Jiang Ruoxun frowned; she truly couldn’t recall who it was.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Wei You.”
Wei You? Jiang Ruoxun struggled to find the name in her limited remaining memory. He was a rich second-generation heir, young and handsome, who had been pursuing her for some time.
The only thing she remembered clearly was that he sent her roses every single time. Unfortunately, at the beginning, she would only give them a polite glance before passing them off to Xu Ling.
Xu Ling had said it wasn’t necessary, yet she still spoke well of Wei You.
Xu Ling’s description of him was: “He likes mature older women; his favorite trope is a cold, powerful woman becoming infatuated with him.”
Though those weren’t exactly “good” words, Jiang Ruoxun wondered if Xu Ling had said them intentionally out of some kind of spite.
To Jiang Ruoxun, someone so immature wasn’t worth a second glance. Besides, beneath that immaturity, wasn’t he just a greasy playboy hiding under the skin of a wealthy young master?
“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up,” Jiang Ruoxun said.
When Wei You called again, she blocked him immediately.
She glanced at Xu Lingzhi, who was currently petting the dog. The girl’s serene appearance and gentle smile were things some people could never achieve.
As they headed out, Xu Lingzhi subconsciously took Jiang Ruoxun’s arm. Jiang Ruoxun froze for a moment, but seeing no abnormality in the girl’s expression, she continued walking, feeling relieved.
“What do you want to eat, Zhizhi?” Inside the car, Jiang Ruoxun checked her phone and asked.
Xu Lingzhi smiled and said, “Sister, I want to eat at ‘Little Discovery.’ The flavors are light, but the food is very good.”
Jiang Ruoxun decided to skip her diet for the day. She couldn’t very well accompany her “sister” to a meal and only eat a vegetable salad herself. She nodded. “Then let’s go there.”
Coincidentally, there was a plaza nearby with a ‘Little Discovery’ branch.
Jiang Ruoxun was in an excellent mood, her eyes carrying a hint of a smile as she looked at Xu Lingzhi. But just as they were about to get out of the car, Xu Lingzhi frowned strangely.
She asked, “Sister, who is that boy outside the window?”
Jiang Ruoxun’s heart jolted. It was Wei You.
Wei You was strikingly handsome with a pair of peach-blossom eyes that looked deeply affectionate at whoever he gazed upon. His innocent, slightly aggrieved “puppy-dog” aura was the kind of look most women found attractive.
But Jiang Ruoxun never felt that way.
The first time they met, Jiang Ruoxun happened to be injured from filming. She was nearly dying of boredom at home, so Xu Lingzhi—worried about her—arranged for a few well-known rich heirs to go out for a script-kill mystery game and an escape room.
One of them was Wei You.
True to his reputation as a “sister-chaser,” Wei You, who had recently broken up with a woman ten years his senior, was immediately starstruck when he saw Jiang Ruoxun. Taking advantage of her injury, he patiently tried to please her and keep her entertained.
This wasn’t some fairy-tale rescue story; Jiang Ruoxun simply wasn’t interested in younger men. Moreover, she had been harboring a private doubt for a long time: she wasn’t sure if she was interested in men at all.
It was a question she had struggled with for years. It wasn’t until Wei You started pursuing her that her feelings were finally confirmed.
At the office, she would constantly see him sending bouquets of hundreds of roses. It became a common sight, and the staff weren’t even surprised anymore.
While Xu Ling was beside her, bragging about how great he was, Jiang Ruoxun suddenly let out a cold laugh. Right in front of Xu Ling, she dropped the roses on the floor and crushed them ruthlessly under her heel.
Xu Ling was stunned.
“Take a picture and send it to him. Tell him what I did,” Jiang Ruoxun said, kicking off her high heels and sitting on the sofa as if nothing had happened.
When Jiang Ruoxun decided to be ruthless, she didn’t give anyone “face.”
While others were too intimidated to speak, Wei You found it interesting. The more she resisted, the harder he pursued.
“Does Sister really not want my gift?” At their second meeting, Wei You acted the part of the “good little brother,” offering her a priceless necklace.
Xu Ling had said, “You can’t call a rich heir ‘innocent,’ but Wei You is the most well-behaved one I’ve ever seen.”
An innocent little brother? Jiang Ruoxun sneered inwardly. Recalling this, she looked at the still-confused Xu Lingzhi.
She wanted to say: No one is more innocent than Xu Lingzhi.
“How did you know I was here?” Jiang Ruoxun opened the window and asked coldly.
Wei You shrugged. “Is it really that hard for me to track your whereabouts, Sister Xun?”
Rich heirs had a superpower called money; for him, it was indeed easy.
Xu Lingzhi listened, feeling a bit lost. She only felt that this boy seemed quite elegant and sophisticated, looking somewhat like a good match for Jiang Ruoxun.
A trace of panic rose in Xu Lingzhi’s heart. Could this be a suitor of Sister’s?
“Can I join you for lunch?” The young heir rubbed his stomach with an aggrieved look. “I don’t think I’ve had breakfast or lunch yet.”
Jiang Ruoxun tried to close the window, but he pressed his hand against it.
His peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly. “Is Sister Xun not worried about me? Before, when I saw you weren’t eating, I went to learn how to cook for the first time just so you’d eat more. Even my parents have never tasted my cooking.”
Xu Lingzhi finally spoke up. “Sister, why don’t we all eat together?”
Wei You looked at the girl. Hearing her call Ruoxun “Sister,” he was momentarily taken aback. Before this, Jiang Ruoxun had never tacitly allowed anyone to call her “Sister Xun”—she usually ignored people who tried.
Xu Ling said she didn’t like being reminded of her age, so how could this girl say it so easily?
