Xu Su hated it when people called him by his childhood nickname, "Su Su." Even as a young child, he had strongly resisted it, but he always lost to Xu Xiao. Whenever Xu Xiao fell behind him, she would raise her voice, as if afraid others couldn't hear, and shout "Su Su" wildly. After that, his nickname spread throughout their circle. Now, hearing Ning Nan call him "Su Su," his face instantly darkened, and his emotions were too complicated to express.
Xia Yan didn't know the reason behind it, but she sensed that the relationship between Ning Nan and Xu Su was far from ordinary, so she chose to stay silent. In truth, she had never been opposed to relationships beyond the traditional male-female dynamic. To her, as long as the feelings were right, gender didn't matter. If she hadn't met Lu Zhengting, she might have even wondered if she was attracted to women.
Ning Nan sneaked a glance at Xu Su. Seeing his grim expression and serious demeanor, he felt a pang of worry but forced himself to act as if nothing was wrong. Their relationship, at least for now, could never progress further. His identity brought too many constraints—the swarm of paparazzi trailing him, Old Master Ning's conservative mindset, and not to mention the Xu family. But in Xu Su's eyes, none of that mattered. All he wanted was a single word from Ning Nan. If Ning Nan said he was willing, Xu Su would turn the world upside down for him. Unfortunately, Ning Nan's thoughts were completely different.
For some reason, whenever they ate together and Xu Su was present, Xia Yan usually didn't dare to be too unrestrained. She had tried to figure out why, and later concluded that it was because every time she saw Xu Su, his expression was icy cold, making her feel as if she had stepped into the dead of winter. Even the air seemed to carry a chill, giving her the sense that he was someone to be admired from afar, not approached.
Lu Zhengting noticed that Xia Yan's posture had become noticeably more upright. Seeing her gaze fixed on Xu Su, he furrowed his brow without reason, casting a sharp glance at the pensive woman before speaking calmly, "Xu Su, shouldn't you be on a plane right now?"
Xu Su slowly unbuttoned his coat. When a waiter stepped forward to take it, he frowned, bypassed her, walked to the coat rack himself, hung up his coat, and then leisurely returned to his seat. The waiter, left standing awkwardly, turned pale, wondering if she had done something wrong to offend these VIPs. She stood frozen, not daring to move without Xu Su's say-so.
Xu Su had a cleanliness obsession—a severe one. Xia Yan didn't know this, and no one had told her. When she saw Xu Su's cold attitude toward the waiter, her impression of him worsened. Even if he was devastatingly handsome, that didn't give him the right to treat people like that! Of course, she wouldn't say that out loud. Xia Yan silently glanced at the expressionless Xu Su, a flicker of disdain in her eyes, then turned to look at the equally expressionless Lu Zhengting beside her, pursing her lips. At least Lu Zhengting wasn't like that.
Feeling Xia Yan's gaze on him, Lu Zhengting paused mid-sip of water, casually set the cup down, and noticed that her eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight as she looked at him—charming and captivating. A smile tugged at his lips. Suddenly, he felt Xia Yan's hand reach for his under the table. He instinctively offered his hand, his gaze full of adoration fixed on her. Xia Yan bit her lip, hiding a sly smile as she held his hand, palm up. She frowned slightly, sneaking a glance at the others around them. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she raised her index finger and gently traced characters on Lu Zhengting's palm.
"Is he always like this?" Xia Yan was asking about Xu Su's attitude toward people.
Lu Zhengting thought for a moment and hummed in affirmation.
"So rude."
Lu Zhengting chuckled. Catching Xia Yan rolling her eyes discreetly, he turned his hand over and clasped hers firmly. The sudden movement caught her off guard, and she shot him a playful glare, lightly scratching his palm. When he remained expressionless, she couldn't help but mutter inwardly, *Such a fake!*
The atmosphere was probably too awkward. Xu Xiao, looking like she was enjoying the show, stared intently at Ning Nan and Xu Su. The waiter had been sent out by Ning Xi, leaving only the group in the private room. Ning Nan raised a hand, coughed lightly into his fist, glanced at Ning Xi, then at Lu Zhengting, and suddenly realized neither of them was reliable. Asking them for help would be like selling himself out—a deal not worth making.
Xu Su sat with his arms crossed, his posture impeccably straight. His white shirt highlighted his cold, aloof nature, and his frosty expression seemed to warn everyone to keep their distance. Ning Nan understood Xu Su, but sometimes it felt like he didn't. Right now, for instance, he knew Xu Su was sulking alone, and he knew that a single word from him could dissolve Xu Su's anger instantly. Yet he chose to do nothing, pretending to be deaf and mute.
