They had each separately entered a restaurant further up ahead from the protest, managing to secure a private room despite the crowd—thanks to the ever-convincing magic of money.
Inside, Ephraim sat on one side of the table, while Xu Jinyao and Wang Jiannan occupied the other.
Flipping through the menu, Ephraim's excitement was palpable.
[Ephraim: Whoa, I've barely ever eaten stuff like this. I'm actually nervous. First time ordering for myself at a restaurant and eating inside like this. Rachel, got any recommendations?]
[Rachel: I do, but let me check the reviews for you, sweetie. I'll find you the best ones.]
Ephraim beamed. "Thank you~."
Wang Jiannan glanced up from his menu. "Who are you talking to?"
Ephraim met his gaze with a straight face. "My imaginary friend."
Wang Jiannan opened his mouth to respond but thought better of it. Instead, he took the menu that Ephraim eagerly handed him and focused on choosing his meal.
Rather than dwelling on Ephraim's oddities, he turned his attention to Xu Jinyao, who had been unusually quiet. The older man sat with his gaze lowered, absentmindedly tracing the rim of his glass.
"Jinyao Gege…" Wang Jiannan called softly.
Xu Jinyao lifted his eyes, waiting for him to continue.
Wang Jiannan hesitated before murmuring, "I'm sorry. I rushed over from my college as soon as I could to help you, but… I got caught up in the crowd. I was alone, and… I couldn't reach you in time. You've suffered so much because of this."
Xu Jinyao lowered his gaze again, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's fine, Nannan… Thank you for trying." He exhaled slowly. "Honestly, I thought I was done for. If not for this kind lady who helped me, I don't think I'd have made it out unscathed."
Ephraim hummed lightly from the side. "Then why didn't you call your boyfriend?"
Xu Jinyao and Wang Jiannan both turned to Ephraim at his words.
Ephraim, who had just finished deciding on his order with Rachel's help, called for the waiter. Once their order was placed and the waiter had left, he turned back to them.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
Wang Jiannan and Xu Jinyao had a lot to say about that.
Actually, they had a lot to say about many things.
First of all, this woman—whoever she was—had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and somehow known exactly who they were.
Secondly, she had gone out of her way to save Xu Jinyao when she had no reason to. They were, after all, complete strangers.
And thirdly… she knew Xu Jinyao had a lover. Not just any lover, but one who, by all accounts, should have been more than capable of pulling him out of that mess if he had even tried.
Wang Jiannan opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Xu Jinyao beat him to it, his tone sulky as he muttered, "He's not in the country."
Ephraim narrowed his eyes, adopting a deliberately mysterious expression.
Internally, however, he was deadpan.
[Ephraim: …Oh. Right. He left for Country A yesterday to look for me.]
He paused before sighing dramatically in his head.
[Ephraim: Damn. That's a bummer. I was so ready to use his presence in the city to villainize him more. Like, 'Oh my god, he's right here, skipping around all carefree while his poor boo is out there struggling, ignored and left on read. Totes red flag. Totes dirtbag.']
Rachel hummed thoughtfully.
[Rachel: He is a CEO. A CEO whose company is based in this very city. Even if he wasn't around, he could've sent someone—a few assistants, a team, somebody—to handle the situation for him.]
[Ephraim: Oh… Ohhhh! Oh, you're absolutely right! Omg, Rachel, you've got such a sexy brain!]
[Rachel: Thanks, sugarcube.]
Renewed with zeal to further tarnish Wang Jianyuan's reputation, Ephraim crossed his arms sassily.
"That's no excuse. If he wanted to, he would have. My husband would never do this. Well—my husband-to-be, at least. With such a big protest happening at my university, the news had to have reached him. Naturally, he'd worry. And if he worried, he'd call. And the moment he called, I'd complain. And from there, handling the rest would be a breeze for him."
Xu Jinyao, hearing that, suddenly felt a strong urge to defend his own man. He opened his mouth, trying to grasp onto something—anything—that would justify Wang Jianyuan's actions.
After a long, awkward five seconds of struggling, he finally managed, "He… He would have if he knew! But he must have been too busy to find out."
Ephraim arched a brow. "Then you should have let him find out."
