If They Don't Give Up on Me, I Won't Give Up on Them

Knock, knock, knock.

"Young Miss, dinner is ready."

Aunt Qiong knocked on the door.

At this moment, Jiang Yunlu was sitting on the bed, having put a distance of a hundred and eight thousand miles between herself and Lin Mo.

Lin Mo, however, remained seated steadily in his original spot, his expression calm and composed, as if he weren't the one who had just been kissed.

His calm demeanor made Jiang Yunlu feel both shy and annoyed.

That was her first kiss, for heaven's sake!

Why did this guy show no reaction at all!

"Oh! Coming!"

She responded hurriedly, her hands patting her cheeks—which were slightly less scorching than before—in an attempt to use physical means to force her temperature down.

Only after confirming in the mirror that she didn't look quite so much like a boiled shrimp did she take a deep breath and walk over to open the door.

The moment the door opened, Aunt Qiong's gaze swept across the room without batting an eyelid.

Her line of sight moved past the slightly reddened roots of Jiang Yunlu's ears, paused on Lin Mo for half a second, and finally landed on the somewhat rumpled bedsheets before casually retracting. The entire process took less than a second.

"The Master and Miss Jiang are already waiting."

Lin Mo stood up as well and followed Jiang Yunlu to the dining room.

At the dining table, Jiang Chengshan had already taken off his apron and changed into comfortable loungewear, yet that scrutinizing intensity of his was even more oppressive than when he wore a suit.

Jiang Chengyue was also seated beside Jiang Chengshan.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Jiang Chengshan spoke first, his tone so polite that one couldn't pick a single fault with it.

"Not at all. It is my good fortune to taste dishes cooked personally by Uncle Jiang." Lin Mo's courteous reply was equally watertight.

The brazen attitude he had displayed at the rice noodle shop was completely absent; at the very least, he couldn't show that side of himself in front of Jiang Yunlu.

After all, he had just had a zero-distance encounter with the man's daughter; it wouldn't be good to keep provoking the Old Geezer.

Aunt Qiong brought out the dishes from the kitchen one by one.

Although there were only five people eating, there were eight dishes and one soup on the table.

It could be said that the specifications were maxed out.

"Come, come, let's eat. No need to be too formal, it's just a simple meal. Yunlu told me you have a big appetite, so I made a few extra dishes."

The kinder his tone became, the more Lin Mo could sense the grinding of back molars behind that smile.

This wasn't about fearing he wouldn't have enough to eat; it was clearly an attempt to stuff him to death.

What surprised Lin Mo slightly was that Aunt Qiong naturally sat down beside Jiang Chengyue.

The three members of the Jiang family showed no objection to this, evidently indicating that this was the norm in their household.

For a master-servant relationship to reach this level was truly rare.

However, the atmosphere at the dinner table was quiet—excessively so.

Everyone had a set of serving chopsticks and personal chopsticks before them. The movements of picking up food were orderly, and there was barely any sound of cutlery clashing against bowls.

Lin Mo saw clearly that this ingrained dining etiquette was definitely not a show put on temporarily just because he, an outsider, was present.

"Little Lin, try this Red Braised Pork. I stewed it for three hours." Jiang Chengshan used the serving chopsticks to pick up the largest, fattiest piece of pork belly and placed it into Lin Mo's bowl, piling it up like a small hill.

That enthusiasm felt less like serving food and more like building a brick wall.

Jiang Yunlu watched with heart-pounding anxiety from the side. She was just about to say something when she was stopped by a glance from Jiang Chengyue.

Wearing a modest smile, Lin Mo picked up the piece of fatty meat and placed it into his mouth with composure.

The fat melted in his mouth, the lean meat was soft and rich, and the salty-sweet sauce instantly coated his entire palate.

"Uncle Jiang, your culinary skills are superb," Lin Mo gave a thumbs-up and praised sincerely.

