PDGUT - 30

Yu Tian realized Yan Ming was teasing her, which made her so annoyed that she didn’t even want to look at him.

However, the ophthalmology educational content still needed to proceed. She glared at Yan Ming twice in frustration, then refocused on finalizing the details of the video production.

Soon, after confirming the next episode’s content about the risks of blindness caused by unregulated hyaluronic acid injections, Yu Tian reported her “success” in pairing Jiang Yuming with Ren Yali: “Dr. Jiang and Ren Yali have already met. Ren Yali has a very good impression of Dr. Jiang and really likes him. As long as Dr. Jiang feels the same way and pursues her sincerely, I think they have a chance! Dr. Jiang promised to do five episodes with me, and over the course of those five episodes working with Ren Yali, who knows—it might just work out!”

“Five episodes will be enough?”

Yu Tian looked at Yan Ming in confusion.

Yan Ming’s expression remained serious as he calmly replied: “I’m just concerned for my friend. After all, Yuming is rather awkward and passive—he doesn’t know how to pursue women. Five episodes might not be enough.”

So that’s what he meant!

Yu Tian explained earnestly: “If it doesn’t work out in five episodes, then it’s not meant to be, and there’s no regret. If both parties meet this many times and collaborate on so much work without any spark or further development, it means at least one side isn’t interested. In that case, there’s no point in forcing it—they can remain friends.”

“Besides, over the course of five video collaborations, there will naturally be opportunities for other social interactions—like watching movies together, trying out new restaurants, or shopping. Five videos won’t be completed in just five meetings. With constant interaction, isn’t it natural for sparks to fly?”

At this, Yan Ming raised an eyebrow, his voice calm: “Hmm, what you’re saying does make sense.”

He took a sip of tea, lowered his head to scroll through his phone, as if he had something to say. But after glancing at Yu Tian for a few seconds, he pressed his lips together tightly.

This made Yu Tian feel a bit nervous. Did Yan Ming have something to say?

Had he agreed to appear in the five episodes but now realized the workload was too heavy and wanted to back out?

Being considerate and not putting others in difficult situations were among the most precious qualities of modern humans. High emotional intelligence was all about making things easier for others.

Yu Tian decided not to make things awkward for Yan Ming. Proactively, she reassured him: “I know you’re very busy. Unless necessary, I won’t ask to meet in person. Anything that can be handled via WeChat or email, we’ll handle online. Although we’re collaborating on five episodes, we won’t need to meet as frequently as Dr. Jiang and Ren Yali. You can rest assured.”

However, despite offering such assurances, Yan Ming didn’t seem particularly happy. His expression turned somewhat strange.

Perhaps Yu Tian had hit the nail on the head, and he felt embarrassed about wanting to back out after agreeing to five episodes. His demeanor became awkward as he glanced at Yu Tian before averting his gaze to the night view outside the window.

“I’m not that busy,” he murmured, raising his eyelids slightly. His long lashes cast a fan-shaped shadow on his pale face, while his slender fingers absentmindedly traced the surface of his teacup. “I don’t have a girlfriend, and after finishing work, I don’t have much else to do. Recently, the hospital hasn’t been particularly hectic either.”

Yu Tian paused, suddenly struck by an idea: “Do you also hope I’ll introduce you to a girlfriend?”

She thought her guess was perfectly reasonable, but Yan Ming quickly retorted, almost indignantly: “That’s not the case at all.”

He shot her a glare: “Are you obsessed with matchmaking? Why does everything you think of revolve around romance?”

Yu Tian wanted to protest her innocence, but knowing she still needed Yan Ming’s cooperation for the educational videos, she swallowed her frustration and silently retaliated by glaring at him when he wasn’t looking.

She thought her actions were flawless, impossible for Yan Ming to notice. However, almost simultaneously, his icy voice rang out—

“Why are you glaring at me? Are you dissatisfied with me?”

“…” Yu Tian was momentarily speechless. “You didn’t even look up. How did you know I was glaring at you?”

Yan Ming’s expression remained impassive as he pointed to the marble tabletop: “Need a refresher on light reflection?”

“…” Naturally, Yu Tian refused to admit it. She tried to justify herself: “I wasn’t glaring! My eyes were just a little itchy, so I blinked a few times. I definitely wasn’t glaring at you…”

Unfortunately, Yan Ming wasn’t buying it. A sly smile played on his lips as he teased: “What a coincidence. No need for an appointment today—I’ll take a look at your itchy eyes. It could very well be conjunctivitis.”

Yu Tian knew Yan Ming was probably just joking, but for some reason, she couldn’t help but provoke him: “Then go ahead and take a look.”

As she spoke, she leaned her face closer to Yan Ming, practically daring him: “Take a good look.”

The small café where they had arranged to meet had compact seating, and their tiny round table for two was barely large enough for their drinks. When Yu Tian leaned forward, her entire face came within inches of Yan Ming’s.

She hadn’t thought much of it while moving, but once she got close, she realized how ambiguous the gesture was.

She was shorter than Yan Ming, so even leaning forward, she still had to tilt her head slightly upward to meet his eyes. The movement was intimate, almost like she was asking for a kiss.

But she wasn’t willing to retreat just yet.

It would feel like backing down out of fear or guilt.

