Chapter 16
"What do you guys want to eat?" Xiang Qingwei asked inside the elevator.
"I'm good with anything, I'm not picky," Zhan Lun responded immediately.
Xiang Qingwei turned to Ning Yang, awaiting his preference.
"Whatever is fine," Ning Yang said.
Xiang Qingwei couldn't help but smile as she patted the messy hair on top of his head. "You've been working hard lately, so today's on me. I'll treat you to a good meal."
Ning Yang agreed, a slight lift to the corner of his lips.
Zhan Lun suddenly regretted putting on the hat to look cool.
Xiao Wu's car was parked right downstairs. Zhan Lun swiftly opened the back door for Xiang Qingwei, who thanked him, then slid into the back seat. Zhan Lun quickly followed suit, sitting beside Xiang Qingwei.
Watching this, Ning Yang, who had fallen behind, walked expressionlessly toward the driver's side. His hand paused as it reached for the handle, then he suddenly let go, lips pressed together, and circled around to the other side, where he opened the back door and slid in.
Xiang Qingwei was surprised that Ning Yang chose to sit in the cramped back seat instead of the spacious front passenger seat, but she moved over toward Zhan Lun to make room for him nonetheless.
As Xiang Qingwei scooted over, Zhan Lun's heart swelled with secret delight.
Xiao Wu gave the crowded back seat a strange look before starting the car.
The small sedan's back seat was cramped.
Neither Ning Yang nor Zhan Lun were short, each around 180 centimeters tall. With Xiang Qingwei squeezed in between them, their arms inevitably brushed against each other while their legs touched. Thankfully, her skirt covered her legs, but her bare arms were unavoidable.
Xiang Qingwei's heart leaned toward Ning Yang, and after sitting down, she instinctively scooted closer to him. Her fair, delicate arm came into contact with Ning Yang's, which was still damp from the shower and emanating a pleasant warmth.
Ning Yang froze immediately, the skin that had been touched tingling as if it had been electrified, faintly prickling and itching. Even his heart seemed to beat restlessly and joyfully at once, yet he remained rigidly seated, as if he hadn't felt anything. His gaze fixed stiffly on the scenery outside, unmoving.
Xiang Qingwei's arm also felt a spark of sensitivity, but she discreetly adjusted her position to avoid touching Ning Yang.
Zhan Lun, oblivious to Xiang Qingwei's subtle shift toward Ning Yang, sat dejected in the back seat.
Xiang Qingwei paid no mind to the accidental touch.
Only Ning Yang twisted his face toward the window, his heart throbbing.
Ning Yang's appearance was genuinely outstanding, even without his celebrity status. His figure was slender, and his face handsome, attracting the attention of many, even in a crowded subway car. Otherwise, Xiang Qingwei would never have followed him home after a brief glance.
Zhan Lun wasn't bad-looking either; he had a more robust figure than Ning Yang, a slightly foreign air, and a handsome face that even a baseball cap couldn't hide.
Xiang Qingwei wore light makeup, her hair draping loosely over her shoulders, and dressed in a beige dress with subtle heels. Her outfit wasn't eye-catching, but there was still something compelling about her appearance.
The trio drew quite a bit of attention as they entered the restaurant from the car.
Xiang Qingwei was a familiar face to the staff. The manager personally greeted her and escorted the group to a private booth, offering, "Miss Xiang, I'll take you to your private booth."
Inside the booth on the second floor, the manager handed the menu to Xiang Qingwei after they sat down.
Xiang Qingwei turned it over and handed it to Ning Yang, smiling. "Feel free to order what you like; I'm treating you today."
Ning Yang accepted the menu and flipped through it.
Zhan Lun leaned over to look at the menu and immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, these prices are steep!"
"All of our ingredients are sourced with freshness and quality in mind, and our chefs are all renowned masters in their fields. We guarantee an unparalleled dining experience," the manager said with a smile.
Zhan Lun didn't respond, instead turning to whisper with Ning Yang as they looked over the menu.
The two men placed their orders and handed the menu back to Xiang Qingwei.
Xiang Qingwei glanced over their choices, added two more dishes, and handed the menu to the manager.
"You guys still have dance practice this afternoon, so I won't order any drinks," Xiang Qingwei said.
The manager took the menu and left.
"I need to use the restroom," Zhan Lun said as he stood up and walked out of the private booth.
This left Xiang Qingwei and Ning Yang alone in the room.
Xiang Qingwei drank a sip of water to moisten her throat, then looked at Ning Yang, who was sitting across from her, and asked, "Are you familiar with that girl named Lili?"
Ning Yang paused, then looked up at her. "No."
"Does she often come to watch you practice at the dance studio?" Xiang Qingwei followed up.
"I'm not familiar with her, so I wouldn't have noticed," Ning Yang said.
Relaxed, Xiang Qingwei placed her chin on her hand and stared at him, a slight smile on her lips. "She's very pretty."
Under Xiang Qingwei's smiling gaze, Ning Yang's hand involuntarily tightened around his water cup as his heart began to race for no apparent reason. His Adam's apple rolled as his expression stiffened. "I've never paid attention to her."
Li Li would often make herself available around him, but he had never spared her a glance. Whether she was attractive or not, it was none of his business. He never paid attention to people he wasn't interested in.
But Xiang Qingwei's sensitive nature immediately picked up on his tense expression and uneasy demeanor. Her heart dropped, a slightly ominous feeling settling over her. She sat upright, not immediately saying anything as she slowly took a sip of water.
From the subtle changes in Ning Yang's reactions, it seemed likely that his words were not the truth.
It made sense too; even though she wasn't fond of that Lili, she couldn't deny the girl was pretty. Her looks were sweet and innocent, tall with fair skin, and her disposition appeared to be quite forward.
