Hua Xiao instantly dropped his usual nonchalant attitude, his narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and he pressed, "So what exactly happened? Give me the answer."

Lu Yanting gently flicked the ash from his cigarette with his long, slender fingers, a dark current seeming to surge deep within his eyes.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head, his voice low: "To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself."

Hua Xiao frowned, his face full of disbelief: "Don't know? This isn't like you. Fine, then... how did you two meet? You can tell me, right?"

Lu Yanting leaned back on the sofa, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

Not long after, Hua Xiao's eyes widened as if he had heard some earth-shattering secret: "So, you two were just having a fling at first? But then you actually fell for her. And the girl, on the other hand, doesn't even take you, the famous President Lu, seriously, is that the situation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Hua Xiao's shoulders trembled slightly, and he could no longer hold back, bursting into laughter.

Seeing this, Lu Yanting became even more irritated. He stubbed out his still-burning cigarette in the transparent ashtray and retorted irritably, "Is it that funny?"

Hua Xiao laughed so hard he clutched his stomach, and it took him a while to recover. He forced back his laughter and waved his hand, saying, "No... it's not funny, really."

Lu Yanting glanced at him sideways, a hint of unease in his expression, before correcting him, "Also, it's not that I like her, it's just... when I'm with her, the feeling is very special, very wonderful..."

"Come on!"

Hua Xiao interrupted him mercilessly, speaking bluntly and crudely, "He's just not done getting tired of her yet, and he's lusting after that girl's body."

Lu Yanting stiffened slightly, paused for a moment, and finally nodded slightly.

Hua Xiao smiled and patted his shoulder, earnestly advising, "When it comes to girls, whether you're just looking for momentary pleasure and want her body, or you genuinely want to win her heart, you still have to put your heart into pursuing her."

Lu Yanting gazed thoughtfully ahead, his eyes unfocused.

Not far away, Xu Jingyan was singing into a microphone, her eyes glancing intentionally or unintentionally at Lu Yanting. Seeing that he was staring intently in her direction, she felt even more delighted.

At midnight, everyone's fun was over, and they gradually left.

Lu Yanting stood tall and straight at the entrance of the Marriott, while Yan Kai had already driven the car steadily over and was waiting beside him.

Behind her, the crisp, rapid clatter of high heels hitting the ground grew louder as Xu Jingyan, draped in a white cloak, gracefully walked over.

The woman tilted her head slightly, looked at Lu Yanting, and smiled gently. She said softly, "Yanting, my driver has something come up tonight and can't make it. Could you give me a ride?"

Lu Yanting didn't say much. He stepped forward, reached out and opened the back door for her, and simply uttered two words: "Get in!"

Xu Jingyan's smile grew even wider as she gracefully stepped into the car.

The city lights blaze brightly at night, and colorful neon lights shine through the car windows, casting dappled shadows inside the vehicle.

Inside the car, the delicate fragrance emanating from Xu Jingyan instantly filled the air, blending wonderfully with the faint tobacco scent on Lu Yanting's body.

As soon as Xu Jingyan sat down, she casually raised her hand to smooth the strands of hair that had been ruffled by the wind, a faint smile playing on her lips.

She spoke softly, "Yan Ting, Qiu Mang tonight seemed like a girl with character. I rarely see girls like her. What... do you think of her?"

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Lu Yanting's profile out of the corner of her eye, trying to glean some information from his subtle expressions.

Lu Yanting turned his head slightly, looking at the endless stream of vehicles outside the car window. His face remained expressionless, and his voice was cold and indifferent: "Not familiar."

Those two simple words acted like an invisible barrier, abruptly ending the discussion about Qiu Mang.

Lu Yanting's fingers unconsciously tapped lightly on his knees, but his thoughts drifted back to the private room.

In the dim light, as everyone pointed and whispered about her, calling her a thief, a hint of helplessness and despair was clearly visible in the girl's clear eyes. It was that one emotion that made Lu Yanting's long-suppressed heart beat again.

His heart skipped a beat again, and those images flashed through his mind like a slideshow.

He admits that at that time, he really wanted to stand up for her, but he also had an evil desire to wait for her to ask him for help herself. It was this conflicting feeling that made him miss the best opportunity.

Xu Jingyan was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Lu Yanting to respond so decisively.

But she quickly adjusted her expression, a hint of unwavering determination flashing in her eyes. She gently tugged at Lu Yanting's sleeve, her tone becoming increasingly tender, as if she were both being coquettish and earnestly pleading.

"Yanting, as you know, I haven't been back in China for long and I don't have many friends. But when I saw Miss Qiu tonight, I felt a connection with her."

Lu Yanting frowned slightly, a strange sense of irritation rising in his heart, and his tone unconsciously became a few degrees harsher: "There's no need. Your circles are different, you can't get along."

Xu Jingyan seemed determined to get to the bottom of things. She gently moved her body closer to Lu Yanting, tilted her head, and her eyes revealed a stubbornness and unwillingness.

"Yanting, I know you're worried about me, but I really admire her. Making friends doesn't have to be about social circles, as long as you click. Besides, the tenacity she has is something that girls from families like ours don't have, and I think I need a friend like that."

Lu Yanting's sense of irritation intensified, and he subconsciously tugged at his collar, as if trying to catch his breath.

He knew Xu Jingyan's personality; once she made up her mind, nothing could change it, and there was no point in arguing further. Besides, what right did he have to forcefully stop her?

Thinking of this, he sighed helplessly, his tone revealing a hint of weariness: "Whatever."

After saying that, he closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and tried to calm his chaotic thoughts.

Yan Kai observed the actions in the back seat discreetly through the rearview mirror. Seeing that the atmosphere had become tense, he slightly adjusted the air conditioning temperature to make the car not too cold.

Night, like a heavy curtain, completely enveloped the entire city of Guangcheng.

Meanwhile, Shi Nan and Qiu Mang dragged their weary bodies back to their dormitory. The lights in the hallway were dim and yellowish, as if they might be swallowed by darkness at any moment.

Shi Nan walked into the room while rubbing her sore shoulders.

She knew that Zhao Xiaoya and Li Peng were both working the night shift and wouldn't be back for a while.

She stepped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and the warm water cascaded down, washing away her day's fatigue. The water slid down her skin, making a soft sound that echoed in the quiet bathroom.

After taking a shower, Shi Nan put on a light blue slip dress.

The nightgown was made of soft, light fabric that hugged her body curves, and the narrow shoulder straps made her fair shoulders appear exceptionally slender.

The skirt swayed slightly, just covering the top of her thighs and revealing her long, straight legs.

She quickly combed her hair in front of the mirror, then left the bathroom to go to bed.

Qiu Mang was in her room, preparing to go to sleep. She had already changed into her pajamas, leaning against the bed scrolling through her phone, waiting for drowsiness to come over her.

Shi Nan gently climbed onto the bed and drew the curtains beside it, wanting to create a quiet sleeping space.

However, just as she turned off the light and was about to lie down, the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open gently.

A figure slipped in silently. Shi Nan's eyes widened. The person who came in was none other than Zhao Xiaoya's husband, Li Peng!