"Is it that Young Master Ye doesn't welcome me to sit? Or are you simply wary of me?" Qin Xiaowan asked with a slight smile, one that could easily leave a person captivated.
Ye Tian was startled by her smile. It was a pleasant, refreshing sight that made one feel an irresistible urge to draw closer and get to know her.
But an image of Ye Feifei quickly surfaced in his mind. 'Even though Qin Xiaowan's beauty is unparalleled, my heart already belongs to someone else. I can't do anything to betray Ye Feifei.' Still, a beautiful woman had approached him so directly, and he found it difficult to refuse her on the spot.
"If you don't mind, please have a seat and a drink, Young Lady. But I must admit I don't understand your intentions. Could you please enlighten me?" Ye Tian said in a serious tone.
Qin Xiaowan sat down directly opposite Ye Tian. "Waiter, another pot of wine and a set of utensils! And bring a few more exquisite side dishes!"
Qin Xiaowan's appearance made everyone in the restaurant brighten up. They couldn't understand why she would approach Ye Tian directly and sit at his table, and many shot him curious and jealous glances.
"What kind of damn luck did that Ye Tian get? For a beauty like Qin Xiaowan to approach him on her own initiative... looks like the feelings are mutual!" a customer at a nearby table said.
"I know, right? He's already with Ye Feifei, and now Qin Xiaowan is throwing herself at him. Is he even trying to let the rest of us live!" another person complained.
"Don't complain. Beauties all like outstanding, handsome geniuses, and Ye Tian fits the bill perfectly. Let's just drink. Why meddle in other people's business?" another person said.
Ye Tian furrowed his brow slightly upon hearing these discussions. 'This is completely baseless. When was I ever interested?' He really wanted to go over and teach those loose-lipped gossips a lesson.
Qin Xiaowan, however, simply gave a faint smile. "Does Young Master Ye also think I'm that kind of person? I've long heard that Young Master Ye is the preeminent genius of Lisha City, so I came here specifically to get acquainted, hoping we could be friends. You wouldn't turn someone away so coldly, would you, Young Master Ye?"
"Who are you, exactly? If you wish to be my friend, you should at least tell me your name. And I'm no genius, but I am honored by your interest in getting to know me. For that, I'll toast you first," Ye Tian said.
"Young Master Ye is indeed a straightforward man. My surname is Qin, and I am the third young miss of the Qin Family. I know there's a small misunderstanding between my family and you, but that's my brothers' business. It has nothing to do with me," Qin Xiaowan said.
Ye Tian froze for a moment after hearing this. "A member of the Qin Family? You're Qin Xiaowan? The one who's incredibly good friends with Ye Feifei... like her best friend?"
"So Young Master Ye has heard of me. Feifei and I are indeed very close! I wonder if you would be willing to be my friend as well, Young Master Ye?" Qin Xiaowan said with a dazzling smile that was utterly intoxicating. At that moment, she had charmed many of the diners in the restaurant.
"Of course you can! But sneaking out to meet my Brother Tian... that's a bit naughty of you!" A voice like silver bells suddenly chimed in from across the restaurant.
Ye Tian and Qin Xiaowan looked toward the voice and saw Ye Feifei. She had appeared in the restaurant and was now slowly walking toward them.
"Feifei, you're here!" Ye Tian felt a bit awkward. He didn't know if Ye Feifei would get jealous seeing him sitting with Qin Xiaowan, and for a moment, he had no idea how to explain.
"Brother Tian, you ran off to the restaurant ahead of me! We agreed you'd wait for me, but you just couldn't, could you!" Ye Feifei said with a slight smile, sitting down right beside Ye Tian.
"Feifei, you're not angry that I came uninvited, are you?" Qin Xiaowan's face burned with embarrassment; she also hadn't expected Ye Feifei to show up right at this moment.
"Why would I be angry? We're good sisters, aren't we? Actually, I've been wanting to introduce Brother Tian to you for a while now. What a coincidence that today I won't have to waste my breath," Ye Feifei said with a laugh.
Ye Tian, however, felt a bit uneasy. Ye Feifei was being so magnanimous that it made him feel a little guilty. He knew she was saving his face by not blaming him. If it were any other woman, she would have likely flown into a rage seeing her man sitting with another beauty.
After glancing at Ye Feifei, Qin Xiaowan smiled. "Feifei, thank you for being so understanding. It's too crowded here for us to talk properly. Why don't we move? There are private rooms upstairs, and the setting is quite nice."
"That's a great idea. I don't like being stared at in public either. It feels a bit weird," Ye Feifei said.
The two women seemed to have completely forgotten to ask Ye Tian for his opinion and simply made the decision. The people in the restaurant, however, were now staring wide-eyed. To be able to win the favor of two great beauties at the same time... Ye Tian was making everyone die of envy.
Many of them were fantasizing about being in Ye Tian's shoes. The feeling of having a beauty on each arm was truly something to die for.
"The environment here is fine too, isn't it? No one is bothering us! Why don't we just stay here?" Ye Tian said, sounding completely clueless about the mood.
"Brother Tian, I'm sure Xiaowan didn't come to see you just to get acquainted. She must have other business, so don't be difficult!" Ye Feifei shot Ye Tian a look. 'This guy is really dense.'
"Alright then, let's go to the second floor!" Ye Tian said with a sheepish laugh. In reality, it wasn't that he didn't understand Ye Feifei's meaning; he just wanted to see what kind of trick Qin Xiaowan was trying to pull. She was well aware of the animosity between him and the Qin Family, so perhaps she was approaching him to fish for information.
Information about the Black Iron Guard, for example, was a strong possibility. If Qin Xiaowan truly didn't know her limits, he wouldn't show her any courtesy, beautiful or not.
However, Ye Tian noticed something very strange. When he inadvertently looked into Qin Xiaowan's eyes, he got a feeling of dΓ©jΓ vu. It was a very peculiar feeling, as if the two of them were intimately close.
The three of them then went up to a private room on the second floor, leaving behind the confused gazes of the crowd in the restaurant. At the same time, all sorts of discussions broke out. Some said that both Ye Feifei and Qin Xiaowan had fallen in love with Ye Tian.
Others said that Qin Xiaowan was trying to steal Ye Tian from Ye Feifei, and that it was very likely the two best friends would turn on each other.
Still others said that Ye Tian was blessed with incredible luck with women, earning the favor of two of Lisha City's greatest beauties and making countless people burn with envy.
In short, the story of the three of them appearing at the restaurant today spread quickly throughout Lisha City, and it wasn't long before it reached the ears of the three great families...
(Today is May 1st, so Xiao Xiao wishes all you readers a happy holiday! Updates definitely won't be very fast during this new-book period! Please understand. It won't be like this once the book goes premium! The matter of the Dragon Pearl inside Qin Xiaowan will be explained later, so please don't guess wildly or think that I've forgotten! She's a female lead, after all!)