Chapter 35

Su Ruoyun lowered her eyes, looking at the steaming wontons in her bowl, having already heard what Li Ayi was saying.

Her thoughts drifted back to last night; after she had shoved that lip glaze into the corner of the drawer, she thought about it, hesitated for a moment, and then took it out and simply threw it into the trash can.

Now that Li Ayi suddenly brought it up, she felt a bit reluctant to part with it; after all, the shade had been discontinued and was out of print.

The hand holding the spoon tightened slowly. Su Ruoyun pursed her lips and lied through her teeth, "I guess it must have fallen into the trash can by accident. Could you please help me take it out and put it on the vanity?"

"Sure." Li Ayi's gentle response came back.

Only then did Su Ruoyun lower her head to take a bite of the sugar-oil pancake; the crust was crispy, the dough soft, and a rich sweetness spread between her teeth.

She didn't go to the tea house today, accompanying Li Li to a beauty salon for a facial. By the time she picked up the young Miss Li, it was already ten in the morning.

Su Ruoyun held the steering wheel with one hand while reaching out to point for Li Li, "The birthday gift for you is in the back."

They were childhood friends who had grown up together, so there were no reservations.

Li Li asked directly, "What gift is it?"

"The Peaceful Monkey King you like."

Following Su Ruoyun's words, Li Li took the tea box out of the paper bag. The gift was wrapped so beautifully that one couldn't bear to open it.

Asking was one thing, but opening it was another; etiquette could not be ignored. Li Li glanced at it and pushed the tea box back.

Su Ruoyun asked her, "Where is it set for tonight?"

Initially, Su Ruoyun had suggested using her own tea house as the venue for the party, but it was firmly rejected by Li Li, "You want to fleece your best friend, right?"

In the end, it was dropped.

"It's set at Lanxi."

Lanxi, a high-end private membership club in Sijiucheng that was not open to the public.

As they spoke, the Mercedes drove into a parking space, and they arrived at the beauty salon.

Li Li had many beauty treatments to do, so they simply solved their lunch at the salon, ordering takeout from a restaurant, and a table full of Jiang-Zhe cuisine was laid out.

……

It wasn't until around seven in the evening that the Mercedes drove into the Lanxi club.

The relief-carved flower wall at the entrance had an ancient charm, like a frozen artistic scroll, instantly capturing one's gaze.

The valet at the door came up, took the car keys from Su Ruoyun, and drove the car to the parking lot.

Inside the club, the environment was quiet and pleasant, with the hustle and bustle isolated outside. Warm yellow lights, like the twilight glow, wove a dreamy interplay of light and shadow. Bamboo shadows danced lightly in the breeze, graceful and charming, while a thick locust tree stood to the side.

In the center of the club, a simple, ancient stone lay quietly, engraved with two large characters—Lanxi.

In the spacious private room, the brilliant crystal chandelier cast a soft light, wall lamps were lined up along the walls, and thin gauze curtains danced with the wind.

All around, the air was filled with the scent of perfume and the sight of elegant figures; most of the people who came were friends of friends, friends of friends of friends……

The birthday party didn't slowly draw to a close until ten in the evening.

Su Ruoyun kicked off her high heels and curled up on the sofa like she had no bones, playing a game on her phone. Inadvertently, her gaze landed on Xu Erhan's nape.

Her eyes were sharp, and she instantly caught the red mark hidden under the thin gauze. Staring at that red mark, her gaze lingered for a few seconds, and she pursed her lips nonchalantly.

Afterward, Su Ruoyun lazily raised her arm, propped up her head, and lay sideways on the sofa. Her posture was nonchalant, yet she spoke with a straight face to tease her, "Er'er, you've done something bad."

The girl's voice was a feigned calmness, her tone deliberately steady as if suppressing something to the extreme, but the subtle teasing in her words quietly slipped into the air.

Hearing this, Xu Erhan's eyes trembled. In a moment of panic, she almost subconsciously covered her chest with her hand. She turned to meet Su Ruoyun's teasing gaze, and her porcelain-white cheeks suddenly flushed with a deep crimson.

"Who did something bad?"

The "Mishearing King" is online.

The birthday girl herself was sitting on the floor, unwrapping tonight's gifts. Suddenly hearing that sentence, she looked back, her brows slightly furrowed, and asked, "It's my birthday, who would dare do something bad?"

Xu Erhan lowered the hand covering her chest and said, "No one did anything bad, just unwrap your gifts."

There were others in the small room, and Xu Erhan wanted to ask but could never find the right moment.

Ten minutes later, Su Ruoyun got up to go to the restroom. She followed closely behind and blocked Su Ruoyun at the door, "How did you know?"

Su Ruoyun: "I didn't know at first, but just..."

She left half the sentence hanging, but Xu Erhan understood—she was just teasing her.

Taking advantage of before Xu Erhan could get angry, Su Ruoyun smiled, "I'm going out to get some air."

"To get some cold air, right?" Xu Erhan said deliberately.

Realizing she was 'taking revenge', Su Ruoyun raised her eyebrows, didn't retort, and turned around with great poise, walking out of the long corridor.

Bamboo shadows were layered, and the courtyard was deep.

Su Ruoyun walked in her high heels for a few minutes before her feet began to ache. She wanted to find a place to rest, and after finally finding a chair nearby, she discovered someone was already sitting there.

The courtyard lights cast circles of warm yellow light, spilling down softly. In the interplay of light and shadow, a dark figure was clearly outlined.

Her gaze crossed the warm yellow light and fixed on the solid wood bench. The moment she saw the man clearly, she subconsciously gripped her skirt and turned to leave.

As the crisp sound of high heels drew near, the man turned his head at the sound, having already seen her appearance. Just as Su Ruoyun's skirt fluttered and she intended to turn away, he spoke unhurriedly, his voice low, "Boss Yun."

She felt her heart skip a beat. Although she was extremely reluctant, she still stiffened and pulled out a professional smile, her tone light yet polite, greeting Huo Jingcheng, "What a coincidence, Mr. Huo."

Out of politeness, she couldn't talk from so far away, so Su Ruoyun took a few small steps forward, her hands behind her back, "What a coincidence, you're here too."

Huo Jingcheng nodded as if it were a serious matter, "It is quite a coincidence."

As he spoke, he stood up slowly, his tall figure casting a dense shadow on the ground.

Su Ruoyun took a step back, watching Huo Jingcheng walk forward a few steps before stopping and turning his head, "Not leaving?"

"I'm sitting here to rest for a while."

She had walked all the way here and finally found a place to rest; she needed to slow down.

Besides, the last incident was so awkward that it could have "dug out a three-bedroom apartment." Apart from buying tea and drinking tea at the tea house, she didn't want to spend another second with Huo Jingcheng from the bottom of her heart.

Huo Jingcheng's mouth held a playful smile, his brows and eyes filled with a subtle, ambiguous atmosphere. He deliberately lowered his voice, carrying a hint of flirtation, and said something shocking: "Do you like eavesdropping?"

Huh?

Su Ruoyun was full of confusion, subconsciously lowering her breathing, and according to what he said, she pricked up her ears with full concentration.

The surroundings were silent, save for the rhythmic sound of surging water. At the same time, there were also the unusual gasps of a man and a woman, which, under the cover of the water, added a few more indescribable, amorous feelings.

?? Seeking follow-up reads, mua~

? Little Zhuzi: Can't hold it anymore.