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墨書 Inktalez
I have never doubted Lu Ming's efficiency, but I admire him for being able to achieve so much even after being stripped of his authority. However, at noon, Qin Yi came to find me in high spirits, thanking me for my help. She said that if it weren't for me, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
Smoothly?
"Did Lu Ming accept? Has he already met your father?"
A fleeting look of disappointment crossed Qin Yi's eyes before she quickly regained her composure. "Of course."
"That's good. Congratulations." I wasn't as happy as Qin Yi; it wasn't out of jealousy or anything else, but rather discomfort with her current attitude. Was she really as happy inside as she appeared?
Imagine someone who can't convince the man they admire and has to rely on another woman to do it, especially when that woman is less appealing than herself. Wouldn't that person's feelings be more complicated than simply feeling relieved?
I felt that Qin Yi's gratitude towards me was half genuine and half not, but at least I could breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I had repaid my debt to her. As long as she didn't ask me to do anything excessive again, I could consider myself free.
Qin Yi insisted on treating me to dinner that evening as a thank you. I repeatedly declined, saying it wasn't necessary, but she was adamant. Eventually, I had no choice but to agree and brought Gu Xiang along as a buffer, hoping it would ease any awkwardness.
As expected, Qin Yi invited Lu Ming that night. They sat across from me while Gu Xiang and I sat on one side. During dinner, Qin Yi kept joking around with Gu Xiang and me.
"Zhuang Jun, you're single now and still in your prime. Our handsome Gu Xiang is also a rare find among single men. I think you two have great personalities and would get along well together. If you could end up together, what a wonderful match that would be!"
Qin Yi sighed meaningfully, glancing between me and Gu Xiang, as if she had more to say but held back.
To be honest, the atmosphere was quite awkward. I wondered if Qin Yi noticed; at least for me, it was uncomfortable hearing her say these things. Gu Xiang and I were colleagues at work and friends at best; being the subject of such jokes would make future interactions awkward—didn't Qin Yi realize this?
Perhaps she genuinely thought Gu Xiang and I were a good match and wanted to encourage us to get together. However, after hearing enough of it, someone needed to interrupt her at the right moment; otherwise, the tension would only grow worse.
“Qin Yi, I think you may have misunderstood. I got divorced because I want to live my life without being bound by anyone. I’m not planning to accept any partner for now. Of course, Gu Xiang is a great candidate for marriage, but precisely because he is so good, he deserves someone even better, doesn’t he?”
“Nonsense! I think you’re great as you are. Don’t underestimate yourself. Gu Xiang is just an ordinary person. If you really have that intention, there’s no need to hide it or consider anything else. Do you think Gu Xiang cares about those external conditions?”
I lightly tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I don’t even have external conditions; do I still need to talk about internal ones? Then I’d have even less.”
“Ha! You still have honesty,” Gu Xiang suddenly laughed.
I shot him a glare. What time is it, and he’s still making fun of me? Gu Xiang pretended to be startled and put away his smile, but the amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. He was always like this—polite and refined in work discussions, but more humorous and approachable in private.
While we were chatting and laughing, Lu Ming had been mostly silent. It hadn’t felt like his presence put any pressure on me until Qin Yi started talking and placed her hand over Lu Ming’s hand resting on the table. She smiled slightly before speaking.
“Thank you so much, Zhuang Jun. If it weren’t for you, Lu Ming wouldn’t have been able to overcome his issues and would have lost many things that originally belonged to him. So this toast is from both Lu Ming and me to you.”
I felt awkward as Qin Yi raised her glass first. After a long moment, Lu Ming slowly lifted his glass too, clearly just going along with Qin Yi’s intentions. But Qin Yi seemed not to notice and happily clinked glasses with me.
“I don’t know what you think, Zhuang Jun, but I’ve always considered you a friend. I know Mu Miaomiao might be leaving soon with Wang Nan. If you find it inconvenient being alone or want to go shopping or chat, feel free to reach out to me. I just returned to the country not long ago and don’t have many acquaintances either, so I really hope to have a friend to talk and share with. That’s something I look forward to.”
Qin Yi looked at me expectantly, making it hard for me to refuse her invitation. Her mention of Miao Miao leaving made me feel quite sad too; after all, she was a friend who had always been there for me. I had neglected her due to family matters before, and now that I was alone again, she was about to leave. I really didn’t know if this counted as bad luck for me.
“Did I say something wrong? Mu Miaomiao will come back; don’t be too sad.”
“It’s fine; I understand her. After so many years of friendship with her, it’s impossible for us to just cut ties.”
