40: The sadness behind the bright girl

Pham Huyen My ordered fillet steaks for herself and Xiaoyun, while Li Qinghe ordered a large T-bone tomahawk steak.

Li Qinghe listened as Pham Huyen My explained that the steaks here were all Australian Wagyu.

Seeing that Li Qinghe was not very familiar with this area, Pham Huyen My patiently explained it to him.

It turned out that Japan's Wagyu beef quality was recognized worldwide, but Japan's land area was too small, and the amount of Wagyu beef it could provide each year was too little.

So, Australia imported Wagyu seeds and embryos and cultivated them on Australian ranches.

After many years of cultivation, relying on Australia's vast ranch environment, a large quantity of Australian Wagyu was produced to supply the whole world.

Soon, high-quality Australian Wagyu became the designated ingredient for major restaurants worldwide.

Looking at Li Qinghe's slightly curious eyes, Pham Huyen My didn't know why, but she felt a strong desire to confide tonight.

"Brother Qinghe, aren't you curious why a girl like me knows so much about these things?"

Pham Huyen My smiled charmingly: "Because my father has a ranch in Australia..."

It turned out that Pham Huyen My's parents met because her father, when he was young, was stationed in Vietnam as an employee of an Australian company.

During his work, he met and fell in love with her mother, and they eventually got married.

However, the happy life of the family of three came to an abrupt halt when Pham Huyen My was 15 years old.

Her parents chose to divorce due to irreconcilable differences in their life philosophies.

Pham Huyen My lived with her mother.

Her father, on the other hand, returned to Australia and inherited a ranch from her grandfather.

Now, around Christmas each year, Pham Huyen My flies to the Australian ranch to reunite with her father for a period of time.

Therefore, she understands ranch matters very clearly.

Most of her time is spent in Vietnam, managing her multimedia platform.

It is also very difficult for a teenage girl who has experienced a major family change to maintain a sunny and cheerful exterior.

Looking at the bright mixed-race girl in front of him, Li Qinghe realized that her inner world was not as her appearance suggested; she actually harbored quite a few small sorrows.

Perhaps this was the real reason she worked so hard to start her own career—a strong self is the confidence to face everything.

Seeing the mixed-race girl revealing a hint of sadness, Li Qinghe reached out and gently covered her hand: "A Mei, you are already very remarkable. Your parents are pursuing the life they want, and the results of your hard work can help them achieve it."

"Thank you, Brother Qinghe, you're right. As long as I earn more money, I can let my mother live a better life,"

Pham Huyen My clasped Li Qinghe's hand and smiled, like the warm sun in winter, brilliant and bright.

Assistant Xiaoyun, standing nearby, was holding a tissue and avidly watching the drama unfold; the conversation and interaction between the man and woman made her feel like she was watching an idol drama from the Dragon Nation.

The tears constantly welling up in her eyes proved that the little assistant was deeply moved.

"Brother Qinghe is really warm and handsome, and the crew even said he has super solid strength..."

"Boss A Mei is also very beautiful, their love is really sweet and touching..."

..."Brother Qinghe, thank you for listening tonight. It's been a long time since anyone had the patience to listen to me talk about my family."

Pham Huyen My wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with a tissue, revealing another beautiful smile.

She found herself very relaxed when facing Li Qinghe, especially after the psychological suggestion she gave herself to achieve that filming state at noon; she felt that this man was very warm and reliable.

Unconsciously, she told him many secrets hidden in her heart throughout the evening.

And the sensible little assistant, upon hearing the first little secret the young boss wanted to share, shivered slightly, consciously stuffed the rest of her steak into her mouth, and mumbled that she would wait for Pham Huyen My at the front desk.

Xiaoyun was very smart. Although Pham Huyen My was usually very kind to them and treated her like a sister.

But no matter how good the relationship, a boss is still a boss. You cannot know too many of your boss's secrets, otherwise, you might not be by your boss's side anymore.

People who know too many of their boss's secrets are either slowly removed by the boss or slowly eliminated by the boss. No one likes to see someone who knows many of their secrets lingering around. What if one day you use those secrets to blackmail the boss?

After all, it's not like childhood friends who commit mischief together, who would keep your secret of peeking into the women's changing room tightly hidden.

For Xiaoyun, the bonuses Pham Huyen My gave were very generous, so much so that her income exceeded that of an average white-collar worker in Vietnam.

So she had to avoid the situation in time.

And with the little assistant gone, Pham Huyen My became even more relaxed. She even had the illusion that she was on a date with her boyfriend.

Slowly, she reminded herself again that the man in front of her was a very compatible friend, and the afternoon was just acting.

The repeated pulling away and falling into emotions will always have emotional overflow as lubrication; this is the magical world of human thought.

Pham Huyen My's feelings for Li Qinghe became closer, and with Li Qinghe gently providing emotional value, in just two short meetings, she actually developed a feeling of more than friendship, but less than lovers.

They chatted idly all evening. When Pham Huyen My realized it was getting very late, it was already past 11 o'clock, and if they continued to chat, the restaurant would close.

The two had no choice but to get up and walk out. They woke up the drowsy little assistant on the sofa near the front desk, and the three walked to the parking lot together.

"Brother Qinghe, if you're free, please come and accompany me to film videos~"

Pham Huyen My invited Li Qinghe with a slightly Vietnamese-accented, sweet voice.

"Okay, just text or call me then." Li Qinghe readily agreed. With a big internet celebrity to lead, he might be able to ride a wave of traffic.

Pham Huyen My bid farewell to Li Qinghe with a touch of reluctance, and they even shared a warm farewell hug.

Watching the white BMW 5 Series disappear from sight, Li Qinghe also started his motorcycle.

Today's experience was quite interesting. Li Qinghe filmed his first commercial, and it was with a big internet celebrity like Pham Huyen My. The key was that even this job was recommended by her.

Facing a sexy mixed-race beauty like Pham Huyen My, it was impossible for Li Qinghe to have no thoughts.

However, he wouldn't rush things. When not so hungry, food cooked with a little more time would be more delicious.

There's an old saying in the Dragon Nation, 'Good food is worth waiting for,' and that's Li Qinghe's current thought and state.

Moreover, he keenly sensed Pham Huyen My's contradictory feelings towards him; it seemed that the acting state she experienced in the afternoon was not so easy to shake off.

This process was somewhat like Pham Huyen My engaging in a self-conquest.

Anyway, Li Qinghe would benefit no matter what, so he just waited for things to unfold, mainly not taking the initiative and not refusing.

Riding all the way from Ba Dinh District back to Hoan Kiem Lake, Li Qinghe went to a seafood restaurant and packed a box of lemongrass steamed shrimp, a box of garlic scallops, and a box of cheese baked oysters.

The last time he ate cheese baked oysters, he felt they tasted good. Nguyen Thi Linh should like this sweet and savory flavor.

By the time the restaurant had prepared and handed the packed food to Li Qinghe, it was already past midnight. He parked his car on the first floor and walked upstairs using his phone's flashlight.