Later, he thought about it again and figured that with Qiao Anchen’s looks, it wouldn’t be hard for any girl to fall deeply for him.

Now, seeing Qiao Anchen’s post-marital state, Jin Ran couldn’t stop laughing. He coughed into his fist for a long time to stifle his laughter before he finally managed to control himself.

Qiao Anchen had given up and was calmly eating his meal, letting him finish his mocking.

From the moment he decided to speak up, he had anticipated this reaction.

“By the way, when did this situation start?” Jin Ran stopped laughing and began to address the real issue, trying to help his friend.

“On the evening of the Qixi Festival,” Qiao Anchen, with his excellent memory and clear logic, answered without hesitation.

“Qixi Festival—” Jin Ran thought he might have figured out the reason.

“So, what did you two do that day? Tell me,” he said, knowing his old colleague well. Suddenly, Jin Ran’s face changed to one of disbelief. “You didn’t take her to eat spicy Hunan cuisine, did you?”

That restaurant was their go-to place for group meals and leisure. Whenever there was an important event or holiday, they would all go there after work.

The owner was a relative of one of their colleagues at the prosecutor’s office, and he would sometimes give them discounts, but that wasn’t the main point. The key was that the food was good and everyone liked it.

Jin Ran liked it too, but even if he did, he wouldn’t take a girl there on the Qixi Festival. However, he felt this was something Qiao Anchen would do.

As expected.

The person opposite him nodded solemnly.

Jin Ran rolled his eyes dramatically and was almost ready to kneel.

……

On the drive home, Qiao Anchen was still deep in thought, replaying Jin Ran’s words from lunch.

“Normally, for a girl’s Valentine’s Day date, you shouldn’t even think about anything romantic. A high-end restaurant and roses are essential. I’m not asking for a gift, but taking her to eat spicy Hunan cuisine is a bit much.”

“Qiao Anchen, if I were your wife, I’d be ready to have a fight with you.”

He glanced at the bright and beautiful bouquet of roses in the passenger seat. His lips involuntarily tightened, and his mood sank slightly.

Qiao Anchen got off work on time today. Chu Yi had already prepared the meal ahead of time. When she heard the noise in the hallway, she had just finished bringing out the last soup.

Chu Yi, with her head down, set the tableware as usual and did not主动look at him or greet him.

Qiao Anchen changed his shoes and saw Chu Yi’s cold attitude. He held the bouquet of roses like it was a hot potato, hesitating and standing in place, unsure whether to move forward.

Chu Yi was pretending to be busy. After setting the table, she was about to get a spoon to serve the soup when a bouquet of roses was suddenly handed to her.

She was startled and looked up at Qiao Anchen.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t give you flowers on the Qixi Festival. Is it still okay to make up for it now?” Qiao Anchen bit his lip, nervously, and spoke with some hesitation.

Chu Yi looked at the bouquet in her hands with mixed feelings. In the end, she still reached out and accepted it.

“Who taught you this?”

“Hm?” Her voice was very low. It took a moment for Qiao Anchen to understand her question. He looked a bit uncomfortable.

“One of our colleagues at the office.”

“A man or a woman?”

“A man.” Although he didn’t know why she was asking, Qiao Anchen answered truthfully.

“He asked me about it when we had lunch the other day because I wasn’t in a good mood. We talked for a bit.”

Chu Yi’s expression softened. Looking at Qiao Anchen’s current appearance, she felt a sudden pang of guilt.

…… His understanding and thoughts had always been different from hers. What seemed important to her might just be an ordinary moment for Qiao Anchen.

Because of this, she had been sulking and giving him the cold shoulder for so long.

Qiao Anchen’s clumsy attempt to please her had made Chu Yi’s frustration crumble in an instant.

“Let’s eat.” She placed the bouquet on a nearby cabinet.

The next morning, when Qiao Anchen woke up, he found a beautiful glass vase on the dining table. The bouquet of vibrant roses from last night was arranged in it, gleaming under the sunlight and adding a special touch to the ordinary morning.