After afternoon classes ended, Shi Sui received a message from Li Yin saying the car was already at the west gate, and she could come directly.

Unable to suppress the joy in her heart, she put down her backpack in the dorm and bounced over cheerfully.

“Mom!” Arriving at the school gate and seeing Li Yin standing by the car, she rushed over and hugged her mother.

Li Yin turned around, embracing her daughter back, gently patting her in her arms.

She pulled her daughter into the car.

“What are we eating tonight, Mom?”

Li Yin smiled: “Su-style cuisine.”

She knew her daughter liked dishes with fresh and fragrant flavors, so she had asked Yan Tingli if there were any well-reputed Su-style restaurants nearby.

After thinking briefly, he gently asked her what price range she had in mind.

This reminded Li Yin that the restaurants Yan Tingli was accustomed to would certainly not be low-end. Just as she was pondering what would be appropriate, he saw the hesitation on her face: “Auntie, go with yours and Shi Sui’s taste preferences, I’m not picky about food.”

This made Li Yin look at him again. What had started as admiration was now heartfelt amazement.

How could there be a child so perfect in both emotional and intellectual intelligence?

She mentioned a moderately appropriate price range.

Yan Tingli nodded, pulling up a restaurant on his phone: “Would this place suit you?”

“Perfect, perfect.”

“Then I’ll make a reservation now.”

Li Yin said embarrassedly: “This is too much trouble for you, I should do it myself—”

“You go pick up Shi Sui,” he said, “she hasn’t seen you in a long time, she must miss you very much.”

These words touched Li Yin’s heart, and she looked at him sincerely: “Thank you so much, Xiao Li.”

“You don’t need to be polite with me.”

As soon as Shi Sui got in the car, she clung to Li Yin, chattering nonstop like a little sparrow.

From small things like cafeteria food to big things like recent competitions she’d entered.

Li Yin listened with a smile, her gentle gaze watching her, unable to help asking: “Have you participated in any extracurricular activities this semester, met some new friends?”

This was her greatest concern. Sui Sui was well-behaved and sensible, good in every way, except she was too introverted, preferring to stay home and not be very social.

Every time she sent living expenses, Sui Sui would say she still had money left, clearly staying in the dorm all day. Li Yin hoped she would go out and meet more people.

Sure enough, when this topic came up, Shi Sui blinked and closed her mouth.

“You can also make friends with suitable boys.” She tucked her daughter’s hair behind her ear.

Shi Sui’s gaze drifted away, speaking evasively: “I’m still young, no rush.”

Li Yin: “I’m just telling you to get to know people, not rushing you.”

Seeing her daughter with that “I heard but also didn’t hear” feigning ignorance expression, she was both annoyed and amused: “Fine, you won’t listen, right? Mom has her ways.”

Shi Sui: Huh?

Just as she finished speaking, the car stopped right in front of the restaurant.

Li Yin, sitting on the outside, immediately saw the young man standing at the restaurant entrance.

He stood tall and elegant, his dark eyes gazing at the distant street. Just standing there quietly was pleasing enough to the eye.

Li Yin was amazed again in her heart.

The taxi stopped, Li Yin opened the car door, and waved in that direction.

Yan Tingli noticed and walked over with measured steps.

She then turned to Shi Sui: “Perk up, tonight there are also two older brothers coming to eat with us.”

“What?” Shi Sui snapped back to attention, processing this, “What brothers?”

Two of them?!

“Originally, Mom was going to treat you and Fang Huaijing to dinner, but this afternoon, while doing business, Tingli helped Mom with a huge favor,” Li Yin said quickly while getting out of the car, “so I invited him to dinner too.”

“Hurry, what are you spacing out for?” Li Yin waited for quite a while, then looked back to see her daughter motionless in the car with a thunderstruck expression, “Why aren’t you getting out? Tingli is coming over.”

Shi Sui struggled to digest her mother’s words.

She couldn’t find words to describe her explosive feelings at this moment: “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“If I told you earlier, you’d shrink back to the dorm and not come out to socialize.”

