Yan Yunning watched the two of them with an amused smile. She had a feeling — she sensed that this girl and Lulu would end up together one day. How wonderful!

Mu Zhizhi said with great sincerity, “If you dock my pay, then stop glaring at me.”

Wen Zhilu let out a breath. “I’m going to the restroom.”

After Wen Zhilu left, Mu Zhizhi sat down beside Yan Yunning with a smile and introduced herself.

“Sister, my name is Mu Zhizhi. I’m sort of Yanyu-bro’s younger sister, and also your and Senior Wen’s junior at school. The star wall at school still hasn’t replaced your and Senior Wen’s photos, you know~”

Yan Yunning was a little surprised — not because her photo on the school’s star wall hadn’t been changed, but because she had never heard Xuan Xixi mention this girl.

“Oh right, Sister.” Mu Zhizhi continued with a grin. “My brother is Mu Heng. He and Yanyu-bro are good friends.”

Yan Yunning was mildly startled. No wonder she felt the girl seemed familiar — now that she mentioned being Mu Heng’s sister, there was indeed a resemblance.

“How did you end up at Lulu’s company?” Yan Yunning asked, puzzled. “Didn’t you go to your brother’s company?”

Mu Zhizhi’s eyes curved. “Sister, I came to Senior Wen’s company right after graduating from university. It’s been over half a year now. As for why I chose Senior Wen’s company…”

The girl’s smile was very sweet. “Sister, do you remember the scenic pond at school? In my sophomore year, I nearly fell in by accident. It was Senior Wen, who was visiting the school that day, who pulled me back.”

At the time, still shaken, she had turned around and met a strikingly handsome face. Her breath had caught.

She never forgot that face through all of university. After graduating, she asked her brother to help, and as she had hoped, she joined Senior Wen’s company and became his assistant.

“What a coincidence.” Yan Yunning laughed.

Back then, with her mind entirely on what to eat for lunch, she too had nearly tumbled in.

It was Lulu, standing beside her, who had grabbed the back of her collar and pulled her out. He had even complained that nobody was as careless as her — she was the only person in the entire school who had nearly fallen into the scenic pond.

And then Lulu had said that if it weren’t for him, she would have been the talk of the school the next day over meals, and told her to be grateful to him. She ended up buying Lulu breakfast for a whole month.

Later on, when many people started saying the two of them were dating, she stopped sending him breakfast.

But at the time, after she had explained it was all a misunderstanding, Lulu had been angry and hadn’t spoken to her for three days — and she had thought it was because she suddenly stopped bringing him food that he’d gotten upset.

Mu Zhizhi seemed to have found a kindred spirit. “Sister, you almost fell in too?”

Yan Yunning smiled and nodded. “Mm.”

“Click.” The private room door was pushed open. Mu Zhizhi saw Wen Zhilu returning and tactfully fell silent.

Wen Zhilu saw Mu Zhizhi sitting beside Yan Yunning and frowned slightly.

“Director Wen.” Mu Zhizhi gave a sweet smile and rose, stepping to the side.

Wen Zhilu only glanced at her once, then looked away. He picked up food-grade gloves from the table and wordlessly began peeling shrimp.

Yan Yunning then opened the gift box. Inside was a blue bracelet, with tiny diamonds set all the way around the chain in the delicate shape of lemons. It was quite charming — one look told her it had been custom-made especially for someone.

“Thank you, Lulu. I really like it.”

Wen Zhilu’s hands stilled on the shrimp, his expression unchanged. “It’s a gesture of goodwill from our company. Every partner receives one.”

In other words, it had not been sent especially for Yan Yunning.

Yan Yunning nodded. “I know.”

Wen Zhilu looked up at her, tossed the gloves into the trash, and took a sip from his glass. “What is it you know?”

Yan Yunning gave the bracelet in her hand a little shake, her eyebrows arching lightly. “Wen Zhilu, stop pretending we’re strangers with me from now on. Do it once more, and I’ll hit you.”

The assistant who had come to the restaurant with Yan Yunning stared wide-eyed.

Wen Zhilu heard the familiar tone, and the corners of his mouth curved. “When did I ever pretend we were strangers?”

Yan Yunning placed the bracelet back in the box. “Doesn’t your own heart know the answer???”

Wen Zhilu raised an eyebrow and pushed the peeled shrimp toward her. “Let’s eat.”

Yan Yunning picked up a shrimp and popped it into her mouth.

Wen Zhilu poured a glass of Yan Yunning’s favorite fruit juice and placed it at her side.

Yan Yunning smiled faintly.

It felt like the old days again.

She thought that once Lulu had a girlfriend someday, she and Xuan Xixi, and Xiaxia and Jingye, could all gather for meals again just like before.

The only difference being that the gathering would include Xuan Xixi and Lulu’s girlfriend.

Oh!

And their respective children!

——

After the meal, on the way back to the office, Mu Zhizhi looked at Wen Zhilu with something to say but held back.

“Speak.”

Mu Zhizhi slowly leaned closer and said earnestly, “My brother said that Sister Yan and Yanyu-bro are very much in love. Very, very much in love.”

“No one can tear them apart.” She stressed the point deliberately.

Wen Zhilu snapped his folder shut with a “crack” and said in a low, heavy voice, “Pull over to the side.”

“What? I’m not getting out.” Mu Zhizhi gripped her seatbelt tightly. “Director Wen, it’s late. If you leave me here, a girl alone isn’t safe.”

Wen Zhilu drew in a deep breath.

“Director Wen, should we still pull over?” the driver asked carefully.

Wen Zhilu said irritably, “Drive!”

Mu Zhizhi stifled a smile. “Director Wen, you’re such a good person.”

Wen Zhilu shot her a sidelong glance and smiled thinly. “I was only afraid that if something happened to you, someone would report that I was the one who left you behind, affecting my reputation.”

Mu Zhizhi was unfazed and steered the topic back. “Sister Yan is so beautiful — it’s inevitable that some people will have special feelings for her. But really, only someone as handsome as Yanyu-bro is a good match for her, isn’t that right, Director Wen?”

Wen Zhilu suppressed the urge to make her get out of the car. “You’re very noisy.”

Mu Zhizhi pursed her lips and continued,

“I used to like a little kitten very, very much. But then the little kitten found its own beloved kitten. I was so sad — so, so sad. I liked that little kitten so much, and yet it didn’t like me. It liked another kitten instead.”

“But I can’t stay sad forever, always trapping myself in the past. No matter what, the kitten still wouldn’t like me.”

“So I decided to find a new little kitten to love. As it happened, there was a very cute, very adorable little kitten right by my side, and I decided to try liking it.”

“Because the little kitten I once liked is so, so happy — I would never do anything to ruin its happiness.”

Wen Zhilu said through gritted teeth, “Who are you alluding to? And who exactly are you comparing to a kitten?”

Mu Zhizhi touched her nose and made a little sound of surprise.

“Director Wen, what are you talking about? I was simply saying — a little kitten I used to like found its own beloved kitten, so I decided to try liking another little kitten that stays by my side. That’s all.”

Wen Zhilu said coldly, “Get out.”

“I’ll shut up!” Mu Zhizhi covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes fixed unblinking on Wen Zhilu.

Wen Zhilu: “…”

Six seconds of silence passed before Mu Zhizhi tilted her head and started chattering again. “Director Wen, thank you so much for being kind enough to take me home.”

Seeing Wen Zhilu glance her way, Mu Zhizhi quickly added, “It’s so late and I’m a girl alone — it’s not safe. Director Wen, you’re the absolute best.”