“Dinner meeting?” Jiao Yushi’s tone was neutral, “You’re having a meeting on New Year’s Eve? What happened?”

Chacha’s tone was also pretty laid back, “It’s a small matter that can be dealt with in a few days.”

Jiao Yushi thought to himself, With your ability to attract trouble, how can it be a small matter? On the surface, however, he added insult to injury by saying, “Mm. But as an apology, after you deal with the matter, treat me to ten meals.”

Chacha felt speechless. She counterattacked him by saying, “……Is your face getting thicker as fast as you age?”

Jiao Yushi chuckled lightly. “Remember the ten meals. I still have some things to deal with, I’m hanging up.”

Chacha hummed and Jiao Yushi cut the call.

After hanging up, Jiao Yushi’s expression remained unchanged as he casually exchanged a few words to relatives and the like. He then left the hall with the excuse of having a headache and went back to his room to rest.

Once he was in his room, Jiao Yushi saw the text messages sent to him by Shi Qian and Du Siyuan.

【Shi Qian: Sh***t! Is Chacha someone who abuses small animals? I don’t believe it! She’s so gentle!】

【Du Siyuan: Chacha is being slandered. Go check out Weibo, it’s intriguing. Also, I want to help her. You two said nothing’s going on between you, right? Then don’t blame your bro for making a move first.】

When Jiao Yushi saw Shi Qian’s text message, he frowned and was a little unhappy. Such slander spread casually could affect people’s reputation and so on, but when he saw Du Siyuan’s text message, his furrowed brow relaxed again. He didn’t go check Weibo right away, nor did he reply to Shi Qian who was the first to send a text message.

Instead, he replied to Du Siyuan, 【Look at Chen Cha, she’s beautiful, elegant, has a good figure, polite, tasteful, knowledgeable, smart, visionary, gentle and considerate, yet she still dares to try without fear and relies on her own hands to make a path for herself. She’s perfect, right?】

Du Siyuan quickly replied back, 【Hahaha, right. Do you really not like her? You actually listed so many descriptions of her.】

【Jiao Yushi: No. I’m trying to tell you that people aren’t born perfect. She must have experienced numerous hardships for her to be so. Having cultivated to such a level, the most intense moments have already passed and she will no longer have the emotion such as liking others. If you try to hit on her, you’ll only get hurt.】

Jiao Yushi didn’t feel anything when he sent this text message and he only said what he thought. But after doing so, he realized that if that was indeed the case, then Chen Cha wouldn’t like him either.

A very slight sadness suddenly sprung up in his chest.

Because he usually has too few emotions, even the very slight sadness was very obvious to him.

Jiao Yushi was silent for a moment. Inwardly, he was thinking that since he felt sad, it showed that he cared about her.

If she wasn’t just someone who he finds interesting, but someone he cared for, what should he do?

Jiao Yushi pondered for a while. Getting the answer in his head, he showed a sincere smile before looking at the new message from Du Siyuan, 【……No, you really don’t like her?】

【Jiao Yushi: I’m giving you advise out of kindness.】

【Du Siyuan: Alright, alright, I will figure it out myself. It’s okay if you like her, it all depends on who she likes between us two.】

Jiao Yushi didn’t reply to Du Siyuan anymore. He went to send Shi Qian a full stop punctuation before going to Weibo to find news about the false accusation against Chen Cha.

After scrolling around and understanding what had happened, he went to Chen Cha’s profile to have a look. She made a new post after half a month.

【Chacha Loves Drinking Tea: I was shocked that something like this happened on New Year’s Eve. However, parent-child relationship is complex and deeply intertwined. The parts about animal cruelty and pushing people down the stairs shocked me the most. It’s very easy to falsely accuse someone, but as a mother, doing it to your own daughter…… Really, my mind is in a mess right now, I don’t want to say anything more.】

The number of comments immediately increased.

【I believe in Chacha.】

【Chacha’s mother had gone to Chacha’s school to cause trouble before and even wanted to slap her. I don’t believe Chacha can push such a fierce woman down the stairs.】

【Is it true or not? I feel so confused right now.】

———pr

Chacha didn’t read the comments as she had already guess what the people would say.

After posting on Weibo, she put down her phone and went to choose an outfit and put on light makeup. When she was done getting ready, it was still early, so she chose a book to read.

She hadn’t been reading for long when her phone started dinging.

Chacha guessed it was her concern friends, so she put down the book and took the phone over to take a look. Sure enough.

After patiently replying to everyone, she continued reading.

At 7 pm, Jiao Yushi still came. He was carrying two large bags, the contents seeming to be packed food.

“Didn’t I say I have something this evening?” Chacha said helplessly while taking out the food containers from the bag and placing them on the table one by one. “If you come and I’m not here, won’t these things go to waste?”

“Even if there are two of us, we won’t be able to finish everything anyway.” Jiao Yushi deadpanned.

Chacha shrugged. “You’re right.”

Things were placed and tea was prepared. The two sat down facing each other. Chacha had two dining table, one was rectangular and could seat about ten people while one was square and relatively small, so it could only accommodate up to four people.

The square table was placed by the window, which was a good place to drink tea.

Chacha and Jiao Yushi were sitting at the rectangular dining table placed in the middle of the room. They were sitting on each side, instead of the two ends of the table, so close that they could clearly see the distance between each other’s eyelashes.