For some inexplicable reason, being this close to Yan Ming always made Yu Tian’s heart race with a mix of unease and trepidation. Yet, the more flustered she felt, the more unwilling she was to give in.

Why should she?

She absolutely couldn’t lose in terms of confidence.

Animal Planet had taught her that when facing a stronger opponent, using eye contact and presence could intimidate them into submission without a fight.

Yu Tian expected Yan Ming to tactfully shift his gaze and lean back, creating distance between them.

But Yan Ming didn’t play by the rules.

Not only did he not pull away, but he leaned in even closer, his mischievousness evident.

Before Yu Tian could react, Yan Ming gently cupped her chin, tilting her face upward slightly.

The moment Yu Tian met Yan Ming’s teasing gaze, she understood.

Yan Ming knew everything. Her little schemes had been seen through, and he was deliberately making things difficult for her just to oppose her.

His fingers were slightly cool, barely touching her face without any ulterior motive. Yet, Yu Tian felt the spot of contact begin to burn, and she suspected that patch of skin on her face had turned an incriminating shade of red due to the sudden rise in temperature.

How could Yan Ming be so malicious!

And here she had once revered him like a pristine idol!

This man was nothing but trouble!

Sure enough, the corner of Yan Ming’s lips twitched with a fleeting smirk as he calmly waited for Yu Tian to retreat first. But Yu Tian refused to back down.

She glared at him fiercely.

Let’s see how Yan Ming planned to resolve this situation. Was he really going to keep holding her face like this indefinitely?

Yu Tian didn’t believe it. If he didn’t let go soon, wouldn’t this gesture appear flirtatious?

But just as Yu Tian mentally prepared herself to wait for Yan Ming to cave, he casually pulled a small flashlight from his shirt pocket. To her astonishment, he turned it on and brought it close to her eyes.

In an instant, a beam of light hit her eyes, and she instinctively tried to close them. However, Yan Ming’s hand steadying her chin left her no room to escape. He gently patted her cheek with two fingers, calming her: “Relax. I’m just taking a quick look to see if there’s anything wrong with your eyes.”

Yu Tian had expected Yan Ming to be at a loss, but instead, he effortlessly produced a flashlight and genuinely examined her eyes.

After a brief inspection, he put the flashlight away and smiled faintly: “Nothing seems wrong. Your eyes are fine—just stop glaring at people.”

Whether it was nerves or something else entirely, Yu Tian’s heart was racing wildly. Still, she couldn’t resist muttering defiantly: “Why can’t I glare? Will glaring somehow harm my eyes?”

“It won’t harm your eyes.”

Yu Tian began to feel triumphant, but then Yan Ming calmly continued—

“But it will harm your beauty.”

He smiled politely, revealing his white teeth, but Yu Tian found his words utterly infuriating.

He glanced at her: “So you’d better not glare at me anymore.”

Yu Tian wanted to retort, instinctively considering glaring at him again as a form of defiance. In the end, however, she retracted her half-formed glare.

Though her heart resisted, she couldn’t help but be swayed by Yan Ming’s earlier words.

Glaring at others damages one’s beauty.

She decided not to glare at Yan Ming anymore.

Yan Ming didn’t dwell on the topic further. He glanced at his watch, cleared his throat, and spoke in a slightly unnatural tone: “Do you have plans after this?”

Pausing briefly, he regained his composure: “There’s a new disaster movie out recently. The nearby theaters happen to have showtimes around this time…”

At this point, how could Yu Tian not understand?

Fearing that Yan Ming might feel awkward, she decisively interrupted him.

“You don’t need to say more—I get it!”

Yan Ming looked genuinely surprised.

Yu Tian felt a bit smug. Being considerate meant knowing when to step back.

“I’ll leave now!”

Yan Ming’s expression froze. He repeated: “You’re leaving?”

“Mm!” Yu Tian nodded obediently. “I also need to meet up with Brother Dai Xin later to discuss some filming details, like camera angles. He’s introducing me to a production team too.”

“…”

Yan Ming stared at her blankly, enunciating each word carefully: “You’re planning to meet up with Dai Xin… right after I mentioned there’s a good movie showing?”

Yu Tian felt uneasy under his gaze but was confused: “Isn’t this what you wanted—to ask if I had plans so I’d make myself scarce and give you freedom to do what you want?”

She cautiously explained: “I understand these social niceties. For instance, when Qi Sihao asks if I’ve eaten lunch, he usually expects me to politely say I have, so he can ‘regretfully’ claim he can’t treat me since I’ve already eaten…”

Yan Ming glared at her, looking as though he might explode. But ultimately, he calmly offered her advice—

“Yu Tian, I suggest you find a different friend.”

Though his tone remained composed, Yu Tian couldn’t shake the feeling that he was on the verge of losing his temper.

Looking at Yan Ming’s pale, handsome face and fiery eyes, Yu Tian suddenly had a flash of insight—

“Ah, do you mean…” You want to watch the movie together?

But before she could finish voicing her guess, Yan Ming cut her off.

“No.” He averted his gaze, his tone firm and resolute. “I don’t have such intentions. You’re right—I am busy. I shouldn’t waste time going to the movies just because I’m bored. I should go home and sleep instead.”

With that, Yan Ming swiftly paid the bill and stormed off.