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Chen Ruowen was still covering half her face, looking at the phone placed before her with a mix of embarrassment, guilt, and irritation. She didn’t dare meet Gao Tang’s gaze, while Bai Jinyan, on the other side, stared at Gao Tang without blinking, his fist clenched in the shadow beneath the table. Gao Tang kept his eyes fixed on Chen Ruowen, his expression hovering between a smile and a smirk, leaving it unclear whether he was angry or simply wanting an explanation.

“I…” she began.

“Heh,” Gao Tang interrupted.

Just as Chen Ruowen was about to succumb to his gaze, ready to lash out in defiance, Gao Tang let out a soft chuckle and took back his phone. “Forget it. Probably just deleted me by mistake. I’ll add you again,” he said, kindly offering her an excuse. “I made a bet a while back and changed my WeChat nickname and avatar for a week. That period, a bunch of friends accidentally deleted me.”

Really? Could such a thing happen? Was it just coincidence?

Chen Ruowen breathed a sigh of relief, not considering the holes in Gao Tang’s explanation. As she prepared to accept his friend request for the second time, a large, well-defined hand suddenly covered her phone.

Turning her head, she saw Bai Jinyan’s impassive face.

“You promised me,” Bai Jinyan reminded her.

Promised? Promised what?

Chen Ruowen recalled the words Bai Jinyan had said to her that night—“keep your distance from Gao Tang.” Fearing he might be upset, she’d gone home and blocked Gao Tang; because he wanted her to like his hobbies, she forced herself to watch a dozen films she didn’t enjoy; because he said he’d apply to Nanjing University, she declined the overseas offers Chen Liwan had arranged for her, doing everything she could to get into the Nanjing University winter camp.

But what was the outcome? When she wanted to share her joy with him, he listened patiently and gently to another woman’s confession?

Chen Ruowen’s expression cooled. “What did I promise you?”

“You…”

“Bai Jinyan,” Gao Tang interjected, looking at the two locked in tense confrontation, his smile gentle. “It’s just a drink recipe. No need to get so worked up, is there?”

Just a drink recipe?

Bai Jinyan glanced at Gao Tang, realizing he’d come up with a dignified excuse and chosen the perfect moment to expose the deleted friend issue, all supposedly for a drink recipe? Even that earlier questioning—if the standoff had lasted a bit less, Chen Ruowen’s guilt wouldn’t have been enough, and she might have deleted him again. If it went on longer, given her temperament, she’d have snapped back and never added him again.

But Gao Tang timed everything perfectly, ensuring Chen Ruowen felt guilty enough not to delete him a second time, while also finding a way to save her dignity and win her favor.

This Gao Tang wasn’t just a master negotiator—he was a master of charm.

How could Bai Jinyan possibly feel at ease leaving someone so cunning around Chen Ruowen?

“Are you sure you only want to send a drink recipe?” Bai Jinyan retorted, placing his own phone on the table. “You can send it to me too.”

The commotion among the three drew attention. On the side, Geng Jiaojiao and her friends had paused their game, watching curiously and gossiping about Chen Ruowen’s group.

Gao Tang’s flawless smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, turning to Chen Ruowen with a grin. “So strict? May I ask, Bai Jinyan… are you her boyfriend?”

Boyfriend?

At this moment, just hearing those words made Chen Ruowen bristle.

“No,” she replied flatly, snatching her phone from Bai Jinyan and accepting Gao Tang’s friend request without hesitation. “Send the recipe directly to me. He has no right to interfere.”

No right?

Bai Jinyan’s gentlemanly image, cultivated over more than a decade, nearly shattered. He took several deep breaths to regain his composure.

“Do as you please,” he said, withdrawing his hand and lowering his gaze to the cards before him.

Geng Jiaojiao, watching the drama unfold, tugged at Kang Wenbo’s collar and whispered in his ear, “Why do I feel like Ruowen and Bai Jinyan are fighting?”

“You’re not the only one. We all feel that way,” Kang Wenbo replied, nibbling her ear.

“So what do we do? Should we help them make up?”

“Weren’t you planning to introduce Young Master Gao to Ruowen? Now you want to help Jinyan?” Kang Wenbo said, amused.

“Because Ruowen is obviously unhappy…” Geng Jiaojiao pouted. “I just want her to be happy.”

Kang Wenbo squeezed her round cheeks, thought for a moment, then broke the heavy atmosphere among the three.

“By the way, Ruowen, why did you suddenly decide not to go abroad? Didn’t we agree to go to America together? Jiaojiao was so upset when she found out, she almost tore up her passport.”

Geng Jiaojiao glared angrily at Kang Wenbo. Why did he have to bring up something so embarrassing? What if Ruowen looked down on her?

Sure enough, Chen Ruowen paused at the question, her expression becoming unreadable.

Giving up going abroad? Why?

Gao Tang seemed surprised too, clearly curious.

On the side, Song Yunhui and Man Hao sighed, putting down their cards and exchanging glances.

“You don’t know the reason?” Man Hao asked.

“I do,” Geng Jiaojiao replied dryly, but seemed reluctant to elaborate.

“Ruowen earned a guaranteed spot at Nanjing University,” Man Hao sighed again.

“Nanjing University? But they don’t offer guaranteed admission,” Gao Tang remarked, looking at Chen Ruowen with a trace of inquiry.

“Nanjing University?” Bai Jinyan repeated, uncertain as he looked at Chen Ruowen.

She applied to Nanjing University? Why didn’t he know?

“Nanjing University has a winter camp, which is like guaranteed admission in other universities. It just ended last week,” Man Hao explained briefly.

A sudden realization flashed across Gao Tang’s face as he hurried to change the topic, but someone spoke before him.

“Of course I know it’s because she got into Nanjing University…” Kang Wenbo said, sighing before Gao Tang could speak. “Uncle Chen tells everyone about it these days. But why? Why give up studying abroad for Nanjing University?”

Did Chen Ruowen apply to Nanjing University… for him? Is that why she went silent for days last week, and met Dean Yu… because she was participating in the training camp? Is that why she suddenly wanted to see him, and was so angry—because…

Bai Jinyan suddenly understood.

“No reason,” Chen Ruowen muttered. “Just took the exam for fun. Might not even go.”

“Why take it if you’re not going?” Kang Wenbo asked, puzzled. “Uncle Chen said you tore up the application for a top-ten global university, even threatened to quit if he didn’t let you apply. How…”

“Kang Wenbo! Shut up!”

Chen Ruowen snapped, slamming her cards onto the table in anger and storming away from the game. Bai Jinyan, as if waking from a dream, immediately followed, giving Kang Wenbo a grateful look.

Seeing this, Gao Tang could hardly have missed the truth. He put down his cards and smiled at Kang Wenbo. “So the real expert was here all along.”

Kang Wenbo shrugged, spreading his hands, feigning innocence.