Ahhhh!!!

Shi Sui’s heart let out an explosive sound, until she was brought back to her senses by Yan Tingli’s voice.

In front of Li Yin, he maintained a refined exterior, leaning down to say: “Auntie, the private room has been reserved.”

Li Yin smiled: “You’ve been too much trouble.”

“It’s my duty.”

After the two exchanged pleasantries and saw that Shi Sui was still shrinking in the car, Li Yin tilted her head and gave her a look: “Sui Sui, get out quickly and greet Brother Tingli.”

Since this tragic fate couldn’t be changed, she could only face it bravely.

“Brother Tingli.” She slowly got out of the car, parted her lips, and called out as Li Yin required.

Yan Tingli’s tone was appropriately distant: “Long time no see.”

Shi Sui and Yan Tingli’s gazes met for less than a second. Seeing the calm emotions in his eyes, she was slightly stunned.

He was acting so normal, didn’t he know yet…

Shi Sui’s heart grew colder—

It’s over.

Her brain crashed, these two words floating by.

Li Yin was obviously in a very good mood, chatting with Yan Tingli from here to the private room.

The two conversed back and forth.

Shi Sui lagged a step behind, her footsteps heavy.

Until somehow the topic turned to her, and Li Yin said: “Sui Sui is too introverted, she’s liked staying home since childhood, reading comics and playing on the computer. Even now in university, she’s still like this.”

Yan Tingli responded: “That’s quite good, I also like being at home, it’s quieter.”

—Compared to staying home with him doing bad things, she’d rather go out and see crowds, Shi Sui grumbled internally.

“You’re different, you’re dedicated to your studies.” Li Yin said.

Yan Tingli smiled slightly, thus tacitly agreeing.

“…” Simply shameless.

Shi Sui secretly rolled her eyes in a corner where no one noticed.

Li Yin continued: “So I’ve always wanted Sui Sui to go out and make more friends, but she refuses.”

Yan Tingli: “There’s no need.”

Li Yin was stunned.

Yan Tingli said without changing expression: “If she’s unwilling, there’s no need to force it.”

Li Yin thought about it.

She felt that Yan Tingli, having received an elite education, had a more independent personality from childhood and didn’t like elders interfering in children’s lives.

She smiled, trying to make him understand adult concerns: “What Xiao Li says is also right, but she’s this old now, she’ll eventually have to enter society, start a family and career. Being too closed off is never good.”

Yan Tingli’s lips curved with a trace of cold smile, his expression beginning to become careless: “Watch your step, there are stairs.”

Shi Sui noticed his expression, knowing this was already a sign of his mood declining.

She clenched her hands, just about to pull Li Yin’s sleeve when Li Yin spoke first, looking quite trusting of Yan Tingli: “Actually today Auntie also invited a boy, all of you are the same age.”

Yan Tingli’s steps paused slightly: “Oh?”

What had to come would come.

Shi Sui lowered her hands, simply giving up resistance, silently lowering her head, only able to pray in her heart that her mom wouldn’t make things worse.

Just after praying.

The next second, she heard Li Yin say with a smile: “Very coincidentally, this boy is at neighboring S University, also Sui Sui’s former close playmate, they grew up together in Hangzhou.”

“I personally really like this child. Since Xiao Li, you’re also here today, help Auntie evaluate—”

“Mom!” Shi Sui interrupted her mother.

She noticed that the expression on Yan Tingli’s face had completely disappeared. Her heart pounded like a drum, and her face also turned pale.

She had originally thought Li Yin was just calling Fang Huaijing over for a simple meal, never knowing she had such intentions.

“What’s wrong?”

Shi Sui: “Stop talking.”

Li Yin blinked, thinking she was shy, and nodded helplessly: “Okay, okay, Mom won’t say anymore.”

Just then, the three of them also reached the private room door.

The leading server opened the door: “Please come in.”

The topic was interrupted, and that slightly tense, subtle atmosphere seemed to dissipate.

