A week had passed and Yan Xiuchen still hadn't given Xiao Rufeng an answer. She surmised that he wouldn't accept her request to come with her to her father's birthday celebration and Xiao Yunyao's engagement party.
'It's too early to introduce him anyway.' She scolded herself for not considering his opinion before asking him.
"I feel like an idiot sometimes." She muttered as she ran her fingers through her thick, dark mane. At least here in Shen Jiao's café, she could be herself, without worrying what others would think of her. Shen Jiao had made sure to keep their meeting private, to protect her and Su Xiaofei from any unnecessary rumors.
It was over the weekend, and she decided to catch up with her friends, but didn't expect that they had already received the news from Su Xiaofei.
"Well, were you too busy with work and Mr. Yan that you couldn't check our group chat? I'm disappointed that you didn't spill the tea yourself." Xi Qian shrugged, while Shen Jiao merely gave her a smile.
Xiao Rufeng decided to stay here for a week after her meeting with Su Xiaofei. Considering that her scenes were mostly filmed, she wouldn't be needed until the next Monday. She was planning to return to Shenjing this evening and couldn't wait to see Yan Xiuchen again.
They'd been talking over the phone and chat messages, but she didn't think it was enough for her. Xiao Rufeng never thought that she would be this attached to him compared to the men she dated before him.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, dear." Shen Jiao said reassuringly. "You are doing well by staying away from that sister of yours."
"Exactly. She only has herself to blame for what she has done. You are being too kind for not having her sacked yet." Xi Qian chimed in. "I would have given the bitch a couple of slaps to teach her a lesson."
"Hey. Don't teach Rufeng violence." Shen Jiao lightly slapped Xi Qian's arm, but her tone was teasing.
"What's wrong with what I said? We didn't bring her with us to train in self defense only to be bullied by some spoiled brat who won't accept their differences." Xi Qian scoffed.
When she heard the news of what happened to Xiao Rufeng, she was really upset that she wasn't there to help her at all. Ye Mingyu wouldn't have easily tricked her and she wouldn't have fallen under Xiao Yunyao's scheme. Alas, nothing could be done now.
"So what's the real score between you and that Mr. Yan?" She asked with a knowing smile.
Xiao Rufeng's face turned red at once and she lowered her gaze.
"Oh dear. Look at her! She's blushing!" Shen Jiao laughed behind her hand, while Xi Qian burst into a round of laughter. They both knew Xiao Rufeng's history with her previous relationship.
"So, you are living together?" Shen Jiao teased.
"It's nothing like that!" Xiao Rufeng exclaimed. "His mansion is too huge, it's impossible for us to see each other. He wouldn't even realize I was home unless I announced it." She added.
"I doubt that." Shen Jiao chuckled.
"Me too." Xi Qian grinned.
Xiao Rufeng sighed and didn't dare to argue anymore. It was clear that these two were just teasing her. She was usually silent whenever they were talking about their love lives as she didn't have anything to be proud of.
"Sorry for being late. I have a meeting I couldn't reschedule."
Su Xiaofei finally arrived with the Zhang sisters and took a seat next to Xi Qian. She rested her head on her best friend's shoulder and eyed the blushing actress.
"I would have never thought you would spend your week here rather than spending time with your new beau." She commented.
The rest of the girls started giggling again.
"Don't tease her, Feifei. Xiao Rufeng is shy." Xi Qian patted her best friend's head gently.
"I don't mind her dating Yan Xiuchen." Su Xiaofei said in a serious tone, "but she better make sure she won't come running to me, crying, saying that she had a bun in an oven, and he won't take responsibility for it. I wish she would focus on her career rather than subject herself to a heartbreak again, but who am I to stop her, right?"
Xiao Rufeng's face turned red even more, but what her manager said rang in her mind.
Were they even together now? She pondered. She never made it clear with Yan Xiuchen if they were in a relationship or not.
Xiao Rufeng didn't think she would be able to pretend that she was fine if he told her they weren't. She wouldn't be able to turn around and keep a smile on her face, while knowing her heart was breaking apart once again.
When she returned to the hotel room where she was staying that night, she was greeted by a surprising scene. The whole living area and the balcony was covered in enormous vases full of flowers. It suddenly made her room look more like a florist than a hotel room.
"What the…"
She picked up an envelope tucked carefully in one of the vases, pulled out a card and read it.
'I never thought a week without you could feel like an eternity. So I sit here, waiting for your return, watching the seconds turn into minutes, then turning into an hour. I cannot wait to see your smile again.'
Xiao Rufeng couldn't stop the smile spreading on her lips as she read it all over again. She picked up one rose and took a sniff of it, unable to stop grinning. She knew who these were from.
For someone who had never been in a romantic relationship before, he was doing good at making her more interested in him. Still, she was aware that both of them were trying their best to figure out how they could make this unlabeled relationship work.
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