Chapter 5 Stay for Dinner

"I came by to see you on my way back from the hospital!" Ye Qinghan looked at Lin Qiang and took the initiative to speak. "Sure... sure. Come in and have a seat!" Lin Qiang wiped his hands on his apron and pulled out a chair for Ye Qinghan. He awkwardly said, "Renting a house is expensive, so my daughter and I live in the clinic. Xiaoyu, call Auntie!" "Auntie Ye, hello! Auntie Ye, you're so beautiful!" Xiaoyu sweetly exclaimed. "Xiaoyu, this is a gift from Auntie!" Ye Qinghan held a bag in her hand and opened it to reveal a beautifully crafted Snow White doll. "Thank you, Auntie Ye! It's a limited edition and very expensive, over a thousand..." Xiaoyu hugged the limited edition doll, her delicate face filled with excitement. "Xiaoyu, go upstairs and do your homework!" After sending her daughter away, Lin Qiang finally showed some emotion and said, "Miss Ye, you've spent money on us!" It seemed that Ye Qinghan's inner world was not as cold as her face. Perhaps being aloof and indifferent was just her personality. "It's nothing, after all, we're already married." Ye Qinghan looked at the man in front of her, who was holding a spatula and wearing an apron, and calmly said, "If it's convenient, I'd like to stay for dinner." "Ah... no problem. I have spare ribs cooking in the pot... I hope they're not burnt!" Lin Qiang slapped his forehead and hurriedly ran into the kitchen. "Then I'll go upstairs and take a look!" After speaking, Ye Qinghan walked up the stairs. In this simple clinic, she felt a hint of long-lost "warmth". No deceitful tactics in the shopping mall, no scheming between competitors, no careful calculations for chasing profits. Ye Qinghan, for the first time, wanted to stay a little longer in this environment. "Knock knock... Xiaoyu, can I come in?" Ye Qinghan stood at the attic door and knocked. "Auntie Ye, come in!" Lin Xiaoyu was still doing her homework under the desk lamp. After Ye Qinghan entered, she apologized, "Auntie Ye, I haven't finished two questions yet. Can we chat later?" "Well, it's good to study seriously. Auntie will just sit here for a while!" Ye Qinghan nodded. Then, she looked around the attic. It wasn't very big, just over ten square meters. But it was tidy and clean. The shelves were filled with neatly stacked children's books, all showing signs of being read. On the white walls, there were many handicrafts hanging. At the bottom, there was a line of words. Lin Qiang, Xiaoyu, accomplished together. Outside the window, there were some of Xiaoyu's clothes hanging, without a single stain or wrinkle. It was clear that Lin Qiang had put a lot of effort into his daughter. A ripple flashed through Ye Qinghan's beautiful eyes, but it quickly returned to calm. After a while, Lin Xiaoyu put down her pen and put her homework into her backpack. She smiled and said, "Auntie Ye, I have a gift for you too!" "Oh, what gift?" Ye Qinghan turned around, unexpectedly showing a hint of interest. You see, it was difficult for her to be interested in any business deals worth less than fifty million in her company. "It's a drawing I did myself, Auntie Ye, I'm giving it to you!" Lin Xiaoyu opened a drawer and carefully took out a rolled-up sketch paper. She held it in her hand as if it were the most precious thing. "Thank you!" Ye Qinghan took the sketch paper and opened it to reveal a portrait of three people. Lin Qiang, herself, and Xiaoyu. It wasn't perfect, but it was clear that Xiaoyu had put a lot of effort into it. The background depicted a simple little house and a garden. Next to it, there was a line of words: A happy family. In an instant, this simple painting, like the sharpest weapon, tore open the defenses in Ye Qinghan's heart. Causing her to gently bite her lip. However, when she thought of the unbearable scene from years ago, her heart, which had just rippled, closed up again. "Xiaoyu, Auntie accepts the gift!" Ye Qinghan rolled up the sketch paper again, returning to her cold and indifferent demeanor. At this moment, Lin Qiang had finished cooking and called them downstairs. Unaware that Ye Qinghan was coming, Lin Qiang hadn't prepared much food. There was a plate of braised ribs, a plate of tomato scrambled eggs, and a plate of stir-fried bok choy. "Please... try my cooking!" Lin Qiang had already set the tableware and warmly said to Ye Qinghan. "Thank you!" Ye Qinghan nodded, just as she sat down, Xiaoyu handed her a large piece of ribs, saying, "Auntie Ye, my dad's cooking is better than a restaurant!" "Well, let me try!" Ye Qinghan picked up a rib, lightly bit her red lips, and took a refined bite. Then, she paused for a moment before putting down her chopsticks. "What's wrong? Is it not to your taste?" Lin Qiang asked anxiously. "No, I just eat slowly!" Ye Qinghan's expression was somewhat unnatural. She truly didn't expect Lin Qiang's ribs to be so delicious. It was almost the same as the taste she remembered from her childhood. But later on, when her family became wealthy and hired a nanny, they often ate at restaurants and she never had this taste again. "Hehe, that's good then!" Lin Qiang laughed in his simple and honest manner. After being single for so many years, it was the first time he had dinner with a woman, and he felt a bit awkward. And he wasn't good with words, not knowing what to say to Ye Qinghan, so he just focused on eating. Not long after, Ye Qinghan said she was full. Lin Qiang personally escorted her to the street, watching the BMW X5 disappear into the traffic before he let out a sigh of relief. Until now, Lin Qiang still felt like he was dreaming. He felt that all of this was too unreal. Just as he was lost in his thoughts, his phone received a notification sound from WeChat. Lin Qiang took out his phone and saw the message, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.