Chapter 11: The Elite of the Capital

The colleagues from Channel 8 in the capital city didn't recognize these social elites, but they instinctively knew that these people were not ordinary. So, they were too shy to even raise their voices too high. Yan Xi noticed that her colleagues didn't recognize the leader of the group and weren't trying to flatter the second young master of the Yuan family. She casually glanced at Yuan Yi and blended into the crowd, pretending she hadn't seen him, wanting to slip away with her colleagues.

Noticing her small gesture, Yuan Yi turned to the people behind him and said, "You don't need to see me off, my car is parked outside."

"Mr. Yuan, you're too polite," the group chuckled, eager to speak more with him but not daring to really insist on seeing him off. Yuan Yi didn't push further, took a few steps forward, and suddenly turned to look at Yan Xi. "What are you doing here?"

The colleagues around them hadn't expected Yan Xi to know the leader of the group. They looked at her curiously, seeing her smile politely and guessing that their relationship probably wasn't too close.

"I'm out with colleagues for dinner," Yan Xi casually replied, ignoring the curious stares from her colleagues. She nodded at Yuan Yi, "Good evening, Mr. Yuan."

"Good evening." Yuan Yi slightly nodded, appearing very reserved.

The people eager to please Yuan Yi secretly glanced at Yan Xi, wondering who this person was to have such a connection.

"Are you heading home?" Yuan Yi looked at the time and then at the group of young people behind Yan Xi. Young people often get too caught up in the fun and end up causing trouble.

He had seen such chaotic relationships before.

This type of trivial conversation was what is called "small talk" in Chinese culture. Yan Xi didn't pay much attention to it and answered casually, "I'll sing a few songs and then head home."

Sing songs?

Yuan Yi seemed to think of something, and his slightly raised eyebrows showed some irritation. He turned and started walking out. As he passed by Yan Xi, he quietly muttered a sentence.

"Girls should be careful at night, it's not safe to wander around outside."

It was meant to be a word of concern, but when it came from Yuan Yi's mouth, it sounded more like a suggestion that women should stay home to be safe.

Yan Xi smiled as she responded, "Men should stay home too at night, bad guys won't show mercy just because you're a man."

"You..." Yuan Yi felt a bit frustrated. When had men ever been associated with mercy?

Seeing his face turn pale, Yan Xi smiled even more gently. She quickly stepped back a few steps. "Mr. Yuan, please go ahead."

"Mr. Yuan, Mr. Yuan," the attendants, worried that the unfamiliar woman had said something to upset Yuan Yi, fearing he might lash out, quickly stepped forward, bowing and nodding. "The exit is this way. Please follow me."

They were worried that if word got out that the second young master of the Yuan family had hit a woman in the restaurant, not only would the Yuan family lose face, but they too would be punished. The attendant glanced back at the calm young woman and imagined a dramatic scene of a rich bully trying to force a good girl, only to have the girl stand up to him, provoking the bully, and then suffering the consequences.

Sigh, one has to have a conscience. If they could stop it, they would.

Yuan Yi shot a cold glance at Yan Xi, turned, and walked out without looking back.

The attendants breathed a sigh of relief and followed him out in a rush.

"Xiao Yan," one of the younger colleagues swallowed nervously, looking at the door. "Who is that? He doesn't seem like someone you'd want to offend."

"The super rich young master of the capital," Yan Xi whispered. "Someone whose leg we can't even dream of hugging."

"Ah..." The colleague was stunned. Given her family's status, if even Yan Xi couldn't get close to that person, how powerful must he be? She patted her chest, showing a shocked expression. "I thought he was going to hit you just now."

"Pfft," Yan Xi laughed, shaking her head. "You're overthinking it."

Seeing that Yan Xi wasn't bothered, the others didn't dwell on it either. As they were leaving the restaurant, they saw the main manager standing by the door, sending the important figure off. They were curious about who he was and why he had such a high status.

"It looks like I won't be able to sing tonight," Yan Xi's phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she gave her colleagues a wry smile. "My dad's calling to hurry me home."

After hearing Yan Xi promise to return in an hour, Chen Pei sighed. "Xiao Yan, your dad worries about you so much. When you get a boyfriend, how are you going to go on dates?"

"Who knows where my boyfriend is hiding? Maybe he's blind, still not looking for me at this point," Yan Xi put her phone back in her handbag, shaking her head and sighing. "Single life doesn't let you experience this kind of trouble."

After saying goodbye to her colleagues, Yan Xi went to find her car.

"Single dog, Yan," Yuan Yi called out to her from a few steps behind. "Did you drink tonight? If not, I could drop you off on the way."

Oh, so this person had been eavesdropping on their conversation?

Yán Xī turned her face away. "Thank you, Mr. Yuán, but I haven't been drinking. I can drive myself. I appreciate your kindness."

What's wrong with being single? Am I eating your food or using your oil?

"Then forget it." Yuán Yì felt like Yán Xī was a bit unhappy and thought women's moods were really unpredictable. One moment they're happy, the next they're upset, without even giving a reason.

