Extremely Handsome: My Perfect Man

Chapter 12

In the café.

The waiter led Ava and Xu Yinian to the largest booth near the back, partially obscured by a large money tree. Ava slightly turned and entered the booth, taking a seat and saying, "Thank you."

Xu Yinian sat opposite Ava. "Would you like something to eat? I particularly enjoy the desserts here."

Ava smiled. "Anything is fine."

It seemed impolite to be picky on their first meeting.

"Officer Yu, you’re so beautiful; why haven’t you settled down with someone yet?"

Noticing Ava’s slightly uncomfortable expression, Xu Yinian realized he might have misspoken and quickly added with an apologetic smile, "I’m sorry, Officer Yu. I’m not very good with words. What I meant to say is that you’re so attractive that I’m sure many men would be interested in you. But since you don’t have a steady boyfriend, could it be because you’re too focused on your career to have time or energy for a relationship?"

Indeed, many men must be pursuing you…

Ava: That’s quite a blow…

"I used to be very focused on my career. Although it seems I still am, I’ve changed positions, and the nature of my work is quite different now. I used to be in criminal investigation, which was more demanding, but now it’s much more relaxed."

Xu Yinian nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, women should ideally avoid dangerous and high-intensity jobs like criminal investigation. After all, we all aim to return to our families eventually. Being too occupied with work can make it challenging to care for one's parents and children."

Ava simply smiled in response.

The two chatted about their hobbies, and soon, an array of colorful pastries was brought to their table.

"Help yourself. I ordered based on my own preferences, so I’m not sure if you’ll like them. I have a sweet tooth," Xu Yinian said as he took a bite of cake and continued, "How are your cooking skills, Officer Yu? Can you cook?"

Ava glanced at the pastries, picked up a teddy bear-shaped cookie, toyed with it between her fingers, and then answered honestly, "I can’t even cook noodles well, let alone prepare a meal."

Just then, the waiter outside the booth called out, "Sir, welcome! Did you make a reservation?"

Could it be…

There was silence afterward.

Ava’s heart sank, only to be lifted again in the next moment.

The waiter had already led the newcomer into their booth: "Sir, this way please—"

Ava tightly gripped the teddy bear cookie.

She looked up—

From her vantage point, the money tree perfectly shielded the newcomer from view.

But Xu Yinian could see the unexpected guest’s face and exclaimed in surprise, "You… you are…?"

As the guest emerged from behind the money tree, Ava crushed the cookie into pieces.

"Liam!?"

Ava's voice wavered.

"What are you doing here?"

How did he know her meeting place?

To her surprise, Liam smiled at her.

His captivating smile left even the waiter, who was about to take an order, momentarily stunned.

So strikingly handsome!

And it wasn’t just superficial beauty; it exuded a distinctive male charm.

Such a smile was dazzling to women, but utterly out of place in Xu Yinian’s eyes.

"May I ask who he is…?"

Xu Yinian didn’t ask Liam directly but turned to Ava instead.

"He…"

Ava was at a loss for words.

Calling him a friend seemed inadequate.

But if she didn’t call him a friend, what could she say?

Liam, with an innocent smile, sat down beside Ava, ignoring the menu and told the waiter, "I’ll have a portion of fried chicken wings and fries, with extra ketchup, and two cups of coffee, one without sugar."

Ava’s eyes flickered.

She found it quite astonishing: How did Liam know her taste? How did he know she disliked sweet food and preferred fried items?

Xu Yinian, persistent as ever, asked, "Officer Yu, is this person your friend?"

Ava reluctantly nodded and explained, "He’s a friend I recently met through work. He had some conflicts with his family, so he might be here to—"

She looked at Liam, slightly frowning, signaling him to follow her lead.

Liam, feigning innocence, pretended not to understand Ava’s hint.

Xu Yinian observed the silent exchange between them, his expression shifting slightly.

The atmosphere became tense due to Liam’s lack of cooperation.

The silence was broken by the arrival of the food.

"Thank you."

Liam promptly took a piece of fried chicken, generously applied ketchup, and placed the plate in front of Ava. "It won’t taste good if it gets cold. If you need more ketchup, just ask."

