After ordering, the waiter exited the room.
Qin Si Ye remained silent, his gaze fixed on her. Shen Xi felt a prickle of unease, finding the situation somewhat awkward.
She lowered her head and took a small sip of tea, saying, "Mr. Qin, thank you for treating me to dinner. There was really no need. I am, after all, being paid."
"Being paid and expressing gratitude are not mutually exclusive," Qin Si Ye replied with a gentle expression. "By the way, you haven't sent me your bank card number yet."
Her bank card number? She'd been so busy these past few days that she had actually forgotten about it.
"No rush, I'm not afraid you'll run off," Shen Xi said, half-jokingly.
If the one receiving payment wasn't in a hurry, the one making the payment seemed to be the one who was anxious.
Qin Si Ye looked at her with a slight darkening of his gaze, as if saying, *I'm afraid you'll run off.*
"Alright. I'll send it to you now." Shen Xi lowered her head, took out her phone, and looked for her bank card number.
Did this man lack love since childhood? Why was he so distrustful of others, so insecure?
Soon, Qin Si Ye received a string of bank card numbers on his WeChat.
"It's Sunday today. I'll have the finance department transfer the money to you tomorrow," Qin Si Ye said after glancing at it, his expression improving slightly.
Shen Xi had intended to say, "No rush," but the words caught in her throat and she immediately changed them to, "Okay."
At this moment, the waiter walked in with the dishes.
Both of them were driving, so they didn't drink alcohol, opting only for juice.
After a few more polite exchanges, they began to eat and drink.
These two people, who were not familiar with each other, launched into an awkward conversation, each speaking a few words at a time.
Shen Xi found it unbearable and just wished for the meal to end quickly.
Midway through the meal, Qin Si Ye slowly put down his chopsticks, pulled up a photo from his phone, and placed it in front of her. "Dr. Shen, are you certain you haven't seen this woman before?"
Shen Xi's eyes widened as she looked at it. Her heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this a photo of her from college?
It was a photo from when she hosted the school's New Year's Eve gala and had it displayed on the school's bulletin board.
Had he looked for her at school?
"Who is she? I've never seen her before," Shen Xi said with a slight smile, her expression unchanged.
Qin Si Ye stared at her intently. "Is that so? Take a closer look. Don't your two children resemble her closely?"
What did he mean? Was he suspecting her based on the children's resemblance?
"Mr. Qin, what do you mean by that? Are you implying that my two children are connected to this woman?" Shen Xi's face showed astonishment and anger.
"This is Yin Xi, who I mentioned to you," Qin Si Ye said calmly. "Your two children resemble her so much. Are you still going to tell me you don't know her?"
With a sudden movement, Shen Xi shot up from her chair. "Mr. Qin, it turns out you didn't sincerely want to invite me to dinner, but rather this was a Hongmen Banquet. I have never met this Yin Xi you speak of. I must excuse myself!" With that, she picked up her bag and turned to leave.
Her hasty movements, fueled by her anger, caused her waist to hit the corner of the table as she stood up.
She couldn't help but stagger back a step, letting out a muffled groan from the pain.
Qin Si Ye quickly stood up and steadied her arm, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"
Shen Xi forcefully pulled away from him, stepping back again. Her eyes were filled with distance as she straightened her back after a moment, regaining her composure.
As she raised her leg to leave, Qin Si Ye extended his arms, blocking her path.
"Qin Si Ye, what exactly do you want?" Shen Xi called him by his full name, glaring at him in utter exasperation.
"I don't want anything. I just want to know the truth," Qin Si Ye said, his gaze sharp as he took a step forward.
Shen Xi's heart pounded, and she kept retreating.
She retreated until her back hit the wall, with nowhere left to go.
"Ah! Qin Si Ye, you're going too far. If you continue like this, I'll call for help!" Shen Xi's eyes widened, making a final struggle.