Zhou Yunting was sitting inside, dressed in a sharp suit with a detached expression, leaning back in the seat. His clean white fingers rested casually in the middle, and his long legs were naturally crossed.
When she entered, he lifted his eyes. In the moment their gazes met, Shen Hua’s heart gave a violent leap.
“Mr. Lin, sorry to keep you waiting,” she said quickly, looking away as she greeted him.
Zhou Yunting watched her reddening ears, his gaze landing on her directly and plainly. “It’s fine,” he said mildly.
She was dressed pretty neatly today, no flashy accessories or makeup.
Just a plain white T-shirt, but the fabric clung to her skin, highlighting the delicate lines of her shoulders and neck, and the curve of her chest was especially noticeable. Paired with a pair of slim jeans, her straight long legs cut a sharp and eye-catching silhouette.
The simplest clothes truly reveal the most.
Good looks, and a fine figure too.
Shen Hua didn’t notice Zhou Yunting’s appraising gaze. She only felt that the moment she sat down, a cool cedarwood scent enveloped her.
It was his unique scent, so pleasant that it made her palms feel slightly damp.
She discreetly wiped them with her fingertips, keeping her back straight.
The car started smoothly, and the cabin fell so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.
From the corner of her eye, she secretly glanced over and caught a glimpse of the hem of his jacket hanging by his side. The fabric was crisp and glossy, obviously expensive. Lower down, there were the sharp, straight trousers of his suit. But she didn’t dare look further. She withdrew her gaze, forced herself to relax, slowly leaned back, and turned to look out the window.
Whether it was because the car’s heater was too strong or because she was too flustered, Shen Hua suddenly felt hot and restless. After hesitating for a long while, she asked, “Can I… open the window a bit?”
Zhou Yunting’s gaze fell on her profile.
He was a little surprised.
The first time he’d met her, she’d been lively and bold. Today, she was so nervous she barely dared to speak. The back seat was very spacious, yet she occupied only a small corner.
Zhou Yunting looked away and replied lightly, “Go ahead.”
Shen Hua breathed a sigh of relief, pressed the window button, and left a small gap.
The evening wind rushed in, carrying the scent of the streetscape, brushing against her burning cheeks. She finally felt a bit more comfortable.
A few strands of hair were blown against her neck, sticking there and feeling uncomfortable. She raised a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, revealing her graceful, slender neck.
Zhou Yunting’s gaze darkened a shade.
That simple move carried an unconscious allure.
Her neck was so slender it looked like it could snap with a twist, yet it was so fair it dazzled the eyes, stirring an itch in the heart and giving rise to a base instinct to grab it and bully it ruthlessly.
He quickly looked away, his Adam’s apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.
The rest of the ride was silent.
Before long, the car stopped at the base of a glass-curtained building.
Just as Shen Hua was about to push the door open, Yang Jiang had already opened it from the outside. She said, “Thank you,” and followed Zhou Yunting into the building.
The elevator went up to the 68th floor, where a delicately decorated French restaurant awaited. Warm yellow lighting and soft violin music created an elegant atmosphere.
After they sat down, Zhou Yunting asked Shen Hua, “What would you like to eat?”
Shen Hua picked up the menu, her eyes scanning the pages full of English, a flicker of panic rising in her heart.
Her English was crammed for the HKU entrance exam, good enough only to pass the college entrance test. She couldn’t fully recognize the specialized terms for French dishes on the menu.
So she couldn’t order.
She said bluntly, “My English isn’t that great… How about you order instead?”
Zhou Yunting didn’t say much. He looked up and fluently gave a few instructions to the waiter in English, then handed the menu back.
Until dish after dish was served, the two of them barely spoke.
Shen Hua kept her gaze lowered, politely fixed on Zhou Yunting’s jawline.
Zhou Yunting was naturally a man of few words. In the past, women had always initiated conversation. Faced with such a nervous Shen Hua, he found himself momentarily unsure of what to say.
On the plate was the steak Zhou Yunting had ordered for her, but Shen Hua had no appetite at all. Her attention was entirely captivated by the man across from her.
The way he held his knife and fork was graceful. The line of his mouth tightened cleanly as he chewed. Even the motion of lifting his hand to wipe his mouth carried an air of refinement.
She, on the other hand, ate mechanically, tasting nothing, just chewing the meat in her mouth.
Halfway through the meal, Zhou Yunting suddenly asked, “Can you drink alcohol?”
Shen Hua looked up and said clearly, “I don’t have a high tolerance.”
“Can you eat ice?” Zhou Yunting asked again.
Shen Hua was momentarily taken aback, then answered honestly, “I don’t usually eat it, but… I can.”
At that, Zhou Yunting let out a low chuckle.
Shen Hua couldn’t figure out what he was laughing at. A vague unease crept over her, as if she might have said something wrong.
Before she could think it over, Zhou Yunting suddenly asked, “Why does your friend call you ‘Su Daji’?”
The question made Shen Hua choke on the spot. She swallowed the steak in her mouth, wiped her lips with a napkin, and said, “When I first got to school, I got along well with Xu Manjin. Once, the school forum voted for the campus beauty, and I won. She only won for her department…”
At this point, she laughed to herself, the corners of her eyes curving. “She was probably annoyed, so she deliberately called me ‘Su Daji’ to mock me.”
When she smiled lightly, her eyes carried a soft, sweet gleam, and even the tip of her nose crinkled slightly, lively and vivid.
Zhou Yunting was stunned for a moment. His throat moved, and he commented in a low voice, “The name does suit you.”
Shen Hua felt she needed to clarify. “But I don’t think it sounds nice.”
Zhou Yunting asked, “Why not?”
Shen Hua said earnestly, “Because in the book, Su Daji is a seductive woman who ruins the country and the people. She uses her beauty to bewitch the king, causing the Shang dynasty to fall.”
Hearing that, Zhou Yunting smiled.
He asked, “Are you?”
Shen Hua thought it over seriously and said, “I don’t have that kind of ability.”
The two of them naturally didn’t talk much. The meal ended almost in silence.
When they went downstairs, Shen Hua glanced at her phone. It was already past seven.
They hadn’t exchanged many words, yet somehow they’d taken this long to eat.
She followed Zhou Yunting into the car.
As soon as the car started, Zhou Yunting suddenly turned his head and asked, “Where do you want to go?”
He placed the initiative in Shen Hua’s hands.
Shen Hua caught that faint, subtle hint of an invitation.
She was silent for a moment.
She hesitated because she thought that if she refused, she might not see Lin Qinghuai again. But then she reconsidered: one meal was enough to judge whether a man was worth getting to know further. That was a fair trade.
So she decided very decisively. “It’s late. I need to get back to school.”
The man narrowed his eyes.
For matters like this, he wouldn’t force it, nor did he press further.
He said, “I’ll take you.”
But clearly, after he said that, the atmosphere in the car grew even colder.
The restaurant was near Happy Valley in Central, about half an hour’s drive to the university.
Shen Hua found the ride unbearable.
She even secretly wished the car would go faster.
Finally, they arrived at the side gate of HKU. Shen Hua said goodbye to Zhou Yunting and prepared to leave.
She felt that this was probably the end for them.
She moved to leave too quickly. Zhou Yunting watched her, his gaze darkening.
Just as she was about to pull the door open, he spoke, almost on a whim. “Aren’t you going to set up our next meeting?”