Chapter 346: The Twenty-fifth Day in the Entertainment World

Chapter 346: Day 25 in the Entertainment World

Miao Bin's smile instantly froze, his brows knitting as his tone carried obvious displeasure. He looked at Yu Ziyun and spoke much more bluntly: "Lawyer Yu, I have something private to discuss with Xiao Yi."

He deliberately emphasized the word "private": "Please... have some awareness."

Only then did Yu Ziyun slowly shift his gaze from An Yi's face to Miao Bin.

The feigned warmth on his face quickly faded, settling back into his usual cold, sharp demeanor, and his tone carried a matter-of-fact authority: "This is a common area of the villa, and so is the garden. Where I choose to take a walk is my freedom."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Miao Bin once more before adding: "Or does Teacher Miao think he owns the garden and no one else is allowed in?"

Only an idiot would let the person he likes go off alone with another guy who's clearly into him!

Who knows what they'd say to each other?!

A confession?! Over my dead body!

Yu Ziyun's words left Miao Bin momentarily stuck. He certainly couldn't claim the garden was his, but Yu Ziyun was clearly just being a pain in the ass!

Watching the nearly tangible tension rise between the two again, and the competitive gazes once more fixed on him, An Yi let out a soft sigh.

He furrowed his brows slightly: "You two acting like this..."

He spoke, his voice still gentle, but with a faint, almost imperceptible sigh woven into his tone: "It's starting to make me uncomfortable."

The word "uncomfortable" instantly shut them both up.

Yu Ziyun almost immediately dropped all the sharpness and coldness directed at Miao Bin. His gaze softened at once, focusing intently on An Yi's slightly furrowed brow.

He quickly stepped back half a step, creating a bit of distance, lowering his posture and softening his voice with undisguised apology: "I'm sorry, An Yi. That's on me—I didn't keep myself in check... I made you uncomfortable. I apologize."

He owned up to it cleanly and fast, his sincerity impeccable, as if the guy who'd been so stubborn and sharp-tongued a second ago wasn't him at all.

Miao Bin's smile also stiffened. He hadn't expected An Yi to flat-out say he was uncomfortable.

He immediately adjusted his expression, trying to explain, his tone urgent, with a barely noticeable hint of panic: "Xiao Yi, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean anything by it. I just... I just wanted to talk to you alone. I didn't mean to pressure you or anything..."

"Oh." An Yi nodded, acknowledging that he'd heard, his expression returning to calm as he said lightly: "Got it."

Miao Bin: "..."

That simple, totally flat response left him speechless.

It was like punching a pillow.

Yu Ziyun took in Miao Bin's embarrassment, a faint, barely-there glint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

He seized the opening, stepping forward half a step to get closer to An Yi. This time, he completely ignored Miao Bin, who was still scrambling for words, as if the world was just him and An Yi.

He lowered his head slightly, bringing his eyes level with An Yi's. From this angle, he seemed less intimidating and more focused, more intimate.

He looked into An Yi's eyes, lowering his voice to an almost coaxing tone, meant for just the two of them—yet loud enough for Miao Bin to catch: "An Yi."

He said his name with unusual clarity: "I didn't mean anything by it, either."

He repeated the words Miao Bin had just used, but with a completely different tone: "It's just that seeing someone get all over you like that makes me a little uneasy."

An Yi blinked, his long lashes fluttering, casting a small shadow under his eyes.

He tilted his face up slightly, looking at Yu Ziyun's earnest eyes so close to his, and asked softly, with just the right amount of curiosity: "Why uneasy?"

Yu Ziyun looked at An Yi's trembling lashes and those clear, bottomless eyes that could drown a person. The urge to just scoop An Yi up and take him away, hiding him from everyone's eyes, was almost impossible to fight.

But he forced it down, instead breaking into an even softer, almost helpless smile.

He smiled, glancing at Miao Bin, whose face had already darkened, then turned back to An Yi and said in a tender tone: "An Yi, what I mean is, you should be careful of people who come at you with too much of an agenda."

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, trying to sound objective: "Some people, perhaps because... they've got a lot of experience and know exactly how to charm people and create a pleasant atmosphere. But behind all that thoughtfulness and warmth, there isn't necessarily any real sincerity."

Though these words were directed at An Yi and delivered in a "sincere" tone, every word struck precisely at Miao Bin beside him.

Especially the phrases "a lot of experience" and "know exactly how to charm people"—in the current context, the implication was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Miao Bin's face darkened completely upon hearing Yu Ziyun's veiled, insinuating remarks.

He dropped the last of his stiff smile, looking at Yu Ziyun with obvious anger and displeasure in his eyes, his tone no longer maintaining its deliberate cheerfulness: "Lawyer Yu, what exactly are you trying to say? What do you mean by 'agenda'? What do you mean by 'a lot of experience'?"

He stepped forward, closing the distance with Yu Ziyun, trying not to lose ground in the standoff: "An Yi and I are both singers. We share the same profession and topics. It's totally normal for people to talk and look out for each other. How does that become something twisted in your mouth?"

Only then did Yu Ziyun slowly turn his full attention to Miao Bin. His face was expressionless, and a faint, almost polite curve tugged at the corner of his lips, as if he were earnestly listening to the other's challenge.

But the sharp scrutiny and the almost tangible coldness in those deep eyes sent a chill down one's spine.

"Don't misunderstand, Teacher Miao." Yu Ziyun spoke, his voice flat with no fluctuation whatsoever: "I'm just speaking to the point, just making a personal, well-meaning observation based on what I've seen."

He kept his posture humble, but his words pressed forward relentlessly: "Someone like Teacher Miao—outgoing, expressive, attentive to others' feelings in the details—clearly is very popular in daily life and well-versed in making people feel comfortable and pleasant in your company."

He paused, as if offering objective praise, but his next words made Miao Bin's expression turn even uglier, his fists clenching secretly.

"These thoughtful little gestures surely didn't come out of thin air, all so perfectly considered."

Yu Ziyun raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone still steady but carrying an infuriating sense of scrutiny: "They must have come from... accumulating plenty of practical experience in quite a few similar situations, right? For instance..."

His gaze swept over the bottle of mosquito repellent in Miao Bin's hand, then seemingly casually glanced toward the garden: "Knowing what to offer, at what moment, in what specific setting, best conveys care—and what words to say to make someone feel especially attended to and cherished."

"Teacher Miao must have a lot of experience."