Samuel Clark held back her laughter and offered a few token words of comfort: “Don’t take it too seriously. Maybe it happens so often that Ryan Grant just assumes you’re here to see him.”

“Did you forget why we came here?”

“Huh?”

“Weren’t we here to ‘hook up’?” Evan Carter said. “‘See’ is hardly the right word for his behavior.”

“……”

Samuel Clark started laughing again.

Evan Carter laughed too. “Alright, take it easy. Wait till he leaves before you laugh—he’s still sitting over there.”

At this moment, all the barstools at the counter were occupied, and Ryan Grant had taken the seat at the very end. He picked up the clear glass on the table and took a slow sip of his drink, looking calm and at ease, like a carefree, rebellious young master.

Seeing this, Samuel Clark finally reined herself in.

Just then, the waiter who had spilled the drinks came over.

The waiter was a young guy, still with a bit of baby fat on his face. He carried a tray and carefully served the drinks. Then, he returned the money Evan Carter had just paid, tucking it under the clipboard with the receipt.

“Here’s your drink.”

Evan Carter looked at the money. “This is...”

Before she could finish, the waiter quickly explained, looking a bit uneasy, “Sorry, that was my mistake earlier. The boss has already instructed us—your table is on the house.”

Only then did Evan Carter remember what Ryan Grant had said.

She paused, and instinctively refused, “It’s fine, no need. Please take the money back.”

The waiter shook his head. “If you need anything else, just let me know anytime.”

He was very firm, so Evan Carter didn’t insist. She picked up the coat she’d set aside. “When I went to the restroom just now, I found this coat in the hallway. Maybe a customer left it behind by accident.”

The waiter quickly took it. “Alright, thank you.”

After he left, Samuel Clark winked at her. “What’s going on?”

Evan Carter gave a brief explanation.

Samuel Clark widened her eyes. “He said that and you still tried to pay?”

“It’s not easy running a business,” Evan Carter took a sip of her drink, “no need to take a few hundred yuan from him over something like this.”

“How are you still worried about a rich kid struggling to start a business? That young master’s been loaded for ages.” Samuel Clark said, “But, he really doesn’t remember you?”

Evan Carter reasoned, “He probably didn’t recognize me.”

“Didn’t recognize you?” Samuel Clark found it ridiculous and blurted out, “Wait, don’t you know what you look like? Just because there’s a ‘Fan’ in your name, do you really think you’re that ordinary?”

“……” Evan Carter almost choked, speechless but amused. “With that tone, I thought you were scolding me.”

No wonder Samuel Clark found her answer so unbelievable.

Because Evan Carter was truly beautiful.

Completely at odds with her gentle personality, her looks were strikingly seductive—so beautiful it was almost aggressive. Those fox-like eyes seemed to steal souls, the outer corners slightly upturned, every gesture full of allure.

Sitting in this dim bar, she seemed to shine with her own light.

Samuel Clark always thought she could get rich and famous just on her looks alone.

Who would have thought she’d end up as a struggling news reporter.

“And you don’t look much different from high school, just your hair’s a bit shorter—” Noticing some movement by Ryan Grant, Samuel Clark immediately changed her tune, “Okay, maybe it’s possible.”

“……”

“With his looks, he’s probably dated plenty of girls over the years—maybe a few with your type.”

Hearing this, Evan Carter propped her chin on her hand and looked in Ryan Grant’s direction.

This time, there was a woman beside him.

Apparently unafraid of the cold, the woman wore a tight short skirt, showing off two long, fair legs. She leaned against the bar, tilting her head as she toasted him, smiling charmingly, her curvy figure accentuated by her movements.

Ryan Grant looked up at her, a hint of a smile on his lips.

With the atmosphere, there was a definite flirtatious vibe.

The topic was short-lived, and soon Samuel Clark started talking about something else.

Drawn back by her voice, Evan Carter turned away and continued chatting with her.

After a while.

The female singer finished her last song. Noticing the time, Evan Carter asked, “It’s almost ten, should we go?”

Samuel Clark: “Yeah.”

The two of them got up and headed out.

Samuel Clark hooked her arm through Evan Carter’s, glancing at her phone as she said, “Brian Cooper just told me he’s coming back to China next month. Next time, let’s invite him along. Let’s go somewhere we can dance—this place is kind of boring.”

Evan Carter replied, “Sure.”

Before leaving, she glanced at the bar again.

Ryan Grant was still sitting in his original spot, and the woman beside him seemed to have changed again. His face was still expressionless, as if he didn’t care about anything.

Their unexpected reunion really did seem, just as he acted, like running into a total stranger.

Evan Carter was momentarily lost in thought.

For some reason, she remembered the last time they saw each other before losing contact.