In fact, Yang Wei always felt that the reason she turned into a hooligan that night was not because she was drunk, but because... she just wanted to harass Qi Xiaoyan.
Of course, she never mentioned this to Qi Xiaoyan.
Yang Wei only drank a small glass of red wine during the entire dinner. When they left the restaurant, Fang Chengran said with regret, "It seems you are very wary of me."
Yang Wei chuckled: "Because you have a bad record."
Fang Chengran recalled the kiss he had stolen from Yang Wei that day and said with a helpless sigh, "I've already been very polite."
Yang Wei said, "You've been abroad for too long. You should relearn the Chinese people's modesty and restraint."
Fang Chengran turned his head and leaned closer to her: "Men find it hard to be reserved when facing a woman they like."
Yang Wei took a step to the side, widening the distance between them: "To be honest, I practiced boxing in college."
Fang Chengran lowered his head and chuckled softly, saying nothing more.
After dropping Yang Wei off at home, he didn't offer to come up for a while, but simply drove away. He knew Yang Wei was still somewhat resistant to him, and he couldn't be too hasty.
The next day, Yang Wei met with Jian Shuang as promised. Jian Shuang was very excited from beginning to end and talked a lot. The main idea was that if she had known that Yang Wei and Qi Xiaoyan would divorce after only a year, she should have taken the initiative herself!
Yang Wei was both amused and exasperated. After being harassed by Jian Shuang for several days, the latter finally accepted the fact that she was divorced. Yang Wei had a persistent feeling that it was Jian Shuang who had divorced Qi Xiaoyan.
Meanwhile, the male protagonist of the incident was staring blankly at a text message on his phone. The message, sent by Song Jin half an hour earlier, invited him to her house for dinner that evening, and included her address. Perhaps fearing Qi Xiaoyan might refuse, Song Jin specifically emphasized in the message that she had contacted everyone she could reach from their old basketball club, treating it as a get-together.
Qi Xiaoyan considered it for a moment and then wrote a reply: "I will be there on time."
Song Jin waited a full half hour for Qi Xiaoyan's reply. Seeing his agreement, she finally smiled with relief. Her assistant, noticing this, leaned over and asked, "Sister Song, what's making you so happy?"
She had been staring at her phone for half an hour, and her assistant was already incredibly curious.
"It's nothing. I've already talked to the director, and we'll wrap up early today."
"Understood," the assistant replied. Although she really wanted to get to the bottom of things, she didn't have the guts. Besides, she figured that if she did ask, she would only be ridiculed by Song Jin in various ways and wouldn't get any valuable information.
After finishing work, Song Jin drove back to her residence. She took a shower first, then spent twenty minutes in front of the wardrobe, finally picking out a dress that she was fairly satisfied with.
There isn't too much fabric, but it doesn't look frivolous.
She looked at herself in the mirror from different angles, and after confirming that everything was perfect, she picked up the expensive perfume in front of the vanity mirror and sprayed it into the air.
Qi Xiaoyan arrived right on time, knocking on the door almost as soon as the clock struck six. Song Jin quickly opened the door for him and stepped aside to let him in.
The subtle scent of incense in the room has a relaxing effect, and the red roses and burning candlesticks on the table exude a rich romantic atmosphere.
However, Qi Xiaoyan's attention was focused on something else—there were only the two of them in the room, and this didn't look like a party at all; it looked more like a candlelight dinner.
After get off work, Yang Wei took the bus home. Having worked four days in a row, she was now eagerly anticipating Friday. She quickly cooked two simple dishes, and as soon as she finished eating, her phone on the sofa started ringing incessantly.
She ran into the living room, picked up her phone, and glanced at it. It was a call from a student's parent. Her heart sank; usually, when parents called, it wasn't good news.
Yang Wei took a breath and answered the phone: "Hello."
"Teacher Yang! I'm He Can's mother. Can Can is missing! She hasn't come back yet. I thought she just went to the neighborhood..."
