as clearly scolding Lu Kuo. He was already quite old and hadn't even had a serious relationship."Not only am I single, but I also have no face to eat! Goodbye!" Lu Kuo readily admitted.Lu Yaoyao, see...She pretended to be calm while eating, but she was paying close attention to every move Lian made.

Having looked at her social media posts for several years, I already knew her food preferences like the back of my hand. So, without making a fuss, I subtly moved the food she liked to in front of her.

But her mood didn't seem very good tonight. Lu Kuo intentionally tried to liven up the atmosphere by asking her a lot of questions, but she always answered in just a few words and didn't want to attract the attention of any students present.

Lu Kuò hadn't forgotten his mission for tonight: to get Zhu Yǔān and Tíng Lán to interact more. But he found that Tíng Lán was a true master of keeping things cold. The atmosphere remained lukewarm throughout the event, so he had to change the subject.

Therefore, intentionally bringing up Zhu Yu'an and Wen Jian from the science class in the past, mentioning Wen Jian's pursuit of Zhu Yu'an, was meant to stir things up for Ting Lan.

The other students had been hesitant to speak up because of Zhuo Yuan'an's imposing aura. They didn't really have anything to say. However, when Lu Kuo mentioned the male and female gods from the science stream, things changed. After all, back then, both Zhuo Yuan'an and Wen Jian not only had exceptional looks but also consistently ranked in the top two of their class, giving them plenty to talk about.

Lu Kuo wanted to add some fuel to the fire, thinking that if Tinglan had even a little bit of interest in Zhuo Yunan, she would at least react after hearing this

As expected, his expression darkened considerably at the sight of Ting Lan. Even Cheng Chen glared angrily at him.

Zhuo Yu'an also called out his name, stopping him from speaking further.

He shut up, realizing he was making a fool of himself.

Zhu Yu's heart was floating, unable to settle. He poured himself a small glass of red wine to calm his nerves. Seeing Ting Lan staring intently at the wine in his hand, he paused, then looked up and asked her...

"Want a drink"

Listening nodded.

Zuo Yu'an smiled and took her wine glass, pouring a little into it.

The wine wasn't quite opened properly, and it tasted a bit dry. Tinglan only took a small sip, frowned slightly, and put it down. Zhuo Yu'an said from the side, "Would you like me to mix in some Sprite"

"Can we do that Wouldn't it be a bit tacky" Tinglan asked.

Zhuo Yu'an did not answer her question, instead opening the can of Sprite beside him and pouring a little into her red wine glass. He swirled it around and then handed it to her.

"Have a taste."

His tone was unconsciously gentle, even his gaze was tender.

Tinglan took the cup, took a sip, and there was no dryness like before. With the sweetness of Sprite, she exclaimed, "Delicious."

Even his eyes narrowed as he took another sip.

"Even a Sprite counts as alcohol, so don't drink too much." Zhuo Yujian kindly reminded.

Ting Lan nodded, feeling much better.

Zhu Yu'an didn't speak again. He was also intimidated and didn't know what to say.

Under Lu Kuo's guidance, everyone had relaxed from their earlier stiffness and were chatting animatedly.

Cheng Chen often bickered with Lu Kuo, while Zhuo Yu'an and Ting Lan listened quietly from the sidelines.

Zuo Yunan's memory instantly went back to high school, when it was like this. Every time he went back to the liberal arts class to find Lu Kuo, their classmates were noisy and chaotic. Lu Kuo and Cheng Chen were arguing, while Tinglan sat quietly by the side with a smile.

He subconsciously turned his head to glance at Tinglan beside him. As expected, she was listening quietly again, with a faint smile on her face. She was no longer the pure little girl with pigtails and a school uniform as before.

Now, she has a head of black curly hair that falls loosely behind her. With slight movements, the faint fragrance emanating from her fills his nostrils, making him uneasy. The combination of a shirt and skirt outlines her figure perfectly, where it should be thin, it is thin, where it should be full, it is full, every part is just right.

As they reached the back, Zhuo Yu'an didn't dare to look at her anymore. He even didn't dare to sit too close to her, moving slightly to the side, maintaining at least an arm's length of distance.

Cheng Chen, after finishing his fight with Lu Kuo, stuck his head out and, looking past Ting Lan, looked at Zhuo Yu'an:

"Mr. Zhuo, I haven't added you on WeChat all these years, can we add each other We are classmates after all."

Lu Kuo: "Do you want to add him on WeChat Did you ask me for permission"

Zhuo Yu'an has already taken out his phone and is showing them his WeChat friend request QR code.

"Still so generous, Mr. Zhuo," Cheng Chen scanned his QR code. The other students at the table also followed suit and added him on WeChat.

Cheng Chen shouted to Tinglan: "You should add Mr. Zhu as well. In Senzhou in the future, having one more person looking out for us will be helpful."

Zuo Yu'an raised an eyebrow, moved his phone slightly, and placed it directly in front of Ting Lan.

Ting Lan quickly took out his phone and scanned his QR code, applying to add him as a friend. Just as he sent the application, it was approved instantly.

His WeChat name is his real name, Zhuo Yunan.

This dinner ended early because Cheng Chen had to catch a flight back to Qīngníng. Lu Kuo announced the end of the gathering.

Tinglan held onto Chengchen's hand, talking outside the restaurant. Every time Chengchen saw her, besides inquiring about her mother's condition, he always said the same thing: focus on his career and leverage resources at Senzhou.

Ting Lan just kept nodding obediently in response.

Zuo Yu'an stood at a distance smoking. He didn't usually smoke, only occasionally having a cigarette. After the gathering ended, looking at Ting Lan in the distance, his mood felt low. At this dinner, the two seemed familiar yet distant. But for him, there was no progress.

He thought, after tonight, she would probably forget him again.

Lu Kuo beckoned to him. "You're driving, right Take Tinglan home."

He drove, so he only had a little red wine tonight.

He glanced at Tinglan, who seemed a little surprised by Lu Kuo's arrangement. After Lu Kuo left, she hurriedly waved her hand and said that she could go back.

He then handed her his phone: "Talk to Lao Lu yourself."

He expected that she wouldn't really refuse by calling Lu Kuò.

"Thanks for your help."

Still got into his car.

He was driving, she was in the passenger seat, Zhuo Y uan felt unreal. For many years, he had always followed her back view, so close contact, too little, too few.

The car drove very slowly, his car had a great soundproofing effect, there was no noise at all, he didn't receive any traffic broadcasts or play car music, it was surprisingly quiet. Even if you listened carefully, you could hear each other's breathing.

Of course Zhuo Yu'an deliberately drove very slowly, he wished to take a wrong turn and add more miles. Tinglan was in the passenger seat, fiddling with her phone.

She wasn't good at making conversation, and just let the tense and awkward atmosphere linger.

Perhaps it was age, or perhaps it was the influence of Lin Zhizhe's daily "brainwashing," or maybe it was just the particular quiet space around them. Whatever the reason, her mind was racing, and her attention was completely captivated by the man beside her.

The man beside me is too outstanding. Although he's the same age as me, he has already achieved great success in his career, leaving others far behind. He's also very handsome, with clear features and an aristocratic temperament.

Tinglan was calling out in her heart, this might be what Lin Zhixuan said about a hormonal surge. Today is a good day to favor yourself.s she got home, sent him a message, then stood by the window watching his back disappear.She had seen his back countless times, and she didn't know if she would have the chance to see it again in the...