Zhou Yinhe watched as the messages in the group chat flooded upward one after another. Too lazy to keep reading their snide remarks, he muted the chat directly.
He scrolled back to the sticker Wen Ling had sent, lowered his eyes to look at it for a moment, then the driver stopped the car.
"Fifth Young Master, we've arrived."
Zhou Yinhe instructed, "Send the car for repairs. Send the bill to me."
"Understood. Then I'll switch cars and come pick you up," the driver said, nodding.
"No need. You can go back directly." Zhou Yinhe got out of the car after saying this.
Jiang Jibai and Qi Zhan had been waiting for him at Yunshang Club for quite some time. They had seen the group chat messages during this time and were just waiting for Zhou Yinhe to arrive so they could question him about it.
Zhou Yinhe pushed open the door lazily, sat down across from the two without even lifting his eyes, leaned against the back of the sofa, and looked at his phone—completely ignoring their teasing gazes.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Jibai teased, "Didn't you say you didn't like her anymore? And here you were, tugging and pulling with her in the middle of the road."
Zhou Yinhe lifted his eyelids to look at him, his face full of speechlessness. "You call that tugging and pulling?"
"That wasn't tugging and pulling?" Qi Zhan asked in surprise. "Then what counts as tugging and pulling?"
"Her car just rear-ended mine, that's all." Zhou Yinhe explained indifferently. Qi Zhan dragged out a meaningful "Oh" upon hearing this, making Zhou Yinhe frown deeply. Somewhat annoyed, he looked at him. "Are you sick?"
"Angry out of embarrassment?" Jiang Jibai said with a smile.
"I said there was nothing. We just talked about compensation for the rear-end collision, that's all." Zhou Yinhe turned his head away, not looking at their expressions, and said in a cold voice.
"Fine, nothing." Jiang Jibai went along with him.
The manager came with waiters to serve the dishes. Only then did the three sit down at the dining table. Qi Zhan said, "Xingtang will be here soon."
Jiang Jibai raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? You caught her?"
"As if it were that easy." Qi Zhan shrugged.
Zhao Xingtang had suddenly messaged him on her own initiative, asking where he was and who was present. Qi Zhan didn't think about the reason and directly sent an address, telling her that Jiang Jibai was also there and Zhou Yinhe would arrive soon. Immediately after, he received Zhao Xingtang's reply saying she would be there shortly.
Zhou Yinhe silently looked at his phone. Wen Ling had sent a new message.
Lingling Buling: [I thought about it, and I should still treat you to a meal. After all, I crashed your car.]
Zhou Yinhe let out a cold laugh. His fingers moved across the screen a few times, and he replied.
Zhou Wu: [No need.]
Seeing his refusal, Wen Ling thought for a moment and continued: [It affected your use of the car anyway. Let me treat you to a meal to express my apology. You wouldn't be so petty, right? It's just a meal, not like we're going to do anything.]
Along with it was a cat sticker.
Zhou Yinhe was so angered by those two sentences that he frowned deeply. He didn't want to reply at all. Just as he was about to put down his phone, Wen Ling sent another message.
Lingling Buling: [If you don't agree, I'll just have to wait for you at your company. I'll stop waiting only when you agree to have a meal with me. Or I can send you flowers at your company building every day. Do you like red roses?]
Zhou Wu: [Wen Ling, what exactly do you want?]
Lingling Buling: [To express my apology. Don't overthink it ^_^]
Zhou Yinhe pressed his lips together. Wen Ling had always acted recklessly. She really might do something like stand downstairs at his company holding flowers to block him. He had no choice but to reply: [When?]
Lingling Buling: [Tomorrow evening. See you at Qingjiang Moon Pavilion.]
When she received the "Mm" from Zhou Yinhe, Wen Ling beamed with joy, clenched her fist, and let out a small "Yay," causing Aunt Zhou beside her to look over in confusion.
