Contractual Love: Mistaken for True - Chapter 29 - Pre-Battle Maneuvering

Xia Chen suspected a connection between Xu Xiaoyou and Shen Mobai because Shen Mobai once declared that he would win Xu Xiaoyou back. The two men had even fought over her once. After that, everything Shen Mobai did seemed to be related to Xu Xiaoyou in some way, which made Xia Chen uncomfortable. Just moments ago, Xia Chen heard Xu Xiaoyou mention she wanted to discuss a draft proposal with Shen Mobai. Wasn’t this clearly a way for Xu Xiaoyou to owe Shen Mobai a favor, achieving his ulterior motives? Furthermore, Xia Chen had heard that Shen Mobai had recently been chatting often with the president of Acer. They were definitely plotting something.

Xu Xiaoyou called Shen Mobai, who was in the middle of a meeting. Seeing her name on the caller ID, he immediately adjourned the meeting and stepped out, leaving everyone in the conference room staring at each other, unsure of what the general manager was up to.

“Xiaoyou, is there something you need at this time?” Though Shen Mobai already knew why Xu Xiaoyou was calling, he maintained a courteous tone to avoid raising suspicion.

“Shen Mo… I mean, Mr. Shen, are you free tonight? I’d like to take you out for dinner,” Xu Xiaoyou stammered.

“If you’re looking to make an appointment with Mr. Shen, you should contact his secretary to set up a time. But if you’re inviting Shen Mobai, I’m happy to tell you, I’m available!” Shen Mobai replied, attempting to stay calm.

Xu Xiaoyou was momentarily taken aback. What was that supposed to mean? Wasn’t Mr. Shen the same person as Shen Mobai? What was he trying to pull? Nonetheless, she didn’t ask. “I… I’ll invite you, Shen Mobai, okay?”

“Great!” Shen Mobai wanted to laugh out loud, finally seeing this day arrive. However, since he was standing outside the meeting room and still on the call with Xu Xiaoyou, he restrained himself. After setting the time and place for their meeting, they exchanged a few more words before hanging up.

“Ms. Song, cancel the dinner appointment tonight and clear my schedule for this afternoon,” Shen Mobai turned and instructed Ms. Song, who was standing by the door.

Ms. Song raised her hand to her forehead, thinking what a world this was: the CEO was away, the deputy CEO wasn’t managing things, and now even the general manager was taking a break. Did this mean she could take a break too?

Xu Xiaoyou sat in the Golden Hour Bistro, watching the pedestrians outside. The weather was getting colder, and it was hard to predict when it would start snowing. Even though City S is near the south, there are always a few snowfalls each year around Christmas. She wondered when the first snow of this year would come.

At that moment, a couple outside caught Xu Xiaoyou’s attention. They were an ordinary couple, yet it was clear the man deeply loved the woman. In such cold weather, he let her put her hands inside his jacket for warmth. If he didn’t love her immensely, why would he go to such lengths to keep her warm? Xu Xiaoyou thought about Xia Chen and herself. They never shared such an intimate gesture. Although she wasn’t used to such actions, she occasionally wished there could be a man who cared for her that way.

Xiaoyun, the manager, placed an orange drink in front of Xu Xiaoyou, then sat down across from her and asked, “Mind if I sit here?”

“Of course not, go ahead!” Xu Xiaoyou thought to herself that since this was Xiaoyun’s place, she could sit wherever she wanted. It seemed Xiaoyun wanted to say something.

“Are you a friend of A Xia?” Xiaoyun asked curiously. She had never seen Xia Chen bring a girl here before, and this was the second time this girl had come with Xia Chen. Her intuition told her that they had a special relationship.

Xu Xiaoyou nodded. Was being friends with Xia Chen something to be so curious about? She replied, “Are you friends with him too?” Initially, she wanted to ask if Xiaoyun was also friends with A Xia, but decided that might seem like she was trying to imply a closer relationship with Xia Chen, so she settled on “him.”

Xiaoyun nodded and said, “We were classmates in high school, and we’re very close.”

Very close? Then why had Xia Chen never mentioned her? And she didn’t seem like she was lying.

“What’s your name? I’m Xu Xiaoyou, nice to meet you!” Xu Xiaoyou offered her hand.

“I’m Xiaoyun! I’m glad to be your friend too!” Xiaoyun shook hands with Xu Xiaoyou.

The two began chatting in the restaurant and, much to their surprise, hit it off immediately, with the conversation flowing effortlessly. It wasn’t until Shen Mobai called to ask where Xu Xiaoyou was that they finally wrapped up their chat.

As Xu Xiaoyou stepped out of Golden Hour Bistro, she saw Shen Mobai’s car parked outside. It was an understated model, much like Shen Mobai himself, who always did things in a low-key manner.

Noticing her coming out, Shen Mobai got out of the car. On such a chilly day, she wasn’t wearing gloves, so he offered his pair to her. Xu Xiaoyou initially refused, but Shen Mobai put them on her himself, saying, “You’re all grown up now, but still don’t know how to take care of yourself?”

Xu Xiaoyou felt a moment of déjà vu, as if she were back in their school days. Shen Mobai used to reprimand her the same way, telling her she didn’t take care of herself. Now, hearing those words, there was no longer any flutter in her heart. It seemed she truly didn’t love him anymore.

