Chapter 24

The electronic lock on the front door clicked sharply from a distance. Ruan Ning craned her neck to see who it was, and in an instant, her breath caught as if a black curtain had fallen before her eyes, plunging her into an icy abyss.

The person walking in was none other than Bu Chen!

Today, Bu Chen wore a casual shirt with a pair of sunglasses tucked behind his ear. He leaned against the wall with practiced ease while a servant changed his shoes—a swaggering, rakish air that instantly hurled her back into that dim, decadent bar.

Ruan Ning's smile froze on her face; her shoulders trembled faintly. If she could have her way, she'd rather leap from the 130th floor right now and vanish without a trace.

Why was it Bu Chen, and not Bai Xingmiao? Ruan Ning was so anxious she could barely hold herself together.

Her throat felt stuffed with cotton. Her eyes reddened as she shot Jiang Yihao a pleading, aggrieved look—if this ever came to light, they would surely think she'd deliberately seduced both brothers, a wanton, shameless woman.

Jiang Yihao didn't notice Ruan Ning's fear or grievance. Instead, he excitedly pulled her forward to greet Bu Chen.

"Ruan Ning, this is my best friend since childhood, Bu Chen, the eldest son of the Duke of Banting. You can just call him A-Bu."

"We're in for a treat today. My friend was vacationing abroad, and this morning he personally dove into a high-latitude zone at only 10 degrees to catch cold-water seafood just for us. From net to table, it takes no more than three hours—super fresh. You've got to eat a lot at lunch."

Bu Chen sauntered over, his laughter rolling in from a distance. "A-Hao, you sure took your sweet time finally getting your honored guest through the door. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"She's the Ruan Ning I told you about. She's an Iya student too, just like us."

Bu Chen cast a teasing glance at the girl shrinking behind Jiang Yihao—and suddenly his breath caught. In the blink of an eye, the hearty smile on his face froze into a glacial, bone-deep pool.

"Iya... student... Ruan Ning?"

Bu Chen's brow furrowed sharply, a mocking curl twisting his lips as he ground out the words through his teeth.

Ruan Ning's head burst with a bang. Her face went deathly pale, and she turned away to dodge Bu Chen's icy glare.

"Right, the three of us are alumni, actually. Fancy that, huh?" Jiang Yihao laughed, tugging at Ruan Ning to tell her not to be shy.

He stepped between the two of them and introduced her generously. "I told you, she's come to the training ground to see me a few times, and she's been really supportive of my football..."

Bu Chen didn't take in a single word. His amber eyes narrowed dangerously, every sharp, handsome line of his face brimming with cutting coldness.

Today she wore a light-colored trench coat, the bow at her waist cinching a slender figure, her posture graceful and alluring. Her ink-black hair was swept to one side—fresh, elegant, sweet, and captivating—like a lily of the valley about to bloom, a world apart from the woman at the nightclub.

Bu Chen liked novelty and thrill, believed in living for the moment. What he called pleasure was nothing more than a fleeting surge of hormones between a man and a woman, so he'd never cared about a woman staying or going.

Ruan Ning's disappearance that night had made her the first person to ever slip out of his room—and she became a thorn lodged in his heart. At times, when it crossed his mind, it felt like an invisible shard of broken glass churning inside him, prickling and numb.

He never cared about who came or went, so naturally he wouldn't break his own rule to chase after a woman of unknown origins. Ruan Ning, a one-night fling, became water under the bridge.

Lately, his subordinates had noticed his grim expression and kept asking if he was unwell. He hadn't felt sick—not until the moment he laid eyes on Ruan Ning, when a dull burn crept up from his stomach.

She was the owner of that brooch his brother had been pining over. For today's lunch, he'd run all over the country and abroad to prepare everything—and the thought that she was the one he'd painstakingly planned to please made the irony nearly unbearable.

"Oh, Miss Ruan, is it."

Bu Chen maintained the poise of a noble heir and gave a slight bow in greeting. Unless a lady extended her hand first, he wouldn't presume to reach out and risk offending her—that was basic social etiquette.

Ruan Ning, pinned under his overwhelming presence, kept her head down. Her arms felt weighed down with lead, her fingers curling helplessly as she failed to lift her hand.

Jiang Yihao teased her gently. "Hey, she's greeting you."

He leaned close to Ruan Ning's flushed cheek and murmured softly, "Say hello. Don't be nervous—he's a friend of mine, and he's really nice."

Bu Chen frowned, his gaze fixed on Jiang Yihao bending down, his lips hovering near Ruan Ning's ear—a sight he found grating.

"I take it this is Miss Ruan's first time meeting me, and she's a bit nervous."

Ruan Ning jerked her head up and met Bu Chen's half-smiling eyes. His irises were a light hue, yet when roused, they could turn a pitch-dark shade, as if threatening to swallow her whole.

She extended her hand, trembling. "Hello. I'm Ruan Ning." Then, without warning, she blurted out, nearly biting her tongue: "Sorry, I suddenly feel unwell. I should head back—you two enjoy yourselves."

Jiang Yihao reached out to stop her. "Hey, you just got here, your seat's barely warm. Why rush off? We haven't even eaten yet."

Pale-faced, Ruan Ning pushed his hand away, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm sorry, I really don't feel well."

Bu Chen caught every detail of the exchange, and a faint flicker of warmth broke through the gloom in his eyes.

"This gathering was arranged entirely by me. Won't you stay and savor it properly? After all, it's a rare opportunity."

He extended his invitation unhurriedly—but to Ruan Ning, it was pure terror. She couldn't understand why Bu Chen's face could look murderous one moment and genial the next.

All she knew was that if she didn't leave this instant, she'd have no place to die peacefully.

Ruan Ning frantically pulled away, sidestepping the two of them and bolting for the door. "I'm sorry, I really feel unwell."

Bu Chen stepped in to block her path, his gaze sweeping over her face with raw, invasive intensity. In a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear, he murmured,

"You wouldn't want Jiang Yihao to find out what you've been up to behind his back, now would you."