He Can's mother sounded very anxious, and her words were somewhat incoherent. Yang Wei frowned more and more as she listened: "Don't panic, what exactly happened?"
The woman on the other end of the phone seemed to catch her breath, and when she spoke again, she was much calmer than before: "The results of the No. 2 Middle School entrance exam came out today. Can Can was two points short. I was very angry, so I said a few words to her... I think I said too harshly. She ran out crying, and I didn't chase after her. I thought she would come back on her own after a while, but... but she hasn't come back yet. I've searched the surrounding area, but she's not here anywhere."
After hearing this, Yang Wei really wanted to scold her, but the most important thing was to find He Can. She looked up at the wall clock; it was already past seven o'clock, and it would be dark soon. It was too dangerous for such a young girl to be out there alone, and she became nervous: "You should call the police first, and then search the neighborhood and among relatives and friends. I'll go back to the school to check and contact other classmates to see if they know where she is."
"Okay, okay."
"We'll get in touch if we have any news."
After saying that, Yang Wei grabbed her coat and bag and rushed out the door.
There was no one left at the school, but luckily the security guard was still there and opened the school gate for Yang Wei: "Teacher Yang, what brings you here so late?"
Yang Wei looked at him and asked anxiously, "Have you seen He Can from our class? She's the girl with a ponytail and glasses. Oh right, she also wears braces and was wearing a yellow dress today."
The security guard said, "Teacher Yang, don't worry. I know He Can from your class. Isn't he the one who arrives earliest every morning?"
"Yes, yes, that's her!"
“She hasn’t come back since she left after school. I’ve been here the whole time, so I wouldn’t miss anyone coming.”
Yang Wei frowned: "Thank you, but I need to go back to my office. Please wait for me for a moment."
"No trouble at all, what happened to He Can?"
"She ran away from home!" Yang Wei said, then ran upstairs as fast as she could. The school at night was completely different from the daytime, with an indescribable eeriness. In the past, Yang Wei would definitely have been terrified, but now she didn't care about that at all. She turned on the office light and went to her desk.
She first called the grade leader, who, in a fit of rage, berated He Can's mother over the phone and also offered to help search for her. Yang Wei took the scolding for He Can's mother, but she didn't have time to be resentful. She pulled out the contact list on her desk and started calling the students who usually had contact with He Can.
It was completely dark by the time she finished calling, but none of the students knew He Can's whereabouts. She had no choice but to call He Can's mother again, but there was no news from her either.
“Teacher Yang, what should I do if something happens to Cancan? How can I explain it to her father…” He Can’s mother’s voice was clearly choked with tears, and she seemed on the verge of a breakdown. “I know I shouldn’t have pushed her so hard, I shouldn’t have scolded her…”
"It's no use talking about this now." Yang Wei was extremely frustrated. "Anyway, let's keep looking. I'll contact you again later."
When Song Jin brought the last dish to the table, she smiled ingratiatingly at Qi Xiaoyan and said, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to treat you to a meal, but I was afraid you would refuse, so I told this lie."
Qi Xiaoyan across from her didn't react, and Song Jin pursed her lips nervously: "Are you still angry? I really..."
"I'm not angry, but this won't happen again." Qi Xiaoyan finally spoke, his icy tone completely flat. Song Jin breathed a slight sigh of relief; at least he wasn't ignoring her. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating. Usually, countless CEOs and rich young men wanted to invite her to dinner, but she always turned them down. Yet with Qi Xiaoyan, even when she took the initiative to invite him, she was still trembling with fear, afraid he would refuse.
No, how could she compare those people to Qi Xiaoyan? Qi Xiaoyan is smarter than even a single hair on her head.
None of them are Qi Xiaoyan.
Looking at the person opposite her, Song Jin's lips naturally curled into a charming smile: "I cooked this steak myself, and I'm quite confident in its taste."
