After I traveled through the book, I fought back in the Hou Mansion

Luo Shuiyao showed a polite smile on her face, then she called the waiter and asked him to help pack up the dishes.

Looking at the neatly packed food, Luo Shuiyao nodded with satisfaction. Thinking of how happy Du Juan and the others were when they ate these delicacies, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but rise slightly.

Ye Yunzhou stared at her joyful expression, and suddenly an indescribable feeling surged in his heart, a tingling sensation that spread like an itch. He desperately wanted her to come closer, a little closer.

Under the table, the veins on the back of his hands bulged as he tried hard to restrain himself so as not to be too reckless.

After Luo Shuiyao finished packing, she felt that there was nothing more to say to Ye Yunzhou, and the purpose of promoting their relationship today had been achieved. She looked at Ye Yunzhou and said, "It's getting late, let's go."

After she finished speaking, she stood up and prepared to take the lunch box and leave, but she saw that Ye Yunzhou did not stand up and was still looking at her steadily.

Luo Shuiyao was confused and looked at him. Did he want to sit for a while longer?

Ye Yunzhou appeared calm on the surface, but his hands were clenched into fists under the table. He felt his heartbeat quicken again, and an uncontrollable blush appeared on the tips of his ears.

He handed over a bracelet and said, "This is the bracelet I bought when I passed by the street just now. Consider it my apology for being late today."

As soon as he said this, Ye Yunzhou regretted it immensely. If the circumstances hadn't allowed it, he would have wanted to slap himself. What was he saying? This was clearly not what he meant.

His earlobes also turned slightly red, and his expression showed a subtle embarrassment. He pretended to glance at Luo Shuiyao casually, wondering how she would react.

Unfortunately, his actions were like flirting with a blind man; Luo Shuiyao didn't notice anything unusual about him. Her attention was completely drawn to the sandalwood bracelet, and she didn't notice Ye Yunzhou's turbulent mood at all.

She reached out and picked it up, examining it closely. The bracelet's color was deep, like the traces of time on an ancient tree. Each bead was round and smooth, and a gentle sniff seemed to emit a faint woody fragrance. The wood grain was faintly visible in the light, and the color was neither ostentatious nor lacking in a calm and elegant atmosphere, making it impossible not to touch it.

Seeing that Luo Shuiyao didn't even glance at him, Ye Yunzhou couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Then, he secretly cursed himself and tried to regain his composure.

Luo Shuiyao looked at the bracelet in her hand as if it were a treasure.

Pursing his lips, Ye Yunzhou said softly, "This is a gift for you. If you like it, you can take it back and read it slowly."

If Ye Yi were present at this moment, he would have understood what he hadn't said yet. "If you like it, take it back and look at it slowly. Now don't look at the bracelet, look at me." He sighed: "He knew that his own supervisor was narrow-minded. He was even jealous of the bracelet he brought."

However, it was a pity that the person sitting opposite him didn't even glance at him and was completely unaware of what was going on in his mind.

Ye Yunzhou looked at her pretty face, feeling a sense of helplessness and annoyance. He hoped she would like the gift, but he also wanted her to keep her eyes on him for a while. These conflicting emotions intertwined in his heart, making his eyes reveal a complex expression.

Here, Luo Shuiyao's attention was focused on the bracelet.

As someone with a passing knowledge of woodcarving, Luo Shuiyao knew the value of this bracelet better than anyone else. It wasn't the craftsmanship, but the material itself that was truly valuable. Sandalwood of this quality was truly rare.

She felt a little jealous, but she felt that she was insincere towards him. To put it nicely, she was trying to please him, and to put it bluntly, she was taking advantage of him. How could she accept such a valuable thing from him!

Luo Shuiyao slowly pushed the beads in front of Ye Yunzhou, a look of gratitude on her face. "Thank you very much for your kindness, but I can't accept this bead."

Ye Yunzhou's expression froze, and he asked, "Why?"

For a moment, his mind raced. Was it because she already had someone she liked? Or did she think she wasn't good enough and looked down upon him? Or was it both?

He forced himself to swallow the bitter taste rising in his throat. He looked at Luo Shuiyao puzzledly, "Don't you like it?"

Luo Shuiyao sighed helplessly and said, "This isn't a question of like or dislike. This is a matter of principle. What is our relationship? Why should I accept such a valuable thing from you?"

Ye Yunzhou's expression was slightly cold, and he asked back: "What do you want from me?" There was a hint of expectation in his eyes.

The atmosphere instantly grew tense, as if an invisible barrier had formed between the two. Ye Yunzhou's question left Luo Shuiyao speechless for a moment. After a moment's reflection, she continued, "I consider you my benefactor. I already owe you a great deal, so how could I possibly accept your valuables?"

Luo Shuiyao spoke sincerely, and her eyes were full of determination when she looked at him.

I muttered to myself: I thought you were my elder brother, no, you are my elder brother, we just don’t know each other now. Moreover, you are so generous to a stranger you have only met a few times, are you really okay?

If Ye Yunzhou could hear her thoughts at this moment, he would definitely hear a wail. She really wanted such a precious sandalwood bracelet, but she was too embarrassed to accept it.

"benefactor?"

Ye Yunzhou laughed out of anger. This laugh seemed to dissipate half of his previous anger. His originally upright posture leaned back a little, and the slightly cold aura disappeared completely.

Yes, she had considered herself her benefactor from the beginning. It was she who had ill intentions towards her, so what right did she have to be angry about it? A feeling of helplessness and self-mockery welled up in Ye Yunzhou's heart. He looked at Luo Shuiyao, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of emotions.

Then, he lowered his eyes slightly to hide his inner loss.

After a while, Ye Yunzhou put away his chaotic emotions and regained his previous composure. "Please accept this bracelet. If you don't want it, just throw it away."

This time it was Luo Shuiyao's turn to laugh out loud. She stood up suddenly and looked at him coldly, "What? You want to morally blackmail me? This thing is yours. It's up to you who you want to give it to, and it's also your business if you want to throw it away. I have no right to interfere."

As she spoke, she took out three silver bills from her purse and slapped them in front of Ye Yunzhou.

"This is two hundred taels I borrowed from you, including interest, a total of three hundred taels. We are even now."

Then she spread out her hands and said, "Give me back the IOU."

Her actions startled Ye Yunzhou. He really didn't expect Luo Shuiyao to be so angry.

Looking at the slender jade hand stretched out before him, Ye Yunzhou felt an indescribable wave of mixed emotions. In all these years, besides his father, this was the first time anyone had dared to slam the table in front of him and even point at his nose and scold him.