Chapter 168: 168. You have admired Mr. Li for quite some time now, haven’t you? (Third watch)

After she finished speaking, Xiao Mengxue realized she might have said the wrong thing and felt slightly embarrassed.

Fortunately, the elder Mr. Xiao changed the subject, smoothing things over, "Mr. Ye, please sit and talk; let’s not all stand."

Mr. Ye nodded.

Once everyone was seated, Ye Jiuliang then chose a spot where there was no one sitting to her left or right.

With the elder there, she couldn’t just walk away. Whether it was a trap or not, she planned not to court trouble, and she hoped others wouldn’t trouble her either.

"Miss Ye, why sit so far away? Why not move a bit closer?" Xiao Mengxue looked up at Ye Jiuliang sitting alone, seeming out of place, and called out to her.

Ye Jiuliang’s eyes were indifferent, "No need, I’m quite comfortable here."

With that single sentence, she blocked any further conversation from Xiao Mengxue.

She found that making small talk with Ye Jiuliang easily led to a dead conversation.

"Lingchen, Jiuliang is younger than you. Take care of her and pour her some fruit juice," the elder Mr. Xiao looked at his grandson, creating an opportunity for him.

After saying that, he turned his head to Mr. Ye, "Lingchen is cold and not very considerate towards girls, I apologize for that."

"Lingchen is smart and capable, far better than Ye Rui and the others. A man should indeed prioritize his career," Mr. Ye said with a smile, "The young ones are of a similar age; they will get along easily, right, Lingchen?"

"Grandfather Ye is right," Xiao Lingchen’s lips curved slightly as he rose. He picked up the juice pitcher from the table, walked over to Ye Jiuliang, and poured her a glass of juice himself.

"Jiuliang, drink slowly, here’s the menu. Don’t be shy; we’re all family here." As he spoke, he even reached his hand out, wanting to pet her head.

Ye Jiuliang leaned back to avoid his touch, and Xiao Lingchen’s hand fell through the air.

Ye Jiuliang narrowed her eyes and gave him a cold glance, quickly mouthing to him, "Stay away from me."

Xiao Lingchen understood her signal and wasn’t annoyed. He gracefully withdrew his hand and returned to his seat.

"Lingchen, how long will you be staying this time?" Mr. Ye asked affectionately.

Xiao Lingchen replied, "About a month."

"Jiuliang, you’ve just returned to the country not long ago, and there are many places in the capital you haven’t visited. If you’re unfamiliar with anywhere, just ask Lingchen to show you around. Don’t be polite." The elder Mr. Xiao had been covertly observing Ye Jiuliang, trying to understand what made his grandson treat her differently.

Before coming, Xiao Mengxue had also learned about the purpose of this dinner. Following suit, she said, "Yes, Jiuliang, Grandfather is right. You can come and visit us anytime if you’re free. Our families are old acquaintances after all, and you’re welcome to visit often."

It seemed they were arranging an implicit blind date for her.

Ye Jiuliang’s lips curled into a smile, but her eyes did not share the amusement.

The elder Mr. Xiao must have too many thoughts to settle, worrying that she and Li Mochan were getting too close. Now, he was setting up a blind date for her. Was he thinking of using her marriage as a bargaining chip?

"Thank you," she replied coolly.

If Mohan knew that the elder had set up this scenario today, he would probably announce their relationship to the world with fanfare by tomorrow.

"Jiuliang, I’ve seen some of your news; are you close with Li Wuye?" Xiao Lingchen initiated a conversation, his handsome face bearing an inscrutable smile.

The table fell silent at his words, and the elder gentlemen also ceased their discussion.

Xiao Mengxue glanced sideways at her brother, not understanding why he brought up Li Mochan.

Although no one knew exactly what the relationship between Li Mochan and Ye Jiuliang was, everyone in the capital had witnessed Li Mochan’s special treatment of Ye Jiuliang firsthand. She could tell that Li Mochan had taken a liking to Ye Jiuliang, but whether that affection was sincere remained unknown.

Ye Jiuliang tapped the table lightly with her fingertips and calmly uttered two words, "Quite familiar."

"Then, Jiuliang, what do you think of Mister Li?" Xiao Lingchen continued to ask, a cunning light glimmering in his eyes.

Ye Jiuliang scoffed lightly, mumbling under her breath, hoping she wouldn’t disgust him to death.

"Mister Li’s appearance is absolutely beyond reproach, tall and handsome, with a powerful presence, knowledgeable and well-read, and his skills are extraordinary..." she praised Li Mochan without holding back, her voice filling the private room.

With each compliment she made, old Master Ye’s face grew uglier by the shade, and his calloused hands, thick with veins, twitched.

Midway through her speech, she suddenly turned her head to look at Xiao Lingchen, smiling playfully, "Young Master Xiao, you’ve been so concerned about Mister Li time and again, and even went out of your way to find him on the terrace during the birthday banquet. Could it be that you’ve admired Mister Li for quite some time?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Her words, pointed yet hidden within cotton, caused varying expressions to appear on everyone’s faces.

Admiration?

That word seemed a bit off, didn’t it?

Was she implying that Lingchen harbored... feelings... for Mister Li?

Xiao Mengxue’s smile froze on her face.

"Jiuliang, mind your manners. Lingchen is older than you; show some respect," old Master Ye warned sternly.

"Don’t joke around."

"It’s alright, Grandfather Ye. Jiuliang has lived abroad for many years and is quite innocent. She was just joking, it’s no big deal," Xiao Lingchen looked at Ye Jiuliang and spoke up for her.

Upon hearing this, old Master Ye’s face softened slightly, but he didn’t forget to reprimand Ye Jiuliang once more, "It’s good that Lingchen is magnanimous. You should hurry up and apologize to him."

"My apologies, Young Master Xiao. I thought you kept mentioning Mister Li because you seemed too interested in him. How about this—if you still want to ask me about him, why don’t we invite him to join us for a meal? There’s plenty of room here after all, and you can talk to him face-to-face," Ye Jiuliang said, her smile innocent, her voice calm and steady.

Xiao Lingchen’s eyes curved lightly as he replied amicably, "Jiuliang’s suggestion is good. I’ll definitely ask Mister Li out for a meal another day, and Jiuliang can join us then."

Ye Jiuliang said, "Sure thing."

"Let’s order first, order the food," seeing that the purpose of the meal was veering off course, Xiao Mengxue caught the eye signal from old Master Xiao and spoke up to shift the topic.

What on earth was Lingchen thinking? It was hard enough to get Ye Jiuliang here, so why did he deliberately bring up Li Mochan? That was just asking for discomfort.

"Jiuliang, what do you want to eat? Feel free to choose anything."

Ye Jiuliang merely glanced at the menu and didn’t move. "You guys order, I’m just going to the restroom first."

She stood up, and seeing that she wasn’t taking her purse with her, old Master Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The long corridor was bathed in dazzling light from above.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Ye Jiuliang’s lips curled up in a mocking smile.

"Young Master Xiao, are you planning to visit the ladies’ restroom as well?"

She turned around to find Xiao Lingchen walking out from around the corner.

"It seems you have quite the hostility towards me, huh?" Xiao Lingchen approached her slowly, his voice deep and husky as he inquired.