Chapter 144: The Visitor

It was another lavish dinner, though no longer purely Chinese cuisine, but rather a fusion of Chinese and Western delicacies. Both women ate their fill. April still patted her slightly rounded belly as she went to wash the dishes, while Racine half-reclined on the sofa to aid her digestion. Seeing Qiu Fengyu walk over and sit down, she couldn't help smiling and said, "If I keep staying here, I'm definitely going to turn into a huge potato."

"So you don't need to worry about that," Qiu Fengyu smiled, "I'll go make some coffee." With that, he stood up again to brew the coffee. He acted as naturally as if he were in his own home, and Racine didn't find it strange at all, as though it should have been that way to begin with.

After a while, Qiu Fengyu brought out two cups of coffee and said to Racine, "I can tell you've been very busy these past few days. I added some milk to your coffee, which will help with your digestion and... give you a better state of mind." He then placed the coffee in front of Racine.

In truth, Qiu Fengyu was not trying to deliberately show attentiveness. Yet, such seemingly casual and natural gestures were precisely the ones that made a person feel most cared for.

"What a pity... I was too slow," Racine sighed and shook her head, putting on a solemn expression.

"What?" Qiu Fengyu sat down with his coffee, took a sip, and looked at Racine with puzzlement. A moment ago, Racine's words had been like a cryptic riddle, leaving him completely baffled.

Racine smiled mysteriously, "It's rare to find a man who is as meticulous and considerate as you."

"Rare?" Qiu Fengyu chuckled, "Actually... that's quite common in China. If you envy it, go find a Chinese husband; there are definitely ones who do better than I do."

"Ha! I look forward to it!" Racine laughed jokingly as well.

Just as they were talking, April came over from the kitchen, looked at the two of them, and asked, "What are you talking about? You look so happy!"

"We were talking about thoughtful Chinese men," Racine told her, then turned her gaze back to Qiu Fengyu. "Are you sure you don't need a tuxedo and don't want to walk the red carpet?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Qiu Fengyu nodded and said, "I don't want to be exposed to the cameras just like that. You know, April and I have been through some perilous times. For the sake of safety and to avoid future troubles, it's better to be cautious for now."

"I agree!" April also nodded. "Qiu has protected me and has never been exposed to those people. Everyone who has seen him is already dead, so... I don't want him to appear in front of the cameras so soon either. Even if he does appear, it will have to wait until some time passes and things have calmed down."

Racine nodded with deep understanding and sighed, "Plots like this, I used to think they only appeared in movies. I never expected them to actually happen to my friends in real life. Politicians are filthy—I truly agree with that statement now."

"It's not as mystical as you two make it sound," Qiu Fengyu chuckled, "I'm just a bit afraid of trouble."

"Alright. Let's not talk about this anymore. You two must bring your electronic passes tomorrow and show up on time. Don't miss the schedule. Your entrance is after the stars arrive, and then you'll go through security," Racine nodded. "I need to go work out. Such a blissful yet troublesome dinner. God, why can't one have both delicious food and a great figure?"

April also stood up and said to Qiu Fengyu, "I'll drive you back to your hotel."

Qiu Fengyu stood up and said to Racine, "To be honest, I'm very grateful that you invited me to attend the premiere of your movie. I've never had an experience like this. Perhaps... I won't say goodbye to you in person tomorrow; right after the premiere, I'll head straight back to Abilene."

"Alright, we'll see each other in Abilene later, or you can come to Los Angeles and we can meet here too." Racine didn't try to make him stay. The two shared a gentle hug before parting ways.

Qiu Fengyu got into the car April had driven out and returned to the hotel. Before leaving, April said to him, "Before the premiere starts, I'll come here to pick you up. Remember, at three o'clock in the afternoon, please wait for me at the entrance on time."

"I have a sense of time."

"Better that way. Goodbye, Qiu." April didn't say anything further to Qiu Fengyu this time. Ever since Qiu Fengyu made his stance clear, April obviously stopped entangling herself too much in this matter. Unless she encountered a woman who might become a potential rival, she would act a bit more intensely, just like when she had taken the initiative to link her arm through Qiu Fengyu's that morning.

Qiu Fengyu sat alone in his hotel room, quietly looking at the scenery outside the window. Los Angeles truly was a metropolis; even the night view around Beverly Hills alone looked magnificent. Specialized stores for all kinds of luxury goods were set up everywhere. Even at night, it was a city that never slept.

"Knock, knock, knock." A very rhythmic knocking sound, not too loud, but loud enough to be clearly heard. This was a very deliberate way of knocking, the kind characteristic of a gentleman.

