Yan Qiubai looked at her like this and only felt utterly confused, even a bit annoyed.
He really never thought in the direction of "Shen Xinyin still pining for him".
In his perception, after a breakup, two people would become strangers. At most, they could only be considered acquaintances.
Moreover, she should also know that their relationship back then was completely due to a misunderstanding, and they had cleared things up later.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, showing his usual lazy smile tinged with a bit of aloofness.
"Blame you? There's no need for that. After all, I'm also busy dating."
He emphasized the word "dating", and then his tone changed, carrying a hint of intimacy.
"The person I'm waiting for hasn't arrived yet."
He leaned forward slightly, propping his elbows on the table.
His gaze swept over Shen Xinyin and the group of childhood friends behind her who were obviously uncomfortable, and he directly issued an order to evict them.
"So, you guys should go to your private room and have your meal quickly. Don't just stand here."
"I finally managed to arrange a date with my girlfriend. She's extremely busy, and I have to wait until after her work.
"If you guys are here and she feels uncomfortable when she comes, I'll be at a great loss."
He said this with complete sincerity. After all, it had indeed been very difficult to make an appointment with Meng Ruo'chao recently.
There was also a hint of subtle show - off—he was a taken man!
He genuinely thought that Shen Xinyin and the others were in the way and would affect his rare alone time with Meng Ruo'chao.
However, these words sounded completely different to Shen Xinyin's ears!
He called her "Xinyin" instead of the more intimate "Yinyin" as before.
More importantly, he actually mentioned "dating" and "girlfriend"?
Where did he get a girlfriend from?!
And he said that he "had to wait until after her work" in that tone.
This was clearly a sarcastic response to her earlier words of "forgetting to ask if he was available".
Shen Xinyin instantly assumed that Yan Qiubai was deliberately trying to provoke her.
He must still be holding a grudge against her for leaving the country right after the breakup and not contacting him for all these years.
So now he was deliberately finding an excuse to stimulate her and see her jealous and angry!
Humph! Men! They really couldn't forget about her!
Shen Xinyin felt even more proud. She even thought that Yan Qiubai's "pretending to be cold" look was a bit cute.
Instead of leaving, she swayed her hips and casually sat down on the chair opposite Yan Qiubai.
She deliberately posed in an elegant sitting position.
"Oh, Brother Qiubai, you're so bad. You didn't even tell us old friends earlier that you had a girlfriend."
She laughed coquettishly, but her eyes were full of disbelief and provocation.
"What kind of celestial beauty could make our Young Master Yan wait like this?
"Having to wait until after her work? I'm so curious. No, I must meet this 'sister - in - law' today!
"Am I right, guys?"
She turned around and looked at the childhood friends behind her, trying to seek their support.
Those childhood friends looked even more embarrassed.
They were much more clear - headed than Shen Xinyin. Yan Qiubai's expression and tone clearly showed that he was serious.
How could he be just being petty?
Although they hadn't met her, they had vaguely heard that Yan Qiubai had a girlfriend.
Her family background wasn't very good, so he had never made their relationship public.
But he had taken her to meet some other friends once.
It was said that she was extremely beautiful.
However, her manner of speaking was not very good. She was self - righteous and pretentious.
So they had guessed at that time that Yan Qiubai was probably just having fun or trying to get back at Shen Xinyin.
After all, this was not uncommon in their circle.
But now, hearing Yan Qiubai's tone, they suddenly weren't so sure.
It seemed that he really cared a great deal about his girlfriend.
In contrast, Shen Xinyin seemed to be being overly self - absorbed and causing a scene.
Hearing that she refused to leave and was being so sarcastic, Yan Qiubai's face had already darkened.
To avoid making the situation too awkward, someone spoke up to try to persuade Shen Xinyin.
"Yinyin, forget it. Let's not bother Young Master Yan..."
"Yeah, Young Master Yan is on a date. We..."
"Where do you think you're going!"
Shen Xinyin immediately interrupted them and glared at them dissatisfiedly.
"We're all our own people. It's fate that we ran into each other! Brother Qiubai definitely won't mind, right?"
She looked at Yan Qiubai with a smile, and her eyes were full of the meaning of "let's see how long you can keep up this act".
Yan Qiubai frowned completely, and the lazy smile on his face disappeared.
It was replaced by obvious impatience and coldness.
"I do mind."
His voice turned cold, and he said bluntly.
"I mind very much, Shen Xinyin. Take them and leave my private room right now."
The atmosphere in the private room instantly dropped to freezing point.
At the same time, outside the private room, Meng Ruo'chao's figure just appeared at the end of the corridor.
She had timed it just right, arriving only a few minutes early.
Because she was going to have a showdown, her mood was a bit heavy.
It got even heavier when she walked into the restaurant.
Just as she took a deep breath and was about to approach "Water and Cloud Chamber", she vaguely heard the voices of quite a few people inside.
There was also a somewhat shrill female voice?
She paused for a moment and then, with a look of confusion, grasped the doorknob.
Meanwhile, Pei Jiangmu, sitting in the car downstairs of the restaurant, heard this unexpected turn of events in the private room through the earpiece.
He didn't expect that although Shen Xinyin looked ordinary, she was quite self - confident.
Her self - indulgent performance was even a bit uncomfortable to listen to.
However, this was developing as he had expected.
Whether Shen Xinyin took the innocent - looking route or the flamboyant route didn't matter.
As long as it finally led to a scene in front of Meng Ruo'chao.
Thinking of this, a sneer curled up on Pei Jiangmu's lips.
The good show was just beginning.
The door of the private room was gently pushed open again.
Meng Ruo'chao, wearing a dark green cheongsam and with light makeup, stood at the door.
She looked at the group of people in the private room with an obviously tense atmosphere in surprise.
Especially the young girl who was almost clinging to Yan Qiubai.
She stood at the door without moving, and a look of astonishment and a barely perceptible coldness appeared on her face.
"Qiubai?"
She spoke softly, her gaze sweeping over Shen Xinyin with a questioning look.
In an instant, all the eyes in the private room were focused on Meng Ruo'chao.
Yan Qiubai immediately stood up, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Chaochao, you're here."
He subconsciously wanted to walk towards her.
As for Shen Xinyin, the moment she saw Meng Ruo'chao, the smile on her face instantly froze.
Her proud expression shattered bit by bit, turning into disbelief, shock, and a hint of anger at being deceived.
There really was a woman?!
Meng Ruo'chao's sudden appearance was like a basin of ice - cold water poured on Shen Xinyin's burning anger and jealousy.
She stared at the woman at the door in disbelief. This woman had a cold and elegant temperament and an extremely beautiful appearance.
Especially the way Yan Qiubai's eyes instantly lit up and that intimate "Chaochao" were like needles stabbing at her heart.
Anger and the feeling of being betrayed instantly overwhelmed her rationality.
Shen Xinyin suddenly stood up, lifting her chin slightly.
She scanned Meng Ruo'chao from head to toe with a critical and cold look, and a sneering arc curled up on her red lips.
"Oh? So this is Brother Qiubai's new girlfriend?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "new", as if reminding everyone.
Especially Meng Ruo'chao, that she, Shen Xinyin, was the one with a special meaning.
Because there were countless new things.
But there was only one first love and white moonlight.
"Sure enough... very special."
The contempt in her tone was undisguised.