With Ning Yang's personality, it was entirely possible he had been attracted to that type of girl...
Xiang Qingwei fell into deep thought, her brows furrowing unconsciously.
"What's wrong?" Ning Yang asked, noticing her frown.
Xiang Qingwei returned to the present moment with a smile. "Nothing."
Perhaps it was still just a stage of slight fondness.
She absolutely had to smother this tiny spark of affection before it grew into a forest fire.
Not only was Ning Yang unable to date right now, but Lili's blatant provocation earlier today ensured that Xiang Qingwei would never allow the two to become an item, lest the girl continue to stir up trouble in the future.
Just thinking about it gave Xiang Qingwei a headache.
Noticing Xiang Qingwei's obvious dejection, Ning Yang pressed his lips together, unsure if he had said something wrong.
At this point, Zhan Lun and the waiter carrying the dishes entered the room.
The atmosphere in the private booth finally relaxed.
Zhan Lun removed his hat, letting his messy brown hair loose, and after tasting a few dishes, he praised the flavors enthusiastically, changing his tune and agreeing that the meal was worth the price.
Zhan Lun, an outgoing and talkative man, filled the private booth with endless questions for Xiang Qingwei, who patiently answered all of them, deflecting the ones she couldn't respond to with a smile.
Ning Yang, on the other hand, seemed completely disinterested in their conversation, not saying a single word as he ate quietly.
"Miss Xiang..." Zhan Lun called out to Xiang Qingwei, pausing briefly before revealing a wide grin. "We've had a meal together, so we're friends now, right? Can I ask you not to call me 'Miss Xiang' anymore?"
Ning Yang, who had been chewing quietly on his food, paused momentarily.
"Sure, you can call me Sister Xiang," Xiang Qingwei responded gently with a smile.
Her attitude was always warm, her face framed with an ample smile; the variety of smiles filled the space around her eyes, masking their sharpness and giving the impression that she was easy to talk to.
"Sister Xiang sounds too old—you're only a year older than me, right?" Zhan Lun blinked those pretty eyes of his. "I'll call you Sister Wei."
Ning Yang lifted his cup and took a sip of water, glancing past Xiang Qingwei to see a faint smile appear at the corner of her lips.
"Okay," Xiang Qingwei said cheerfully.
She put down her water cup, lowered her gaze, and pressed her lips together. A strange sourness filled her chest.
"I'm full." Suddenly, she stood up and walked out.
"Where are you going?" Zhan Lun asked.
"The restroom." Ning Yang opened the door without even looking back and walked out.
Xiang Qingwei watched Ning Yang leave the private booth, then turned around to look at Zhan Lun. "You seem to be quite acquainted with that girl, Lili."
Zhan Lun took a sip of his drink before answering, "I wasn't very familiar with her before. She wasn't my student; we only recently got to know each other because she often came to watch us practice. Why do you ask?"
"Does she interact with Ning Yang often?" Xiang Qingwei asked nonchalantly.
Zhan Lun glanced at her, blinked, and smiled. "Are you worried there's something going on between Ning Yang and Lili? Don't worry! Lili is indeed interested in Ning Yang, but Ning Yang is completely oblivious to it. He doesn't pay her any attention—he hasn't even exchanged more than a few words with her."
Xiang Qingwei did not relax. She picked up her water cup, slowly took a sip, and then said, "Moving forward, we shouldn't allow uninvolved parties into the practice room. Ning Yang is going to be on a show in half a month, and I don't want him to be distracted by anything."
Zhan Lun leaned forward, his messy brown hair obscuring his eyes, which glinted as he stared at Xiang Qingwei. "You're really good to Ning Yang."
His intentions were clear; he wasn't trying to hide his feelings at all.
Xiang Qingwei gave a small smile in response. "He's my client, so I must be responsible for him."
"I need to use the restroom!" Zhan Lun suddenly announced before standing up and leaving.
After Zhan Lun's departure, Xiang Qingwei didn't touch her chopsticks again and instead sipped her water slowly.
The young man's words did not dispel her caution. She knew Ning Yang's personality; even if he did like someone, he wouldn't make a big deal out of it. His expression remained neutral, but his heart would be filled with turbulent emotions.
Zhan Lun was indeed a dedicated dance instructor, and Ning Yang had worked well with him, making significant progress. Changing instructors now could disrupt Ning Yang's training schedule, and there was only half a month left before the competition. For this reason, Xiang Qingwei hadn't found another dance studio for her client.
Now, all she could do was take precautions.
While Xiang Qingwei was pondering how to prevent any potential dangers, Zhan Lun and Ning Yang ran into each other at the reception desk as they both stepped out to use the restroom.
Zhan Lun arrived just as Ning Yang was finishing his purchase.
"You're also here to pay?" Zhan Lun asked, stunned, as he looked at Ning Yang.
Xiang Qingwei had said she would treat them, but Zhan Lun didn't have a habit of letting women pay, so he had used the excuse of going to the restroom to pay for the meal. He hadn't expected Ning Yang to be faster than him.
"I originally wanted to treat Miss Wei, but you beat me to it." Zhan Lun playfully grabbed Ning Yang's neck. He had actually wanted to secretly pay for the meal himself and earn some extra points with Xiang Qingwei.
Upon hearing Zhan Lun address Xiang Qingwei in such an intimate manner, Ning Yang frowned slightly, undetectable to the naked eye.
Distracted, Zhan Lun failed to notice Ning Yang's strange reaction and continued scheming. "Hey, Ning Yang, I'll transfer the money to you—just let me pay for this, okay?"
"No." Ning Yang rejected him without hesitation or any visible emotion on his face.
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