Qi Xi checked the time, thinking that tomorrow, Sunday, she’d already arranged to run through the new script with Gu Yan and rehearse the lines, so she didn’t bother wasting more time in the group chat discussing the “Gu Yan Compendium” any further.

Whether it was coincidence or not, the moment she thought of Gu Yan, his call came in.

Qi Xi picked up: “Hello?”

Gu Yan’s voice was pleasant. He stated simply, “I can’t make rehearsal tomorrow.”

Qi Xi was a little surprised. “Do you have something come up tomorrow? So we’re not meeting tomorrow?” She thought about it. “Go ahead and handle your business first. We can push rehearsal to next week’s lunch break or evening—the bar association isn’t rushing us, there’s no hurry.”

“Mm.” Gu Yan’s voice was a bit low. “Something’s come up, but we still need to meet tomorrow.”

Qi Xi was puzzled for a moment, then heard Gu Yan continue on the other end of the line: “My sister has a client that’s a listed company. They’re holding their company annual gala tomorrow evening. My sister is their retained counsel, so she was invited, but tomorrow she has to rush out of town for due diligence to verify the other company’s materials, so she can’t make the gala.”

At this point, Qi Xi began to understand. “So Attorney Gu wants you to attend in her place?”

“Right. Generally speaking, as the cooperating law firm, we still need to send someone to represent us.” Gu Yan was quiet for a moment before continuing. “This company has excellent performance and good prospects, so their annual gala tends to be a lavish affair every year—almost everyone gets some kind of award. As outside partners invited to attend, we usually get pretty generous prizes too.”

So couldn’t Gu Yan just go himself? Why was he bragging about it to her?

Qi Xi was puzzled. “That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”

“Mm. But this year the company’s gala requires attendees to bring a plus-one. The dress code is formal wear or evening gowns—it sounds like a fairly upscale business cocktail reception.”

Gu Yan paused for a moment here, and then Qi Xi heard his voice again—

“I don’t have a female companion I can bring.”

So…

Qi Xi hardly dared to think it through, afraid she’d be misreading the situation and flattering herself.

Until she got Gu Yan’s confirmed answer.

He asked, “Can you come tomorrow as my date?”

It wasn’t that outrageous a request—the person asking wasn’t even in front of her, just on the phone—so Qi Xi shouldn’t have felt this nervous. But she seemed unable to control the pace of her heartbeat or her breathing. Caught up in the feeling, she grew a little slow to respond, too busy processing her own nervousness to even answer Gu Yan.

Because of Qi Xi’s prolonged silence, Gu Yan seemed to grow a bit impatient. He cleared his throat, sounding half like he was talking to himself and half like he was trying to persuade her: “Before, when you went on that blind date, I helped you pretend to be your boyfriend. You said back then you’d return the favor and pretend to be my girlfriend sometime in the future. I don’t go on as many blind dates as you do, so there’s been no occasion where I needed you to pretend to be my girlfriend. Now I just need you to attend as my companion—why are you trying to wriggle out of it?”

That thoroughly accusatory tone caught Qi Xi completely off guard, as if Gu Yan had seized the initiative before she even had a chance.

Under the pressure of his tone, Qi Xi’s voice grew involuntarily small, though she wasn’t sure why she felt so guilty. She mumbled, “I never said I wouldn’t…”

“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow at five. You have an evening gown, right?” Gu Yan paused. “You prepared one for that dance after graduation, didn’t you?”

Speaking of that graduation dance, it was a minor episode Qi Xi didn’t remember all that vividly.

Originally, after graduating from Rong University Law School, a graduation ball had been planned—a fairly novel and interesting event, having all the graduating men wear suits or tailcoats and the women wear evening gowns for a small dance, to commemorate their final days at university, a sort of farewell to their youth.

But later, because several classmates needed to rush back to their hometowns, and a few others needed to hurry off to job interviews and apartment hunting, there had been a flood of last-minute matters as graduation approached. The rented venue also unexpectedly failed a fire safety inspection, making the dance impossible to hold there, and with time running short, finding another venue on short notice wasn’t feasible, nor was it easy to coordinate everyone’s schedules. So in the end, even though most people had already prepared their outfits, the counselor called off the dance.

