Ruan Xingchen instantly felt her nerves tighten.
How did he know Lu Xiaobai was here?
No way—she couldn't drag Xiaobai into this. She had to deny it no matter what!
She glanced at the unfamiliar man beside her, then at the ceiling, and finally looked at Lu Jingyuan. A perfectly innocent smile spread across her face.
"At this hour, Xiaobai should be in the school dorm."
He wouldn't actually go check, so she wasn't afraid of being exposed.
Lu Jingyuan stared at her, his gaze deep. He set his glass down on the marble table with a sharp click, startling her.
Ruan Xingchen swallowed hard, her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
This man was terrifying… what if he got angry and did something drastic?
Seeing her clearly frightened yet stubbornly pretending otherwise, Wei Yuanxiao couldn't help but grin.
This girl was really something.
No wonder she was Lu Xiaobai's best friend.
Wei Yuanxiao walked back over and slung an arm over Lu Jingyuan's shoulder.
"Hey, could you stop looking so scary? You're going to frighten her."
Lu Jingyuan shot him a glance, brushed his hand away, and his expression softened slightly. He picked up his coat and stood.
As he passed by Ruan Xingchen, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the door.
"Let's go."
"Hey—what are you doing? Let go!" she protested, struggling. "Where are you taking me? My shift isn't over yet—I can't leave!"
Leaving early would mean losing pay.
"Home," he said simply.
Seeing him really leaving, Wei Yuanxiao called out,
"Hey, don't go yet! I haven't even enjoyed that 150,000 properly… And if you take her, how am I supposed to get home?"
The man's voice came back calmly,
"Figure it out yourself."
Wei Yuanxiao collapsed onto the sofa, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.
So this is what "abandoning your friend for a girl" looks like.
Ruan Xingchen was dragged all the way toward the elevator, her head spinning.
Just before they reached it, they ran into Manager Li—the one who had hired them.
She paused in surprise and stepped aside respectfully.
"Young Master Lu."
Lu Jingyuan gave a slight nod without stopping.
But Ruan Xingchen immediately cried out like she'd found a savior,
"Manager Li, help! This creepy man is trying to abduct me!"
Manager Li's lips twitched slightly. She glanced at Lu Jingyuan and asked cautiously,
"Mr. Lu… you're taking her…?"
The girl looked about the same age as her own daughter—and still in high school. Being taken away by a guest after only a few hours didn't seem appropriate.
But then again, she had known Lu Jingyuan for years and had never seen him with any woman before. Tonight was the first time.
Lu Jingyuan paused briefly.
"Please process the resignation for Ruan Xingchen and Lu Xiaobai."
With that, he pulled her into the elevator.
Manager Li raised an eyebrow but didn't stop them.
Once the elevator doors closed, Ruan Xingchen completely deflated.
This wasn't her first job—but it was the highest-paying one she'd had.
And now it was gone.
She couldn't help feeling upset.
The money she had saved wasn't much. Even including the 150,000 she got earlier, it barely exceeded 160,000. There was no rent to worry about, but utilities and daily expenses still had to be paid—not to mention the next several years ahead.
The elevator stopped at the underground parking level.
Lu Jingyuan took a few steps forward, then noticed she hadn't moved. He frowned.
"What? Reluctant to leave?"
She pouted.
"I haven't changed back into my clothes."
"Forget it."
"I won't!"
"…"
Unable to argue with her, Lu Jingyuan had no choice but to go back up with her.
This was his first time in the staff changing area.
Fortunately, it wasn't a busy time, so there was hardly anyone around.
He stood outside the women's changing room, waiting quietly.
Minutes passed.
No sound.
He checked his watch—fifteen minutes.
Without hesitation, he turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Inside, Ruan Xingchen stood in front of her locker, struggling with her dress.
For some reason, the zipper seemed stuck. No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't move.
Hearing the door open, she froze and looked up.
The moment she saw him, she panicked—her hands slipped, and the dress she had been trying to adjust fell loosely.