WPG's Pleasant Get-Together!

'Xia Yuqing: Let's not talk about these unhappy things!'

'Xia Yuqing: We'll meet at Starlight Plaza at six in the afternoon.'

'Xia Yuqing: I'm heading off now, gotta catch my flight.'

'An Wuyang: Okay.'

After replying, An Wuyang sat silently in the waiting hall of the Vehicle Management Center. He didn't scroll through short videos or play on his phone—just stared blankly into space.

So, is she pitying me? An Wuyang thought about the messages Xia Yuqing had sent him.

Xia Yuqing clearly knew about the Wugengtian Pharmaceutical Group's troubles, and she also understood what kind of person Su Yueling was. Was that why she sympathized with him?

For An Wuyang, being pitied was a strange thing.

He'd been the object of envy his whole life. When had he ever become someone to be pitied?

Maybe it's because she's kind? An Wuyang recalled what he knew about Xia Yuqing.

Truth be told, he hadn't interacted much with her. After he'd helped her out of a jam back then, they'd added each other on WeChat, but it never went beyond liking each other's Moments and a few casual comments.

As for private chats, they were few and far between.

Especially after the College Entrance Examination, when An Wuyang and Su Yueling went public on Moments—Xia Yuqing hadn't even liked the post, nor had she contacted An Wuyang since.

Today was the first time Xia Yuqing had reached out to him after that announcement.

But from what she'd revealed, An Wuyang realized she'd been keeping tabs on him.

Otherwise, how would she know about the Wugengtian Pharmaceutical Group gossip?

And there was no way she'd have looked into Su Yueling's character.

So, was it that time I played the hero and saved her, making her develop feelings for me? An Wuyang arrived at the only conclusion.

If not, why would Xia Yuqing care about him?

Just before 4:30 in the afternoon.

An Wuyang successfully obtained his C2 Driver's License. From now on, he could finally drive legally.

On his way home, he texted his parents again to ask if they'd be home for dinner. Their replies were the same as yesterday—both said they were busy.

'An Wuyang: Is the group's situation that troublesome?'

He sent another message to his father.

'An Huchun: Yeah, things are getting complicated. I'll talk about it tonight. I don't have time right now.'

'An Wuyang: Okay.'

An Wuyang didn't dwell on the Wugengtian Pharmaceutical Group's issues. He'd never been involved in the group's affairs before, and he didn't understand the situation.

About half an hour later, An Wuyang got home. He checked the time—it was already past five. By rights, Xia Yuqing should be home by now, right?

So he took the initiative to message her.

'An Wuyang: Did you make it home?'

Even though he'd already figured out that Xia Yuqing might like him, he wasn't the type to try and play games with her because of it.

There were always those who thought that sending the first message meant lowering yourself. An Wuyang could only say that people like that didn't deserve to be loved.

'Xia Yuqing: Got here ages ago!'

'Xia Yuqing: Hang on, I'm still getting ready.'

'An Wuyang: It's not time yet. I just messaged you early to check in.'

'Xia Yuqing: Got it! I'll finish up and see you soon.'

'An Wuyang: See you soon.'

A smile on his face, An Wuyang put down his phone. He suddenly found himself enjoying chatting with Xia Yuqing—the way she responded gave him a wonderful feeling, like a reassuring sense that everything would be answered.

In conversations, having every message replied to should be the most normal thing. But times were tough, weren't they?

At 5:55 in the evening, Starlight Plaza.

An Wuyang arrived early. But barely two minutes after he got there, Xia Yuqing showed up ahead of time too. They exchanged a smile, both clearly understanding what the other meant.

"You look beautiful today!" An Wuyang complimented her first.

Today, Xia Yuqing wore a suspender skirt, her long hair in twin braids draped in front, white sneakers on her feet, and light, delicate makeup. Her full lower eyelids made her bright eyes stand out, and when she looked at An Wuyang, her gaze was filled with joy.

"Because I was meeting you today, I dressed up specially!" Xia Yuqing's straight shot left An Wuyang stunned.

Her answer was way too blunt!

Actually, after complimenting her, An Wuyang had felt a twinge of regret—his words were a bit off.

What did "beautiful today" mean?

What if Xia Yuqing shot back, "Wasn't I beautiful before?" How would he answer that?

But Xia Yuqing's direct reply, as An Wuyang stood there stunned, made another thought cross his mind: Someone who truly likes you would never make things awkward in a conversation.

Xia Yuqing smiled at the dazed An Wuyang, didn't linger on the topic, and smoothly changed the subject. "Let's head to Xiao Fang Fresh Meat Barbecue first. That place is way too popular—I'm afraid we won't get a seat if we wait."

"Good." An Wuyang snapped back to reality, his impression of Xia Yuqing improving further.

A girl this considerate—who could dislike her?

At least An Wuyang couldn't bring himself to.

The two walked side by side toward Xiao Fang Fresh Meat Barbecue, maintaining an ambiguous distance neither too close nor too far.

"Where are you planning to go for college?" Xia Yuqing asked, feigning casualness.

An Wuyang countered, "You're heading to Magic City Academy of Drama, right?"

"Mm!" Xia Yuqing confirmed. "Magic City Academy of Drama is my best choice, and my mom wants me to go there too."

An Wuyang answered honestly, "My total College Entrance Examination score is only 437. I'm planning to pick Marketing Major. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll choose a college in Tianfu."

"Tianfu's great too—it's close to Shengqing, the dialects are similar, and the eating habits are almost the same. You'll be happy there!" Xia Yuqing said, pretending to be envious.

"I'm the unlucky one!" Xia Yuqing added, putting on a troubled face.

"When I went to Magic City Academy of Drama for my art exam, I tried the food there. It's not spicy and numbing like here—I didn't really like it," she elaborated.

Chatting as they walked, they arrived at Xiao Fang Fresh Meat Barbecue. Since Shengqing's late-June temperatures had already topped thirty degrees Celsius, they naturally chose indoor seating.

"Take a look and see what you want to eat." Xia Yuqing slid the menu over to An Wuyang.

An Wuyang didn't refuse her kindness and casually marked items. "A skewer of tenderloin, a skewer of pork belly, a skewer of cartilage."

He picked his favorites first, then handed the menu back to Xia Yuqing. "See what you like."

Xia Yuqing didn't put on airs; she took the menu and browsed, marking as she went.

An Wuyang watched her with a smile, appreciating her lack of pretense. If it had been Su Yueling, she'd just say she'd eat whatever he ordered.

Honestly, that kind of "I'll follow your lead" from Su Yueling only made things uncomfortable, didn't it?