"Yes, Elder Sister," Si Luo followed, opening his arms obediently. "If Elder Sister wants a hug, you can hug me."
Liang Tao, who had been planning to sneak away out of guilt, became enraged and resentful upon seeing Si Luo's appearance. He sputtered, "Zhan Ruoqing, I thought you had good taste. In the end, you still picked a poor guy who works as a bartender? Isn't it just because he's younger, handsomer, and better at sweet-talking you into happiness than I am?"
Everyone: ...Are you even listening to yourself?
Liang Tao realized he had spoken impulsively in his anger and desperately tried to salvage the situation. "I, I mean, isn't he after your money? He's just a gigolo living off you!"
"So what?" Zhan Ruoqing said sarcastically. "I have money, and I'm happy to spend it on him, just not on you."
This remark deeply wounded Liang Tao, leaving him speechless with rage. "Zhan Ruoqing, you, you have no eyes! You'll regret missing out on a man as exceptional as me!"
With that, Liang Tao stormed off in a huff.
The onlookers were stunned by his outburst and didn't even react until he was gone.
"Should we stop him?" Ye Zhi asked, recovering herself.
"Let's just forget it," Zhan Ruoqing grumbled. "Dealing with someone like him, even a second longer is torture."
"Indeed," Ye Zhi agreed, her brow furrowed with concern. "However, you still need to be careful. He sees you as an opportunity and won't give up that easily."
"I won't let him bother Elder Sister again," Si Luo said in a low voice.
Zhan Ruoqing came back to her senses. She asked, "Is it okay that he misunderstood you as a gigolo?"
"It doesn't matter," Si Luo shrugged and said sincerely, "I don't care what others think of me. I only care if Elder Sister misunderstands me."
Ye Zhi's gaze flickered between the two of them. She nudged Zhan Ruoqing discreetly and whispered teasingly, "Hehe, you two, there's something going on between you~"
Zhan Ruoqing's face flushed. "It's not even a sure thing yet... Cough, isn't today your engagement ceremony? Why are only you two here?"
"The banquet ended, and we let them go back first," Ye Zhi explained.
They had arranged for bodyguards to watch over the banquet that day, originally to prevent reporters from interfering, but they hadn't expected to deal with Liang Tao.
Furthermore, because Liang Tao claimed to know Zhan Ruoqing's past scandals, Ye Zhi worried he might do something detrimental to her. The two of them had made an excuse to stay, which led to them agreeing to meet him.
After Ye Zhi's explanation, Zhan Ruoqing was so touched that she wanted to hug her again. "Boo hoo, Ye Zhi, you're so good to me..."
As she opened her arms, Qi Xuan frowned and stepped in front of Ye Zhi.
"Elder Sister, tonight is very important for Director Ye and Director Qi. We shouldn't be a third wheel and disturb them," Si Luo said, skillfully pulling Zhan Ruoqing along to lead her away.
Zhan Ruoqing waved goodbye to Ye Zhi reluctantly. "Ye Zhi, let's meet again another day. You must wait for me!"
Si Luo, taking Zhan Ruoqing with him, left the small lounge.
Seeing Zhan Ruoqing still looking back frequently, Si Luo felt a pang of jealousy. He placed his hand on the wall behind Zhan Ruoqing and asked in a low voice, "Elder Sister, shouldn't we talk about our relationship?"
At such close proximity, Zhan Ruoqing's heart pounded. Blushing slightly, she asked with some confusion, "Us... between us?"
Si Luo's expression turned somewhat mournful. "You really don't remember me at all?"
"Uh..." Zhan Ruoqing was even more bewildered. "Did we know each other before?"
"You really don't remember at all..." Si Luo gave a wry smile. He took out a box and handed it to Zhan Ruoqing. "Here."
Zhan Ruoqing opened it to find a jade bracelet set in gold.
She picked up the bracelet, and her eyes suddenly lit up. "This bracelet is nice! The jade quality is very good! But it's a shame, this bracelet must have been broken, so it was repaired with this gold inlay technique? Fortunately, the design is exquisite, the texture is clear, and the inlay is fine and natural. It must be the work of a master craftsman..."
Listening to her detailed appraisal, Si Luo reminded her with some helplessness, "This belongs to you."
"I didn't..." Before Zhan Ruoqing could finish speaking, she suddenly looked at the bracelet in a daze. This did seem to be hers! However, when she first acquired this jade bracelet, it was still intact. No wonder she had a vague feeling that this jade bracelet looked familiar!
"You, you are..." Zhan Ruoqing looked at Si Luo in shock. The bracelet unlocked her repressed memories, and she finally remembered who Si Luo was!
"Elder Sister, it's me," Si Luo's lips curved into a faint smile. "Do you still remember your promise back then?"
"You, you've mistaken me for someone else!" Zhan Ruoqing quickly pushed him away and fled in a flustered state.
Watching her hurried retreat, Si Luo was somewhat taken aback, and then somewhat disappointed. Was Zhan Ruoqing rejecting him?
Zhan Ruoqing hastily returned to her apartment, holding the jade bracelet. She didn't sleep well all night.
The next morning, just as she was about to call Ye Zhi, she heard the doorbell ring.
Zhan Ruoqing went to the door and saw Ye Zhi standing outside. She opened the door in surprise and invited her in.
"You just got engaged, shouldn't you be out having fun with Qi Xuan? Why did you come to my place?" Zhan Ruoqing asked, puzzled.
"I'm angry with him," Ye Zhi said, sitting down on the sofa and hugging a pillow.
"That's surprising! What did he do to make you angry?" Zhan Ruoqing asked curiously.
"He never told me you pursued him," Ye Zhi said speechlessly. "Thinking about it now, he must have deliberately hidden it back then!"
"He didn't tell you, and it's already this hard to pursue you. If he had told you, and you happened to distance yourself from him because of me, wouldn't it be even harder for him to pursue you?" Zhan Ruoqing advised with some concern, "Ye Zhi, these little romantic schemes aren't unforgivable mistakes. If you're angry with Qi Xuan because of this, I'll feel guilty."
Ye Zhi smiled faintly. "Don't worry, it's just a little trick between lovers. I won't be angry for too long."
Zhan Ruoqing: ...
She felt as though she had just been subjected to a public display of affection.
"But you, why do you look so tired?" Ye Zhi asked, confused. "Didn't sleep well? Is it because of that handsome young man?"
"Sort of," Zhan Ruoqing sighed and handed the jade bracelet over. "Look at this."
"He gave it to you? This is a bracelet that was broken before, isn't it?" Ye Zhi took the bracelet and examined it. "Could it be that you're angry because he gave you a broken bracelet?"
"No," Zhan Ruoqing sighed, her expression troubled. "Ye Zhi, I have a story, do you want to hear it..."
"Yes, yes, I want to hear it!" Ye Zhi nodded. "Do you have melon seeds, snacks, popcorn, and cola? Those are essentials for binge-watching!"