Just as she was about to leave work, her phone rang. She glanced at it and, sure enough, it was Xi Luoyu. She answered, and before she could even prepare herself, he spoke softly, "I think Miss Song must have misunderstood me. But has Miss Song forgotten that I made an appointment with you at Youxian Pavilion tonight? Has Miss Song forgotten?"
"What!" Song Jianan was very surprised. "No, there's a mistake, you dialed the wrong number, please check 114."
Xi Luoyu seemed surprised as well. After a brief silence, he said, "Since we've made an appointment, Miss Song, please do me the honor of having a meal with me. I'm downstairs at the newspaper office right now. You should be able to see me when you come out."
Song Jianan instinctively looked down from the lobby window. At the height of the forty-sixth floor, she couldn't see anything at all. She felt like she was a fool, being played by this world, so confused that she couldn't cope.
Perhaps it was just a joke from God. She smiled when she remembered Zeng Shuyi's old catchphrase, "Take it easy, baby." Yes, what was the big deal? She, Song Jianan, had survived the most difficult years of her life, so what was there to be afraid of?
Thinking of this, she walked down the steps one by one. Some acquaintances passing by looked at her in surprise, "Song Jianan, the elevator is here."
She waved her hand, her eyes crinkling with laughter, "Exercise, life lies in movement!"
Author's Note: This is a transitional chapter, so take it easy~~~
If I update more now, I really won't have time to write anymore soon.
Chapter 12
Of course, she couldn't walk down from the 46th floor. Song Jianan walked about 15 floors, and her legs trembled violently, like small leaves hanging on a tree in late autumn.
She had no choice but to take the elevator, then stand in the newspaper office lobby to ease her inner tension and trembling steps. She slowly walked to the parking lot, and sure enough, Xi Luoyu was standing next to a Buick, seemingly lost in thought. He tilted his head slightly, his hands casually in his pockets. A few rays of sunlight pierced through the dense shade of the trees and fell on his shoulders. His wire-rimmed glasses reflected the light, making him look very relaxed.
Putting aside any preconceived notions, he seemed like a fairly amiable person. But what stories lay hidden behind that amiable smile? Song Jianan wondered. After covering social news for more than half a year, she had become more discerning in her judgment of people.
She tiptoed over, and Xi Luoyu saw her too, giving her a gentlemanly smile, "Miss Song, hello."
Song Jianan was quite poised and generous. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Actually, I wanted to ask why you said you had made plans with me. Um, although we just met last night, isn't it a bit too fast to have a date today?"
Xi Luoyu laughed and casually opened the car door. "Let's go inside and talk about it. Anyway, we still have to eat this meal."
"So your dad and my dad are old friends, so they conspired to bring me here?" Song Jianan felt a sense of accomplishment after making her deduction. "I originally thought you came here for revenge. I thought you weren't that petty. As a legal professional, you're probably magnanimous."
"First, flatter him. Even if he's vindictive, he'll restrain himself," Song Jianan thought.
Xi Luoyu glanced at her, remained silent, but chuckled softly twice, then shook his head, "I didn't expect this, I didn't expect this."
Song Jianan felt strange but didn't say anything. She secretly glanced at Xi Luoyu, who had a faint smile on his lips and was staring straight ahead. Looking around his car, she saw no other decorations except for a small sunflower. Thinking it was fake, she reached out to touch it and tug at it, only to realize it was a living plant. Turning her head, she found Xi Luoyu staring at her. She hurriedly trembled and her hand slipped down, accidentally bumping into the car door. She gasped in pain, but Xi Luoyu laughed again. "Miss Song Jianan, I hope you don't mind if I say something a little impolite."
She hummed in agreement, and Xi Luoyu smiled and said, "I think your father still doesn't understand you very well."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
“Your uncle said you’re a quiet girl who doesn’t talk much, but I think it’s quite the opposite.” Xi Luoyu looked at her with a teasing expression. “Reporters who cover social news are never quiet; on the contrary, they should be quite assertive.”
Song Jianan blinked, as if talking to herself, "My dad actually said I'm quiet. How long has it been since he's seen me?"
The abalone and chicken pastry is crispy and golden on the outside, filled with steaming hot abalone, chicken, and other fillings, making it fresh and delicious. The honey-glazed char siu bun is plump and juicy, snow-white and tender, with a touch of dark red char siu filling in the center. The red bean cake is sweet and smooth, and is even shaped like a little rabbit. The shrimp dumplings and coral siu mai are also good, with beautiful presentation and an even more memorable taste.
While eating, Song Jianan kept praising, "What a great place! How come I didn't notice there was a Hong Kong-style teahouse here when I was shopping? It's so authentic!"
Xi Luoyu wasn't there to eat, but he found it amusing to see Song Jianan reluctant to eat the rabbit-shaped red bean cake, so he pushed his own portion to her, saying, "Keep one for looking and one for eating."
She asked casually, "You don't like sweets?"
"Yes, I don't really like sweet things. I have a mild palate, but I do like sweet and sour flavors."
