Xie Shuyu

11:40 a.m.

Tang Song got out of the taxi, first sent Xie Shuyu a message, then looked up at Yanbin Restaurant in front of him.

The three-story standalone building facing the street had a dark gray exterior accented with minimalist lines and geometric patterns, giving it a very refined look.

Behind the large floor-to-ceiling windows, the decor was modern and stylish, and the environment was clean and tidy.

No wonder it had become such a popular internet-famous check-in spot.

As he passed through the dark glass main door, he immediately ran into a familiar figure.

Zhao Yue, wearing a blue dress, stood with a tall, thin young man.

After taking a couple of steps closer, Tang Song recognized the man as well. It was Wang Yubo from the Sales Department, an honest, spirited young guy.

The two seemed to be waiting for a table. They stood close together, chatting and laughing, their movements intimate enough to make them look like a man and woman in the ambiguous stage of a relationship.

When Tang Song entered, the hostess quickly stepped forward and warmly asked, "Hello, sir. How many?"

"Two people. I already made a reservation, table 10 on the second floor."

"Certainly. I'll take you there."

Having heard the familiar voice, Zhao Yue's ears moved, and she turned to look over.

The awkwardness on her face vanished in an instant, and she instinctively released Wang Yubo's arm.

Tang Song smiled and took the initiative to greet them. "Good afternoon, Zhao Yue, Yubo."

Zhao Yue brushed the bangs from her forehead and pretended as if nothing happened. "Hello~ Brother Song, you're here for a meal too? Wow! Your outfit today is so handsome! Your hairstyle is great too!"

Tang Song had always dressed like a standard homebody at the company. The only difference in his hairstyle was whether it was long or short, and he rotated through two or three outfits.

This was the first time she had seen him dressed in such a trendy outfit, and it really was eye-catching.

Tang Song smiled and casually said, "Your dress is very pretty today too."

After the three exchanged only a few pleasantries, Tang Song waved and smiled. "Then I'll head upstairs first. Bye bye."

With that, he followed the server up the stairs.

As she watched him disappear around the stairwell corner, Zhao Yue clenched the strap of her bag, a flash of embarrassment and irritation passing through her eyes.

She had just been worried that Tang Song would get jealous and start a conflict if he caught her with Wang Yubo. Yet when she realized he had no reaction at all, she felt uncomfortable instead.

It felt like a fish she had raised in her pond had gotten away.

Just then, a server hurried over. "Two people, there's a table upstairs now. I'll take you there."

They went up to the second floor and sat down near a corner.

Wang Yubo opened the QR code for the couple's meal package and let the server verify the voucher.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yue quietly scanned the entire restaurant and quickly found Tang Song.

He was seated in the best spot in the restaurant, by the eastern window—spacious and quiet.

Yanbin Restaurant was a very popular local internet-famous restaurant. It was difficult to book that spot on weekends, and reservations had to be made in advance.

Thinking of Tang Song's outfit and attitude today, Zhao Yue's eyes flickered as a guess immediately formed in her mind.

He had definitely asked out some girl!

Hu Mingli? Li Yan?

Several names instantly surfaced in her mind, all female colleagues at the company who had a good relationship with Tang Song.

Noticing something was off with Zhao Yue, Wang Yubo followed her gaze and looked over.

He laughed and said, "I never thought a tech geek like Tang Song could be romantic too. He has a girlfriend now, right?"

"I'm not too sure either. Maybe."

"The wine-scented pork and steamed dishes here are especially good, and the plating is beautiful too. I'll take pictures for you later."

"Sure. I trust your photography skills."

While chatting with Wang Yubo, Zhao Yue secretly kept an eye on Tang Song.

She saw him staring intently at the stairway entrance, as though he were waiting for something.

She still couldn't resist. Taking out her mobile phone, she sent Tang Song several messages in a row.

"Brother Song, Yubo just got promoted and said he wanted to treat me to a meal to celebrate. The two of us are good buddies and have always had a great relationship, haha."

"Oh, right, I forgot to ask earlier. Brother Song, are you on a date with someone today?"

"You dressed up so carefully. It can't be some gorgeous woman from our company, can it?"

After a while, the mobile phone buzzed several times.

Tang Song: "She really is a gorgeous woman, but she's not from our company. (#Wei Xiao)"

Zhao Yue took a deep breath, feeling even worse.

Although Tang Song's circumstances and looks were nothing special, his technical skills were outstanding. He was the best programmer in the entire department.

Besides backend development, his frontend skills were also good, and he had helped her a great deal at the company.

Zhao Yue gritted her teeth and continued replying, "Hehe, is she even prettier than me? Otherwise, why have I never seen you take the initiative to treat me to a meal, Brother Song? (#Sad)(#DogHead)"

Looking at Zhao Yue's messages, Tang Song did not know whether to laugh or cry.

He really didn't know how she could be so confidently ordinary.

Zhao Yue was, at best, not ugly. A few of her features had minor merits, and with makeup and concealer, she could barely count as a six-out-of-ten pretty girl.

Maybe she had mistaken the beautified, edited face in her Moments photos for what she really looked like.

Just as he was considering how to reply, a striking figure flashed across his view, making his heart skip half a beat.

Even though there were quite a few people on the second floor, the moment you looked in that direction, you would notice her immediately.

The moment she appeared, she became the center of the crowd.

That was the most direct expression of a person's charm.

Beyond her looks and figure, she also possessed an outstanding temperament and aura.

That was also the direction he was working toward.

Tang Song took a deep breath, rose from his seat, and broke into a brilliant smile.

In the corner, Zhao Yue was still waiting for Tang Song's reply. When she received no response, she looked over at him again and immediately noticed that he had stood up.

Her heart stirred as she followed the direction of his gaze.

The expression on her face instantly froze.

Walking over was a woman with a model's figure, tall and slender.

Her features were bright and beautiful, her skin fair, and her black hair thick and lustrous.

She wore a coffee-colored casual shirt, a plaid A-line skirt, nude stockings, brown high heels, and a camel-colored coat with an exceptional texture draped over one arm.

She looked dignified, elegant, and fashionable, with a unique kind of allure.

Though she appeared very thin, she was especially energetic, standing tall with bright, lively eyes.

She gave off a clean, efficient, decisive impression.

Like a beautiful female president from a television drama.

And the clothes and accessories she wore looked expensive at a glance.

Although Zhao Yue did not know the brands, she recognized the bag slung over the woman's shoulder.

It was a Louis Vuitton "Gilded Sahara" worth over two hundred thousand yuan, hailed as the pinnacle of crocodile leather—a luxury item Zhao Yue had dreamed of owning.

As she watched the woman walk step by step toward Tang Song.

Zhao Yue stood there in a daze and muttered, "This... can't be possible, right?"