Truly Sweet

Su Yutang was too tall, with proportions that rivaled an international supermodel's, so apart from the bathrobe, Lin Meng genuinely couldn't fit into any of her clothes.

In the end, though, she dug out a loose athletic set from some obscure corner and had Lin Meng put it on.

Lin Meng rolled the pant legs up several times and folded the sleeves back again and again just to free her hands. She didn't consider herself short in a crowd, but wearing Su Yutang's athletic clothes, she looked like a child drowning in an adult's outfit.

Su Yutang watched her and couldn't help clapping her hands with laughter. “Oh my god, that outfit suits you perfectly. I can't wear it anymore anyway, so why don't I just give it to you?”

Lin Meng gave a bitter smile. “Th… thanks.”

Only right before they left did Su Yutang finally bring herself to use the pheromone-neutralizing spray on Lin Meng—because she loved having that person covered head to toe in her scent.

Unfortunately, walking around reeking of her pheromones was too dangerous. With no other choice, Su Yutang reluctantly removed the scent. But she deliberately left a trace at the nape of Lin Meng's neck, so that anyone who got close would know this flower already had an owner.

This time, Su Yutang switched to a white Porsche and took Lin Meng to a Western restaurant she'd reserved in advance.

The restaurant sat on the top floor of a skyscraper in Jing City; you could enjoy the view while you ate, and at night it would be even more romantic.

But Su Yutang remembered that Lin Meng had gone a whole night with an empty stomach, so she'd brought her during the day first. Of course, if Lin Meng liked it, coming back at night was also an option.

Lin Meng followed Su Yutang into the skyscraper she'd only ever gazed up at from afar. She hadn't known that in a place like this, even the elevator to the top floor took over a minute.

This was probably the only time in her life she'd ever set foot in such a high-end restaurant, so she looked around with the same curiosity she'd shown at Su Yutang's home.

Su Yutang watched her with a helpless smile, then naturally took Lin Meng's hand and led her to the window seat she'd reserved.

But the moment they arrived, Lin Meng, bright-eyed with excitement, casually pulled her hand free.

She walked quickly to the glass window and looked down. It was a height with no visible bottom, as if cloud layers shrouded the space around them.

She wasn't afraid of heights, but looking down gave her a sinking, dizzy feeling. After only a brief glance, Lin Meng hurried back to her seat.

When she turned to look at Su Yutang sitting across from her, she found the woman propping her clearly gloomy face on one hand, the other resting on the table, index finger tapping the surface in an irritated, rhythmic beat.

Lin Meng's face was all question marks.

What now, Young Miss?

No wonder Yun Huaizhu got bullied the way she did—Su Yutang really did have a bizarre temper. Lin Meng herself couldn't figure out what she'd just done to upset her.

Lin Meng didn't dare ask, didn't dare make a sound. After all, the more you said around Su Yutang, the more chances you had to slip up; better to just keep quiet.

The two of them sat in silence, facing each other without a word. Two minutes later, a foreign man in a chef's hat broke the eerie atmosphere.

The head chef came over with a menu and asked Su Yutang in French what she'd like to eat today. Su Yutang conversed with him, then seemed to remember something and looked at Lin Meng. “What do you want to eat?”

Lin Meng had never been to a place like this—how would she know what was on the menu? She scratched her head awkwardly. “Um… I'm fine with anything.”

Hearing that, Su Yutang turned back to the chef and told him what to order today.

Lin Meng nervously plucked at her athletic clothes. She felt like she had no common ground with Su Yutang here, and the awkwardness was killing her. She had to say something.

Just then, a word flashed through Lin Meng's mind—romantic.

Right, she could ask if Su Yutang had ever brought her wife here.

The thought brought a small smile to Lin Meng's lips. She lifted her head to speak, but when she saw Su Yutang still in that same pose, she quickly wiped the smile off her face.

Lin Meng spoke quietly. “Um… have you brought anyone else here before?”

Hearing this, Su Yutang's tapping finger finally stopped. A sliver of sunlight broke through her gloomy expression.

