A quick reply followed, [It’s pouring. If you can get a taxi, I’ll leave.]

Yan Zhen wanted to refuse out of principle, but a glance at her ride-hailing app showed no cars accepting requests after ten minutes. The convention center was remote, and the heavy rain worsened the situation.

Her finger hovered over the screen. With a feeling of utter defeat, she gritted her teeth and typed, [Wait for me.]

Yan Zhen took the elevator down to the parking lot. Spotting Chen Huaixu’s car in the distance, she walked around to the passenger side and got in.

The man who had just been the center of everyone’s discussion was on the phone. One hand rested on the steering wheel, his fingers long and slender, his wrist adorned with an expensive watch that shimmered.

The watch looked familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Chen Huaixu, noticing her arrival in his peripheral vision, quickly ended the call. “Alright, that’s all for now.”

Yan Zhen’s attention shifted back from his wrist. “How did you know I couldn’t get a taxi? What if I drove myself?”

Chen Huaixu placed his phone aside, his tone casual. “Didn’t Yan Zhao cut off your card? Can you even afford gas?”

She desperately wanted to silence his sharp tongue. “Yan Zhao didn’t cut off my card.”

“I know.”

He also knew the real reason Yan Zhen wasn't driving was a previous accident. Although she hadn't been injured, the experience had been frightening enough to deter her from driving in the rain.

He didn’t say anything, instead asking casually, “What do you want for dinner?”

“…You’re taking me to dinner?”

“You worked hard pouring tea for me today. It’s only fair I reciprocate.”

This was so normal, so unlike the Chen Huaixu who constantly bickered with her. Surprised by his change in demeanor, Yan Zhen couldn’t figure it out. She decided to let it go, humming cheerfully. “Good to know you have some manners.”

She pulled out her phone, browsing restaurants, ready to pick an expensive one and make Chen Huaixu pay dearly.

“This one looks good. Ying Shu and the others went there and recommended it to me. You need reservations, though. I wonder if we can get one now…”

She muttered to herself, unaware that Chen Huaixu wasn’t listening. He fastened his seatbelt, turning to look at her. “What?”

She repeated, “I said, this restaurant requires—”

She stopped mid-sentence as Chen Huaixu suddenly leaned closer.

The light filtering through the windshield was blocked by his figure, plunging Yan Zhen into momentary darkness.

He smelled good, a clean, subtle scent that filled her senses, like a net gently enveloping her.

The bright parking lot lights spilled over his shoulder, softening the contours of his face. She could even see his eyelashes fluttering and the faint mole beneath his right eye.

Even though Yan Zhen thoroughly disliked Chen Huaixu, she had to admit he was undeniably handsome.

They had first met when Yan Zhen was in high school. Yan Zhao and Chen Huaixu, who were studying abroad at the time, had returned home for the holidays and arranged to play basketball. Yan Zhen, eager to avoid homework, had tagged along behind Yan Zhao and that’s when she saw Chen Huaixu waiting by the basketball court.

He was wearing a black T-shirt, his figure lean and tall, looking down at his phone. His bent arm wasn't flexed, yet the outline of his muscles was subtly visible. The summer sun dappled through the leaves, highlighting the sharp angles of his face, tracing down his neck, partially hidden by dark hair, and settling on his straight back.