“Yeah, I believe that too. Sometimes when I see you with Mu Miaomiao, I feel envious. I don’t know how to find such a good friend myself. I've been studying abroad all this time; most people around me are foreigners, and there are very few Chinese people who can relate.”
"It's okay, take your time, you'll find it." I casually avoided the topic and didn't have the courage to volunteer to be Qin Yi's friend, or perhaps it was just like when I first met her; I always felt she wasn't as simple as I imagined.
Halfway through the meal, a familiar figure suddenly barged in—Wang Yue. She didn't seem surprised to see us here, looking as if she had come straight for us, and eventually took a seat next to me and Qin Yi.
It seemed that in front of Qin Yi, Wang Yue had toned down her emotions regarding Lu Ming. She occasionally shared her recent progress with Qin Yi, wearing an expression like a child seeking praise after completing a task. Qin Yi provided timely encouragement, and as they chatted more, their conversation flowed easily.
"Oh dear, look at me! After chatting with my sister for so long, I can't keep up. Zhuang Jun, how are you eating? Do you need anything else? And Gu Xiang, you too! You should take good care of Zhuang Jun; don't just stand there like a wooden person. People might think you're a statue!"
After Qin Yi finished speaking, Wang Yue immediately chimed in: "How could Gu Xiang be a wooden person? He can definitely have his own thoughts. Qin Yi, don't overthink it. If Gu Xiang wants to do something, he will naturally do it."
In short, Gu Xiang just didn't want to pay attention to me.
"I'm not that polite with Zhuang Jun; she'll tell me what she needs. If I ask too much, it would feel distant." Gu Xiang smiled lightly, which seemed to deflate Wang Yue's enthusiasm.
She seemed surprised that Gu Xiang would speak up for me since, in her understanding, many people didn't like me.
I didn't continue Gu Xiang's line of thought; after all, if I did, I didn't know what kind of tricks Wang Yue might pull on me. My silence made Wang Yue quiet down significantly while she and Qin Yi continued discussing matters related to Qin Yi and Lu Ming.
I figured if Wang Yue was called over by Qin Yi, it would be just the right setup for matchmaking.
"I think good things are coming for Qin Yi and Lu Ming Brother soon. I don't know when would be the best time; I'll check when I get home. But I believe that as long as it's a good thing, any day will be a good day."
Qin Yi listened to Wang Yue's flattery with a smile but didn't respond or indicate whether she felt the same way. Gu Xiang and I exchanged glances but said nothing.
Naturally, Lu Ming wouldn't respond to such topics either. I had no idea how he felt now—whether he wanted to reconcile with Qin Yi or not—but from my guess, if Qin Yi had truly hurt him deeply before, he probably wouldn't want to reach out to her again after being treated in such a way that wounded his pride.
The meal was almost finished, and it was time to head home to wash up and sleep. However, Wang Yue suddenly suggested going out to have some fun. Since we were already out, it would be a shame not to gather together. Qin Yi seemed to agree with Wang Yue, and when Gu Xiang asked me, I shook my head, intending to decline. But Wang Yue immediately stopped me.
"Hey, Sister Zhuang, we haven't seen each other in so long, and you don't want to spend more time with me? Is it because of what happened last time? I did that for Lu Ming Brother's sake; I didn't mean it. As the older sister, can't you forgive me?"
This was completely off the mark; I felt a headache coming on. After all, I had never liked Wang Yue, and this wasn't a new development.
Since she put it that way, refusing her would seem a bit excessive on my part. I could only reluctantly agree to sit for a while before leaving, not wanting to make things too awkward. Once we arrived at the bar, it was bustling with noise. I had never really enjoyed such lively places, and forcing myself to be there made it hard to muster any energy.
We found a booth to sit down in, and the loud music blared in my ears. As I started feeling overwhelmed, I leaned closer to Gu Xiang.
It had been a while since I had been in such a place; I was almost unaccustomed to the noise. Gu Xiang patted my back and said it would be fine; we would leave after a while. I nodded in agreement. Every minute felt like an eternity as I anticipated leaving. During this time, Wang Yue and Qin Yi urged me to drink some alcohol, but I declined, citing that I wasn't feeling well.
They knew my reasons well enough; besides, Gu Xiang was right next to me, so how could they expect me to drink? They eventually gave up but seemed somewhat unsatisfied. I really wanted to tell them that having fun with me was unlikely.
Then suddenly someone approached Lu Ming and whispered something in his ear. After Lu Ming nodded, the person left. About ten minutes later, he returned with a woman following behind him. In the dim light, I could still make out her features.
It was Deng Xiaomei, someone I had seen not long ago. But why was she here?!
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