"This Dongpo Pork is perfect in terms of heat control and seasoning. It's even more authentic than what I've had in five-star hotels."

He wasn't flattering the man; he was telling the truth.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Jiang Chengshan's face stiffened slightly.

He had intended to watch the kid look embarrassed while trying to eat the fatty meat, but he hadn't expected the other party to not only eat it elegantly but also offer a knowledgeable critique.

It was like punching cotton.

Sitting to the side, Jiang Yunlu quietly lowered her head, the corners of her mouth holding back a hint of a smile.

Seeing the girl's reaction, Lin Mo used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of garlic pork rib and placed it in Jiang Yunlu's bowl.

"You eat, too."

Seeing this, the girl couldn't help but blush, her voice as quiet as a mosquito: "Thank you."

Jiang Chengshan took a deep breath and began incessantly serving food to Lin Mo, his enthusiasm making it seem like he was trying to meet some sort of KPI.

Lin Mo refused nothing. He countered every move, meeting water with earth and soldiers with generals, maintaining an elegant eating posture and offering just the right amount of praise throughout. He forcibly turned a family banquet into something that felt like a gourmet tasting session.

Watching the plates on the table gradually bottom out, Lin Mo's rice bowl was also cleaned completely.

Jiang Chengyue and Aunt Qiong couldn't help but exchange a glance.

It seemed Lin Mo really could eat. The portion size of these eight dishes was substantial; they were all full, yet Lin Mo had managed to finish everything else.

Jiang Chengshan finally put down his chopsticks, making a soft clack.

"It seems Yunlu wasn't wrong; you really can eat. Are you full? If it's not enough, I can go stir-fry two more dishes for you."

Lin Mo smiled and shook his head. "No need, I'm actually full. But I couldn't refuse Uncle Jiang's goodwill."

Alright, alright, so that's how we're playing.

With that said, Jiang Chengshan stood up and smiled, saying, "Come, Little Lin. Come to the tea room and have a couple of cups with me."

Jiang Yunlu made to follow, but was held back by Jiang Chengyue.

She shook her head slightly.

With that, Jiang Yunlu couldn't very well follow them.

Inside the tea room, Jiang Chengshan rinsed and brewed the tea in one smooth motion.

"Please, have some tea!"

The tea was boiling hot.

However, Lin Mo picked up the teacup directly and downed it in one gulp without his expression changing in the slightest.

"Good tea."

He set down the cup.

Jiang Chengshan raised an eyebrow and said indifferently, "If you and Yunlu get together, I would actually agree to it. After all, Yunlu is indeed very interested in you."

Lin Mo didn't speak, because he guessed that this Old Geezer definitely had a second half to his sentence.

"However, you must cut off contact with those two girls."

Lin Mo knew perfectly well who those two girls were.

He wasn't surprised that Jiang Chengshan had been able to find out about his close relationship with them.

Lin Mo smiled and said, "Old Jiang, have you misunderstood something?"

In a place with just the two of them, Lin Mo appeared much more relaxed, and his tone was no longer as polite as it had been in the dining room.

However, Jiang Chengshan's gaze swept toward a corner of the tea room's ceiling.

"I haven't misunderstood anything. If you want to be with Yunlu, I support you very much. But I do not wish for Yunlu to get hurt. She is my only daughter."

Lin Mo shook his head. "I have no intention of letting her get hurt, nor will I allow her to get hurt. As long as she doesn't give up on me, I won't give up on her."

"But you won't give up on those two girls either, is that right?" Jiang Chengshan struck right at the heart of the matter.

Lin Mo nodded. "As long as they don't give up on me, I won't give up on them either."

Jiang Chengshan was truly angry now. He sneered, "Who do you think you are? Do you really think you can enjoy the bliss of having multiple women?"

"I am Lin Mo. I possess sufficient ability to protect the people around me.

But what about you? Jiang Chengshan, can you protect the people you want to protect?"