?” Manfred asked Rylee.
“Whatever’s available at home.” Rylee answered.
“It’s past dinner time. I already called them and said that we’ll eat outside before going back. What do
you want to eat?”
Rylee pondered and said, “Mini hot pot.”
“Oh? Are you considering my expenses? I thought you would want to eat some gourmet or western
food.”
Rylee appeared to have recalled something and said, “Mini hot pot is fine. It’s tasty and can warm up
the body.” She remembered that her mother used to tell her, hot pot would taste much better if it was
shared with people. At that time when she was still young, she did not know that was how her mother
tried to get her father over to dine as a family. However, she and her mother always ate hot pot
together without anyone else.
Manfred suddenly grabbed Rylee’s hand which startled her. She looked puzzled at Manfred.
Manfred drove the car with his other hand and sighed, “Rylee, I wish that you can be happy like other
girls of your age.”
The words "My heart aches for you" were at the tip of Manfred’s tongue but he never found the chance
to say them.
Rylee hesitated for a while before sliding her hand from Manfred’s grasp.
Manfred brought Rylee to the city’s best hot pot restaurant. Diners would need to make reservations at
least three days in advance unless they were VIP members.
The owner of the restaurant was very close to Manfred and went to the entrance personally to welcome
them, “President Shawn, welcome! Please come in!!” The owner was overjoyed to see him.
Manfred and Rylee were led to a quiet window seat. Rylee then asked curiously, “Oh, you’re also a
president?”
Manfred pursed his lips and answered, “Yes, unfortunately.”
“Good golly, why are there so many presidents around? Can’t take it.”
"Although Mr. Wheeler was a secret gang leader, but outwardly isn’t he also a president?" She thought.
President Wheeler, President Shawn.
Manfred chuckled, “I know, right? This title is meaningless now. Next time, take me as a manager.”
“Manager? Ha ha ha, manager of what?” Rylee giggled.
Manfred pretended to be upset and glared at Rylee, “What does that mean? Let me tell you, I’m not a
manager for anyone. I’ll only be managed by you.”
Rylee was amused and chuckled.
Manfred served some vegetables to Rylee and said in a hoarse voice, “Rylee, your smile is very
sweet.” Her smile was appealing.
Rylee was taken aback and then said playfully, “Really? Don’t you know that I’m the campus belle?
Hey, don’t start falling for me, uncle.”
When Manfred heard Rylee addressing him as uncle, he chuckled, “Since you know that I’m
considered your elder, then why do you still dare flirt with me?” Both Manfred and Rylee were triggered
by the word "flirt" and they blushed as they looked into each other’s eyes.
Timothy was massaging his temples as he sat in the car. There were a lot of problems today at work
and he even had to chair two meetings back-to-back. He was so tired that his head hurt.
“Boss, how long do you want to stay for the banquet afterward?” Armand asked.
“Half an hour,” Timothy answered nonchalantly.
“Boss, one of our shipments to North America was snatched. We investigated and found out that it was
an internal job. One of our guys betrayed us.”
“Catch the traitor and skin him alive. Hang him in that area for two days. Make sure you get back the
same amount that was taken, not a gram less!”
“Yes, Boss,” Armand replied solemnly.
In the gang, the boss would always use the most brutal means to punish the traitor as a deterrence for
the future. If not for such strong-handed tactics, the gang would be long gone. Timothy was renowned
for his brutality in the underworld.
Timothy glanced outside casually, frowned, and then shouted, “Stop the car!”
Screech! The Maybach stopped in the middle of the road.
“Boss…” Armand did not know what was happening.
Timothy narrowed his eyes and looked angry when he said, “Let’s eat.”
“What? Eat?” Armand was puzzled. They already had their dinner and now they were on their way to
another banquet. Why was there a need for them to go to eat at a restaurant?
Not daring to ask a word, Armand quickly followed Timothy who was already walking away from the
car. The other eight cars of the convoy stopped by the side of the road. Very soon, Timothy’s men
sealed off the road to protect him. Some pedestrians noticed them from an overhead bridge as the
scene looked like a movie.
A tall man wearing a trench coat walked with a dozen men behind him.
“Wow, are they filming a gang movie?” Someone remarked.
“This looked like a scene from a Hollywood movie!” Another exclaimed.
The man in trench coat looked to the side and revealed his chiseled good looks. As soon as the owner
of the restaurant recognized that it was Timothy, he was so terrified that his knees went wobbly.
“Bo… Mr. Wheeler…” He almost called him Boss as expected of a gang leader.
Timothy gestured to the owner for him to calm down and said, “I’m just here to eat. No need to clear
the place.”
Armand frowned and said to the owner, “The Boss already said that there is no need to clear the place.
Don’t bother us and go do what you need to!”
The men in black suits took up positions at the front door, back door, and corridors.
Armand walked into the restaurant with Timothy and realized why they were there when he saw Rylee
sitting at a window seat. So his boss was not here for a meal…
“Manfred, what a coincidence, you’re also here.” Timothy walked over to them.
Manfred looked up, surprised. “Timothy? What a surprise? You’re here to eat too?” And he stood up.
Rylee was chewing a piece of vegetable and turned round to look.
‘What? Mr. Wheeler?’ She thought, ‘Eating here could bump into her creditor?’
“Mr…. Mr. Wheeler?” Rylee stood up nervously.
Timothy pretended as if he just saw Rylee, “Oh? You’re here?”
Manfred was puzzled, “You know Rylee?”
“No!” Rylee quickly replied.
Timothy's face immediately darkened when he heard Rylee’s reply.
How dare she pretend that there was nothing between them in front of Manfred!
Timothy placed his hand onto Rylee’s shoulder and smiled, “Sit down and continue with your dinner.”
He pressed Rylee down to make her sit on the sofa, and he then sat beside Rylee.
Rylee did not think that anything was amiss but it was Manfred who looked at Timothy in surprise and
thought, since when had Timothy been willing to sit beside a woman?
Timothy said calmly, “Continue with your dinner. I’m just chatting with you for a while. I have some other
engagement to go to later.”
Armand added thoughtfully, “Boss, time’s tight. Shall you just eat a little with them?”
Timothy pretended to be polite and objected, “No. How can I bother Manfred?”
Manfred quickly said, “No, please join us. I’m well aware of how busy you are. Have a quick bite and go
for your business.”
Rylee could not be bothered with what they were saying and just continued eating. Occasionally she
would take a glance at Timothy and Manfred.
Armand observed nervously and thought, "You dumb girl. Don’t you know that Boss is here for you?
You only know to stuff your mouth with food. Eat eat eat… You'll become a fatty!’
Armand handed Timothy a pair of chopsticks. Timothy murmured “This isn’t appropriate” but started to
dine along.
He sat very close to Rylee as he ate. Manfred peeked at Timothy just as he looked at Rylee.
Manfred seem to have realized what was going on.
“Hey, Mr. Wheeler, what’s wrong with you? Why are you eating from my plate? This is mine!” Rylee
said angrily to Timothy.
How annoying. Mr. Wheeler is rich enough. Why must he join them? How could he take the food from
her plate? Rylee grabbed her plate tightly and shielded her food from Timothy.
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