Chapter 293: Putting on a Show for Parents

Then Hong Wenyan actually took them out for a late-night snack...

Lin Yuan also actually brought Bai Lu to mooch a late-night snack.

Hong Wenyan brought them to a barbecue restaurant called 【Xinjiang Maimaiti Barbecue】.

At the stall, a boss was grilling meat skewers; this is a late-night barbecue stall.

However, what was surprising was that the boss of this barbecue stall was a one-armed man; his right hand hung empty, and only his left hand was hard at work grilling.

Seeing Hong Wenyan arrive, the one-armed boss warmly greeted, "Miss Hong, you're here."

"DaShu, business is good." Hong Wenyan smiled slightly in greeting and brought Lin Yuan and the others to sit.

Bai Lu felt a bit restrained, "What's all this about?"

She had made an appointment with Lin Yuan, so how did she end up coming to eat barbecue with Lin Yuan's ex-girlfriend?

Lin Yuan felt a bit odd; it was the first time he had seen Hong Wenyan smiling and greeting a stranger.

This girl, isn't she an iceberg?

She actually also smiles and greets people.

After they were seated, Lin Yuan wasn't polite either, ordering all the most expensive seafood barbecue items on the menu!

Since Hong Wenyan is so enthusiastic, he intends to eat her into poverty.

"Boss, give me 100 portions of the grilled shrimp and the grilled live abalone!" Lin Yuan blurted out a large order.

Hong Wenyan slightly raised her eyebrows.

Boss DaShu also looked a bit bewildered: "Young man, that's a lot—can you finish it?"

"If I can't finish it, I'll take it to go," Lin Yuan said shamelessly.

"This?" DaShu glanced at Hong Wenyan.

Hong Wenyan nodded.

Only then did DaShu go prepare the ingredients for grilling.

Bai Lu sat there, wanting to stop Lin Yuan, but she had no chance.

Soon a large pile of seafood barbecue was brought out.

Lin Yuan, that rascal, ordered nothing but grilled seafood.

This was basically not saving Hong Wenyan any money at all.

The three of them sat at the table and started pulling at the late-night skewers.

Hong Wenyan also ordered three whole cases of beer, asking Lin Yuan to keep her company drinking.

Although she looks as cold as frost, an ice-cold beauty.

But when she pulls skewers and drinks beer, she is extremely full of mortal warmth.

"Miss Hong, I think I won't drink—I'm driving," Bai Lu waved her hands repeatedly.

But Hong Wenyan had already poured her a glass of beer: "I'll call a designated driver for you; it's rare we meet, let's drink together."

Lin Yuan was also poured a glass of beer.

"Lin Yuan, tonight sitting here, let's temporarily set aside our grudges—drink." Hong Wenyan raised her cup and drained it.

This woman has black long hair hanging over her shoulders, her features absolutely beautiful, yet the way she drinks beer is so full of mortal warmth.

She sat on the plastic chair, her black long hair draped over her shoulders and neck, a few strands caught by the evening breeze and sticking to her sweat-dampened collarbone. Her fingertips lightly rested on the rim of the icy beer glass, her knuckles turning pale from gripping the glass, as she tilted her head back her neck line formed a soft arc; she downed the beer in one gulp, foam clinging to her gorgeous red lips.

The warm yellow light of the barbecue shop fell on her hair tips, making her cold-white skin look like a pear soaked in honey.

Lin Yuan also raised his cup and drank.

Bai Lu sat beside them, curiously asking, "Miss Hong, what exactly… is the grudge between you two?"

Hong Wenyan poured another cup of wine and said lightly, "Just some minor business matters."

"Miss Hong, you're not Lin Yuan's ex-girlfriend, right?" Bai Lu asked.

She had already figured it out; this Hong Wenyan didn't seem like Lin Yuan's ex-girlfriend.

Hong Wenyan gazed at her with deep eyes, "Heh, you saw through me. I really am not his ex-girlfriend."

Hearing this, Bai Lu visibly let out a breath.

Indeed, she wasn't.

Her heart felt a little more at ease.

"However, Bai sister, I also sincerely advise you: stay away from Lin Yuan, that scumbag. He's a total bastard, promiscuous and trash, morally corrupt, and still a dead pervert. Getting too close to him won't end well." Hong Wenyan reminded earnestly.

Bai Lu stuck out her tongue, not knowing how to respond.

Lin Yuan, hearing this, felt displeased; he coldly retorted, "Hong Wenyan, you can scold me, but please don't defame me, okay? You always call me a pervert—have I been perverted toward you? I have the right to sue you for defamation."