“Do you need to serve the dishes now?” the server asked.

“Xiao Jing said Ten more minutes, he’ll be here soon.” Li Yin looked down at her messages while sitting down. “You can start serving.”

This was an exquisite, small private room with a round table design.

Li Yin scanned the seating arrangement, having Shi Sui sit beside her, while saying to Yan Tingli, “Xiao Li, you sit next to Auntie.”

This left only the serving position empty.

Who the empty spot on Shi Sui’s other side was reserved for was self-evident.

Yan Tingli directly stepped forward, taking the position to Shi Sui’s right, smiling slightly: “Auntie, I like sitting by the window, is this okay?”

Li Yin naturally wouldn’t have opinions about a seat: “Of course, certainly.”

Shi Sui silently sat between the two, her fingers gripping the tablecloth.

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Until the sound of water being poured came from beside her, Yan Tingli thoughtfully pushed tea toward her: “I understood Auntie’s meaning just now.”

He poured another cup, leaning forward to hand it to Li Yin, “I will definitely help you.”

He paused, continuing word by word: “Evaluate carefully.”

Li Yin covered her mouth and laughed softly: “Auntie was just joking, don’t take it seriously. Matters of fate are unpredictable.”

“Is that so?” Yan Tingli propped his chin and leaned close to Shi Sui, saying with a shallow smile, “Then I think I have more fate with little sister Shi Sui.”

Shi Sui avoided eye contact, saying stiffly: “Haha, everyone has quite a good fate.”

Yan Tingli’s eyes turned cold, his lips turning downward.

When he wasn’t smiling, his entire aura became especially cold and unapproachable.

Shi Sui sensed it, her heart tightening.

She silently turned her head away.

Time suddenly seemed to slow down.

In such sporadic small talk, not knowing how much time passed, the private room door was politely knocked three times, then pushed open.

A male student wearing a black jacket with a composed temperament appeared at the doorway.

His gaze swept around, seeing the people in the private room clearly, surprise flashed in his eyes, and he stood still for quite a while.

“You’re here.” Li Yin stood up to greet him, “Come in, Xiao Jing.”

Fang Huaijing calmed down for two seconds, walked in two steps, and closed the door.

Sitting in Li Yin’s remaining empty seat across from them, his gaze stopped on the opposite side, observing for a while.

He frowned slightly: “Yan Tingli?”

Li Yin, who was about to make introductions, was stunned: “You know each other?”

Before Fang Huaijing could speak, two words lazily drifted from across: “Yeah, opponents.”

Seeing Li Yin look at him, Yan Tingli raised his eyebrows slightly: “Speaking of competitions, nothing else.”

So obviously trying to cover something up.

Shi Sui’s fingers almost tore through the tablecloth.

Although she felt somewhat strange, Li Yin attributed this to youthful joking, laughing: “That’s perfect, everyone knows each other. Sui Sui, you and Xiao Jing also haven’t seen each other for many years, this is a good opportunity—”

“Many years? Didn’t we have dinner together just last week?” Yan Tingli played with his wine glass, saying with a light laugh, “Little sister Shi Sui even ate food that Huaijing served her, yet she’s so distant with me.”

Shi Sui really couldn’t stand it anymore, stretching her foot under the table to step on him, wanting him to shut up.

Yan Tingli made a cold laugh through his nose that only she could hear.

His leg moved to the side.

About to hook around hers.

Shi Sui was frightened and pulled back.

Li Yin on the other side was completely confused: “Wait, wait, what does this mean?”

Fang Huaijing’s slightly cold gaze moved away from Yan Tingli’s face: “Very coincidentally, we had dinner together last week. Sui Sui and I have already met.”

“What about Xiao Li? How did you all end up having dinner together?”

Fang Huaijing’s lips tugged: “You’d have to ask him why he came over.”

Seeing her mother’s thoughtful expression, Shi Sui was truly on edge.

She hurriedly explained: “That day, there was also Brother Tingli’s very close high school classmate, who saw us, so he came over.”

