Chapter 169
During dinner, the atmosphere between the two dropped to freezing point. They remained almost entirely silent.
Whenever Lucy did speak, her words were laced with thorns, each one piercing Kingsley with precision. He felt as though the actions of his past had become boomerangs, circling back to strike him one by one.
Mid-meal, Lucy’s phone vibrated. A message popped up: [Kingsley has booked a flight back to Beijing for tomorrow p>
As she read it, the corners of her mouth curved upward involuntarily. Even the stifling air in the private room seemed to sweeten instantly.
Noticing this, Peter smiled and asked, “Lucy, something good happen? You’re smiling so sweetly p>
Lucy glanced up at him, her tone indifferent. “Just read a dry joke p>
Peter raised an eyebrow, teasing, “A dry joke that makes you smile like that must be something special p>
Kingsley spoke up too, his tone devoid of emotion. “Lucy, why don’t you share it with everyone p>
Lucy let out a soft scoff, looking directly at him. “Mr. Sherwood, you might not like this joke p>
Seeing the tension, Peter hurriedly tried to smooth things over. “Doesn’t matter if he dislikes it, as long as we like it p>
David chimed in, his eyes curious. “I’m curious too. What kind of joke makes Miss Lucy so happy p>
Lucy picked up her water glass, took a sip, and spoke slowly, her voice not loud but crystal clear.
“A scumbag is like a stalk of sugar cane. At the very beginning, it tastes sweet and addictive. But by the end, it’s just a mouthful of fibrous dregs p>
A few low chuckles broke out in the room. Only Kingsley sat motionless, his expression unchanged.
David looked at Lucy with a probing gaze and asked slowly, “Miss Lucy is so insightful. Have you encountered a scumbag before p>
Lucy set down her glass. Her tone was calm but carried a chill. “Yes. I had the misfortune of meeting one in this life p>
The more Peter thought about it, the more he felt Lucy’s words were aimed squarely at kingsley he was just Curious about exactly how “scummy” Kingsley had been.
He glanced at Kingsley, whose face was dark enough to drip ink. Peter’s eyes practically screamed. *Y ex-wife is talking about you, isn’t she?*.
But Kingsley ignored him completely, not sparing him even a glance.
Kingsley’s thoughts had drifted far away. His mind was consumed with wondering just how much damage he had inflicted on her back then.
He knew, of course, that Lucy was insulting him. But a sudden question popped into his head-what is sugar cane?
He subtly took out his phone and typed “Sugar Cane” into the search bar.
A string of images popped up. Kingsley scanned them briefly, confirming he had never eaten such a thing.
He locked his screen quietly, as if nothing had happened.
Lucy checked the time on her watch, said a brief goodbye to David, and stood up with Emma to leave.
Kingsley tapped his finger lightly on the table twice, spitting out two words. “Leaving now p>
David teased, “You have urgent business too p>
Kingsley picked up his coat from the back of the chair. “Personal matter p>
Peter hurriedly grabbed his own coat and followed quickly. “Bro, I’m leaving too. Need to talk to him about something p>
“Be at work on time tomorrow, or your cards stay frozen,” David reminded him from behind.
Peter turned back to flash an ‘OK’ sign, not stopping his stride as he baught up to Kingsley. “That sugar cane thing she mentioned just now… what is it exactly?” fo
Kingsley glanced at him sideways, his tone impatient. “If you don’t know, how would I know p>