Translator: Abo Dammen
Tao Mingzhuo was briefly taken aback.
The way his request to eat while looking at his face sounded a bit vague and weird, but what’s weirder was the fact that this conversation just happened with two grown men.
And it clearly had an effect on the people nearby. Both Yang Kening and Xu Yi’s eyes and mouth were wide open.
Tao Mingzhuo on the other hand, ever so expressionless, also blanked out for a moment.
While Tao Mingzhuo was brainstorming his response, Jing Ci’s secretary arrived, informing Jing Ci about the upcoming afternoon meeting.
Jing Ci didn’t provide more context with his request. All he did was turn to face Tao Mingzhuo and genially spoke, “So, see you tomorrow?”
Tao Mingzhuo inhaled deeply. “….Okay.”
Jing Ci nodded at him.
After the whole fiasco ended, they returned to their cubicles. Yang Kening and Xu Yi spared no time and immediately interrogated Tao Mingzhuo.
“You know, if not for the fact that it was Mr. Jing, with him looking composed and all that,” thought Yang Kening, “I would’ve thought it was a sexual harassment in the workplace.”
Tao Mingzhuo remained silent.
Xu Yi also gossiped along, “Xiao Tao, why did Mr. Jing ask to eat with you? Do you guys know each other?”
Yang Kening stared at Tao Mingzhuo, absorbed in her thoughts. “And why did he ask if he could stare at your face while eating? Why you and not someone else? But like, I mean, you do have heavy features, which I guess in a sense could be considered good looking, but like, Mr. Jing—-”
As Yang Kening talked, Tao Mingzhuo felt the original topic had been derailed, so he quickly interrupted, “Stop, throw those thoughts out of here.”
The most confused person present was, of course, Tao Mingzhuo, the protagonist of this event. To start with, he has no clue why he has been the target of a constant eye recently, and secondly, he has no clue what the purpose of the “looking at your face” lunch was.
“Stop randomly guessing and just get on with our stuff,” he said. “Won’t we know tomorrow anyways? For me, I’m guessing Mr. Jing wants to talk to me about work related stuff.”
However, sitting in Jing Ci’s office at 12:30 noon the next day, Tao Mingzhuo had a sudden enlightenment that things might not be as simple as he had thought.
“I don’t know which country’s cuisine you like the most, so I decided on my own.”
Jing Ci added, “If the dish is not to your palate, or if you think it’s not enough, just tell me. I can contact other available restaurants. They shouldn’t take too long to deliver.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Okay let’s put it like this: The number of takeout boxes on the desk would probably last from the beginning of Chinese New Year’s eve until the 7th day of the new year. Heck, it might even last until the Lantern Festival!
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Jing Cii still didn’t offer an explanation as to why they’re eating together. He just went “mhm” and then took the utensils, placing them next to Tao Mingzhuo’s hand. He then prodded gently, “That’s great, let’s eat then.”
Though he had many things to ask, Tao Mingzhuo ultimately decided to just nod in agreement after giving it some thought. His plan was to eat two bites before he started speaking.
Tao Mingzhuo’s fixation on the roasted duck began the moment he stepped foot in the office. He seized the opportunity while the wrapper was still extremely hot and made a roll.
The food smelled so good. One bite, and the deliciousness could definitely melt bones.
Tao Mingzhuo transformed the moment he started eating. The hunger made him eat wrap after wrap of roasted ducks, and his sole focus was on devouring his food. Then he remembered: someone was sitting in front of him, and that someone was his boss.
Tao Mingzhuo quickly lifted his head, and then his heart thumped for a moment—- Jing Ci’s chopsticks weren’t moving.
All he did was hold his chin in one hand and use the other to delicately hit the edge of the plate with the chopstick tips. As if he was in contemplation, he merely stared at him.
Tao Mingzhuo finally remembered that Jing Ci had already given him a heads up yesterday that he would stare at his face while eating.
But he didn’t expect that Jing Ci would be this blatant and straightforward. The way he stared at him… It was like he could see deep within his soul.
He never once moved his chopsticks to use despite the table filled with Manchurian and Chinese delicacies, as if he’d feel full just by staring at Tao Mingzhuo’s face. Because of this, of course it wouldn’t be weird that Tao Mingzhuo’s mind would start thinking in a different direction.
Tao Mingzhuo felt like his throat was dry. He asked, “Mr. Jing, won’t you take a bite?”
Jing Ci rapidly blinked his eyes, as if finally leaving in a trance.
Jing Ci only responded, “Hmm.” His gaze never left Tao Mingzhuo.
“It’s okay,” Jing Ci said. “You eat first, I’ll just watch you eat.”
Tao Mingzhuo, “….”
Tao Mingzhuo no longer had the strength to even lift up his spoon.
It was because it feels like acting natural seems difficult once you’re being perceived. Tao Mingzhuo answered hesitantly, “I feel shy eating all this on my own. Roasted duck tastes best when it’s still hot so you should also eat, while it’s still hot.”
Jing Ci seemed to hesitate for a bit before responding, “Okay.”
Jing Ci then made himself a wrap of roasted duck.
Tao Mingzhuo watched Jing Ci as he first looked at the roast duck roll in his hand for a while, then lowered his head and took a bite, slowly chewing it.