Xu Xiao's pregnancy sickness had been acting up badly lately, and her appetite wasn't great. So Ning Dong was constantly worried, torn between blaming the baby for tormenting her and feeling sorry for her thinning face. This meal was supposedly a farewell dinner for the two of them, but Xu Xiao ended up feeling so nauseous that Ning Dong took her home early. Now, only a few of them were left.
In Ning Xi's mind, he was the only single person there. Ning Nan had Xu Su, and Lu Zhengting never stopped showing off his affection as long as Xia Yan was around. The dog food was being shoved down his throat, and he was chewing it loudly.
"Xu Su, are you still planning to handle the European project yourself this time?" Lu Zhengting asked casually, picking up a piece of sweet-and-sour spare ribs—Xia Yan's favorite—and placing it in her bowl, all while watching Xu Su.
Ning Nan, sitting nearby, perked up his ears, secretly waiting for Xu Su's answer. He actually hoped Xu Su would go himself—it would give him a chance to take a break.
Xu Su took in Ning Nan's expression completely. He took a sip of wine and replied nonchalantly, "I'm not going this time."
"..." Ning Nan's mouth twitched. That wasn't the answer he wanted!
Seeing that Xia Yan had finished the spare ribs in her bowl, Lu Zhengting reached over to give her another piece before looking up at Xu Su, then glancing at the restless Ning Nan. "That's fine. Some things don't need to be handled personally." Before Xu Su could respond, he raised an eyebrow and added, "But some things absolutely do."
He shot a meaningful look at the silent Ning Nan, who was caught off guard with a mouthful of meat. Hearing Lu Zhengting's words, Ning Nan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He looked up at Lu Zhengting, as if to say, *You don't screw over your own artist like this!*
Lu Zhengting simply ignored Ning Nan's silent protest. Frustrated, Ning Nan swallowed his food, put down his chopsticks, and fixed a serious gaze on Xia Yan, flashing a bright smile. "Xia Yan, I heard you really like Xi Xi? Perfect—I'm working with him again recently. If you come to visit the set, you're sure to see him."
Hearing this, Xia Yan paused mid-bite, pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth, and said excitedly, "Really? What time is Xi Xi usually around?"
"Easy. I'll send you my schedule later."
"Oh wow, Ning Nan, this is the first time I've seen you this generous!"
Ning Nan had just picked up his phone when he heard Xia Yan's comment. A streak of black lines crossed his face. "Was I not generous before?"
"Well... sort of." Xia Yan tilted her head to look at Lu Zhengting, and seeing the approval in his eyes, she felt even happier.
"Bro, come on. Showing off your love has its place. Don't go hurting this fragile little heart of mine."
Ning Xi was so disgusted by Ning Nan's words that he couldn't even eat. After a moment of silence, he said solemnly, "Now I finally get why Grandpa didn't want you in the entertainment industry. Look at you acting like an idiot. You weren't like this when you were little."
"Come on, dear little brother, let me hand you the mic. Tell us what you know, okay?" Ning Nan clenched his fist at Ning Xi through gritted teeth.
"Second brother, are you really going to argue with me?" Ning Xi sneered, continuing to provoke him.
In an instant, Ning Nan exploded. He couldn't stand being provoked!
Seeing this, Ning Xi calmly turned to Xu Su and called out sweetly, "Second brother-in-law, shouldn't you rein in Second Brother?"
The moment Ning Xi spoke, Xia Yan froze. *Second brother-in-law?* How terrifying was that? She sneaked a glance at the equally stunned Ning Nan, wondering what his psychological damage must be like.
Only two people in the room remained completely unfazed, as if the title was perfectly natural—Lu Zhengting and Xu Su, both wearing similar expressions of calm, composure, and matter-of-fact acceptance.
Xia Yan quietly tugged at Lu Zhengting's sleeve, opening her mouth to speak, but he casually placed another piece of sweet-and-sour spare ribs in her bowl. Staring at the fifth piece she'd eaten tonight, Xia Yan thought, *Even if I love these, at this rate, I'll get sick of them!*
Ning Xi saw nothing wrong with the address.
In Xu Su's eyes, this was a promising third brother.
Lu Zhengting checked the time, then looked down at Xia Yan. "Are you full?"
"At the rate you're feeding me, I'm about to burst." Xia Yan pouted, unaware that a layer of tangy, sweet oil still clung to her lips. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Zhengting, not noticing that his gaze had shifted to her mouth.
The clarity in Lu Zhengting's dark eyes seemed to deepen. He lifted his head, and his low voice echoed slowly through the quiet room. "Xia Yan and I are leaving first."