The commotion finally dispersed, and the restaurant returned to its usual tranquility. As the patrons sipped their tea and chatted, only Xu Minru's expression remained unsightly.
Seeing this, Jing Meng realized that if she didn't leave now, she would become the target of that lingering resentment. She quickly settled the bill and followed closely behind Li Ruyue as they stepped out of the restaurant.
"I wonder where else there is to eat around here." Jing Meng hadn't touched a single bite of the food she had ordered. Standing by the roadside with a growling stomach, she hoped she wouldn't run into anyone else she found disagreeable.
Just as she was thinking this, Li Ruyue's voice drifted over from a short distance away. "There's a decent place just around the corner."
Based on the scene earlier, Jing Meng could tell that Li Ruyue had a free-spirited, blunt personality, which made her feel a certain level of kinship toward her.
"Thank you for helping me out back there," Jing Meng said as she walked into the restaurant with her. "Otherwise, I don't know how long I would have been stuck dealing with her."
Li Ruyue chose a seat by the window. Seeing Jing Meng hesitate to join her, she waved her over with an air of easy confidence. "I didn't do it specifically for you. I just couldn't stand her self-righteous face. It was nothing."
With a slight nod, Jing Meng handed over the menu, intending to pay for the meal.
Li Ruyue didn't stand on ceremony. She took the menu and ordered several stir-fried dishes some were her own favorites, while others were the very items Jing Meng had ordered back at Xu Minru's restaurant. Without saying a word, she had taken both of their preferences into account.
Once the food arrived, the conversation came to a halt. Jing Meng ate quietly, occasionally glancing at Li Ruyue out of the corner of her eye. She tried to think of a topic to restart the conversation, but failing to find one, she simply focused on her meal.
After they had finished, Jing Meng sat quietly, waiting for Li Ruyue to finish as well.
Without even looking up, Li Ruyue held out her phone. Displayed on the screen was a WeChat friend request QR code. "Add me. I'll transfer the money to you later. We're going AA today."
"Huh?" Jing Meng was momentarily stunned. She stood there blankly before waving her hands in refusal. "There's no need. You helped me out, after all. Let me get this one."
Li Ruyue shook her head, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and stood up to walk toward the counter. "Earning money isn't easy for anyone. I'll pay now, and you can just transfer your half to me in a bit."
By the time she finished paying, Jing Meng was still confused, having added her on WeChat almost by accident. Even as they parted ways, it all felt a bit surreal.
Jing Meng looked back through the window and saw Li Ruyue still sitting at the table, eating heartily. A faint smile touched Jing Meng's lips. That was truly an interesting person.
Tucking her phone back into her pocket, Jing Meng hurried back to the Laboratory. Since it was currently break time for the staff, she instinctively softened her footsteps, planning to catch a short nap in her office. However, when she pushed the door open, someone was already sitting inside.
"CEO Pei is here?" Having just dealt with Xu Minru's arrogance, Jing Meng felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of resentment toward the Pei family when she saw Pei Shiyi.
Her sarcasm was palpable. Pei Shiyi frowned in confusion, not understanding what he had done to provoke her.
Thinking for a moment, Pei Shiyi put down his pen and looked up at the visibly irritated Jing Meng. He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Did someone bully you?"
What was going on with HR? How could they allow someone who looked down on others to appear in the Pei family Laboratory?
"I'm not that weak," Jing Meng replied, leaning back against the sofa as she rubbed her aching temples.
She wasn't the type to suffer in silence. If someone bullied her, she would strike back without mercy.
As the thought crossed her mind, she couldn't help but think of Xu Minru again, and the frustration in her eyes deepened.
She was lost in thought, unaware that Pei Shiyi was carefully observing her every expression. Seeing that she seemed exhausted, he didn't press her further. Instead, he sent a quick message to his assistant on his phone.
The office fell into silence.
Once Jing Meng calmed down and remembered her unfriendly attitude, she felt a headache coming on. "Pei..."
Pei Shiyi saw through her thoughts and cut her off before she could speak. "It's fine. You've been too busy lately; it's normal to be in a bad mood."
Jing Meng felt a sudden pang of guilt. She had snapped at him, yet he was the one making excuses for her.
"The project is going very smoothly, so don't put too much pressure on yourself." Pei Shiyi stood up and grabbed his coat. "Get some rest."
Before Jing Meng could ask anything else, he turned and left.
Just as he closed the door, his phone rang.
Pei Shiyi swiped to answer, and his assistant's voice came through the receiver.
Listening to the report, his brow furrowed tightly. "Xu Minru? Very well!" Pei Shiyi let out a cold laugh. He cast a sidelong glance at the office door, his expression growing darker.
"Where is she?"
"Still at the restaurant," the assistant replied quickly, sensing the CEO's anger and reporting everything truthfully.
Hanging up the phone, Pei Shiyi entered the elevator, radiating a chilling aura. His bright eyes were filled with frost.
He pushed open the restaurant door to find the place empty of customers. Only Xu Minru was there, furiously berating the staff.
Pei Shiyi's brow twitched. He moved naturally, pulling out a chair to sit down. He watched Xu Minru as she scolded her employees and let out an unreadable chuckle.
With her back to the door, Xu Minru hadn't noticed him enter. Hearing the laugh, her already foul mood flared even higher.
"What are you laughing at..."
Xu Minru froze mid-sentence, then immediately forced a smile onto her face though it looked stiff no matter how one viewed it. "Little Uncle? What brings you here? Have you eaten yet? Should I have the kitchen whip up something you like?"
"No need. I'll leave after a few words." Before Xu Minru could respond, Pei Shiyi had already stood up and started walking toward a private room.
Xu Minru had no choice but to follow. A sense of foreboding settled in her heart at his sudden visit. She knew the nature of the relationship between Jing Meng and him, but even now, she refused to believe that Pei Shiyi would actually break ties with his family over a woman.
Closing the door to the room, she asked with a look of confusion, "What's happened? Why the sudden visit, Little Uncle?"
Xu Minru immediately thought back to the events of the afternoon. She hadn't expected Jing Meng to actually dare complain to Pei Shiyi.
"What? Do I need to remind you of what you did at noon?"
At the mention of the noon incident, Xu Minru's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her smile. "It was nothing. I was just giving her a bit of advice. I didn't expect her to be the same as before acting one way to your face and another behind your back. She just loves sowing discord between us."
Sowing discord?
Pei Shiyi let out a cold snort, his gaze toward Xu Minru becoming increasingly disdainful.
"The only reason I haven't done anything to you today is out of respect for my elder brother. But if you continue to test my limits, I don't mind letting you experience what it truly means to turn a cold shoulder!"
With a freezing smile, Pei Shiyi's eyes overflowed with a bone-chilling coldness.
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