Of course, the WeChat contact wasn't added successfully.
Because not far away, Qin Xuanye turned back. With an imposing manner, he grabbed Chen Liuyue's arm right in front of Wei Miao and tried to pull her away.
"Hey, brother-in-law, what are you doing~"
"I haven't finished talking with Brother Wei yet."
Qin Xuanye's gaze clashed with Wei Miao's in the air for a moment before he said coldly:
"He's the kind who eats people without spitting out the bones. It's better not to have contact with him."
Wei Miao let out a light chuckle, crossed his arms, and stared at him. "Xuanye, that's a rather unpleasant thing to say."
Qin Xuanye: "The words are unpleasant, but you didn't deny it either."
As she was being dragged away, Chen Liuyue waved at Wei Miao, hinting they'd meet again if fate allowed.
It wasn't until they reached an empty lounge in the banquet hall that Qin Xuanye's grip on her wrist loosened slightly.
Chen Liuyue shook her wrist.
Then, with a sweet smile, she crooked a finger at him.
"Brother-in-law, come here."
Though puzzled, Qin Xuanye leaned in closer.
Slap—
A crisp slap landed on his face.
Qin Xuanye was stunned.
Chen Liuyue, however, smiled even more brightly.
"I am not your possession, and I have absolutely no relationship with you now."
"What gives you the right to drag me away on your own accord?"
The light in Qin Xuanye's eyes dimmed bit by bit.
He lifted his head, his lips moving as if to explain something.
But Chen Liuyue's gaze remained perfectly clear.
He wasn't in it.
It had always been like this, from beginning to end. Her eyes had never held him.
Qin Xuanye clenched his fingers until they turned white, cursing himself inwardly: "Qin Xuanye, you're just asking for it!"
"She doesn't care about you at all, so why do you keep rushing to lay your dignity at her feet for her to trample?"
"Time and again, haven't you learned your lesson?!"
Chen Liuyue watched the changes in his expression with leisurely amusement.
Suddenly, smiling again, she crooked her finger.
Qin Xuanye watched her with trepidation.
"Well then, I'm leaving." She turned to go.
"Don't!"
Qin Xuanye quickly stepped forward. Even knowing another slap might land on his face, he couldn't help but call out to stop her.
This time.
Chen Liuyue's slap didn't fall.
Instead, she ruffled his disheveled hair. Their posture was so intimate it was as if they had returned to their dating days.
A hint of laughter tinged her voice.
"Brother-in-law, I quite like Wei Miao."
"What do you think about him being my new boyfriend?"
Qin Xuanye gritted his teeth. "Not good at all!"
Chen Liuyue's eyes sparkled, like a little fox bewitching its prey.
She stared straight at him.
"Oh."
"Brother-in-law doesn't like him."
"That makes me even happier!"
She withdrew her hand and took half a step back. "Next time, I'll bring your future brother-in-law to meet you."
Qin Xuanye strode forward proactively, his eyes burning as if with sparks, gazing at her intensely.
"Liuyue, I..."
Knock knock knock—
Just then, a series of knocks sounded at the door.
Along with Chen Ruanruan's concerned voice.
"Xuanye, are you in there?"
"I heard from someone you came this way. Are you still feeling unwell?"
Through the door, Qin Xuanye's gaze was complicated.
After a moment of silence, he replied, "I need to rest alone for a while."
He deliberately emphasized 'alone.'
Outside, Chen Ruanruan's tone was clearly disappointed, but she held it back, saying,
"Alright, then I'll go find Mom, Dad, and Liuyue. You rest well."
Just as Qin Xuanye was about to respond,
Chen Liuyue, of course, wouldn't let Chen Ruanruan leave just like that. She flashed a mischievous smile at Qin Xuanye,
like a little devil about to cause trouble, her brows and eyes lifted in triumph.
With light steps, before Chen Ruanruan could leave, she forcefully pulled open the door handle.
Creak—
The door opened.
Chen Ruanruan saw Qin Xuanye in the lounge... and Chen Liuyue.
Her lips trembled slightly, a seed of doubt flashing in her eyes.
She first looked at Qin Xuanye, then turned an incredulous gaze towards Chen Liuyue.
"Why are you here?!"
Chen Liuyue tilted her head, then turned to look at Qin Xuanye.
Her voice was sweet and soft as she said,
"Yeah, brother-in-law, why am I here?"
Two pairs of eyes instantly focused on Qin Xuanye.
Qin Xuanye had never considered himself a scoundrel.
But, at this moment.
He felt exactly like a cheating scoundrel caught red-handed.
Yet, clearly, he... seemed to have done nothing, and yet seemed to have done everything.
"I..."
Qin Xuanye had just uttered a single syllable.
Chen Ruanruan suddenly smiled gently and considerately.
"Oh, I remember now. Someone just said they saw Young Master Wei bullying Liuyue. Xuanye, you must have brought my sister out."
"Thank you for being so considerate of me, not only good to me but even better to my family."
Clearly, compared to confronting Qin Xuanye, Chen Ruanruan preferred to let the matter pass lightly.
She didn't want to quarrel with Qin Xuanye at this time.
Because in two days, she was going back to her hometown with the Tao family parents to meet relatives. She needed a distinguished, high-status fiancé to bolster her image.
Qin Xuanye was stunned.
He hadn't expected things to develop this way.
He could only mumble a couple of "Mm-hmms" guiltily.
Seeing this, Chen Liuyue didn't expose him either, still smiling brightly.
"Yes, brother-in-law is such a good person."
"It's just that his heart is too soft, easily led astray by bad women. Sister, you should be careful."
Chen Ruanruan scoffed lightly.
Lowering her gaze, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
"Xuanye would never like a bad woman."
Chen Liuyue curved her lips, adopting an innocent air. "Is that so? Sometimes maybe the temptation just isn't big enough."
As she spoke, she turned her head to look at him.
"Brother-in-law, what do you think?"
Brother-in-law, what do you think?
What could Qin Xuanye say?
Say that his emotions were still being tugged by Chen Liuyue's actions?
Say that he realized, after breaking up with her, the feelings during his time with Chen Ruanruan weren't due to attraction but a sense of suitability?
Say that he realized, from start to finish, what he hated was that Chen Liuyue didn't like him.
Hated that the bright moon hung high, yet refused to shine on him alone.
Even in that one month they were together, how much of Liuyue's affection for him was real, and how much was feigned?
In the end, Qin Xuanye said nothing.
Chen Liuyue didn't press him either.
After the banquet ended.
Chen Liuyue watched the Chen couple seeing off her grandparents and the other guests.
Just then, a new friend request popped up in her phone's contact list.
It was a pitch-black leopard avatar.
Without guessing, she instinctively felt this was Wei Miao.
Click. Accept.
(You have accepted the friend request.)
Only that line of small text was in the chat dialog.
Wei Miao didn't send a message first.
Chen Liuyue didn't send a message first either.
It was like a game of chess, both waiting for the other to make the first move.
And they were both very patient.
That night, Chen Liuyue, staying at the Chen residence, slept soundly.
Wei Miao, back at the Wei family home, suffered a bit of insomnia. Waking up several times in the middle of the night, he picked up his phone to look at the empty chat dialog.
A wry smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
Early the next morning.
Chen Liuyue woke up naturally and pressed the power button on her phone.
Soon, a message popped up.
Wei Miao: "Aren't you curious how I got your WeChat ID?"