Xu Jinyao faltered, lips parting before pressing together again. He fumbled for a counterargument. "But if I did call him, he would have—" He hesitated, thinking. Then, with an almost painful level of reluctance, he said, "…He might have been too busy to answer. He left in a hurry, all rugged and hasty, so he… he might have been in a pickle."
Even as he said it, he grimaced at his own excuse. But deep down, he still liked Wang Jianyuan. He wanted to believe that man wasn't so cold.
His lips pressed into a thin line, unwilling.
Even more unwilling was Wang Jiannan. No matter how questionable his brother's actions could be—even he found them questionable—Wang Jianyuan was still his brother. And watching Ephraim casually drag him through the mud was a little too much to bear.
Unable to hold back any longer, he leaned over the table and abruptly changed the topic.
"Who even are you, ma'am?" His brows furrowed in suspicion. "How do you know so much? Are you a stalker?"
[Ephraim: Excuse me!? A stalker? Me? Omg. Does he not know his own brother? That man's a true stalker. Do I give off the same impression as that guy?]
[Rachel: Picture this, hon. A person you don'tknow appears out of nowhere, knows your name, knows your identity, evenknows your relationship status… and said relationship's brother. Be honest. How would you feel?]
[Ephraim: …Like they went out of their way to hide from my notice while desperately trying to dig up info on me... My oh my~ That sounds kinda~]
[Rachel: … Well then… My bad for laying the scenario out like that, honeybun. Should have known you would find it a point to be attracted to rather than wary. You may proceed however you want—I won't interfere.]
Ephraim turned to the two men with a warm, amiable smile.
"I am not a stalker… I think." He paused, then shrugged lazily. "Well, whatever."
Leaning forward slightly, he rested his chin on his palm, his tone light yet deliberate.
"So here's the deal. I actually have… past animosity with Wang Jianyuan, you could say. Never liked him much. I ignored him for a while, just let him do his own thing. But then—" Ephraim sighed, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of his glass, "—I accidentally found out he had someone by his side."
He pursed his lips, a delicate motion, before tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear with the grace of a fragile maiden. His lashes fluttered slightly, his soft smile tinged with something unreadable as he lowered his gaze to the table—appearing, for all the world, like someone lost in distant, melancholic thoughts.
"I didn't want to get involved," he murmured, almost wistfully. "But then I saw your face, Xu Jinyao…"
He lifted his gaze slowly, his eyes carrying a trace of something indecipherable as they flickered toward Wang Jiannan.
Wang Jiannan stiffened, sensing something ominous in the air. He wanted to interrupt—his instincts screamed at him to stop whatever Ephraim was about to say—but he wasn't given the chance.
"You…" Ephraim's voice softened, almost pitying. "You looked—"
A deliberate pause.
Wang Jiannan's breath hitched, every muscle tensing.
"…Like me."
Wang Jiannan's shoulder relaxed somewhat in relief but he still looked on at Ephraim warily.
Ephraim exhaled softly, his expression unreadable. "And that made me want to pull you out of that mess… Because the moment I saw you, I felt an instant connection."
His gaze lowered again, lips curving into a gentle, almost sorrowful smile. "That man… He isn't very good at love. He isn't very good, period. And when I saw you—when I saw how you looked at him—I just…"
He let his voice trail off, as if choosing his words carefully. Then, with quiet conviction, he murmured,
"I just really, really wanted to save you from the heartache that's bound to come. Because trust me—" his fingers tapped lightly against the table, almost absently "—it will get worse with time."
Ephraim was having far too much fun. The way Wang Jiannan's complexion shifted through various shades of pale, the way his shoulders twitched every time Ephraim seemed this close to saying something he shouldn't—it was delicious.
Teasing him, dangling half-truths just out of reach, watching him sweat—ah, the joy of keeping people on edge.
And by the looks of it, Wang Jiannan knew it too. Because right now, his normally sunny expression had dimmed, his brows pinched together as he stared at Ephraim with an expression teetering between suspicion and outright panic.
Wang Jiannan clenched his fists under the table, his expression carefully schooled into neutrality, but the flicker of unease in his eyes gave him away.
Because he knew.