She was confident in herself. Since Qi Xiaoyan had been married before, it meant that he was not indifferent to women. As long as he still had feelings for women, she had a way to deal with him.
Dinner was extremely quiet. Qi Xiaoyan didn't speak once, only answering Song Jin's questions with a few simple words. Song Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly. Although he said he wasn't angry, she knew he was. Perhaps she should be thankful that Qi Xiaoyan's good manners prevented him from slamming the door and leaving.
"Senior Qi, I'm still your first love, you don't have to be so cold to me, do you?" Song Jin said this jokingly. Although the reporter directly translated what she said about unrequited love as first love, she didn't mind at all.
Qi Xiaoyan's eyebrows twitched. He put down his knife and fork, looked up at Song Jin, and his gaze was as serious as when he verified mathematical theorems with her that year: "My first love is Yang Wei."
Author's Note: Don't worry, everyone, the male lead's screen time is increasing rapidly—tomorrow's update will resume at 9 PM, mwah! (* ￣3)(ε￣ *) Finally, I would like to thank everyone who supports the official version, and the sponsors: 茶叶不加蛋 threw a grenade (time: 2015-04-07 22:31:17), 茶叶不加蛋 threw a landmine (time: 2015-04-08 13:00:58), 嬴_似 threw a landmine (time: 2015-04-08 14:27:35), 虱子 threw a landmine (time: 2015-04-08 21:47:42), 虱子 threw a landmine (time: 2015-04-08 21:53:21), 虱子 threw a landmine (time: 2015-04-08 21:55:23), and Jerair threw a grenade (time: 2015-04-08 23:41:28). Thank you everyone, bowing!
26
Yang Wei searched along the main road next to the school for a long time, but still couldn't find He Can. After walking around the park, she walked to a bench with her bag and rubbed her aching legs.
There are hardly any people in the park at this hour, so where could He Can possibly go?
The phone in her bag rang; it was He Can's mother calling. Yang Wei's heart tightened, and she quickly answered the phone: "Is there any news about He Can?"
"Teacher Yang, Cancan is back!" He Can's mother's voice rang out almost simultaneously with Yang Wei's voice.
After running away from the house, He Can boarded a bus. The No. 79 bus stopped running at 8:30 PM. The driver noticed a little girl sitting on the bus and wouldn't answer when asked where she lived, so he immediately called the police. The police quickly contacted He Can's mother and had her pick her up from the police station.
Yang Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this: "It's good that they've found him. Is he alright?"
"No, he just won't say anything."
The voice on the other end of the phone was a little hoarse. Yang Wei sighed and said, "Everyone is tired today. You and He Can should go to bed early. Don't upset her anymore. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow."
He Can's mother answered and hung up the phone. Yang Wei was about to put her phone in her bag when a man in black rushed over and unexpectedly handed her a gleaming knife: "Don't make a sound! Hand over your phone and wallet!"
The man was wearing a hat and a mask, and only his eyes stood out sharply under the dim streetlights.
Yang Wei's heart was pounding. She had never been robbed before in her life. If it were just a robbery, that would be fine, but she was afraid... She didn't dare to think any further and carefully handed over her phone.
The man quickly snatched the phone from her hand, glanced around, and impatiently urged, "And the wallet, hurry up!"
The sharp knife was pointed at Yang Wei. She desperately tried to calm her wildly beating heart. Just as she reached for her wallet, the man across from her snatched it away: "Bank card PIN!"
He spoke extremely fast, as if something was chasing him. Yang Wei took a deep breath and said, "901617..." This was her and Qi Xiaoyan's birthday. Only when she said it did she realize how unsteady her voice was.
The man said nothing more, took his wallet and phone, and quickly disappeared into the night. Yang Wei's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground. A wave of fear washed over her, almost overwhelming her.
She didn't dare sit there for too long. After catching her breath, she forced herself to stand up and ran out of the park. She didn't encounter a single person along the way. Yang Wei suddenly felt that the park had become very large, as if she could never get out no matter how hard she ran.