She removed the gloves and placed them back in Shen Mobai’s hands, saying, “These should be for someone who needs them. I don’t need them anymore.” With that, she got into the car.

As Shen Mobai held the gloves, he looked at Xu Xiaoyou. Someone who needs them-did that no longer mean her? Did he really have no chance at all? No, he resolved to change that.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Shen Mobai glanced at Xu Xiaoyou in the back and asked, “Where should we go for dinner?”

Xu Xiaoyou thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I didn’t call you out to have dinner…”

“But it’s after work now, and I don’t want to discuss business. Let’s wait until after dinner, alright?” Shen Mobai interrupted her, afraid that if she finished what she wanted to say, she might leave him, rendering his carefully laid plans useless.

Xu Xiaoyou nodded. She needed his help, and as the saying goes, you can’t fight against circumstances. Even though she wanted to keep her distance from him, it wasn’t possible at the moment. She wondered if Xia Chen would be upset knowing she still sought Shen Mobai out. Thinking of Xia Chen made her feel uneasy; what was meant to be a pleasant dinner had turned into an argument, and after storming out, he hadn’t called her. In Xia Chen’s heart, what was she to him, really? Xu Xiaoyou found herself wrestling with this question.

Through the rearview mirror, Shen Mobai observed Xu Xiaoyou’s expressions, which alternated between frowning and closing her eyes. He recognized these expressions all too well-was something troubling her? Could it be that she had an argument with Xia Chen? Xia Chen hadn’t attended the afternoon meeting, and according to Yilin, he had just gone out for lunch. But what happened afterward? Shen Mobai didn’t ask, knowing Xu Xiaoyou’s temperament. The fact that she was even sitting in his car was already a significant gesture. If he brought up something unpleasant, she might just jump out of the car. Besides, he didn’t want to discuss anything related to Xia Chen with her.

Shen Mobai took Xu Xiaoyou to an upscale restaurant. The manager had already been informed and was waiting in the lobby. Seeing Shen Mobai arrive with a woman, the manager’s eyes darted, wondering if she was Mr. Shen’s girlfriend. This was someone to be treated with care, as Mr. Shen had never brought a woman here before, indicating she must be special.

“This way, Mr. Shen, please,” the manager said as he led Shen Mobai and Xu Xiaoyou to a private dining room, the largest and most luxurious in the restaurant and not usually open to the public.

A waiter handed over the menu, and Shen Mobai took it and passed it to Xu Xiaoyou, who declined, saying he could decide for both of them. Shen Mobai returned the menu to the waiter and told the manager, “Just prepare everything as I instructed this afternoon.”

The manager nodded and left with the waiter, kindly closing the door behind him.

“Mr. Shen…”

“Just call me Mobai,” Shen Mobai interrupted. Being addressed as Mr. Shen felt like a hundred thousand miles of distance between them.

Xu Xiaoyou rolled her eyes and said nothing. Shen Mobai continued, “If it feels awkward, just call me by my name. That should be acceptable, right?”

After some thought, Xu Xiaoyou replied, “I think I’ll stick with Mr. Shen. It’s better to keep our relationship clear.”

Shen Mobai hadn’t expected Xu Xiaoyou to be so unyielding. Picking up a newspaper from the side, he began to read, ignoring Xu Xiaoyou. She didn’t mind his silence; once they finished discussing their matters, she planned to head straight home and expected they wouldn’t meet again in the future.

Shen Mobai hadn’t expected Xu Xiaoyou to actually stop talking. Several times, he noticed her deep in thought, seemingly oblivious to his presence.

A knock on the door interrupted the silence. Shen Mobai called out for them to enter. The manager stepped in first, followed by the waitstaff who set the dishes on the table. The manager personally poured the wine and then stood by. With a wave of his hand, Shen Mobai signaled for the manager to leave.

“These are all your favorite dishes. I still remember!” Shen Mobai said as he served some food onto Xu Xiaoyou’s plate.

Xu Xiaoyou took a small bite but was immediately overwhelmed by its spiciness. She quickly sipped some water to ease the sensation.

Shen Mobai pulled his hand back halfway but then leaned in to gently pat her back, asking, “Is it too spicy? I can have them change it.”

He began to call the manager back, but Xu Xiaoyou quickly gestured for him to stop, indicating she wasn’t that fragile and it was just a minor mishap. Seeing she was okay, Shen Mobai picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and put it in her bowl, saying, “This isn’t spicy, I’ve tried it.”

Xu Xiaoyou nodded, drank another glass of water, and ate the bamboo shoot. It tasted alright, but it reminded her of the bamboo shoots Xia Chen had once cooked, making this dish seem mediocre in comparison.

Noticing that Xu Xiaoyou had put her chopsticks down after only one bite, Shen Mobai quickly asked if the food wasn’t to her liking and if she wanted to order something else.

Looking at Shen Mobai, Xu Xiaoyou seriously said, “Mr. Shen, I prefer to discuss matters before eating.”

Shen Mobai mumbled softly, “I remember you used to prefer talking after meals.”

Unfortunately for him, Xu Xiaoyou heard this remark and rolled her eyes, replying, “People change. Don’t you think we’ve both changed over these four years?”

Shen Mobai nodded, agreeing on that point-four years can change anyone. However, his love for her remained unaltered.