Is my roommate a caged bird? I'm stealing her away.

Zhou Suisui recognized him; it was Cheng Fang. He looked more relaxed today than at the restaurant, his robe collar wide open, his hair slightly disheveled, and his eyes filled with undisguised inquiry.

Chen Boxu glanced at him indifferently and led Zhou Suisui to the sofa area.

"Zhou Suisui," he introduced simply, his tone as flat as if he were commenting on the weather. "You've met Cheng Fang before. This is Lao Wu, he's in real estate. This is Young Master Xu, he's into racing."

The men whose names were called raised their glasses to her, each with a different smile. Their female companions sat quietly beside them, all wearing polite smiles, but their eyes were subtly scrutinizing her.

Zhou Suisui felt those gazes were like fine needles, pricking at her brand-new outfit, trying to probe the true nature of what lay beneath.

She glanced at the women around her; well, she was younger and prettier.

"Sit down." Chen Boxu gently pushed her from behind, the force was light, but it carried an undeniable guiding force.

She sat down on the single sofa next to him, her back straight, her hands folded on her knees—a posture she had practiced in front of the mirror that afternoon.

"What would you like to drink?" Chen Boxu asked.

"...Water is fine." Zhou Suisui's voice was neither loud nor soft.

Cheng Fang had already brought over two glasses of wine. He handed one to Chen Boxu, but directly presented the other to Zhou Suisui: "Since it's your first time here, you should at least have a drink, right? I specially mixed it; it's not very strong. Want to try some?"

It was a glass of pale pink liquid, served in a crystal-clear glass, and it looked very tempting.

Zhou Suisui didn't answer, and looked up at Chen Boxu.

Chen Boxu didn't look at her. He simply took his glass of whiskey, took a sip, and then slowly said, "She's drinking water."

Cheng Fang raised an eyebrow, didn't force her, took back the wine glass, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, then sat down on the sofa opposite her, his eyes still fixed on her face.

"Ms. Zhou, this outfit suits you very well today," Cheng Fang said with a smile. "It's much more stylish than the one you wore at the restaurant last time... well, it has a lot more character."

Zhou Suisui felt that Chen Boxu's breathing rhythm had not changed, but the fingers on the sofa armrest moved almost imperceptibly.

She didn't respond to Cheng Fang's words, but simply smiled at him. Following Chen Boxu's instructions in the car, she didn't say much, just smiled.

The smile was faint, the curve of the corners of the mouth was just right, but there was little warmth in the eyes.

"Bo Xu," Old Wu, who was sitting on the other side, spoke up. He was in his forties, had a round face, and a kind smile. "I heard you acquired that piece of land in the east of the city last month? You moved pretty fast."

The conversation shifted to business. The men began discussing recent investments, policies, and various industry gossip.

Zhou Suisui listened quietly, occasionally picking up her water glass to take a sip.

She could sense that her female companions were also listening, but they never interrupted. They simply smiled and nodded when appropriate, or naturally took the empty glass and handed it to the waiter when the man next to them needed a refill.

They are like a delicate background sound, their presence perfectly controlled.

Zhou Suisui imitated them, keeping a smile on her face, her gaze occasionally falling on Chen Boxu's face.

But most of the time he just stares at his folded hands or the old-looking gramophone in the corner of the living room.

"By the way, what does Miss Zhou do?" Cheng Fang suddenly brought the topic back.

Zhou Suisui raised her eyes, still wearing that polite smile: "Do new media operations."

"Oh? That's interesting." Cheng Fang leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "It's tough doing business in new media these days, isn't it? Traffic is all concentrated at the top."

"It's alright," Zhou Suisui replied briefly.

"Where do you work?" Cheng Fang pressed.

Zhou Suisui gave the company's name. It was a company that was neither too big nor too small, with some reputation in the industry but certainly not a top-tier one.

Cheng Fang nodded and didn't ask any further questions, but the playfulness in his eyes deepened.

Zhou Suisui knew what he was thinking. This outfit, this occasion, and her ordinary job did indeed seem out of place.

