Zhan Ruoqing seemed genuinely angry, and Si Luo also dropped his playful demeanor. He said with a hint of grievance, "Sister, is it possible that I've already gained your family's approval?"
"How could..." Before she could finish, Zhan Ruoqing's eyes widened. She thought of a possibility, "Wait! You're not... you're not my blind date today, are you?!"
Si Luo handed over the resume he had prepared. "It's me, Sister. Here's the resume you wanted."
Zhan Ruoqing: ...
Who brings a resume to a blind date! Wait, this is what she asked for? Never mind then!
The thought that she had mistaken her blind date for someone who wanted to elope with her, and even talked about making him her lover, caused Zhan Ruoqing's face to turn red at a visible rate. She was so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
This is truly awkward!
To escape the awkwardness, she quickly changed the subject, "Ahem, didn't I ask you to give the resume to your boss to pass on..."
"I am my own boss," Si Luo explained.
Zhan Ruoqing: ...
Even more awkward!
"Wait!" As if struck by a sudden realization, Zhan Ruoqing asked, somewhat bewildered, "Since you're my blind date today, why did you take me away?"
Si Luo came back to his senses. "Something urgent came up, it's related to Liang Tao."
Zhan Ruoqing was startled. "What does his business have to do with me?"
"It's like this," Si Luo pressed the elevator button and explained, "Before, I was worried Liang Tao might retaliate against you, so I had someone keeping an eye on him. I just received a call saying he snuck in tonight disguised as a waiter. I initially thought he was here to bother you, but I didn't expect him to go to the hotel upstairs."
"But how does this concern me..." Zhan Ruoqing suddenly had an epiphany, and she said in shock, "Wait! The hotel upstairs... isn't that where Ye Zhi and Qi Xuan are getting engaged tonight?!"
Ye Zhi and Qi Xuan had chosen today for their engagement. They didn't want a grand affair, and according to them, just having their families gather for a meal at home would suffice.
However, their parents disagreed, insisting on an external venue for at least some sense of ceremony. Of course, they didn't keep it a secret, and many people in their circle knew about their engagement today. The venue was a small hall in the hotel upstairs.
Zhan Ruoqing's heart sank. She could guess what Liang Tao was planning.
In college, she had openly pursued Qi Xuan. Liang Tao had been close to her roommate back then, so he might have known about it.
He found a way to sneak into the hotel upstairs, with Ye Zhi as his target. Clearly, Liang Tao intended to use this incident to sow discord between her and Ye Zhi!
"I'll call Ye Zhi first..." Zhan Ruoqing took out her phone but couldn't continue.
How was she supposed to tell Ye Zhi about this? Was she supposed to say, "Ye Zhi, some man is going to come and talk nonsense in front of you, don't believe him! What nonsense, you ask? Probably that I used to pursue your fiancé. But don't worry, I don't like him anymore!"
Zhan Ruoqing estimated that after a speech like that, her friendship with Ye Zhi would likely come to an end.
She had long given up her obsession with Qi Xuan, so she had never mentioned it to Ye Zhi, as she herself didn't take it seriously. But she was worried that Ye Zhi might misunderstand her because of it.
The elevator doors opened, and Si Luo directly took her hand and led her inside. He said in a low voice, "Sister, it's better to explain things face-to-face."
Zhan Ruoqing let out a breath. Yes, it was better to hurry over there. If she could stop Liang Tao, that would be even better. If not, she would explain it to Ye Zhi in person.
The two of them rushed to the small hall in the hotel upstairs. Two bodyguards were stationed at the door, and upon seeing them, they did not stop them.
The moment Zhan Ruoqing pushed the door open a crack, she heard Liang Tao's voice from inside, "Miss Ye, Zhan Ruoqing used to pursue Mr. Qi!"
Zhan Ruoqing stopped in her tracks, stunned. Had she come too late?
She quietly peeked inside. Only Ye Zhi, Qi Xuan, and Liang Tao were there. Ye Zhi's face was filled with bewilderment.
"Is that so?" Ye Zhi came back to her senses and looked at Qi Xuan.
"Yes, yes! When Zhan Ruoqing was in college, she pursued Mr. Qi very publicly. Many people knew about it, you can go and ask!" Liang Tao said hurriedly, looking obsequiously at Qi Xuan, "But Miss Ye, don't worry, it was all Zhan Ruoqing actively seducing Mr. Qi. Mr. Qi never fancied her!"
"So?" Ye Zhi asked, confused.
"Ah... this..." Liang Tao was dumbfounded. Why wasn't Ye Zhi angry at all? He couldn't help but say, "Miss Ye, Zhan Ruoqing wants to steal your fiancé and has taken action! A woman who destroys your relationship with Mr. Qi, don't you really mind?"
"Are you alright?" Ye Zhi couldn't help but roll her eyes. "As you said, she was pursuing Qi Xuan in college, and back then I didn't even know them. Why couldn't she pursue him?
The law doesn't apply retroactively. Who pursued Qi Xuan before he was with me, why should I care? Your standards of chastity are truly bizarre!"
Liang Tao was flustered by the question. He said unyieldingly, "But her methods of pursuing Mr. Qi were so manipulative and low-class!"
Ye Zhi spread her hands. "The consequence was that she didn't succeed."
Liang Tao felt his brain tying itself in knots. Was that the point?! He wanted to use Zhan Ruoqing's history of pursuing Qi Xuan to make Ye Zhi and Zhan Ruoqing fall out, and then have Ye Zhi retaliate against Zhan Ruoqing! But why was Ye Zhi not falling out with Zhan Ruoqing over a man?
He said angrily, "I haven't finished! Zhan Ruoqing is a fickle woman, changing her boyfriends frequently in college..."
Ye Zhi picked up the wine glass on the table and expressionlessly splashed the remaining wine out.
"Miss Ye, you..." Liang Tao looked at her in disbelief.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, my hand slipped." Ye Zhi put down the wine glass and said to Qi Xuan with great disappointment, "Let him leave. I thought he had some dirt on Ruoqing to use against her, but it turns out he's just spreading rumors..."
Outside the door, Zhan Ruoqing was so touched she couldn't speak. So, Ye Zhi was meeting Liang Tao only because she was worried Liang Tao might do something against her?
She could no longer control herself. She pushed open the door and rushed to Ye Zhi, hugging her tightly. "Sob, sob, sob, Ye Zhi, I knew you were the best to me..."
Ye Zhi was stunned. She patted Zhan Ruoqing's back with a smile. "We've known each other for over two years, why would I need to get to know you through someone else's mouth? Besides, I consider myself much more charming than Qi Xuan, so if you were to like someone, it should be me..."
Qi Xuan's face darkened. He grabbed Zhan Ruoqing by the collar and pulled her away. He reminded her unpleasantly, "Miss Zhan, is it possible that tonight is the engagement between me and Ye Zhi?"