Chen Kai sighed and deleted the unsent message one letter at a time, then adjusted his emotions and typed with one hand holding his phone.
Chen Kai, "Just didn't have my phone on me, baby, what's up?"
Lu Jingyan, "Check the group chat."
Chen Kai, who had already read all the group messages, waited for about ten seconds before popping up in the chat, "What do the two goddesses want to eat?"
…
The restaurant was chosen by Song Xian, a newly opened Cantonese place. The private room was booked by Chen Kai, while Miss Lu was only responsible for showing up to eat.
After dinner, it was still early, Chen Kai lounged back in his chair with a toothpick hanging from his mouth, lifting his phone to figure out where to go next.
There were only a few places to go at night, and after some deliberation, he chose the bar they usually frequented.
Exiting the private room, Chen Kai went to pay the bill, Song Xian went to the restroom, and Lu Jingyan stood alone waiting in front of the elevator.
It was the peak of dinner time, and each time the elevator doors opened, a large crowd emerged.
As Chen Kai and Song Xian were delayed, Lu Jingyan, bored from waiting, was messaging Sheng Xian on her phone.
"Brother, have you eaten?"
As usual. Read but no reply.
Having sent messages for over a week, one would run out of anything new to say, so Lu Jingyan just stopped looking at the screen altogether and sent strings of gibberish as if the texts cost nothing.
The elevator doors opened, another crowd came out, and as she kept sending text messages, she heard the constant notification sounds.
Lu Jingyan followed the sounds with her eyes.
Sheng Xian, wearing a black trench coat with one hand in his pocket, walked out of the elevator.
He seemed to carry a sound box with him, beeping incessantly.
Believing that the scene in front of her had suddenly turned wonderfully nice, Lu Jingyan put away her phone and straightened up.
Probably sensing her gaze, Sheng Xian looked her way. Their eyes met, and Lu Jingyan smiled, just about to greet Sheng Xian when someone else called out to him before she could.
It was a female voice.
Lu Jingyan, slightly annoyed, turned to look.
The girl, wearing a face mask and hat, was unrecognizable, but Lu Jingyan recognized her clothes.
They were exactly like those worn by the person she had bumped into at the company that afternoon.
Lu Jingyan, not someone to be easily overlooked, was immediately noticed by Bo Mu amidst the crowd.
She hadn't expected to run into Lu Jingyan here, her gaze faltering a bit before she turned to Sheng Xian, "Over here."
Lu Jingyan subconsciously looked towards Sheng Xian.
As if she did not exist, Sheng Xian reached Bo Mu in just a few steps, muttered something to her, and then they both entered a coffee shop together.
Lu Jingyan watched Sheng Xian's retreating back, her eyes blinking.
A few moments after the two disappeared into the coffee shop, it finally dawned on Miss Lu that she had been ignored by Sheng Xian.
Not only had she been ignored by Sheng Xian, but he had also talked to another woman right in front of her.
Not only had he talked to another woman in her presence, but he had also gone for coffee with her right in front of her.
Lu Jingyan found Sheng Xian to be quite capable indeed, as his actions had, once again after the subway incident, successfully provoked her urge to hit him.
Lu Jingyan kept staring at the coffee shop they had entered, lingering there until Chen Kai and Song Xian arrived, only then did she look away and take a deep breath before stepping into the elevator.
The image of Sheng Xian and Bo Mu walking into the coffee shop continued to haunt her.
Lu Jingyan grew increasingly irked, his expression so cold it seemed he could freeze over.
Upon reaching the underground parking lot, Chen Kai and Song Xian walked out of the elevator, one after the other, and took a few steps forward. Noticing that Lu Jingyan hadn't caught up, Song Xian turned around and called out, "Xiaoyan, what are you daydreaming about?"
Lu Jingyan did not respond until Song Xian called out a second time; then she snapped back to reality, "I'm not hanging out with you guys tonight."
Chen Kai asked, "What? Why not?"
Lu Jingyan replied with irritability, "I've got things to do."
"What's more important than hanging out with me?" Chen Kai asked.
Lu Jingyan looked up, her cold gaze landing on Chen Kai, "Catching cheaters."
...
Returning to the floor where they had eaten, Lu Jingyan walked towards the direction of the cafe, pressing down the rage in her heart as she tried to appear somewhat calm.
The cafe attendant was very enthusiastic when he saw her approach, "Miss, how many are you?"
Lu Jingyan said nothing as she circled the cafe, not finding the person she was looking for. She then turned to ask, "Do you have any private rooms?"
"Only two, but they are both occupied now."
Before the attendant could finish speaking, Lu Jingyan strode towards the inside of the cafe.
Her steps were aggressive, as if she was about to tear someone apart with her bare hands.
The attendant, frightened, hurriedly followed her.
The private rooms were easy to find, located at the end of the cafe, facing each other.
Not sure in which room Sheng Xian was, Lu Jingyan randomly chose one and pushed the door open.
She was in luck, she guessed right.
"Miss, this private room..."
Before the attendant could stop her, Lu Jingyan walked in.
Amid the attendant's apologies to Sheng Xian and Bo Mu, Lu Jingyan slowly placed her bag on the table, and then, under Bo Mu's shocked gaze, she pulled out a chair and sat down elegantly next to Sheng Xian.
The attendant, having worked in this field for quite a while, had never encountered anyone storming into a private room quite so boldly.
Helpless, she watched the three seated individuals, unsure how to handle this sudden situation.
After racking her brains for a long time, she finally came up with a universal apology, "I'm sorry..."
Before she could finish speaking, Sheng Xian, whose expression had been unchanged, slightly lifted his eyelids, "It's alright, you can go out."
Lu Jingyan instantly smiled. She turned and looked at Sheng Xian with a beaming face, "Are you helping me out?"
Bo Mu finally regained his senses, "Lu Jingyan, why did you follow us here? Wasn't it you who said you didn't recognize..."
Ignoring Bo Mu, Lu Jingyan kept her gaze fixed on Sheng Xian and asked on her own, "Haven't seen you in a week, did you miss me?"
Bo Mu was stunned.
Lu Jingyan, supporting her chin and surveying Sheng Xian's face, shamelessly declared, "I missed you."
Bo Mu paused for a few seconds, finally catching on, "You two know each other?"
"Yes, we do," Lu Jingyan generously responded to Bo Mu, who seemed to have finally said something sensible, "I'm the one he bought for five hundred."
Sheng Xian responded nonchalantly, "Not close."
Lu Jingyan was taken aback for a moment, then noticed the coffee that Sheng Xian had only partially drunk in front of him. After pondering for a moment, she picked up Sheng Xian's cup and took a sip, "...an indirectly kissing not close person."