Yan Tingli smiled lazily.

Neither confirming nor denying.

Fang Huaijing said nothing.

He didn’t think Yan Tingli and Gao Linhan were very “close.”

He asked what he wanted to know: “So you two also know each other?”

Shi Sui had completely given up, burying her head and staying silent.

It was Li Yin, who had finally figured out the situation, who smiled and nodded: “Yes, in Sui Sui’s senior year of high school, she lived at Xiao Li’s house.”

Fang Huaijing slowly processed this, looking at Shi Sui: “How come you never mentioned this?”

“Private relationships, why should I tell you?” Yan Tingli said with a half-smile.

Li Yin also looked at him. Even with the thickest filter for Yan Tingli, she could sense the targeting in his words.

But she didn’t think much of it, just assuming the two had some unpleasantness during competitions.

“Brother Tingli and I have never been very familiar,” Shi Sui clenched her hands tightly, expressionlessly interjecting, “so there was no need to mention it.”

As soon as these words came out, the entire table was quiet for several seconds.

She could feel the icy coldness around them.

Shi Sui looked straight ahead, not daring to look at Yan Tingli’s reaction.

—At least she had to hide it from her mother, no matter the cost.

“Sui Sui, you can’t talk like that.” Sensing the awkward silence, Li Yin tugged at Shi Sui’s sleeve, glancing at Yan Tingli from the corner of her eye. He had lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes casting shadows, his lips pressed into a straight line.

He didn’t look happy.

Just as she was thinking of something to say, Yan Tingli suddenly stood up: “Auntie, I have something to do, I’ll step out for a moment.”

“Ah, is…”

Before Li Yin could finish, his figure had already quickly disappeared at the door. Shi Sui was slightly uneasy, glancing in that direction from the corner of her eye.

She could almost feel that Yan Tingli went out because he couldn’t stay in here for even one more second.

If he didn’t go out to calm down now, he would probably lose control the next moment.

Li Yin was still puzzled: “What’s wrong? Did something urgent suddenly come up…”

Shi Sui didn’t want her mother’s attention on Yan Tingli, so she served her food: “I think this bamboo shoot is very fresh, Mom, eat more.”

“Okay,” Li Yin withdrew her gaze, looking up at Fang Huaijing, “Xiao Jing, you eat more too.”

Yan Tingli was out for at least fifteen minutes.

When Li Yin was getting curious and wanted to go out to check, the door opened and he stepped back in.

“Sorry, Auntie, I had something to handle just now.”

His expression was natural, nothing to criticize.

Li Yin: “Then, hurry and eat more food.”

“Okay.”

After returning, Yan Tingli spoke very little, staying silent unless necessary.

When he was cold, the indifference in his bones would overflow.

So obvious that even Li Yin could sense it: “Xiao Li, is there something troubling you?”

Yan Tingli: “Probably just a bit tired.”

Li Yin remembered he had been busy all afternoon, saying: “Then we’ll go back early after eating.”

Seeing that the dinner table was somewhat quiet, Li Yin actively brought up topics: “So Xiao Jing, after you saw Sui Sui last time, have you two been in contact?”

Hearing this made Shi Sui’s scalp tingle.

Fang Huaijing glanced at her, and seeing she wasn’t speaking, answered: “After I went back, I added her WeChat. But we’ve both been busy recently, haven’t had time to contact each other yet.”

Li Yin nodded, smiling: “Then you can contact each other more in the future. Sui Sui is too much of a homebody, when there’s fun things to do, take her along more.”

Fang Huaijing also smiled, responding: “Okay.”

During their conversation, Shi Sui secretly observed the person beside her from the corner of her eye.

This time, Yan Tingli was eerily quiet, not making even the slightest sound.

She couldn’t help but feel more on edge.

Shi Sui buried her head, never feeling that a meal could be so endless.

When it seemed about time, Li Yin excused herself to the restroom, going out to pay the bill.

Seeing Fang Huaijing also getting up to leave.