Song Jianan accepted it without hesitation. "That's a pity. Sweet things can make people feel good, like mango pudding and red bean cake." She took a bite of the red bean cake and found it delicious. Her smile deepened. "You like sweet and sour flavors. Next time, I'll treat you to tomato hot pot. The rich tomato sauce will definitely meet your requirements."
Xi Luoyu immediately became interested, "What is tomato hot pot?"
"The hot pot is made with tomatoes as the base, and it's simmered until very thick, with a sour and fragrant flavor. Before the meal, there's a complimentary glass of mung bean soup, which is sweet and sticky; after the meal, there's a refreshing milk pudding." Song Jianan squinted her eyes and looked on with longing. "Just thinking about it makes me want to eat it."
Xi Luoyu wanted to laugh, but she held it in. "You seem to really like it!"
"It's because of my job. I work myself to the bone every day just to make a living. If I don't eat well, wouldn't I be letting myself down?" she answered confidently. "I can find almost every good place to eat in this city. I have all kinds of discount cards. I used to do radio shows and have food and guests to accompany my programs. Those were such happy days. A couple of us would drive around the city, trying out restaurants. We all gained a lot of weight."
"If you're doing so well at the radio station, why go to the newspaper?"
She hesitated for a moment, "Pursuit, pursuit of different things. Perhaps I am someone who likes constant change. If I reach a peak in a job, I will want to try different jobs."
"For example, going from a radio station to a newspaper, and then jumping from a social news reporter to an entertainment reporter?"
"You seem to know quite a bit about this, even that I'm about to be featured in the entertainment section." Song Jianan looked at him suspiciously. "This is pretty much my career path. I don't know what I'll do next, but I really enjoy being a reporter."
Xi Luoyu adjusted his glasses, put his hands in his pockets, and asked with interest, "I do have a question. Why did you study in the south for your undergraduate degree, but insisted on coming back for your postgraduate studies?"
Song Jianan thought for a moment, "I was young and impetuous back then, and I regret it deeply. So I begged to retire and return to my hometown!"
Xi Luoyu took her home. Perhaps because she was full, Song Jianan felt a little sleepy. She looked out the window listlessly. The city was brightly lit and bustling with people. She looked at the city, which she could navigate with her eyes closed, and smiled softly.
She was young and impetuous back then, and she thought that leaving her hometown was just giving her another better chance in life. But when she actually ran away, she found that everything around her was so unfamiliar. When that person told her, "I will still go back in the future," she made up her mind to return to the hometown where they had lived together for twenty years no matter what.
But by a twist of fate, she returned, having deliberately forgotten him, and when she tried to find him, there was no trace of him left.
Looking back, all she could remember were faded old photos, reminding her of how deeply she had once loved someone like that.
The Buick came to a steady stop downstairs. Song Jianan opened the car door and was about to get out when she cried out, "Ouch!" Her legs went weak and she almost fell over. A pair of hands steadily supported her arms from behind, preventing her from falling.
She steadied herself and smiled sheepishly, "Thank you. I ate too much just now, and I felt a little lightheaded."
Xi Luoyu laughed, but Song Jianan felt that his laughter was subtly different from before, and felt very genuine. He said, "Actually, I felt something was wrong with you when you came down from the newspaper office. You were trembling, like you had Parkinson's."
As expected of a lawyer, she was excellent at reading people. Not to be outdone, she continued joking, "Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I do feel like it's a sign. No wonder I tremble every time I eat. I should see a doctor."
"Oh, I do know quite a few doctors at the People's Hospital. I'll take you to get checked out another day."
Song Jianan replied casually, "No need. People's Hospital definitely won't welcome me. Last time, around August, the medical reports in major newspapers thoroughly damaged the relationship between reporters and the hospital."
"Wasn't it in August about the report that a doctor used unapproved, privately distributed drugs, leading to the death of a child with aplastic anemia, which caused a huge uproar?"
Song Jianan glanced at him. "You're not a corporate lawyer, yet you seem to know quite a lot?"
“I’m a loyal reader of the City Evening News.” Xi Luoyu squinted. “I’ve always had a deep impression of that news and the follow-up reports. The language was sharp, the words were incisive, and sometimes quite sarcastic.”
Song Jianan thought to herself, "So you're indirectly picking a fight to make me look mean. I thought you didn't care about yesterday's incident. And I don't believe you didn't know I wrote that report. I bet you've investigated my entire family history." Just as she was about to speak, Xi Luoyu gently called her name, a clear and bright smile seeping from his dark eyes. He said slowly and leisurely, "Keep it up, Ms. Song Jianan. I look forward to more of your excellent articles being published."
It was very sincere, without a trace of pretense. Song Jianan thought to herself that she had been petty; Xi Luoyu was actually a very good person.
The next day, she went to work, but her legs were so sore she couldn't move. She slumped in her chair and read the news. She hadn't officially accepted the interview assignment for the entertainment section yet, but her supervisor, seeing her leisurely and despicable appearance, forced her to take on an assignment: to interview the curator of the provincial museum about the follow-up report on a batch of cultural relics unearthed from the ancient city moat.
