The boy was by her side again!
Di Mingjue was bored in the car and, calculating the time, decided to come up and see why they were taking so long to come down. He never expected to see Gu Xiuyu again.
"Finished talking?" Di Mingjue walked to Ye Ziyu's side, his demeanor gentle. He acted as if Gu Xiuyu were invisible.
Ye Ziyu subtly shook off Di Mingjue's outstretched arm and quickly entered the elevator.
Ye Chenhan, still on the phone behind her, turned around to see the elevator doors closing in front of him. He was left behind.
"I haven't even gotten in yet!" he exclaimed, rushing to press the open button repeatedly to no avail.
With one person on each side, Ye Ziyu was sandwiched between them.
"Ziyu, Qianqian just called."
"What happened to them?"
The mention of the children brought a look of anxiety to Ye Ziyu's face.
Seizing the opportunity, Di Mingjue took her hand. "Don't worry, the children just missed us too much because we've been gone so long."
Ye Ziyu looked up and caught Di Mingjue's challenging glance at Gu Xiuyu.
How childish! She could clearly discern the meaning behind his words.
Releasing his hand, Ye Ziyu replied calmly, "You can go back to them first."
Beside her, Gu Xiuyu smiled, enjoying Di Mingjue's triumphant look that quickly turned into a frustrated one.
He had shot himself in the foot!
Di Mingjue excitedly leaned in front of Ye Ziyu and said seriously, "The children miss you more than they miss me."
The elevator doors opened at an inconvenient moment.
"Ziyu, are you heading back to the hotel? My driver is just outside, want to share?" Gu Xiuyu followed Ye Ziyu, brushing past Di Mingjue as they walked.
Watching their close proximity, Di Mingjue let out a displeased snort.
He had gained a temporary advantage, did he really think he had a chance?
As they exited through the revolving doors, Di Mingjue quickened his pace to follow.
Gu Xiuyu had already opened the car door for Ye Ziyu. Di Mingjue grabbed Ye Ziyu's wrist from behind, "Our car is nearby."
Faced with invitations from different people, Ye Ziyu had to make a decision.
Di Mingjue and Gu Xiuyu ceased their bickering and looked at Ye Ziyu with aggrieved expressions.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Gu. We drove here ourselves. Besides, Chenhan hasn't come down yet, so we won't delay you," Ye Ziyu said, proactively moving to Di Mingjue's side.
Her refusal was evident, and Gu Xiuyu had no further words to ease the situation. "Alright, please be careful on your way."
After Gu Xiuyu left, Di Mingjue acted like a victorious general, cheerfully opening the car door for Ye Ziyu. He held his hand on the car frame, careful to prevent her from bumping her head.
They remained silent throughout the journey until Ye Chenhan rushed down from the car, at which point they started driving.
Hotel.
"Ziyu, big brother just called. He said he's booked our return flight tickets," Ye Chenhan suddenly remembered as they were about to enter the room. He turned and called out to Ye Ziyu, who was about to go inside.
Di Mingjue paused, then turned and asked, "Today's flight?"
"Yes."
"Then Gu Xiuyu is also returning at the same time as you?"
If he were to return, Di Mingjue would have to stay with Ye Ziyu for two more days. Di Mingjue mused inwardly.
His eyes darted slightly, and Ye Ziyu immediately understood.
"Alright, I'll pack now. We'll leave as soon as possible."
"No rush," Di Mingjue stopped her. "I heard there are many good souvenirs to buy in Haishi. We can get some to bring back to the children."
Ye Ziyu looked at Di Mingjue's purposeful gaze and scoffed, "Since you don't have a ticket, you can stay to shop and then come back."
With that, she pushed open the door, retrieved her suitcase from beside the shoe cabinet, and stepped inside.
Due to the sudden business trip, she had very little luggage. She just needed to pack her few changes of clothes into the suitcase and they would be ready to depart.