As a result, dinner didn’t happen. Pei Tingyue received a last-minute phone call, urgent matters requiring him to return to the law firm.

“You can drop me off at the subway entrance. Thanks for today,” Shen Chuo thanked him again.

Pei Tingyue pulled over to the side of the road, watching him unbuckle his seatbelt and open the car door.

“Professor Shen.”

Shen Chuo turned back.

“Consider tonight’s meal as owed. Until next time,” Pei Tingyue said.

Shen Chuo paused for a moment, then nodded.

As the person beside him got out of the car, Pei Tingyue watched his figure walk into the subway station. After a moment, he casually pressed the accelerator and drove into the night.

The next time Shen Chuo saw Pei Tingyue was two days later when he was invited to visit Qide’s research institute, located in a bustling area in the city center.

After finishing work, he stepped out onto the street, intending to take the subway back, but he spotted Pei Tingyue saying goodbye to someone on the roadside.

Although Pei Tingyue had said “until next time,” Shen Chuo hesitated for a moment, pretending not to have seen him. Just as he turned to leave, a new message appeared on his phone screen.

“Running away as soon as you see me?”

Shen Chuo calmly pocketed his phone and turned back.

The person Pei Tingyue had been chatting with had already left, and his assistant was gone too, leaving only Pei Tingyue standing by the car, arms crossed, casually watching him.

Shen Chuo walked over and asked nonchalantly, “Why are you here?”

Pei Tingyue gestured to the side. “Huai City’s Commercial Arbitration Court is here. Came to file a lawsuit.”

“Oh,” Shen Chuo replied.

“Why did you run away as soon as you saw me?” Pei Tingyue persisted.

“I didn’t,” Shen Chuo adamantly denied. “I didn’t see you. I just came out of Qide’s research institute and was about to go back.”

Pei Tingyue sneered. “If you say so. But since we’ve bumped into each other, why not take me out for a meal?”

Shen Chuo owed him a meal, so he couldn’t back out now. He had no choice but to follow Pei Tingyue into the car.

As they left, Pei Tingyue continued to take work calls non-stop while driving.

During a break in the calls, Shen Chuo suggested, “If you’re really busy, let’s forget about today. We can do it another day.”

Pei Tingyue glanced over at him.

“Upset that I’m not paying attention to our date?”

“Date?” Shen Chuo choked.

“Not a date?”

“You might as well call it a social obligation.”

“Fine, if that’s what you want to call it. Thanks for the trouble, Professor Shen.”

Pei Tingyue didn’t answer any more calls, focusing on driving instead. Ten minutes later, he pulled into the underground parking lot of a nearby five-star hotel.

Shen Chuo realized where they were and hesitated. “Are we eating here?”

“The rooftop restaurant here is quite famous,” Pei Tingyue said. “Plus, the view is good. Shall we go?”

Shen Chuo swallowed his words and simply replied, “As you wish.”

He hoped his monthly salary could cover this meal.

Pei Tingyue gestured for him to get out of the car and opened the door for him.

Sitting at the table, Shen Chuo glanced at the menu but didn’t see the prices listed. However, judging by the ingredients, he knew it wouldn’t be cheap. He realized he was quite uncultured and saw that Pei Tingyue was ordering confidently, clearly not his first time here.

Putting down the menu, Shen Chuo picked up a glass of mint water, resolving to keep his distance from this person in the future.

“Aren’t you ordering?” Pei Tingyue asked.

“No, you go ahead. I’m easy,” Shen Chuo chuckled dryly.

Pei Tingyue looked at him for two seconds, then returned his gaze to the menu, not bothering to be polite. After ordering, he signaled for the waiter to bring another bottle of fine wine.

“Are you going to drink? Didn’t you drive?” Shen Chuo asked.

“I can call for a chauffeur.”

“…,” Shen Chuo had nothing more to say.

“Relax,” Pei Tingyue poured him a glass of wine. “Look outside.”

Shen Chuo turned his head to look out the window, where the changing hues of twilight mingled with the city lights, offering a glimpse of the bustling metropolis below.

“Looking down from here, people are like ants,” Pei Tingyue suddenly remarked.

Shen Chuo’s gaze shifted, looking at him.

Pei Tingyue was actually smiling, but there was a hint of indifference in his eyes, as he casually swirled the wine glass in his hand. “Most people like to climb higher, as if the higher they climb, the more they can disdain everything.”

“Do you think so too?”

“Who knows,” Pei Tingyue’s tone was disdainful. “Maybe. But in the end, there’s nothing truly free, not even for us lawyers. No matter how good a lawyer is, they can’t escape the word ‘law’ itself.”

Shen Chuo didn’t quite understand. Why would someone like Pei Tingyue, who had no reverence for his own profession, no pity, and no empathy, choose to do this job?

But he didn’t ask. Even if he did, this person would probably just say he liked money, liked seeing others beg him to pick up their case.

The dishes Pei Tingyue ordered arrived quickly. Shen Chuo felt sorry for his salary and stopped talking about trivial matters, focusing on eating.

Pei Tingyue ate slowly and often looked at the person sitting opposite him, observing him.

That day, Shen Chuo was wearing a very formal shirt, the simplest white style, with all the buttons meticulously done up. It outlined the smooth lines of his neck, and as he ate, his Adam’s apple moved unconsciously.

A university professor who appeared gentle and restrained on the surface, but was passionate and irresistible in bed. A strange contrast.

Pei Tingyue thought of something and smiled faintly.

