After getting out of the car, Li Susu followed Bo Junyi into the Cantonese restaurant, feeling somewhat reserved. As they reached the entrance, a hostess stepped forward with a smile to greet them.
"Welcome, sir. How many in your party?"
"Two."
Bo Junyi replied coolly. As other guests walked past, he instinctively pulled Li Susu in by the shoulder, guiding her to a window seat.
A smartly dressed waiter approached and handed them a menu. Bo Junyi took it and passed it to Li Susu. "Order whatever you'd like."
Li Susu gave a soft "mm," but once she opened the menu, she realized the food was ridiculously expensive; even the simplest stir-fried vegetable hearts cost over a hundred yuan. Seeing her flipping through the pages repeatedly, Bo Junyi asked, "Nothing you like?"
With the waiter standing right there, Li Susu was too embarrassed to complain about the prices. She pointed to a dish of Mapo tofu, which was relatively affordable.
Bo Junyi frowned slightly. "Too spicy. It'll cause inflammation." He paused, then asked, "How about sweet and sour pork?"
Li Susu’s tone held a hint of hesitation.
"That's too sweet and greasy, not good for blood sugar control."
The man immediately poured cold water on her suggestion. Li Susu, struggling with what to order, simply pushed the menu toward him. "Why don't you order instead? I'm not really sure what to get."
The most important thing right now was the baby; personal preferences were secondary. In truth, Bo Junyi wasn't as cold as she had imagined; for every subsequent dish, he sought her opinion. In the end, they ordered six dishes and a soup. Li Susu felt it was a bit too much for two people.
When the food was served, Bo Junyi gestured for her to start, but he kept his head down, focused on his phone. Not wanting to begin without him, Li Susu waited.
Noticing she hadn't touched her food, Bo Junyi looked up. "Why aren't you eating?"
"Let’s eat together." She stood up to hand him his utensils, a faint smile on her lips.
Bo Junyi hadn't been hungry, but fearing she would be bored eating alone, he joined her. Yet, it was clear his presence made her tense. She ate her rice quietly, only occasionally reaching out to pick at the dishes closest to her.
"Not to your taste?" Bo Junyi asked.
Li Susu felt awkward and instinctively avoided his gaze. "My stomach feels a bit off."
Bo Junyi’s expression grew tense. "Why didn't you say so when we were at the hospital?"
Afraid he might worry, Li Susu clarified, "It’s just morning sickness. The doctor said it would get better after the first trimester."
No sooner had she finished speaking than her stomach churned, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She covered her mouth. "I—I need to go to the restroom."
With that, she jumped up and bolted. The problem was, she had no idea where the restroom was.
"Don't run!" Bo Junyi instinctively grabbed her wrist.
Li Susu’s face was flushed deep red. "Mr. Bo, the restroom is—"
Bo Junyi didn't answer. He scooped her up in his arms and strode toward the restroom.
"Mr. Bo, please, put me down, I can’t hold it anymore."
"Just hold on a little longer."
In response, Li Susu let out a series of dry heaves. He could feel that the person in his arms was about to lose it.
"We're here." Bo Junyi slammed on the brakes at the entrance of the women’s restroom and set her down.
In the sudden jostle, bile mixed with an acidic stench surged up her throat. Li Susu stumbled and grabbed his shirtfront. A second later, a warm stream of vomit splattered onto his crisp suit. Her blue diamond cufflink was coated in undigested food, and yellow bile dripped from his tie.
The air froze. Bo Junyi’s hand hung in mid-air; his Adam’s apple bobbed, his expression one of utter despair. Li Susu was stunned, staring blankly at the miserable-looking man in front of her.
"I’m sorry, Mr. Bo, I—I didn't mean to—"
Her throat burned from the violent vomiting, but she didn't feel it; she only knew she had caused a disaster.
"Li Susu!"
The man’s voice sounded like it was squeezed through his teeth, cold and hard. Li Susu shuddered, staring at the stain on his collarbone, unsure of what to do. Her eyes turned red with anxiety.
Noticing her panic and fear, Bo Junyi took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. After all, she was the one truly suffering. He shouldn't blame her for such a trivial matter.
"Forget it, don't worry about me. Get into the restroom."
Bo Junyi waved her off and stepped into the men’s restroom, enduring the pungent odor. His six-figure custom suit jacket was covered in vomit, so he carefully took it off and tossed it directly into the trash can. He sniffed his shirt; it still carried an indescribable scent.
Women were truly troublesome, especially pregnant ones—you couldn't say a word or scold them. He must have been out of his mind to insist on carrying her to the restroom. He should have just let her vomit on the floor.
He took out his phone to call his assistant to bring him clothes, but suddenly, the loud voice of a cleaning lady echoed from outside the restroom. "Who made this mess?"
Bo Junyi was debating whether to go out and confess when the cleaning lady marched straight in. The men inside were startled, scrambling to pull up their pants. The lady walked up to Bo Junyi with a calm expression.
"Handsome, was it your girlfriend who threw up outside?"
Without waiting for an answer, she shoved a mop into his hands. "It’s filthy. Go clean it up yourself."
Bo Junyi: "..."
After finishing the cleanup, he didn't see Li Susu come out, so he called her. It rang a few times before she picked up.
"Are you okay? Why is it taking so long?" Bo Junyi asked, concerned.
Li Susu’s lighthearted voice came through. "I’m already out. Wait for me at the parking spot."
Bo Junyi began walking back. "Where did you go? Why are you running around without a word?"
"I—I’m at the menswear store across the street. Would you like to come over?"
Bo Junyi paused, disbelieving. "Buying me clothes?"
Li Susu gave a soft "mm," her voice full of apology. "I’m so sorry I threw up all over you earlier."
"It’s fine, it’s been taken care of," Bo Junyi said calmly. "I’ve already called my assistant, and clothes are on the way. There’s no need to buy new ones."
"Oh."
Li Susu agreed, but she still bought the black shirt and tie she had picked out. As for the suit jacket, the high-quality ones were too expensive—even the cheapest one was over a thousand yuan—and she was tight on cash, so she didn't dare buy it. She spent three hundred yuan on the shirt and tie, wondering if Mr. Bo would find them subpar.
She crossed the street toward the parking lot and saw Bo Junyi leaning against the car window, talking on the phone. By the time she reached him, he had hung up. His gaze landed on the plastic bag in her hand. "You bought them?"
Li Susu’s ears turned red involuntarily. "I only bought a shirt and a tie."
Bo Junyi reached out, and Li Susu handed him the bag with a smile. She followed him into the car without a second thought. Bo Junyi’s brow twitched, but he said nothing, quietly rolling up the windows and beginning to rustle as he unbuttoned his shirt.
Li Susu turned her head to see a large expanse of the man’s firm chest exposed; her face turned bright red.
"Mr. Bo, I—I’ll step out." She panicked and reached for the car door.
The man’s magnetic voice, laced with a hint of mockery, drifted to her ears. "It’s not like you haven’t seen it before. What are you running for?"