Chapter 7: Blowing Hot Air

Seeing Shen Mo didn't believe him, Liuzi got anxious and quickly said, "Bro, seriously, I studied psychology."

"Sis-in-law's behavior—it's definitely a mental illness."

Seeing Liuzi was about to launch into a long-winded explanation, Shen Mo quickly said, "Then tell me, what's her illness, and how do we cure it?"

A flash of smugness crossed Liuzi's eyes as he said, "Mania. The cure is also very simple—it's love. Let her channel the manic energy inside her through other outlets."

As he spoke, he gave Shen Mo a meaningful look.

"Mo Bro, we've bathed together, I know what you're working with—you're the perfect medicine for Sis-in-law."

"So, for her sake, hurry up and make your move."

Shen Mo rolled his eyes—truly speechless at that.

Seeing Shen Mo didn't buy it, Liuzi didn't say more; if he kept nagging, he'd be the one being unreasonable.

He handed Shen Mo a cigarette, and the two of them watched the monitors while smoking.

Shen Mo felt this behavior was pretty immoral, especially hearing the fragrant words popping out of Liu Yue's mouth from time to time.

Liuzi seemed to read Shen Mo's thoughts and said with a smile, "Mo Bro, this room costs you three thousand yuan, just enough for me to break even. So guess why I rented a place to open this Jieya Guan?"

Shen Mo was silent for a moment, then complained, "Shit, you didn't open this place just to watch people go crazy and hear the gossip they spill when they do, did you?"

Liuzi let out a sneaky laugh—bingo.

"So, actually, I'm mentally ill too."

After one cigarette was finished, Liu Yue had also pretty much smashed up the entire room, and Shen Mo turned and left directly.

When he opened the door to the room, Liu Yue was sitting on the battered sofa, panting heavily.

Seeing Shen Mo, Liu Yue broke into a smile.

"Hubby, you're back."

"That venting session today felt amazing."

Thinking back, during the second half of her smashing spree, Liu Yue felt like she'd gone crazy—everything she looked at looked like the house she used to live in with Shen Jiayun.

So after finishing, she felt especially great.

If she hadn't broken out in a sweat after the smashing, Liu Yue would have really wanted to give Shen Mo a hug.

"Great then, let's go. We're going to have hot pot now—there's a place nearby."

【Hahahaha, of course it felt great. I'm guessing you must hate Shen Jiayun and Liu Xinhua, so you specifically imagined this scene.】

Liu Yue was deeply moved—so Shen Mo really did have feelings for her too.

After tidying up his clothes, Shen Mo took Liu Yue's hand and walked toward the hot pot restaurant next door.

Facing the packed, noisy hot pot restaurant, Liu Yue felt a little uneasy.

The places she used to eat at were all high-end restaurants—the kind that barely had anyone even during peak hours.

Coming to a street-side hot pot place now felt really unfamiliar.

But glancing at Shen Mo beside her, Liu Yue decided to give it a try.

Finding a window-side seat, Shen Mo ordered a copper hot pot.

This kind of hot pot has charcoal burning in the middle, with just a clear broth base, and the main dipping sauce is sesame paste.

People who love it really love it, and people who don't can still accept it.

Shen Mo handed the menu to Liu Yue and said generously, "Want meat? Order whatever you want. My treat today."

【Haha, I feel like I look exactly like some bleached-hair punk trying to seduce a rich girl right now.】

Liu Yue smiled so hard her eyes curved into crescents, and said with a laugh, "Then give me ten plates of lamb."

The waiter frowned at Shen Mo.

Shen Mo quickly waved his hand and said, "No need, three plates is enough."

Liu Yue was puzzled, but didn't argue.

Shen Mo quickly explained, "Honey, the portion sizes at street-side places aren't like the high-end restaurants you're used to."

Liu Yue smiled slightly, then ordered a few more plates of greens she'd probably eaten before but didn't know the names of,

and Shen Mo ordered three bottles of iced beer.

"Hot pot must be paired with beer—it's especially refreshing."

Liu Yue just watched Shen Mo quietly.

Pouring himself a glass of beer and downing it in one go, Shen Mo couldn't help but let out a breath.

"Refreshing."

Pouring herself a glass of beer too, Liu Yue watched Shen Mo with a beaming smile.

"It's been a long time since you drank, hasn't it?"

Shen Mo nodded, his eyes welling up, and said painfully, "Ever since Dad found me and married you off to me, I was taken back to the Shen Family. They restricted my diet and made me learn a bunch of etiquette. It was miserable."

Liu Yue burst out laughing—she could almost picture Shen Mo being forced to study all kinds of upper-class knowledge.