Thinking that soon only she and Yan Tingli would be left in the room, Shi Sui suddenly stood up, following behind Li Yin: “Mom, I want to go too.”

A faint mocking laugh came from beside her.

Shi Sui didn’t dare to look.

She just wanted to escape now.

“Why did you come out too?” Li Yin was helpless, “Mom is going to pay the bill.”

Shi Sui followed closely behind her: “I wanted to get some fresh air.”

After paying, Li Yin handed her purse to Shi Sui: “Go back to the private room, I’m going to the restroom.”

Shi Sui followed: “I’ll go too.”

Li Yin gave her an extra look: “What’s wrong with you? What are you hiding from?”

Being asked like this, Shi Sui’s heart skipped a beat.

Afraid Li Yin would suspect something, she could only steel herself and act coquettishly: “I just want to spend more time with Mom.”

“Go back,” Li Yin lightly tapped her nose, “you can’t leave guests in the private room, that’s impolite.”

Seeing her firm attitude, Shi Sui had nothing more to say and could only nod helplessly.

On the way back, her steps were heavy.

Her hand gripped the private room door handle, unable to decide whether to open it for a long time.

Just as Shi Sui stood at the door, constantly building up her psychological defenses, the door was suddenly opened from inside, bringing a gust of icy wind.

Yan Tingli looked down at her, his eyes cold and desolate as ice.

Shi Sui’s lips moved, but before she could make a sound, she was pulled inside by her arm.

“Bang.”

The private room door slammed shut heavily behind them.

Yan Tingli’s cold fingers gripped her neck, his thumb lifting her chin, bending down so they were looking directly at each other.

Shi Sui was so frightened her heart almost stopped, her eyelashes trembling constantly, using a pleading tone: “My mom is still here, don’t go crazy.”

Yan Tingli tilted his head slightly, his dark pupils showing no emotion: “This is called going crazy?”

“Then what would you call it when I kiss you in front of your mom later?”

Shi Sui was frightened to the point of cold sweat covering her back: “…Don’t make that kind of joke.”

“I’m not joking.” He whispered in her ear, saying word by word, “I’m going to let your mom know later.”

“That I’ve been messing around with her daughter since after the college entrance exam. You’ve slept with me for two years, we do it every week, don’t know how many condoms we’ve used—”

Before he could finish, Shi Sui had already raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

She was almost mad with anger, her rationality on the brink of collapse, speaking without thinking: “If you dare do that, I’ll break up with you immediately and cut all ties forever.”

Yan Tingli’s tongue pressed against his burning cheek, his face expressionless.

He paused for a moment, slowly turning to look at her.

His gaze fell on her like dark, oppressive clouds, like a stagnant pool, like a bottomless pit.

This looks.

Made Shi Sui shudder, her body’s instinctive reaction making her want to back away uncontrollably, to turn and run.

But there was the door behind her.

No retreat possible.

Her stress response made Yan Tingli’s eyelashes move.

Whether it was an illusion caused by the overhead light flickering or something else, Shi Sui saw that the corners of his eyes seemed to have turned red.

—He looked like he was very sad.

Also at this moment.

Someone knocked on the private room door.

Shi Sui’s heart was in suspense: “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Fang Huaijing’s voice.

The current situation…

Shi Sui looked at the mark on Yan Tingli’s face.

His skin was fair, making the handprint especially obvious.

This wouldn’t work.

Too abnormal, the signs would be noticed.

Just as Shi Sui was anxiously thinking of a solution, she was pulled aside by Yan Tingli.

Without giving her time to react, he opened the door.

Facing the door with his current appearance.

His hand still gripped Shi Sui’s very tightly, not giving her any chance to escape.

Noticing their intertwined hands, Fang Huaijing frowned, raising his eyes: “What do you mean?”

“Are you blind?” Yan Tingli’s tone was extremely impatient, no longer willing to pretend even a bit.

“If you still can’t understand what relationship Shi Sui and I have.”

“I don’t mind kissing her in front of you.”