If she wasn't grateful, then so be it. He didn't have much free time anyway. He rarely interacted with women and didn't care about their interests or hobbies. There had been people who said that women were like a book that no man could ever finish reading in a lifetime, but he had scoffed at that. Now, he realized that women weren't like unread books, they were more like incomprehensible alien texts.

Saying they were unread books was a polite way of putting it.

"Song... Song Yán."

A voice filled with surprise and unease reached her ears.

Yán Xī turned to look, and a woman in a beige dress got out of a car. The distance between them was less than five meters. This woman looked somewhat familiar. She seemed to be one of the people involved in a dramatic scene she had witnessed when she had just returned to the capital and was having tea with her friends.

Xǔ Zhēn noticed Yán Xī didn't speak and appeared both awkward and uncomfortable. "I'm sorry about what happened back then."

That video had gone viral, and for more than a month, Xǔ Zhēn hadn't dared to go out. Seeing Yán Xī now, the embarrassing memory resurfaced.

"Sorry," Yán Xī glanced at the unfamiliar woman and the man standing next to her with regular features, "I don't remember you doing anything to offend me." In fact, she didn't even remember who this person was.

"My name is Xǔ Zhēn, I was your classmate in the first year of high school. Back then, someone wrote a letter to you, but I..."

The mixed feelings of sweet and sour infatuation from her teenage years, along with unspoken jealousy, had made her do something that, even after nine years, still felt shameful. Now, seeing the person involved, she felt embarrassed but also relieved to finally apologize.

Yán Xī remembered the viral video from over a month ago. Thanks to this woman and her "best friend," countless online spectators had sympathized with her.

She had only attended the first half of her high school at Dìdū Yī Gāo, and she was only fifteen at the time. She hadn't understood love, and even if that letter had been handed to her, knowing her personality, she probably wouldn't have cared.

Yuán Yì stood quietly to one side, showing no intention of leaving. He leaned against a sculpture outside the restaurant, his expression deadpan as if watching a boring low-tier drama.

It wasn't until Xǔ Zhēn mentioned Dìdū Yī Gāo that he moved his eyelids slightly.

"I know you probably don't care about such small things, but it's something I've been hiding in my heart for so long. Every time I think about it, I feel like such a shameful person," Xǔ Zhēn walked up to Yán Xī. "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine, I don't even remember who the campus heartthrob was," seeing Xǔ Zhēn apologize so sincerely, Yán Xī herself felt a little awkward.

Xǔ Zhēn, hearing Yán Xī say that, felt even more ridiculous about her jealousy from back then. In fact, she didn't even remember what the campus heartthrob looked like, just a name.

"The campus heartthrob back then was a senior from our senior year. I think his name was... Sòng Cháo." She could remember that name because it was easy to recall.

"That's a nice name," Yán Xī casually replied, "it's easy to remember."

Yuán Yì raised his head and looked at Yán Xī. His brows furrowed deeper, as if he was recalling something.

"Sòng Yán," Xǔ Zhēn saw Yuán Yì standing behind Yán Xī. "Is this your boyfriend?"

Boyfriend? Who?

Yán Xī turned around in confusion, seeing Yuán Yì standing next to the sculpture, and couldn't help but take a few steps back. "Oh my God, you haven't left yet?"

"I don't have a daughter that big, so I can't be your mom," Yuán Yì straightened up, stared at Yán Xī for several moments, and then turned to leave.

Yán Xī was bewildered by his gaze, staring at his back for a long time, unable to comprehend.

Seeing that she had misunderstood the relationship between Yán Xī and Yuán Yì, Xǔ Zhēn felt even more embarrassed. "Sorry, I thought..."

This man didn't seem easy to get along with, and standing next to Sòng Yán, they didn't quite seem like a match.

"It's fine," Yán Xī glanced at the man next to Xǔ Zhēn, "I won't disturb your date. Goodbye."

"Wait, could you leave me your contact information?" Xǔ Zhēn called out to Yán Xī.

"Sorry, I'm a bit busy right now," Yán Xī politely smiled.

They hadn't had much of a relationship in the past, and with the history between them, there was no need to awkwardly exchange contact details. Yán Xī thought it wasn't necessary.

Xǔ Zhēn was slightly stunned and then forced a smile. "Alright, take care."

Not exchanging contact information was fine; there was no need for either of them to feel awkward.

"Zhēn Zhēn, your high school classmate seems to be pretty wealthy," Xǔ Zhēn's companion whispered as he pointed at the car in front of them. "She's driving a high-end model with four rings."

"Her family's always been doing quite well," Xǔ Zhēn glanced at the car slowly driving out of the parking lot. "Let's go, the movie's about to start."

Her companion looked pleased and nodded repeatedly.

Xǔ Zhēn thought about her ex-boyfriend, who had been juggling two women and messing around with her best friend, then looked at the man next to her who was currently pursuing her, and smiled.