Yan Qiubai stared at the message on his phone screen that read, "Sorry, Qiubai. I have to work overtime tonight. Next time."
His handsome face finally sank completely.
This was the third time.
It was the third time she had rejected him.
As proud as he was, when had he ever been rejected like this again and again?
Especially when the one rejecting him was his nominal "fiancée".
A surge of anger, born from being despised and ignored, flared up inside him.
He immediately dialed her number, and the phone rang for a long time.
Just when he thought it was going to be hung up again, it was finally answered.
"Hello, Qiubai?"
Meng Ruozhao's voice came through.
In the background, there were faint sounds of fabric rubbing and scissors cutting, indicating that she was still busy.
"Meng, Ruo, Zhao!"
Yan Qiubai's voice seemed to be squeezed out through his teeth, carrying an uncontrollable rage.
"Do you still remember that you have a fiancé? I've asked you out three times, and each time you've used the same excuse to brush me off."
"Is that lousy shop of yours and those shabby clothes really that important? More important than me?"
In the past six months, although he had many grievances towards Meng Ruozhao, he had never scolded her like this before.
He was better at using cold - shoulder treatment and getting others to deal with her.
So this time, Meng Ruozhao was stunned by his barrage of questions.
She put down the tailor's chalk in her hand and rubbed the space between her eyebrows.
Indeed, during this period, because she was busy with the intensive costume design for the film crew, she had postponed almost all her personal social activities.
Including those with Yan Qiubai.
Moreover, the mysterious pregnancy test report that had appeared before was like a thorn in her heart.
It made her feel a kind of indescribable guilt and uneasiness when facing Yan Qiubai, and she subconsciously wanted to avoid him.
Under normal circumstances, being scolded like this, she should have felt sorry.
But the words "lousy shop" and "shabby clothes" in Yan Qiubai's words were like a needle, precisely pricking the part she cared about the most.
Her studio and her designs were the means for her to make a living.
They were where she proved her self - worth and were not to be despised.
In fact, if it weren't for this shop in the past six months, she would have been swallowed up by the overwhelming sense of confusion.
That bit of guilt was instantly replaced by annoyance and anger.
At the same time, a thought became clearer - it was unfair to Yan Qiubai for her to keep dragging things on.
She had lost her memory and didn't have romantic feelings for Yan Qiubai, yet she was occupying the title of "fiancée".
Enjoying the potential benefits brought by the Yan family was actually a kind of delay and deception.
Maybe it was time to clarify things.
Meng Ruozhao took a deep breath, her tone calm but distant.
"First of all, my shop is anything but lousy."
"Secondly, when you were busy with work, I never bothered you."
She paused for a moment, as if making up her mind.
"Finally, if you're free tomorrow, let's have dinner together in the evening. I have something to tell you."
Yan Qiubai on the other end of the phone obviously didn't expect her to say that, especially the last invitation.
To him, it seemed that Meng Ruozhao had softened her attitude after being tough, a kind of indirect apology and a plea for reconciliation.
Because they both knew that the Du family wouldn't let her lose him, this "tall branch".
More importantly, Yan Qiubai had never experienced any setbacks.
He had always been the object of others' admiration and didn't immediately detect Meng Ruozhao's estrangement.
He even thought proudly, "Humph, I knew she still cared."
The anger in his heart subsided by half, replaced by a sense of pride of "just as I thought".
He leaned lazily on the sofa, playing with the newly - bought jewelry in his hand.
His tone also softened a bit, with a hint of condescension.
"Humph, finally know you need to appease me?"
"Fine. Since you've invited me so sincerely, let's meet at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the 'Cloud Realm' restaurant."
"I remember you like that place. Be on time and don't stand me up again."
He would give her this new set of jewelry then.
"Okay, see you tomorrow."
Meng Ruozhao didn't say anything more and hung up the phone directly.
Looking at the half - drawn design drawing in front of her, she couldn't regain her previous calm.
How should she say it tomorrow to minimize the hurt?
She didn't notice that at the door of the workshop, Pei Jiangmu was standing there at some point.
In his hand was a cup of wolfberry and red date tea he had just brewed for her. She often drank it recently because of staying up late.
He had heard her last few sentences - agreeing to have dinner with Yan Qiubai the next evening.
Instantly, his deep eyes darkened, like a cold pool suddenly covered by dark clouds.
A strong and familiar sense of jealousy mixed with sharp uneasiness suddenly rushed to his heart.
The fingers pinching the cup unconsciously tightened, the knuckles turning white.
He remembered what she had said in the hospital about preparing for pregnancy.
Now, going to meet Yan Qiubai and saying she wanted to "have a serious talk".
Talk about what?
Did she think she had neglected Yan Qiubai recently and wanted to soothe him?
Or was it really that good things were coming soon, and she really wanted to prepare for pregnancy?
Countless speculations, like venomous snakes, slithered into his mind.
The contentment that had arisen in the past few days because he could accompany her was instantly replaced by a cold sense of crisis.
He stood there, looking at Meng Ruozhao's side profile as she stared blankly at the drawing. His eyes were obscure, and the air pressure around him gradually dropped.
It seemed that he had to find a way to "participate" in that dinner tomorrow evening.
At least, he had to know what they were going to "talk" about.
He adjusted his expression, walked in, and asked Meng Ruozhao.
"Sister, are you going to have dinner with your boyfriend tomorrow evening?"
Meng Ruozhao nodded absent - mindedly.
"Yeah, I might leave early tomorrow. You can go to Sister Lan's for dinner then."
The two had been eating together for the past few days, so she had to tell him she wouldn't be eating with him.
Pei Jiangmu chatted as if casually, taking advantage of her absent - mindedness to ask a few more questions.
Then he found out the name of the restaurant and the dinner time.
If he asked any more, it would arouse suspicion.
He quickly changed the topic, acting as if he didn't care at all.
On the evening when Meng Ruozhao and Yan Qiubai had agreed to have dinner.
At the entrance of the "Cloud Realm" restaurant.
Pei Jiangmu leaned in his low - key but extremely expensive black car.
His eyes were fixed heavily on the brightly - lit entrance of the restaurant.
Of course, he couldn't just go in - the restaurant was too high - end.
With his current identity as a "penniless art student", it would be almost impossible to make a reservation.
Not to mention barging into the private room reserved by Yan Qiubai.
Moreover, even if he found a way to get in, so what?
Could he directly stop them?
That would only make Meng Ruozhao think he was being unreasonable and might even arouse her rebellious psychology.
What he needed was for her to see for herself.
Yan Qiubai was not a good match for her.
His fingertips tapped gently on the steering wheel a few times, and Pei Jiangmu asked Qi Yu in front.
"Are the people we arranged in place?"
His voice was calm, showing no trace of emotion.
"Don't worry, Mr. Pei. Everything has been arranged."
"The restaurant manager is one of ours. Under the pretext of checking the ventilation system of the private room, we installed a micro - device inside in advance. The sound is very clear."
Qi Yu held the computer and answered quickly.