Chapter 68: A Chance Encounter at the Mall

It wasn’t just Wanqing Yu who deduced from the photos that the person pictured was Yao Yao Ye. Many attentive netizens noticed it as well. Even the paparazzo who took the candid shot came forward to confirm it was her.

Although Yao Yao Ye wasn’t a celebrity, she’d been a longstanding fixture of internet attention. This time, her appearance propelled the trending topic even higher.

“So everything really does leave a trace! No wonder Yan Cheng Gu and Miao Qin are at odds with each other—my goodness, this man is so protective of her!”

“Seriously? What kind of charm does Yao Yao Ye possess to make so many men fall over themselves for her? At this moment, I’m starting to doubt what she truly looks like!”

“No matter how pretty she is, she’s just someone who climbed up by relying on her body. An orphanage girl—if she wasn’t in that kind of business, how could she meet people from such high society? You all should think twice about liking Yan Cheng Gu. Birds of a feather flock together!”

Some judged the match based on family background, debating whether Yao Yao Ye and Yan Cheng Gu were suitable for each other. Others simply focused on looks, captivated by their faces. The atmospheric photos of the two apart drove many fans wild with excitement—they really seemed like a perfect couple!

Shen Yan saw these comments and wished he could gouge out the eyes of those people. A perfect match? Where? How could a pretty boy be a match? Yao Yao Ye went out on a date with Yan Cheng Gu and was photographed, the pictures posted online. When he asked her about it, she simply said it was a private matter. Private matter? What a joke!

Just then, Feng Yuqi pushed through the oppressive atmosphere of the office and entered. “Yan, the custom dress for Miss Ye is ready. I’ll go pick it up.”

Shen Yan glared at Feng Yuqi indignantly, but in the end, he could only nod. Feng Yuqi quickly slipped away.

He’d originally thought that with the boss and Yan together, something new and exciting would happen, but lately all he saw was anger. The boss truly was extraordinary—always doing remarkable things.

When Feng Yuqi went to Triple Y to collect the dress, he took a quick look. The dress had been designed personally by Yan. When he first saw the sketches, he was stunned—even after being away from Yan for so long, Yan had never stopped honing his skills.

Carrying the dress out, Feng Yuqi bumped right into Wanqing Yu. He tried to sidestep her, but she blocked his way with an outstretched arm.

Wanqing Yu was astonished—she hadn’t expected to run into Feng Yuqi at the mall.

“Feng Yuqi?” Feng Yuqi used the dress to cover his face. “You’ve got the wrong person…”

“How could I possibly be mistaken?” Wanqing Yu reached out to pull the dress away, but Feng Yuqi dodged swiftly. If anything happened to the dress, his head would be on the line. In defending it, he revealed his face completely to Wanqing Yu, giving her a moment to take him in.

“You’re dressed like this—are you someone’s assistant now?” Wanqing Yu’s feelings were complex. Her beloved, so outstanding in every way, now living under someone else’s roof? What if he encountered a boss with a bad temper and suffered constantly?

“Yes.”

“Who are you assisting? Tell me.” Wanqing Yu spread her hands, afraid he’d run off any second. “Let me check out their character for you.”

“It’s inconvenient. If there’s nothing else, Miss Yu, I’ll be going.”

Feng Yuqi tried to leave, but Wanqing Yu grabbed his clothes and wouldn’t let go.

“No, you’re not allowed to leave.” She hugged his waist. “It’s so rare to see you—I can’t let you go. I want to introduce you to someone, it’ll be quick.”

Wanqing Yu held onto Feng Yuqi with one arm, operated her phone with the other, and kept glancing at him, afraid he’d escape. Feng Yuqi was helpless—he wanted to yank his clothes free, but didn’t want to hurt her.

The two were at a stalemate.

Given the situation, Feng Yuqi realized he wouldn’t be able to leave anytime soon and sent Shen Yan a message.

“Someone’s holding you up? Personal matter?”

“Yes, Yan. I’ll resolve it soon.”

Shen Yan didn’t reply.

Driven by human curiosity and irritated by all the online news about Yao Yao Ye and Yan Cheng Gu, Shen Yan decided to see for himself what was tying up Feng Yuqi.

Yao Yao Ye had urgent matters to attend to, but she managed to wrap things up in half an hour and drove to the destination.

Wanqing Yu dragged Feng Yuqi into a bubble tea shop and sat him down. She sipped her drink and stared at him. Feng Yuqi stood to straighten his clothes, and Wanqing Yu immediately followed.

Nervously, she asked, “What are you doing? You’re not allowed to leave!”

“I’m just tidying my clothes,” Feng Yuqi said, helpless but indulgent. “How much longer do I have to wait?”

“Almost there, very soon.”

“You’ve said that many times.”

“This time it’s true.”

“You’ve said that too.”

Wanqing Yu fell silent but kept her eyes fixed on him, refusing to let him leave.

Yao Yao Ye rushed into the mall and headed for the bubble tea shop. When she pushed open the door, she saw Wanqing Yu sitting alone, despondent.

Wanqing Yu walked over, aggrieved, and threw herself into Yao Yao Ye’s arms. “Yao Yao, I couldn’t keep an eye on him—he sneaked away…”

Yao Yao Ye blinked, not quite understanding the situation. Wanqing Yu wanted to introduce her beloved to her, but the atmosphere felt like meeting a criminal. Despite the odd feeling, Yao Yao Ye gently patted Wanqing Yu’s back to comfort her. “It’s okay, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.”

Wanqing Yu rubbed against her, feeling wronged. If Feng Yuqi accepted her, there really would be plenty of chances in the future. But their meetings were so rare—if not for this chance encounter at the mall, who knows when they’d meet again.

Yao Yao Ye ordered some desserts for Wanqing Yu to cheer her up. When they left the bubble tea shop, Wanqing Yu was still thinking about what had happened, but her mood was much improved.

“Yao Yao, from now on, if I message you, no matter what you’re doing, you have to come right away—otherwise, it’ll be just like today, and we won’t see each other.”

“Alright,” Yao Yao Ye promised as best she could.

Her tone was gentle, her eyes full of affection. She radiated warmth.

Shen Yan, who had come to watch the drama, felt a pang of jealousy.

Wonderful, truly wonderful! This woman was kind and attentive to everyone except him—for him, she was fierce and unyielding.

So, was he some kind of monster?

Sensing his gaze, Yao Yao Ye turned her head and met Shen Yan’s eyes. For a moment, both were stunned, then simultaneously turned away, pretending not to see each other.

Wanqing Yu was intrigued. What were these two doing—pretending to be strangers?

“Yao Yao, do you think Shen Yan is jealous after seeing your rumors with Yan Cheng? Is that why he’s acting like this?”

Yao Yao Ye sneered, “The reasons Shen Yan gets angry, I don’t think I’ll ever understand in my lifetime.”

Shen Yan—his specialty was being inhuman.