13

Ryan Carter finally finished his work and realized lunchtime had long passed.

Two in the afternoon already. Had Chloe eaten without him?

He picked up the phone and dialed her upstairs line, but it rang endlessly with no answer.

Calling the front desk, the receptionist informed him she'd left the office.

Had he been too harsh earlier? Was that why she'd stormed off?

Just as Ryan was spiraling into worry, the woman in question was happily licking an ice cream cone while window-shopping, her friend Chu Lin squealing beside her at every display—especially the delicate, unique items.

"Seriously, stop screeching!" Chloe shot Chu Lin an exasperated look. Her ear-piercing shrieks had already drawn stares from half the street.

Noticing the onlookers, Chu Lin swallowed her retort and dragged Chloe into a nearby restaurant.

The interior was elegant, tastefully decorated.

They flipped open the menu—yikes, those prices were eye-watering. But the dishes did look delicious... Soon, the two girls had ordered half the menu and were digging in with glee.

Stuffed and sluggish, the two girls slumped in their chairs, barely able to move. The meal had stretched over an hour, the indoor greenery and soft music lulling them into losing track of time.

"...Let others laugh if they must, throw away my pride—I'd rather shed tears to fulfill your needs..." Jacky Cheung's voice crooned through the quiet afternoon air, his lyrics steeped in devotion.

"If a man ever cried for me like that, I'd marry him on the spot," Chu Lin mused. In this era of fast-food romance, men capable of such depth were practically extinct.

What if Alex ever wept for her the way the song described? Chloe shuddered at the thought—she'd probably hide in embarrassment.

A man's tears for a woman weren't a measure of happiness. If a woman demanded public tears as proof of love, it spoke less of affection than conquest.

Real love should bring joy, not tears—at least, that's how Chloe Johnson saw it.

"If Alex cried over me, it'd just scare me," Chloe admitted with a sigh.

"What if it were Ryan?" Chu Lin pressed.

Alex Taylor was too proud for someone like Chloe. Her scatterbrained, free-spirited nature needed a man who'd cherish and protect her—someone who put her first. And Alex? Never that man.

Ryan? Chloe imagined Ryan Carter shedding tears for her... and her chest ached at the thought.

"Well? Would it break your heart?" Chu Lin stared pointedly.

Chloe gaped at her. Since when could everyone read her mind so easily?

"Why would it break your heart?" Chu Lin pressed, studying Chloe's bewildered expression. Every thought was practically tattooed on her face—honestly, anyonecould read her like an open book.

"Can we just get the check?" Chloe floundered, panic rising at Chu Lin's probing.

She couldn't—wouldn't—dig deeper. Why the ache in her chest? She didn't want to know. Feared knowing.

"Fine." Chu Lin backed off, recognizing her retreat. Love was the kind of mess only the person drowning in it could untangle. All she could do was nudge Chloe awake.

"That'll be 999 yuan," the waiter announced, presenting the bill with a polished smile.

"What?!" Chloe snatched the receipt. A casual lunch cost ​how much? But the numbers glared back, undeniable.

Chu Lin emptied her pockets—296 yuan. Chloe scrounged up loose change before realizing: "Oh no—my wallet's in my backpack… in Ryan's office!"

The waiter's smile curdled into a glare.

"I need to make a call." Under the waiter's withering stare, Chloe bolted to the front desk and grabbed the phone, dialing Ryan Carter's number.

"Ryan, come save me—now!" she yelled into the receiver the second the line connected.

On the other end, Ryan's blood ran cold. Save her? Had she been kidnapped?

"Where are you?" he demanded, forcing calm into his voice.

"Some restaurant on Zhongshan Road—hold on." Chloe turned to the sneering waiter. "What's this place called?" Then back to Ryan: "Jasmine Bistro. And bring cash."

She hung up before he could respond—Chu Lin was now arguing with another server, and Chloe rushed over.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Chu Lin snapped at the waiter.

That condescending glare made her skin crawl. Who did they think she was? So she'd forgotten her wallet—they were fixing it, weren't they?

"I wasn't 'looking' any way," the waiter retorted. She hated these types—playing the wide-eyed innocent while scamming free meals.

"Oh really? Then get lost. I don't need your 'service.'" If the waiter thought Chu Lin was some pushover, she was dead wrong.

Chloe Johnson stepped forward and nodded politely at the waiter. "Sorry, I forgot my wallet. Just wait a bit—my friend's bringing money soon."

"Pathetic excuse," the waiter scoffed, tilting her chin up before strutting off.

"Ignore her," Chu Lin muttered to Chloe.

Chloe brushed off the waiter's rudeness without a second thought, sitting back down to chat with Chu Lin about their nearly finished high school years.

Now that she'd called Ryan Carter, she was completely at ease. She trusted that even if the sky were falling, Ryan would be there to hold it up for her.

When Ryan screeched to a stop outside the restaurant, he found Chloe and Chu Lin casually chatting—no sign of the crisis he'd imagined. His racing heart finally steadied.

"Chloe." He jogged toward her, still catching his breath.

"Ryan, you got here so fast!" Chloe looked up at him in surprise.

It was just a lunch bill—no need to rush like that. But Ryan was sweating, his jacket missing and tie loosened, as if he'd bolted the moment he hung up.

She stood, grabbed a napkin from the table, and gently dabbed the sweat from his forehead.

"Are you okay?" Ryan Carter grasped her slender wrist, his voice tense.

"I'm fine—just forgot my wallet and couldn't pay the bill," Chloe replied, baffled by his obvious distress.

So he'd misunderstood her plea, sending himself into a panic over nothing.

Letting out a slow breath, he pulled Chloe into his arms, ignoring the stares around them. For once, he'd throw caution to the wind and follow his instincts.

"What's wrong?" Chloe sensed his anxiety but didn't resist, letting him hold her close.

Suddenly, a boisterous shout cut through the moment—

"The cavalry's here!"

Jake Thompson burst in like a tornado, waving a bulky briefcase overhead.

Every head swiveled toward the commotion—especially Chloe's. Since when did settling a lunch bill require an entire suitcase of cash?

"Where are the kidnappers? Who do I hand the 20 million cash to?" Jake Thompson demanded, scanning the room nervously.

"What kidnappers?" Chloe blinked in utter confusion.

"Weren't you kidnapped? Ryan told me to withdraw ransom money!" Jake was now thoroughly lost.

He'd gotten Ryan's frantic call to rush 20 million from the bank to rescue Chloe—but where were the thugs with faces like bulldogs?

Hearing this, Chu Lin burst into hysterical laughter. "Then how about paying our bill instead? Just 999 yuan."

"What?! For lunch?" Jake's voice cracked in disbelief.

Finally, Chloe understood: her vague cry for help had made Ryan think she'd been taken. The realization that he'd panicked for her sent a giddy flutter through her chest.

Wiping tears of laughter, Chu Lin also grasped just how much Chloe meant to Ryan. A man this devoted, and she's oblivious?! She nearly groaned in secondhand frustration.