What are you laughing at?

Gao Tang’s car was parked right outside Guangxun’s entrance—not that flashy Ferrari, but a discreet black Volkswagen.

“Interested in Japanese cuisine? There’s a new place nearby; the ingredients are all flown in from Hokkaido. It’s fairly authentic,” he offered.

Newly fresh, minimalist clothes, a low-profile sedan, and now a sudden interest in Japanese food? Chen Ruowen couldn’t help but be curious. “Did you just get dumped or something? You seem… completely different today.”

Gao Tang chuckled. “You didn’t dump me, so how could I be heartbroken?” He watched as Chen Ruowen’s expression soured, but just laughed and gently pulled her back, ushering her into the car. “I’ve never even been in a relationship, so where would heartbreak come from? Besides, being wild and unruly isn’t my only face.”

“Are you saying you have multiple personalities?” Chen Ruowen snorted, thoroughly unconvinced by his claim of never having dated.

“Not everyone is like you—carefree, always looking like you’re about to conquer the world,” Gao Tang teased.

Chen Ruowen’s face darkened. “Open the door. I’m getting out.”

“Lao Yi, let’s go,” Gao Tang called to the driver without turning his head, then deftly reached over, buckled Chen Ruowen’s seatbelt, and secured her in the back seat. “I’m complimenting you, don’t be mad.”

“That’s what you call a compliment?” Chen Ruowen retorted angrily.

“Of course. I’m praising your honesty, your purity and kindness, your independence and confidence—a true model of the modern woman.”

From the front seat, their driver Old Yi couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

Chen Ruowen shot Gao Tang a glare. “Even your driver can’t help laughing at what you’re saying, and you expect me to believe you?”

“He’s not laughing at me,” Gao Tang said, resting his elbow on the seat near Chen Ruowen, turning toward her, chin propped on his palm, a twinkle in his eye. It was clear he enjoyed the game of teasing her only to immediately soothe her ruffled feathers.

Old Yi vigorously nodded from the front. “I just remembered my kid got a perfect score on his test. That made me happy, that’s all.”

“Oh?” Gao Tang said lightly, glancing forward. “That’s impressive! Congratulations.”

Old Yi fought back another laugh. “It’s nothing, really.”

Listening to their seamless back-and-forth, Chen Ruowen started to question her own suspicions.

“Was it really because of the test scores?”

“What else could it be?” Gao Tang smiled. “I think exams are pretty important.”

Old Yi thumped the steering wheel. “Extremely important!”

Chen Ruowen fell silent, feeling like she was being played but unable to prove it…

“You said I seem different today,” Gao Tang leaned a bit closer, shifting the topic. “So do you prefer my usual style—the devastatingly handsome, over-the-top me—or today’s understated, fresh look?”

“Is your skin thick enough yet?” Chen Ruowen couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Devastatingly handsome, really…

Still, she found herself giving him a quick once-over. Not a flaw in his features, lips red and teeth white, those eyes always seeming to spark, radiating a kind of effortless charm. Up close, she had to admit… he was quite handsome.

She avoided his gaze and looked straight ahead. “Both are fine, I guess.”

“Does ‘both are fine’ mean you like them both?” Gao Tang’s smile deepened.

“I don’t like either.” Chen Ruowen paused, suddenly uncomfortable with how close he was getting. “Why are you so near?”

“Oh, I’ve been a bit nearsighted lately. Can’t see people clearly unless I’m close.”

Old Yi stifled another laugh from the front seat.

Young master would say anything to get close to Miss Chen—even claim nearsightedness? He’d never had that issue his whole life.

Chen Ruowen eyed him warily. “Your driver’s laughing at you again.”

“He’s not laughing at me,” Gao Tang replied, not even raising his eyelids. “There’s just been a lot to celebrate at home lately.”

Old Yi’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter as he nodded. “Yes, yes, so many things to be happy about.”

“What’s so funny this time?” Chen Ruowen asked.

“Heh, my wife’s company handed out bonuses yesterday. Just thinking about it makes me happy.”

“Congratulations,” Gao Tang replied airily. “But remember, stay focused while driving. If you keep getting distracted, I’ll have to dock your bonus this month.”

Old Yi’s smile faltered immediately. Too many outbursts and the young master would get annoyed…

Chen Ruowen could tell Gao Tang was spouting nonsense, but with Old Yi’s perfect cooperation, she couldn’t find a single chink in their story—leaving her feeling both frustrated and amused.

But Gao Tang wouldn’t let her stew for long; he easily shifted topics, drawing a reluctant laugh from her. Old Yi watched in admiration from the front—if only he had a tenth of the young master’s skill, he wouldn’t have waited until nearly thirty to marry and start a family…

Lunch passed pleasantly enough. Though Chen Ruowen couldn’t say she was especially fond of Japanese food, she didn’t dislike it either. The restaurant was authentic, and Gao Tang’s lively explanations added to the experience, leaving her with a good impression.

Gao Tang himself seemed quite the enthusiast. Midway through the meal, he snapped a picture of the spread and posted it to his social feed. The photo accidentally included Chen Ruowen’s hand, and his caption was simply: “Seafood feast.”

Yet, not a single comment cared about the food. Everyone wanted to know whose hand appeared in the photo.

“So, what do you think of Japan?” Gao Tang asked on the drive back, replying to new messages as he spoke.

“Not much,” Chen Ruowen replied. People in Nancheng generally didn’t have warm feelings toward that country, but she tried to be fair. “The animation is pretty good. There are a few series I actually like.”

“Well, that’s quite the coincidence. I was talking about animation,” Gao Tang smiled, putting his phone away and leaning in close, just as before. “This weekend, there’s an anime association from Japan hosting a themed exhibition in Nancheng. Interested in going together?”

“Is it like a museum?” Chen Ruowen frowned.

Gao Tang burst out laughing. “Of course not! Who would take a girl to a museum for a date?”

Inwardly, Chen Ruowen gave him a silent thumbs-up, while at the same time grumbling about a certain someone who used to drag her to museums all the time.

Gao Tang went on, “It’s more like a traveling theme park. You’ll see when you get there.” He extended the invitation again, “Want to go? The exhibition runs for ten days. If you’re interested, I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

By now, the car had slowly pulled up to the street where Guangxun was located. Chen Ruowen waited for the car to stop before opening the door to get out.

“I’ll see how I feel,” she replied.

Gao Tang got out at almost the same moment and quickly caught up to her.

“Chen Ruowen!”

She turned, and he looked straight into her eyes with a gentle smile.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow. As for whether you want to go… you can decide then.”

Chen Ruowen turned her head away from his gaze, waving her hand with no expression.

“We’ll see.”