"What a coincidence, sister-in-law," Chi Xiyang said with a lazy smile as he approached the table, completely ignoring Jo Ning's presence as if she didn't exist. "Didn't expect to run into you here."
Hailey Tang's eyes flitted from him to Lin Xin'er, and she returned his smile with deliberate mischief. "Very coincidental indeed. Are you two on a date?"
Chi Xiyang's smirk deepened, unbothered and brazen. "You could say that."
"Oh, so you're together now?" she teased with a sly raise of her brow.
Lin Xin'er immediately waved her hands in denial, clearly flustered. "Mrs. Dong, it's not what it looks like. President Chi and I are just friends."
Hailey nodded slowly. "Oh? Just friends?"
She said it so casually, but her voice carried a teasing edge, like she didn't quite believe it—and didn't really care either way.
Sitting beside her, Jo Ning, who had been as stiff as a board the whole time, finally exhaled quietly. Her tightly clenched fists relaxed beneath the table, almost unnoticed.
Chi Xiyang chuckled again, as if amused by the whole exchange. "Well, we won't disturb you any longer. Enjoy your meal."
"Sure," Hailey replied with a faint smile, watching them return to their table.
Not once did Chi Xiyang look at Jo Ning—not even a glance. He acted like she was invisible.
Hailey hadn't expected things between the siblings to be like this.
Confused, she turned to Jo Ning and asked carefully, "Jo Ning… he's your brother, isn't he? But…"
Jo Ning laughed softly, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah. He's my older brother. But… he doesn't really like me."
Hailey frowned. "Why?"
Jo Ning shrugged, feigning indifference. "Maybe I was just an unwanted addition to the family."
Hailey didn't press further—she had a vague idea now. The air around Jo Ning felt heavier, and Hailey instinctively changed the subject. "Forget him. Let's enjoy our meal. Hey, can I visit your university sometime? I can't even remember what a campus looks like."
Jo Ning's smile returned, albeit a little forced. "Sure. I'd love to show you around."
They tried to keep the conversation light for the rest of the meal, but Jo Ning clearly wasn't herself. Her responses were a little delayed, her smile a little thinner.
Eventually, Chi Xiyang and Lin Xin'er left first. Only then did Jo Ning seem to breathe normally again.
But when they went to pay the bill, the waiter stopped them with a polite smile. "Your meal has already been covered, Miss Jo."
Jo Ning blinked. "What?"
The waiter nodded. "The gentleman who left earlier—he took care of it."
Hailey let out a delighted laugh. "Well, look at that! We just saved a few thousand. We should definitely celebrate—eat something else, or maybe go do something fun."
Jo Ning brightened immediately, her earlier gloom dissolving just a bit. "Okay! What should we do?"
"Let's go watch a movie. I've never actually gone to the theater with a friend before."
Jo Ning's eyes sparkled. "Me neither! I've always wanted to go with someone."
It was a simple plan, but one that excited them both. Neither of them had many close friends—at least not the kind you could just call up for a spontaneous day out. Their worlds were different, their circles distant. But somehow, they clicked perfectly.
They even liked the same genre—romance. And not just any romance—they wanted maximum drama, with all the tears and heartbreak. The sadder, the better.
They ended up choosing a famous tearjerker, the kind that had been trending for weeks, with a reputation for making even the toughest hearts weep.
Naturally, they each bought a jumbo-sized bucket of popcorn—because crying was always better with snacks.
And so the scene was set: two girls sitting side by side, clutching their popcorn as the tragic love story unfolded onscreen. They laughed. They cried. They wiped their tears and then cried some more. They ate popcorn in between sobs.
By the time the movie ended, both of them looked like they'd just walked through a thunderstorm.
Their eyes were red and puffy. Mascara smudged. They looked like twin pandas—or maybe frogs.
Outside the theater, Jo Ning sniffled, her voice trembling. "That movie… was so heartbreaking. I still feel miserable."
Hailey nodded solemnly. "Same."
Jo Ning wiped her eyes again, giving Hailey a watery smile. "I should head home. But thank you. Today was… amazing."
Hailey smiled through her own blotchy tears. "Yeah. I had fun too."
"Let's hang out again sometime?"
"Definitely!"
They hugged briefly before parting ways, each retreating to their own world again, but with a little more warmth in their hearts than before.
Hailey made her way to the parking lot, still sniffling as she slipped into her vintage pink Beetle. It looked almost cartoonish against the sleek luxury cars around it, but she loved it—its weird charm, its unapologetic color.
She started the engine and headed toward the villa.
And just as she was nearing the intersection by the gated community, a familiar car rolled up from the opposite direction.
A long, dark Maybach—elegant and discreetly imposing.
Even before she could make out the driver, she knew who it was.
Ethan Yu.
He was seated in his usual position, looking composed and effortlessly powerful. The deep tint on his windows didn't hide his profile from her sharp eyes.
At the same moment, he seemed to notice her too—her ridiculous pink Beetle with its oversized headlights.
He'd always said they looked like frog eyes.
And right now, as she wiped her still-teary cheeks and sniffled behind the wheel, Ethan Dong lifted one brow, as if confirming his theory.
Yup, his smirk seemed to say. The car matches the eyes today.
（To be continued…）