CHAPTER 231: 210: XU FAN WHO HUGS THE CUTIE AND DENIES IT

The girl’s proposal was something Ruan Yuan had thought about before.

But given how brief her time with Shi Yin had been and how their relationship wasn’t yet stable, she had refrained from taking any action on such a private matter.

Now, however, she had changed her mind.

Better to resolve his emotional barriers sooner rather than later—even if it might result in blame afterward. She could accept that.

"Alright, let me know when you find something." Ruan Yuan tightened her grip on the girl’s hand, her gaze firm and unwavering.

"Mm." Yu Zhi raised her eyes casually, her gaze landing on the noble-looking man nearby.

Perhaps sensing her eyes on him, Shi Wei turned his head to look her way.

Their gazes met midair, and within those slightly upturned, peach-blossom-shaped eyes of his, it seemed as though only her figure could exist.

Yu Zhi chuckled lightly. She patted Ruan Yuan’s hand before leaning closer to whisper into her ear, "I’ll have someone look into it right now."

"Good." Watching the girl leave, Ruan Yuan quickly got up and returned to her seat at the round table.

She picked up a slice of watermelon with practiced nonchalance, her expression calm as she casually chatted with those around her. "Shall we find a spot to grab a drink later?"

Shi Yin: "But—"

"Zhizhi has class tomorrow morning."

That one casual remark from the man hit Shi Yin like a bucket of cold water, draining the joy from him until he felt chilled from head to toe.

The smile on his face froze instantly.

Ruan Yuan noticed Shi Yin’s shift in mood, and the glimmer of light in her eyes dimmed. She leaned against his shoulder, whispering softly, "Playing until ten won’t make a difference, will it?"

Shi Wei rolled the lighter’s wheel with deliberate ease.

As the cigarette lit and smoke rose into the air, he glanced at Shi Yin through the swirling haze.

Every bit of Shi Yin’s barely-contained disappointment had already been captured in Shi Wei’s line of sight.

Shi Wei paused for a moment, then his heart suddenly softened. His tone grew gentler than before: "Mm, the liquor at Lanting Square is pretty good."

As soon as the words settled, the smile returned to Shi Yin’s face.

He picked up the cigarette Shi Wei had tossed him, lighting it while playfully chiming in, "It is good. I quite like that plum wine."

"Drop the ’wine’ part."

"..." Realizing he’d been seen through, Shi Yin awkwardly scratched his nose. But amidst the embarrassment, his heart warmed.

It was true; he did really enjoy plums soaked in liquor. Whenever he went out drinking before, he would scoop out all the plum meat from his glass and eat it.

Rare and surprising as it was, Shi Wei still remembered.

That brief exchange managed to subtly shift the atmosphere between the two men in that moment.

The tension between them eased slightly, replaced by a growing sense of closeness.

When Yu Zhi returned from her phone call, she immediately picked up on how the distance between them seemed to have lessened somehow.

Before she could even figure out what had happened, the man pulled her into his arms by the waist and led her away from Galaxy.

A group of them strolled under the fragmented shadows of the setting sun, their overlapping silhouettes gradually receding into the distance.

**

It had been several days since Xu Fan last saw Jin Yunzhi.

Ever since that day at the arcade, when he had tossed a pile of stuffed bears aside and stormed off, Jin Yunzhi had been avoiding him.

Calls went unanswered, messages ignored, and knocking on his door resulted in silence—all of it nearly driving Xu Fan mad.

Beyond the regret for his impulsive behavior, what consumed him more was the oppressive terror, as if he couldn’t even catch his breath.

*Buzz—*

The phone on his office desk vibrated continuously.

Xu Fan glanced at the caller ID, rubbed his tired brow, and took a deep breath. "Little Zhi, what’s up?"

"We’re at Lanting Square. Do you want to join us?"

"No, I have—"

Whatever was said on the other end made Xu Fan shoot to his feet, his eyes instantly lighting up with a glimmer of hope.

"I’ll be there in ten minutes." He hurriedly hung up.

Abandoning the half-finished stack of files, he dashed out of the office as fast as he could.

Outside Meiyue Pavilion, with only the thickness of one wall separating him.

The man dressed in a sleek suit curled and uncurled his knuckles hesitantly, raising his hand but faltering every time he tried to knock.

Repeatedly, his hand rose and fell, until finally, gathering all his resolve, he cast doubt aside and pressed the door open.

The sound of lively chatter stopped abruptly the moment Xu Fan entered, and the atmosphere grew slightly tense.

The young man seated to the left met his eyes for just two seconds before suddenly averting his gaze, his hand on the glass tightening unconsciously.

Xu Fan walked straight to his side and sat down. At the sight of him, all the remorse and suppression Xu Fan had held onto were instantly replaced with joy.

"Yunzhi, are you still angry with me?"

The voice that had haunted Jin Yunzhi’s dreams every night now rang clear in his ears, causing his cheeks to flush deep red.

His lashes trembled nervously. His watery, dark grape-like eyes seemed faintly shrouded in mist. "No, I’m not."

It wasn’t anger; Jin Yunzhi simply didn’t know how to face him. That’s why he’d been avoiding him.

Hearing this, the weight pressed against Xu Fan’s heart finally lifted. He spoke gently and softly, "What happened before was Brother Fan’s fault. It won’t happen again."

"You...What do you mean?"

Those words instantly plunged Jin Yunzhi into indignation. His eyes filled with glistening tears, seemingly ready to spill down his cheeks at any moment.

Xu Fan repeated himself, his tone unusually sincere, "It was my fault. I’m apologizing to you."

"Do you mean we’re just supposed to forget everything from before?"

"Yes, I was too impulsive."

The air fell silent momentarily. Then the sound of soft sobs broke the stillness.

Jin Yunzhi, his face streaked with tears, suddenly turned around and glared at Xu Fan. "Xu Fan, you’re not human!"

He wasn’t mad anymore, and he’d already made peace with accepting this utterly baffling relationship.

Yet... this man’s casual remarks of "won’t happen again" and "let’s forget about it" had wiped everything away!

Xu Fan had hugged him, and now he wasn’t willing to take responsibility!

"I really know I was wrong. Please stop crying." Flustered, Xu Fan grabbed tissues to wipe his tears.

His entire heart ached unbearably at the sight of those red-rimmed eyes, as though it were suffocating.

Unable to continue watching this comedy of errors between two clueless fools, Ruan Yuan, who had been observing from the sidelines, finally interjected.

Leaning against Shi Yin’s shoulder, she swirled her wine glass gracefully, her tone languid. "Little sweetheart wants to know if you’re backing out of taking responsibility."

"Responsibility for what?"

The sight of Jin Yunzhi crying had robbed Xu Fan of his ability to think clearly, leaving him dumbfounded.

"You know exactly what you did." Ruan Yuan smirked faintly, exasperated.

With emotional intelligence as poor as his, it was no wonder he had only managed to fool this little sweetheart.

Xu Fan paused for a moment, recalling that infamous arcade moment along with Jin Yunzhi’s heart-wrenching question. Only then did the meaning of Ruan Yuan’s remark dawn on him belatedly.

Joy and surprise overtaking him, Xu Fan wrapped his arms around the still-hiccuping, tear-streaked young man and asked excitedly, "Yunzhi, are you agreeing to be with me?"