âYoung Master, the Michelin chef has been kneeling with the dish for a long time, waiting for you to dine.â
Yet, he looked at the pouring rain and then turned to stare at the eighteen-year-old young model, starting to regret why he didnât find a hundred young models to hold umbrellas for him.
The navigation route was shortening, and Lin Wanzhouâs mouth slowly turned down.
âAfter all this talk, youâre still brushing me off.â
âMy conscience is clear, no,â Xu Qingyan said earnestly as he drove, âThat said, although we canât date right now, we could simulate it.â
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanzhou turned her head to look at him a few times.
âHow do we simulate?â
âCough cough, Iâll talk to you in the tone of a boyfriend,â Xu Qingyan, bored from driving, began to lighten the mood, âHow about that?â
âOkay,â the young girl nodded, her face full of anticipation.
Xu Qingyan said, âI donât have much to do with her, weâre just ordinary friends.â
Lin Wanzhou: â???â
âWhat?â she looked confused.
âYouâll get upset if I say it, but weâre just friends. We would be together by now if we were going to be, you know it. Iâm not very good at explaining things with words.â
â???â
âIf thatâs what you think, thereâs nothing I can do. Sigh.â Xu Qingyan sighed, then continued speaking to himself, âAlright, alright, my bad, letâs leave it at that.â
âThen tell me, what should I do?â
âLetâs take a break for a while, give each other some time. I still love you, baby; itâs just that I have an important job right now, and the pressure is a bit much.â
Lin Wanzhou was silent for quite a while, substituting that âherâ for Pei Muchan, then she unexpectantly started to cry.
Upon hearing the crying, Xu Qingyan panicked.
âHey, hey, hey, I was just joking with you, donât cry, my girl. Didnât I say we were just simulating, just kidding around?â
He found a quiet road, pulled over to the side, and turned on the hazard lights.
Xu Qingyan turned his head, reached out to wipe the tears from her face, his gaze suddenly complex, at a loss for words. He really shot himself in the foot, a pure self-sabotage.
âDonât cry, it was just a joke.â
Lin Wanzhou pursed her lips, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.
âSo you and herâ¦â
âJust friends.â
Lin Wanzhou: ââ¦â
âSee, I told you, Iâm not ready to date right now,â Xu Qingyan took a roundabout way to steer the conversation back, and even Iron Crutch Li would have to give him a thumbs up.
Lin Wanzhou wiped her tears, suddenly realizing that the man she liked was a jerk. But upon second thought, if she couldnât have him, neither could Pei Muchan.
There was still plenty of time, and she wouldnât change her mind once she was set on something.
In the moment when her eyes were downcast, Lin Wanzhou suddenly had a thought. Triumphant on the battlefield but unsuccessful in love, she had defeated Pei Muchan one year ago.
How fortunes turn, indeed itâs a small world for enemies.
Seeing that her emotions had stabilized, Xu Qingyan resumed driving. He thought to himself that given her emotional ups and downs today, it was best not to stir the pot with idle chatter.
Lin Wanzhou probably had work tomorrow, delaying her rest wouldnât be too kind.
As for dating, he did want to pursue it. But now was not the time, he wasnât in a sci-fi movie where the hero dates while saving the world.
He was at a critical phase in his career push, and getting entangled in complex relations wasnât ideal. It could affect his work, and he couldnât afford to let either go.
The best choice was to take it slow and keep moving forward.
The world is brilliant and grand, and the future is bright and fervent. One doesnât have to be confined to a corner and just date. What set Xu Qingyan apart was that he truly dared to gamble.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a call came through, the caller ID showing Gan Wenchang.
At his cue, the call was answered on speakerphone.
âHey loser, spread your bedroll, youâre really lucky, dang. Youâre gonna be the death of me! What kind of fortune did you run into? An elder of mine put in a word for you.â
âSo it was your connection that helped? How should I thank the leader then?â
âNo need, man. Just sending your regards to me is enough.â Gan Wenchang couldnât help but curse a few more times, âI really envy you, I took a scolding for no reason at all.â
âAnd you, my boy, got special attention for no good reason.â
âHa-ha, Iâll take you out to dinner when I get back.â Xu Qingyan felt a bit relieved; he had indeed been very lucky this past half month, receiving favor along the way.
First, it was He Guojin, and now an elder from Gan Wenchangâs side.
But, as the saying goes, overly courting favor is forbidden, still, he needed to express his gratitude when itâs due. Would think another day on how to show his appreciation.
âSure, but really itâs nothing major,â Gan Wenchang said nonchalantly, âWith a song as strong as yours, you wouldnât have issues even without someone speaking up for you.â
âDirector Ji isnât one to muddy the waters, he wonât kick you off the creative team over a bit of public opinion.â
âYeah, I understand. Letâs talk more when Iâm back tomorrow,â Xu Qingyan said.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Wanzhou bowed her head to recalibrate the navigation. Then, she turned to study Xu Qingyanâs profile for quite a while, belatedly recalling the âBlue and White Porcelain.â
âWhat is it?â Xu Qingyan, noticing her gaze from the corner of his eye, asked.@@novelbin@@
âNothing much, I just overheard your conversation⦠Is that not an issue?â Lin Wanzhou blinked, âI can keep a secret.â
âWhy keep secrets from you; itâs no big deal.â Xu Qingyan looked ahead into the night, driving steadily along the road, âDonât worry, I wonât be leaving suddenly.â
âSome things are hard to express, you think too much in your heart. Worrying less makes life easier, so youâre not down all the time.
Anyway⦠rest assured.â
The car was quiet, Lin Wanzhou looked out at the night, listening to his words. Gradually, a faint, clear sense of anticipation formed in her heart, and she understood what he meant by being reassured.
After a moment, she hummed in response.
An hour later, Xu Qingyan dropped Lin Wanzhou off at her residence. He called Qi Ting down to meet her, and after giving a few instructions, he drove home.
By then, it was one in the morning.
As he drove back, he gradually let out a sigh of relief.
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