Hong Wenyan stared at Lin Yuan with her beautiful eyes, "Aren't you a pervert yourself?"

The two of them started arguing again.

Bai Lu, helpless, could only sit there raising her cup to drink.

At that moment, she saw that on one of the barbecue shop's white walls, there was a blank space where someone had graffitied a picture.

That picture depicted the silhouette of a little boy.

But that picture was obviously drawn by a child.

It looked like a self-portrait of a little boy.

Bai Lu stepped forward and asked the boss, "Boss, who drew that little boy?"

Boss DaShu glanced at the words on the wall and replied, "My little brat drew it; it's a bit ugly, right? Hehe~"

The boss scratched his head in a simple-minded way.

"No way, it's actually quite nice. There's still a large empty space beside the white wall, which looks mismatched. Boss, let me paint another one for free? I'm an art teacher, I'm good at drawing." Bai Lu said, blinking her beautiful eyes.

"Really? That's great, thank you, miss. The paint my child used is still in the cabinet; you can use it." Boss DaShu nodded.

Bai Lu took out the paint from the cabinet, then began painting a mural on the white wall……

Hong Wenyan and Lin Yuan were arguing, and the two suddenly saw Bai Lu painting a mural.

Both stopped arguing, turned their heads to look at the graceful figure standing before the wall, painting the mural.

Bai Lu stood before the wall at that moment, holding a paintbrush, focused on painting the mural.

Bai Lu painted while occasionally turning her head to look at Boss DaShu.

She was painting DaShu.

On the wall, DaShu's little brat had painted a self-portrait of himself; in the self-portrait, his child looked about seven years old.

Bai Lu was then painting DaShu, hoping to complete the portrait of this father and son.

Hong Wenyan and Lin Yuan watched, somewhat entranced.

Bai Lu's painting really looked quite like him.

At that moment her black long hair hung over her shoulders, she stood before the wall, lightly sketching lines; at that moment she was absolutely beautiful and moving.

Her fair skin was specked with charcoal, which instead softened her brows and eyes—when she slightly tilted her head to adjust the angle, her black hair brushed past the side of her neck, revealing a slender collarbone; the charcoal stick turned half a circle at her fingertips, and when she lifted her gaze, light filled her eyes.

Bai Lu while painting was like a fairy.

The way her hair hung, her arm lifted, her gaze focused resembled a flowing ink painting; every undulation of her figure exuded exquisite charm, clean yet captivating.

Lin Yuan's heartbeat fluttered a little as he watched. But he quickly gathered his scattered thoughts.

"Deadbeat scumbag, what's up? Seeing Bai Lu paint, you're moved?" Hong Wenyan said coldly at the dinner table.

Lin Yuan withdrew his gaze and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Hong Wenyan said coldly, "This Bai Lu girl is quite pure; I actually like her a lot. Lin Yuan, I warn you: don't harbor designs on her, don't tarnish such a pure girl."

Lin Yuan was speechless: "Our blind date was an accident; I have no thoughts about her, rest assured."

"By the way, this barbecue restaurant boss, used to be a jianghu wanderer, right?" Lin Yuan suddenly asked.

He had just noticed a tiny tattoo on the boss's wrist and guessed that the boss probably used to roam the jianghu.

Hong Wenyan glanced at him with her beautiful eyes: "DaShu used to be my father's enforcer; back then, for my father's sake, he lost a hand. Later my father helped him invest, and he opened this barbecue shop."

Upon hearing that, Lin Yuan sighed, "If he hadn't gone into jianghu or joined your K Group, he could have had a better future."

Hong Wenyan gave him a cold glance: "Not join jianghu? Do you know DaShu's situation?"

"He's a former labor-reform prisoner; years ago he accidentally killed a thief while trying to subdue him and was sentenced to ten years. After release he married a deaf-mute woman. Later they had a son who was born with leukemia. Some people are simply forgotten by fate. To pay for his son's treatment he scrambled for money everywhere, but no one would lend him. As a former convict he can't find any job in society—not even as a guard. What do you expect him to do? If he doesn't go into jianghu or join our K Group, his son will die!" Hong Wenyan questioned coldly.

At that moment Lin Yuan opened his mouth to say something but couldn't speak; he fell silent.

"Most positions in society are reserved for those so-called clean people. But who has considered DaShu and others like him, these lower-class folks? Who has considered those coming from remote poor areas? Who has considered these ex-convicts?" Hong Wenyan's threefold question left Lin Yuan utterly speechless.

