Chapter 14: Didn't We Agree to Eat Together?

A few days later, Wen Ling chose to wait for Zhou Yinhe downstairs at his company building after work.

She deliberately chose a conspicuous red backless mini-dress. Her long brown hair was slightly wavy, draped behind her to partially reveal the fair skin of her back. She held a bouquet of red roses in black wrapping, leaning against a limited-edition blue-and-gold supercar that had just been shipped from Country M. She drew the gazes of many white-collar workers.

A slight glint flashed in Wen Ling's eyes; she wanted everyone to see.

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling observation window, Zhou Yinhe looked down. His eyesight was excellent, and he clearly saw the flamboyant Wen Ling. He pursed his lips.

Jiang Jibai stood beside him and let out a chuckle. "She doesn't seem much different from how she was back then."

Zhou Yinhe lowered his gaze. As the only eldest daughter of the Wen family, a powerful conglomerate in Country M, she had been spoiled into being willful and flamboyant since childhood. Back then, she had done many shocking things to pursue him, making her well-known throughout Sijiu City. Yet, he had been susceptible to exactly that kind of behavior, and now she was using the same tactics, playing right into his preferences.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Jibai patted his shoulder and said indifferently, "If you want to go, then go. But I must remind you: back then, you begged her for a breakup with such humility; you can do the same in the future."

He left it at that; whether Zhou Yinhe would take it to heart, he didn't know.

They had grown up together in the same compound. Among this group, Zhou Yinhe was the youngest. The others had instinctively yielded to and coddled him until now. With deep parental affection and a harmonious family, one could say he had never suffered a single grievance—yet he had stumbled hard when it came to Wen Ling.

Jiang Jibai sighed and left, taking the elevator directly to the parking lot to avoid an encounter with Wen Ling.

Wen Ling waited downstairs for a long time, but her mood remained excellent. It wasn't until the afterglow of dusk gradually faded and the sky grew dim that she took the initiative to call Zhou Yinhe.

Zhou Yinhe answered, but his voice was cold. "What is it?"

"I'm waiting for you downstairs at your company," Wen Ling's voice unconsciously took on a coquettish tone. "Aren't you off work yet?"

"I've already gone home."

Hearing this, Wen Ling pursed her lips, her shoulders slumping. She forced herself not to let her grievance show, saying softly, "Didn't we agree to have dinner together?"

"No need." Having said that, Zhou Yinhe hung up.

Wen Ling stood frozen in place for a long time. It wasn't until the night wind turned chilly and made her feel cold that she moved her stiff body.

She bit her lip and looked down at the red roses in her arms, letting out a soft sigh. She looked up at the towering skyscraper before her until her eyes felt sore, then withdrew her gaze. In the blink of an eye, the tears accumulated in her eyes fell down her cheeks, landing on the petals.

She walked a few steps with the flowers, bent down to place them on a roadside bench, and dazed for a while before returning to her car and driving away.

Zhou Yinhe was still standing by the window looking down. His dark eyes revealed no emotion until Wen Ling's car had departed, at which point he went downstairs.

A sanitation worker was just about to walk away carrying a bouquet of flowers. Zhou Yinhe strode forward to intercept her, saying calmly, "Auntie, I'll buy the bouquet in your hands."

The woman said in surprise, "No need to give me money. I picked these up from that bench over there. Here, take them."

Zhou Yinhe took them. Looking at the sudden droplets of water on the flowers, his fingers moved slightly as he pulled a wallet from his suit pocket. He took out two banknotes, handed them to the woman, said "Thank you," and left.

Wen Ling drove aimlessly until she passed a coastal park, where she found a parking spot.

She walked slowly inside and saw a girl standing on a seaside path, singing into a microphone with accompaniment playing. Wen Ling sat on the bench opposite her, watching her sing with a bored smile playing on her lips.

"Relying on my love to grasp this tiny scheme, Without you, I am incapable of forgiving myself."

Wen Ling pursed her lips, covered her face with her hands, and took a deep breath. She had never liked crying since she was a child. Even when she fell and scraped her knees while playing with friends as a kid, she hadn't cried; she would even smile to comfort the friends who were scared by her wound.

Now, for some reason, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

She listened in silence until the song changed. After composing herself, she stood up, walked to the girl, and took out her phone to scan the QR code. The girl softly said thank you, and Wen Ling smiled brightly, praising her.

"You sing very beautifully."

Wen Ling turned to leave. As she sat in her car, her stomach suddenly growled, and she realized she should have eaten dinner.

"Hmph, that bastard stood me up," Wen Ling huffed, as if the person who was just feeling depressed wasn't her.

She dialed Lu Zhaoye's number. Perhaps because she had already cooled off, Lu Zhaoye answered quickly.

"What?" Lu Zhaoye still had that same lazy demeanor. There was a "flick" sound, likely the sound of a lighter.

Wen Ling leaned halfway over the steering wheel, saying gloomily, "There isn't even anyone to eat with me in Sijiu City."

Lu Zhaoye gave a mocking laugh and said, "Who told you to go?"

"Why don't you come to Sijiu City then? That way you can accompany me for a meal," Wen Ling negotiated with him. "Anyway, you're traveling all over Country M; China has plenty of fun places too."

Lu Zhaoye gently exhaled a cloud of smoke and said nonchalantly, "The things I play with, China can't handle."

Oh, right, Wen Ling remembered. She rolled her eyes slightly and said with disdain, "Just keep playing. You'll ruin yourself sooner or later."

Lu Zhaoye countered without hesitation, "And you just keep chasing Zhou Yinhe. Sooner or later, you'll become such a love-brain that even a dog would look down on you."

Wen Ling huffed and said to Lu Zhaoye, "Help me ship my cat son over to me tomorrow."

Because she didn't know how long she could stay in China—her grandfather liked cats but lacked patience, and Wen Zhuo was busy with family matters—only Lu Zhaoye was idle enough to wander around all day. Thus, Wen Ling had sent her cat son to Lu Zhaoye to look after.

After being stood up by Zhou Yinhe tonight, Wen Ling felt this was a long-term campaign. It was better to have Lu Zhaoye ship her cat son over; she would feel more at ease watching him herself.

"Fine, you're my ancestor, and your cat son is my little ancestor," Lu Zhaoye said with a long, helpless drawl.

Wen Ling didn't want to hear him complain, so she hung up directly, started the car, and stepped on the gas to head home.

As for Lu Zhaoye, he strolled leisurely into the cat's room. Seeing the stupid cat sitting in its bed licking its fur, he walked up, crouched down, and unceremoniously rubbed the cat's head twice, saying gloatingly, "Your mom is really something. She goes off to chase a man and has to bring you along too. Tomorrow when you have to fly by yourself, you're going to suffer."

The cat squinted its eyes at him and swiped a paw, leaving three long marks on the back of Lu Zhaoye's hand.

Lu Zhaoye cursed and stood up, glaring at the cat. "I serve you with good food and drink, and you hit me? Heartless! Just like your mother!"

The cat puffed up its fur and hissed at him. *I'm hitting you because you cursed my mom!*