Chapter 349: Chapter 349: 229: Perhaps... Youth is Over

Xu Qingyan looked up at the sky and guessed it was almost time for lunch. Not wanting to stand around chatting—though it wasn’t exactly awkward—he asked,

“Lunchtime’s coming, do you have plans?”

Her arms hanging loosely, she shook her head.

“No.”

“Let’s grab a meal together, and I’ll ask you some things.” Xu Qingyan never missed an opportunity and took this chance to pick up some local tips from Jiang Yunyao, especially since he wasn’t too familiar with the place.

In the restaurant’s private room,

sitting across a table, a soft light fell on both of them—one sat next to the table while the other lounged in a chair, with swirls of steam rising from the hot tea in between them.

“Which department are you in?” Jiang Yunyao asked.

“The technical team, the one led by Group Leader Lu,” he responded, not lifting his eyelids much, and then asked, “And you, which department are you in? Surely not the dance team, right? You were a songwriter, weren’t you?”

“Make-up team, I went to learn it after graduation.” Jiang Yunyao extended a finger toward herself and said, “I’m a make-up artist now, impressive, right?”

It was rare for university classmates to work in their field of study; most switched fields after graduation. They pursued civil service exams, post-graduate studies, or worked in sales, operations, HR.

Jiang Yunyao turning make-up from a hobby into a profession, and showing up at the Chang’an branch venue, was, in a sense, more than just impressive.

If she was in charge of the stars’ make-up, that would mean she was at the top of the industry.

But for the moment, she seemed not to be solely responsible for the stars’ make-up. More likely, she was part of a team involved in the Chang’an Spring Festival Gala branch venue project.

“That is quite impressive,” he nodded.

“How come you’re here—are you on loan or…” her question took him by surprise, “why the technical team? I would have expected the music and dance team, given your background as a lyricist and composer.”

“No, not really clear, I got in through an interview.”

“An interview?” She seemed puzzled. The Chang’an branch venue usually hired interns or volunteers, “Who interviewed you? Did you get in through a referral?”

“Hmm, the director interviewed me, the specifics—I’m not too clear on,” said Xu Qingyan vaguely, since some things weren’t easy to disclose, “Anyway, I got in rather confusedly.”

“Impressive, although I don’t really understand why you joined the technical team. But I’ve heard the director and the technical team’s boss are tight,” Jiang Yunyao revealed.

Upon hearing that, Xu Qingyan suddenly perked up.

“How so?”

“They seem to be university friends, both locals from Chang’an,” Jiang Yunyao mentioned offhandedly.

Just then, there was a knock at the door from the outside of the private room, as specialty dishes started arriving. There were three or four dishes including gourd chicken, more than enough to warrant packing up leftovers. With a “let’s eat first,” they moved into a phase of eating and chatting.

After all, they were university friends, and the familiarity remained, even if they hadn’t seen each other for a year or two.

As they chatted, he realized she still had the same disposition, and the feeling of their college days gradually returned. In all fairness, Jiang Yunyao was indeed one of his few friends from university.

“Did you know?” She began to open up as she spoke, complaining, “Some of the minor actors are unwilling to cooperate and insist on using their own everyday makeup.”

“Actually, they barely get filmed; if they’re not the main characters, it’s irrelevant. As long as the director doesn’t notice them, and we don’t get reprimanded, that’s fine.”

Xu Qingyan listened quietly, eating and listening at the same time. His responses were occasional, neither cold nor enthusiastic, as mild as he always was.

Jiang Yunyao glanced at him and then suddenly said.

“You’ve changed quite a bit.”

“Have I?” Xu Qingyan reached for the tea cup on the table, lazily took a sip, and half-jokingly said, “Maybe I’ve been forced to by life.”

“When you were on that dating show, I was really shocked. It was only because someone in the classmates’ group @mentioned me that I found out you had been cyber-bullied.”

“Your behavior back then was so different from before, I was taken aback. I always felt there was a reason for your change.” She continued, “Seeing you today, it seems like you haven’t changed, still the same old you. We’ve never really gotten any closer, have we, haha.”

In the end, they were always just friends.

Jiang Yunyao knew well that Xu Qingyan didn’t accept gifts because he didn’t want to be bothered with reciprocating, unless he needed her help, only then would he buy a favor gift for her.

Although it had been a long time and she had long moved on, seeing him again, she couldn’t help but bring up the topic, with a sense of unwillingness or some other emotion.

She stared into Xu Qingyan’s eyes, seeking an answer.@@novelbin@@

“You know, I’ve always been short on money,” Xu Qingyan didn’t hide it, “I was really tight on cash back then, needed a big sum, and the dating show gave me a lift.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yunyao couldn’t help but ask.

“Now…”

“It’s solved.”

“Well, that’s good. No wonder you dared say anything back then. To someone who didn’t know you, it was actually quite entertaining to watch,” Jiang Yunyao joked.

“Let’s not dwell on the past, and thanks for speaking up for me back then,” Xu Qingyan said candidly, “I was in a really tough spot at the time and didn’t want you involved, so I gave you the cold shoulder.”

“I’m lucky to have you as a friend. I should’ve contacted you afterward; that was wrong of me. You know, sometimes I can be quite clueless.”

“To be honest, I feel somewhat indebted to you.”

“I know, and I can understand,” Jiang Yunyao nodded, though inwardly she thought otherwise.

This man had a nasty character, which she had long realized. Talking about being clueless—purely malicious. He deliberately avoided replying to her, just so she’d hold a grudge against him.

A complete jerk, and yet as a friend, he was pretty good. But if there was even a hint of romantic interest, he’d immediately drench you with his cold indifference—truly a nemesis.

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