After shopping, Chu Xi didn't let her go home and insisted on treating her to dinner.
He Yao said it was unnecessary, she wasn't hungry yet.
"Why not? You'll be bored going home alone, what's the rush? It'll be nice for us to eat and chat, pass the time. Besides, I have something to ask of you, so you must let me treat you."
He Yao had no choice but to go to dinner with her.
Having not used the restroom all afternoon, upon entering the restaurant, He Yao went to the restroom first, and took the opportunity to message Zhan Jingrui.
Zhan Jingrui had already returned home and was cooking. Upon hearing she was having dinner with Chu Xi, he asked if Chu Xi had given her any trouble.
"Did she suspect anything?"
He Yao replied, "Probably not. She's very warm and happy. She bought a lot of gifts for your family this afternoon and didn't trouble me."
"Actually, spending time with her was quite pleasant. Don't worry, it's fine. Eat by yourself first."
Zhan Jingrui felt something was amiss. Chu Xi wasn't usually someone who was particularly enthusiastic about making friends, nor was she very talkative.
How could she have developed such a deep bond with He Yao after only just meeting her?
But He Yao insisted that she hadn't done anything excessive, and given Zhan Jingrui's trust in Chu Xi's character, he couldn't bring himself to overthink it.
"Alright then, I'll wait for you to come back."
"Don't wait for me. You go back. I'm with her, and you waiting for me at home makes it feel like we're colluding to bully her. I can't bear it."
"Don't think too much about it. I'd just be alone if I went back. I worry about you, and it makes me agitated, which would only cause more trouble."
Zhan Jingrui said, "Hurry and eat. It's okay. I promise not to call or text you randomly, not to put you in a difficult position."
When He Yao came out, Chu Xi had already ordered their food and was teasing her about taking so long.
"Could it be that you haven't contacted Liang Bo all afternoon, and he missed you, so he called you secretly?"
"No, Liang Bo and I aren't in the relationship you're thinking of."
"Not now, but maybe in the future. Didn't Liang Bo say he likes you and is pursuing you?"
He Yao smiled and took a sip of coffee, "He and I are not compatible."
"What's incompatible about it? I think you two are quite suited, a perfect match. Liang Bo is humorous and knows how to make girls happy..."
He Yao interrupted her, "Let's not talk about me. Let's talk about you. Miss Chu, you said you needed my help with something. I really can't figure out what I can help you with."
Chu Xi then said, "It's not a big deal, really. It's just a small favor for you. When Jingrui and I get married, can you be my bridesmaid?"
He Yao was completely taken aback by her request, momentarily stunned.
For the eldest daughter of the prestigious Chu family to marry the young master of the Zhan Group, and to ask an unknown like her to be a bridesmaid?
Chu Xi smiled and explained, "Why are you so surprised? Didn't I tell you, I'm a bit of a homebody, and I'm very selective about who I make friends with, so I have very few friends. I really can't pick out many suitable people to be bridesmaids."
"I really like you. And I genuinely want to set you up with Liang Bo. He'll be the groomsman too, so please agree to it."
Her words made it impossible to refuse. Even if her heart ached, He Yao had to agree.
"Okay. As long as Miss Chu doesn't find me lacking."
"What are you saying? How could I find you lacking? Also, stop calling me Miss Chu. We're good friends now. I call you He Yao, so you should call me Chu Xi from now on. Let's exchange WeChat. I'll often look for you to hang out when we're free, okay?"
He Yao didn't want to add her.
"I'm usually very busy with work, and I often have to work overtime. I'm afraid I won't have much time..."
"Don't worry, I won't bother you. We can meet up when you have time."
He Yao had no choice but to exchange contact information with her.
After dinner, Chu Xi insisted on driving her back.
He Yao didn't want her to know where she was living now, so she gave the address of her old dormitory at the factory.
When they arrived downstairs, Chu Xi still insisted on going up to take a look.
"I've never seen a dormitory before. I saw online that a few girls live together, and it seems quite cozy. Can I go up and take a look?"
He Yao could only pray that Luo Jia was still living in the dorm, and her lie wouldn't be too difficult to cover.
She led her upstairs. Fortunately, the factory had already hired someone to fix the sewage system and clean it up, and Luo Jia had moved back in.
The dorm was much the same as before, clean and tidy. The door was open, and a hot pot was bubbling on the induction cooker. Luo Jia was nowhere to be seen.
"My friend is a bit eccentric and hates it when I bring people over. I'm sorry, but I can't invite you in to sit."
Chu Xi, seeing that she seemed to be living there, finally felt at ease and soon said goodbye.
He Yao stayed in the hallway for a few minutes, and after confirming Chu Xi had left, she messaged Zhan Jingrui.
"We've finished dinner. I'm downstairs at my old dorm now. Can you come pick me up?"
Although she hadn't suffered any mistreatment, upon seeing Zhan Jingrui again, she inexplicably felt like crying and wanted him to hold her.
He Yao nestled in his arms for a long time before pulling away.
Zhan Jingrui gently cupped her face, "What's wrong? Did you two have a disagreement?"
"No. She wants to be friends with me and gave me gifts, she's been so incredibly kind. I feel like I've wronged her."
"See, here you go again. Did you forget what you promised me yesterday?"
"Then let's not talk about it. I want to cherish every moment I have with you. Hold me more, kiss me, okay?"
Zhan Jingrui held her and kissed her repeatedly, clearly not satisfied.
"Let's go home."
Back home, the two couldn't wait to cling to each other again.
Like sparks igniting a prairie fire, there was another bout of fervent activity.
Despite being closely intertwined, He Yao felt uneasy.
Once they quieted down, Zhan Jingrui asked her what Chu Xi had said today.
He Yao traced his Adam's apple and nestled against his chest.
"She said she wants to invite me to be your wedding bridesmaid."
"What? Ask you to be the bridesmaid? You agreed?"
"Why wouldn't I agree?"
"Fine, if you agreed, then so be it. This wedding won't happen anyway."
Zhan Jingrui thought to himself, "Chu Xi must have discovered something. Otherwise, her behavior wouldn't be so abnormal."
If that's the case, he couldn't delay any longer. Tomorrow, even if he had to take time off work, he had to find her and confess everything.
However, when he called Chu Xi the next day, she wasn't in Sucheng.
"I'm going on vacation to Nan'ao Island. You've been busy lately and don't have time to accompany me, so I joined a few sisters who were planning a trip. I didn't inform you, are you angry?"
Zhan Jingrui became even more convinced of her abnormal behavior, "I am a bit unhappy, actually. It's quite sudden."
"I'm sorry, I'll be back in a few days. Can we talk about anything when I return?"
Although he didn't want to delay another moment, her attitude was good, and Zhan Jingrui had no grounds to spoil the mood.
"Then call me the moment you get back."
After hanging up the phone, Chu Xi slammed the car door shut and entered Liang Bo's factory.