Jiao Yushi had eaten at home and was now only moving his chopsticks symbolically, while Chacha wanted to save space in her stomach to drink and socialize later. But since someone was kind enough to bring food, then just eat.

Jiao Yushi looked at Chen Cha who was eating quietly. Ever since he realized that he probably care about Chen Cha, he felt that she looked more beautiful than before. And she’s also clever and cute, making people want to touch her head.

“How do you plan to resolve the matter?” Jiao Yushi asked.

Chacha hummed, the sound trailing. After chewing the food in her mouth carefully and swallowing, only then did she say, as if making up her mind, “Clarify things first.”

This answer was very perfunctory and a load of crap.

When something like this happens, of course people have to clarify, otherwise would they continue to let themselves be discredited?

Jiao Yushi, however, nodded his head seriously and said, “Good method.”

Chacha: “……” No, I’m just being perfunctory.

She was ‘flattered’ by this seriousness of his, and although she felt it was a bit strange, she still added out of politeness, “I’ll see what to do after that.”

“Are you keeping something from me?”

Chacha smiled faintly, pretending to be gentle to muddle through.

As soon as Jiao Yushi saw her expression, he knew that his guess was right.

He originally planned to intervene, but now he wanted to wait and see what Chen Cha would do next before deciding whether to take action.

He was now somewhat blindly trusting Chen Cha, thinking that when he wakes up the next day, public opinion would change under her control.

As much as he might care about her, he was still more curious about what she’s hiding.

Jiao Yushi felt that if he was in a relationship, he might not be a good boyfriend.

After dinner, Jiao Yushi learned that Chen Cha was going to have dinner with media big shots and the like, and asked, “Do you need me to accompany you?”

“I’ll ask you if it’s necessary.” Chacha smiled and went out the house with him. They parted by the door, “Thank you for the dinner today. It has made my mood a lot better.”

“It’s nothing. Don’t forget that you owe me ten meals.” Jiao Yushi said with a straight face.

Chacha smiled sweetly. “……Of course.”

She felt that Jiao Yushi was the type of person who couldn’t get along well with others. How could anyone still think about ten meals when others were being slandered by their own mother and incurred infamy?

He simply deserves a beating.

Chacha said goodbye to him with a smile, went to the agreed location, drank with the big shots as they chatted about the future and the past, and finally talked about the present and made some agreements.

After it was all over, it was already 11:30 in the evening. Chacha’s face has turned red because she was a little drunk. She happily said goodbye to the big shots and after seeing them off, she went to the entrance of the restaurant to take a taxi back.

Inside the car, she received a text message from Jiao Yushi, 【Still not done talking yet?】

Chacha replied, 【Just finished.】

Jiao Yushi asked, 【How much did you drink?】

【Chacha: Easily a bottle.】

【Jiao Yushi: Are you drunk?】

【Chacha: I can’t get drunk when something’s going on.】

【Jiao Yushi: Come to my place, there’s soup here.】

【Chacha: I’ll think about it.】

【Jiao Yushi: We’ll offset one meal.】

Chacha let out a laugh. He was really…… cute?

She put away her phone and didn’t reply. She guessed that Jiao Yushi wouldn’t push her to give an answer, but he would definitely think more about it.

It’s okay to think more. The more he thinks, the more memorable it would be.

Chacha thought that she was really drunk. Her consciousness wasn’t clear, and her thoughts were quite chaotic. There was no benefit or significance in making Jiao Yushi have a deep impression of her. It’s hard to understand why she was doing it.

She arrived at Shuixie Community in a daze. After paying the fare, she entered the residential building and went upstairs, looking very normal. Then she rang the doorbell of Jiao Yushi’s unit.

He seemed to know that she would come as his expression was calm, not the least bit surprised. Or perhaps, even if he found it unexpected, or whether he’s surprised, happy and so on, he just wouldn’t show it on the surface.

Jiao Yushi let Chen Cha in, guided her to sit down in front of the dining table, and served her a bowl of soup. Even though it’s New Year’s Eve, there were still places where one could buy soup.

Chacha was really a little drunk. She took a few sips of the soup and suddenly noticed a grand piano placed by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. She asked, “When did you buy a piano?”

Jiao Yushi answered, “The other day.”

Chacha said, “Mm…… You’re into piano?”

He bought it even though it took up such a big space. He’d see it day and night, so it seemed that he really liked piano very much.

Jiao Yushi said, “It’s alright.”

Chacha hummed again and continued sipping the soup quietly. Jiao Yushi watched all of her actions.

After finishing a bowl, Chacha still felt dizzy and nauseous, but perhaps it was the psychological placebo effect, she felt that she might not have a headache tomorrow.

“Thanks for the soup. I’m going to go back to rest.” Chacha stood up. Except for her blushing face, her restrained expression looked quite normal.

Jiao Yushi nodded, but then asked, “Do you want to listen to some music?”

Chacha smiled. “No need.”

Jiao Yushi shrugged and glanced at the door, signalling that she could head back.

Chacha nodded in acknowledgement and then walked towards the door as Jiao Yushi sat in place without moving.

She went out and opened the door of the opposite unit, returning to her own territory. Then she let out a long breath and finally couldn’t help burping. The smell of alcohol was overwhelming her.