Chapter 113: A Night Without Returning Home

He Shi turned around and immediately shared the information he had just obtained with Xie Xu.

Upon hearing the news, Xie Xu pondered for a moment, then gave a slow nod to indicate he understood.

The next day happened to be a Saturday, and everyone was off. Xie Xu had intended to ask Lu Yiqi out for a outing, but unfortunately, she completely ignored his messages and had even blocked him.

Xie Xu felt a wave of helplessness. Perhaps there wasn't another woman in the world besides Lu Yiqi who would dare to block him. This woman was truly spoiled. Grinding his teeth, Xie Xu grabbed a jacket from the sofa and headed out. He stopped at a supermarket to buy a pile of fruit, then carried it straight toward Lu Yiqi’s home.

Standing at her doorstep, he raised his hand, only to lower it again. He glanced down at his attire; he had left in such a hurry that he was dressed a bit too casually. Hopefully, it wouldn't affect his charm. With that thought, he finally felt reassured and pressed the doorbell.

A moment later, the door opened. Chen Wan poked her head out, and her eyes brightened when she saw it was Xie Xu. "Oh, it's little Xie! Welcome, welcome, please come in. What made you decide to drop by for a visit today?"

Xie Xu nodded and stepped inside, handing the bag he was holding to Chen Wan. "Auntie, I brought you some fruit. Since I wasn't sure what you liked, I bought a little bit of everything."

Chen Wan took the bag, beaming. "You're so thoughtful, little Xie."

"It's only right, we're neighbors after all." As Xie Xu spoke, his gaze drifted around the room as if searching for something.

Chen Wan, sharp-eyed, noticed this. "Are you looking for our Yiqi? She left about an hour ago, saying she was going out with a friend, so I didn't press her for details."

"I see."

"That girl is really something today, telling me she's staying the night at a friend's place. Honestly, the older she gets, the more flighty she becomes."

"Do you know the friend she’s with, Auntie?"

"I do, it's a girl named Xiao Chen."

As soon as Xie Xu heard that Lu Yiqi was out and planning to stay the night, he couldn't sit still. His mind had already wandered elsewhere, spiraling into thoughts about what she could be doing out all night. However, he felt it would be rude to leave so soon after his first visit. Every minute he sat there was a torment, like sitting on pins and needles.

Chen Wan naturally noticed that Xie Xu’s heart was no longer in the room. Not wanting to make things difficult for him, she offered him an graceful exit with a few polite words.

"Oh, little Xie, I’m getting on in years and I get terribly sleepy around this time. Please forgive me for not being able to entertain you any longer. I’m going upstairs to lie down for a bit. Feel free to sit for a while, look around, or head back whenever you like."

After Xie Xu acknowledged this, he waited until Chen Wan had gone upstairs before quietly departing.

He then contacted Chen Ziyi, asking if Lu Yiqi was with her. Chen Ziyi replied that she was. Xie Xu immediately asked for their location.

Seeing Xie Xu’s message, Chen Ziyi glanced at Lu Yiqi beside her and bit her lower lip, unsure whether she should betray her friend.

At that moment, Lu Yiqi draped an arm over Chen Ziyi’s shoulder and raised her glass, her speech slurred as if she were already drunk. "Cheers! Ziyi."

Chen Ziyi pushed away the glass Lu Yiqi was holding up. "I'm not drinking anymore. Any more and I'll be drunk too."

Lu Yiqi pouted. "No fun. I'll just drink it myself then."

Chen Ziyi couldn't help but retort, "Drink less. Alcohol is bad for you, and if you can't hold your liquor, you shouldn't be drinking anyway. Just having a little fun is enough..."