Su Yue stared at her, stunned.
Who was this person?
Why did she so casually and familiarly sit next to Chen Ziming the moment she arrived, acting like his official girlfriend, scrutinizing her, and then questioning him?
"Zheng, Zheng Yan?" It was Jin Yan who reacted first, calling out her name hesitantly.
A collective silence fell over everyone present.
Su Yue's heart skipped a beat.
If she remembered correctly, Chen Ziming had mentioned this name when he called previously.
And if her memory served her well, Zheng Yan had been pursuing Chen Ziming for two years…
Chen Ziming's expression could no longer be described as gloomy; it was utterly frigid.
Even more so than his anger that had made her cry that day.
He stood up abruptly, walked around to Su Yue's side, took her hand, and leaned down, his voice deep as he said, "Let's go."
"Go where? Afraid your girlfriend will find out about my existence?" Zheng Yan sneered, standing up. She rested her slender arms on the table, leaning forward slightly, her phoenix eyes fixed directly on Su Yue.
What did that mean?
What was her relationship with Chen Ziming, and why would she say such a thing?
The man holding her hand paused, then straightened up, sneered, and finally looked at her directly, speaking in an extremely dangerous tone:
"Scram."
Then he pulled Su Yue up.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yan's pretty face fell, and she walked directly towards them.
But she was stopped by Liang Mu.
"Xiao Yan, everyone is gathered here today. Don't act like this," Liang Mu said with a smile, her hand gripping Zheng Yan's arm, applying subtle pressure.
Zheng Yan looked at her, in pain, and was about to shake her off.
"Zheng Yan, what nonsense are you talking about!" Luo Jia also stood up, looking at her sternly.
At that moment, Jin Yan sidled over and pulled her away.
"Yueyue, you sit first. Liang Mu, you and Chen Ziming switch seats." He first spoke with a smile to the people at the table, then forcefully dragged Zheng Yan to an inconspicuous corner.
"What are you doing!" Zheng Yan resisted, but her strength was no match for him, so she was half-pushed, half-dragged away.
"My dear aunt, how did you find your way here?" Jin Yan asked in a low voice, not daring to let go of her.
"What? You took someone to my shop to buy clothes, and I'm not allowed to come for a meal?" Zheng Yan deliberately raised her voice in response.
The conversation at the dining table was naturally audible.
As soon as she said this, Su Yue felt the man holding her hand grip tighter. She glanced at his profile.
His face showed no expression, yet it was incredibly terrifying and dangerous.
"Yueyue, don't overthink it." Liang Mu had moved to Chen Ziming's previous seat, but hadn't sat down. Upon hearing Zheng Yan's words, she frowned and then looked at Su Yue, speaking in a soft, comforting tone.
The others chimed in.
They all knew Zheng Yan's one-sided affection and that Chen Ziming had never given her any chance.
But she always spoke this way, provoking those who didn't know them well to make assumptions.
Su Yue didn't have the energy to think too much. Although she didn't know Zheng Yan, the woman's aggressive demeanor indicated ill intent.
She had no desire to understand further.
All she wanted now was to leave quickly and take off this dress.
But with so many people trying to persuade her, she couldn't speak up, so she gently tugged on the hand he was holding.
He understood.
"We're leaving," he interrupted Luo Jia, who was in the middle of persuading them, and left with Su Yue.
As they moved further away from the conversation, Su Yue heard Jin Yan speaking in a hushed voice:
"We were having a good time, and you insisted on coming, not only ruining everyone's mood, but if you truly offend Chen Ziming, will you be happy?"
Zheng Yan snorted and said, "It's his fault for having bad taste, blaming me? To tell you the truth, a waiter here just now was from my shop. Not only did they open the elevator for me, but they also told me everything you were discussing."
Her voice gradually became sharp and cutting:
"Just a minor internet celebrity, is she worth pampering like this? This kind of woman, relying on her looks to attract fans, appears to be taking advertisements, but in reality, she's just waiting to latch onto rich men. Young and uneducated, just fooling around with men…"
Chen Ziming stopped in his tracks. Everyone at the table could no longer sit still and rose to try and persuade him.
"Yueyue, wait a moment." He spoke, his voice laced with terrifying anger.
He released her hand and prepared to step forward.