How come you're also my ex-girlfriend?

"Ok?"

Li Qian merely glanced at him casually, and Ahao broke out in a cold sweat.

He quickly nodded, "Okay, I understand. Please let me know if anything happens, sister."

"Go."

Seeing Li Qian instruct Ah Hao like this, Shu Ying thought for a moment, then looked at Xu Yan, "Xiao Xu, you..."

She felt that Xu Yan wasn't really needed for the upcoming occasion. She would certainly keep her promise to him and figured he probably wouldn't like the occasion, so she decided to let Xu Yan leave first.

But Li Qian interrupted Shu Ying at this moment: "Let Xiao Xu accompany you. Look, you didn't bring your assistant. How can you manage without someone to help take care of you?"

Shu Ying didn't understand Li Qian's true intentions.

But since I'm here, there shouldn't be any problems.

So she looked at Xu Yan and said in a low voice, "Is it alright to have a meal together?"

Xu Yan replied nonchalantly, "It costs extra."

Shu Ying: ...

What a realistic man.

However, the fact that he spoke so directly made it easier for me to accept and not dislike him.

But as she turned and walked away with Li Qian, she suddenly wondered if Xu Yan's ability to say it so frankly meant that he treated everything as a transaction.

There doesn't seem to be a problem, but some things just make me feel uncomfortable once I think about them.

"Would you like to go and change your clothes?"

"Li Qian went to prepare the place for dinner," Shu Ying asked the boy who was sweating a little.

"I didn't bring any spare clothes either... By the way, why aren't you guys fighting?"

Xu Yan asked curiously.

Shu Ying shook her head. "I was prepared, but she just changed her mind. Maybe it's... the weather."

As she said this, she glanced at the boy.

Xu Yan didn't know what that glance meant either. Surely it couldn't have anything to do with him? Sigh, these people have no Olympic spirit.

"If you want to take a shower, I can arrange for someone to prepare a change of clothes for you."

She added this sentence.

"Do you dislike the smell of my sweat?"

Xu Yan asked as soon as he opened his mouth.

"...What does this have to do with whether I dislike it or not?" Shu Ying frowned slightly.

What I really want to ask is, rather than whether it's related or not, whether my own dislike for it is crucial.

"If you don't mind, then it's fine. I don't mind myself anyway."

"...Do as you please."

As if giving up on taking care of the boy, she turned and walked towards the parking lot.

Once in the car, Xu Yan looked at his phone in the passenger seat.

I don't know who she was chatting with, but a smile was playing on her lips.

Shu Ying frowned. "Fasten your seatbelt."

Xu Yan glanced at her. "In TV dramas, the domineering CEO usually helps the passenger in these situations."

Shu Ying raised an eyebrow and turned slightly to the side.

"you sure?"

"Clap."

Xu Yan quickly tied it on himself.

Although inviting Shu Ying would probably be a pleasure for her, and she certainly wouldn't lose out, there's no need for it.

The woman, who had straightened up again, smiled. After all, he was still just a young boy, always talking big.

I started the car and drove towards the location Li Qian had sent me.

It didn't take too long, only about ten minutes to get there.

Back in the bustling city center, Shu Ying felt inexplicably nervous as she got off the bus.

It seemed like a feeling he had never experienced before. Regardless of who was around him or how many people were there, Xu Yan walked down with ease and nonchalantness.

"What do you want to eat?"

"...It seems to be Western food."

The moment he spoke, the slightly tense atmosphere vanished. Shu Ying was genuinely curious about how someone could seemingly destroy all sense of atmosphere so completely.

It seems I had too many filters on my mind after the first night at the bar.

That's fine too, at least the novelty will wear off quickly, just like those friends you met when you were young, you don't even know when you've stopped contacting them.

Is it the kind of meal that requires a knife and fork?

"I think so, what's wrong?"

"I've never used a knife and fork before, what if I embarrass you?"

Xu Yan looked shy and nervous, but it was obviously fake.

He looks so smug, it makes you want to punch him in the face.

"If you don't know how, learn it. Do you expect me to feed you?"

Shu Ying said irritably.

Xu Yan thought for a moment, "That would be too ambiguous. I have an idea. You can cut your steak or something first, and then we can change plates."

"I think it would be better to just serve you a bowl of rice."

"That works too. Humans are made of iron and carbon is made of steel. How can we function without carbon?"

"...I might as well just feed you directly."

"That's not a good idea, sister~"

Watching the boy wriggle around in the elevator like a maggot, it's really hard to imagine that someone would do such a thing with such a model on their person.

The elevator numbers were rising, but the elevator space, with only two people, offered absolutely no possibility of any romantic atmosphere.

Shu Ying crossed her arms and whispered, "Now I'm starting to believe you've never been in a relationship."

Xu Yan: ?

"Right? After all, most girls would back down when they see me. I understand what you mean, sister."

"I don't think you understand." Shu Ying touched her forehead.

"Sister, do you want me to be a tapeworm in your stomach? That's not a good idea~"

"...You're being awkward!"

Seeing that Xu Yan was about to turn into a maggot on the spot again, Shu Ying couldn't stand it anymore and couldn't help but speak up to stop him.

Xu Yan composed himself, put one hand in his pocket, and leaned against the elevator wall.

"I've just gotten used to using abstract representations to cover up my riddled inner wounds; abstraction is just my protective coloring."

"I don't care about that."

“I understand that my sister cares about me personally.”

"..."

Looking at the changing elevator floors, Shu Ying couldn't help but want to stomp her feet.

Why the hell isn't it here yet?!

"Om."

Shu Ying's phone suddenly vibrated. She took it out and looked at it, but it wasn't a message from Li Qian.

Ye Tingyuan: [Where are you?]

Dark clouds obscured the only remaining sunlight, and even her swaying hair couldn't hide the sudden, furrowed brows of gloom that appeared on her face.

……

Chapter 82 (First Update)

When Shu Ying stepped out of the elevator, her expression clearly changed.

She only realized it when Xu Yan reminded her that they had arrived at the floor.

However, seeing the other person's furrowed brow, which seemed to indicate a troubled mood, Xu Yan didn't say anything. Adults like this always have their own worries, and it's always unexpected when something like a bolt from the blue might strike.

However, these things did not seem to affect her subsequent actions, which means that they were not so serious, just a bit of a nuisance.

Therefore, Xu Yan has no need to 'care' about the other person. People who want to know everything and explore everything are unlikely to find happiness.

On the upper floors of this building, we entered a low-key luxury restaurant that looked like it had been renovated at a considerable cost.

Xu Yan suddenly remembered something Zhou Wentao had once told him: so-called low-key luxury is often more expensive than overt luxury.

But I don't need to worry about these things; I'm just here to freeload today.

Li Qian had already booked a private room in advance, and the restaurant didn't have any public areas; apart from the front desk, there were only winding corridors and various rooms.

It has the feel of a private club, fully protecting the privacy of its customers.

The cost of living is obviously exorbitant, so what's the point of all this privacy? Are there so many shady things going on in the world of the wealthy?

I really want to fight these rich people!