"I just happened to run into you while handing out flyers here." Xiaozhao laughed, pulling Chen Yan over to sit down. However, he gave up his seat to Chen Yan, letting him sit next to Lu Sisi, and then moved a chair to deliberately sit next to Yueyue.
A few girls curiously looked at Chen Yan, who smiled and said, "Hello everyone, I’m Chen Yan, Sisi’s boyfriend."
His circumstances now are different, his experiences different, and his family background different, naturally giving off a somewhat distinctive aura.
Lu Sisi’s dorm mates finally saw the real deal and immediately started gossiping.
Chen Yan replied to their questions one by one, unhurriedly; for questions he didn’t want to answer, he glossed over with a simple response.
He had just driven back to Jinling Prefecture tonight, and the first thing he did after being away for several days was to tell Lu Sisi.
Moreover, his mental realm was somewhat different on this return trip.
His home was now cold and desolate, so he instinctively didn’t rush back to that villa mansion, choosing to drive to the vicinity of University City to see his girlfriend.
Hearing that Lu Sisi was having hotpot with her roommates, and that Zhao Shanhe was also there, Chen Yan decided to come over.
Lu Sisi was concerned about Chen Yan, so after the call, she didn’t go inside and stood by the roadside waiting for him. When he arrived, they went in together.
"This Brother Yan, I heard you’ve been out of town these past few days. Our Sisi has barely eaten or slept these days." A roommate teased, laughing.
Chen Yan didn’t take it seriously—he kept in touch with Lu Sisi every day through messages, and sent her quite a few snowy landscape photos.
As for the girls digging into his personal details, insisting on asking what exactly Chen Yan does for work.
Chen Yan thought for a moment, then said with a smile, "A family elder passed away, so I inherited some of their affairs and now I run some cultural business ventures."
Well, saying it isn’t really wrong... Chen Yan thought to himself.
A few girls half-understood, but Yueyue, with her well-off background and some insight, guessed that this young man named Chen Yan probably dealt in cultural and creative merchandise?
This sort of business might not be very large, but could still have some assets.
As for inheriting from family elders... this notion makes him sound like a small rich second-generation, perhaps?
Chen Yan didn’t particularly enjoy dealing with girls, especially in such a group setting; ordinarily, he would keep his distance. But now that Lu Sisi was his girlfriend, to help her get along with her roommates, Chen Yan patiently navigated through the evening.
However, he was different from Xiaozhao; Xiaozhao was warm and a bit flattering, while Chen Yan was polite, neither humble nor overbearing, maintaining courtesy without delving deep into conversations.
A hotpot meal lasted about an hour before it ended.
During the meal, Chen Yan didn’t call for the waitstaff to add more dishes or try to show off his financial prowess, and after dinner, he didn’t insist on picking up the tab.
He knew before he arrived that Xiaozhao was hosting tonight, so he wouldn’t steal Xiaozhao’s spotlight.
He wasn’t much of a fan of hotpot, neither liked nor disliked it, and not particularly hungry, so he just sat chatting, sipping juice, and occasionally eating a bit.
However, since Chen Yan sat down, Lu Sisi had been gentle and attentive. Originally quiet at meals, once Chen Yan arrived, she hardly ate, instead focusing on preparing food for him.
If Chen Yan ate more of anything, she would take note and prepare more, placing it in his bowl.
The tenderness and attention during the meal astounded her roommates.
They felt that Lu Sisi seemed as if she wanted to serve every piece devotedly to this young man named Chen Yan.
Especially Yueyue, who was unimpressed—coming from a good Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai family as an only child, she was outstanding in various respects. She did want a boyfriend with good qualities, and this young man named Chen Yan, from looks to aura and economic standing, matched her standards. But she reflected that if she met such a man, she would never be so subservient—would be the man groveling to her.
Once the meal was over, everyone stood up and left the hotpot restaurant.
As they reached the door before parting, Yueyue intentionally smiled and asked, "Sisi, are you going back to the dorm with us?"
"Oh, how can you be so oblivious? With her boyfriend here, of course, she’s going to spend sweet time together." Another girl laughed.
Yueyue chuckled mischievously, feigning regret, "I was so inattentive, our Sisi probably won’t come back with us, might not come back all night..."
Lu Sisi blushed but didn’t say a word, showing implied agreement.
Chen Yan thought for a moment and turned to Xiaozhao, "Let’s go, I’ll drop you back at school?"
Xiaozhao shook his head, "Nah, they all know better than to be third wheels, do you think I lack discernment? Go enjoy your romantic time; I’ll just walk back to school myself, it’s only a few steps after all."
Chen Yan nodded, that was fair, the place was only two or three hundred meters from a side entrance of his alma mater.
"Then let’s go." Chen Yan lowered his head and smiled tenderly at Lu Sisi, who gently nodded.
"Well, goodbye everyone, I’ll treat you to some crayfish sometime." Chen Yan waved goodbye to the girls.