Chapter 3 The Lady Orders
I stopped being angry at Xu Heng because he bought an off-road vehicle.
I liked driving heavy vehicles. After I got together with him, I stopped going to the wild edges and sold the one I had.
The sulk cleared.
I finished the soup, walked into his office, and said, bright with excitement,
"Baby, I stewed chicken soup. Let's have it together."
Xu Heng refused at once. "I can't. There's a lunch."
I frowned. "Fine. Have it when you come back tonight."
"Brother Heng, that Thai place on West Street is pretty good." A woman pushed the door open and came in.
She saw me, and her face looked a little surprised. "Who is this?"
"My girlfriend." Xu Heng stood, then said to me, "This is Miss Lin."
Lin Yaoyao came over, easy and natural, and took my hand. "I always wondered what kind of excellent woman could land Brother Heng. I finally see her today."
I smiled and said nothing.
Xu Heng put his hands in his pockets. "Tian Yue, go back first. Miss Lin and I have something at noon."
Lin Yaoyao invited me instead. "Don't. It's nothing, just a meal. Let Tian Yue come."
"All right." Xu Heng agreed.
So the lunch was a meal for the two of them.
The way he agreed felt clearly different to me. He never went along with me.
On the way to the restaurant, they walked side by side and talked on and on.
Every time I tried to cut in, Lin Yaoyao found something that seemed to catch Xu Heng and talked over me.
Bit by bit, I fell back from them.
At the restaurant, Xu Heng pulled out a seat for Lin Yaoyao first. He paused, then pulled one out for me.
I could tell I only got Xu Heng's courtesy because of Lin Yaoyao.
The server held the menu out to Xu Heng.
Xu Heng lifted a hand to stop him. "Let the lady see it."
The server looked as if he understood and passed it to Lin Yaoyao. "Sorry. The girlfriend orders."
At those words, everyone went still for a moment.
To my eyes, the two of them were the pair that matched.
No one explained the mistake to the server.
We finished the meal in a dull quiet.
As we left, Lin Yaoyao caught my hand. "Tian Yue, don't mind it. You are Brother Heng's girlfriend."
I pulled my hand free. "I know."
Xu Heng frowned.
Lin Yaoyao stuck out her tongue, playful, and turned to Xu Heng. "Brother Heng, she won't give you a hard time at home tonight, will she?"
Xu Heng's brow eased. "Don't joke. Tian Yue is not a petty person."
I had finally gotten one line of praise. It still did not sound happy to me.
I watched the two of them together, easy and in tune.
I felt like the extra one.