Zhao Yiran had been quite disappointed about it, but Qi Xi had never felt much about it either way—after all, she’d spent her college years entirely on studying, with no ambiguous feelings or secret crush on some boy she’d wanted to confess to at that dance. In fact, she’d actually been worrying about the dance partner issue, not knowing which male classmate she could even invite.

Honestly, if Gu Yan hadn’t brought it up, Qi Xi would have completely forgotten there had ever been a graduation dance at all.

But even though she hadn’t been interested at the time, Qi Xi wasn’t so out of step with everyone else that she’d skip participating entirely, so she had bought an evening gown meeting the requirements as instructed. Which meant this dress had just been sitting at the bottom of a drawer this whole time, never once seeing the light of day—so using it now to attend Gu Xuehan’s client’s annual gala with Gu Yan was actually rather convenient!

“I do, I do!” Qi Xi nodded repeatedly. “I should be able to find it!”

After confirming the time with Gu Yan again, Qi Xi assumed he’d hang up the phone. But the man seemed to still have more to say, making small talk about a client consultation he had tomorrow. Then he seemed to hesitate for a moment before finally asking—

“The dress you’re wearing tomorrow—is it that red one?”

Qi Xi paused, about to ask how Gu Yan knew it was red, when she suddenly remembered.

Back when they were preparing for the graduation dance, everyone had flocked to a nearby custom tailoring shop known for good quality at a reasonable price.

As college graduates without much of a budget, and since the dress would only be worn once, no one had been chasing big brand names. The custom shop’s owners were a deaf-mute couple, but remarkably skilled—their suits and evening gowns were all fashionable and elegant.

Qi Xi could no longer remember who had first gotten a dress made at that shop, only that once everyone brought their dresses back to the dorm and tried them on, they’d all been struck by how stunning they looked. Word spread like wildfire, and soon nearly every graduating law student had gone to that shop to have something made.

Thinking back carefully, Qi Xi realized she’d run into Gu Yan exactly when she’d gone to pick up her dress for a final fitting to check if any details needed adjusting—he’d seemed to have just gone in to order a suit around the same time.

Except back then, Gu Yan had barely even glanced at her…

So much so that while Qi Xi had still been debating whether to say hello to him, Gu Yan had walked off without so much as lifting his eyelids.

Which meant he actually had seen her.

Qi Xi couldn’t help muttering, “You even remember I wore red? Here I thought you hadn’t seen me at all—turns out you just didn’t want to say hello to me.”

Gu Yan clearly hadn’t expected Qi Xi to draw that conclusion. He paused, visibly caught off guard, then coughed awkwardly, trying to rationalize his rudeness in a way that only made it more obvious: “I saw you, but not very clearly.”

“…” Qi Xi said, displeased, “That’s a pretty half-hearted excuse.”

But Gu Yan held his ground stubbornly: “It’s not that I didn’t want to say hello to you.”

Gu Yan seemed unable to come up with a better explanation, so he could only repeat that same line rather helplessly. He fell silent for a moment, and then his voice came through the phone again—

“I’m sorry.” He promised in a tone that sounded almost obediently agreeable, “Next time I see you, I’ll say hello.”

Qi Xi suddenly felt her face flush. “Why are you acting like a little kid!”

Gu Yan paused, seeming to also find it a bit childish, and didn’t pursue the “little kid” topic further. His tone grew more reserved instead as he asked Qi Xi, “So you’ll be wearing that red dress tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Qi Xi found it a little strange. “Why do you care so much? Is there some kind of problem?”

Gu Yan had already confirmed about the red dress several times now.

But when Qi Xi asked outright why he cared so much about whether it was red, Gu Yan immediately denied it: “No, I was just asking what color you’re wearing so I know how to coordinate my own outfit.” The man cleared his throat. “It’s getting late. I’m hanging up.”

