As they walked into the inner room, Pel Mei suddenly stopped and turned around. "Hey, little brother!" he exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Pel Chan looked up from his conversation with Su Han and smiled, exchanging a warm greeting with Pel Mei. Yan Xin's eyes, however, were drawn to Su Han. He couldn't help but stare, his mind flashing back to the day she saved him.
Su Han, sensing his gaze, looked up and met Yan Xin's eyes. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them strong.
Yan Xin's eyes roamed over her face, taking in the features he had been too distracted to notice before. Not bad, he thought to himself
But as he remembered the kiss they shared, his expression turned stern. He glared at Su Han, trying to convey a sense of annoyance.
He glanced at her neck but didn't see the necklace she took from him. "Did she sell it?"He thought angrily.
Su Han just raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaffected.
PelChan gestured to Su Han. "Everyone, this is Su Han."
The group nodded in greeting, and Su Han smiled, her eyes lingering on Yan Xin for a moment before moving on. Yan Xin's eyes followed her, his expression unreadable.
Fang Rou noticed the exchange and raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He had never seen Yan Xin react like this to anyone before.
Gu Jianyu's eyes narrowed as she watched Yan Xin's gaze linger on Su Han. A spark of anger ignited within her, and she glared at Su Han, her expression icy. "Are you not my cousin's girlfriend?" Gu Jianyu's voice was laced with accusation, her eyes darting between Su Han and Pel Chan.
Su Han raised an eyebrow, seemingly unbothered by Gu Jianyu's tone. "I broke the engagement with Gu Yichen," she said flatly, not elaborating further. Gu Jianyu's eyes flashed with surprise, but she didn't back down.
"Does he know you're here?" Gu Jianyu's voice was sharp, her eyes suspicious as she gazed at Su Han and Pel Chan. She knew Yan Xin's aversion to girls who played games, and she was determined to protect him.
Pel Chan shifted uncomfortably, sensing the tension between Gu Jianyu and Su Han. He couldn't offend Gu Jianyu and didn't want anyone being rude to Su Han.
"Do I need to explain myself to you?"Su Han smirked at Gu Jianyu with a mocking gaze.
"We are going inside now"Pel Mei quickly tried to smooth things over.
Yan Xin ordered, "Let them come with us." His voice was low and commanding, brooking no argument. No one could figure out his thought process behind the decision, but it was clear that he wasn't asking for opinions.
Gu Jianyu's face fell as she watched him include Su Han and Pel Chan in the invitation.
"But it's my welcome party, and they're outsiders," Gu Jianyu whined, her voice rising in protest.
Yan Xin's eyes flicked to hers, and she immediately shut up, her lips pursed in a thin line. Though they were childhood friends, everyone knew better than to disobey or argue with Yan Xin.
Su Han, however, seemed unimpressed by the invitation. "I will be taking my leave," she said, her voice firm and decisive.
Yan Xin's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable as he watched her reject him. It was clear that no one had ever turned him down before, and the novelty of the situation seemed to intrigue him.
The room fell silent, with all eyes on Su Han and Yan Xin. Gu Jianyu's face lit up with a mixture of surprise and satisfaction, clearly enjoying the fact that Su Han had rejected Yan Xin's request. "He would put her in her place now"She thought.
Pel Mei and Pel Chan exchanged awkward glances, unsure of how to intervene in the tense situation. Fang Rou, on the other hand, watched the exchange with interest, his eyes flicking between Su Han and Yan Xin.
Yan Xin's eyes, however, never left Su Han's face. For a moment, he seemed taken aback by her rejection. It was clear that he was not used to people saying no to him, and the novelty of the situation seemed to intrigue him. He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable, but his eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity.
Su Han's gaze met Yan Xin's, her eyes flashing with a mixture of defiance and annoyance. She didn't seem to care about the implications of rejecting someone like Yan Xin, and her lack of hesitation was both refreshing and intimidating. "I will be taking my leave," she repeated, her voice firm and decisive. With that, she turned and walked away, leaving the group staring after her in stunned silence.
Pel Chan quickly stepped forward, apologizing for Su Han's abrupt departure. "I'll go with her," he said, nodding at Yan Xin and the others before following Su Han out of the room.
The tension in the room slowly dissipated as the door closed behind them, and the group let out a collective breath. Gu Jianyu's face was still flushed with excitement, while Yan Xin's expression remained inscrutable. Fang Rou's eyes, however, sparkled with amusement, and he couldn't help but wonder what had just transpired between Su Han and Yan Xin. Maybe this is a chance for him to win Gu Jianyu heart.
As Yan Xin walked away into the private room, Pel Chan followed behind Su Han, questioning her about her sudden rejection. "Hey, why did you reject him?" Pel Chan asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
Su Han shrugged, her expression nonchalant. "I just didn't feel like it," she said, her voice dismissive.
