By the time Ji Hanxing and Yan Jinyue left, Yao Yue had already gone, and they did not see her again.
Yao Yue's restaurant stood right beside Crescent Lake. They reached it just a few steps after leaving through the small door.
Crescent Lake had once been an imperial lake, vast and magnificent. Now it had become a free recreational park in City A. Many people gathered by the lake at night, young and old exercising or jogging, couples taking walks...
Ji Hanxing and Yan Jinyue walked side by side, feeling the cool breeze off the lake.
"Can you tell me about Aunt Yue now?"
Ji Hanxing asked Yan Jinyue about Yao Yue. Many people knew that Ms. Luo had been abroad for a long time, and he had no particularly deep bond with her.
As Ms. Luo's friend, Yao Yue could not possibly have been unaware of this, yet she had still used that connection to strike up an acquaintance with him. What exactly was she after?
Yao? Ji Hanxing thought for a moment, but could not think of any wealthy family in City A with that surname.
Yan Jinyue thought for a while. "Boss Yao doesn't come from a prominent family. Before this, I didn't know about her connection to Ms. Luo either."
"Boss Yao only started making a name for herself in City A in recent years. Her Sichuan restaurant serves private dining cuisine, with an extremely high level of privacy and confidentiality for its guests. It caters specifically to the middle- and high-end clientele."
"Her connections really are impressive, too. Plenty of people are happy to support her business. I learned about this place through a client after returning to the country."
"To be honest, I've looked into Boss Yao myself. Her background runs deep, and I couldn't uncover anything. Her publicly available history only begins when she started working in the restaurant business in City A."
Ji Hanxing's steps faltered as he listened. Even Yan Jinyue had found nothing. It seemed the forces behind Yao Yue really were no ordinary ones.
That meant Yao Yue's revelations today had carried a significant risk of exposing the forces behind her, yet she had still spoken, right in front of Yan Jinyue.
What exactly did she want by approaching Ji Hanxing?
"What exactly is her goal?"
Yan Jinyue pondered this. "Boss Yao has never married or had children. She's always amicable with everyone, and I've never heard of her being at odds with anyone. For now, I can't discern her goal."
People like that were the most frightening. But earlier, Yan Jinyue had only thought he was bringing Ji Hanxing out for hot pot. He had never expected this connection between Yao Yue and Ji Hanxing.
What had occurred to Ji Hanxing had occurred to Yan Jinyue as well. Yao Yue had struck up a conversation with Ji Hanxing, even going so far as to reveal her relationship with Luo Fei. It seemed she must have some purpose. A trace of regret now rose in Yan Jinyue's heart. "Hanxing, I'm sorry. It seems I've landed you in some trouble."
Ji Hanxing's gaze was clear. "No, this has nothing to do with you."
"If I'm her target, then even without going through you, she would find some other way to approach me."
Yan Jinyue had never been one to torment himself, nor was he the sort to regret things and run away when trouble arose. His upbringing and education had shaped him into someone who faced difficulties head-on. What had happened had already happened, and regret was of little use. The best approach was to respond proactively.
They would simply deal with whatever came their way.
Clearly, Ji Hanxing and Yan Jinyue were the same kind of person. Their gazes met, and then both their lips curved.
Something suddenly occurred to Ji Hanxing. "Huh? Wait a second."
Yan Jinyue said, "What's wrong?"
Ji Hanxing cast Yan Jinyue a sidelong look. "Didn't you say you had no one to eat hot pot with?"
"The people you've eaten with before would be hurt if they heard that."
Though exposed, Yan Jinyue showed no embarrassment at all. "You're different from everyone else."
Ji Hanxing truly could not help rolling his eyes. What kind of sleazy domineering CEO line was that?
System, you really bound yourself to the wrong person. Yan Jinyue, the actual domineering CEO, is the one suited to this King of Sleaze System. He wouldn't even need training. He could start work straightaway.
The system fell silent for a while. Actually, it was starting to doubt itself now. Had it really bound itself to the wrong person?
When the system said nothing, a glint of smugness flashed through Ji Hanxing's eyes.
Yan Jinyue, who had been watching him the whole time, keenly caught that little change in his expression.
"Are you saying bad things about me in your head?"
Ji Hanxing immediately denied it. "How could I? Am I that kind of person?"
Yan Jinyue raised his eyebrows. Had he not been able to hear Ji Hanxing's thoughts and heard him complain about him, he would have believed it.
The next second, Ji Hanxing's eyes suddenly widened, and he looked down.
He stared at his hand clasped in Yan Jinyue's.
Just then, Yan Jinyue had suddenly reached out with both hands and taken Ji Hanxing's hand.
"What are you doing!"
Ji Hanxing tugged at his hand. Yan Jinyue did not seem to be holding it with much force, yet Ji Hanxing could not pull free. He stared at Yan Jinyue in alarm.
What the hell is he trying to do!
My damn persona!
Yan Jinyue still held Ji Hanxing's hand, his eyes fixed on him, as though there were a hook inside them that had caught him fast.
Yan Jinyue gripped Ji Hanxing's hand tightly and slowly leaned his head closer. They were mere inches apart, so close that Ji Hanxing could even feel Yan Jinyue's breath. Ji Hanxing involuntarily held his own.
"You really weren't saying bad things about me?"
Ji Hanxing nearly failed to catch that breath.
Fuck! He took my hand just to ask whether I was saying bad things about him?
*All I said was that the line he'd just said was so sleazy! **So! What!***
Yan Jinyue, how childish can you get!
Ji Hanxing's inward complaints filled Yan Jinyue's ears, yet his outward expression remained perfectly serious. "I told you, no."
"Am I someone with so little class?"
Yan Jinyue looked at Ji Hanxing with the hint of a smile.
Yes, I have no class! That was way too sleazy!
Yan Jinyue! You're done for. You've slimed me with your sleaze!
Under that gaze, Ji Hanxing felt like someone running naked in the sunlight, with nowhere to hide.
Yan Jinyue abruptly relaxed his grip and let go.
"A vehicle came up behind us just now. I held your hand because I was afraid it would hit you."
Ji Hanxing secretly gritted his teeth.
Like hell I believe you! This is a pedestrian path. Where would a vehicle come from!
Do I really look that much like a college student, with clear-eyed stupidity shining in my eyes?