Another futile and disappointing effort.
Actually, after meeting the person, Zhou Qishen already had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Originally, there was no need to arrange this meal, but he clung to a last shred of hope, thinking, what if, what if...
But in this world, there is much to admire and envy, much to feel disheartened, and what is most lacking is this "what if" sentiment.
When Zhao Xiyin returned after seeing the woman off, Zhou Qishen was standing on the corridor, bent over, his hand on the wooden railing, staring intently at the koi in the pond. She approached him, trying to ease the tension, "Don't rush, take your time. Don't do anything rash and jump in, I can't swim."
Zhou Qishen chuckled. He sprinkled half a handful of fish food into the pond, brushed away the crumbs, and then wrapped her hand tightly in his palm.
"Are you cold?" Zhou Qishen asked in a low voice. "Did you run all the way from the regiment?"
"Taxi fares are so expensive," Zhao Xiyin said softly. "Boss Zhou will reimburse you."
Zhou Qishen chuckled softly, "Okay."
As he warmed her hands, the icy coldness gradually subsided. Not satisfied, Zhou Qishen held the hands to his lips and breathed into them. It was warm, a little itchy, a little tingly. When he lowered his head, his eyelashes drooped slightly, like feather fans. Only at this angle could his phoenix eyes add a touch of tenderness.
He was all alone, with nothing to rely on, wandering the world by himself, feeling utterly lonely.
Zhao Xiyin suddenly felt a pang of heartache, pulled her hand away from his grasp, and wrapped her arms around Zhou Qishen's neck. Zhou Qishen instinctively pulled her closer, his arms encircling her waist. A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes as he teased, "Want to kiss here?"
Zhao Xiyin shook her head, her eyes sincere and bright, and said very seriously, "Zhou-ge'er, if you really miss your mother, just call me Mom. I don't mind, really!"
Chapter 72 I Want the Moon to Come to Me (6)
Zhou Qishen was stunned for a moment, his expression changing rapidly.
Zhao Xiyin felt quite innocent and puzzled. This person was really like an ice block. Couldn't he at least give her a more touching response?
Zhou Qishen raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Then she said, "That's pretty exciting!"
Look at that unserious expression; who knows what he's thinking.
Zhao Xiyin blushed under his gaze and became timid. She pinched his waist hard, but it didn't work. She only managed to grab his cashmere sweater. Zhou Qishen's tone became even more mischievous, "What's wrong now? You think my clothes are in the way? Don't be so impatient, you can take them off next time."
Zhao Xiyin muttered a curse under her breath, "You'd better not wear anything. Run naked along Shichahai Lake twice, and you'll be on the front page of the social section tomorrow."
Zhou Qishen's chin trembled slightly as he smiled, holding her tightly, as if he were holding a small stove in his arms, which dispelled his previous disappointment.
Zhao Xiyin had to rush back to rehearsal, and Zhou Qishen also needed to pick someone up from the airport. There wasn't enough time, so they simply asked the driver to take her. Zhao Xiyin stepped into the cold wind, her figure slender, and suddenly stopped.
She turned around, and sure enough, Zhou Qishen hadn't left. He stood tall and straight at the door, his gaze gentle.
Zhao Xiyin looked up at him and suddenly exclaimed, "Zhou Qishen!"
"Hmm?" He pondered.
Zhao Xiyin smiled brightly and said energetically, "Go for it!"
Zhou Qishen was stunned for a moment, probably because the wind had picked up and made his eyes a little wet.
——
On her way back to the dance troupe, Zhao Xiyin checked the schedule. She had Hou Mingjian's physical training class in the afternoon. Su Ying would be coming over at 7 PM for rehearsal and to practice her positions. Seeing that name made Zhao Xiyin feel a little melancholy.
Near the end of get out of class, Dai Yunxin came over. She also served as the dance instructor, and had been coming more frequently lately. Zhao Xiyin came out of the classroom and was stopped by Dai Yunxin, who was still talking to someone else. "Xiao west, wait for me a moment."
"Okay, okay." Zhao Xiyin obediently went back to the classroom.
Five minutes later, Dai Yunxin stood at the door and knocked. "Let's go, let's have dinner together tonight."
Zhao Xiyin stood still, not taking a step for a moment.
Seeing her thoughtful expression, Dai Yunxin guessed correctly. Her expression was complicated, and then she said helplessly, "It's not a dinner party, it's just the two of us."
Zhao Xiyin felt guilty instead. She stuck out her tongue, skipped over to Dai Yunxin, and asked with a bright smile, "Master, what shall we eat?"
Dai Yun sighed, "You really are a child who never grows up."
The restaurant was a Cantonese restaurant near the Workers' Stadium. Dai Yunxin had booked a private room, and a waiter led the way. Just as Zhao Xiyin was about to ask why the two of them were sitting in a private room, they bumped into Zhuang Qiu, who was on the phone. He greeted them, "Oh, Teacher Dai, Little Zhao, what a coincidence!"
Dai Yunxin nodded slightly. "Hello, President Zhuang."
Zhuang Qiu smiled and looked at Zhao Xiyin again, "Little Zhao, don't you have training today?"
Zhao Xiyin said, "Yes, I will."
Dai Yunxin wasn't particularly enthusiastic about this person either. "Has President Zhuang already eaten?"
"Not yet, just arrived."
"I see." Dai Yunxin said politely, "Then, would you like to have a casual meal together?"
Even a casual remark could tell it was just polite talk, but Zhuang Qiu actually agreed quite happily, "Sure, this meal is on me."
Zhao Xiyin and Dai Yunxin exchanged glances. Zhao Xiyin's eyes clearly said no, and Dai Yunxin was also quite helpless, but since she had already said that, she couldn't refuse her. Just then, she received a phone call, so she said to Zhao Xiyin, "You take President Zhuang inside first, I'll take this call."
Zhao Xiyin had no choice but to lead her inside. As they walked along the long corridor, Zhuang Qiu kept glancing at her with his eyes.
"It seems that Xiao Zhao doesn't like me very much?" Zhuang Qiu asked cryptically, his words seemingly teasing.
"No." Zhao Xiyin stood there respectfully, calmly.
"You always say you don't have time when I ask you out for dinner, and now that we've finally met, you're so cold. You've really hurt me." Zhuang Qiu teased, his words sharp and seemingly self-deprecating, but actually quite domineering, subtly putting the girl in an awkward position.
Zhao Xiyin wasn't embarrassed. She took a deep breath, making a loud, obvious sound, as if she was holding back some big move. Zhuang Qiu naturally watched, thinking that she was going to say something to smooth things over because she was embarrassed, and that he could take advantage of her apology to arrange a time to meet again.