Wen Li didn't give Xiao Yu a heads-up before she secretly ran over to see him.
At that time, Xiao Yu was working at the restaurant. There were quite a few customers, and he was busy serving them.
It was not until he got a break that he realized Wen Li had arrived at some point.
Seeing her, Xiao Yu was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and he quickly approached her.
"Why have you come?" Xiao Yu led her to a side table to sit down, "I still have two hours before my shift ends, can you wait here for me for a bit?"
"Okay." Wen Li nodded happily, her lips curving upwards and staying that way.
It wasn't easy to come out and see Xiao Yu, not to mention waiting two hours; even waiting a whole day didn't matter to her.
Xiao Yu took the menu and handed it to Wen Li, "Take a look and see what you'd like to eat while you wait for me."
Wen Li, who hadn't had breakfast, casually picked a few of her favorite morning bites. She took out her wallet to pay, but Xiao Yu quickly stopped her.
He clenched his teeth, steeled his heart, and yet put on a relaxed face, "I'll pay, I've got an employee discount working here."
The girl he liked had come to see him; how could he, young and proud as he was, let her pay?
But with this breakfast, his earnings for the day from his part-time job were all but spent.
Wen Li, unaware of his thoughts, simply agreed without arguing when Xiao Yu insisted on paying.
As the restaurant grew busier, Xiao Yu couldn't chat much before he had to turn around and get back to serving customers.
Wen Li sat by herself, taking out her phone, buoyantly snapping away at the breakfast on the table.
She then posted a status update on social media, "A beautiful day starts with breakfast."
Upon refreshing her feed, she saw she already had instant likes.
Wen Li clicked to see and immediately exited with disdain when she saw it was Ji Tingyang.
Just as she returned to her messages, two texts popped up consecutively.
Ji Tingyang had transferred 5200 yuan with a caring note telling her to eat more and buy anything she liked, and if it wasn't enough, to let him know.
Who cares about his stinking money!
Wen Li was furious with Ji Tingyang, feeling his transfer was an insult, and she grew even more disdainful.
She deleted Ji Tingyang's chat thread, then checked the second message that had come from Xu Wei, a short-haired friend she had last encountered with Lin Xu and Ji Tingyang at a mall.
The first thing she saw was Xu Wei's critical words.
"You've gone to see Xiao Yu again?!"
Such a cheap breakfast could only be from Xiao Yu's making, she thought without doubt.
Before she could reply, Xu Wei's messages came flooding in.
"Soy milk and dough fritters with plain congee that just looking at kills the appetite, are you really satisfied with that?"
Wen Li stubbornly retorted, "As long as I'm with Xiao Yu, I like whatever I eat."
"You might enjoy it once or twice, but as time goes on and you're always worrying about household expenses, will you truly be happy? When Xiao Yu can't even afford to buy you a piece of clothing or jewelry you like, won't you feel disappointed?"
Xu Wei earnestly advised her, hoping she wouldn't become blindly enamored with love.
The opposition from two people instantly triggered Wen Li's rebellious spirit; they all doubted her relationship with Xiao Yu, so she was determined to stay with him and prove their love until the end, debunking everyone's skepticism!
So when Xu Wei's tedious messages came through again, Wen Li decisively blocked her, and blocked Ji Tingyang as well.
The two hours quickly passed, and Xiao Yu headed towards the corner table only to find Wen Li with her head down furiously typing on her phone, pressing so hard as if intending to punch a hole through the screen.
He chuckled softly and walked over, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Wen Li shook her head and glanced at the time again, then asked excitedly, "Are you off work?"
"Yes, where do you want to go? I'm free this afternoon."
"Shall we go for a walk by the river?" Wen Li suggested.
The riverside was close by, just a walk through the city center and a bit further.
Xiao Yu nodded, his gaze catching the barely touched breakfast on the table, "Didn't the breakfast suit your taste?"
"I'm already full." Wen Li, not too bothered about the wasted food, excitedly pulled Xiao Yu out.
Xiao Yu's brow slightly furrowed, a trace of barely noticeable dissatisfaction surfaced in his heart, but before he could even notice his own slight emotion, it was interrupted by Wen Li's excited voice.
He smiled lightly, letting Wen Li lead him outside.
Savoring their rare time alone, they did not immediately take the bus to the riverside station, but walked leisurely instead.
Walking to the city center, Wen Li passed by the usual luxurious jewelry store, gazing at the exquisite necklaces displayed in the glass window on the street. The gemstones sparkled brilliantly under the sunlight, capturing her attention instantly.
It was the sapphire necklace she had spotted the last time she passed by. However, the necklace bore a hefty price tag, far beyond what she could afford.
"Let's go." Xiao Yu urged from beside her.
Wen Li turned her head and saw Xiao Yu's indifferent expression, noticing he didn't even ask if she liked it.
Although she knew he didn't have the money to buy the necklace, he could at least make a statement about earning money to buy it for her in the future.
At that moment, she remembered what Xu Wei had said.
"When Xiao Yu can't even afford to buy you a piece of clothing or jewelry you like, won't you truly be disappointed?"
Wen Li shook her head fiercely.
No, no, she couldn't think like that.
Xiao Yu was simply not good at this sort of flowery talk. Besides, she wasn't with Xiao Yu for the money. He worked so hard to earn money; it shouldn't be wasted foolishly on such things.
She deleted the thoughts that shouldn't exist in her mind and continued with Xiao Yu toward the riverside.
——
Ji Mansion.
Ji Tingyang's facial expression had been icy and unpleasant ever since he discovered that Wen Li had blocked him, turning the surrounding atmosphere dark and oppressive.
The household staff and the housekeeper didn't dare to breathe too loud, hastily lowering their presence to prevent Ji Tingyang's anger from turning towards them.
At this time, only one person could ignore Ji Tingyang's rage and remain unharmed.
Lin Xu walked over with freshly washed cherries, popping one into Ji Tingyang's mouth and sternly said, "Eat some fruit to cool down your temper."
Ji Tingyang's eyebrows twisted into a frown, and although cursing words rushed to his lips, his anger softened slightly when his eyes met Lin Xu's.
"Don't rush, this is just the beginning. Plus, look at your conversation with Wen Li this morning, didn't you both not argue and was a lot calmer?" Lin Xu analyzed with him, "This shows physical temptation still works."
Ji Tingyang recalled the workout clothes he wore this morning, intentionally showing off his physique, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, it seemed to be true.
"Did you find this out online?" Ji Tingyang asked.
"No, these are the tricks your dad used to use. Knowing I liked handsome guys, he'd intentionally show off his abs in front of me. Who could resist that?" Lin Xu criticized.
Ji Tingyang: "..."