Ning Anmiao had thought that the friend Lu Yan mentioned would be a business partner or a work colleague.
When she saw Zhou Si, she thought she was seeing things.
"Zhou, Zhou Si?" Ning Anmiao was taken aback. Just then, the man beside her tightened his grip on her hand.
Lu Yan glanced at his watch and pursed his lips. "Boss Zhou is quite punctual."
This unexpected form of address made Ning Anmiao look up at the two men.
Boss Zhou?
Wasn't Zhou Si a programmer in their studio? When did he become a boss?
Apparently, Lu Yan had deliberately brought Ning Anmiao here to let her know Zhou Si's true identity.
"Boss Lu, you're joking. I'm just a small programmer," Zhou Si said, wearing casual clothes and looking as young as ever, with his hair neatly groomed and a sunny look in his eyes, just like a young man in his early twenties.
Boss Lu raised his eyebrows at him but didn't argue further. He pulled Ning Anmiao down to sit.
Ning Anmiao had thought they were meeting a stranger, but it turned out to be an acquaintance. She felt even more nervous. She leaned closer to Lu Yan and whispered, "Why didn't you tell me it was Zhou Si?"
"Tell you in advance so you can prepare to meet your suitor?" Lu Yan whispered back in a nonchalant tone, but there seemed to be an underlying meaning.
They were so close that Lu Yan could see Ning Anmiao's red earlobes from nervousness.
Ning Anmiao looked up at him defiantly. He quickly shifted his gaze to Zhou Si. "Shall we talk about the cooperation?"
Zhou Si glanced at Ning Anmiao sitting beside Lu Yan and casually asked, "Does Miaomiao want to listen too?"
His words clearly implied that the upcoming conversation was not suitable for Ning Anmiao.
Ning Anmiao nodded understandingly. "You two talk. I'll go out first..."
Before she could stand up, the man beside her suddenly grabbed her wrist and forced her to sit back down.
"Boss Zhou, watch your words," he said calmly, but there was a hint of authority in his voice.
Zhou Si was silent for a few seconds and finally showed a gentle smile. "Sorry. It should be 'Miss Ning'."
This simple change in address immediately drew a line between them.
Only then did Lu Yan let go of her hand. He squeezed her palm instead. "Wait for me at the door. Be good."
Ning Anmiao walked out of the room in a daze.
Only after she left did she realize that Lu Yan's actions were a hint to Zhou Si not to get too close to her.
She found it both funny and annoying, thinking Lu Yan was being overly cautious. She and Zhou Si hardly had any connection, and they had no interaction now. There was no need for such a show, which made her seem a bit pretentious.
Inside the room.
"Boss Lu, you've really gone to a lot of trouble," Zhou Si said with a smile. His young and charming face made him look like a man in his early twenties. "You've done everything you can to keep me away from Miss Ning."
"My girl is innocent. I'm afraid some dirty people might have their eyes on her," Lu Yan said calmly, with more impatience in his expression. "Boss Zhou grew up abroad. You're not one to beat around the bush."
Lu Yan never wasted too much time on one thing. "You also know that the other party's offer is quite generous."
Zhou Si shrugged, looking nonchalant. "At least I've never laid a hand on Miss Ning. You can take this into consideration."
After saying that, he smiled harmlessly. "But if it comes down to it, it's not a problem."
Lu Yan's face suddenly darkened.
...
"Well, then, here's to a successful cooperation."
Ning Anmiao estimated that some time had passed. She knocked on the door tentatively and then pushed it open. Seeing that the two men had reached an agreement, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Can I come in?"
"Come in."
Lu Yan's tone was both domineering and gentle, more like a possessive order.
Ning Anmiao glanced at the two men and noticed Lu Yan's cold expression. She walked over and obediently sat down beside him.
"Are you hungry?"
His voice was full of patience, as gentle as if the coldness from before had never existed.
Ning Anmiao realized she was a bit hungry after being asked this question.
Before she could answer, the waiter pushed the door open and served the dishes one by one.
They had been talking for so long that Lu Yan had the waiter reheat the dishes to prevent Ning Anmiao from getting a stomachache.
During the meal, the temperature in the room gradually rose. Lu Yan casually took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair.
He still felt hot, so he undid two buttons of his shirt.
Zhou Si noticed something and teased, "Allergies are common this season, Boss Lu. You should be more careful. The rash has spread to your neck."
Lu Yan didn't even look up. He picked up a shrimp with his chopsticks and put it in Ning Anmiao's bowl.
"There's a cat at home. It scratched me."
Ning Anmiao was confused. There was no cat in their home.
She looked up and stared at the pink bite marks and nail scratches on his neck. Her fair face instantly flushed.
She felt so uncomfortable during this meal that she was both ashamed and angry. She could only stomp on his foot under the table to vent her anger.
This man would say anything!
The man being stomped on remained unmoved. He calmly finished his meal, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and then looked at Ning Anmiao.
"We've eaten enough. Let's go. The cat seems to be starving."
His voice was still magnetic, calm, and attractive. It seemed like an ordinary sentence, but only the two of them knew what he was implying.
The blush on her face, which had just faded, returned. She even stuttered, "I, I know!"
After the meal, Lu Yan and Ning Anmiao got in the car.
Just as Ning Anmiao was lowering her head to fasten her seatbelt, the man in the driver's seat spoke with a hint of restraint in his voice. "Miaomiao, look up."
Ning Anmiao looked up. The man suddenly leaned over, wrapped his arm around the back of her head to protect it from hitting the car door, and then slowly tightened his arm, closing the distance between them.
The next second, Lu Yan's kiss landed unexpectedly.
When their lips touched, Ning Anmiao felt that the man's mood was different from usual. It wasn't gentle and delicate like before, but rather a domineering and possessive act.
Because of his aggressiveness, Ning Anmiao didn't even have a chance to catch her breath. She felt like she was about to suffocate from the kiss. She kept pushing against his chest with her small hands, a bit resistant.
The man's eyes became even more profound, as if he was about to be swallowed by his impulses. Only when she reached her limit did he reluctantly let her go.
Ning Anmiao's heart was pounding, and her breathing was in a mess. "Why are you so aggressive..."