Chapter 181-1: Let me settle this for you
When the movie ended, the theatre lights were turned on, and the audiences left the theatre in droves.
Yang Chen turned to look at Lin Ruoxi, and noticed that she had already finished the bucket of popcorn, without a single one remaining. He couldn’t help but laugh and say, “Your appetite is bigger than I had imagined.”
Lin Ruoxi knew what he was referring to, she had finished it unwittingly, so she explained with blushed cheeks, “Since you didn’t want to eat, I did so that no food would be wasted.”
“Who says I didn’t want to eat? I was leaving it for you, I hadn’t eaten either.” Said Yang Chen.
“Shall we have dinner then?” Lin Ruoxi asked with a positive attitude.
“Yeah, what would you like to eat?”
Lin Ruoxi blinked, then softly said, “How about cakes?”
Yang Chen groaned from the bottom of his heart. It was shocking enough that his wife liked eating glutinous rice balls, yet she even liked having cakes for dinner like a little girl!?
Lin Ruoxi saw that Yang Chen didn’t seem to agree, and felt that her suggestion that she courageously suggested wouldn’t be approved of. Feeling rather dejected, she said, “I’m just casually suggesting, we can have rice or whatever.”
“Let’s have cake then, I remember there’s a Starbucks opposite the cinema. Although it’s an ordinary chain coffee shop, let’s just deal with it. I think you probably never ate there before either.”
Lin Ruoxi who was just a little dejected earlier immediately had her eyes shining. Holding back the joy inside, she casually nodded.
As the most ordinary coffee chain in the world, Starbucks was indeed the people’s choice, but in Huaxia, many people considered it high-class, which was a rather strange phenomenon.
Lin Ruoxi had researched many famous brands like Starbucks in the past, but due to her identity, she had never been to one. Therefore, when Yang Chen suggested that they go to Starbucks, she nodded in content.
The two left the cinema, and as the cold wind blew, they headed towards the Starbucks outlet right opposite.
Lin Ruoxi wore a fashionable working suit, her hair was let loose, and it swayed with the wind. Her earthshaking beauty and cold countenance attracted gazes the moment she appeared in public.
Such attention was something that Lin Ruoxi had experienced since childhood, but Yang Chen who was beside her wasn’t comfortable with it. After all, he was no different from a wild beast protecting its catch when so many people looked at his woman, it was a sad affair.
But it couldn’t be helped. Yang Chen felt that if he walked on the streets with Mo Qianni, Liu Mingyu, or the others, there would be people who like to look at Mo Qianni, and people who like to look at Liu Mingyu. They each have their own charms, and were beauties that conformed to many people’s tastes.
However, if Lin Ruoxi walked amongst them, everybody would have their eyes on Lin Ruoxi. This didn’t mean that Qianni and the others weren’t beautiful, but that people like Ruoxi innately had an overwhelming presence.
Zhonghai’s downtown was a beautiful collection of bright lights of the neon signboards on the street and the headlights of the cars.
The hustle and bustle of the streets was completely different from what Lin Ruoxi was used to, this is because she didn’t get out of the place alone. She had someone accompanying her.
Suddenly, while they crossed the road, Lin Ruoxi felt a scorching hot hand grab hers.
It was rough, big, warm, and hard, causing Lin Ruoxi’s heartbeat to quicken.
Turning her head to look at Yang Chen, she found him winking at him.
“Be careful when you cross the road.”
“This is a pedestrian crossing.” Lin Ruoxi wasn’t used to this, but she didn’t struggle free either.
“Holding hands is a must on dates.” Yang Chen laughed and said.
Lin Ruoxi pursed her lips, then silently looked down at the gravel.
Holding hands, they entered Starbucks. Lin Ruoxi curiously looked at her surroundings, for she had never entered Starbucks before. At the counter, she ordered a slice strawberry cake and hot mocha, while Yang Chen ordered an American iced coffee and two slices of chocolate cake.
As there weren’t many customers at this time, their orders were quickly served. The two took their coffee and cakes to a table close to the window, sat there looking at the street outside, and begun to eat.
The coffee shop played a melodious flute version of Canon in D, and its gentle rhythm made one easily relax.
Lin Ruoxi ate the strawberry cake incredibly slowly, nibbling it bit by bit. She looked at the furnishings of the coffee shop, then asked Yang Chen, “Do you know how Starbucks was born?”
Yang Chen was in the middle of scooping a large chunk out of the cake, “I don’t, is there anything special about it?”
“I’ve read the biography of Starbucks’ founder Mr. Howard Schultz, and there was the story of him before he founded Starbucks.” Lin Ruoxi slowly narrated, “When Mr. Schultz was a child, his father lost his job, and the family was poor. So as to make his father happy, when Christmas came, he stole a tin of coffee beans from a shop and gave it to his father. His father was very happy then, but as the shop owner ended up visiting them to demand payment, Mr. Schultz received a beating. After that, the relationship between him and his father became strained……”
Yang Chen put down his spoon. Seeing her expression of deep thought, he believed that she might be thinking of her own family, and that crazy dad of hers, so he couldn’t help but listen carefully.
“Mr. Schultz then swore that he would buy the best coffee in the world when he becomes rich, to prove himself to his father. Therefore, he kept working hard to learn, and during their most difficult times, he used his skills in American Football to gain a scholarship. He attended college, then got into a famous company, and got a high paying job that got him over seventy thousand dollars a month.
