Qiao Ningzhi saw the two arguing more and more fiercely in the car, so she simply got out. Her appearance was immediately noticed by Mu Linjing. Mu Linjing had already seen her in a photo today and immediately understood that Zhan Yichen was going to take her home.
"Zhan Yichen, you're still sending her home. I won't waste your time."
She coldly snatched the wine bottle back from Zhan Yichen's hand, then cast a final glance at Qiao Ningzhi, who made her feel inexplicably insecure. The two of them were indeed well-matched, and she herself was like a clown.
Just as she turned around, another hand pulled her. But this time, it wasn't Zhan Yichen.
She turned her head, and Qiao Ningzhi smiled politely at her, "Miss Mu, I'm Qiao Ningzhi. I think we can get to know each other."
She extended her hand first. Mu Linjing initially didn't want to respond, but she also didn't want to appear stingy, so she shook hands with her symbolically, "Mu Linjing."
"Miss Mu, are you bothered by the fact that I had dinner with Young Master Zhan at noon today?"
Mu Linjing was displeased, feeling that this woman was somewhat asking the obvious. But being as stubborn as she was, she refused to admit it, "It has nothing to do with me whether you eat or not. What could I possibly be bothered about?"
Hearing her say this, Zhan Yichen's expression visibly darkened. He found her pretense of indifference to be truly grating.
But Qiao Ningzhi could see that her outward anger was a pretense.
To avoid being the cause of problems in their relationship, Qiao Ningzhi continued to explain, "For my own reputation, I still need to clarify that Young Master Zhan was tricked into coming. He and I are just friends, and helping him deal with Aunt Zhan was just a small favor."
Mu Linjing then looked at Zhan Yichen, who immediately nodded, afraid she wouldn't believe him.
"Yes, Linjing, you know my mother's personality. I genuinely didn't know she wanted to see me for this reason today. If I had known, I would have told you everything. Did she need me for something?"
Mu Linjing's drunkenness had lessened significantly when she saw Qiao Ningzhi. Facing a woman with better conditions than herself, she certainly wouldn't continue to fail, dragging her image down further.
Therefore, she could independently consider whether Zhan Yichen's words were true or false and stop making wild guesses.
Actually, she felt a little happy seeing Zhan Yichen so anxious for her. But thinking about the obvious disparity between them, that little bit of happiness vanished like ripples from a dragonfly's touch on the water.
She shook her head, "You don't need to explain anything to me. Take Miss Qiao home."
Her original intention was to believe Zhan Yichen's words, but the gap was right in front of her, and she could no longer ignore it. At least for now, she couldn't pretend that nothing had happened and chat and laugh with Zhan Yichen, or even smile at Qiao Ningzhi.
Even though Qiao Ningzhi had done nothing wrong in this matter, and could have stayed out of it, in a woman's subconscious, it was inevitable to feel jealous of a woman who was superior to her in all aspects, even if she was just a friend, let alone a stranger.
She genuinely couldn't bring herself to like Qiao Ningzhi, and didn't want to say more to her at this time, so leaving voluntarily was the best option.
However, her reaction, in Zhan Yichen's eyes, was that she didn't believe his explanation. So he pulled her back again, with a determined stance that if she didn't believe him, neither of them would be going anywhere tonight.
This matter didn't really concern Qiao Ningzhi much, and she had already explained what she needed to. There was no need for her to stay and listen to them argue.
"I'm almost home. Young Master Zhan, you should explain things properly to Miss Mu. You don't need to see me off."
She hailed a taxi and left, leaving only Zhan Yichen and Mu Linjing.
Zhan Yichen half-dragged and half-carried her into the car, then locked the doors. "Linjing, every word I say is true. I had no idea beforehand that I was being set up for this meal with her."
Mu Linjing clearly didn't want to talk to him. Her mind was in a mess, and she wasn't in the mood to converse.
But Zhan Yichen's attitude was also very firm. If she didn't speak, he wouldn't start the car.
She had no choice but to open her mouth, "I believe you. Can you take me home now?"
Her tone was obviously strained, which made Zhan Yichen think she was saying it out of impatience and wanting to get rid of him quickly.
This made him feel somewhat angry. So, in Mu Linjing's eyes, his words held no credibility.
Out of pique, he started the car and drove to Mu Linjing's house without a word, then unlocked the car doors.
Mu Linjing knew that he wanted her to get out of the car. And the speed at which he drove clearly indicated his anger.
However, given their current relationship, which was neither close nor distant, she simply said nothing and got out of the car.
What else could she say?
Under the current circumstances, anything she said would lack a foundation.
Zhan Yichen remained in the car until her house lights turned on, and he knew she had entered safely before driving away.
After entering her house, Mu Linjing was also filled with exhaustion. Even if this wasn't a blind date, she could tell from the photos she saw today that Wen Yulan was very pleased with Miss Qiao and would definitely try to match them in the future.
The thing she had been worried about had happened so quickly. She was completely unprepared to face it and was thus utterly defeated.
Just as she was contemplating whether to take a gamble, Wen Yulan had already made the decision for her. Her family background was such that she couldn't provide any career advancement for Zhan Yichen, so how could she expect to be accepted by the Zhan family?
She couldn't help but laugh at herself, and tears streamed down her cheeks. What she lacked wasn't the courage to take a gamble, but the qualifications to even attempt it.
On the list of those who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhan Yichen, her name didn't even have a chance to be listed. It was ridiculous that she was already thinking about how to get to the front row without even having an entry ticket.
"Mu Linjing, how can you be so self-unaware?"
She sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa, perhaps heartbroken about missing out on Zhan Yichen, or perhaps saddened by her wounded pride.
Wei Yumeng's call came at this moment. She answered with a voice thick with a runny nose, making it impossible for the person on the other end not to realize she had been crying.
"Linjing, are you okay?"
Wei Yumeng asked cautiously, not even knowing what to say, afraid that a single wrong word would hit a sore spot and make her pain worse.
Hearing Wei Yumeng's concern, the composure she had managed to piece together once again crumbled. Clasping the phone, she cried heartily, "Yumeng, why is there such a thing as 'a suitable match in social status' in the world?"