chapter 6 first love rival

The next day during lunch break, Stanley Du followed Dinah Yang to her house for a meal.
Dinah Yang's home was in the Greenview Courtyard Community, which was not far from the Greenview Community Hospital where Stanley Du worked.
"Mom, Dad," greeted Stanley Du enthusiastically as he entered, addressing Roy Yang and Elen Zeng.
Roy Yang and Elen Zeng looked at him in surprise and slightly annoyed.
You cheeky boy, you're not even married to our daughter yet. We're not your parents!
"Ahem, it's not the time for you to call me 'Dad' yet," Roy Yang said.
"Uncle, Auntie," Stanley Du quickly corrected himself.
"Mm, you two sit and chat. I'll go cook," said Roy Yang, heading to the kitchen.
Dinah Yang sat next to Elen Zeng on the sofa.
Stanley Du took a seat opposite them.
An awkward silence ensued for two minutes.
Suddenly, Dinah Yang whispered angrily, "Aren't you going to help? Go assist my dad in the kitchen!"
Stanley Du was stunned, then stood up and went to the kitchen to help Roy Yang.
After Stanley Du left, Elen Zeng put a hand on Dinah Yang's shoulder and whispered, "He seems to really listen to you. You're right not to be too soft on him. You need to keep him on his toes."
Stanley Du was a cultivator whose hearing and eyesight were far beyond ordinary people.
He heard Elen Zeng's comments and thought, "Gosh, of the three in the Yang family, my future mother-in-law is the hardest to deal with!"
Soon, Stanley Du started cooking and prepared several dishes.
Seeing Stanley Du's impressive knife skills and cooking technique, Roy Yang's opinion of him improved further.
At mealtime, the Yang family enjoyed and finished all the dishes Stanley Du made.
After the meal, Stanley Du started washing the dishes.
Roy Yang whispered to Dinah Yang, "I didn't expect Stanley Du to be a better cook than your mom. Marrying him would be a blessing for you. At least you won't be stuck in the kitchen, becoming a 'yellow-faced woman' from all the cooking fumes."
Elen Zeng retorted quietly, "A man who only knows how to cook is just a househusband. What matters is power, wealth, and status."
"Cliché," Dinah Yang murmured.
"You ungrateful child! I'm saying this for your own good, and you dare to call me cliché!" Elen Zeng was clearly not pleased.
Stanley Du heard every bit of the family's whispers and chuckled to himself, appreciating Dinah Yang's character, recognizing she wasn't materialistic.
After leaving Dinah Yang's house, Stanley Du and Dinah Yang returned to the community hospital to continue working.
That afternoon, Stanley Du treated several patients with ease.
After work, Stanley Du invited Dinah Yang for dinner.
Dinah Yang realized it was a date and was initially hesitant, but was impressed by Stanley Du's medical skills.
She wanted to learn from him and hoped to keep him at the Yang family hospital to help it thrive. So, she agreed.
Surprisingly, Stanley Du didn't take her to a fancy restaurant. Instead, they went to a street food stall with questionable hygiene. A bit hesitant, Dinah Yang cleaned her chair with a napkin before sitting.
She drew attention because of her beauty and elegance. A young man from a nearby table couldn't take his eyes off her.
His girlfriend was somewhat pretty too.
But she had a typical influencer's face, and in terms of looks and demeanor, she was nowhere near Dinah Yang.
Soon, a pot of sauce-covered bones, a plate of edamame, and a dish of braised prawns were served.
At first, Dinah Yang was quite hesitant.
Being a doctor, she had never eaten at a street-side stall before.
But under Stanley Du's persistent persuasion, she peeled a shrimp and took a bite of its meat. After that, she couldn't stop eating.
Seeing Dinah Yang eat the shrimp so heartily, the young man, while in shock, also looked at Stanley Du, who was with her, with a mix of envy, jealousy, and resentment.
Man, this guy invites a goddess like her out, and instead of taking her to a fancy restaurant, he satisfies her with just a few dishes from a simple street stall? How stingy!
Yet, this goddess seems to be enjoying herself so much!
It's just so unexpected!
A woman as beautiful and graceful as her should prefer fine dining, not these street-side stalls. It's such a downgrade!
At that moment, the young man's arm was fiercely pinched by his girlfriend!
Immediately after, the girlfriend said coldly, "Your eyes were practically popping out of your head staring at her! That woman is only here eating street food with that man because she likes him. If you were to invite her for an authentic French meal, she wouldn't even give you a second look. Don't believe me? Go ahead and try."
The young man quickly begged in pain, "Ouch! My love, please be gentle. You're the only one in my heart. I would never flirt with others."
Hearing this, everyone laughed.
After finishing their meal, Stanley Du was about to pay but realized he didn't have enough money.
So, he sheepishly asked, "Um... do you have any change? I'm short by eleven yuan."
Everyone was stunned, and then they all looked down on Stanley Du, especially the young man who was envious of Stanley Du's luck with women.
Now, he sneered at Stanley Du, gloating in his heart, "What a pauper! He can't even afford a simple meal. I bet that woman will scold him and then dump him!"
At this time, Dinah Yang was also a bit upset.
Many rich guys had lined up to take her out for French dinners, but she always declined.
Today, she didn't mind when Stanley Du invited her for street food, even though it was cheaper.
Wasn't she generous?
But now, Stanley Du was asking her to cover the bill! What a miser he was!
"I'll never dine out with you again," Dinah Yang thought, though she calmly took out a hundred yuan, placed it on the table, and coldly said, "Keep your money. I've got this one."
Then, she stood up and left without waiting for her change.
Stanley Du quickly followed after Dinah Yang.
Other diners mocked him, calling him a freeloader and a loser, but he pretended not to hear.
Dinah Yang walked ahead, with Stanley Du trailing behind, trying to explain.
They reached an intersection when a BMW X7 sped towards Dinah Yang and made a sharp brake on her left side.
When the BMW braked abruptly, its side mirror smashed into Stanley Du's wristwatch.
The watch's casing cracked, causing great distress to Stanley Du.
That watch was a cherished heirloom left to him by The Bouldering Taoist Priest.
"Do you even know how to drive?!" Stanley Du shouted at the driver.
The BMW's door swung open, and out stepped a young man in a sharp suit, with slicked-back hair and a powdered face.
This man paid no attention to Stanley Du and directly asked Dinah Yang, "Dinah, who's this guy?"
"He's my friend," she replied.
"What kind of friend? I'm your husband!"
Stanley Du immediately saw through the man. This suited guy, acting all high and mighty, was trying to steal his girl and make him a cuckold!
Without hesitation, Stanley Du declared his relationship with Dinah Yang.
"You're married?" The man in the suit looked at Stanley Du in shock, his voice rising significantly.
"Not yet, but soon. His name is Stanley Du, and he's my fiancé," Dinah Yang said calmly.
"Ah, so you're just engaged," the suited man sighed in relief.
Turning back to Dinah Yang, he asked, "What does he do?"
"He's my colleague," Dinah Yang chose her words carefully, making sure to paint Stanley Du in a positive light. If she had told the man that just two days ago, Stanley Du was a mere handyman with a monthly salary of only 1,300... the man would definitely look down on Stanley Du even more.
"He's not worthy of you," the man in the suit said disdainfully, looking down his nose at Stanley Du. "If you have any sense left, I'd advise you to break up with Dinah Yang sooner rather than later."