Finally, his eyes were no longer on him. It made Tao Mingzhuo sigh in relief, then energetically took two more bites of his roll.
But once he raised his head, Tao Mingzhuo held his breath.
Because he saw Jing Ci smiling.
Jing Ci’s eyes were on the roll of roasted duck that he made, specifically on the bitten part, the corner of his lips slightly ticked up.
Jing Ci’s initial impression on Tao Mingzhuo after a few short conversations was one of understanding, but a detached type of courtesy.
He has great features and eyes, and his smile is always kind and pleasant. When he’s not smiling, his countenance tends to relax a bit. A stunning, intellectual man, that’s what he is.
But the smile he had on right now wasn’t the usual distant polite kind of smile he’d usually wear.
Right now, Jing Ci’s eyes were bright with emotion, and his eyelashes quivered ever-so-slightly. An overwhelming sense of joy, like a genuine shock, was plainly noticeable.
First, he kept staring at his face while eating, and then now he’s giggling. Tao Mingzhuo felt a cold sensation creeping from the pit of his stomach. His doubts, which weren’t as strong before, obviously started growing.
Unsettling thoughts started to form in Tao Mingzhuo’s head, and he sensed that something was slowly going awry. He lightly called, “Uhh, Mr. Jing…”
The grin on Jing Ci’s face quickly faded as he was briefly startled. His gaze shifted upwards to meet Tao Mingzhuo’s.
Tao Mingzhuo gave a dry smile. “I would just like to ask if there was, like, a particular reason as to why you invited me to eat lunch with you?”
Jing Ci remained silent, perhaps preoccupied with some other matter, yet his gaze remained on Tao Mingzhuo’s face.
After a while, Jing Ci spoke up, “What kind of food do you usually like to eat?”
The topic completely turned in an unexpected direction. Tao Mingzhuo froze for a split second. He clenched his jaw and muttered, “I… I’m not picky. I love eating so I could eat anything.”
Jing Ci nodded.
Then Tao Mingzhuo heard Jing Ci suddenly ask, “Mr. Tao, would you like to eat lunch with me every day in the future?”
Tao Mingzhuo, the question’s intended respondent, thought he’d heard it wrong. “…What?”
“Oh, and also,” Jing Ci pondered for a moment and then added, “there’s one more thing you might need to adapt to, which is, the same as today. I might occasionally stare at your face.”
“Of course, since I’m occupying your supposed break time, you can ask me anything and I’d compensate you. If it is within my ability, I will do my best to meet it.” Jing Ci’s smile was soft. “I really hope you can agree to my request.”
He said, “And I know it might come across to you as weird, but I also hope that you don’t ask me the reason for making this request.”
The present scenario reminded Tao Mingzhuo of an endless matryoshka doll. His current situation seemed like one.
Jing Ci invited him to lunch, no, a party-sized feast. And the purpose of this lunch was actually to invite him to have more lunch in the future?
Intuition told him that there’s more to this situation that meets the eye. Tao Mingzhuo wanted to ask further, but unfortunately, Jing Ci had already blocked his path with what he just said.
Tao Mingzhuo hesitated for a moment.
“Actually, I am… very willing to eat with you,” Tao Mingzhuo tried his best to politely refuse. “It’s just that artists like me don’t really have a fixed lunch schedule. I’m afraid it may not match yours and might delay your work.”
Jing Ci looked at him thoughtfully and let out an “ah”.
However, Tao Mingzhuo heard Jing Ci remark, “Please be assured that I will collaborate with your work plan, and you need not be concerned about time conflicts.”
Tao Mingzhuo said, “…?”
When your employer buys your lunch every day and goes out of his way to accommodate your schedule, it’s like being fed with a giant pie using a golden spoon.
Tao Mingzhuo started to feel a little uneasy.
Since Tao Mingzhuo’s courteous refusal had no impact, he had no choice but to tell negative stuff about himself. “But there is one thing I should tell you: I have a bigger appetite so I eat a lot. I also don’t like to talk while I eat, so my company’s quite rather boring…”
Tao Mingzhuo’s words got cut off when he saw Jing Ci shaking his head.
“You can be certain that you will never leave my office hungry,” said Jing Ci, casting a glance in his direction. “And if you don’t feel comfortable talking with me, then it’s also fine. We don’t need to talk.”
Tao Mingzhuo was awestruck. Jing Ci sounded very sincere.
And maybe Tao Mingzhuo’s starting to imagine things, but Jing Ci’s expression right now…. One might even say he looked very sincere as well.
“I just want to eat with you everyday,” said Jing Ci. “Would that be okay, Mr. Tao?”
Author’s Feed:
Tao Mingzhuo: Very alert.jpg
Translator’s Feed:
Misunderstanding tropes are so annoying unless they’re executed nicely, or like if they’re funny. I find this one cute tho wkwkwk
Thank You for the chapter (◍•ڡ•◍)❤
Hi, Lico! Thanks for reading ❤️
If I could have a buffet for lunch everyday, I’ll agree in a heartbeat no questions asked 😂
and it’s for free? 🤩 well you’ll see me first thing in the morning
Mingzhou: Sus ಠಿಠ(٥↼↼)
Thank you for your translation 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