Chapter 2

Chapter 2

That meal had me sitting on pins and needles, every bite tasting like wax.

It wasn’t that I didn’t believe true love existed in this world. It was just that most true love at least involved some admirable qualities that drew two people together.

But Zhu Songan?

Right now, he was sitting across from Chen Ling and me, eating with grease smeared all over his mouth.

Hu Xiaoman sat beside him, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Honey, slow down. Don’t choke.”

The whole scene was, frankly, an assault on the eyes.

Chen Ling asked tentatively, “Sorry if this is rude, but what does Mr. Zhu do for a living?”

Zhu Songan froze mid-bite, then slammed the table. “What do you mean by that?”

Chen Ling jumped, nearly falling out of her chair.

Zhu Songan was still shouting. “Did you know I don’t have a job right now and Xiaoman is supporting me, so you asked that on purpose to embarrass me?”

Chen Ling was completely stunned. “That’s not what I meant.”

Zhu Songan flew into a rage and actually reached out to hit her. “I think you’re looking down on me!”

His meaty palm was about to land on Chen Ling. At the critical moment, I reached out and grabbed his wrist.

His hand stopped just above Chen Ling’s head. Zhu Songan struggled, only to find he couldn’t move an inch.

Only then did he look up at me, the person who had barely had any presence until now.

I smiled at him. “Mr. Zhu, aren’t you being a little too sensitive?”

Chen Ling’s eyes had gone red with fright, and the hand clutching the hem of my clothes was trembling.

The atmosphere turned painfully awkward. Guests at the nearby tables all started looking over.

Hu Xiaoman finally snapped back to her senses and quickly pulled my hand off Zhu Songan’s wrist.

She rubbed the wrist I had squeezed until it was a little red.

Her face was full of distress. “Baby, are you okay? Why is it so red?”

Then she turned to look at me, displeased. “Ruyi, why did you use so much force?”

Zhu Songan yanked his hand back and snapped, “Hu Xiaoman, I think your friends look down on me!”

“I only came to this meal today out of respect for you!”

“What a buzzkill.”

With that, he shook off Hu Xiaoman’s hand, got up, and went to the restroom.

As soon as he left, Hu Xiaoman’s face went cold. “What is wrong with you two? Why did you have to embarrass my boyfriend like that?”

Chen Ling had just opened her mouth to explain when Hu Xiaoman cut her off again.

Hu Xiaoman looked at me. “Ruyi, why did you make unnecessary physical contact with my boyfriend just now?”

Me: “…”

Hu Xiaoman said, “I know my boyfriend is outstanding. It’s fine if you’re envious and jealous of me, but you can’t try to seduce him!”

Chen Ling and I exchanged a look.

Then we both fell into a long silence.

Had the world gone mad?

I ignored Hu Xiaoman’s insanity and stood up on my own. “I’m going to the restroom.”