CHAPTER 242: EVEN THOSE WHO PLANT DAISIES CAN BE ALLERGIC TO POLLEN.

"Don’t pull it open again, you’ll catch a cold." Xu Fan carefully reminded her, his fingertips brushing against her collar and adjusting it slightly.

Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow, recognizing his good intentions, and refrained from making any remarks about feeling warm.

The two of them stepped onto the softly lit pathway, slowly ascending to the tenth floor, their overlapping shadows cast upon the marble surface.

Before they even entered the corridor, the sounds of melodious singing had already reached their ears, echoing around them.

Xu Fan listened to the emotional love song and glanced sideways at the young woman.

The starlight glimmering in his phoenix-shaped eyes intertwined with the shade of blue she wore.

Yu Zhi pushed open the private room door, and as the light from the hallway spilled inside, the song coincidentally came to an end.

She took a step to the left, making way for the figure behind her to become more visible, and introduced with a smile, "This is my friend, Xu Fan."

The room fell silent as everyone inside turned their gaze toward the man, who was roughly their age.

He had a tall, lean build, dressed in a dark red suit paired with a casual white shirt underneath. His broad shoulders and narrow waist accentuated his perfect proportions.

Two prominent clavicles peeked out, overshadowing even his tie, serving merely to complement his pale complexion.

On his meticulously handsome face, the most captivating feature was his pair of amber-hued phoenix eyes, shimmering as though sprinkled with diamonds.

Shi Wei, who had been anxiously clutching his phone and waiting, felt a wave of relief the moment he saw Xu Fan appear.

But his gaze soon landed on the small bouquet of daisies in the young woman’s hands, and that inexplicable sense of crisis surged through him once again.

"Zhizhi, the juice has already arrived," Shi Wei suppressed his unease and called out to the young woman still standing at the door.

While drawing her attention, he also exchanged a silent glance with Xu Fan for two brief seconds.

Upon receiving Xu Fan’s smiling yet unreadable gaze, Shi Wei raised an eyebrow coolly, a sardonic grin tugging at his lips.

"Alright." Yu Zhi responded softly, then turned her head and gave Xu Fan a subtle smile. "Ah-Che, let’s sit over there."

Xu Fan nodded and walked alongside her to the sofa.

Just as he sat down, an exuberant male voice chirped from his right, "Bro, I thought you weren’t coming."

Jin Yunzhi familiarly tugged at his sleeve, handed him a wine glass, and looked at him with sparkling grape-like eyes filled with delight.

Hearing Jin Yunzhi call him by this nickname again, Xu Fan silently shook his head. He lifted the glass and took a sip of red wine. "I just got off the plane."

"Oh? You went to Australia again?"

"Mm, had to take care of some things."

"I see. No wonder you’ve been gone all these days." Jin Yunzhi puffed out his cheeks.

He had initially wondered if Xu Fan’s absence meant he didn’t want to hang out with him anymore.

Xu Fan chuckled softly, his thick eyelashes brushing past the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye, gentle like feathers.

He swirled the wine in his glass and was about to speak.

But a startled voice interrupted him, "Xu Fan?"

Ruan Yuan, who had just exited the restroom, froze when she caught sight of him, her eyes widening.

Tipsy from the alcohol, she stumbled over, grabbed a stool, and sat down in front of him.

"Miss Ruan, long time no see." Xu Fan greeted her politely, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor overtly detached.

"It has been a while. Since the last time at the shooting range, I haven’t run into you again." Ruan Yuan raised her glass and clinked it to his.

She seemed genuinely happy about his appearance.

Though opportunities to meet Xu Fan were rare, after witnessing his skill and precision with a firearm at the shooting range, Ruan Yuan couldn’t help but admire him.

Of course, that admiration was purely platonic; beyond their gun-related duels, she harbored no other intentions.

"The shooting range? Was it fun?" At the mention of this, Jin Yunzhi leaned over eagerly, his curiosity palpable.

"It was pretty nice. Do you want to try it? When there’s time, I’ll take you." Ruan Yuan offered warmly.

"Sure, let’s have him come along too." Jin Yunzhi pointed toward Xu Fan.

"..."

Seeing everyone’s focus shift to Xu Fan, the men sitting nearby clearly weren’t happy.

Shi Yin and Xu Fan exchanged a glance, reading traces of jealousy in each other’s eyes.

That impulsive urge to act out and pull their respective partners back was rising, their hearts itching to intervene.

But before they could make a move, their train of thought was interrupted by a crisp, infectious laugh.

Ultimately, the two had no choice but to silently raise their wine glasses, drinking as they begrudgingly kept their attention on the scene.

For Shi Wei, this was a moment of peace and quiet.

He genuinely didn’t want Xu Fan interfering with his private time with Zhizhi.

"Zhizhi, my nose feels a bit uncomfortable." Shi Wei’s arm looped around the young woman’s waist.

His deep voice suddenly became muffled as if he were congested.

"What’s wrong?" Yu Zhi turned her head and was met with his slightly pitiful-looking, tear-filled peach blossom eyes.

Concerned, she furrowed her brows lightly, gently stroking the tip of his nose and checking his forehead for any signs of a fever. Only after confirming he wasn’t sick did she relax.

"I don’t know, it suddenly feels itchy." Shi Wei’s gaze fell on the bouquet of daisies near her side.

Though seemingly casual, Yu Zhi still caught the subtle look in his eyes.

She asked, "Could it be a pollen allergy?"

Shi Wei shook his head. "Not sure."

With a sigh, his discomfort was written clearly across his face, and he visibly slumped in demeanor.

Yu Zhi contemplated for a moment, then tentatively moved the daisies further away. "Does this help?"

Shi Wei replied weakly, "Still uncomfortable."

Yu Zhi adjusted them further. "How about now?"

"Somewhat better."

"..." She distinctly recalled that he hadn’t shown signs of a pollen allergy before—he was the one who specifically requested the daisies be planted in the backyard.

Could the alcohol have induced this reaction?

Yu Zhi couldn’t help but marvel again at the man’s fragility.

She simply placed the daisies at least two meters away from them, soothing him gently, "You’ll feel better soon."

"Mm." Shi Wei responded dully.

He buried his face into her neck, greedily inhaling the scent of peaches clinging to her skin.

Under the dim light, a faintly sinister yet subtle smile tugged at the corners of his face.

Not a single word of their exchange escaped Xu Fan’s notice; he quietly scoffed to himself.

Taking a discreet glance at their intimate posture, he tightened his grip around the wine glass slightly, though his expression remained composed as always.

Still, his distaste for the man brazenly coaxing Ah-Shi grew stronger, and he silently cursed him several times in his heart.