Chapter 13

The man in love on the other side looked calm and composed.

“Of course, I also know that suddenly asking you to have dinner with me is a bit too much, you can completely refuse.”

Duan Shiyan lowered his eyes slightly, with a kind of broken feeling of a superior being, even his usually low and magnetic voice became listless and drooping, “It’s fine to eat alone, anyway, I often ate alone when I was abroad, I’m used to it.”

“At most, it’s a little lonely, it’s not a big deal, you don’t have to force yourself to agree to me.”

“Really, don’t force yourself.”

“I’m really okay.”

Duan Tea Dog, who had secretly put fox ears on his head, looked calm, “Really, not at all.”

“…”

Jinwu felt her CPU was about to burn out.

Her reason told her that there might be a trick to this.

But the man in front of her had always been a proud and arrogant son of heaven, full of spirit and arrogance.

Now, because he couldn’t find a dinner companion, he lowered his eyes and exuded a kind of pitiful aura, which made people feel soft-hearted.

“What’s there to force or not force, you’ve helped me twice, it’s my turn to treat you to dinner.”

Jinwu nodded happily, “Okay, then we’ll go together tonight.”

The corners of Duan Shiyan’s lips immediately curled up into a subtle curve.

He turned his head again, his deep and arrogant eyebrows and eyes couldn’t hide the secret joy.

Xiao Yuan, who was quietly acting as a radiant body: “…”

Mr. Duan is happy again.

“Then let’s go together.”

Duan Shiyan looked at her, his peach blossom eyes, tinged with starry smiles, were extremely seductive, like entangled threads that could hook people.

His half-drawn, magnetic tone was both charming and alluring, the contrasting dimples appeared faintly at the corners of his lips, “Dr. Jin, you’re the best!”

It felt like a puppy had rubbed its head against her.

Jinwu’s cheeks inexplicably felt a little hot.

“It’s nothing.”

She took a sip of the still cold strawberry milk, cooling herself down.

Thinking of the blind date he had just mentioned, she still felt a little incredulous, “Actually, I’m quite surprised, I always thought that a proud and perfect son of heaven like you would be able to get what you want and everything would go smoothly, you wouldn’t have any worries.”

As soon as her voice fell.

The smile on Duan Shiyan’s lips slowly faded.

“Really?”

His gaze lowered slightly, the depths of his eyes, hidden by his long eyelashes, were filled with a desolate and obscure loneliness, his voice was very soft, “But actually, I can’t get what I want.”

—

The Peninsula is the only top-end hotel in Kyoto with a 129-story building.

The top floor has hosted countless high-ranking officials and celebrities, it is a place that can only be reserved by those with a certain status and position.

The summer evening was full of stars.

The huge glass dome inside was inlaid with thousands of crystals, the 360-degree floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the dazzling night scene of the entire capital city, as if they were in outer space.

Coming to such a luxurious and exquisite place, Jinwu subconsciously looked down at the simple clothes she was wearing, her steps paused slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Duan Shiyan stopped next to her in time.

Jinwu was a little embarrassed, “Am I dressed too casually?”

She didn’t know she would be coming to such a high-end restaurant, she only wore a light blue long dress, paired with a cream-colored cardigan, and her face was not made up, it was plain and clean.

If it were Fu Yucheng, he would definitely frown immediately, saying she looked ugly, and questioning whether she didn’t take him seriously enough.

Duan Shiyan just curled his lips.

“No, you look beautiful.”

The moon outside the window hung in the night sky, bright and clear, you could see it as soon as you looked up.

But he only looked intently at the moon in front of him, his low and magnetic voice mixed with a bit of tenderness, sounding extremely doting, “You’ve always been beautiful.”

Such a light and gentle sentence, yet it instantly created ripples in her heart.

Jinwu met his deep and focused gaze, she was stunned for a moment, then she blushed slightly and curved her lips.

Strange.

It was just a polite compliment, but she was so happy.

—

The arrogant and wealthy young master of the capital, in order to avoid a blind date, waved his hand and directly booked the entire place, bringing along his newly acquired dinner companion.

“This way, please.”

The waiter in a tuxedo, with well-trained movements, pulled out chairs for them, the chef confirmed the dishes and began to serve them one after another.

From appetizers, opening dishes, starters, main courses, they were served in order.

Every dish, from its presentation to its aroma, was exquisitely delicious, making one want to snap pictures of the entire nine-square grid on their phone.

Jinwu took a sip of the matsutake soup, her gaze falling upon the man seated across from her.

He was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, the slightly unbuttoned collar of his shirt subtly exuding an aura of desire.

His features were handsome and profound, the knuckles of his hands holding the knife and fork were distinct, and every movement he made radiated an unrestrained arrogance.

He was still the same man, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid, a noble and unrestrained gentleman.

It was as if the fleeting sense of disappointment she had felt in the car was merely her imagination.