"That does sound pretty miserable." As they chatted, the copper hot pot was brought over.

Liu Yue studied the charcoal-burning copper hot pot with great interest.

It was her first time eating one.

By the time she was born, the Liu Family had already been thriving for eighty years, so she'd never eaten a charcoal-flavored copper hot pot before.

Especially seeing those thick, chunky scallions in the pot, Liu Yue grew even more curious.

Shen Mo smiled smugly.

【Hehe, never seen one before, have you.】

The waiter brought over the lamb.

Looking at those thick lamb slices—a whole plate where lifting them with chopsticks revealed no ice underneath—Liu Yue was stunned.

Lamb slices — you can eat them like this? After all, in Liu Yue's memory, lamb slices were always thin little layers laid out on ice.

About ten slices per plate, three-eighty.

Shen Mo dumped an entire plate into the hotpot under Liu Yue's stunned gaze.

Then he asked the server for two more dinner plates.

The plates arrived, the hotpot was boiling, and the lamb was just about ready.

Shen Mo picked out a plateful for Liu Yue, picked out one for himself, then told Liu Yue to watch. He first poured sesame paste over his lamb, sprinkled on some cilantro, mixed it up vigorously, and started devouring it like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey.

Liu Yue was stunned.

Then she decided to give it a try.

She poured on the sesame paste, sprinkled on the cilantro, and ate it down in big mouthful after big mouthful.

When she felt a bit choked, she picked up the iced beer beside her and drained it in one go.

"Refreshing."

Liu Yue said, her face flushed red.

Shen Mo grinned proudly: "Never tried it before, right? This is how the common folk ate lamb — I read it in Mr. Chen Duxiu's memoirs."

"Especially refreshing."

Liu Yue nodded, then looked at the rest of the lamb, and simply picked up the plate and dumped it straight in.

A big brother at the next table, seeing this, couldn't help but tease: "Bro, where did you coax this pampered young lady from who's never known hardship?"

Shen Mo replied, brows dancing: "Big brother, this is my wife — and a rich one who's keeping me. Not coaxed, mind you."

Liu Yue was stunned — is there really a man in this world who'd say he's being kept? Isn't he afraid of being laughed at? Under Liu Yue's shocked gaze, the big brother at the next table raised his glass in a toast to Shen Mo.

"Bro, you're badass."

Liu Yue was a bit dumbfounded, completely unable to understand.

Perhaps sensing Liu Yue's surprise, Shen Mo explained with a grin: "Being kept proves I'm handsome, good at sweet-talking, and skilled in that department too."

"Of course I have to say it out loud."

Liu Yue laughed — hey, it actually made a lot of sense.

The big brother at the next table burst out laughing — that's right, that's right.

Maybe the hotpot restaurant's atmosphere was too good, or maybe it was three glasses of liquor doing their work — everyone's friends after that — Shen Mo soon led Liu Yue over to sit at the next table.

The moment the tables were pushed together and the liquor started flowing, Shen Mo began bragging with the big brother next door.

Under Liu Yue's astonished gaze, Shen Mo's mouth ran a nonstop train, painting their love story in vivid color — nothing like two people who'd just met, more like ten years of knowing each other.

The big brother and big sister at the next table listened, blood boiling with excitement, their CP obsession thoroughly satisfied.

Even some diners from other tables who'd finished eating didn't want to leave, sitting there listening to Shen Mo brag.

In Shen Mo's story, he and Liu Yue met at a bar — Liu Yue had gone there for drinks, and he was working as a bartender.

As they gradually got to know each other, Liu Yue provided tuition for the working Shen Mo, and after that, the two of them fell in love.

The big sister at the next table chimed in with a grin, saying you two aren't being kept — that's a free love affair.

Shen Mo shot back instantly: "How could it not be? Today's bill is being paid by my wife."

"How is that not being kept?"

This remark set off a burst of laughter from everyone around.

Liu Yue also laughed brightly and chimed in: "It's being kept, alright. I'm six years older than Shen Mo — when I was in college, he was still a sixth-grade elementary schooler."

This made the ladies around all widen their eyes and let out shrieks — how thrilling.

Liu Yue added with a grin: "When I first got together with Shen Mo, what I wanted was his great physique and his eight-pack abs. He wanted my money. So how is that not being kept?"

The circle of ladies looked at Shen Mo's face, then at his abs, and collectively swallowed — sis, you're eating way too well.

But when everyone looked at the bag Liu Yue carried — clearly not cheap at a glance — they all sighed. Can't compete, can't compete.

(End of this chapter)