Chapter 171 Flirting
'Do I still need to negotiate for a meal?'
She was just hired, not his slave.
Ashley took a breath and smiled lightly. "If you aren't hungry, you can continue enjoying the view here, Mr. Hearst. I'll find a restaurant myself. Don't tell me all the restaurants along the riverbank are yours. If that's the case, then I can endure it."
Damian followed her, despising the act of guessing a woman's thoughts by following her, but still did it. "Stop."
Ashley closed her eyes helplessly, hands hanging by her sides, ready to clench her fists and strike out in the next moment. "Okay. Go ahead."
"For the next week, no matter what you hear or see, don't believe it."
"Which aspect are you referring to?"
Damian crossed past her, taking the lead. "You'll know."
"Alright, anything else?"
Her impatient expression cut off what Damian wanted to say. Finally having a normal conversation, he don’t want to break the hard-earned peace. "Let's go."
Damian chuckled at himself. He never thought there would be a day in his life when he needed to take care of someone else's emotions, following her lead, watching her expression.
'Do I owe it to her?'
The weather in Dreamvale was unpredictable. A cloud could bring a downpour.
Before they reached the nearest restaurant, raindrops drizzled. The setting sun was completely hidden by dark clouds, the city dimmed suddenly.
Ashley looked up, rain splattering her face densely. She quickened her pace, wanting to run through, but a hand embraced her waist.
Without a word, a black shield appeared above her head.
Damian spread his arms, using his blazer as an umbrella, sheltering both in a safe zone. Below his right arm was Ashley's upturned face. "Don't just stand there foolishly. The thickness of the clothes won't keep the rain out for long."
"Thank you."
In the past, when she said thank you, it was often accompanied by emotions, harboring unknown hatred towards him.
But this time, she said thank you sincerely, which hurt Damian even more.
Damian's face darkened. "Besides thank you, anything else?"
"Dinner’s on me."
With limited space under the blazer, Ashley was virtually embraced by his arm, the two standing close. As they walked, their bodies would occasionally brush against each other. Their body temperature gradually rose from the arms to the ears and cheeks.
Ashley tried to dodge, but Damian promptly pulled her back. After a few attempts, she was completely trapped against the man's broad chest, unable to evade any longer.
In this atmosphere, Damian chuckled above her head. "What are you hiding from? We're going to have a dinner, not devour each other."
Ashley stood her ground. "Mr. Hearst, you can do whatever you want with your fiancée at night."
To save money, Ashley chose a restaurant with affordable prices - salad, baguette, crispy sandwich, cheese and mushroom soup,which were all carbohydrates.
"Mr. Hearst, feel free to order more if it's not enough. I don't know what you like to eat, so make do." With that, she picked up her utensils and began to eat.
Regardless of his expression or whether he ate or not, the five-star chef at the hotel would provide him with a nutritious late-night snack, so he wouldn't go hungry.
Damian didn't even furrow his brow, maintaining his elegant dining etiquette even in a casual restaurant. He sliced the bread and took a bite, saying, "The butter texture is quite good, not greasy. You have a good taste."
She ordered based on price, selecting the cheapest items on the menu.
Ashley smiled. "That's good then. Mr. Hearst, eat more. Don't be polite with me."
The restaurant mainly catered to locals of Dreamvale, with a few people from other countries. Everyone assumed that visitors to Dreamvale were well-off and would typically order the best and most expensive dishes, so they treated them with extra warmth.
But who would have thought that these two well-dressed and refined guests would order a bunch of main courses like poor students?
God, they were just pretending to be nobility when broke.
Especially that man, making his girlfriend pay for the meal. What a waste of a pretty face. Did he buy his clothes as knockoffs?
"Hey, beauty!"
A moderately built, chubby man with a goatee and golden hair stood up from the nearby seat, his arms covered in thick hair with tattoos hidden within.
Ashley tilted her head. "Me?"
The man brought over a cup of wine with a smile, pulled out a chair without invitation. "Hello, I'm Vincent Watson. Nice to meet you?"
Flirting?
Didn't he see the man beside her?
Ashley took a sip of coffee, swallowed the whole wheat bread, and casually fabricated a name. "Hello, I'm Lisa."
The man treated Damian as if he were invisible. "Beauty, are you here for sightseeing? Do you have a guide? I can be your guide and take you to taste the specialties of Eirondia. Is Dreamvale your first stop? Where do you want to go next?"
Vincent had a bit of an accent. Ashley guessed he was from the north.
Ashley readily agreed. "Sure. It's my first time in Eirondia, and there are many places I haven't been to yet. Can you show me around?"
Clearing his throat, Damian swept Vincent's elbow off the table. His deep voice was more elegant than Vincent's. "My girlfriend doesn't need a guide. Go away."
The words "my girlfriend" sounded quite attractive coming from Damian's mouth.
But lies in social settings were not appealing at all.
Ashley denied. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my boss. I'm single."
Vincent glared at Damian. "What a stingy boss!"
He ordered several meat dishes, intending to insult Damian. "Beauty, would you like to go to the bar tonight?"
Ashley showed great interest. "Sure, nice to meet you, Vincent. I'll treat you to a few drinks tonight."
Vincent dragged his chair closer to Ashley, and his hand almost touched her shoulder. "You’re so gorgeous!"
Ashley dodged her shoulder, avoiding his touch. "Vincent, my boss has a bad temper and is particularly harsh on me. He'll get angry if you act like this."
Vincent touched his nose, giving Damian a challenging look. "Can you drink?"
Ashley lowered her head to cut the bread, a smile hidden in her eyes. Damian was very concerned about his image. She would like to see if he could maintain his composure at any time.
Damian noticed Ashley was deliberately provoking, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Just a little."
Vincent looked him from head to toe. Damian didn’t look particularly muscular, lacked strength, and was probably not much of a drinker. "Let's drink together tonight."
Sometimes, one wanted to let loose a bit. All it took was an opportunity to unleash the beast within.
Like now, Ashley stood in an underground bar in a Dreamvale alley, the DJ's beats pounding in her ears. Various men and women were swaying on the dance floor.
Damian wrinkled his nose, feeling that she was quite familiar with this kind of place. "Ashley, you're quite wild," he said.
Ashley handed him her bag, her fingers playing with her long hair. "You still don't know me well enough. Today, I'll give you a chance."