Qi Xi didn’t think anything was off when she hung up, but a moment later, on reflection, she found herself puzzled—as a man, wouldn’t Gu Yan just be wearing black, gray, or navy to a cocktail reception? What was there to coordinate with those colors? None of them clashed with red anyway!

But she was simply too sleepy. Qi Xi yawned, feeling her eyes wanting to close on their own, and decided to just go with it, setting aside all further thought in favor of a good night’s sleep.

**

She’d never taken the graduation dance very seriously before, but this time—maybe because this would be the one and only occasion for this red dress to make its debut—Qi Xi found herself somewhat nervous and uneasy.

Aside from trying it on once at the tailoring shop, she’d never worn it since.

Fortunately, the dress was fitted with clean, flowing lines—a simple, elegant design that still held up beautifully, classic in style. Qi Xi checked herself in the mirror and felt quite satisfied, then sat down at her vanity, carefully curling the ends of her hair with a curling iron and doing her makeup with great care.

Perhaps because of all the effort, Zhao Yiran, passing by and seeing Qi Xi fully done up, stared in astonishment: “Qi Xi, are you getting married or something? Going all out like this!”

Qi Xi checked herself in the mirror again and didn’t think she looked particularly over the top. “I kept it pretty simple!”

“Simple, sure.” Zhao Yiran gestured with her hands. “But… but you wearing this red dress is almost too much firepower.” She seemed to struggle to find the right words. “You know how it is—sometimes less is more. The dress itself is simple, but that just makes your face and figure stand out even more. I’m a woman and even I feel like it’s a visual assault at first glance, let alone a man…”

…

**

By the time she was waiting downstairs nervously for Gu Yan, Qi Xi was still thinking about what Zhao Yiran had said. Was it really… that kind of visual impact? Would Gu Yan feel that impact too, seeing her?

Qi Xi didn’t quite know what she was expecting, but she really had grown nervous, uneasy, and on edge.

Gu Yan, who’d claimed he’d come pick her up by car, hadn’t shown up “riding” his bicycle this time. Not until a BMW pulled up right beside her did Qi Xi even register what was happening—Gu Yan stepped out of the driver’s seat in a crisp suit, walked over to her, and opened the passenger door for her.

Gu Yan’s hair had clearly been styled today too. In a suit, he looked especially tall and sharp; with his lips pressed together in silence, he radiated a kind of elite, hard-to-approach air.

But he looked handsome.

Truly, extremely handsome.

The kind of handsome that made even Qi Xi unable to help sneaking several extra glances.

But compared to Qi Xi’s stolen glances, Gu Yan was far more composed. Aside from a brief moment of surprise when he first opened the car door and saw her, he never so much as looked at her again afterward, staring straight ahead at the ground the whole time, as if Qi Xi were nothing more than a walking red traffic cone.

And Zhao Yiran had called this a visual assault?

Assault what? Gu Yan wasn’t even looking at her!

Qi Xi felt a little deflated, a little defeated and puzzled.

Gu Yan sat beside her, driving quietly. Qi Xi wasn’t much of a car person, but she knew enough to recognize this was a BMW 7 Series.

She sniffed, trying to shake off her earlier mood. “This is my favorite car.”

Gu Yan paused, clearly a little surprised. “Is it?”

“Yes.” Qi Xi nodded. “Because it’s the 7 Series, and it sounds like my name. Once I make money in the future, I’m going to buy a 7 Series.” She turned to look at Gu Yan. “Why did you buy this car? I never see you drive it normally.”

Gu Yan didn’t answer her question directly, simply saying, “I also think the name sounds nice.” He kept his eyes on the road, calm. “I also like the number seven. It’s my lucky number.”

Oh, I see.

Qi Xi didn’t ask anything else. Gu Yan turned on some soft music in the car; the interior carried a faint scent of citrus and lemon. The venue for the listed company’s annual gala wasn’t far at all.

**

The moment Qi Xi stepped into the gala venue, all her earlier mood swept away. Living up to its reputation as a wealthy listed company, the venue was decorated in a way that could only be called opulent. She stopped dwelling on earlier matters and instead began curiously taking in her surroundings.

“Qi Xi?”

