Arrogant Man VS Unyielding Woman

Their hotel room was luxuriously decorated and well furnished. The sofa in the living room was wide enough for Jean to sleep in. But where could she get something to eat?

As she stood contemplating her alternatives, Zed spoke, "I heard your stomach growl in the car. We saw some open diners near the parking. Would you like to grab a bite to eat?"

Jean was stunned. Considering the awkward circumstance in which he had found her at the shoot location, their unpleasant conversation in the car, and Zed's general grumpy mood, Jean hadn't expected him to pay attention to her needs. However, she was too hungry to deliberate the issue. The sooner they left, the quicker her stomach would thank her. And so, she just nodded and walked toward the door.

As soon as they stepped out of the hotel, Jean recalled that Zed had fallen ill the last time he ate at places like the diners at this tourist spot. Obviously, he wasn't accustomed to eating at roadside diners or barbecue stalls.

'What if he gets sick like he did the last time?' Jean looked around. She wanted to see if a fancier diner was open at this hour. It didn't make sense to ask Zed to accompany her only to then have him fall sick. She felt a little disappointed as the high-end eateries were closed. So perhaps, they were only open during the daytime.

The more lost Jean got in her thoughts, the more she lagged behind Zed.

"What's wrong?" Noticing that she was distracted, he stopped and turned around to ask.

"You felt unwell and even got food poisoning after the breakfast before our drive to Kim Village. I'm afraid..." She was used to eating at roadside diners. On the contrary, Zed had been pampered throughout his childhood. The food served to him must have been carefully and hygienically prepared.

His body was as fragile as a porcelain doll's. He would probably not enjoy the greasy food here either.

'What if he falls sick? Where will I find a doctor or a pharmacy?

What's more, the road is blocked. They couldn't get out at all. There was only a tourist spot here. What if...'

"Well! I'm not as delicate as you think. The food they made must have been unclean which is why I fell ill. Besides, so many people eat here safely. If something were to go wrong, I won't be the only one getting sick." "But..."

"Jean!" A person interrupted them.

Jean looked up. She found that a group of her colleagues were sitting by the door of a roadside diner. Ethan was waving to her eagerly. Was he seriously asking them to join him? Had he forgotten the confrontation with Zed earlier?

Jean had already smelled the food. Her stomach rumbled again to remind her that she had more important things to worry about. And so, she swallowed and said to Zed, "Since you think it's okay, let's go and eat."

She stood there and stared at him as if asking for permission.

Without saying anything, Zed walked toward her colleagues. She followed him, grateful that he wasn't going to give her a hard time. Ethan grinned when he saw Jean heading their way. He stood and vacated a seat for her. Essen found a spare chair and pulled it up for Zed. Their seating was such that if Jean had sat in the chair Ethan had placed for her, then she would be sitting between Ethan and Zed. Zed, however, had other ideas. Just before Jean could sit, he grabbed her arm and intentionally took her place.

Jean stopped as she wondered why Zed had done that. Without making the situation more awkward, she smiled as she took the chair to his left. John was sitting on her left. Apparently this seating arrangement was acceptable to Zed. Seeing this, Ethan became angry but he couldn't do anything. Zed had intentionally asked him about his interest in Jean in front of her colleagues. They would think very poorly of him if he were to openly chase after a married woman.

The awkward silence was broken by the waiter who had brought a tray full of dishes. Once he had placed the food on the table, Essen picked up the menu and handed it to Zed. "Mr. Qi, there are no other diners within a few miles from here. I know you probably won't enjoy this food, but please, do see the menu and let us know if you fancy something on it."

"Give it to my wife." Zed muttered as he looked at his phone in indifference.

All the people sitting at the table became silent after hearing Zed. Essen just smiled and gave the menu to Jean.

Jean shook her head and politely turned down the offer. "There's plenty of food on the table. I don't think we need to order any more. Thank you though!" She waved her hand to refuse.

