Chapter 56

"You like her too."

Wen Xihan froze for a moment upon hearing this. She lifted her gaze in surprise, looking at the woman. A few seconds later, a low chuckle escaped from her chest. If one listened carefully, there was a hint of gritted teeth in her cold voice:

"You're mistaken. I don't like her."

"Heh~" The woman let out a charming laugh, as if she had just heard the funniest joke. Her shoulders shook as she laughed, and the corners of her eyes were tinged with a faint blush, making her already alluring features even more captivating.

Her pinky trembled slightly as she casually flicked the water droplets from her hand. Turning around, she leaned one slender elbow on the sink counter, her upper body half-pressed toward Wen Xihan. Lowering her voice, her tone full of intrigue, she said,

"No, you misunderstood. I wasn’t talking about your eyes—I was talking about hers."

"That kind of pure gaze, filled with ambiguous emotions yet so blatantly hungry. Like she wants to swallow you whole without even spitting out the bones."

"It's obvious. She really likes you."

Wen Xihan took a step back, her expression growing wary as she looked at the woman.

But the woman didn’t seem to mind at all. Instead, her smile deepened with amusement. She grabbed a paper towel, wiped her hands, then crumpled the paper into a ball.

With a swift flick of her delicate wrist, she tossed it into the trash bin with perfect accuracy. Her voice was casual as she remarked,

"You know what they say—the one in the thick of it is blind, while the bystander sees clearly."

Noticing the shadow cast on the smooth floor, the woman flicked her long, wavy brown hair, which cascaded to her waist. Leaning in deliberately closer to Wen Xihan, she breathed out teasingly.

"But if you don’t like her, how about considering me instead?"

Wen Xihan: "???"

"Hmm?" Seeing Wen Xihan remain silent, the woman inched even closer, her red lips curving into a mischievous smirk.

Just a little closer, and she could pin Wen Xihan against the sink with a single move.

However, at that very moment, a soft cough sounded from outside the restroom.

The woman sighed inwardly in disappointment but obediently placed her hands at her sides. Yet, she made no effort to increase the distance between them.

Wen Xihan discreetly stepped back a few paces, hoping to slip away the moment the person outside entered—putting as much space as possible between herself and this inexplicable woman.

"Consider you for what?"

The voice from outside didn’t enter the room but carried a soft, composed tone laced with a hint of amusement.

Upon hearing this, the once arrogant and domineering woman instantly deflated, like a mouse caught red-handed by a cat. She quickly jumped back, as if avoiding a plague, putting distance between herself and Wen Xihan.

Her sudden change in demeanor took Wen Xihan by surprise. At the same time, she realized that the person outside was no ordinary individual—at the very least, she had a deep connection with this woman.

The calm, elegant voice from outside continued, still carrying a smile,

"Are you considering the fact that you’re thirty-eight, divorced, and have two kids?"

The woman: "…"

Her lips twitched slightly as she took another step away from Wen Xihan and muttered under her breath.

"Thirty-eight? Do I look that old? This damn woman, always out there ruining my reputation."

The woman outside chuckled softly, her tone filled with indulgent helplessness.

"Ah Yu, what are you saying about me now?"

Shen Yu's body stiffened for a brief second. Clenching her molars, she forced out a flattering smile and replied.

"Baby, you must have misheard. How could I ever say anything about you? I love you so much~"

Wen Xihan felt a bead of sweat roll down her temple. She tried to make herself as invisible as possible, lest she get caught up in this chaotic situation.

It was at this moment that she finally saw the owner of the elegant voice.

A stunning woman.

Her voice matched her appearance—both regal and aloof. Yet, perhaps due to her frequent smiles, there was a certain warmth in her eyes, making her resemble a friendly but dangerously cunning tiger.

The woman gave Wen Xihan a polite smile and nodded slightly, keeping it brief.

"Hello."

Wen Xihan’s temple twitched imperceptibly.

"Hello."

The woman then turned her attention to Shen Yu, who was trying to blend into the background, and spoke gently.

"Ah Yu, time to go. Let's go home."

"…" Shen Yu swallowed nervously before quickly latching onto the woman’s arm like an obedient puppy.

"Of course, baby~"

At the end, she didn’t forget to glance at Wen Xihan, forcing a wry smile.

The woman raised her hand and gently ruffled Shen Yu’s hair with a doting look. Then, she nodded at Wen Xihan. Her voice remained soft, but the underlying sense of distance was unmistakable.

“Goodbye.”

Wen Xihan: “…”

“…Goodbye.”

Letting out a deep breath, Wen Xihan stood by the sink, washing her hands again. After drying them, she turned to leave.

By the restroom door, Ruan Xinyi stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall with one long leg bent.

Wen Xihan stopped in her tracks and quietly looked at her, unsure of what to say.

She didn’t know when Ruan Xinyi had arrived—or, more importantly, how much of that ridiculous scene she had witnessed.

“When did you get here?” Wen Xihan averted her gaze, staring down at the glossy floor. As if suddenly recalling something, her brows furrowed slightly.

No wonder that woman had acted so bold and reckless just now. Ruan Xinyi had probably been there all along.

“Hmm?” Ruan Xinyi remained calm and answered gently, “I came to use the restroom.”

Wen Xihan let out a soft “Oh,” a flicker of an unreadable emotion flashing through her peach-blossom eyes before she resumed walking forward.

Just as she brushed past Ruan Xinyi, the woman, who had been leaning against the wall, suddenly reached out and grasped her wrist.

