Chapter 19 - The Request

"Your boyfriend is really handsome, Xiao Yue. I'm damn sure that your kids will be as good looking as you two." Hearing her landlady's quick remarks, Ming Yue almost choked blood when her mind cooked up a shockingly odd image of Wan Yi Jun as her boyfriend.

"No..no…he is not my boyfriend." She straight away nipped the wretched thoughts that popped up in her mind.

"Then, is he your friend?" The curious old lady enquired again while alternatively looking at the couple who struggled to break their eye contact. Just as Ming Yue opened her mouth to deny it, Wan Yi Jun's deep voice reached her ears, so clear and loud.

"Good evening, grandma. I'm Wan Yi Jun, Ming Yue's friend. Nice to meet you." He introduced himself with a radiant smile that was bright enough to blind anyone and gently bowed to pay his respects.

"Wan Yi Jun, ha...your parents got you the right name." The old lady acknowledged with an agreeing nod. "Are you leaving already?"

"Yes, grandma. I just came to drop her off." Wan Yi Jun honestly replied. Well, he was the one who almost trapped Ming Yue at a place where no public transport was available. So it was his duty to get her home safely.

"Son, we are going to have dinner. Why don't you join us?"

As soon as Ming Yue heard the invitation, she almost had a heart attack and grabbed the land lady's hands in worry. She tried everything to make sure that Wan Yi Jun won't run into her brothers, but how can this grandma just make him stick for some more time in the name of a dinner?

"Grandma, he is a busy man and got work tomorrow." Ming Yue used the same excuses which Wan Yi Jun made earlier to avoid going for his family dinner.

"Busy people also need to eat. And it's new year night too. How can I leave guests without giving a proper meal?" The old lady who was nice and generous to every soul out there tried to convince Ming Yue to ask the other to stay for dinner.

"But grandma," Ming Yue bit her tongue and hesitated to speak since Wan Yi Jun was standing next to them.

"Your brothers said that they are going out, and I made food for everyone." The old lady whispered as they began to discuss whether to invite him or not.

While watching their interactions, Wan Yi Jun felt a warmth spreading over his mind. The way Ming Yue and the old lady acted was exactly like a grandchild and grandparent, and he couldn't help but smile in content. After all the things Ming Yue had to go through, she finally had someone who treats her like family.

"I would love to join." He added and locked his car before moving towards Ming Yue with a beaming face.

"Oh wow...then come inside, I will get the dishes." The old lady gladly invited him and trudged towards the building that had a board of 'Meng's chicken' written over it.

"Sorry, my landlady is too nice...She kinda treats her tenants as her family." Ming Yue said in a low voice while leading Wan Yi Jun to the restuarant, "She even treats the students who live next door as my brothers."

"I see, that's why she kept mentioning about 'your' brothers." Wan Yi Jun gave her an acknowledging nod and entered the restaurant. To be honest, he was curious about Ming Yue's boy friend as well as brothers. However after listening to her explanation, he understood that the landlady must have trying to make Ming Yue believe that she was loved by everyone.

It was a normal small restuarant which was part of the landlady's house. However, when he saw the amount of food served on the table, Wan Yi Jun couldn't help but drop his jaw in surprise.

It wasn't anything fancy but boiled rice, various chicken dishes and desserts.

"Eat up. You, young people, never eat according to your body's needs." The old lady suggested as she began to serve Wan Yi Jun and turned to face the girl who had no intention to sit down for a dinner.

"Look at her. She is skinny as a stick. Why are you standing there, sit with your friend." Even before the old lady began to chide her, Ming Yue hesitantly took a seat next to Wan Yi Jun, while keeping her poker face.

"I look skinny because of these oversized clothes." She unknowingly made a comment while rolling up the sleeves and the very next moment she regretted that she purposefully dragged everyone's attention to her clothes.

As she expected, grandma Meng quickly noticed the hoodie and went ahead on asking about the same

"Talking about the clothes, it is not the dress you wore earlier."

"Huh...that one-piece dress, it is in the bag...Sorry grandma, I fell into a puddle and got some stain over it."

"You fell down? Where? Did you hurt somewhere?" Grandma Meng worriedly asked while checking out for the girl who sat there with a sheepish smile.

"No, Grandma, I'm completely alright." Ming Yue replied as she tried to a straight face. For some reasons it felt weird for her to have dinner with Wan Yi Jun. It was something she never expected in her life.

As soon as they finished the dinner, Wan Yi Jun approached grandma Meng to bid farewell since it was already late. If he delays anymore, he won't be able to return to Wisteria gardens since very soon the fireworks display will start.

"Did you enjoy the food, Xiao Wan?"

"Yes. It was one of the best meals I have ever had after coming to Imperial." Wan Yi Jun didn't hesitate to tell the truth. Since he always depended on office cafeteria or light instant meals to survive, a full course tasty home cooked meal felt like a blessing for him.

"I will take my leave then. Have a healthy and prosperous new year, grandma." Wan Yi Jun greeted as he intended to leave, but all of sudden, grandma Meng took a red packet from her pocket and handed over to both of them.

"Have a great year ahead. I hope happiness and good health awaits you this year."

Though both of them accepted the gift from the old lady, Wan Yi Jun's face still had a tint of confusion.

"You are also like Ming Yue, so accept this." She assured him once again and asked Ming Yue to send him off.

"Did I make a mistake by accepting this?" Wan Yi Jun pointed out as soon as he stepped out of the restaurant.

"As I have told earlier, she treats everyone as her family. So don't think much, and keep it as a kind gesture." Ming Yue advised as she followed the man to the car. Just before Wan Yi Jun got into the car, he took out his wallet.

"Don't tell me he is going to give me a red packet, too?" She wondered and prepared to deny it. However, instead of money what he took was his visiting card.

"This is my card. If you need any help, feel free to call me."

He gladly bowed a bit and gave her the card, on the belief that he could repay for her help one day or another.

"Take care, miss Ming." He parted ways with her and got into his car. However, right at the moment, Ming Yue gently knocked at the window and asked him to roll it down a bit.

"Since there are no chances that we will get to meet again, can I say something if you allow me to overstep my boundaries?"

"Please, go ahead." Wan Yi Jun was all ears to hear whatever she had to say. However, the words that fell from Ming Yue's mouth was something he least expected.

"You said that your father wasn't there when you needed the most. But aren't you doing the same to your grandmother?" She pointed out in a serious tone as she recalled his earlier conversation.

"That's because...I have a busy schedule."

"Please go and meet your grandmother. If you can spend some time with her, please. We...we..don't value people when they are with us, and if one day they leave us, all we have would be regrets."

"Hmm. I will do that." Wan Yi Jun promised her when he realised that her words were indeed true.

All these years he has been burning in the fiery pit of regret and guilt for what he haven't done for his father and that girl while they were alive.