Shen Jin looked bleary-eyed, dressed just as casually for a day at home, in a sweatshirt that completely covered her denim shorts.
Because of what had happened the night before, she hadn't slept well at all. Her mind had been full of what she should do if Yun Xiaoran confessed his feelings to her.
"I need to go out in a bit. I won't be back until this afternoon. I've already messaged Sister Hua on WeChat, and she'll come look after you at noon," Yun Xiaoran briefly told Shen Jin as she took small bites of her breakfast.
"All right..." The moment Shen Jin heard that Yun Xiaoran was going out, she felt thoroughly annoyed. He should just stay home and cook for her. After hearing that, even the fried dough stick in her mouth no longer tasted good.
"All right..." Yun Xiaoran fell silent, utterly puzzled. Logically, his going out should have suited her better. Why did she seem even more impatient with him than before?
"Jin'er, I'm here to look after you! Did you miss me?"
After opening the door, Sister Hua immediately caught sight of Yun Xiaoran's profile. Since he'd started working out, he really did look fresher and more handsome than before.
"All right, I'll head out, then."
Seeing that Sister Hua had arrived, Yun Xiaoran said to the two of them, "What would you like to eat? I can bring you something from the night market when I come back this afternoon."
"I want griddle-fried squid," Sister Hua immediately said, having just started fussing over Shen Jin. She grinned and pulled a face at Yun Xiaoran, not forgetting to tease her. "Jin'er, let me borrow your husband for a bit. I'm going to enjoy that squid!"
"I... want a whole fried chicken leg." Shen Jin hadn't wanted anything at first, but hearing Sister Hua say that stirred her appetite.
"Sure, griddle-fried squid and a whole fried chicken leg. I'll remember. I'll buy them when I come back this afternoon. Just relax at home." Yun Xiaoran waved and left the residential complex.
As soon as Yun Xiaoran left, Sister Hua's appetite for gossip surged. "Come on, tell me how you and Yun Xiaoran have been getting along these past two days!"
Shen Jin had wanted to avoid the subject, but remembering that Sister Hua was her closest friend, she poured out everything on her mind:
A white Toyota Alphard sat quietly near the busy road and the moat.
The nearby café had been booked out. A briskly dressed woman in jeans and a black top sat inside, waiting anxiously. Beside her was a woman wearing a baseball cap, black sunglasses, and a black face mask.
"Qingxi, do you think he might not come?" Liu Yi waited anxiously, rhythmically tapping her index finger against the round wooden table, her presence imposing.
"No. Yun Xiaoran has never been late to meet me." A steaming cup of coffee sat in front of Li Qingxi, whose brows were tightly knitted.
Before long, a man in neat, casual clothes walked into the café. Yun Xiaoran looked around the empty shop, then turned his attention to the only two women inside.
Yun Xiaoran slowly furrowed his brows as he studied the beautiful woman's profile.
The past had faded like smoke, leaving only a mess behind. There was nothing worth reminiscing about.
Yun Xiaoran slowly walked over. Li Qingxi raised her head and looked at him, her expression devoid of lingering attachment or affection. "Yun Xiaoran, stop pestering me. We're over."
"We both know that already, don't we?" Yun Xiaoran remained perfectly calm, his eyes on Li Qingxi as he continued, "We've gone our separate ways. Since leaving you, I've found my own interests and a wife who loves me."
Li Qingxi had never doubted a single word Yun Xiaoran said. She had originally wanted to ask about what had happened at the hospital that day, but since he had already made his position so clear,
pressing him further would amount to interfering in his private life.
With that, however, the two of them seemed to have nothing left to discuss. Since Yun Xiaoran had already signed the confidentiality agreement, there seemed to be nothing for him to do here.
Li Qingxi also had singing practice that afternoon and didn't want to spend ages entangled with Yun Xiaoran over their past or present feelings, so she simply nodded.
"Let's never meet again."
