“What are you thinking about?” Seeing Shiyao sitting with her head bowed, lost in quiet sorrow, Xuan Yanyu handed her a cup of warm water.

“Nothing.” Shiyao smiled and shook her head.

“Mm.” Xuan Yanyu stopped looking at her, lazily leaning back and picking up his phone to browse.

“A’Yu, you only woke up a few days ago, and you’ve been out for a while now — do you want to go home and rest?” Shiyao asked with concern.

“It’s fine.” The man didn’t even lift his head, his long fingers scrolling across the phone screen.

“Alright.” Shiyao turned back and took a small sip of water.

“Yu-ge!” The private room door was thrown open, and a dazzling bouquet of roses filled the entryway. Xuan Yanyu pinched the bridge of his straight nose, mildly exasperated.

With a loud bang, the door was kicked shut by Yan Ruijing. He walked up to Xuan Yanyu carrying the roses, and spoke from the bottom of his heart, “Yu-ge, it’s truly wonderful that you’ve woken up. I…”

“Shut up. You’re too loud.” Xuan Yanyu couldn’t be bothered listening to him ramble.

Yan Ruijing: “……”

He had prepared so many things to say, barely got a word out, and was already being told to stop — all that memorizing on the way here, completely wasted.

“How come your little sister didn’t come?” Yun Ze glanced behind him.

Yan Ruijing set down the roses and rubbed his wrist. “Ningning hates the smell of cigarettes. She wouldn’t come to a place like this.”

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow and instinctively snuffed out the cigarette he had just lit.

“Put in a good word for me.” Yun Ze, a cigarette between his lips, handed Yan Ruijing a glass of liquor.

Yan Ruijing sized Yun Ze up from head to toe, then said smugly, “You’re not worthy.”

“Get lost.” The glass he had just handed to Yan Ruijing was snatched right back by Yun Ze, who tipped his head back and downed it in one go.

“Tsk. Don’t go getting ideas about my Ningning. She’s only twenty — still young.” Yan Ruijing shot Yun Ze a warning look.

“Noted.” Yun Ze raised an eyebrow.

Yan Ruijing relaxed. He poured himself a full glass, looked at Xuan Yanyu with sincerity, and said, “Yu-ge, I’m here today to apologize to you. I’ll drink this glass and then I have to head home. Ever since my little sister got back from her trip she’s been in a bad mood, and she’s been upset all afternoon today. I’m not comfortable leaving her alone at home.”

Pei Shutong let out a cold snort, then giggled, “Ruijing-ge, don’t you have a housekeeper at home? You’ve already come out — you can stay and have fun a little longer before leaving. Your sister isn’t a child; she’ll be fine. How old is she, and she’s been upset all afternoon? Did someone dump her?”

After all, why should Yan Yuning get praised for being pretty by A’Yu-gege? She had grown up alongside A’Yu-gege, and she had never once seen him compliment her.

Xuan Yanyu cast a cold glance at Pei Shutong.

Meeting the man’s deep and piercing gaze, Pei Shutong swallowed nervously. Had she said something wrong?

What else could make someone upset and sad, besides being dumped?

“What do you mean dumped? My sister is the one who dumps others.” Yan Ruijing gave up on his drink entirely and snapped at Pei Shutong.

“Ruijing, that’s enough. Tongtong didn’t mean it that way.” Pei Shunian stepped in to defend Pei Shutong.

“Right, Ruijing, forgive Tongtong this once.” Pei Shuluo also tried to smooth things over.

Yan Ruijing glared at Pei Shutong, collected himself, then turned to Xuan Yanyu with his usual grin. “Yu-ge, if I drink this glass, can I go?”

Ningning was in low spirits. If they weren’t currently in Yuzhao Prefecture, where he couldn’t afford to offend Yu-ge, he wouldn’t have come today at all.

“A’Yu, let Ruijing go.” Shiyao, sitting at Xuan Yanyu’s side, gently spoke up in persuasion.

Xuan Yanyu leaned against the back of his chair. He seemed to drift off momentarily, then after a brief pause raised his eyes, glanced at Shiyao, and gave a slight nod.

“Thank you, Yu-ge. And… Shi… Miss Shi.” Yan Ruijing looked at Shiyao with gratitude.

Anyone who said Shiyao and Yu-ge were mismatched — he would be the first to slap that person across the face!

