Qiao Liuyue looked at the dented rear of the sports car.
She rubbed her forehead in exasperation.
Little Qiao Loves Jungle: [Don't move. I'll come pick you up.]
A response came instantly.
Zheng Qingyuan: [Okay.]
He also sent a grinning emoji showing a wide row of teeth.
...
Xie Linchuan had been threatened into reaching the Western restaurant within thirty minutes.
So along the way, he kept urging the taxi driver on.
As luck would have it, today was Valentine's Day.
The driver couldn't help but say, "Young man, even if you're going to meet your girlfriend, there's no need to be this anxious. My accelerator's practically smoking."
Xie Linchuan pressed his palms together and said, "Brother, please help me out. It's not about meeting my girlfriend, but it's very important. I have to be at that restaurant within half an hour."
The driver took another glance at the restaurant's location.
Well, well.
It was a well-known Western restaurant in the city, usually frequented by couples on dates.
And with it being Valentine's Day on top of that...
Connecting that to the young man's furious expression, the driver couldn't help but guess, "Not a date, huh? Then going to catch a side piece in the act?"
Could the young man have been cheated on? That would explain the rush.
Xie Linchuan grew both anxious and annoyed and said, "No, that's not it. My girlfriend's best friend asked me to meet her."
The driver let out a whistle.
"Whoa. Young man, you've got some hidden talent."
That made the situation even messier.
Here it was Valentine's Day, and instead of meeting his own girlfriend, he was going on a date with her best friend.
Realizing he was only making things more confusing the more he explained, Xie Linchuan simply shut his mouth.
He said nothing.
Fortunately, the driver, having picked up on some juicy gossip, came through. They arrived at the Western restaurant within exactly half an hour.
Xie Linchuan stood at the entrance, pushing his small suitcase, and was about to call Qiao Liuyue to ask where she was.
Suddenly, a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar figure appeared.
Without knowing why, Xie Linchuan instinctively ducked into the restaurant and found a corner table to hide behind.
Soon, the figure he'd spotted waved at someone sitting at one of the tables.
"Senior."
That familiar voice!
Having spent so much time on voice calls, Xie Linchuan recognized it instantly.
It was Jiaojiao.
With a closer look, the person across from her was a dark-skinned, athletic-looking guy in a white tank top, tall with rugged features. Only his eyes were decent-looking.
Xie Linchuan's heart skipped a beat.
What was going on?! Could the taxi driver's guess actually be right?
But he was never one to jump to conclusions. He decided to keep observing.
Just as he was thinking that, his phone rang.
Startled, he pressed himself deeper into the corner and answered in a low voice, "Hello?"
"I'll be there in ten minutes. Go to the second-floor private room first."
She then gave him the reserved room number.
The second floor—perfect. With a higher vantage point, he could easily observe the scene below.
Xie Linchuan waved over a waiter and, while Dong Jiaoyan wasn't paying attention, snuck upstairs to the private room. He opened the window and looked down to see the dining area on the first floor.
Dong Jiaoyan was laughing softly, covering her mouth with her hand. It seemed the other person had said something amusing. She even reached out and lightly tapped the back of his hand.
It looked like she was teasing him.
Xie Linchuan suddenly felt a strange itch in his nose.
Was his clown nose growing?
Then he recalled what his good friend Chu Xubai had warned him earlier: "Don't let yourself get fooled."
And that one line—"You're blind."
Xie Linchuan's fists clenched tightly. He couldn't watch any longer. He shoved open the door of the second-floor private room, ready to go downstairs and confront Dong Jiaoyan face-to-face.
But the moment the door swung open—
Standing outside were a girl in a light purple V-neck, belted short dress with a bun on her head, and a tall guy in a casual shirt, his posture lazy and laid-back.
The girl had a delicate, fair-complexioned face, a straight, graceful nose, and slightly pursed thin lips. Her long black hair fell over both shoulders, the ends slightly curled, pure and bright like moonlight.
The guy had sharp, masculine features with thick brows that swept toward his temples. His narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes slanted upward lazily, and a dark pair of sunglasses rested on his light-brown hair.
The guy was handsome, the girl beautiful—they looked perfect together.
Xie Linchuan didn't react at first, assuming they were just passersby.
"Sorry, excuse me. I've got something urgent."
He took a step forward.
But the girl grabbed him.
"What urgent matter?"
Xie Linchuan was mildly annoyed. Why was this stranger meddling in his business? He replied impatiently, "That's my personal business."
Qiao Liuyue's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
A faint smile curled at the corners of her lips.
"Still remember what you promised me?"
"You must not meet Dong Jiaoyan today."
Xie Linchuan froze mid-step. Shock and disbelief filled his eyes.
Although he had never met Qiao Liuyue in person, Dong Jiaoyan had described her countless times: gloomy and oppressive, always wearing mismatched, ugly clothes. On the street, she'd blend right in as just another face in the crowd.
But the woman before him was radiant and dazzling, carrying an aura that rivaled any celebrity.
She...
She was Qiao Liuyue!
Xie Linchuan felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under him.
Before he could even say a word, Zheng Qingyuan, standing nearby, couldn't help but interject.
“Liuyue, just let him go. We can grab a seat upstairs, eat, and enjoy the show,” she said, her tone dripping with schadenfreude.
She seemed to have completely forgotten that she herself had been cheated on in the exact same way before.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Liuyue shook her head.
She then turned to Xie Linchuan and said, “You promised me.”
Xie Linchuan loosened his clenched fists, turned around, and headed toward the private booth. “Fine!”
The three of them took their seats.
A waiter came in to ask if they needed anything.
Since it was Valentine’s Day, most diners were couples, so the waiter couldn’t help but feel a slight surprise at the two-men-one-woman seating arrangement.
Still, he was a professional.
Even in a situation like this, he maintained his composure and said, “Today, we have a special Valentine’s Day offer: 52% off on couple’s drinks and beverages. Would the three of you like to order our signature Valentine’s Day special—Sweetheart Jasmine Rose Milk Tea?”
Qiao Liuyue remained calm and replied, “Sure, three servings.”
She then ordered a few other dishes.
Xie Linchuan’s gaze kept drifting back and forth between Dong Jiaoyan downstairs and the dark-skinned jock opposite her. Then he turned to look at Qiao Liuyue and Zheng Qingyuan seated in front of him.
He couldn’t help but feel that this Valentine’s Day,
he was the one who seemed oddly out of place.
Taking a deep breath, he asked politely, “And this is…?” His eyes rested on Zheng Qingyuan.
Zheng Qingyuan opened his mouth, his gaze toward Xie Linchuan filled with hostility.
He had originally planned to let Dong Jiaoyan reap what she sowed.
He wanted Qiao Liuyue to steal her boyfriend.
But seeing Xie Linchuan here in person made him uneasy. What if Qiao Liuyue actually ended up falling for this guy?!
Meanwhile, Qiao Liuyue had already spoken casually. “Oh, he’s my neighbor’s big brother.”
It was like having to swallow bitterness in silence.
That described exactly how Zheng Qingyuan felt at that moment.
So, grinding his teeth, he nodded and said, “That’s right! Neighbor’s big brother!”
Qiao Liuyue added, “His car broke down earlier, so we went to deal with it. Alright, any more questions?”
Xie Linchuan wasn’t stupid.
It couldn’t be a coincidence that on the day Qiao Liuyue invited him to this western restaurant, Dong Jiaoyan just happened to show up with another man.
So, he cut straight to the point. “You knew Jiaojiao was seeing someone else behind my back?”
