I stared at him for a moment, then shook my head. "Forget it." I pushed the check toward him. "It's better to earn my own money. You keep this."
He didn't take it. Instead, he pushed it back toward me with two fingers. "Keep it."
"What for?" I frowned.
His dark eyes gleamed with something mischievous and unreadable. "I'll tell you on the way back home."
Dinner ended quietly. Su Ye didn't say much after that, but the faint curve of his lips told me he was planning something. Since he had cooked, I insisted on washing the dishes.
He watched me for a moment like he wanted to argue, then finally relented and went to sit on the couch. The warm water over my hands and the soft clinking of plates almost made things feel normal.
After I finished, I dried my hands and joined him. For a while, we just sat there, talking about nothing in particular. The silence between us wasn't awkward. It was comfortable.
By the time the clock neared ten, we decided to leave.