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t want to use foul language or be cruel in front of Xu Lingzhi. She had to maintain her persona of a “gentle sister.”
She gave Xu Lingzhi a soft smile. “Alright then. Sister will treat you.”
This “treat” did not include Wei You.
Wei You’s eyes narrowed again, his temples throbbing. The Jiang Ruoxun he knew was nothing like this. How could she smile so brilliantly?
Inside ‘Little Discovery,’ Jiang Ruoxun and Xu Lingzhi sat together, while Wei You sat alone across from them.
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t order for herself. Instead, she let Xu Lingzhi choose, implying that she didn’t care what she ate as long as it was what Xu Lingzhi liked.
“Saliva Chicken… and this Stone Pot Bullfrog is delicious,” Xu Lingzhi said with a smile, introducing the dishes to Jiang Ruoxun one by one, explaining which ones were “traps” and which were good.
Jiang Ruoxun kept her eyes curved in a constant smile, as if everything Xu Lingzhi said was the most beautiful music in the world.
Wei You held the menu in silence, observing Xu Lingzhi’s every move. He thought the girl looked very young, like a high schooler, and wondered how Sister Xun could possibly be flirting with a minor.
Xu Lingzhi noticed that Wei You wasn’t speaking. “Um… what would you like to eat?”
Wei You tightened the lapels of his suit jacket, trying to act composed. “Oh, whatever Sister Xun eats, I’m happy to eat.”
Xu Lingzhi was stunned, once again speculating about the relationship between the two.
When Jiang Ruoxun looked at Wei You, her smile vanished, replaced by eyes full of coldness.
Wei You gave a shy, forced smile. “Sister Xun, you’ve been resting at home and I haven’t had a chance to see you. I didn’t expect to run into you here. So you’re out playing with this little sister?”
Xu Lingzhi smiled. “Sister is my senior from school.”
Wei You raised an eyebrow. “Oh, a school senior. No wonder you’re so close. I thought you were a high schooler.”
Xu Lingzhi shrank back slightly. She felt the boy’s tone was aggressive, like a sharp arrow aimed directly at her.
“That’s why I specially bought two gifts for you both,” Wei You said, pulling two gift boxes from his bag. The box meant for Jiang Ruoxun was exquisitely wrapped, clearly prepared with great care.
“And little sister, this is for you,” Wei You said, offering it kindly.
Not even knowing his name, a flustered Xu Lingzhi didn’t know whether to accept it. Fortunately, Jiang Ruoxun’s hand blocked the gift and pushed it back toward Wei You.
Jiang Ruoxun said, “Zhizhi never accepts gifts from strangers. Don’t make it difficult for her.”
A cold glint flashed in Wei You’s eyes. He smiled. “Sister Xun even knows that Zhizhi doesn’t take gifts from strangers?”
Xu Lingzhi knit her brows slightly. He was actually calling her “Zhizhi” so intimately? Was this boy always this over-familiar?
Jiang Ruoxun gave him a rare, thin smile. “Because I understand Zhizhi.”
Xu Lingzhi saw Wei You’s face turn suddenly pale, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Wei You said, “Sister Xun, don’t you want to understand me? Last time we played the script-kill game, you analyzed every single one of us perfectly.”
It was that game that made Wei You realize Jiang Ruoxun’s intellect was far superior to any of his “gentle” ex-girlfriends. He decided that being a “sapiosexual” wasn’t a bad thing.
Jiang Ruoxun folded her arms, trying to recall. “Which script-kill? I don’t remember.”
Disappointment and dejection washed over Wei You’s face.
Xu Lingzhi pulled on Jiang Ruoxun’s sleeve and whispered, “Sister, did you two have a fight before? I feel like the tension is really high.”
Jiang Ruoxun, who seemed to have switched faces instantly, smiled tenderly at Xu Lingzhi. “Silly girl, who could I possibly fight with, hmm?”
Xu Lingzhi pretended to be relieved and went back to eating.
Wei You watched this, his hands clenching into fists under the table.
Once the food arrived, Wei You immediately tried to put food in Jiang Ruoxun’s bowl, but she didn’t touch it. Instead, she only ate what Xu Lingzhi gave her.
Sensing the dynamic, Xu Lingzhi quietly stopped serving her.
Jiang Ruoxun didn’t demand that Xu Lingzhi serve her; instead, she gently put food into Xu Lingzhi’s bowl. “Zhizhi, eat this.”
Wei You gave a strange laugh. “Sister Xun is so gentle.”
Jiang Ruoxun’s hand paused. Her tone was steady. “I am indeed very gentle toward Zhizhi.”
The implication was clear: I am not gentle toward you.
Wei You’s face grew even paler, and the look he gave Xu Lingzhi now carried a hint of resentment. Jealousy is not exclusive to women; sometimes, a man’s envy can be far more intense.
Xu Lingzhi avoided his gaze, instinctively leaning slightly away from Jiang Ruoxun.
She heard Wei You let out a cold snort. “Well, that’s certainly the first time I’ve seen Sister Xun act like this.”
Jiang Ruoxun looked at him coldly.
Wei You continued, “What’s wrong? Sister Xun, are you finally willing to look at me? I thought you wouldn’t even spare me a glance.” He intentionally acted pitiful, like a stray dog begging for comfort.
Xu Lingzhi looked at him; she felt like she had seen this act somewhere before.
Sensing the change in Xu Lingzhi, Jiang Ruoxun felt a surge of worry. She felt certain that Wei You would try to do something to Xu Lingzhi.
Or rather, she feared her “gentle sister” persona would be exposed as a “wicked woman” by Wei You. Xu Lingzhi was too pure and kind; she might choose to run away if she saw the calculated reality.
“Ah!” Xu Lingzhi suddenly cried out.
She had been splashed by the sizzling oil from the stone pot.