Chapter 233 Exes
Chapter 233 Exes
"Mr. and Mrs. Mo?" The attendant smiled at Mo Li and Bella as he welcomed them at the door of the restaurant. "This way please," he added when Mo Li nodded. The attendant then led them towards the second floor of the restaurant where the VIP booths were located.
This place was a two-story restaurant called Elegant Lily. Located in the heart of Lu City, the place was known for its appealing food arrangements that were not only very delicious but were also using healthy and organic options. Bella figured that Mo Li chose the restaurant because he thought she was still into organic stuff.
This immediately confused her. First and foremost, Mo Li had been asking her to eat in Korean and Japanese restaurants. Bella eyed Mo Li's carefree smile as they followed the attendant. "Have you been here?" he asked.
"No." This was a fact. While Bella liked organic stuff, she doesn't like to spend a lot of money and is quite frugal in every aspect of her life. She doesn't see the point of eating in an expensive place like this. The original Bella would rather put her money on her retirement or stocks than come in here and enjoy some food that she could eat in a different restaurant at a cheaper price.
"Hmmm." Mo Li nodded. "I asked for the table that would give us the view of the mini forest at the back of the restaurant. There were a lot of bamboo trees out there, and they decorated them with some sparkling lights. It's beautiful, especially at night. I'm sure you would like it."
She gave a wry smile. She didn't know how did this man know about her 'sparkly' preference but she quite like his thoughtfulness in thinking about her likes when he scheduled everything. She looked at the booths on the second floor that were separated by a shoji screen or the paper walls that were famous in Japanese houses. Each booth has its own paper lanterns, a chair, and a table made of wood. A small lamp-like lighting was placed on top of the table, giving the ambiance of romance and privacy. She eyed the window next to the table and immediately spotted the lights that Mo Li was talking about.
Bella couldn't help but held his gaze when she eyed the small forest. For some reason, it made her feel a little nostalgic. Weird. She was certain that the original Bella had never been to a forest before.
"You like it?" Mo Li said as he pulled out a chair so she could sit.
"I do." She already heard of this restaurant before she divorced her ex-husband, if her guess was right, the restaurant was opened about five years ago. Yet, she never knew that it would be this beautiful.
"Alright, let's order first." Mo Li said, he sat opposite to Bella. After quickly telling the attendant their orders, the two looked out of the window and enjoyed the view outside. "The ring really suits you." He said.
"Thank you," Bella said. She intentionally wore a simple white knee-length dress that made all her blue accessories pop. She wanted to emphasize the ring on her finger as she really liked it. Scratch that.
Lily loved the ring.
She was planning to take the ring and put it in her space so she could bring it outside of her world. She smiled at him. "Thank you."
"For the ring?"
She nodded. "It was custom made, right?" Her fingers are too small, it would be impossible if Mo Li just found the ring lying around in an auction or somewhere else. She wondered how expensive the ring was. Bella was aware that Blue diamonds are really pricey. She watched as Mo Li held her left hand and pulled it closer to his lips. Kissing the back of her palm, Mo Li just beamed at her.
"It's a secret." He said. Bella was about to say something when she noticed someone approached them. She instinctively turned her head and was a little surprised to see her father approaching them. Should she still call the man father? The man already kicked her out and even removed her from their ancestral book for being a divorced woman.
This meant that he was no longer her father. Maybe…. Ex- father? Bella plastered a smile at the current mayor's face before she shifted her gaze to Madame Anabelle Wu, the mayor's wife, and her ex-step mother. Slowly, her gaze turned towards none other than her ex-cousin, the cheater Laney Qin and of course, her ex-husband, Su Xieren. Why does she have to see so many exes in one night? Bella silently cursed the plotline.
She was currently enjoying her night with Mo Li, and then these exes suddenly pop out of nowhere. Then she paused. That's right, she was in this world to do her quests and not to play house with Mo Li.
"Mr. Mo. This was truly unexpected." Charles Qin smiled at Mo Li before he stared at Bella. Because of Bella's current appearance, it took Charles a few seconds to recognized his own daughter. Of course, he didn't let his emotions betray the smile on his face. Charles held his hand to shake Mo Li's.
Mo Li, on the other hand, had a gentle smile on his face as he stood and walked next to Bella who was already standing to greet the mayor and his company. Mo Li then shook the mayor's hand. "Mayor Qin." The smile on his face didn't change. "Madame Wu." He gave the woman next to the mayor a cordial smile. "This is really an unexpected encounter. Oh, I want everyone to meet my wife. Bella… Bella Mo." He folded his hands around Bella's waist and watched the surprise settle o the faces of the people across them.
Bella Mo.
Bella agreed to take Mo Li's last name and completely removed her Qin identity. This, of course, was a surprise to everyone. In their tradition, women needed to keep their last name because they still continued to be identified under their father's lineage even if they are already married. So, Bella changing her surnamed was really surprising to everyone.
For a few seconds, an awkward silence descended as they looked at the smiling Bella.
"Good Evening Mayor. It's nice to meet you." She gave them a friendly smile. She didn't miss the anger that flashed in her father's eyes. Did the old man think she would still call him father? After all, what happened in the past?
"Bella you— " Anabelle didn't finish her sentence as she covered her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes. Isn't this an overdramatic reaction? Bella couldn't help but sneer inwardly. On the outside, however, her smile was too brilliant— too perfect. No one would be able to tell that she was something, who once knelled in front of these people.
"So, you are already married." The mayor said in a low tone. Bella didn't know if those words were from Mo Li or her. But she quite liked it. Seeing the old man angry was making her want to laugh. She immediately wondered if she should just anger this man to his death. After all, Lily was very capable of doing that.
"Yes. We are." Mo Li answered. "Are you here for dinner? Would you like to join us?" He didn't hesitate to offer.
"No. There is no need for that." The Mayor said before he cleared his throat. "We already have our own reservations. "I hope you have a good night. Mr. And Mrs. Mo." The fake smile on the mayor's face wasn't enough to hide the anger in his eyes.
"Of course. Have a lovely night." Mo Li said, the same smile was still plastered on his face. The group looked at him, wondering if he was clueless or was pretending to be one before they looked at the smiling Bella.
"Thank you." The Mayor said before he walked towards their left along with the three other people with him. Mo Li immediately helped Bella back to her seat.
"That was easy," Bella stated when Mo Li finally settle across him.
"Expect a barrage of calls and texts from them." Mo Li stated but quickly changed the topic when a waiter arrived with their wine. After the waiter left, he continued. "Did you see his face?"
"He was a prideful man," she shrugged. Charles Qin kicked her daughter out because she was already divorced before she even turned twenty-five. He would prefer her to live with her ex-husband, who was cheating on her, and maybe even kill her own life than be happy. This was simply because the thought of being divorced would embarrass his family name.
Now that Bella chose to change her surname, logic would state that the man should be happy. She was no longer a Qin. Meaning, she would never be associated with the Mayor again. Sadly, that is too far from the truth. Charles Qin must have thought that being a Qin embarrassed Bella. So, she changed her surname. That reason was enough for the mayor to burn with rage.
Bella just pursed her lips. No matter what she does, it would be wrong for that man.
"Tell me if you need help in dealing with him."
Bella smiled. "Nah, they will soon come to me. There is no need to do anything." Moreover, Mo Li was planning to become the next mayor. There is no need to be in so much trouble, right now.