The little thing was jealous.

Su Yutang lowered her hand and leaned forward. “What, do you care that much?”

Lin Meng gave a small nod. “Mm… I just think this place looks quiet and romantic… perfect for a date. You must have brought a friend here before, right?”

Even if you torment your wife endlessly, you should at least throw her a bone, shouldn't you?

Seeing Lin Meng's jealousy-addled, slightly slow-witted expression sparked a thrill in Su Yutang's heart. She narrowed her eyes, lips curving into an arc. “Of course.”

Lin Meng's face showed a trace of a smile at her answer. “Then did she like the food here? You didn't give her the cold shoulder, did you?”

Su Yutang was baffled.

This wasn't how a normal person acted when jealous.

Su Yutang watched her with an amused look. “Why are you asking in such detail? Who are you to me, to be keeping tabs on me?”

Hearing this, Lin Meng realized that directly prying into someone's personal affairs was impolite, so she quickly lowered her head. “S… sorry, if you don't want to talk about it, then forget it.”

Su Yutang wanted to keep teasing her, but Lin Meng's words blocked every path she might have taken. It was the first time she'd been rendered so speechless by someone, and it stung.

The smile on Su Yutang's face vanished abruptly.

Just then, the head chef brought out the medium-rare steak. Su Yutang picked up her knife and fork and said coldly, “Enough of that. Let's eat.”

Lin Meng sullenly picked up her utensils and started eating. When she cut into the steak, the red juices of the medium-rare meat spilled out.

Lin Meng's face fell. She really didn't like half-raw things; meat should be cooked through before she could eat it with peace of mind.

Su Yutang cut into her own steak and glanced toward Lin Meng. Lin Meng looked frozen in place, her knife and fork having left only a single scratch on the meat.

Su Yutang frowned slightly. “You don't know how to cut it?”

Lin Meng quickly shook her head. “No, no, I do.” She cut the steak into small pieces, and every time the bloody juices seeped out, she had to fight back a grimace.

Su Yutang stopped eating too. She stared at Lin Meng for a moment, and just as Lin Meng seemed ready to throw caution to the wind and put a piece of half-raw steak in her mouth, Su Yutang suddenly pressed the service bell on the table.

Lin Meng stopped at the sound and looked toward Su Yutang in confusion. Soon, the head chef came over and asked apologetically whether Su Yutang was dissatisfied with today's dishes.

Su Yutang pointed at the steak in front of Lin Meng. “Take this one away and bring her a fully cooked one.”

Lin Meng didn't understand French, so to her, the exchange between Su Yutang and the chef was like an encrypted conversation.

But after Su Yutang finished speaking, the chef took away the steak she'd cut into tiny pieces.

Lin Meng was baffled. She couldn't figure out what she'd done wrong this time to upset Su Yutang—now she wasn't even allowed to eat.

Sigh… the Young Miss's thoughts were truly hard to fathom.

Su Yutang seemed somewhat angry, so Lin Meng sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

The sound of Su Yutang's knife and fork striking her plate reached Lin Meng's ears again and again. All she could do was wait for Su Yutang to finish eating so she could escape this atmosphere that was about to freeze solid.

Just as Lin Meng was lost in confusion, the head chef brought another dish to her. In very broken Chinese, he said, “Fully cooked steak, please enjoy.”

Lin Meng's eyes widened in surprise. After the chef set down the dish and left, Su Yutang put down her knife and fork and stared at her with displeasure. “If you don't like eating undercooked food, you should say so in advance. If you don't say anything, how am I supposed to know?”

Lin Meng looked at her in disbelief. “So… you specially ordered this cooked one for me?”

Su Yutang nodded with a hint of exasperation. “Later I'll have someone bring you the menu. Order whatever you like.”

Hearing this, stars seemed to light up Lin Meng's eyes. A sweet, radiant smile spread across her face. “Thank you! I didn't expect you to actually be such a nice person!”

Su Yutang pursed her lips. “When have I ever not been nice?”