Jinwu was lost in thought.

He said he had his share of disappointments, but what could they be?

To think that someone so defiant could exhibit such a melancholic expression…

“Duan Shiyan.”

Fearing that he was still brooding, Jinwu searched her mind for a topic, hoping to liven up the atmosphere. “Do you remember our high school homeroom teacher? He had the surname Luo, so some of the more mischievous boys secretly called him ‘Pineapple Snow.’”

“Of course I remember.”

Duan Shiyan cut his black truffle steak, a smile playing on his lips. “I remember he made me sit behind you so you could help me with my English. I just nudged your back lightly, and you immediately bristled like a little hedgehog.”

The scene seemed to float before them.

His low, husky laughter vibrated from his chest, his narrow eyes lifted slightly, a mischievous glint in them. “So sensitive, are you, Miss Jinwu?”

The nickname he had given her when she was seventeen years old, now uttered by the twenty-six-year-old man.

The teasing tone remained the same, but there was an added layer of magnetism and sensuality, sending a tingling sensation through her ears.

Jinwu couldn’t help but rub her slightly heated earlobes.

As if refusing to be outdone, she pursed her lips, her entire face, with its clear and beautiful brows, came alive with vibrancy. “Then do you remember the time we had a little revolution? The school wanted us to only eat breakfast in the cafeteria, so they wouldn’t let us buy bread from the snack shop.

We rebelled and refused to go to the cafeteria, and the owner of the snack shop even cooperated by putting all the forbidden goods…”

“On the highest, innermost shelves.”

Before she could finish, Duan Shiyan quickly chimed in, a deep smile in his eyes. “It made our little class monitor, who wasn’t tall enough, have to jump around like a little rabbit, and she almost got hit in the head by a biscuit.”

Jinwu: “…”

She had already forgotten such an embarrassing incident, how could he still remember it so clearly?

And what kind of magical creature was she?!

A hedgehog and a rabbit?!

For once, Jinwu puffed out her cheeks slightly, like a debate contestant who had been challenged and was determined to win, her clear and bright eyes sparkling. “Then do you remember the little stray dog at school?”

“I found it in June, on the sixth, so I named it Liu Liu.”

As if recalling something, the smile in her eyes dimmed. “After high school, my family wouldn’t let me keep a dog, so I left Liu Liu at the pet hospital, hoping that a kind person would take it home.”

“Even though Liu Liu was a Border Collie, it had a small notch in its left ear, and I was always worried that no one would want to adopt it.”

At this point, her eyes lit up again. “But the pet hospital told me that a kind person had already adopted it, and they said they were taking good care of it.”

“Unfortunately, they didn’t leave any contact information, otherwise I would have really liked to thank them personally for adopting Liu Liu.”

Her voice was clear and melodious, her exquisite and beautiful brows were lightly adorned with a soft smile, like a bright and pure moonlit night.

Duan Shiyan’s fingertips curled slightly.

His dark eyes fixed intently on her smile, as if a burning passion was churning within them.

The beating of his heart was a chaotic drumbeat, each throb carrying a scorching heat.

“That silly little dog, you’re the one who cares about it the most.”

He regained his composure, his low voice tinged with a hint of jealousy. “Every time the weather turns bad, your eyes are practically glued to the outside. Once, during a heavy rainstorm, you skipped your favorite Chinese class, pretending to have a stomachache to go to the bathroom and run outside to find that silly little dog.”

The atmosphere was light and relaxed.

Jinwu snorted softly, childishly retorting, “What do you mean I care about it the most? During that heavy rainstorm, didn’t you run out with me? That means you cared about Liu Liu too.”

Long-forgotten memories flooded back, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “You even said you were the kind of person who didn’t like to meddle in other people’s business, but in the end, you still cared about our Liu Liu.”

Duan Shiyan’s gaze flickered, his thoughts pulled back to that rainstorm years ago.

The summer weather was always unpredictable, one moment it was scorching hot, the next, it was overcast.

“Duan Shiyan, you’ve come just in time, can you help me with something?”

The girl, her clothes slightly damp, carefully placed a small dog wrapped in her school uniform jacket in his arms. “The rain was too heavy, Liu Liu’s bed got wet, you watch Liu Liu for me, I’ll go to the student council to see if there are any new cardboard boxes.”

The girl was so close, he could smell the faint fragrance emanating from her collar.

The young man, who had just arrived, felt his earlobes turn crimson red.

He held the dog in his arms, as if reluctantly humming. “Jinwu, I’m actually the kind of person who doesn’t like to meddle in other people’s business.”

He looked away, his ear tips still slightly red. “But—”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Before he could finish, the girl turned and ran towards the nearby teaching building, holding her umbrella aloft.

Only the young man remained standing there, along with the words that were drowned out by the rain:

“But if it’s you, it’s okay.”