It wouldn't be a lie if one said that Adrian's departure had no effect on the two couples at the table. They were in their own world and Adrian wasn't a part of it in any way possible.

"I warned you about the public display of affection," Ru's eyes were narrowed while her voice was strained as if suppressing her anger.

Xiao Zhiren took his chair even closer to hers and hugged her from the side saying, "But I can't help it."

"Why not?" she retorted completely disregarding his look of grievance.

"Mmm... Because I love it when you look at me with that look."

Ru frowned in confusion as she asked, "What look?"

"The look that says how annoyed you're with me. But at the same time, I love to see the damn passion hidden behind that irritation."

Ru kept a straight face and didn't refute his words. Instead, she said, "Are you flirting with me right now?"

"Nope," he shook his head innocently and added, "I'm being extra friendly with my extra attractive girlfriend."

Ru pursed her lips and said, "Where did you get that line from?"

Xiao Zhiren cleared his throat and replied, "From the internet."

Ru couldn't keep a straight face any longer, "Do you have to look for ways to flirt with me?"

He touched the tip of her nose and said, "Who told you to be this cute?"

Ru opened her mouth to reply but the sound of laughter cut her off. She turned towards the sound and saw Xu Mey trying to stifle her laughter. "Sorry. It's just weird."

"What is?" Xiao Zhiren asked curiously. He had no problem with Xu Mey or Jie anymore since being close to them, he felt himself to be a part of Ru's world. It was a good feeling that he couldn't deny at all.

"I just never thought there be a day someone would use 'Cute' as an adjective to describe my Sensei," replied Xu Mey with a small smile on her face.

Xiao Zhiren pinched Ru's both cheeks making her scowl and said, "But my little chili is really adorable. I don't know why you think otherwise."

"Adorable? Are you sure you know my Sensei?" Xu Mey asked with an arched brow.

Xiao Zhiren gave half of his attention to Xu Mey while the other half of his attention was on the way his hand was running up and down on Ru's back. "How would you describe my little chili then?"

"I have to look for words to describe the most awesome person in my life?" Xu Mey's reaction was exaggerated whichever way one looked but her feelings of admiration and respect for Ru weren't. "This task is harder than giving a speech on the topic of a mother."

Xiao Zhiren's brows knitted together and Ru elaborated for him, "Her mother wasn't around for the most part of her life."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Xu Mey chuckled at Xiao Zhiren's response and said, "She isn't dead. Don't be this sorry. She just ran from her responsibilities. And I grew up. As my Sensei said, I have the most amazing husband and two cutest little kids. Why should I be brooding over the woman who wasn't even a part of my life?"

It'd be right to say that Xiao Zhiren was surprised to see Xu Mey's nonchalant reaction. She talked so casually about it that Xiao Zhiren felt admiration for her.

"Anyway, if I really have to describe my sensei, I'd say... She's so wicked that one can't even bring himself to hate her. She had done so many right things in the wrong ways that I have lost count. But I still look up to Sensei. In all these years, she's the only person who stayed true to herself. Everyone changed in some way except for Sensei." Xu Mey's eyes didn't lose the sparkle as she talked about Ru.

For a moment, even Ru herself didn't know what to say. Because for Ru, she was that darkness which couldn't be loved. She had changed. She knew herself. But why couldn't she just refute Xu Mey's words? Perhaps because as Xu Mey said, Ru couldn't bring herself to lie to herself about who she was. She had been true to one person and that was her own self.

"If you weren't a girl, I'd be really scared of you," said Xiao Zhiren as he hugged Ru tighter.

"Why?" Xu Mey questioned amusingly.

"I feel like you'd have been the biggest love rival for me," said Xiao Zhiren honestly making Xu Mey laugh.

On the side, Jie hadn't joined this conversation as he rubbed his bottom lip. He had a contemplative look on his face. He turned his eyes to meet Ru's and gave an amusing grin as he hand-signed, 'You're in for a good ride with him.'

Ru rolled her eyes at him and answered in the same way, 'As if I can't see that already.'

Jie grinned widely and replied with hand signs again, 'I really like him.'

Ru sighed out and looked at Xiao Zhiren as she blurted out, "Me too."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Xiao Zhiren asked looking at her strange expressions.

Ru shook her head in response and said, "Nothing. I was talking to myself."

As Xiao Zhiren arched his brows at her, Jie chimed in, "Get used to it, Mr. Xiao. Our Ru'er has a habit of talking to herself a lot. Sometimes, she'll be so engrossed in an argument with herself that she'd lose contact with reality. You will keep calling but she won't be listening at all."

Xiao Zhiren looked at Ru inquisitively, "Really?"

Ru scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders, "It doesn't happen that often now. I've learned to shun my self-conscious."

'Have you now? Why didn't I get the memo?' Her conscious chose this moment to pop again making Ru clench her jaw in exasperation. She kept her face straight and replied, 'Do you have to bother me at this moment?'

'Yes, yes. I do. How can I not? I wanted to see how you'll shun me.' Ru rolled her eyes inwardly and decided to just ignore this conscious. It was pointless anyway. Breathe in and breathe out Ru. Just let this negative energy flow out.

Hearing a loud crying, Ru's daze was broken as she looked at two attendants coming to their table with each holding a baby. Ru could recognize the one who was rubbing his eyes adorably. As for the crying one, it wasn't hard to guess.