Lin Meng had returned to the blissful state of having food to eat, so she followed Su Yutang's lead. “Yes yes, Young Miss, you're the nicest!”

Su Yutang said nothing, but the smile on her face was nearly impossible to suppress.

Still, she did feel a bit guilty. When she'd spoken with the chef earlier, Lin Meng had only said “anything,” so she'd assumed Lin Meng ate everything.

The little thing couldn't hide her expressions when she saw something she disliked—how could Su Yutang bear to pretend not to notice?

Before meeting Lin Meng, Su Yutang had only ever had people simpering after her. If she'd ever introduced a menu item by item to an ordinary beta, anyone would have thought she'd lost her mind.

But Su Yutang really did hold the menu and introduce dishes one by one to Lin Meng, even thoughtfully explaining which doneness was best for each. She had the chef bring a portion at her recommended doneness for Lin Meng to try first; if Lin Meng didn't like it, they'd make another.

Although the meal had started awkwardly, Lin Meng ended up eating very happily.

Not bad, not bad. Su Yutang was making progress.

That morning, Lin Meng had thought Su Yutang was beyond saving. Now she felt there was still hope for her. Once Su Yutang was mostly reformed, Lin Meng could sit at the main table and hand out wedding favors.

To make it easier to introduce dishes, Su Yutang had eventually moved to sit beside Lin Meng.

As Lin Meng ate her last dessert, she got cream on the corner of her mouth. Seeing this, Su Yutang couldn't help asking, “Is it good?”

Lin Meng looked up and nodded vigorously. “Delicious!”

Su Yutang noticed the cream at the corner of her mouth and reached out a finger to wipe it away. Lin Meng felt her fingertip brush across her lips, but the next moment she witnessed a scene that struck like lightning—

Su Yutang put the cream-covered finger into her mouth and sucked it.

Lin Meng swallowed her last bite of dessert and stared at her, dumbfounded. Su Yutang savored it carefully, then smiled at the astonished little thing. “Mm, truly sweet.”

Lin Meng felt like she'd been struck by lightning. And here she'd thought Su Yutang had reformed. She quickly shrank back and grabbed the napkin beside her, wiping her mouth several times to make sure there was nothing left on it.

Seeing her make such an adorable move, Su Yutang couldn't help narrowing her eyes and laughing again.

Over the years, some people, hoping to ingratiate themselves with her, had specifically inquired about her preferences and vied to send her little puppies. But among all those puppies, not one had ever suited her taste.

The previous one, Yun Huaizhu, had barely passed on looks, but her personality wasn't cute at all.

When Su Yutang raised puppies, appearance was never the most important thing—the most important was that they were cute, that they could please her.

Someone like Lin Meng was very much to her liking.

…

Lin Meng ate until she was stuffed, her belly feeling round. Apart from Su Yutang's slightly perverted behavior at the end, the day had been quite pleasant overall.

After the meal, Lin Meng's mood improved considerably—not only from the dopamine rush of a full stomach, but because she could finally go home!

That was what Lin Meng thought when she first got into Su Yutang's car. But when Su Yutang parked on a commercial street that sold only luxury goods, Lin Meng's expression turned helpless.

In the passenger seat, she mustered up the courage to tug at Su Yutang's sleeve. “Um… where are you taking me?”

Su Yutang's tone was light. “To buy you clothes, of course.”

Lin Meng looked alarmed. “You're… taking me in there to buy clothes?”

Su Yutang nodded. “Yes. Where else do you buy clothes if not a mall?”

Lin Meng felt like crying again.

Young Miss, this isn't a mall.

This is a street that devours money. Can you even walk out of here after buying clothes without spending tens of thousands?

Lin Meng quickly said, “No no, I don't need clothes. Just take me home!”

Su Yutang frowned. “How can that be? I ruined your clothes when I washed them. I have to compensate you for a set.”

My outfit isn't even worth enough to buy a button here!

Just as Su Yutang was about to park, Lin Meng closed her eyes. “Fine. If you really want to compensate me for the clothes, then take me to a different mall. I don't really like this one.”

