"Mr. Chu, I haven't seen you for just one night, and you've already gotten hurt?" Situh Jingyao personally brought over a teapot and poured tea for Chu Yuxuan and Lao Si.
"I'm just as confused," Chu Yuxuan smiled faintly. "That's why I came to see you, to clear up the confusion."
Lao Si glanced at Situh Jingyao, raised his hand, and gently rubbed the cross on his chest.
Situh Jingyao sat in the chair opposite Chu Yuxuan, and with a teasing tone, said, "You really don't understand romance. You came here with the excuse of discussing calligraphy and painting, but you should at least pretend."
Chu Yuxuan sighed, "I'm feeling uneasy, so I can't."
Situh Jingyao replied, "No wonder you didn't do anything earlier."
Chu Yuxuan: ...
Situh Jingyao chuckled, casting a quick glance at Lao Si but said nothing.
Chu Yuxuan knew what she meant. He patted Lao Si on the shoulder and said, "Wait for me outside." After Lao Si left, Situh Jingyao fixed her gaze on Chu Yuxuan and smiled slightly. "So, what do you want to ask? Go ahead."
Chu Yuxuan got straight to the point, "Why did you give me a red card? I heard it's the highest-level membership card here."
Situh Jingyao laughed softly, "Feeling flattered?"
"You could say that."
"There's no need to be so surprised. I just thought Mr. Chu has an extraordinary presence and a refined taste, which suits me well. A membership card is nothing to me."
Chu Yuxuan smirked mischievously, "Suits you? What, are you planning to devour me?"
Situh Jingyao's gaze flirtatiously moved up and down Chu Yuxuan's body, her eyes filled with a seductive charm as she coyly said, "Why are you so... blunt? You're quite bad."
Chu Yuxuan: ...
That's not the kind of "devouring" I meant!
Even as a self-proclaimed rogue, Chu Yuxuan was momentarily caught off guard by her teasing, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Situh Jingyao laughed at his awkwardness. "Mr. Chu, people say you're quite the charmer, but how come I find you more like a straight-laced guy? Or have you suddenly decided to reform for the sake of your wife?"
Chu Yuxuan pouted, "I'm not in the mood for jokes, Situh Jingyao. What exactly are you trying to do?"
Situh Jingyao sighed lightly, "When a woman is kind to a man, there are usually two reasons: one, to satisfy material desires; and two, well... she's interested in you physically. So, which one do you think it is?"
Chu Yuxuan, who had seen his fair share of such situations, found himself completely unable to respond to her teasing. After sipping some tea, he decided not to waste more time on this topic and changed the subject. "Last night, what was your friend thinking? I don't even know him, so why did he come after me?"
Situh Jingyao's smile faded slightly, and she asked in return, "Why don't you tell me first how you got hurt?"
After a moment of consideration, Chu Yuxuan briefly explained last night's car accident.
"No wonder Mr. Chu was so angry..." Situh Jingyao's tone carried a hint of jealousy as she muttered, "Turns out your wife got dragged into it."
Chu Yuxuan locked his eyes on her and asked coolly, "Tell me, what was he really trying to do?"
"I'm not close to him, so how would I know what's going on in his head?" Situh Jingyao replied. "But I did check into it. He chased you onto the North Ring Expressway, but you managed to shake him off. Shortly after, his family called him back home, so the accident last night shouldn't have been his doing."
Chu Yuxuan stayed silent for a moment, then asked, "I have a small request. Could you personally ask him why he was targeting me?"
"There's no need. His family called him back last night because they knew he was after you and didn't want things to escalate. I'm sure his father gave him a serious lecture. After all, you're a member of the Chu family, and the Xue family wouldn't be foolish enough to start a feud with the Chu family. So, let's leave it at that. He won't bother you again. Besides, he didn't cause you any real harm. You'd better focus on finding out who actually tried to kill you last night."
"The Xue family... what's their background?" Chu Yuxuan asked, frowning.
Situh Jingyao cast him an aggrieved glance. "Mr. Chu, this is only the third time we've met. We may have hit it off right away, but you can't treat me like a suspect, can you? Or do you really think I, Situh Jingyao, have no face at all?"
Chu Yuxuan realized he had been a bit too abrupt. He apologized softly, "Sorry."
"Hmph! You don't even care about my feelings... How rude!"
That remark felt oddly familiar to Chu Yuxuan. The expression and tone Situh Jingyao used as she said it also seemed familiar. He couldn't help but stare at her alluring face, lost in thought.
Situh Jingyao's smile bloomed like a flower. "Like what you see? Haha..."
"Yes... cough, cough..." Chu Yuxuan coughed awkwardly. For some reason, as her charm intensified, that familiar feeling began to fade.
They continued chatting for another half hour, with Chu Yuxuan subtly probing her, but he couldn't get anything out of her. Eventually, he lost interest in the conversation. After sipping some tea, he asked, "Are you sure last night's incident had nothing to do with that Xue guy?"
Situh Jingyao nodded. "I'm sure. He's really just a very ordinary friend of mine. I have no reason to hide anything from you. If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do, but time will prove it—he won't trouble you anymore."
Chu Yuxuan was still somewhat skeptical. He had come to the Red Mansion today to test Situh Jingyao's reaction, and it seemed like she didn't bear him any ill will.
But who knows? It could all be an act.
As the great philosopher Yin Susu once said, "The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive you."
Those words couldn't be more true.