Qin Jianjun saw Gu Peng holding several bags and asked Lin Chuxia if there was anything else she needed to buy.
He thought that Fourth Aunt must have been shopping for a while and was holding Qi Qi, so she must be tired.
If there was anything needed, he could handle it.
Lin Chuxia was almost done with shopping and noticed it was noon, so she planned to take Gu Peng to Qinâs Restaurant for lunch.
She asked Qin Jianjun if he wanted to join, but Qin Jianjun was still worried about the mall, so he didnât go.
The clothes were already packed, and Qin Jianjun personally handed the bag to Lin Chuxia.
Lin Chuxia passed it on to Gu Peng after taking it.
Gu Peng stared at the clothes for a while, and finally, when Lin Chuxia was not paying attention, he wrapped it up and put it in Qi Qiâs clothing bag.
.........
When they arrived at Qinâs Restaurant, it was lunchtime, and there were quite a number of people.
Jia Liang heard they had arrived and found them a private room.
However, Qi Qi didnât want to stay in the room; she liked the excitement.
In the main hall, people were coming and going, and the little girl was thrilled watching everyone eat together.
With no other choice, Jia Liang found them a window seat and brought a baby chair.
This baby chair was unique to their restaurant, and you couldnât find a dedicated chair for children at other restaurants.
Because of this, many people who bring children out to eat choose Qinâs Restaurant first, saying the service is the most considerate.
Of course, this was Lin Chuxiaâs suggestion and something she personally designed and created.
Qi Qi was in the baby chair, bouncing with happiness, trying to reach for things on the table.
The dishes hadnât been served yet, so Lin Chuxia handed her a small spoon to play with.
Qi Qi already knew this was a tool for eating. Normally, mom would use it to feed delicious food into her mouth.
So she kept putting the spoon into her mouth and sucking on it.
But after sucking for a long time, she still couldnât taste anything.
Lin Chuxia was amused by her cute little antics, while Jia Liangâs gaze was fixed on Gu Peng across from him.
He had met this man yesterday, who had come with Wang Tianxue and been introduced as Lin Chuxiaâs new assistant.
At this moment, the manâs gaze casually fell on Lin Chuxia and Qi Qi.
Although that gaze was calm and indifferent, for some reason, Jia Liang found it displeasing.
He recalled seeing the scene when the three of them entered the restaurant earlier.
Gu Peng opened the door, Lin Chuxia walked in holding the child, and Gu Peng followed behind them with things.
To Jia Liang, this scene was somehow jarring to witness.
He even wondered if he had a preconceived notion about Gu Peng, which caused him to feel this way.
Before, when Lin Chuxia and Wang Tianyu entered similarly, he never felt like this.
Jia Liang hadnât eaten yet, so he simply sat at the table with Lin Chuxia and them to eat together.
The dishes were ordered according to Lin Chuxiaâs taste. After ordering, Jia Liang handed the menu to Gu Peng, letting him order a couple of dishes too.
Gu Peng directly pushed it back, "I can eat anything, Iâm not picky."
Seeing him like this, Jia Liang didnât insist and ordered two more dishes before giving the menu to the waiter, asking for the food to be expedited.
The meal was very satisfying. Jia Liang also noticed that at the beginning, Gu Peng ate very conservatively, only picking from the dish close to him, and from the side facing him.
Clearly, he was a grown man, yet he ate in small bites.
Only after Lin Chuxia was full and put down her chopsticks did he begin to eat more quickly.
Although he ate slowly, he didnât keep Lin Chuxia waiting long, only extending the meal by three to five minutes before he put down his chopsticks.
It was Lin Chuxia who noticed his restraint and told him to eat more and not waste food that he started eating again.
He almost finished all the leftover food on the plates.
Jia Liang suddenly remembered when he first met Lin Chuxia, feeling a bit of empathy for Gu Peng.
However, he didnât completely drop his guard. When Gu Peng went to the restroom, he asked Lin Chuxia, "Mr. Lin, does your second brother know about this new assistant youâve hired?"
He was now Qin Juanâs husband, so calling Qin Yang "second brother" wasnât inappropriate.
Though he rarely addressed him like that, now he was speaking as a family member asking Lin Chuxia.
Holding Qi Qi, Lin Chuxia replied casually, "He knows, we ran into each other yesterday and I introduced them. Besides, Qin Yang usually doesnât interfere with my work matters."
Jia Liang continued, "Mr. Lin, if you were just Mr. Lin to me, I definitely wouldnât say these things. But besides being Mr. Lin, I have to call you sister-in-law through Juanzi, so I speak boldly."
Seeing him so earnest, Lin Chuxia chuckled and nodded, "Go ahead."
"Itâs like this, you said your second brother doesnât meddle in your work affairs, and I observed that as well. From the moment I met him, I knew he was a principled man. He respects your career, but honestly, if Juanzi always had a male assistant by her side, I, as her husband, wouldnât be too thrilled."
Wang Tianyu is fine; heâs young, looks innocent, and is also Wang Tianxueâs younger brother, treated like a younger brother.
Today, when mother-in-law was heading back to Qin Family Village, she talked for a long time with my wife. Later, I found out that mother-in-law was worried about the second brother and his wife, asking Qin Juan to gently advise the second brother not to upset his sister-in-law.
Why?
Isnât it because mother-in-law has seen the man next to her sister-in-law?
Having been with the Qin Family for so long, Jia Liang knows what kind of people they are.
Whether itâs the father-in-law, mother-in-law, or the two brothers-in-law, they are all excellent people.
Even though heâs sure Mr. Lin wouldnât do such things, from a manâs perspective, he wanted to remind Mr. Lin.
Lin Chuxia burst out laughing, "Brother-in-law, why wouldnât I like what you said? You just said weâre family, yet I feel like in every word youâre siding with Qin Yang."
Jia Liang blushed, "No...not really, itâs your sister, sheâs worried."
Lin Chuxia guessed that it was likely her mother-in-law who had concerns.
The little elderly lady, upon coming, perhaps pretended not to see it, but her eyes were fixed on Gu Peng the entire time.
She had never shown any hostility towards other men by her side before, so why could she not accept Gu Peng?
However, thinking about Gu Pengâs image at the time, with semi-long hair, he indeed didnât quite look like a good person either.
Just like when they first saw Jia Liangâs bald head; initially, didnât everyone think he wasnât a good person?
Lin Chuxia wanted to tell Jia Liang that, among others, he should understand best.
But thinking it through, she decided not to point out his flaw, and directly added, "Rest assured, brother-in-law, I know my limits. As for why Iâve chosen Gu Peng, you all will understand in time. Heâs quite capable."
With that, Jia Liang couldnât say much more.
Still, seeing Gu Pengâs behavior at the dining table, he indeed seemed cautious and measured.
Besides, even if he didnât trust Gu Peng, he had to trust Lin Chuxia.