Yu Luobai saw the familiar figure, his eyes flashing with delight, and said, "Nian Nian, what are you doing here?"
"Oh? You two know each other?" Gao Cheng said in surprise, "This is the girlfriend of Old Pei, whom I've invited to dinner today."
Ji Nian was taken aback. Girlfriend? When did this happen?
Pei Yuchen's eyes gleamed with mischief. It was strange, but he didn't seem to mind the "girlfriend" title.
Yu Luobai paused, then glanced at the woman beside the man, the two of them dining alone... Was this a date?
"No!" Ji Nian snapped out of her trance and immediately denied it. Joke's on you, the girlfriend of the villain? Was this a suicide mission?
Yu Luobai's tense heart loosened for a moment, and he looked at the man with a cold gaze, saying, "If you can't speak, then don't."
Gao Cheng was utterly confused and turned to the silent observer, asking, "Isn't the young lady your girlfriend?"
Pei Yuchen was somewhat annoyed, though he didn't know why. Hearing her deny it so quickly, he felt a tinge of disappointment.
"I never said that." Pei Yuchen said with a smile, appearing refined and elegant.
"It seems that you and Nian Nian have a good relationship," Yu Luobai remarked, having seen the two of them go out together before, in the elevator, the company cafeteria, and now the restaurant. His gaze darkened.
"Miss Ji and I have a close bond. We used to live in Pinlan Residence and even went jogging together in the mornings. Later, when she wasn't feeling well, I took her to the hospital," Pei Yuchen said with a smile, though his heart was secretly competitive.
Yu Luobai stiffened, surprised to learn how close the two were, but he turned to the woman with concern, asking, "When were you sick? Why didn't you tell me..."
Ji Nian hesitated, feeling awkward as she replied, "I fainted due to low blood sugar."
Pei Yuchen's eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses flashed with coldness as he corrected, "The doctor said it was due to insufficient blood supply, not low blood sugar."
"Oh, is that so? I must have remembered it wrong," Ji Nian laughed awkwardly, gritting her teeth inwardly. If it weren't for her villain identity, she would have punched him for reminding her of how she fainted.
"The debt of gratitude is not yet repaid," Pei Yuchen said with a warm smile, turning his gaze to the woman.
Ji Nian felt a headache coming on. What had she done to deserve this? If only she could repay him in her next life by becoming a beast of burden.
Yu Luobai, seeing their interaction, felt an inexplicable sting, wanting to pull her towards him.
"Mr. Pei is joking. I still remember the debt of gratitude," Ji Nian said with a forced smile, though her teeth were clenched.
Pei Yuchen's smile widened, and though the woman spoke with a smile, he could feel the resentment in her words.
Yu Luobai's face grew cold, his eyes glinting with a chill. He felt a heavy weight on his chest.
Pei Yuchen met his gaze, and though his smile remained, there was a hint of provocation in his eyes.
In fact, he had long since noticed that Ji Nian wanted to distance herself from him, but whenever he saw her being so close to Yu Luobai, he felt an inexplicable discomfort.
Gao Cheng could sense the tension, as if an electric current was passing between the two, the atmosphere heavy with their silent rivalry.
"Haha, it's quite lively here today," Gao Cheng laughed. "I just opened this place and invited Luobai, but I didn't expect everyone to gather here."
Yu Luobai shook off the cold air and looked at the woman, asking, "Nian Nian, I'm heading home. Do you want to come with me?"
Ji Nian blinked, and she desperately wanted to, having longed to go home. She nodded without realizing it.
"Hmm?" Pei Yuchen looked at the woman, saying, "Didn't we say we'd have dinner together?"
Ji Nian hesitated. She had agreed to dine with the villain, and it wouldn't be right to leave him behind... What if he held a grudge?
"Haha, Teacher Yu, you should go first..." Ji Nian forced a smile that looked worse than crying.
Yu Luobai's pupils constricted, and his heart ached with an indescribable pain at being rejected.
"There are too many fans outside, so I'll have someone take you out the back way. It's quiet there, and you'll have to wear a work uniform, but I'm afraid you'll have to bear with it," Gao Cheng said.
"Hmm." Yu Luobai's tone was indifferent as he glanced at the woman, his gaze dimming, and then he turned and left.
Ji Nian hesitated, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but she could only watch his retreating figure disappear.
"Old Pei, let the waiter order whatever you want to eat. I'll go escort Luobai out first." Gao Cheng said and hurried off.
Pei Yuchen calmly walked to the table and sat down, smiling as he asked, "What would you like to eat?"
Ji Nian turned and slowly made her way to the opposite chair, sitting down, somewhat distracted as she replied, "Anything is fine."
"Okay, then I'll order." Pei Yuchen felt like he had won this round and was inexplicably in a good mood.
When they finished dinner and returned, it was already past 10 o'clock. Pei Yuchen received a call and dropped her off at the lobby, bidding her farewell before driving away.
Ji Nian heaved a deep sigh. She didn't know why, but this dinner had been exceptionally unpleasant, and she felt strange about it.
As she stepped out of the elevator, she was suddenly pulled into someone's embrace.
"It's me," Yu Luobai said. He had been waiting at the 20th-floor elevator for a long time, and when he saw the woman hadn't returned, he was almost driven mad with worry.
Ji Nian had been about to cry out, but when she recognized the familiar voice, she managed to hold it back.
"Teacher Yu... What's wrong..." Ji Nian's hands hovered uncertainly, unsure of where to place them.
"Why did you come back so late? Do you know how worried I was?" Yu Luobai's eyes were red, and in fact, he had been standing by the 20th-floor elevator the entire time since returning.
Ji Nian tried to struggle free from his embrace, but he held her tighter. Her face flushed as she tentatively wrapped her arms around his waist.
Yu Luobai felt the response and his eyes lit up with joy, but he was also hurt as he said, "I'm angry."
Ji Nian was taken aback. "Why?"
"Nian Nian," Yu Luobai leaned his head against the woman's neck, able to faintly smell the fragrance of her hair.
Ji Nian felt self-conscious. This was too intimate, but she surprisingly found that she quite liked it.
"I don't want to see you having dinner alone with another man," Yu Luobai said in a muffled tone.
Ji Nian was stunned, realizing the man was jealous. She laughed and broke free from his embrace. "Teacher Yu, we haven't even started dating yet. You're already this possessive?"
Yu Luobai's handsome face wore a displeased expression, but he gently patted her head, saying helplessly, "I don't know what to do with you."
Ji Nian's heart was racing, knowing that Yu Luobai was jealous, and she found herself strangely delighted by it.
Yu Luobai sighed, then asked somewhat self-consciously, "What is your relationship with him?"
"What do you think?" Ji Nian asked in return.
"I've seen you two together several times," Yu Luobai's gaze darkened.
"Do you think I like him?" Ji Nian asked with a smile.
Yu Luobai shook his head. He had never liked a woman before, and for the first time, he felt a lack of confidence.
"You are mine," Yu Luobai said solemnly.
Ji Nian was taken aback, and in that moment, the world seemed to fall silent. All she could hear was the thunderous beating of her own heart.