Liam’s gaze, filled with unhidden affection, was as intense as ever since the first moment he saw Ava.

Ava awkwardly glanced at Liam, then at Xu Yinian.

Xu Yinian looked at the spread of sweets, feeling a sense of irony. "So, you don’t like sweets. Why didn’t you say so earlier? Was it for my sake?"

Ava tried to clarify, "It’s not that, Xu Yinian…"

"But now my face is saved, and another man has silently shown that he understands you better than I do. You claim he’s just a ‘work acquaintance’?"

"The eyes don’t lie. I can see that his affection and possessiveness for you are overwhelming! You must have come here to date me behind his back. If you have a boyfriend, why not tell your family so they can arrange the marriage? Why waste my feelings?"

Ava could only defend, "Xu Yinian, it’s not like that. He really isn’t my boyfriend. He’s someone I met through work. I mistakenly arrested him, and that’s how we became acquainted…"

"I don’t care when you met him. You say he’s not your boyfriend?"

Xu Yinian pointed at Liam's face. "Look at him and say that again. Do you think I’m a fool? You two are a perfect match."

Liam’s low voice was filled with authority. "Let it go."

Xu Yinian immediately dropped his finger and stood up. "I’m leaving. I wish you both happiness…"

With that, he turned to leave.

Ava stood up too. "Xu Yinian! Xu Yinian—"

Her reflexes, as quick as ever, had her grasp Xu Yinian’s arm. "I’m not lying. Everything I said is true! I’m a police officer. It’s my duty to help people. Liam needed help, and since I had previously arrested him, that’s why we became friends."

"Even so…" Xu Yinian said, "I trust what I see. You may deceive me, but my eyes don’t lie…"

Xu Yinian forcefully pushed Ava’s arm away.

Due to the position, Ava had pulled Xu Yinian with her right hand, and this push hit her previous injury. She couldn’t help but cry out in pain and clutched her arm, sitting back down in agony.

"Are you okay?" Liam, who had been watching, immediately held Ava. Hearing her cry, his heart ached. "Is your arm hurt? Let me take you to the hospital."

"Get off me." Ava said, feeling wronged. "I’m not so fragile that I need to go to the hospital."

Xu Yinian looked at the seemingly affectionate pair and noted Liam’s instinctive embrace of Ava, which she accepted without resistance. His apology vanished completely. "Officer Yu, I won’t tell our families about today’s incident. I’ll just say we weren’t compatible, so stop pretending."

Hearing Xu Yinian's words, Liam sneered and retorted, "Pretending?"

As the situation remained tense in the booth, a woman’s voice suddenly rang out:

"Big sister! Miss Bai Ling! How’s your chat going? I happened to pass by and thought I’d join the fun."

Emerging from behind the money tree was Ava’s cousin—Lucy.

Lucy was stunned upon seeing the scene in the booth.

"This…"

Her attention was immediately drawn to Liam, who was embracing Ava. "Who… who are you? Wasn’t today supposed to be a date between Big Sister Ava and Miss Bai Ling? Why are you hugging my sister?"

"Lucy." Xu Yinian said expressionlessly, "Your family is mistaken. Officer Yu already has a boyfriend, and it’s him."

"Huh?" Lucy nearly shrieked, "A boyfriend?"

"I’m leaving now."

Xu Yinian addressed Lucy.

Lucy, bewildered, watched Xu Yinian leave, and then looked at Liam and Ava with even more confusion.

"Big sister…"

Lucy looked Liam up and down and thought: So Handsome!

"Is he the ‘handsome guy’ you mentioned before?"

Lucy stared at Liam’s face and gulped. "I’ve seen the living embodiment of the handsome guy today…"

She then pulled out her phone, "I need to call Dad…"

Ava was in despair: This is getting increasingly chaotic.

To her dismay, Lucy’s call came back in under a minute: "Big sister, Miss Bai Ling has already informed the family. Dad is very upset and wants you…" Her gaze fell on Liam, "He wants you to bring the handsome guy home…"