Shiyao smiled and waved him off, urging him to leave before Xuan Yanyu could change his mind.

Yan Ruijing gave an “OK” sign, then turned and dashed out of the private room just as quickly as he had come.

Xuan Yanyu lowered his gaze, his knuckle-defined fingers resting on the rim of an orange juice glass, a shadow of bewilderment drifting through his eyes.

Why had he looked at Tongtong with that cold and detached stare when she made those cutting remarks about Yan Yuning just now — and even found her irritating?

He was not someone who liked to meddle in other people’s affairs. And especially given that he and Tongtong had grown up together — Tongtong was like a younger sister to him, no different from little Ranran in his eyes — whereas he had only encountered Yan Yuning a handful of times and had never exchanged a single word with her.

Shouldn’t he have been protecting Tongtong?

“Young Master Xuan, Master Xuan called to ask that you and Miss Shi return home.” Ye Jian, who had been waiting outside the door, pushed it open and respectfully relayed the elder’s message.

Ye Chen and Ye’an also entered the private room, picking up Xuan Yanyu’s suit jacket and tie that had been set aside, then moved to stand behind Ye Jian.

The man extended his hand and said lazily, “Car keys.”

Ye Jian steeled himself and said, “Young Master Xuan, I’m sorry — Master Xuan left instructions that from now on, you are not permitted to drive. If anyone encourages you to drive, or asks you to drive to pick her up, they would be going against Master Xuan.”

Shiyao’s face went pale.

“Uncle Xuan is right, A’Yu-gege, you really shouldn’t drive anymore.” Pei Shutong patted her chest, clearly still shaken by the memory.

“He’s right, Yu-ge.”

“Please understand — your father can’t handle a second scare.”

Fearing that Xuan Yanyu might get angry, Lou Ao and Mu Heng both began to persuade him as well.

They all knew that Yu-ge had gotten into the accident because he had gone to pick up Miss Shi for her prenatal check-up. Given the message Ye Jian had just relayed on behalf of his father, it seemed like Miss Shi’s chances of marrying Yu-ge were now very much in doubt.

His father had clearly known that Yu-ge would be gathering with friends today, and that Miss Shi would be present — and yet when calling them back, he had not phoned Yu-ge directly, but had instead called the bodyguard.

Then he had the bodyguard say, in front of all of Yu-ge’s friends: “Whoever lets Yu-ge drive to pick her up is going against him.”

It was plain for all to see that he was giving Miss Shi absolutely no face at all. If he couldn’t even show her the slightest dignity, there was no way he would allow her to marry into the Xuan Family.

And understandably so — the gap between Miss Shi’s background and Yu-ge’s was enormous, like the difference between an ant and an elephant. His father had never approved of her to begin with, let alone now that Yu-ge had been in an accident because of her and nearly hadn’t woken up.

“A’Yu, listen to your father.” Thinking of how Xuan Yanyu had gotten into the car accident and fallen into a coma because of her one phone call, Shiyao clenched her fists.

The rain had been very heavy that day. She couldn’t get a taxi, and she had no friends in Chaxi City, so she had called A’Yu and asked if he could take her to her prenatal check-up.

If only she had known, she would have rescheduled the appointment for a few days later. Had it not been for the child she was carrying, his father would truly have wanted to…

The look in his father’s eyes that day — bloodshot, filled with hatred — she still couldn’t forget it even now. She couldn’t even bring herself to imagine what would have happened had A’Yu never woken up, or if he had never been able to wake up again — would his father have made her pay…

“Alright. Let’s go.” Xuan Yanyu’s low and husky voice broke through Shiyao’s thoughts.

“Mm.” Shiyao’s eyes reddened. She blinked, struggling to hold back her tears.

The two of them left the private room one after another, with Ye Jian, Ye Chen, and Ye’an following behind.

“Tsk.” Nan Chu linked arms with Wen Wanyu and said with a leisurely smile, “Yu-ge is heading back to coax his girlfriend. Shiyao even started tearing up over what Uncle Xuan said.”

Pei Shutong pursed her lips. “No, he won’t. A’Yu-gege would never coax her.”

“Tongtong has that right — coaxing people is not something Yu-ge does. He’d just find it annoying.” Xie Yan pulled Nan Chu’s hand and drew her into his arms, then looked around at everyone with a lazy smile. “Yu-ge’s headed home. Let’s all call it a night.”