Zuo Mu could see that he had really upset Tang Tang. Thinking that this really wasn't the right time, he said casually, "If I hadn't said that, the little girl probably would have been too shy to take that much money. We should help her if we can."
"I see."
Tang Tang let out a sigh of relief, but at the same time, there was a hint of disappointment in her heart.
Zuo Mu held out the somewhat wilted but exquisitely wrapped rose in both hands and presented it in front of Tang Tang. His hands were beautiful, long, fair, and with distinct knuckles. Looking at her sincerely, he said, "This is a flower from your brother."
Tang Tang was a bit flustered, but she quickly composed herself. With a big smile that made her eyes curve, she happily took the flower.
The role of a younger sister.
After giving the flower, Zuo Mu was glad that he had managed to smooth things over.
Heavens knew how much he had wanted to admit his feelings when the little girl voiced her speculation just now. Those were truly his innermost thoughts.
Tang Tang hugged the rose and secretly peeked at Zuo Mu.
After giving the flower, Zuo Mu checked his messages, worried about work matters.
The ceiling lamp above their table emitted a warm glow, casting a shadow on the side of Zuo Mu's face as he seriously replied to the messages.
This guy is really good-looking.
Zuo Mu suddenly looked up after sending the messages.
And he caught Tang Tang staring at him.
Caught in the act, Tang Tang was a bit flustered at first, but she quickly regained her composure. Pretending to look outside, she said, "It's so late. Shouldn't we go home?"
"You're right. You must be exhausted," Zuo Mu said as he glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock. The dishes on the table were basically finished. He asked considerately, "Are you full?"
"I'm full, I'm full." Tang Tang blushed a bit when she said this. Most of the dishes had ended up in her stomach. She had been so hungry, and only after finishing did she notice that Zuo Mu had barely eaten a few mouthfuls.
Would Zuo Mu think she was a big eater? Well, it was kind of true.
Maybe to cover it up, Tang Tang deliberately said, "Actually, I don't usually eat this much."
On the contrary, Zuo Mu rarely saw Tang Tang with such a good appetite. He inexplicably felt a sense of satisfaction, like feeding a little animal.
"You're still growing. Eating more is good for you. And all the dishes we ordered are light vegetables and proteins. It's okay. I know you girls want to stay in shape, but you still need to eat well," Zuo Mu admonished.
Tang Tang nodded repeatedly to show that she understood.
When it came to eating, she was far from Huang Xiaoli.
The key was that Huang Xiaoli could eat a lot without gaining weight. What a dream physique for so many girls.
There was nothing much for them to pack up. Zuo Mu went to pay the bill while Tang Tang waited at the door.
Then they got in the car and drove towards the neighborhood.
In the car, Zuo Mu turned on the stereo again.
Having eaten a full meal, Tang Tang felt sleepy soon after the car started.
She looked drowsily at the streetlights passing by on the not-so-crowded street, and then her eyes slowly closed.
Hearing the even and deep breathing beside him, Zuo Mu glanced over and saw that the little girl was really asleep.
He drove the car attentively.
Suddenly, he remembered a passage he had read some time ago.
If someone is willing to fall asleep peacefully in the passenger seat, it means they have entrusted their life to you.
It must be the kind of trust where one can entrust their life to the other.
Tang Tang trusted him like that too, right?
Zuo Mu didn't know how wide his smile was at this moment.
To avoid waking Tang Tang up due to the bumps of the car, Zuo Mu deliberately slowed down.
So the ten - minute drive ended up taking twenty minutes.
When they reached the parking lot, the speed bump jolted Tang Tang awake.
Tang Tang had been having a chaotic dream: First, Huang Xiaoli scolded her for not accepting Zuo Mu's feelings even though he liked her so much. Then Zuo Mu came with a big bunch of roses and a diamond ring to propose. Finally, Old Tang rushed in angrily from outside and wanted to beat Zuo Mu.
Just as Old Tang appeared in the dream, the car jolted, and Tang Tang woke up suddenly. There was only a dim little light in the car.
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether it was a dream or reality.
Thankfully, Zuo Mu asked, "Are you awake? Take your time. It might be cold when you get out of the car later. You've just recovered from a fever."
"Okay," Tang Tang replied sleepily. Rubbing her eyes, she noticed that there seemed to be something covering her. Looking closely, she found it was Zuo Mu's suit jacket with a faint fragrance.
"Thank you, Brother Zuo Mu," Tang Tang said, feeling that her face had been flushing more and more frequently these days.
"Be careful. Put it on when you get out of the car later. Don't catch a cold," Zuo Mu said in his gentle voice. For some reason, Tang Tang felt that Zuo Mu's gentleness tonight made her heart tremble.
They got out of the car as usual, swiped their cards, and entered the house. Tang Tang tiredly stretched.
Zuo Mu hung up his jacket and asked her, "What do you want for breakfast tomorrow morning?"
Tang Tang was so sleepy that she forced herself to answer, "Brother, I haven't told you yet. Since I did volunteer work this afternoon, I have a day off tomorrow."
"That's great," Zuo Mu said in surprise.
"Yeah. Maybe the leader felt sorry for us," Tang Tang said.
She waved and went into her room, took a quick shower, and then threw herself onto her warm bed.
Then, she slept soundly all night without any dreams, accompanied by the fragrance of the rose.
The next day, when Tang Tang woke up, it was already seven o'clock.
This was quite late for her.
Zuo Mu had already prepared some simple toast, eggs, bacon, and milk. He was sitting at the dining table, reading an old newspaper and waiting for Tang Tang to come out.
Tang Tang quickly finished washing up, yawned contentedly, greeted Zuo Mu good morning, and then obediently sat down in her usual seat.
"How did you sleep last night?" Zuo Mu asked with concern when he saw Tang Tang.
"Great," Tang Tang said as she casually sat at the table and reached for the toast. But Zuo Mu stopped her.
"Drink some honey water first," Zuo Mu said as he handed the prepared honey water to Tang Tang.
Tang Tang instinctively took it. She was a bit hungry and gulped down the water.
She hadn't had a drink for seven or eight hours since last night, and now the water made her feel much more comfortable.
Seeing Tang Tang like this, Zuo Mu smiled helplessly.
After drinking the water, Tang Tang finally felt better. She looked at Zuo Mu with bright eyes.
Zuo Mu felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze. He put away the newspaper and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have such a good brother," Tang Tang said with a sudden sense of emotion. She propped her chin on her hands and stared at Zuo Mu innocently.
"Alright, alright. Hurry up and eat. The food will get cold," Zuo Mu said. He couldn't stand such a look from Tang Tang and tried to distract her with food.
Sure enough, Tang Tang happily ate like a little hamster, looking extremely satisfied.