Not long after, she heard a couple talking as they sat down at the table next to her. The woman's voice sounded familiar, so Chai Qianning couldn't help but turn her head to look.
The woman was wearing a bodycon skirt and her hair was tied up, while the man was dressed very formally, and the two spoke to each other very politely.
Chai Qianning felt the woman looked familiar, so she took a closer look and discovered she resembled Xu Yuan. Remembering Fang Jiaqin's mention of Xu Yuan's return, she confirmed it.
Noticing her gaze, Xu Yuan turned around, met her eyes, paused for a few seconds, then recognized her and gave her a familiar smile.
The man sitting opposite Xu Yuan went to the restroom. When he came back, he received a work call and seemed very busy. He then apologized to Xu Yuan, saying that he had to leave first.
Xu Yuan didn't mind that he left without eating. Their relationship didn't seem particularly close, more like a casual one. Therefore, Xu Yuan had no complaints about it and just said that he would take care of it if there was anything else.
After her fiancé left, Xu Yuan looked at Chai Qian Ning with a smile. She originally wanted to come over and greet Chai Qian Ning, or share a table with her, but just then, Sheng Mu Xi returned after finishing a phone call.
Seeing that she had a friend with her, Xu Yuan wisely refrained from approaching her. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at her, and Chai Qianning responded to his silent greeting with a slight smile.
—That was it, the two of them greeted each other, and then each ate their own food.
Chai Qianning withdrew her gaze and watched Sheng Muxi sit down opposite her. Sheng Muxi's gaze never left her face, so much so that Chai Qianning couldn't help but raise her eyes and smile: "What, haven't seen me in so long, want to take a few more glances?"
“We just met last night,” Sheng Muxi said.
That means it hasn't been that long since we last met, and I didn't see her for that reason.
"Does this mean you're inviting me out for dinner?" Sheng Muxi asked again.
"Huh?" Chai Qianning didn't expect the other party to ask that.
It's not like they've never eaten out together before, so why would they suddenly bring this up?
"Doesn't that count?" Chai Qianning retorted.
Sheng Muxi's captivating peach blossom eyes were alluring and affectionate, and her red lips parted slightly: "I suppose so."
He glanced at Xu Yuan out of the corner of his eye and said, "Is it pretty?"
The question seemed to have no beginning or end, leaving Chai Qianning completely confused. However, with her strong comprehension skills, she guessed that Sheng Muxi was asking if she looked good in her outfit today.
Therefore, Chai Qianning answered her almost without hesitation: "It looks good."
Sheng Muxi lowered her eyes: "No wonder you were exchanging glances with her."
Chai Qianning: "??"
Chapter 34 Plotting Treachery
In the center of the restaurant was a large, square hanging lamp, and each table also had a small lamp hanging above it. Sheng Muxi was sitting in a corner, and under the light, half of her face was bright and the other half was dark.
A few seconds passed.
Looking in the direction Sheng Muxi was looking, Chai Qianning belatedly realized that the other person was talking about Xu Yuan.
Turning her gaze away, Chai Qianning saw Sheng Muxi eating silently with her eyes lowered. Suddenly, she found it amusing, and her voice seemed to carry a faint chuckle as she spoke: "Teacher Sheng, I thought you were asking me if you looked good today."
Perhaps realizing her own words had sounded sarcastic, Sheng Muxi, in an attempt to save face, feigned nonchalance and said "Oh," her eyelashes fluttering slightly as she raised her eyes and gestured in Xu Yuan's direction: "I saw it."
What did you see?
"You've been staring at people the whole time."
Chai Qianning knew that the other person was talking about Xu Yuan, and suddenly understood why Sheng Muxi had been so awkward just now.
She rested her chin on her hand, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Sheng Muxi: "Teacher Sheng, can I take that you're jealous?"
Sheng Muxi picked up the cup and took a sip of water.
It would be so embarrassing to admit it, especially since she hadn't even understood her own feelings beforehand. How could she just admit it so easily?
Why should I be jealous?
Chai Qianning blinked, her mouth slightly agape: "Really not?"
"No. What are you thinking?" Sheng Muxi glared at her.
Chai Qianning suddenly regretted it. She shouldn't have asked the other person so directly. She had expected the other person to remain silent, but she didn't expect the other person to deny it outright.
Well, in the end, she was just too impatient.
For the next ten minutes or so, neither of them spoke. Although the restaurant was not quiet, they felt so quiet that they could hear each other breathing.
Sheng Muxi's mind was racing the whole time. She wondered if she had said something wrong, but upon closer inspection, she couldn't recall saying anything incorrect.
She can't really admit that she's jealous, can she?
For what reason would she be jealous? Given their current relationship, it would be abnormal for her to be jealous.
However... after returning from Tuya B&B, especially after recalling that night planting strawberries... it seems their relationship had already veered off course from that of ordinary friends. No, it felt like it had gone even further than that.
Sheng Muxi's mind was in complete turmoil. As she was walking out after paying the bill, she wanted to say something about what had just happened, but unexpectedly, Xu Yuan suddenly came over and greeted Chai Qianning: "Long time no see."
"Teacher Sheng, this is a friend I used to know." After exchanging pleasantries with Xu Yuan, Chai Qianning said to Sheng Muxi, as if she were explaining something.
