Chapter 84: You're Following Me?

Ji Yunchuan was the first to notice her arrival.

"Sis-in-law is here! Come, come, sit down right here," he called out, enthusiastically pulling out a chair and placing it next to Fu Hannen. He then signaled to the server to bring another set of utensils.

Gu Yining strode over confidently, but the chilling coldness radiating from Fu Hannen made her feel as though she was walking into a freezing wind.

Fu Hannen, gripping his wine glass tightly, shot her a cold glance. "Why are you here? Are you following me?"

Gu Yining sat down casually, flashing a smile at Ji Yunchuan and Ye Fanxing. "Hi, Ji Yunchuan, Fanxing, nice to see you both. Hannen and I had a small disagreement earlier, and I was worried he might drink too much with no one to look after him, so I followed him here."

Ye Fanxing's smile was laced with amusement, her eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and something deeper. "I never would have guessed that you're the one Hannen married. It seems we're more connected than I realized," she said, her words layered with meaning.

Gu Yining had a strange feeling, almost as if there was an undercurrent of hostility from Ye Fanxing. However, because of Ye Fanxing's polished demeanor as an actress, no trace of this supposed hostility showed on her face. Gu Yining could only rely on her instincts to make such an assumption.

"Fanxing," Gu Yining responded with a polite smile, keeping her tone friendly.

Fu Hannen sat silently beside her, observing how easily Gu Yining was blending in with his friends, including Ye Fanxing, whom he had known for years. His irritation toward her deepened. 

She was the kind of woman who would seize any opportunity to get closer to him, cozying up to the people in his life to win favor. It was as if she was a deep, unfathomable pool, hiding layers he couldn't fully understand.

"Leon, how did you two meet?" Ye Fanxing asked casually, shifting the conversation toward gossip as she studied Gu Yining with an innocent yet probing gaze.

Gu Yining glanced at Fu Hannen, who still wore the same icy, distant expression she had first seen when she barged into his office.

"Our meeting wasn't exactly pleasant," Gu Yining said with a soft laugh, her hands folding neatly in front of her. "To be honest, I was the one chasing after him—quite shamelessly."

Ji Yunchuan quietly poured more wine into her glass, tactfully avoiding bringing up the circumstances surrounding their marriage. He understood that sometimes, it was better to spare someone the embarrassment.

"Well, well," Ye Fanxing said, raising an eyebrow with a mischievous smile. "I have to say, Hannen is not an easy man to catch. He's used the excuse of being gay to fend off countless women over the years. You must have some serious skills to win him over. I'm impressed. Here, let me toast to that." She raised her glass gracefully.

Gu Yining stood up with her own glass, accepting the toast. "I'm not that impressive. Honestly, my only real strength is that I'm persistent," she said with a sheepish grin.

From the side, Fu Hannen silently scoffed to himself. *At least you know you're persistent—persistent enough to crash a simple dinner.*

Ye Fanxing laughed lightly, turning to Fu Hannen and giving him a playful nudge. "Come on, Hannen. She must've worked hard to win you over. Don't let her efforts go to waste."

Fu Hannen huffed in response, casting a disdainful glance at Gu Yining before quickly looking away. He didn't even want to acknowledge her presence, let alone her efforts.

Ji Yunchuan seized the moment and jumped into the conversation. "By the way, Sis-in-law, what was the fight about? Hannen's been downing drinks like there's no tomorrow tonight. I was wondering why he was so quiet and brooding—turns out he was drinking away his troubles."

At that, Fu Hannen shot Ji Yunchuan a withering look. "Ji Yunchuan, do you want to keep that mouth of yours?"

Ji Yunchuan flinched under the glare but laughed it off nervously. "See? That's the thing about Hannen—he's such a tsundere. As soon as I bring it up, he gets all embarrassed."

Gu Yining chuckled and, without missing a beat, slid her arm around Fu Hannen's. "And that's exactly why I love his stubborn but soft-hearted nature."