He knew that Xu Jinyao was nothing more than a substitute for Ling Xiaoyu. He had always known. But he could never bring himself to say it—could never bear to shatter the fragile illusion his brother had built. Instead, he clung to the desperate hope that if he just tried hard enough, he could make things work between them.
Besides, it wasn't just about sparing Xu Jinyao's feelings.
Wang Jiannan hated Ling Xiaoyu.
Hated his spoiled, green tea tendencies. Hated the way his mere existence seemed to cling to his brother like an unshakable shadow. And most of all, he hated the idea that someone like him could still hold power over Wang Jianyuan's heart.
Xu Jinyao was different. Gentle. Sincere. Someone who, in Wang Jiannan's eyes, was worthy of his brother. So of course, he had done everything he could to push them closer—to fix what he thought needed fixing.
And yet, here was this strange woman, playing a dangerous game with words—giving him the impression that she knew his secret one moment, only to spin an entirely different thread of nonsense the next.
Ephraim was toying with him.
And Wang Jiannan knew it.
Knew it so clearly that he could almost feel the urge to sew Ephraim's mouth shut with his own two hands. Just like he had hated Ling Xiaoyu … he was starting to hate her too.
Before he could say anything, however, Xu Jinyao abruptly stood.
Ephraim blinked as the man slung his backpack over one shoulder, then gave him a small bow.
"Ma'am—"
"Jiejie," Ephraim corrected, his smile sweet but firm.
Xu Jinyao twitched. "…Ma'am—"
"Jiejie."
"Ma—"
"Jiejie."
"…Jiejie." Xu Jinyao finally ground out between clenched teeth, his lips curving into a strained smile. He exhaled, then looked Ephraim straight in the eye.
"I appreciate your concern," he said quietly. "But this is my life. My relationship. I don't need outsiders meddling in it."
His fingers tightened subtly around the strap of his backpack. "If I trust him, that's the end of it. It's not like Ma—Jiejie—has spent time in his home, has lived by his side every day like I have. You don't know him like I do."
A breath.
"Wang-ge… he is kind. Sometimes cold, sometimes detached. A little overbearing."
His lips pressed together briefly before curving into something soft.
"But I like him."
There was a quiet conviction in his voice—one that left no room for argument.
"And I won't tolerate anyone speaking against him."
The air between them felt heavier.
"If that's all," Xu Jinyao said, shifting his bag into place, "then I'll be taking my leave."
Just as Xu Jinyao reached the door, he hesitated. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned back toward Ephraim.
With a slight furrow in his brow, he reached into his bag, pulled out a small slip of paper, and scribbled something on it.
Then, almost reluctantly, he handed it over.
"…Thank you for today, ma'am," he said, the words stiff but sincere. "I'll be sure to repay this kindness."
His fingers curled slightly before he let go of the note.
"This is my number. Please call me sometime—I'd like to return the favor to the best of my ability."
He gave Ephraim one last look, then turned on his heel and left without waiting for a reply.
Wang Jiannan, however, remained rooted in place, clearly torn. He wanted to stay. He still had so many questions—who in the world was this person? How did 'she' know about his brother? What history had they shared that even he wasn't aware of?
But then he caught sight of Xu Jinyao's rapidly darkening mood.
With a sharp sigh, he reluctantly moved to follow, pausing only to shoot Ephraim a sulky glare as he bowed stiffly—a gesture that might have seemed polite if not for the unmistakable pout on his face.
And then, just like that, they were gone.
Leaving Ephraim alone.
…Well, not entirely alone.
A few moments later, the waiter quietly returned, arms full of steaming dishes. He hesitated only briefly, glancing at the now-empty seats before dutifully arranging the table.
He didn't say anything, but Ephraim could feel his thoughts.
Something along the lines of: How could those gentlemen leave such a lovely, kind-looking lady all by herself?
Ephraim, of course, had no intention of correcting him.
Instead, he simply propped his chin on his hand, surveying the full spread before him in thoughtful silence. Then, with a small, satisfied nod, he pulled out his phone, snapped a selfie in front of the feast, and posted it with a casual caption:
"Celebrating a successful first meeting with my future baby's future godfather. Scored his number<3"