Chapter 59: Encountering an Ex

Chapter 59: An Encounter with an Ex

When Fan Xiaoyao ran into the elevator foyer from the sixth floor, Wang Guocheng lagged behind and hurriedly emerged from the elevator again. It was only when she noticed the curious glances from others that Fan Xiaoyao realized she was still wearing the ANCALY dress.

A young girl passing by cast a look of admiration her way, exclaiming to her companion, "Hey, look, she's wearing the latest season's 'Dolphin’s Love' dress from ANCALY. It looks even better on her than on the model!"

Her friend, drawn by the comment, turned to gaze at Fan Xiaoyao, pausing in her steps.

Fan Xiaoyao nodded politely to the two of them, then turned to look for Wang Guocheng—just as he reached her side. He draped an arm around her shoulders. "You, running so fast—what if you took a tumble?"

The two girls beside them gasped in admiration. "Wow, they're such a perfect match!"

Feeling a little shy under their gaze, Fan Xiaoyao quickly pulled Wang Guocheng toward the elevator. Wang Guocheng nodded to the two girls before turning to leave. Noticing the blush on Fan Xiaoyao’s cheeks, he gently pinched her face. “Xiaoyao, you really do blush easily—your skin is so soft and smooth!”

Rolling her eyes, Fan Xiaoyao pinched Wang Guocheng’s own cheek in return, teasing, “Should I be weathered and rough like yours?”

Wang Guocheng pinched his own face, feigning indignation. “Really? I have a baby face, I’ll have you know!”

His antics made Fan Xiaoyao laugh. “Hahaha…”

Playfully bickering, they made their way to the parking lot, and once inside the car, Wang Guocheng carefully buckled her seatbelt. He started the engine and drove out of the Jiuding Shopping Plaza parking lot, heading north toward the Aegean Western Restaurant.

Fan Xiaoyao was surprised by how well Wang Guocheng knew the roads. “Guocheng, you don’t need to use the GPS? Did you already visit the Aegean earlier today?” Wang Guocheng just smiled without answering.

She glanced sideways at him, noting that his profile was quite pleasing—even if his crew cut made him look a little older, everything else was rather agreeable.

Sensing her gaze, Wang Guocheng said, full of self-assurance, “Well? Have you fallen for my face yet?”

Fan Xiaoyao gave a light snort. "So vain. You can't go three sentences without flirting with me."

At the next red light, Wang Guocheng turned to her. "Xiaoyao, have you really not fallen for me?"

Seeing her quietly watching the road ahead and not responding, Wang Guocheng put on a pitiful expression. “Sigh, it looks like the revolution is far from success—comrade must keep working hard.”

Fan Xiaoyao couldn’t help but laugh at his fist-in-the-air declaration. “Wang Guocheng, you really don’t look like a university lecturer at all—why are you always goofing off?”

He grinned at her. “My mischief is reserved for only one person, and that’s you—Fan Xiaoyao!”

From a distance, the neon sign of the Aegean Western Restaurant shimmered ever more brilliantly under the moonlight. Fan Xiaoyao sniffed the air, amused by her strange affinity with this place: her first love, a blind date, and now a rendezvous with Wang Guocheng—all at the Aegean.

Wang Guocheng noticed her staring dazedly at the neon lights and nudged her gently. “We’ve arrived—let’s go. Tang Zhengyi said this place is the romance capital of Kangcheng.”

He offered his right arm for her to take.

Fan Xiaoyao laughed softly. “Wang oppa, who knew you were such a gentleman at heart?”

Clad in her flowing lake-blue dress, arm in arm with Wang Guocheng in his black suit, Fan Xiaoyao entered the Aegean Western Restaurant.

As they stepped inside, everyone turned to look at the striking young couple.

“A custom KINGYI suit and the latest season’s ANCALY 'Dolphin’s Love' dress—wow, he’s handsome, and she’s gorgeous…” whispered a couple in the corner, sizing them up.

Fan Xiaoyao had never cared for fashion brands, so she had no idea that the perfectly tailored black suit Wang Guocheng wore was from KINGYI, the country’s top custom suit brand.

She began to doubt his identity more and more. Could an ordinary university lecturer afford a limited-edition KINGYI suit costing over a hundred thousand yuan?

Just as Fan Xiaoyao was puzzling over Wang Guocheng’s background, the last person she expected appeared.

As the old saying goes, enemies are bound to cross paths. Though Fan Xiaoyao never considered Tim her enemy.

Tim, approaching from the other direction, was momentarily stunned to see her at the entrance. He hadn’t expected to run into her here.

It wasn’t until Wu Yang, at his side, nudged him that Tim snapped out of it. Yet the most awkward person present wasn’t Fan Xiaoyao, but Wu Yang himself.

He had pursued Fan Xiaoyao for so long—loved less than Tim, outmatched by Wang Guocheng—so seeing her again left him with none of his former enthusiasm.

Tim was the first to speak, feigning surprise as he looked at Fan Xiaoyao. “Xiaoyao, you’re dining here too? What a coincidence.”

Fan Xiaoyao leaned a little closer to Wang Guocheng. “Let me introduce you—this is my fiancé…”

Before she could finish, Wang Guocheng jumped in. “Hello, I’m Wang Guocheng, Xiaoyao’s fiancé and soon-to-be husband. We’re on a date tonight.”

He made a point of enunciating ‘soon-to-be husband’ clearly, one word at a time.

Sensing Fan Xiaoyao’s shift in mood at the sight of Tim, Wang Guocheng realized there was history there. He asserted his claim, introducing himself with authority.

When Tim heard that Wang Guocheng was Fan Xiaoyao’s soon-to-be husband, his expression darkened. For a few seconds, he looked as if he wanted to impulsively take her away, but restrained himself.

“Xiaoyao, give me ten minutes—I have something to say to you.”

But Wang Guocheng immediately stepped between them, shielding Fan Xiaoyao behind him. “You must be Mr. Zeng. I’m sorry, but my soon-to-be wife doesn’t have time to chat with an ex.”

The three stood at an impasse. People began to gather around to watch the spectacle, but Tim and Wang Guocheng’s imposing auras soon drove them back.

In unison, the two men chided the onlookers, “What are you staring at? If you want drama, go watch TV at home—unless you want to get caught up in this. Go mind your own business.”

Watching the two men locked in a standoff over her, Fan Xiaoyao couldn’t help but snap, “What are you two trying to do? Brawl? Fight? Cause a scene?”