Su Yutang was a Young Miss who knew nothing of the world's hardships. Lin Meng had thought… if one day she screwed up and fell out with the Young Miss, and the Young Miss demanded she return all the gifts, selling herself wouldn't be enough to pay it back!

Hearing this, Su Yutang's lips curved upward. The little thing had learned to set conditions now.

But the mall she'd picked really was just the nearest one. The greedy little thing must want to go somewhere even better to spend money.

With that thought, Su Yutang agreed. But when Lin Meng showed her the navigation on her phone, the brows she'd just relaxed knitted together again.

“Xinde Department Store…” she narrowed her eyes and read the mall's name with hesitation.

What kind of place was this? She'd lived in Jing City for over twenty years—how had she never heard of it?

Just as she wanted to ask Lin Meng if she'd entered the wrong location, Lin Meng looked at her sincerely. “That's right, this is the place. Please take me there, Young Miss!”

Seeing that expression, Su Yutang couldn't bring herself to refuse. She swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

…

The place Lin Meng asked to go seemed quite far. Su Yutang drove for over an hour, taking a long detour. If she went any farther, she'd leave the outer ring and reach the suburbs.

When she saw the increasingly narrow roads and the ancient buildings all around, she couldn't help asking Lin Meng, “Is this really where you want to buy clothes?”

Lin Meng nodded quickly. “Mmhm, this is it!”

The parking lot here was open-air and packed with cars. On Saturdays especially, the foot traffic was heavy and parking spots were even harder to find.

Su Yutang spent ages parking, her brows furrowed the entire way.

At the sight of the run-down, shabby mall, Lin Meng felt like she'd returned to her own territory and relaxed all over. She turned back to look at Su Yutang, who was now deep in self-doubt, and quickly reached out to pull her. “Hurry up, let's go!”

Su Yutang hadn't wanted to set foot in here, but Lin Meng was holding her hand—and an owner did have a duty to take care of a clingy puppy.

So she followed Lin Meng inside.

But the moment she stepped in, it was like entering some bizarre world. It was exactly like those TV scenes of 'special clearance sale!'

She'd thought that was exaggerated for artistic effect, but apparently it really existed in reality.

The first floor sold food and general goods. Lin Meng pulled Su Yutang straight to the second-floor women's clothing area. The noise was a bit softer here, but still uncomfortable.

This was an environment she'd never explored before. If not for Lin Meng, she'd never have come to a place like this in her entire life.

The mall's clothes hung in piles on rows of racks. Lin Meng browsed as she walked. This shopping trip was only temporary, so there was no need to buy anything too nice. She spotted a pair of jeans and a hoodie and wanted to grab those two items and head back quickly.

But just as she was about to go to the fitting room, Su Yutang blocked her path, her expression like a thundercloud.

Lin Meng looked up. “What now?”

Su Yutang pointed at the clothes she'd picked. “Could your taste get any tackier?”

Lin Meng stared at her, utterly confused.

Lin Meng looked down at what she'd chosen. Compared to the backless dress Su Yutang had made her wear, this outfit was already very good.

Besides, these were just everyday clothes—what did taste have to do with it?

Lin Meng put her hands on her hips, annoyed. “Fine, then. What clothes here does the Young Miss think have taste?”

Seeing her like that, Su Yutang pulled a cream-colored V-neck sweater from the adjacent rack, then picked a shirt with a light pink bow, and finally a light blue plaid knit skirt.

Su Yutang shoved the clothes at her. “Here. These are much easier on the eyes than what you picked. Go try them on.”

Lin Meng was momentarily speechless, but with Su Yutang watching her, she had no choice but to take the clothes to the fitting room.

Although the second floor wasn't as loud as the first, the noise from below still reached Su Yutang's ears. She crossed her arms, enduring her irritation, tapping her foot as she waited for Lin Meng.