Gu Yan had gone to sign in at that moment, so it wasn’t his voice.

Qi Xi turned around, curious, and was surprised to see Meng Kai. “You’re here for this gala too?”

Meng Kai was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, looking tall and mature. He smiled and nodded. “Yes, our company partners with this listed company, so we get invited to their annual gala too. So are you here representing them as their cooperating counsel?”

He extended his hand toward her, smiling. “Are you here alone? Need a dance partner? Can I invite you to be my date?”

Qi Xi blinked. “You didn’t bring a date? Isn’t this the kind of event where you’re supposed to bring one?”

Meng Kai tilted his head. “It’s not mandatory.” He looked into her eyes. “Besides, I don’t have a date—how would you expect me to bring one?”

“So, Qi Xi, would you be my date tonight?”

Just as Qi Xi opened her mouth to politely decline, someone else beat her to a refusal—

“No.” Gu Yan must have finished signing in, walking over from not far away. He pulled Qi Xi behind him, his tall frame blocking her line of sight to Meng Kai entirely.

His expression was ice-cold. “Qi Xi is my date.”

Meng Kai clearly hadn’t expected Gu Yan to appear out of nowhere. He looked surprised, then gave Qi Xi a meaningful smile. “I thought you two had broken up. If it were me, I don’t think I could put up with such a possessive boyfriend—he keeps way too close an eye on you.”

As he spoke, Meng Kai casually grabbed a cocktail off a passing server’s tray, downed it in one go, then smiled politely at Qi Xi again. “Forgot to mention—that red dress looks stunning on you.”

With that, he glanced at Gu Yan once more. “Hope you two have a good night.”

And with that, he walked off, quite the gentleman about it.

Meng Kai left, but Gu Yan still didn’t look particularly pleased. He glanced at Qi Xi, his voice a bit stifled. “Would you rather have been his date?”

The man seemed to have been holding it in for a while; after a moment, he took a deep breath. “If you really wanted to dance with him, I could also…”

“I don’t want to dance with him.” Qi Xi cut Gu Yan off, staring earnestly into his eyes. “I’m your date. Of course I only want to dance with you.”

That seemed to reassure Gu Yan tremendously. His face flushed slightly, but his mood eased like a bristling cat being smoothed back down. “Oh. Well, if that’s the case, why do you keep looking at him, smiling so happily, like you really want to dance with him?”

That was a total slander!

Qi Xi puffed up indignantly. “He complimented my dress. Was I supposed to cry at him instead? Aren’t you happy when someone calls you handsome? You didn’t even compliment me, and I still smiled at you!”

“Then let me compliment you.”

Gu Yan looked at Qi Xi, enunciating each word carefully and seriously. “Qi Xi, you wearing this dress—you really do look beautiful.”

Qi Xi had only been complaining offhandedly, without really expecting Gu Yan to respond. She hadn’t imagined he’d not only answer, but say something like that.

Now it was Qi Xi’s turn to grow nervous and flustered, her words coming out in a jumble. “Really? But you weren’t even looking at me earlier. So is this just you humoring me? You don’t need to bother—pretending to compliment me won’t get you any bonus points. Is it actually decent-looking on me?”

The moment she finished speaking, Qi Xi wanted to find a hole to crawl into. What was she even saying!

“I’m not humoring you. You really do look beautiful.” Gu Yan’s voice sounded almost unreal, so much so that Qi Xi began to wonder if she was imagining this whole conversation.

He looked a little flustered. “Actually, I saw you the first time you tried it on at the tailoring shop. I thought it looked beautiful even then.”

Hearing that, Qi Xi felt her heart race. She glanced up at Gu Yan, then looked away just as awkwardly, as if unable to meet his eyes directly. “You’re not just saying that to fool me, are you? If you thought it looked good, shouldn’t you have looked a little longer?”

“Staring too much is rude.” Gu Yan’s voice was calm and composed as he explained succinctly, “It’s like how staring at a dish you like during a meal and constantly reaching for it is bad table manners.”

At this, Qi Xi felt like her whole face might be as red as the dress.