Meanwhile, Su Meiyou had returned home from the hospital, her legs a bit swollen cause she had to carry Yang Rou on her back. She was furious about the hospital bills she had to pay for Yang Rou and his brother, which had drained her savings.
Her anger boiled over as she stormed into the house, immediately complaining to Su Zheng about Su Han's latest escapade. "Uncle, you won't believe what Su Han did!" she exclaimed, playing the victim. She showed him the trending video of Su Han beating up a student, and Su Zheng's expression darkened
Unknown to Su Meiyou, Su Chen was eavesdropping on their conversation. He had been listening in on Su Meiyou's tattle about Su Han and couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Su Chen quickly called Su Han to warn her about the situation. "Sis, it's me," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Su Meiyou is telling Father about what happened at school. You need to be careful." Su Han's expression turned guarded as she listened to Su Chen's warning, her mind racing with possibilities.
As they hailed a taxi, Pel Chan pulled out his phone and checked Weibo. His expression turned grim as he watched the video of Su Han beating up the student go viral. "Su Han, you need to see this," he said, showing her the screen.
Su Han's eyes scanned the comments and articles, her expression unreadable. The title of the post was already trending, accusing her of being a bully and a thug.
Pel Chan's eyes were fixed on her. "Do you want me to follow you home?" he asked, his voice low. "Just in case," he added, his eyes darting around the crowded street. Su Han nodded slightly, she had ruined their outing at the clubhouse so she didn't wanted to reject him.
In the private house, Fang Rou turned to Yan Xin and asked, "So, what's going on with you and Su Han? You've been staring at her all night." Yan Xin's expression remained neutral, but a hint of curiosity crept into his voice. "Just observing," he said, his eyes flicking back to the door. He didn't want to inform anyone about her saving him the other day
Gu Jianyu snorted, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Observing? You were practically drooling all over her," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Yan Xin raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanging. "And?" he drawled, his tone silky smooth.
Fang Rou chuckled, intervening before Gu Jianyu could respond. "Hey, let's not fight about this. We're here to celebrate Gu Jianyu's return, after all." The group raised their glasses in a toast, the tension dissipating slightly.
As they drank and chatted, Gu Jianyu couldn't help but bring up Su Han again. "I don't trust her," she said, her voice low. "She's trouble."
Yan Xin's eyes narrowed slightly, his expression thoughtful. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, his voice neutral. But Gu Jianyu's words had sparked his interest, and he couldn't help but wonder what secrets Su Han was hiding.
The topic changed to how Gu Jianyu stay was and Gu Jianyu asked for her gift from Yan Xin
She batted her eyelashes, her eyes sparkling with expectation. "Where's the gift you brought me?"
Yan Xin raised an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "Oh, right," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. Gu Jianyu's eyes lit up as she took the box, her fingers trembling slightly as she opened it.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Yan Xin shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "I don't know, check it."
Gu Jianyu's face fell as she opened the box, her eyes scanning the contents. Inside, she found a small, elegant silver necklace with a tiny crystal pendant.
It was beautiful, but Gu Jianyu's anger simmered beneath the surface. Yan Xin never gave her gifts he personally chose; it was always his assistant, Shen Yu, who selected something suitable for her. This time, it seemed like he hadn't even bothered to do that.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked up at Yan Xin, her smile plastered on her face. "It's... lovely," she said, her voice tight with annoyance. Yan Xin's eyes met hers, his expression unreadable. Gu Jianyu's anger flared, but she pushed it down, deciding to play along for now. "Thank you, Yan Xin," she said, her voice sugary sweet. "I'll treasure it always."
Fang Rou smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and reached into his pocket to bring out a small, exquisitely wrapped box. "I got something for you too, Jianyu," he said, his eyes shining with excitement.
Gu Jianyu's gaze flicked to the box, but she didn't seem particularly interested. "Oh, Fang Rou, you didn't have to," she said, her voice casual, as if Fang Rou's gift was an afterthought.
Fang Rou's face fell, but he quickly recovered, trying to hide his disappointment. He had spent three days agonizing over what to get her, finally settling on a beautiful pearl necklace that he thought would suit her perfectly. But now, as he watched Gu Jianyu's indifferent reaction, he couldn't help but feel like he had wasted his time.
Gu Jianyu took the box from Fang Rou, her smile never wavering. "Thank you, Fang Rou. You're always so sweet." She opened the box, and her eyes widened slightly as she saw the pearl necklace. "It's beautiful," she said, her voice polite but unenthusiastic.
Fang Rou's eyes lingered on Gu Jianyu's face, hoping to catch a glimpse of genuine emotion. But her expression remained neutral, and he felt a pang of sadness. His love for her would forever be one-sided, and he was starting to wonder if it was worth the pain.