But she didn't explain or try to add anything. She just kept smiling and sat there with her back straight.

They chatted for about half an hour more, and the topic turned to polo. Xu Shao enthusiastically talked about his newly bought Argentine horse, which drew the men's attention.

Just then, a woman wearing a champagne-colored halter dress walked over with a glass of wine.

She looked to be in her early thirties, tall and with striking features, her curly hair cascading lazily over her shoulders.

"Bo Xu, aren't you going to introduce me?" The woman sat down on the armrest of Chen Bo Xu's sofa with a natural and familiar movement, but her gaze was fixed on Zhou Sui Sui's face.

Zhou Suisui recognized her. She had been sitting next to Xu Shao, but her eyes kept drifting towards Chen Boxu.

"Zhou Suisui," Chen Boxu said, repeating the same three words. "This is Su Wei."

"Miss Zhou is so beautiful." Su Wei smiled and raised her glass to Zhou Suisui. "Is this your first time here? Don't be shy, make yourself at home."

Zhou Suisui also raised her water glass and smiled, "Thank you, Miss Su."

Su Wei didn't leave; instead, she moved even closer, almost touching Chen Boxu's arm: "Boxu, when are you free to come with me to look at that watch you said you'd help me with?"

Her voice carried a hint of coquetry, but her eyes swept over Zhou Suisui provocatively.

Zhou Suisui was speechless; the old woman was provoking her.

Chen Boxu didn't dodge, but he didn't respond either. He simply picked up his glass and took another sip, his gaze falling on Xu Shao, who was demonstrating polo moves in the distance. He said calmly, "We'll see."

Su Wei's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

She stood up, walked up to Zhou Suisui, and looked down at her: "Miss Zhou, this outfit is really beautiful. Did Bo Xu pick it out? He always has good taste."

Zhou Suisui raised her head, met her gaze, and said with her smile unchanged, "Yes, Mr. Chen chose it."

"He just likes to dress people up the way he likes," Su Wei said pointedly, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the diamond necklace around her neck. "By the way, why isn't Lin Xiao here today? Doesn't she love attending these kinds of events with Bo Xu?"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Cheng Fang stopped talking to President Wu, and Young Master Xu also turned around. Everyone's eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, were focused on Zhou Suisui.

Zhou Suisui did not answer immediately. She picked up her water glass and slowly took a small sip.

As she put down the cup, she turned her head to look at Su Wei, her smile deepening, her eyes curving into a beautiful arc, her amber pupils clear and bright under the light.

She tilted her head, her tone tinged with a sense of nonchalant confusion: "Lin Xiao? I don't know her. I have absolutely no interest in someone uglier than myself."

After he finished speaking, the living room fell into a deathly silence.

Even the background music seemed to pause for a second.

Cheng Fang choked on his drink, coughing violently until his face turned bright red. Old Wu raised his glass to shield his face, his shoulders twitching suspiciously.

Xu Shao raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhou Suisui again with great interest, his playful look turning into a hint of surprise.

The color drained from Su Wei's face instantly, then flushed red again. Her fingers gripped the wine glass so tightly that her knuckles turned white, as if she were about to crush the glass at any moment.

She stared wide-eyed at Zhou Suisui, her lips trembling slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Zhou Suisui's words were so frank and direct. There were no beating around the bush, no veiled criticism, just the literal meaning:

I don't remember the woman you mentioned because she's not pretty, so she doesn't deserve to be remembered. But coming from Zhou Suisui, those words were somehow impossible to refute.

She sat there, so young she looked like she could be squeezed for water, her skin porcelain white and translucent, her features bright and beautiful, her eyes sparkling with an innocent vitality and unrestrained radiance.

The smoky gray silk shirt accentuated her long neck and delicate collarbones, and beneath the unbuttoned button, her skin was as smooth as porcelain.

She simply sat quietly, and her captivating youth and beauty were enough to overshadow all the meticulously dressed female companions present, let alone Lin Xiao, who had been mentioned but never appeared.