At that point, it seemed almost impossible for Zhang Tao to add her back. By the time Zhang Tao saw the message, he had already ordered food. It was only after seeing that picture did he realize he had made such a big mistake by not noticing he was with his company colleagues in the video he sent directly, likely causing a misunderstanding.
Moreover, he had just said he was eating alone. No, he had to explain to make her understand he was eating plain steamed buns, which was better than letting her think he was dining with another woman and deceiving her. Continuing this way, Zhang Tao felt like he was becoming a deceiving jerk, and he couldn't let that happen, so he decided to send a message to explain.
But after sending it, he only received a red exclamation mark. That glaringly red exclamation mark was so striking that it made Zhang Tao feel physically uncomfortable, freezing him up completely.