Song Jianan originally planned to take a taxi there, but thinking that exercise could quickly burn off the lactic acid in her muscles, she borrowed a bicycle and slowly rode to the museum. The curator was a kind old man who not only cooperated with the interview but also allowed Song Jianan to visit the museum for free. She stayed until four o'clock before returning to the agency.
Walking along the streets, cycling through the forest paths, this city still retains the scenery of an ancient capital. Lush, ancient trees surround the city walls, and the sunlight is bright but not glaring. Looking against the light, you can see countless dust particles rising in the air. Strands of sunlight gently fall on the green leaves, creating tiny halos of light.
Song Jianan was in a great mood. She walked through the alley, crossed the small bridge over the moat, and saw the woods surrounded by iron railings in the distance. She smiled. It was a place she knew all too well; it was the middle school where she had studied for six years.
The security guard at the gate assumed she was a teacher giving a lesson and didn't stop her. She pushed her bike into the school gate. Six years had passed, and the campus seemed unchanged, just as it had been when she left. Only the spring in front of the gate was bubbling with water, and the trees along the roadside were even more lush, almost completely obscuring the path.
She suddenly remembered many things. On that early winter morning, a boy with a handsome back suddenly entered her field of vision and slowly left a deep impression on her heart.
All of that is in the past. As Xi Luoyu's face flashed through her mind, Song Jianan gave a helpless smile.
Suddenly her phone rang, and to her surprise, she saw the name "Song Rui" appear on the screen. She answered, but there was no sound. After a while, she heard a little girl sobbing, "Sister, I've broken up with my boyfriend."
Song Jianan stared wide-eyed, wanting to laugh but unable to.
Do children this age know what love is? Just like I was back then, she thought her feelings for Su Li were nothing more than a hopeless crush. But later she realized that the crush had become an indelible mark on her life.
It's likely that he'll never be able to let go of it.
Author's Note: Surprisingly, no one is urging me to write more. I guess I'm one of those people who write unpopular works.
Su Li is coming out soon.
I don't know which man's outline was completely useless.
To all the readers who rated every chapter, I love you all! But the only ones I can remember are Jessica, Xiaocao, Baobao, and wg (I can't spell it).
I have a bad memory, *wipes sweat*, but thank you anyway.
Chapter 13
At this moment, the lights of every household in the neighborhood were on, the orange glow of the lights, the bright light of the incandescent bulbs, and the ever-changing colors of the television screens reflecting on the windows of each home.
Song Jianan sat on the sofa and called her aunt. "Song Rui is at my house. Sigh, it's normal for a child to be in a bad mood. Think about it, she gets up at 5:30 every morning, doesn't get home until noon, and then has to rush off to class before 2:30. She doesn't get back until 11 pm after evening self-study. Do the math, how many hours does that take? Let alone the child being in a bad mood, even if we adults had to work overtime for a little while, we would feel a bit resentful. You have to be understanding."
A sigh came from the other end of the line. "Jianan, I'm just anxious. Song Rui is a little rascal, always up to no good. He's nothing like you back then, so obedient and sensible. He's already in his second year of high school, and he'll be in his third year soon!"
She quickly explained, "Kids are always a little playful, I was like that too. Don't worry, I'll definitely have a good talk with Song Rui this time. I've been through this before, so I understand her feelings."
"Okay, by the way, Jianan, do you know that your grandfather is having a big birthday celebration tomorrow?"
Song Jianan looked blankly at him. "I don't know. My parents didn't tell me."
"Look at your parents' memory. They both hold important positions now, and important people tend to forget things. Tomorrow night at seven o'clock, Jinbitang, don't forget. Your uncle and I will go directly there, and Song Rui can take the bus."
Sure enough, important people have bad memories. She had completely forgotten about Xi Luoyu. She quickly found a notebook to write it down so as not to catch her family's amnesia. "Okay, I'll rest tomorrow. I can pick up Song Rui then."
She put down the phone, pushed open the door, and saw the little girl lying motionless and lost in thought on her desk. She coughed lightly twice and said, "Song Rui, snap out of it. Stop mourning your dead love."
Song Rui took two deep breaths, her voice hoarse, "I really had bad luck in choosing the right person."
Song Jianan wanted to laugh, but for the sake of the child's self-esteem, she forced him to laugh back. "Okay, it's that boy who has no taste. Do you know the things you must do after a breakup? Cry, wash your face, have a big meal, have a big party, and from then on, resolve to work hard and improve yourself. When you finally trample the man who dumped you under your feet, you'll have won."
"Really? It feels good to trample the man who rejected me underfoot. By the way, sis, you're the first person I thought of when I broke up with my boyfriend. In exchange, you have to tell me something."
She grunted in agreement. "What is it?"
Song Rui sighed deeply, "Do you even have a crush on anyone? When you were my age, did you ever have a puppy love relationship?"
The bright, gentle light from the desk lamp and computer blended into the air, scattered into irregular specks by tiny dust particles, like wisps of sand, spreading a halo in front of her eyes. She smiled and said, "Actually, I also liked a boy in high school, about your age, in my second year of high school."