The dishes were served shortly after.
Throughout the meal, Wen Xuanyuan and Li Bowen acted as if the other two were invisible.
Li Bowen peeled shrimp for Wen Xuanyuan. His well-defined fingers elegantly removed the shells, placing each piece of shrimp meat into Wen Xuanyuan's bowl.
Wen Xuanyuan ate heartily without reservation, even feeding Li Bowen from time to time.
Lu Liluo witnessed the entire scene, her heart aching. She could barely eat anything.
The person she liked was sitting opposite her, but he was acting so affectionately with someone else. Wasn't this like twisting a knife in her heart?
Yet, she couldn't leave. If she left, she would lose everything. She was unwilling to give up like this, especially since she had liked him first.
She was even harboring malicious thoughts.
Even if she couldn't have Li Bowen, she didn't want Wen Xuanyuan to have him either.
How could Wen Xuanyuan not notice Lu Liluo's gaze and expression? She understood immediately. This woman clearly hadn't given up.
She elegantly wiped her lips and deliberately asked, "Miss Lu, why aren't you eating? Is it that the dishes I ordered don't suit your taste?"
Lu Liluo smiled faintly and replied, "No, they're all very delicious."
These were all dishes Li Bowen liked. How could she say she didn't like them?
Wen Xuanyuan nodded and very politely put a few large shrimp into her bowl.
"Eat up, these large shrimp are very tasty." They were indeed tasty, but unpeeled, they could be difficult to swallow.
Lu Liluo's smile was about to falter. This Wen Xuanyuan was doing this on purpose. Whether she ate the shrimp or not, it was awkward.
Wen Xuanyuan didn't intend to do anything to her, just to teach her a small lesson, as Lu Liluo hadn't done anything too excessive.
After eating their fill, she took Li Bowen's hand and prepared to leave.
"Thank you for the hospitality, Miss Lu. Today's meal was very delicious."
Lu Liluo's smile was strained. She had spent the entire time watching the two of them show affection, unable to interject. Now, she could only watch them leave.
Wen Xuanyuan linked her arm through Li Bowen's and rested her head on his shoulder, saying contentedly, "Let's go back for a nap. After we wake up, we'll go watch the sunset..."
Lu Liluo gripped her fork tightly, stabbing at her plate with a harsh, unpleasant sound.
She wondered if they were living together.
The thought of Li Bowen holding Wen Xuanyuan as they slept, intimately sharing everything, made her heart ache with jealousy.
"Liluo, are you alright!"
Xu Yujun asked tentatively, but only received a resentful look from Lu Liluo.
She dared not ask further, meekly saying, "I... I'm returning to the country tomorrow. Are you going back?"
"No!"
Lu Liluo gritted her teeth and said, then stood up and left directly.
Xu Yujun did not follow. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Lu Liluo returned to the country tomorrow, the subsequent matters would be none of her concern.
...
Wen Xuanyuan and Li Bowen took the elevator upstairs.
Wen Yan's room door remained tightly shut, and Qiao Xinyue had not returned to their room.
Wen Xuanyuan didn't want to be alone, and knowing the ill-intentioned Lu Liluo was also staying here, she felt even more uneasy.
She immediately decided to go to Li Bowen's room to avoid any potential manipulation from Lu Liluo.
Although she trusted that Li Bowen had no interest in Lu Liluo, she couldn't prevent Lu Liluo from scheming!
If any misunderstanding or awkward situation arose, it was not what she wanted to see.
Li Bowen naturally wouldn't refuse Wen Xuanyuan's wish to go to his room. He never imagined that Lu Liluo would be such an unwitting accomplice in their relationship.
The moment they entered together was seen by Lu Liluo.
At this instant, her heart turned completely cold, aching as if cut by a knife.
Her youth, her first love, this one-sided crush was ultimately destined to end without resolution.
Tears flowed silently. She slid down the wall, her chest feeling heavy and her breathing difficult.
A passing cleaner kindly asked, "Miss, are you alright?"
Lu Liluo's lips trembled. She bit her lip and remained silent, forcing herself to stand up, and walked with difficulty towards the room she had booked.
People are like this; they don't give up until they see the undeniable truth, nor do they turn back until they hit a wall.
Seeing them living together with her own eyes, seeing Li Bowen doting on her, seeing their intimacy.
She had never seen him so gentle.
In her memory, Li Bowen was refined and seemingly gentle, but in reality, he was difficult to approach.
Hardly any girl could get close to him.
And she, who had been by his side for so many years, never even had the chance to speak to him.
Under the cleaner's strange gaze, Lu Liluo returned to her room.
After closing the door, she collapsed onto the floor and wept uncontrollably.
Three years of high school, four years of university, and all the years after graduation had ultimately amounted to nothing.
No matter how many times she appeared before him, his eyes would never hold her.
For a moment, she considered many desperate ideas.
That if she couldn't have him, she would destroy him. She even thought about drugging him and forcing the issue.
But seeing them enter the room hand in hand filled her with despair.
Moreover, she couldn't afford to offend Li Bowen. Yet, a thorn remained in her heart, making it impossible to find peace.
- Next Door.
Wen Xuanyuan lay on the sofa, laughing heartily.
The thought of Lu Liluo's changing expressions brought her immense satisfaction.
What annoyed her the most was Lu Liluo's tearful plea to "not misunderstand," which she felt was a classic "white lotus" tactic.
Li Bowen stood nearby, watching her with intense desire.
Wen Xuanyuan was wearing a very short skirt, her perfect figure fully displayed.
With no inhibitions, she sat casually, her fair and slender legs particularly eye-catching.
Li Bowen coughed and turned away. A man and a woman alone in a room made it hard for him not to think about it.
Furthermore, Wen Xuanyuan was his girlfriend, and he had desired her for a long time.
Wen Xuanyuan, completely oblivious to his reaction, lay back on the sofa, her posture relaxed and languid.
Her beautiful legs crossed slightly, her skin as smooth as jade, flawless, exuding a fatal allure.
She chuckled lightly, "Li Bowen, if I treat your old deskmate like this, will you be angry?"
Li Bowen didn't dare to look at her. Standing by the window, he replied without turning his head, "She's not my deskmate. Don't talk nonsense. And I'm not angry."
He didn't want to bother with such a person, but that didn't mean he couldn't see that her intentions were far from pure.
Wen Xuanyuan covered her mouth and giggled, "According to the script, shouldn't you men say something like 'You're being unreasonable'?"
"I trust my woman," Li Bowen replied, still with his back to her, trying to control his urges.
Seeing him constantly turned away, Wen Xuanyuan couldn't resist teasing, "Why aren't you looking at me? Are you thinking about your old deskmate?"
Li Bowen turned around, his expression full of helplessness, "Don't talk nonsense. I'm not..."
"Just teasing you. Why are you keeping your distance? Are you scared?"
They were both adults, and what would happen next was understood by both of them. Wen Xuanyuan also didn't resist his advances.
Li Bowen could no longer hold back and moved towards her.
...