The grip was light—so light that if Wen Xihan had wanted to pull away, she easily could have.

Wen Xihan lifted her gaze, eyes filled with silent inquiry. “What’s wrong?”

The smile on Ruan Xinyi’s lips gradually grew strained. She let go and murmured, “Nothing.”

“Alright.” Wen Xihan rubbed her fingertips together. Through the reflection in the mirror, her gaze unconsciously softened. “Then I’ll head out first.”

Ruan Xinyi forced a smile. “Okay.”

Wen Xihan’s lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. But in the end, she remained silent and walked away.

She wasn’t sure what to say. Perhaps Ruan Xinyi had already guessed what she was thinking.

Sometimes, saying nothing at all is the best choice.

Back at her seat, Wen Xihan glanced at the untouched yogurt in front of her. Meanwhile, Ruan Xinyi’s portion was already half-eaten. An inexplicable irritation welled up in her chest, so she grabbed her phone and mindlessly scrolled through her feed to distract herself.

Creak—

The sound of a chair being pulled out.

Thinking Ruan Xinyi had returned, Wen Xihan glanced up, only to see Shen Yu casually taking a seat across from her.

Her temple throbbed twice. Gripping her phone, she asked in exasperation, “Miss, what do you want now?”

Shen Yu cleared her throat dramatically, then pointed toward the restroom with a slender finger, her expression pure yet inquisitive. But her tone was filled with gossip—the kind of tone used by someone who enjoyed stirring the pot.

“That woman just now… was she jealous?”

Wen Xihan: “…”

Her temple throbbed even harder. Clenching her jaw, she lowered her voice.

“I don’t know if she was jealous. But your girlfriend? She definitely was.”

Resting her chin on her hand, Shen Yu turned to glance at the cold-looking woman standing by the bar. A radiant smile spread across her face, her stunning features filled with pride. She shamelessly winked at her partner before turning back to Wen Xihan.

“It’s fine. She’s easy to coax.”

“…”

The cold rim of the glass knocked lightly against her teeth as Wen Xihan took a sip of orange juice. When she lowered her gaze again, she met an intense, probing stare. The woman at the bar was watching her with far less wariness than before—clearly, Shen Yu had said something to smooth things over. Otherwise, with that woman’s personality, she would never have let Shen Yu come over so easily.

But the reason she had come in the first place… just thinking about it made Wen Xihan’s head ache. And for some reason, her chest felt oddly heavy, too.

She let out a nonchalant “Oh” and took another big sip of juice.

At that moment, Shen Yu tapped her knuckle against the table and glanced toward the restroom. “So, what’s the deal with you and her?”

Afraid of being misunderstood, she quickly clarified, “I don’t mean anything by it—just curious. You two remind me of a friend of mine.”

Expressionless, Wen Xihan replied, “Just a regular boss-employee relationship.”

Shen Yu’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. “Yeah, right. You expect me to believe that?”

Wen Xihan didn’t respond. She simply swirled her drink absentmindedly, taking her time before asking, “What about you? What’s the story with your girlfriend?”

Shen Yu chuckled, her eyes curving with amusement. “Me and her? A fateful entanglement from our school days.”

Feeling a rare sense of camaraderie with Wen Xihan, she continued, “She was a few years ahead of me. I completely forgot about an incident between us until she casually mentioned it after we got together. That’s when I realized—she was the senior I had admired for so long.”

“Hmm.” Wen Xihan nodded, her expression softening slightly. “It’s obvious she really likes you. She’s looked over here several times in just the past few minutes.”

Shen Yu smiled smugly, covering her mouth as if embarrassed. “Come on, you’re exaggerating.”

But when she turned back to steal a glance, she happened to meet her girlfriend’s gaze. Their eyes locked, and to her surprise, Shen Yu’s ears turned red. She quickly averted her gaze, flustered.

Wen Xihan found herself amused. But more than that, she was touched by their relationship.

Shen Yu might have been flustered, but she recovered quickly. Realizing she had been led into a trap, a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. She turned the tables and smirked.

“See? You can analyze my relationship so clearly, but you’re still blind to that girl’s feelings for you?”

“…” Wen Xihan fell silent. She glanced toward the restroom before lowering her voice.

“It’s complicated.”

Shen Yu blinked, honing in on the key detail. “But do you like her?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Wen Xihan noticed a familiar figure approaching. Straightening her posture, she schooled her expression into an icy calm and said in a clipped tone.

“Boss Shen, it’s time for you to leave. Otherwise, your girlfriend might get the wrong idea.”

Shen Yu: “???”

Wow, yet another heartless woman abandoning her loyal servant the moment the work is done.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Yu glanced at the main characters about to arrive at the scene. Forcing a somewhat unnatural smile, she stood up and said, “Alright, I should go back and coax my partner now. What else can I do? She gets jealous so easily. What choice do I have? I can only sweet-talk her~ Ah, women, they’re all like this—”

Wen Xihan / Ruan Xinyi: “……”

Completely unaware that she had just subtly roasted both of them in one go, Shen Yu walked over to the woman, intimately hooked her arm around hers, and—without the slightest hesitation—planted a soft kiss on the corner of her lips.

The two exchanged affectionate whispers for a moment. As they left, Shen Yu practically melted against the woman, her whole body soft and boneless—delicate and gentle, like an innocent, harmless dodder vine clinging to its support.

Ruan Xinyi covered her lips and gave a light cough before—using the most innocent tone—delivering the most loaded remark: “Well, her way of coaxing… sure seems effective, huh?”  

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