After his success, he bought the highest quality of Brazilian coffee beans and gave it to his father, and told his father that this was for the beating he received for that tin of coffee beans all those years ago, and for him to prove himself. His father then replied, ‘You did so much, just for such an insignificant matter?’ Mr. Schultz was incredibly angered, he then became estranged with his father, and even told others that his father was dead……
Even when his father died, Mr. Schultz had continued to reject his family’s request for him to visit his late father in the name of work. One day, when he was going through his father’s things, he found that the tin of coffee beans which he stole all those years ago had been kept by his father, his father had always kept the tin, and had always cherished those memories.
At that moment, he regretted his actions and was in sorrow, because he read the words on the crumpled letter in the tin. On it, the father of Mr. Schultz wrote his biggest dream, which was to own a warm coffee shop, so he could grind coffee beans for his wife and children. Unfortunately, he was incapable, and couldn’t fulfill this wish. Other than beating his child, he couldn’t think of any way to make his presence as a father be known to his child……
Therefore, Mr. Schultz and his wife started Starbucks, and they continued to grow it till today.”
[TL: Note that this story may not be true, for Howard Schultz wasn’t actually the founder of Starbucks, according to google. Also found nothing about Howard Schultz’s father, Fred Schultz’s coffee tin, so it’s likely untrue.]
Chapter 181-2: Let me settle this for you
“Are you thinking about your dad again?” Asked Yang Chen.
Lin Ruoxi nodded, “In the past, I had always hoped that my dad was like Mr. Schultz’s father. Although he didn’t treat me well, I hoped that he actually loved me deep inside his heart. However… in the end, hopes and reality is never the same.”
Yang Chen knew that this was also a lesson for him, he softly said, “So there was a story like this, seems like you do read the many books you purchase.”
Lin Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him, “Do you think I buy them to use them as wallpapers?”
“Hehe.” Yang Chen laughed, “Don’t worry. If I have the capability to be a father in the future, I’ll definitely be able to grind coffee beans for my wife and children.”
Lin Ruoxi blushed. Although she wanted Yang Chen to work hard towards that goal, she couldn’t admit it, “Who wants you to grind beans? When did I agree to give birth to children for you?”
Yang Chen mischievously answered, “Did I say you’re the wife and the children are yours? Perhaps you wouldn’t want me anymore, and I’ll have to find another wife? Aren’t you thinking a little too far?”
“You… are speaking nonsense! Be careful or I’ll skin you alive!” Lin Ruoxi glared at Yang Chen, then picked up the hot mocha and stood up, with a posture like she wanted to pour it on Yang Chen!
Yang Chen knew that she was just scaring him, but he decided to cross his arms in front of his chest in a cowardly manner, “Don’t pour it on my clothes even if you’re angry! The shirt deserves no harm!”
“Rogue… hoodlum……” Lin Ruoxi put down the cup with clenched teeth, then drank a mouthful of it.
On the surface of the hot mocha was a layer of milk foam. Lin Ruoxi casually drank it, and the foam got on top of her thin upper lip.
Yang Chen noticed the milky white line on her lip, and couldn’t help but sigh and say, “Look at this, oh look at this… why are you women all like that? You’re only prim and proper when with other women, but like to have foam on your lips when with your husband? And even pretend not to know anything?”
Only then did Lin Ruoxi realize that there was something on her lips. She was too embarrassed to lick it off, so she wanted to wipe it away. However, there was no serviette on the table, so she reached into her bag for a tissue.
“Don’t bother, that’s so troublesome. Let me settle this for you.” Saying that, Yang Chen leaned his body forward, and closed in on Lin Ruoxi’s flawless face.
As the distance between their faces shortened, Lin Ruoxi gradually realized what Yang Chen wanted to do, her eyes opened wide and her mind was in a disarray, as if the whole world had turned into blank space!
Finally, Yang Chen’s lips had kissed that half a lip of Lin Ruoxi’s which had foam on it. It was chilly, soft, and tasted like milk foam.
As if she was struck by lightning, Lin Ruoxi was stunned.
When Yang Chen returned to his seat, Lin Ruoxi was still sitting there in a daze, at a loss as to how to react.
Yang Chen found this expression of hers incredibly cute, “What? I did that because tissues use paper pulps which would end up harming the environment. Would you rather I use my shirt? You bought this for me, I can’t bear to use it.”
Lin Ruoxi finally returned to her senses. She had actually watched and let him kiss her. Although he was her husband legally which meant that he didn’t actually take advantage of her, it was still a kiss!
Back when she gave him her first kiss, it was in a muddled state, so the two basically didn’t feel a thing, but now, she truly felt his breath and warmth……
Thinking about that, Lin Ruoxi blushed so much that it looked like her cheeks could burst, “You’re not allowed to do that again. Also, I got someone to buy the clothes, I couldn’t be bothered to buy them for you.”
“Such a beautiful scene was destroyed by your unromantic words, can’t you just pretend that it was bought by you?” Yang Chen helplessly lectured.
“How irritating! Quickly eat(eat rice)!”
[TL: In chinese, to have a meal is called “吃饭” which is literally eat rice.]
“This is cake……”
“Then quickly eat the cake!”
Lin Ruoxi lowered her head and found it difficult for her to stop blushing. She begun to eat the cake quicker, as if the cake was her enemy, but why was it that every mouth she ate, she felt like the cake had honey added onto it, and had become a lot softer and sweeter?