Gu Xiuyu's gaze shifted to Ye Ziyu.
"Time flies, it's already noon," Ye Shaoting remarked.
Time had passed, but little work had been completed.
Ye Chenhan stretched, "Shall we take a break and continue this afternoon?"
Sitting up straight for too long had left him sore all over.
Gu Xiuyu agreed with Ye Chenhan's suggestion.
Ye Shaoting went behind Ye Ziyu, "Ziyu, we've decided to take a break. We'll continue after lunch."
The call hadn't been disconnected, so Di Mingjue on the other end heard this.
"I'll wait for you downstairs. Take your time to get ready, no rush."
The voices from the phone were close enough for Ye Shaoting to hear, "Mingjue?"
"Mhm, since we're taking a break, I'll head down first." Ye Ziyu, holding her phone, nodded at Gu Xiuyu and left the office under the watchful eyes of the three men.
"Brother, let's go eat too," Ye Chenhan suggested.
The mental exertion had depleted his energy reserves. He had been hungry for a while but felt too embarrassed to bring it up seeing their focused expressions.
"Alright, Mr. Gu, join us."
"This time, I'm treating. Mr. Ye, you mustn't fight me on this."
"Mr. Gu, you're joking. How can I let you treat guests in my place?"
Amidst playful jostling, the three of them headed downstairs.
Di Mingjue and Ye Ziyu hadn't left yet, and the five of them happened to bump into each other.
Busy with work, it was work with *him* they were busy with!
Seeing Gu Xiuyu, Di Mingjue felt as if he had encountered an enemy, especially seeing Ye Shaoting beside him.
"You're having lunch with them?" Di Mingjue inquired.
Had she said that?
Ye Ziyu, seeing Di Mingjue's anxious and uneasy expression, deliberately countered, "What do you think?"
"It's fine. If you want to join them, I can join you all." Di Mingjue adopted a submissive demeanor.
Getting angry would only drive Ye Ziyu further away, and they would argue. But acting obedient was different; it could evoke Ye Ziyu's pity, and then what could the others do? xxs
Di Mingjue waited pitifully for Ye Ziyu's response.
"I'm not joining them," Ye Ziyu stated.
Her anger had long subsided, and besides, she didn't wish to be with Gu Xiuyu. Avoiding any potential misunderstandings was the priority.
Di Mingjue blinked, asking with spirited curiosity, "Really?"
"It seems you're more eager to eat with them than I am. In that case, I'll ask for you." Ye Ziyu turned towards Gu Xiuyu.
Not wanting to give her the chance to disrupt their world, Di Mingjue immediately placed his arm around her shoulder, twisting Ye Ziyu's turned head back, "The restaurant I booked is for two people; it won't accommodate so many."
"It's fine, we can change tables or add chairs."
"It's too much trouble. It's more comfortable for just the two of us."
Di Mingjue busied himself dispelling Ye Ziyu's thoughts, and without forgetting, looked back at Gu Xiuyu to signal his victory.
His efforts to disrupt their marital harmony were still a little lacking.
Ye Shaoting stared intently at where they were going.
......
"I'm going to the restroom. You can look at the menu and decide what you want," Di Mingjue said, bending to move the chair from behind him.
Ye Ziyu took a sip of water and opened the menu. She wasn't very hungry and couldn't find anything she wanted to eat. She flipped through the entire menu without ordering a single dish, and Di Mingjue still hadn't returned.
Did it take so long to go to the restroom?
Ye Ziyu put down the menu and looked around.
The quiet restaurant suddenly became lively as a woman in an evening gown began playing the violin in the distance.
The elegant performer played a melodious tune while walking towards Ye Ziyu.
Suddenly, the indoor lights dimmed, and the performer gestured for Ye Ziyu to look behind her.
Turning around, a person in a mascot costume stood behind Ye Ziyu.