As the meal was coming to an end, Pei Tingyue put down his wine glass and said he needed to use the restroom.

Shen Chuo nodded, granting him permission.

“Take your time eating,” Pei Tingyue got up and left.

He first went to the front desk and settled the bill.

When he came out of the restroom, instead of returning to his seat, he walked out onto the adjacent terrace and lit a cigarette.

There were a few WeChat messages that came in a few minutes ago.

Song Xun: [Happy Birthday, old Pei! Xiao Man said she’ll cook a big meal herself on Saturday. Will you be free to come to my place for dinner?]

Pei Tingyue casually opened his friend circle, and the latest post was an intimate photo celebrating three months of marriage with Chi Xiaoman.

Biting his cigarette, Pei Tingyue’s gaze lingered on the photo for a moment, his expression somewhat blurred by the smoke.

He didn’t reply, simply exited the app and deleted the conversation.

When Shen Chuo came over, Pei Tingyue had just finished his cigarette.

“Weren’t you going to the restroom? Ended up hiding here to smoke?”

Pei Tingyue turned around, meeting Shen Chuo’s disapproving gaze, and asked him, “Professor Shen, why are you so impatient? Can you focus on research and teaching with this attitude?”

He even turned the tables, pointing at his own watch. “You’ve been out for over twenty minutes, and it’s almost eight o’clock.”

Pei Tingyue stubbed out his cigarette, offering a half-hearted apology, “Sorry, forgot to check the time.”

Shen Chuo didn’t want to engage with him, turning to go inside. Suddenly, Pei Tingyue reached out and grabbed him, pushing him against the nearby wall and covering his mouth with his hand before Shen Chuo could speak.

“Someone’s here.”

Pei Tingyue’s voice sounded close to his ear.

Shen Chuo didn’t understand what he meant until he heard ambiguous murmurs from nearby.

Glancing over, he saw two men on the other side of the greenery, embracing and flirting intimately, occasionally kissing as if there was no one else around.

Shen Chuo was speechless, retracting his gaze and looking at the person in front of him with displeasure, gesturing for him to let go.

Pei Tingyue stared into his eyes, slowly releasing his hand but not stepping back, his gaze shifting to the side, noticing a red mole on the edge of Shen Chuo’s earlobe, pausing for a moment.

“It’s awkward to leave now. Let’s wait.”

His voice, accompanied by the warmth of his breath, entered Shen Chuo’s ear, causing a tingling sensation, and Shen Chuo turned his head to the other side.

The entangled figures on the other side of the partition were clearly visible through the intertwining branches and leaves.

Whether it was the affectionate rubbing of noses, the intimate closeness of lips, or one hand placed on the other’s neck while being held and intertwined, it indicated that they were a couple deeply in love.

Shen Chuo closed his eyes, the inexplicable heat carried by the night wind from the tall buildings, roaring in his body and mind, making it impossible to ignore.

Pei Tingyue carefully observed his expression, then turned his head, leaning closer to him.

“Shen Chuo.”

His voice was soft, whispering those two words like a lover’s murmur.

Shen Chuo calmly asked, “What?”

“Your name sounds nice,” Pei Tingyue said, as if it were just a sudden whim to call him.

“If you have nothing to say, you don’t have to speak.”

“Really,” Pei Tingyue repeated his name, “it sounds quite nice.”

Shen Chuo didn’t want to engage with him, tilting his head slightly to look at the gradually darkening night sky outside, his black eyes showing no ripples.

After a moment of silence, he asked, “When can we leave? I don’t want to keep hiding here.”

“Well,” Pei Tingyue casually replied, his gaze returning to the red mole on the edge of Shen Chuo’s earlobe, “they’ll be done soon.”

However, the ambiguous sounds continued.

“Are you feeling embarrassed?” Shen Chuo’s gaze turned to him, mocking in a low voice, “You clearly don’t care about others, do you?”

With an annoyed shove, he pushed the jerk in front of him, who had gotten too close, and turned to leave.

The couple who were passionately kissing were interrupted by Shen Chuo’s sudden appearance, both freezing in surprise.

Ignoring them, Shen Chuo walked back into the restaurant.

He went straight to the front desk to pay the bill, only to be told that their table had already settled their bill.

Pei Tingyue leisurely followed, gesturing to him. “Let’s go.”

“Wasn’t it my treat?” Shen Chuo immediately realized that Pei Tingyue had paid the bill first. Although he felt he had been tricked by this person, he didn’t plan to go back on his word about treating him.

“Next time,” Pei Tingyue said, “today, let me treat you.”

“No need,” Shen Chuo insisted, “I’ll pay. How much?”

Seeing through his thoughts, Pei Tingyue said, “After this meal, we’re even. We won’t owe each other anything in the future. How about that?”

“Forget about it.”

Pei Tingyue pressed the elevator button and stepped in first, standing inside and looking at Shen Chuo, who still wore a displeased expression outside the door. “Get in.”

Shen Chuo particularly disliked his authoritative tone, but he didn’t want to argue with him in such a place, so he swallowed his pride and entered.

The elevator descended straight to the underground parking lot, and Pei Tingyue didn’t speak, nor did Shen Chuo bother to break the silence.

When they reached the underground parking lot, Shen Chuo suddenly remembered that Pei Tingyue hadn’t called a chauffeur yet. Before he could ask, Pei Tingyue had already opened the car door, reached out, and pushed him into the car.

Caught off guard, Shen Chuo fell into the back seat, unable to react in time. Pei Tingyue followed suit, forcefully closing the car door and locking it.