Li Qingxi didn't want to drag things out with Yun Xiaoran because he no longer had any value she could exploit.
Holding her parasol, Li Qingxi slowly walked over to the white Toyota Alphard, yet lingered without getting in.
"Yun Xiaoran is hiding something from me." Li Qingxi suddenly raised her head, her gaze resolute.
"Impossible. Think about his family and that wooden look of his. What could he possibly hide from you? He was even willing to tell you he was at the hospital with his girlfriend. What else could he be hiding?"
Liu Yi started the car.
"You still have singing practice this afternoon. Stop hanging around here. Do you want to win the grand championship on I Am a Singer or not?"
"Oh, all right..."
Yun Xiaoran watched Li Qingxi and Liu Yi drive straight off, then let out a breath and took a sip of coffee. Without love weighing him down, he really did feel free now.
"Xiaoran, fancy meeting you here!" Zhou Yanqi had arranged to meet Yun Xiaoran at four that afternoon, but she had been too impatient to wait and had arrived early.
"Why are you here so soon?" Zhou Yanqi's arrival nearly made Yun Xiaoran spit out the coffee he'd just swallowed. "What are you doing here?"
"Am I not allowed to come, Xiaoran? Didn't we agree to sing this afternoon?"
Zhou Yanqi had finally managed to meet Yun Xiaoran. How could she let him slip away so easily?
"You're here at last. Let's go sing first." Seeing how early Zhou Yanqi had arrived, Yun Xiaoran couldn't very well say anything else.
"All right..." Zhou Yanqi nodded with a barely perceptible smile. The more impatient he was, the more composed she became.
"Xiaoran, you've already finished the lyrics and melody? That's just like you!" Zhou Zeyu looked at the finished score and lyrics for "Gentleman" in front of him, then turned excitedly to Yun Xiaoran. "Tell me what you want as payment, Xiaoran. I'll give you anything."
Sitting across from Zhou Zeyu, Yun Xiaoran smiled at him and Zhou Yanqi. Zhou Yanqi, meanwhile, was practically going mad after arriving. This was nothing like the place she'd imagined they would go to sing.
"Is this what you meant by asking me to come sing?" After Yun Xiaoran and the others brought her to the room in Zhou Zeyu's home set aside for recording songs, which was crammed with all kinds of equipment, Zhou Yanqi angrily demanded an explanation from Yun Xiaoran.
"Yes, this is a place for singing. What's wrong? Isn't it?"
Yun Xiaoran gave an awkward smile. Perhaps he hadn't explained clearly during their WeChat call, but if he had, she might not have come.
You had to give something to get something. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Zhou Yanqi knew that if she spoiled Yun Xiaoran's mood now, her plans for that evening would fall through.
She still wanted to goad Yun Xiaoran into footing an expensive bill and watch him squirm.
"Fine, I'll agree to record this song for you, but afterward, we have to go stroll around the night market. Is that okay?"
Zhou Yanqi drew a deep breath, glaring at Yun Xiaoran with her beautiful eyes as though expressing her anger.
"Okay... Xiaoran, can't we go look around the night market after we finish practicing?"
"All right. I need to go there anyway." Yun Xiaoran hadn't forgotten that he needed to buy griddle-fried squid and a whole fried chicken leg for Sister Hua and Shen Jin.
"You can ride in my car. I'll drop you off at home afterward." Zhou Yanqi waved the key to her SU7.
This move is brilliant. I'll find out both where Yun Xiaoran lives and what he likes to eat.
"Mm. Before that, I'll pick out a gold bangle for my wife." It was only when Zhou Xian had gone back last time that Yun Xiaoran had learned his wife had bought an expensive gold bangle.
After thinking it over, Yun Xiaoran had decided to buy a gold bangle of equal value to give her in return. He wasn't living off a woman, after all. Besides, he'd earned sixty or seventy thousand from writing novels and music.
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