Just then the director came over and filled Zed's glass with wine. He laughed and said, "It's not easy to catch such a wonderful opportunity to have a meal with Mr. Qi. I'm happy to have this chance today. I do hope you won't mind eating at this humble place."

A director's talent was no less than that of a businessman's. It really was hard to get an appointment with Zed. So how could he not make an effort to entertain Zed? After all, Zed was the biggest investor of their movie and he had promised to invest more after their return. Naturally, the director wanted to please Zed.

But it was a pity that... Zed didn't feel like drinking today.

"I don't drink. Jean, please order a cup of tea for me." Zed said calmly as he glanced at Jean.

When the director heard Zed, he felt disappointed. He didn't give up on this opportunity, however. He ordered a cup of tea for Zed even before Jean could move.

Once the last of the food had arrived, all the people sitting at the table began serving themselves.

Jean looked at the dishes on the table. They did look as appealing as they smelled. And so, she took a tentative bite and smiled when she realized they were delicious.

Considering the quality of the food, it was not surprising that so many people had come here to eat even though it was late. If she lived in this area, Jean would have come here to dine every day.

She ate quietly but quickly. Jean was way too starved to worry about polite etiquette.

Ethan and Zed didn't mind. They both knew Jean on a more personal level and had seen how consumed she could get when she ate. But the other people who saw her...

John was annoyed. He coughed and said, "Can you eat a little slower, please? Do you not worry about what others will think if they saw you eating like a starving beast?" He really didn't understand what went on in Jean's mind. There were so many people here. But she didn't care about her image when she was eating.

John recalled the private dinner he had shared with Jean when he wanted to apologize to her. Then, she had eaten properly and with the correct table manners. How could she change so much after arriving here?

When Jean heard John's comment, she raised her head and looked around. She found that all her colleagues were looking at her in astonishment.

She was stunned and swallowed the food in her mouth quickly. After flashing an awkward smile, she lowered her head and began eating. This time, however, she was slower and more careful.

She shot John a sideways glare and said, "Which is more important to you after a full day of hard work, filling your stomach or caring about your image? I'm surprised that you aren't as ravenous as I am." "Well, you have no image at all." He teased before taking a bite of his meal.

As Jean stopped to sip at her water, she remembered that she hadn't seen their boss, Sonny. She looked around just to be sure before she asked John, "Where is boss? Did he not come down for dinner?" "He is resting, " came John's simple reply.

"Oh."

Although Jean sat between John and Zed, Zed clearly heard their conversation. He raised his eyebrows meaningfully as he looked at Jean. Then his expression conveyed his displeasure.

Although Jean had been focusing on her food, Zed's glare was so cold that she felt a shiver run down her spine. She raised her head only to find Zed's cold eyes staring at her.

Zed spoke calmly. "Everything you do reflects on me. Please be more careful, okay?"

He whispered in her ear. His voice was so low that only Jean could hear him. But her mind was not paying attention to what Zed was saying. Instead, she was completely focused on how his hot breath tickled her ear, sending shivers of delight up and down her spine. As her body trembled, People sitting at the table thought they were flirting. So they didn't interrupt. They ate quietly and gave the young couple the privacy they needed. Selena didn't enjoy the food that was served. Although she tried to hide her disgust, the expression on her exquisite face still exposed her thoughts.

She felt as though she had lost her appetite. She didn't want to try anything else on her plate.

She quietly cursed Essen for bringing her here. But Essen had convinced her by rationalizing that even though Zed was married, Ethan was not. She still had a chance to snag the affection of at least one rich and influential man. And so, she had decided to join the crew for dinner.

However, she hadn't expected to see Zed. She was almost entirely focused on him, as if she were looking at a toy she particularly liked.

Seeing Jean eating with such childish pleasure, the infatuated expression on Selena's face gradually turned into a disdainful one.

"Mr. Qi, would you mind telling us how you and your wife met? That must be a very fascinating story!" Setting down her knife and fork, Selena looked at the couple with interest as she put forward her question. Surprised, Jean didn't know how to answer. 00☐☐☐☐☐