Now that she had a moment to think, she felt she must be insane. In all her years, when had she ever waited outside a fitting room for someone? Even if Lin Meng was her current favorite puppy, that was still…

Just as she thought that, the fitting room curtain was pulled open, and Lin Meng appeared before her in the outfit she'd chosen.

Lin Meng emerged to find Su Yutang still waiting outside, so instead of checking the mirror she asked Su Yutang, “What do you think?”

Su Yutang's eyes lit up. Like she'd dressed her own doll in a beautiful new outfit, she wore a gratified, happy smile.

After looking Lin Meng up and down, Su Yutang couldn't resist stepping forward to gently pinch Lin Meng's soft cheek. “Very cute. See? I told you I have a good eye.”

Lin Meng nodded slightly. “Mmhm, if you say it's good, then I'll take this set. But let me say this first—after we buy these clothes, you take me home. Otherwise I'll just take a taxi back myself.”

Hearing she wanted to go home, Su Yutang actually felt a tiny bit of disappointment. But she had kept the person by her side for a full day and night.

Forget it. Things shouldn't be rushed; there'd be plenty of chances to meet in the future.

Su Yutang seemed to be in a good mood. She nodded. “Okay.”

Although this mall was truly beyond saving, thankfully it at least accepted cards.

After Su Yutang swiped her card, Lin Meng took the receipt. Su Yutang received a bank notification: [Your account ending in xxxx spent 298.8 yuan at Xinde Department Store.]

Su Yutang thought she'd read it wrong. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the phone screen again.

The outfit she'd bought for Lin Meng really had cost less than three hundred yuan!

Su Yutang didn't understand. She began to question life itself.

With that bewildered expression, Su Yutang drove Lin Meng back to the old residential compound she'd visited before.

Last time, this place had left her with a very bad memory, so she had no fondness for the area. When Lin Meng saw she was home, she wanted to open the car door, but Su Yutang had the locks still engaged.

Lin Meng thought of last night's unpleasant experience, so she carefully turned to Su Yutang. “Beautiful and kind-hearted Eldest Miss Su, could you please unlock the door?”

Hearing this, Su Yutang came back to herself. As if suddenly interested, she leaned close to Lin Meng and sniffed at her neck. The pheromones she'd deliberately left earlier still lingered on Lin Meng.

Lin Meng shrank back. Seeing this, Su Yutang laughed. “This rundown place of yours is a bit far from your work. I happen to have an apartment near your office. You can stay there for now.”

Lin Meng quickly shook her head. “No no, I'm fine here.”

Normally, the moment she offered someone a benefit, people who wanted to latch onto her would eagerly flock over. Some who liked to play hard to get would refuse once on the surface, then put on a lofty air and reluctantly accept.

Unfortunately, Su Yutang never played that game. Her willingness to give was a gift from the heavens. If someone refused, she naturally wouldn't force it—she'd even take back everything she'd given before.

If you're going to put on airs and refuse, then refuse completely. Don't shamelessly cling to the things you once begged for.

Su Yutang hated people who put on a virtuous front while secretly craving power and connections.

But right now, she felt Lin Meng was different. Even if she asked again, this person would still refuse.

Su Yutang never liked humiliating herself. As if angered, she unlocked the door. Lin Meng quickly got out. “Thank you, Young Miss. Goodbye, Young Miss!”

After getting out, Lin Meng felt like she was breathing free air. She grabbed her bags and ran toward the building.

Seeing her joy, Su Yutang suddenly felt an inexplicable rage. She'd accompanied Lin Meng for a whole day—couldn't Lin Meng show even a little reluctance?

As if refusing to give up, she watched that person's back run farther and farther until it disappeared from view.

Finally, Su Yutang couldn't hold back and slammed her fist on the steering wheel. She opened the window, wanting to smoke, but when she reached for the car's cigarette lighter, she suddenly remembered what Lin Meng had said that day.

Sullenly, she put the cigarette away, then drove off.

…

Just after Su Yutang left, a black Audi parked behind her quietly started up and pulled up to the entrance of the compound.

The person in the car gripped the steering wheel tightly, face dark with murderous intent.