Such an explanation was originally unnecessary, but Sheng Muxi felt a subtle sense of being valued after hearing it.
"Mm," Sheng Muxi replied softly.
“Xu Yuan is getting married next month,” Chai Qianning added, seemingly concerned about Sheng Muxi’s misunderstanding earlier.
"They said they were inviting me to be a bridesmaid."
She finished speaking very naturally, and on the surface, it seemed as if she was simply stating that she was being invited to be a bridesmaid, but every word was full of explanation.
The two walked on the sidewalk lined with small trees. On one side, separated by a green belt, was a square where some kind of event was being held. A stage was set up in the center, and the host's passionate voice was being broadcast through a loudspeaker.
There were quite a few people, so to prevent them from getting separated from each other, Chai Qianning took her arm.
Sheng Muxi followed the force of the other's arm and mingled into the lively crowd, sneaking a little closer to the front of the stage. Chai Qianning's fingers slid down her arm, touching her wrist, and finally intertwined with hers.
Everything happened so casually and naturally, without a trace of premeditation. It must be said that in this respect, Chai Qianning was far more mentally resilient than her. After all, she couldn't detect the slightest bit of nervousness in the other woman, who was even curiously looking around at what kind of event was taking place nearby.
As she felt the softness and warmth on her fingers, she would get so nervous that her palms would sweat, and her mind would be filled with the sound of her own heartbeat, while the surrounding noise would be reduced to nothing.
With Chai Qianning holding her hand like this, she couldn't shift her attention to the outside world at all, which made her a little distressed. It was as if the slightest movement from the other person could cause chaos in her heart, while she couldn't see any ripples in the other person's heart.
"Teacher Sheng." The surrounding noise was too much, so Chai Qianning whispered in her ear, "Do you think it's too noisy here?"
Sheng Muxi leaned close to her ear and said, "It is a bit noisy, let's go."
“Okay—” Chai Qianning mouthed and pulled her toward a less crowded place.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the square, without the music and the noise of the crowd, a moment of silence, like a ripple on a calm lake.
If Chai Qianning lowered her head even slightly, she would notice that the way they were holding hands really looked like a couple. Sheng Muxi had never seen any friends hold hands for so long without letting go.
The moment this idea came to mind, the atmosphere became even stranger.
The two walked through the park, and along the roadside, under the dim streetlights, there were several trucks setting up stalls, selling watermelons and the like.
From a distance, Chai Qianning could smell a faint scent of durian in the air. Squinting, she saw that there really was a stall selling durians ahead.
A truckload of durians—
hiss--
Chai Qianning could already feel that kind of despair, being surrounded by the smell of durian.
So she stopped in her tracks.
Sheng Muxi looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong?"
"Let's take another route." Chai Qianning pulled her along and turned onto another road, which was clearly a longer way.
Sheng Muxi was puzzled and kindly reminded him, "Our car is parked over there."
"It's okay, I can still get there."
".."
Chai Qianning pointed to the public restroom next door, making up an excuse for taking the long way: "I need to use the restroom."
There are public restrooms on that road too.
".."
Sheng Muxi looked back, still not understanding why the other person would choose such a long detour instead of taking the perfectly good road.
Was he hiding from someone? But apart from some middle-aged men or old men selling fruit and a few women with children, there was hardly anyone else on that road.
Chai Qianning tucked her hair behind her ear, asked Sheng Muxi to carry her bag and phone, and before turning to walk towards the public restroom, she whispered in Sheng Muxi's ear, "Because I'm taking the long way out so I can spend more time with you."
The hot breath she exhaled quickly spread to Sheng Muxi's ears. When she looked up, she saw Chai Qianning's back, already heading towards the public restroom.
She squeezed the bag in her hand and stood under the tree waiting for him. A street lamp stood right next to the tree, casting her silhouette on the paving stones.
The phone in Sheng Muxi's hand suddenly vibrated. She glanced at it instinctively; a message popped up on the screen: "Baby, come back soon."
Sheng Muxi paused for a few seconds, then realized it was a message from Chai Qianning's phone.
She bit her lip, but didn't turn off the screen. She just held it, her face up, looking at the scenery in the distance.
A short while later, Chai Qianning came out of the restroom and took the phone and bag from her.
I suddenly had an idea while I was in the bathroom: I could take Sheng Muxi to a newly opened milk tea shop.
Just as Chai Qianning was about to speak, she heard Sheng Muxi say, "If you have something to do, you should go back quickly."
Chai Qianning paused for a moment, then smiled: "What could possibly be wrong with me?"
Sheng Muxi pursed her lips, said nothing, and walked ahead of her.
Chai Qianning felt her phone vibrate again. She opened the message and saw a message that Fang Jiaqin had sent her.
Looking up at the long shadow of Sheng Muxi cast by the dim streetlights, she couldn't help but twitch her lips and chuckle to herself.
—You still say you're not jealous? This is too obvious.
Fang Jiaqin sent another message: "I watched a horror movie and I'm scared being home alone now. When are you coming back? Is your date still going on?"
Chai Qianning replied: 【No, if you're scared, just turn on the light. Also, please don't call me "baby" next time. Who's your baby?!】
Fang Jiaqin: [Okay, I'll retract the message from before last.]
Pigsy, when are you coming back?!
Chai Qianning: "..."