"If it weren't absolutely necessary, DaShu would never have joined the K Group. He had no other recourse; left with no choice, he joined 24K because my father's gray‑industry business can pay him a sufficiently high wage. He can also use that income to treat his son's illness. Do you think our K Group's existence harms society? On the contrary, it is precisely because of groups like ours that society's idle folk, unemployed drifters, and those cast out by social morality can obtain a decent job." Hong Wenyan said coldly.

Lin Yuan remained silent.

After a long while, he finally downed his beer in one gulp.

"I didn't say your K Group is bad either, but you engage in those gray industries, which are ultimately illegal." Lin Yuan said.

"Without those businesses, the K Group would go bankrupt. What would we use to pay those people's wages?" Hong Wenyan replied coldly.

"You could clean up and go into legitimate businesses." Lin Yuan replied.

"Ha, clean up? Easier said than done." Hong Wenyan sneered coldly.

Meanwhile, Bai Lu had already finished the mural.

She painted the boss DaShu's likeness onto the wall.

Placed beside the son's portrait, together they formed a father‑son portrait.

Bai Lu's painting was very lifelike; the image of the barbecue shop boss DaShu leapt forth on the wall.

"Boss, it's done." Bai Lu blinked her beautiful eyes and said.

DaShu looked and kept nodding his thanks.

"By the way, boss, how's your son?" Bai Lu asked curiously.

All evening we hadn't seen DaShu's son.

DaShu sighed, "My kid's health is poor; he's been in the hospital……"

Bai Lu heard this and repeatedly apologized, "Sorry, boss, I hope your son gets better soon."

DaShu shook his head, "It's fine; my kid also loves drawing, he often practices painting in his hospital ward."

"Oh really? Boss, when your son gets out of the hospital next time, I can teach him to draw for free." Bai Lu blinked her beautiful eyes.

The boss nodded somewhat pleased, "Really? Then thank you, Miss Bai……"

Throughout this late‑night snack, the three ate until after 1 a. m., then paid and left.

Before leaving, Hong Wenyan suddenly added Bai Lu on WeChat.

"Bai little sister, I'm older than you; from now on I'll call you Bai little sister. We get along well, let's be friends. From now on I'll look out for you, sis." Hong Wenyan said with a tipsy smile.

"Sure, Wenyan sis." Bai Lu blinked her beautiful eyes and added Hong Wenyan on WeChat.

Hong Wenyan hailed a ride‑hail car for Bai Lu and Lin Yuan respectively, and the group drove off……

But after Hong Wenyan got in the car, she took out her phone and sent Bai Lu a message: 【Bai little sister, I sincerely advise you once more: don't be with Lin Yuan. He's a jinx, and he's truly a scumbag; with your qualities you could definitely find a better boyfriend. Listen to your sister's advice.】

……

Bai Lu sat in the car, looking at the message Hong Wenyan had sent; she lightly pursed her red lips and gave a little pout.

She didn't take it to heart.

Tonight was just her first contact with Lin Yuan; although many things happened this evening, frankly speaking, her impression of Lin Yuan is still pretty good?

So let's just keep observing.

……

The next day at work, Lin Yuan was summoned to Director Su's office.

Su Monong specifically asked him, how was the progress of last night's date with Bai Lu?

Lin Yuan was somewhat speechless; Director Su really cared about his date!

Lin Yuan, to appease Director Su, could only reply that the date's progress was not bad.

Hearing Lin Yuan's reply, Su Monong was very satisfied.

She had Lin Yuan continue dating Bai Lu, insisting he pick a suitable match from these blind-date girls as a girlfriend.

After leaving Director Su's office, Lin Yuan had just returned to his own office.

Suddenly, "Ding ling ling!" Lin Yuan's phone rang.

He puzzledly picked up his phone and looked?

Huh? Caller ID shows: Mu Lingxue.

Mu Lingxue made a WeChat video call to him.

Lin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, he had a bad premonition.

This beautiful policewoman blind-date date, every time Lin Yuan sees he's like a mouse seeing a cat.

Lin Yuan hesitated for a long time, but still carefully pressed the answer key.

"Hello, Officer Mu? Is there something?" Lin Yuan asked cautiously.

From the other end of the line came Mu Lingxue's pleasant voice: "Lin Yuan, do me a favor, let's go out for dinner tonight."

Lin Yuan was taken aback: "Going out for dinner? How is that helping?"

From the other end, Mu Lingxue replied: "Tonight we'll pretend to have a date over dinner, putting on an act for my parents. I've already told my parents about our date."

Whoosh! Hearing that, Lin Yuan was dazed?