CHAPTER 567: 504 ZHONGLI AND XIAOER’S FIRST MEETING (PART 1)

Princess Chinian sat alone in the passenger seat, her hands interlocked as she picked at her fingernails... Her heart thudded uncontrollably.

She pursed her lips tightly.

At that moment, the driver’s side door finally opened, and Zhongli Wuzhi finally got in.

Princess Chinian opened her mouth, only to realize she couldn’t speak...

In reality, Zhongli Wuzhi, like anyone else, would probably choose someone else over a mute like her as his first option.

Zhongli Wuzhi placed an envelope on the dashboard, seemingly indifferent to it.

"Shall I take you home next?"

Zhongli Wuzhi asked Princess Chinian.

Her heart sank.

If it had been a couple of days ago, he would have taken her somewhere fun, even if it was just a drive around...

She struggled to manage her expression, giving Zhongli Wuzhi a faint smile, and typed on her phone for him to see,

— Do you have another date?

"No."

Zhongli Wuzhi responded crisply.

— Then, what did Miss Lu say to you? I’m really curious and concerned.

Princess Chinian’s gray eyes locked onto Zhongli Wuzhi’s face, clear and direct, not allowing him any chance to look away or escape.

Perhaps this is why people found this doll-like girl so likable and pitiable.

Although she couldn’t speak, she could express what she wanted to.

To strangers or those she wasn’t close to, she might not be so opinionated, but with those she knew well, she was unhesitant in expressing herself.

"It wasn’t anything important; you needn’t concern yourself."

— She is your ex-girlfriend. How can I not be concerned?

Zhongli Wuzhi narrowed his fox-like eyes and leaned close to Princess Chinian,

"Xiao Qi, are you jealous?"

Princess Chinian blushed, lowering her head slightly. After a while, she typed again,

— I know I shouldn’t ask too much, but... Zhongli, you said we could try dating...

"Yes, I did say that."

— Then... you really shouldn’t have any dealings with your ex-girlfriend anymore.

"Are you angry?"

— To be honest, a little.

She frowned slightly, her expression becoming a bit stern, and she involuntarily bit her cherry lips up and down.

I found her utterly endearing.

Zhongli Wuzhi stared fixedly at Princess Chinian, his gaze lingering on her for a long time before he looked away. His hands supported the steering wheel, his gaze fixed straight ahead,

"I really like Little Ear."

"..."

It was her.

Lu Xiaoer was Little Ear.

"That day at the President Mansion, I was drunk and caused quite a scene. I’m grateful to you, Princess Chinian, for forgiving my rudeness and not taking it to heart."

Zhongli Wuzhi spoke calmly.

But hearing Zhongli Wuzhi’s words made Princess Chinian suddenly want to cover her ears.

"The reason I was drunk that day was actually because of heartbreak and a falling-out with Little Ear."

"..."

"I’ve been thinking for a long time about my relationship and feelings with Lu Xiaoer. For many years, I have been like an undefeated general on the battlefield of love. I thought I was unbeatable until I met Lu Xiaoer..."

Princess Chinian looked down at her hands, her vision blurry.

"After I met her, those past histories I once took pride in suddenly became stains and mistakes I desperately wanted to conceal and erase."

—How did you two meet?

Chinian placed the phone in front of him.

Zhongli Wuzhi glanced at it and chuckled softly,

"That day, I opened a private room in a bar with a few friends to hang out. One of my friends brought a girl along, and he asked the bar owner to bring a few more women to join us..."

"..."

"As we partied, things got a bit out of hand. The girl my friend brought was actually quite proper, and she became somewhat panicked by the scene."

"..."

"Everyone was pretty drunk, and no one noticed the girl’s discomfort. That friend kept pouring her drinks and started to get handsy."

Zhongli Wuzhi casually recounted the events of that night.

The private room was awash in the glow of colorful lights and filled with various smells of alcohol mixed with smoke.

That night, the resident singer was also invited to their room to sing for these young masters and enhance the mood.

Zhongli Wuzhi didn’t drink much that night; his mind was clear.

The friend who brought the girl was sitting on the single sofa next to him. He pulled the girl onto his lap, pretending to be drunk.

The girl was so scared she was almost crying...

Through the dim lighting of the room, Zhongli Wuzhi could still see the tears shimmering in the girl’s eyes.

He saw it but said nothing.

That was the rule of this crowd...

Regardless of whether the girl was willing or not, being out with a man at a bar late at night didn’t count as proper.

To Zhongli Wuzhi, a seasoned debaucher, her reluctantly acting coy was no different in essence from playing hard to catch or sending mixed signals.

Then—

The door to the private room was kicked open. The bouncers didn’t stop her.

Lu Xiaoer barged in with her ponytail, wearing a T-shirt and jean shorts, her large eyes fiercely and sharply sweeping over the whole room until her gaze finally landed on the girl sitting on her friend’s lap.

"Xiaoer!"

Seeing Lu Xiaoer, the girl immediately cried out her name as if she had seen her savior, her voice breaking with tears.

Zhongli Wuzhi was startled by the momentum of Lu Xiaoer kicking the door open; he had been lounging lazily on the sofa and suddenly became alert.

"Chu Chu, come here!"

Lu Xiaoer called out to the girl.

"Yes, okay."

The girl called Chu Chu, surname Yun.

Yun Chu was Lu Xiaoer’s undergraduate classmate; both were medical students.

Now that her savior had arrived, Yun Chu tried to stand up and move toward Lu Xiaoer but was stopped by the friend before she could fully rise.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Yun Chu’s waist,

"Chu Chu, where are you going..."

"Let go of me... Ye, Young Master Ye, I’m not the kind of girl you think I am, I..."

"What are you talking about, Chu Chu? Didn’t we have a great time together a few days ago? You liked me too, didn’t you?"

Yun Chu’s eyes were brimming with tears,

"I didn’t realize... didn’t realize you were like this..."

"Yun Chu, what do you mean by that! Look around Anlin; there are so many women who would want to spend a night with me, Ye Ruiming! Don’t you know this is a great opportunity for you to rise above your station..."

"I, I didn’t... I didn’t... sob sob..."

Yun Chu was obviously the timid and weak type, and although she was somewhat charming,

a little interaction was enough to tell she hadn’t seen much of the world...

"If she said she’s unwilling, Young Master Ye, let her go."