Wen Ling shook her head at her to indicate it was nothing, leaned sideways against Aunt Zhou, and watched the variety show playing on TV with her.
Aunt Zhou said, "I just heard from Old Wang that there was a collision. Were you hurt?"
"No. Do I look like I'm hurt anywhere?" Wen Ling shook her head, playing with Aunt Zhou's fingers as she said boredly.
"Did you make him hit you?" Aunt Zhou lowered her head to ask, her expression somewhat grave.
"Uncle Wang is telling on me?" Wen Ling blinked.
"The moment I saw him hem and haw, I more or less guessed what happened." Aunt Zhou let out a light snort. "You can't always use your personal safety to do these things."
"I know. It's just a light bump; nothing will happen." Wen Ling said softly, "I have a sense of propriety. I won't joke around with my own safety."
"Last time you jumped in the lake, you said the same thing. And you're saying it again this time." Aunt Zhou tapped the tip of Wen Ling's nose and said helplessly, "Fortunately, nothing happened to you. Otherwise, how would any of us explain to Old Mr. Wen?"
"I know. I definitely won't do it again after this." Wen Ling rubbed against Aunt Zhou's shoulder and said with a smile.
On Zhou Yinhe's side, Zhao Xingtang arrived shortly. She sat beside Qi Zhan, and Qi Zhan attentively poured wine and picked up dishes for her.
Zhao Xingtang glanced at Zhou Yinhe. Though expressionless, he was emanating an irritable aura all over. She suddenly let out a light laugh and said to Qi Zhan and Jiang Jibai, "Guess who I just saw?"
Qi Zhan followed her gaze to glance at Zhou Yinhe and asked, "Who?"
"Wen Ling and Ruan Miaomiao." Zhao Xingtang put down her chopsticks and propped her chin up, her gaze drifting seemingly casually toward Zhou Yinhe, whose chopsticks had paused for a moment.
Jiang Jibai said indifferently, "Oh? Don't those two have a bad relationship? How could they be together?"
"Yes. Ruan Miaomiao even wanted to hit Wen Ling." Zhao Xingtang frowned lightly and said, "Ruan Miaomiao, who has always been like a delicate little white flower, can actually be so fierce. I was scared for Wen Ling just watching."
She deliberately only said the first half. Sure enough, Zhou Yinhe raised his eyes to look over. Zhao Xingtang smiled at him: "Both of them like you. Who do you think is better? That way, when we see them in the future, we can say hello and not neglect them."
"What does that have to do with me." Zhou Yinhe put down his chopsticks and said casually.
"Ah, I thought you liked Ruan Miaomiao. After all, you gave her resources, and she appeared at our gatherings several times. So I helped Ruan Miaomiao by scolding Wen Ling a few times." Zhao Xingtang spread her hands. "Guess I was meddling."
Zhou Yinhe's gaze swept toward Zhao Xingtang. Although his dark eyes were indifferent, Zhao Xingtang still caught a trace of fierceness in them. Zhao Xingtang suddenly smiled and said, "I was joking. I didn't intervene. I just watched for a while. Wen Ling didn't get hit either."
Zhou Yinhe wasn't worried about Wen Ling being bullied; he was only afraid that Zhao Xingtang would indiscriminately help Ruan Miaomiao bully Wen Ling.
His voice finally turned cold, carrying a hint of threat: "Don't joke around with Wen Ling."
Zhao Xingtang let out a puff of laughter. Qi Zhan and Jiang Jibai also put down their chopsticks. The three of them looked at Zhou Yinhe in unison. Zhou Yinhe narrowed his eyes and put down his chopsticks.
"If we're not eating, I'm leaving."
Jiang Jibai let out a light laugh, picked up his chopsticks again, and smiled as he placated, "We eat. Why wouldn't we eat?"
He looked at the other two, his tone full of teasing: "You two eat quickly. Keep staring, and our little fifth is going to get angry. Then you'll be the ones to coax him."
"Fine, fine, fine." The two suppressed their smiles and lowered their heads.