Qiu Fengyu walked over and opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a woman whose wonderful figure immediately revealed her identity as Monica Roy. She smiled at Qiu Fengyu and asked, "Hi, can I... come in and sit for a while?" She pointed her finger inside Qiu Fengyu's room.

"Of course, come on in!" Qiu Fengyu was quite surprised as to why this woman had come here.

Monica Roy walked in, then looked at him, twisting her hands together in front of her lower abdomen, before pointing at the sofa. "Can I sit down?"

Qiu Fengyu shrugged, indicating it didn't matter. He sat down directly opposite Monica. Only then did Monica sit down somewhat cautiously, facing Qiu Fengyu, with her hands resting on her bare knees, her slender, fair fingers tapping gently.

"I'm sorry, I know this is abrupt. It's just... you said during the day—at breakfast, that is—that we are friends, aren't we? So... just think of this as a friend coming to chat with you." Monica's speech was a bit disjointed, likely still feeling some psychological pressure.

"What do you want to chat with me about?" Qiu Fengyu leaned back comfortably against the sofa, smiling at her, "You need a listener right now. Fine, I'm listening. If you want to tell your story, go ahead."

Monica managed a forced smile. "Originally I wanted to talk about it, but... seeing you, I feel there's really no need to say it anymore. I know my story has nothing to do with you, and you wouldn't care anyway... By the way, is that girl today your girlfriend? Judging by her behavior, she cares very much about you. So... although she used some little tricks, you can tell she likes you. That's real, completely unmasked." She smoothly changed the subject.

Qiu Fengyu didn't want to talk about this topic. To be honest, he really didn't want to start a relationship right now; he felt that maintaining his current state was quite good—at least he had no attachments yet. It was a habit retained from his days in Ukraine: once you have someone you are attached to, they become an obstacle to your actions, even a burden to yourself and a bargaining chip for others to blackmail you.

"I'm sorry, can we change the subject?" Qiu Fengyu said calmly.

"Alright. Can we talk about yourself?" Monica smiled at Qiu Fengyu, "Actually... I'm quite curious about you. You have your own principles regarding women. Moreover, these principles seem as worthless as ridiculous dolls to many men, but I think for a woman, they are the best."

"I have nothing much to say. I'm just protecting myself while also protecting the women who try to approach me. Of course... if a woman doesn't talk about anything and only seeks to spend a single night together, I'm still quite willing to accept that. No burden, no responsibility, not even knowing each other's names—even using a fake name is fine—that is what matters most." Qiu Fengyu stuck to his usual theory.

"Alright, many men and women are like that nowadays. But... I can't do it," Monica laughed at herself with self-deprecation, "I tried it last night, so I'm a failure in this regard. And you... are a very rational person. Rational to the point that it's hard to imagine you're a normal man."

"I am a normal man," Qiu Fengyu looked at her impassively, "Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?"

"Tea, please. I don't like coffee, even though I drank the coffee you brewed last night and it tasted quite good. But tea allows me to maintain my good figure," Monica smiled. "I know how to brew many kinds of tea, including English tea, Japanese tea ceremony arts, and Chinese tea ceremony arts. I've done research on this." Speaking of this, she seemed a bit excited.

"Was this an interest you developed after marrying your current husband?" The corner of Qiu Fengyu's mouth twitched upward slightly.

"No, I started experimenting with this when I was ten years old," Monica shook her head, "I like drinking tea, that's the reason. I've loved it since I was a child. My father liked it too, but he didn't like English tea."

While they were talking, Qiu Fengyu had already stood up, walked over to boil some water, and while chatting with her, prepared the tea sets and tea leaves. Qiu Fengyu didn't have any tea-brewing skills, especially in the eyes of an expert like Monica; he was a complete amateur at making tea. However, when Qiu Fengyu brought it over, she still accepted it and took a sip.

"The taste is all right, but there's almost no technique to the brewing," Monica shook her head. "Although this tea isn't the highest quality, it's passable—at least it's medium-grade black tea, originating from India. Due to issues with the harvesting and processing techniques, this kind of tea carries a slight earthy smell. If you don't taste it carefully, you might not notice it. If brewed using special methods, that earthy taste can be removed..."

"I'm not particular about tea. To me, it only serves one function: quenching thirst," Qiu Fengyu shook his head. "So no matter where it comes from, I'll just drink it down quickly rather than savoring it."

Monica laughed. The two of them actually didn't have much in common to talk about. Since Monica had no intention of telling her story anymore, the conversation stalled somewhat after these remarks. In the end, Monica stood up, opened her arms to Qiu Fengyu, and said, "I must say, I had a very pleasant evening tonight. Thank you."

Qiu Fengyu gave her a light hug. Monica then turned and left. For her, Qiu Fengyu was not a good listener after all.