The meal was a bittersweet affair, filled with mixed emotions.
Jiang Liuyue said she needed to use the restroom and proactively asked Feng Xiaoman.
"Xiaoman, do you want to come along?"
Feng Xiaoman, of course, was reluctant to leave. With Jiang Liuyue gone, it was the perfect chance to spend more time alone with Yaochuan.
So she shook her head repeatedly.
"No need, Liuyue, you go ahead."
"Alright."
A smile curved Jiang Liuyue's lips as she opened the private room door and left.
Before leaving, her gaze inadvertently swept past Huo Yaochuan.
Two minutes later.
The phone on the table in front of Huo Yaochuan rang.
He picked it up and glanced at the screen.
His tone was calm as he said,
"It's the motion sickness medicine I ordered for delivery. I'll go down and get it."
Seeing this, Feng Xiaoman was about to follow when she heard him add, "Che, take good care of... your sister-in-law."
Zhou Che thought to himself, what's there to take care of?
But he still replied with a smile, "Sure, Brother, you go get the medicine. I'll serve Sister-in-Law some more soup."
"Okay."
Without a trace of guilt, Huo Yaochuan left the private room.
After descending to the second floor, he stood directly in the corridor outside the restrooms.
Jiang Liuyue was washing her hands at the basin, then pulled a paper towel to dry them.
Seeing the dark figure leaning against the wall not far away in the mirror, the corners of her lips lifted in a smile.
Men are just despicable.
What they can't have is always the best.
She deliberately took her time, turning the faucet back on, squeezing a pump of hand soap, and washing her hands again.
She pulled out another paper towel to dry them.
By then, the man's reflection in the mirror had drawn closer.
If she turned around now, she would perfectly collide with his chest. Even the angle was designed flawlessly.
It would look entirely like an accident.
What a scheming man.
But Jiang Liuyue didn't play along with his wishes. She stood still, looking at the man behind her through the mirror.
Her tone was teasing:
"Brother Huo enjoys watching people wash their hands?"
A pleasant chuckle escaped Huo Yaochuan's throat.
He always thought his own tongue was sharp.
But Jiang Liuyue was certainly no less.
"I enjoy watching you," he said, his words carrying a domineering edge.
Jiang Liuyue raised an eyebrow slightly, countering, "But I don't like being watched by my friend's boyfriend."
Huo Yaochuan: "Is Feng Xiaoman your friend?"
Even in their brief interaction, he could sense their relationship wasn't that close.
Jiang Liuyue retorted, "Isn't Feng Xiaoman your girlfriend?"
That single sentence.
Instantly rendered Huo Yaochuan speechless.
He had chased after Feng Xiaoman last night precisely to clarify things and formally break up with her.
But her reaction was too extreme; fearing she might actually jump in the heat of the moment, he had to calm her down first.
However, from his current position, pursuing another girl was out of the question.
Unless, of course, his moral compass was low.
As he lowered his head, lost in thought, Jiang Liuyue suddenly turned around. The distance between them was very close.
Unsurprisingly, strands of her hair brushed against his chest.
Huo Yaochuan was very tall, 189 cm.
Jiang Liuyue wasn't short either, 168 cm.
It was just the right height difference for him to lower his head for a kiss.
A faint, honeyed floral perfume scent wafted to his nose. Huo Yaochuan saw Jiang Liuyue playfully wink at him.
"Aren't you going to get the motion sickness medicine?"
"Any later, and Xiaoman will be down here to catch you."
Huo Yaochuan looked at the undisguised mischief in her eyes and the curve of her wicked smile.
His heart involuntarily began to thump wildly.
He said, "You wicked woman."
"How am I wicked?" Jiang Liuyue rose slightly on her toes, her warm breath brushing the tip of his nose.
Her star-bright eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Hmm...?"
"Back in the private room, was I seducing you? Or were you secretly watching me the whole time?"
Huo Yaochuan remained silent, but his bobbing Adam's apple and slightly feverish palms betrayed his unsettled state.
Jiang Liuyue's red lips curved again.
Her smile held a hint of allure.
"If you hadn't chased after Feng Xiaoman last night."
"Guess what might have happened between us in that room?"
Even someone like Huo Yaochuan, who had been in relationships, couldn't help but feel his heart race and cheeks flush at her words.
His heart pounded uncontrollably, thumping wildly.
His face burned.
His gaze fell on her small mouth, opening and closing as she talked nonstop.
It was painted with a glossy cherry-red lip tint.
She had just touched up her makeup in front of the mirror moments ago.
Huo Yaochuan took a deep breath, about to speak his mind, when Jiang Liuyue suddenly pushed him hard.
The force was considerable.
Caught off guard, Huo Yaochuan took half a step back.
Meanwhile, Jiang Liuyue looked completely natural. She waved generously at Feng Xiaoman, who was standing on the second-floor staircase, and greeted her:
"Xiaoman, you're here for the restroom too?"
From her angle on the staircase, Feng Xiaoman saw
Huo Yaochuan and Jiang Liuyue standing very close. Who knew what they had just been doing.
Not a trace of a smile was on her face. Her gaze swept over Jiang Liuyue, cold and sharp as a blade.
Only when it shifted to Huo Yaochuan did she rein in her malice, putting on an innocent, harmless expression and blinking.
"Mm... I was looking for Yaochuan."
She walked slowly down the stairs, coming to Huo Yaochuan's side and inadvertently squeezing past Jiang Liuyue.
Her tone was gentle:
"Yaochuan, did you get the motion sickness medicine?"
Huo Yaochuan's expression was calm as he pulled a box of medicine from his pocket.
"Here."
Feng Xiaoman took it with a look of delight, naturally linking her arm with his.
"Yaochuan, you're so good to me."
"Let's go back up."
Throughout this, she didn't say a single word to Jiang Liuyue.
As if she were air.
Huo Yaochuan freed his arm from her grasp, saying, "You go up first. I need to use the restroom."
"Okay." Feng Xiaoman nodded understandingly.
He left.
The corridor was now occupied only by the two women.
Feng Xiaoman no longer concealed the malice in her eyes, her tone venomous:
"Jiang Liuyue! If you still consider me a friend, don't be shameless and steal my boyfriend?!"
Faced with such intense hostility,
Jiang Liuyue simply curved her lips into a smile.
Her tone was light:
"I don't steal men."
Unless they come to me willingly.
Feng Xiaoman, of course, didn't believe her and snorted coldly, her voice icy.
"You'd better not!"
"Zhou Che is a good guy, also from a wealthy family. The best outcome is for you to date him."
"That way, our friendship might still survive."
"Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
After delivering her threat, Feng Xiaoman turned and walked away.
Her clenched fists betrayed the turmoil inside her.
If she weren't afraid of Huo Yaochuan discovering her dark thoughts, she would have loved to slap Jiang Liuyue right then.
Jiang Liuyue stood still in place.
Letting out a derisive laugh.
She muttered to herself in a low voice:
"She really seems to think she's on the moral high ground, doesn't she?"
"Has she forgotten who the despicable, shameless one was, stealing her roommate's photo for an online romance..."
"Does she really think that just because Huo Yaochuan forgave her, 'Jiang Liuyue' would forgive her too?"