When Yang Wei saw the road, she almost breathed a sigh of relief. There was a 24-hour convenience store across the street, and she rushed over without thinking.
Perhaps because the noise of opening the door was too loud, the clerk standing behind the counter gave her a surprised look. Yang Wei's face was pale, and her forehead was covered with a fine layer of sweat. She said to the cashier in a panic, "N-I'm sorry, I was just robbed in the park. Could I...could I borrow your phone to call the police?"
Seeing that her expression seemed genuine, and knowing that there had indeed been a recent armed robbery, the cashier generously handed over her phone, which was charging.
"Thank you." Yang Wei took the phone and took several deep breaths to calm herself down.
Qi Xiaoyan was still having dinner at Song Jin's house. Ever since he said that his first love was Yang Wei, the whole dinner became even more subdued, and even Song Jin didn't say a word. After finishing the last piece of steak on his plate, Qi Xiaoyan picked up a tissue from the table, wiped his mouth, and got up to say goodbye: "I've eaten dinner, goodbye."
Song Jin finally couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, abruptly standing up from her chair. The chair legs scraped across the floor with a sharp screech: "To you, is eating with me just completing a task?"
Qi Xiaoyan turned around and gave her a detached look: "Strictly speaking, this doesn't even qualify as a mission."
Song Jin was so angry she laughed. She admitted that the way she invited him today wasn't exactly honorable, but Qi Xiaoyan was being far too unreasonable.
"There won't be a next time." Qi Xiaoyan turned to leave after saying that, but Song Jin's eyes flickered and she called out to him.
"Wait." She walked up to Qi Xiaoyan and looked up at him. She knew that a man like Qi Xiaoyan would definitely take responsibility for her if anything happened. Since she had already gone to great lengths to invite him here today, she wasn't afraid to be even more uninhibited.
Just then, Qi Xiaoyan's phone rang unexpectedly. He took it out and glanced at it; it was an unknown number. After a moment's thought, he answered the call: "Hello."
Upon hearing Qi Xiaoyan's voice, Yang Wei instinctively froze. She had intended to call the police, but unconsciously dialed Qi Xiaoyan's number. Seemingly not receiving a reply, Qi Xiaoyan frowned slightly and took a few steps towards the door: "Hello, may I ask who this is?"
The emotions that had just calmed down were stirred up again by Qi Xiaoyan's voice. The fear and grievances that Yang Wei had been suppressing surged up at this moment. Clutching her phone, tears streamed down her face: "Juan, Juan, I just... I was just robbed..."
Qi Xiaoyan tightened her grip on the phone, her eyes darkening sharply: "Baby? Where are you? Are you hurt?"
Qi Xiaoyan's tone was urgent, and Song Jin glanced at him with a furrowed brow.
"I'm in the park near the school, there's a convenience store over there..."
Yang Wei was sobbing on the other end of the phone when Qi Xiaoyan bypassed Song Jin, opened the door, and quickly walked out: "Look at yourself now, are you injured anywhere?"
"N-nothing..."
Qi Xiaoyan walked to the garage, closed her eyes and exhaled: "You stay in that convenience store and don't go anywhere. I'll come find you right away."
"good……"
Only after Yang Wei agreed did Qi Xiaoyan hang up the phone. Yang Wei returned the phone to the cashier and went to the door to sit down and wait for Qi Xiaoyan.
Qi Xiaoyan drove incredibly fast, running three red lights in a row, and finally arrived at the park Yang Wei had mentioned within twenty minutes. From a distance, he saw Yang Wei sitting alone at the shop entrance, looking like an abandoned pet, so lonely it was heartbreaking.
"Baby!" He rolled down the car window and called out to her from afar. He shouldn't have hung up the phone.
Yang Wei looked up and saw a black Audi speeding towards her, its movements as skillful as if it were from Initial D. Qi Xiaoyan was sitting in the driver's seat, the night wind making his hair a little messy.