After shopping, Chu Xi didn't let her go home and insisted on treating her to dinner.
He Yao said it wasn't necessary, she wasn't hungry yet.
"Why not? You'll be bored going home alone, what's the rush? It'll be nice to have dinner and chat together to pass the time. Plus, I have something to ask of you, so you must let me treat you."
He Yao had no choice but to go to dinner with her.
Having not used the restroom all afternoon, upon entering the restaurant, He Yao went to the restroom first and took the opportunity to message Zhan Jingrui.
Zhan Jingrui had already returned home and was cooking. Upon hearing she was having dinner with Chu Xi, he asked if Chu Xi had made things difficult for her.
"Did she suspect anything?"
He Yao replied, "Probably not. She's been very warm and happy. She bought a lot of gifts for your family this afternoon and didn't make things difficult for me."
"Actually, getting along with her was quite pleasant. Don't worry, everything's fine. Eat by yourself first."
Zhan Jingrui felt something was off. Chu Xi wasn't usually one to actively seek out friendships, nor was she very talkative.
How could she have developed such a deep connection with He Yao after only just meeting?
However, since He Yao insisted that Chu Xi hadn't done anything excessive, and Zhan Jingrui trusted Chu Xi's character, he didn't want to overthink it.
"Alright then, I'll wait for you to come back."
"Don't wait for me. You should go back. If I'm with her and you're waiting at home, I feel like we're ganging up on her, and I can't bear it."
"Don't think too much about it. I'll just be alone if I go back. I'm worried about you, and being agitated will only cause more trouble."
Zhan Jingrui said, "Go eat quickly, it's fine. I promise not to call or message you randomly, or cause you any trouble."
When He Yao came out, Chu Xi had already ordered the food and was smiling, asking why she took so long.
"Could it be that you haven't contacted Liang Bo all afternoon, and he misses you, so he called you secretly?"
"No, Liang Bo and I aren't in the kind of relationship you're thinking of."
"Not now, but who knows about the future? Didn't Liang Bo say he likes you and is pursuing you?"
He Yao smiled and took a sip of coffee, "He and I aren't compatible."
"Where are you incompatible? I think you two are quite suitable. Talented and beautiful, and Liang Bo is humorous, he knows how to make girls happy..."
He Yao interrupted her, "Let's not talk about me. Tell me about yourself. Miss Chu, you said you needed my help with something, and I really can't figure out what I could possibly help you with."
Chu Xi then said, "It's actually not a big deal, it's a piece of cake for you. When Jingrui and I get married, can you be my bridesmaid?"
He Yao was completely taken aback by her request, leaving her speechless.
The eldest daughter of the prestigious Chu family marrying the young master of the Zhan Corporation, and she, an unknown nobody, was being asked to be a bridesmaid?
Chu Xi smiled and explained, "Why are you so surprised? Didn't I tell you? I'm a bit of a homebody, and I'm very particular about who I click with when making friends, so I have very few friends. I really can't pick out many suitable bridesmaids."
"I like you a lot. And I genuinely want to set you and Liang Bo up. He'll be the best man too, so please say yes."
Her words made it impossible to refuse. Even though she felt heartbroken, He Yao had to agree.
"Alright. As long as Miss Chu doesn't find me lacking."
"What are you saying? How could I find you lacking? Also, stop calling me Miss Chu. We're good friends now. I call you He Yao, so you can call me Chu Xi from now on. Let's exchange WeChat, and I'll often look for you to hang out when we have time, okay?"
He Yao didn't want to add her.
"I'm usually very busy with work, and I often have to work overtime. I'm afraid I won't have much time..."
"Don't worry, I won't bother you. We can meet up when you're free."
He Yao had no choice but to exchange contact information with her.
After dinner, Chu Xi insisted on driving her back.
He Yao didn't want her to know where she lived now, so she gave the address of her old dormitories at the factory.
When they arrived downstairs, Chu Xi still insisted on going up to take a look.
"I've never seen a dormitory before. I've seen online that several girls live together, and it seems very cozy. Can I go up and take a look?"
He Yao could only pray that Luo Jia was still living in the dormitory, so her lie wouldn't be too difficult to maintain.
She took her upstairs. Fortunately, the factory had already hired someone to fix the plumbing and clean the place, and Luo Jia had moved back in.
The dormitory was much the same as before, clean and tidy. The door was open, and a hot pot was simmering on the induction cooker. Luo Jia had gone out for some reason.
"My friend has a rather eccentric personality and absolutely hates it when I bring people over. I'm sorry, but I can't invite you in to sit down."
Seeing that He Yao seemed to be genuinely living there, Chu Xi felt relieved and soon bid her farewell.
He Yao stayed in the hallway for a few minutes, and after confirming Chu Xi had left, she messaged Zhan Jingrui.
"We've finished dinner. I'm downstairs at my old dormitory building now. Come pick me up."
She hadn't suffered any mistreatment, yet upon seeing Zhan Jingrui again, she inexplicably felt like crying and wanted him to hold her.
He Yao nestled in his arms for a long time before getting up.
Zhan Jingrui gently cupped her face, "What's wrong? Did you two have a falling out?"
"No. She wants to be friends with me and even gave me gifts, treating me incredibly well. I feel like I've wronged her."
"Look at you, here you go again. Did you forget what you promised me yesterday?"
"Then I won't talk about it anymore. I want to cherish every moment I spend with you. Hold me tighter, kiss me, okay?"
Zhan Jingrui held and kissed her repeatedly, still wanting more.
"Let's go home."
Upon returning home, the two of them eagerly clung to each other again.
Like a prairie fire, there was another bout of passion.
Even though they were tightly entwined, He Yao still felt a sense of unease in her heart.
When they quieted down, Zhan Jingrui asked her what Chu Xi had said today.
He Yao traced his Adam's apple, leaning against his chest.
"She said she wants to invite me to be your wedding bridesmaid."
"What? Ask you to be a bridesmaid? You agreed?"
"Why shouldn't I agree?"
It's fine if she agreed, the wedding wouldn't happen anyway.
Zhan Jingrui thought to himself: Chu Xi must have discovered something, otherwise her behavior wouldn't be so abnormal.
If that's the case, he couldn't delay any longer. Tomorrow, even if he had to take time off work, he had to find her and confess everything.
However, when he called Chu Xi the next day, she wasn't in Sucheng.
"I'm going on vacation to Nan'ao Island. You've been busy lately and haven't had time to accompany me, so when some sisters invited me to go out, I joined them. I didn't tell you beforehand, you won't be angry, will you?"
Zhan Jingrui became even more certain that her behavior was abnormal, "I am a bit unhappy, it's quite sudden."
"I'm sorry, I'll be back in a few days. We can talk about anything when I return, okay?"
Although he didn't want to delay any longer, her attitude was good, and Zhan Jingrui had no standing to ruin the mood.
"Then call me as soon as you get back."
After hanging up the phone, Chu Xi slammed the car door shut and entered Liang Bo's factory.