Outside the restaurant, Xu Mey was trying to hail a taxi when she saw a familiar face. "Oi! Mr. neighbor, what are you doing here?" Xu Mey called out to Xin Xiamu with a pleasantly surprised look on her face.
Xin Xiamu also looked at her with a surprised gaze and came close to her. "I'm here for dinner. What about you?"
"Obviously, I also came for dinner." Xu Mey answered matter-of-factly.
"All alone?" Xin Xiamu raised his brow in question.
"Why would I come all alone for dinner? Wouldn't that make me look like a miserable person?" Xu Mey retorted cleverly. After a second, she mumbled, "Also, I haven't been dumped like a certain someone."
Xin Xiamu gave her an appalling look before saying, "That was really mean of you."
"Well, what can I do? I am a mean person! Just deal with it." Her apathetic look made Xin Xiamu smile for some reason. Even though being shaded like that for being unsuccessful with love was hurtful but he still felt glad that the one teasing him was his own elder sister. That fact alone made a huge difference for him.
"Okay! I'll keep in mind that you're a mean person." Xin Xiamu said with a look of understanding. Seeing him acting so maturely made Xu Mey look at him in a different light. When she learned that after getting dumped he actually went to deal with his sorrow by drowning in alcohol, she thought he was a very capricious person but today, he seemed to be different for some reason.
"Did you come alone?" Xu Mey asked carefully since there was nobody around him.
Xin Xiamu smiled and answered her, "Nope! I know I'm miserable but not to that extent yet." He took a pause, before adding, "I came with my mother."
Xu Mey nodded her head and said, "You seem healthy and happy which means you're dealing with heartbreak like a real man."
"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Xin Xiamu tried to evade the topic of heartbreak. Even if he had accepted the idea of being dumped, it didn't mean he was okay with everything.
"No, thanks! I just had dinner with my dad. Now, I'm trying to hail a cab since I have to get somewhere urgently but I can't seem to find a ride." Xu Mey rejected his offer politely while describing her trouble in one go.
"You can take my car," Xin Xiamu offered as he extended the keys towards her.
"How can I do that?" She was reluctant to this idea, after all, they weren't that close.
"Why not? We are neighbors... Also, you just said it's an emergency. I don't mind, just take my car." Xin Xiamu was satisfied with his idea. "Neighbors are also like a family." He urged her even more.
"But how will you go back?"
"Don't worry about that. My mother brought her own ride, I'll just carpool with her." Saying that he pushed the keys into her hands before she could even argue any further.
Xu Mey looked at the keys then to his beaming face and then thought about the text message. 'Argh! I'll just take the car.' She decided after vying her options and said, "Then I should thank you for this help. I have your number from the last time. I'll contact you to give your car back."
"There's no hurry." Xin Xiamu replied and watched her getting into his car. After she drove away, he whispered to himself, "This brother is all yours much less his car." Shaking his head, Xin Xiamu made his way inside the restaurant.
While at the entrance of the restaurant...
Looking at the face that never left his mind, Xu Cheng was lost for words. He stood there with his gaze stuck on her face. Xin Qian... He wanted to call out to her but with what right? Reminding himself that there was no relationship between them anymore, Xu Cheng tried to walk right past her.
"Cheng!" Xin Qian's voice made him halt but he didn't turn around to face her. "Can we talk?"
"You can say whatever you want to," it took a lot of effort from his side to appear this indifferent while she was in such close proximity.
"Can't we sit somewhere to talk?" She asked and Xu Cheng finally turned to look at her face.
"I don't think there is any need for that."
Xin Qian looked at his cold look and felt her anger flaring up. How dare he act so stubbornly before her? I'm the one who should be angry, not him! She took a deep breath to calm herself before she spoke up again, "Can you allow me to meet my daughter now? It's been years and I don't even know what she looks like." Her voice felt choked up as she talked about Xu Mey.
Xu Cheng scoffed at her. "Really? With what right are you asking me? And what right do you have to see MY daughter?" He emphasized on 'MY' and went on, "Also, who was the one who chose to leave? Don't forget things at your own convenience. Even if I allow you to meet her, she'll never want to see your face!" He said his piece and didn't stick around to wait for her reply as he walked out leaving her standing there.
Xu Cheng walked right past Xin Xiamu who had heard their exchange of words. He looked at Xu Cheng's leaving figure and pressed his lips together.
"Mom!" He called out and saw how her mother turned sideways to hide her tears from him as always. He didn't confront her for that and chose to ignore this as he asked, "Why are standing here? I told you to wait for me at the table."
"I was waiting for you," Xin Qian lied to her son and Xin Xiamu chose to go with this lie as he led the way to the table he reserved for them.
He had ordered all of his mother's favorite dishes and yet he could see her eating half-heartedly. "Mom, I thought this is your favorite restaurant. If you don't like it here then let's go somewhere else."
Xin Qian smiled at him and shook her head. "No, no... It's still my favorite. I was a bit distracted. Don't worry about me just finish your meal." Xin Xiamu nodded his head and ate in silence.