Zhu Rong was stunned, and a chill ran down her spine.

In her panic, she went through everything in her mind: she did like Meng Yan, but when she liked him, Huo Jiayuan was in Southeast Asia.

Since the two were separated by distance, Huo Jiayuan could not possibly know that she had feelings for Meng Yan.

Zhu Rong calmed herself down, perhaps her earlier panic was just because she felt guilty.

With Huo Jiayuan's intelligence, she wouldn't notice anything.

"Zhu Rong, what are you standing there for? Let's go together."

"Oh..." Zhu Rong agreed, "Miss, maybe I shouldn't go. It's not appropriate for me to go on a date with Mr. Meng."

"What does it matter?" Huo Jiayuan smiled innocently. "You're my personal butler, so of course you have to be responsible for my every move. There's nothing wrong with you following me."

"Miss……"

"Let's go." Huo Jiayuan took her hand. "You probably haven't met Meng Yan before, have you?"

Zhu Rong's expression changed.

For some reason, she always felt that although Huo Jiayuan was smiling, the smile didn't reach his eyes.

She was surprised to find that Huo Jiayuan had led her this distance, and despite wearing high heels, she walked with remarkable steadiness.

She had just urged Huo Jiayuan to wear high heels because she thought this rich young lady couldn't handle the discomfort of high heels, that she would fall and embarrass herself in front of Meng Yan if she went out in them...

"Hey, what's wrong?" Huo Jiayuan kept smiling. "You look so pale, is something on your mind?"

"No……"

“That is,” she paused, her gaze meaningful, “what objective was not achieved?”

Zhu Rong was startled, her heart pounding, but she still forced herself to remain calm and looked into Huo Jiayuan's eyes.

"Okay, I was just kidding."

Huo Jiayuan patted the back of her hand.

Zhu Rong lowered her head and bit her lip tightly. Her hatred for Huo Jiayuan burned like a flame in her heart.

That innate confidence that allows one to control everything, that inherent nobility, that arrogant disdain for all—these are things she cannot compare to.

Some people are born in Rome, while others struggle their whole lives and still can't even reach the edge of Rome.

Zhu Rong stared hatefully at Huo Jiayuan's retreating figure.

This person is ignorant and incompetent yet possesses the whole world, while she, despite her hard work, can only play a minor supporting role beside her.

...

Huo Jiayuan and Meng Yan still chose to meet at that uniquely decorated Western restaurant. Meng Yan had already ordered her favorite dishes and even prepared the seasonings in advance.

He was only slightly taken aback by Zhu Rong's arrival, and then greeted her naturally.

It's as if none of those things ever happened.

Zhu Rong remained calm, gave him a slight smile, and quietly observed Meng Yan's expression as Huo Jiayuan stood up in his high heels.

He didn't react much, even as the sound of his high heels clicking on the wooden floor echoed.

Zhu Rong frowned.

Huo Jiayuan was the happiest person that night. After enjoying a delicious meal, she took Meng Yan's hand and went to the rooftop terrace to look at the stars. She leaned on his shoulder, her petite body enveloped by his broad chest. She could hear his strong heartbeat and couldn't help but kiss his slightly protruding Adam's apple.

Zhu Rong stayed downstairs and didn't follow, but she could imagine that on the rooftop, besides the starlight, there was also his unique tenderness towards Huo Jiayuan.

That uniqueness is like every custom-made bag and every custom-made garment in Huo Jiayuan's wardrobe.

Zhu Rong felt as if countless poisonous insects were gnawing at her heart. Despite being a psychologist, she couldn't maintain her mental balance at that moment.

"How are you?"

Suddenly a hand landed on her shoulder.

Zhu Rong was startled and stood up with a start, meeting Huo Jiayuan's meaningful gaze.

"What's wrong? Am I scary?" Huo Jiayuan chuckled. "Meng Yan has already gone back to his place, we should go back too."

"Mr. Meng...has he already left?"

"yes."

How did he get there?

Huo Jiayuan turned around and smiled at her, "She jumped off the roof!"

Zhu Rong was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked outside.

The night was deep, and nothing could be seen clearly outside. At this moment, Huo Jiayuan urged her to get into the car, and she could only hurry to follow.

I almost tripped and fell when I stepped over the threshold.

Huo Jiayuan, inside the car, glanced at her and chuckled, "I thought I'd sprain my ankle in high heels, but I didn't expect you to sprain yours even in flats?"

"Please excuse my rudeness, Miss." Zhu Rong said somewhat awkwardly, and hurriedly got into the car.

She sat in the passenger seat and saw Huo Jiayuan's slightly flushed face in the rearview mirror.

"Miss, you had a great time tonight, didn't you?"

"Well enough."

"Miss, have you been drinking?"

"Just a little bit of red wine," Huo Jiayuan said softly. "If we return to the Grand Palace before curfew, no one will question us."

"Mr. Meng inviting you for drinks, that's really too much..."

"That's really wrong!" Huo Jiayuan leaned forward, raising her eyebrows and smiling like a cunning little fox. "Then you can tell my parents that he's corrupting me here!"

"Miss……"

"In that case, he loses points with my parents, and you get one step closer to him, right?"

Zhu Rong's expression changed instantly, and she stared at her blankly.

Do you know why I brought you along today?

Huo Jiayuan was smiling the whole time she was talking.

The coldness in her eyes was like a thin layer of mist shrouding her beautiful, large eyes.

Zhu Rong forced herself to calm down, but she couldn't say anything.

"Actually, I know that the outfit you picked for me is the style Meng Yan dislikes the most," Huo Jiayuan sneered. "And the high heels—he hates the sound of women's high heels the most. You knew all of this!"

"Miss, you've probably misunderstood me..."

"Let me finish!"

Huo Jiayuan stared straight at her with a cold expression.

"You know he hates these things because you're his therapist. But you only know he hates them, do you know why he hates them?"

"Zhu Rong, you can read other people's minds, but you can't read their past. Especially the past that Meng Yan and I went through together!"

Meng Yan disliked women who dressed provocatively and wore high heels because such women were everywhere in the underground boxing ring in Biandu, on that dirty street.

When they were in the border town, Huo Jiayuan dressed up like them once, just for fun, but he scolded her severely.

“But he didn’t dislike me dressed like this today,” Huo Jiayuan smiled. “Do you know why?”

Zhu Rong's face was pale, and her tightly clenched teeth were trembling.

"Because he likes me."

"He wouldn't judge me based on a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes."

"What he loves is me for me!"

"I'm here today to make you face reality and stop having any illusions about him," Huo Jiayuan said coldly. "His choice is me, and I will always stand by his side!"