Song Qing knew that coming here today was a mistake. She took a breath, closed the documents, and smiled, "Yes."
Yan Xunan touched his chin. The table was too wide, so he simply propped his chin up with one hand and used the slender fingers of his other hand to dance lightly on the table. His narrow, almond-shaped eyes were clean and pure, just like they were ten years ago when he was unruly.
She avoided his gaze and turned to look outside. Across from her was a luxurious international brand boutique, where the clothes were elegant and simple, with a charming and delicate style that she had never worn before.
A woman was looking down and carefully selecting items. The person in question looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place them.
Watching her pick through her selections, the waiter respectfully took them from her, and in no time, her arms were overflowing. Ah, expensive brands! This woman must be incredibly wealthy, like a princess in a castle, oblivious to worldly worries. Unlike me, I've never had such privileges.
"Qing'er?" Yan Xunan pulled her back from her reverie with displeasure.
She sat up straight, then gave an apologetic smile. A professional reaction she'd had for years.
Yan Xunan was momentarily dazzled, captivated by that polite, even slightly insincere, smile. She was no longer the naive girl who would turn around with a bewildered expression when called.
These two people could have said so much, but they were both lost in their own imaginations and remained silent.
Those memories are so distant that they are hard to recall at the moment, but at a certain time, they simply slip out of the dusty memories.
"Qing'er, Linchuan is still unfamiliar to you. Although things are going smoothly for now, I hope that I can help you from the sidelines."
"But it can't be this way." She shook her head, her brows furrowed, in refusal.
"You are just as stubborn as your uncle."
"You're not allowed to talk about Dad like that." Her face was a little pale, and faint dark circles were visible under her eyes.
"If it weren't for your uncle and Ning'er, would you still have left me?" He looked distressed, reached across the table, and took her hands in his, his eyes shining brightly.
She looked down at her hand, which had been clenched until it was red, gave up resisting, and whispered, "Xunan, it's all over, it's all over..."
"No, there is no past. For the past ten years, I have been waiting for you. I, the only one, cannot force you any longer." He offered a moving explanation for his complete lack of communication with her over the past ten years.
She looked up at him in surprise, her eyes already slightly red.
"You chose Ning'er..."
"You know! I have no other choice!" he interrupted her, his voice laced with rage.
Song Qing shuddered, frantically pulling her hand away in terror, ignoring the pain. Yan Xunan awkwardly withdrew his hand, muttered a curse under his breath, and leaned back in his chair.
After buying the clothes, Shen Xing took out her phone and called Yi Zhengwei.
"Yes, Zhengwei, I'm nearby."
"Yes, Shibing Building. Shall we have dinner together?"
"What? You have plans for today??" Her tone immediately lost its luster. She stopped, looked around, and walked into Shangwei Coffee Shop. She picked a seat and sat down; there was no rush now.
It was lunchtime, and the coffee shop was nearly empty. Shen Xing called, and her voice brought Song Qing back to reality. Song Qing quickly checked her watch—6:40!
"Are you leaving?" Yan Xunan asked considerately.
"Yes." As she spoke, she lowered her head to tidy up the materials. She couldn't sit still any longer. She had promised her father, hadn't she? There were too many things separating her from Yan Xunan; it was no longer possible.
"Mom keeps asking about you and wants you to come back for a meal." Yan Xunan said casually as she stood up. In fact, he was already getting annoyed by Xu Yayue.
"Aunt Yan?"
She saw you bring me home that day.
She nodded hastily and said, "I'm so sorry, I've been so busy. I'll call her."
Xu Yayue genuinely liked her. If it weren't for her relationship with Xu Nan, she should have visited her long ago.
"It's okay, she knows you're busy. Give me a call when you're going." He and she walked out side by side.
Shen Xing looked around boredly and saw a perfect couple walk by. He couldn't help but be drawn to them. They were the kind of couple that made a good match.
Judging from their attire and demeanor, these two should be a good match in terms of social standing, otherwise their parents would object to their marriage. She thought dejectedly.
"Qing'er, we need to discuss the project again. After all, you don't have experience in this area." Yan Xunan gentlemanly escorted Song Qing into the elevator.
Have you changed your mind?
"Fine, I'm never as stubborn as you, am I?"
He chuckled softly. They were too close, and she felt a little dizzy, so she subtly took two steps back.
"Alright then, hopefully next time we can talk about some substantive issues."
"Okay, how about we meet at the golf course?"
She thought for a moment and nodded.
He suddenly turned around, reached out his index finger to lift a strand of hair that was hanging down by her ear, and said in a long, drawn-out tone, "Remember to wear that baseball cap."
She blurted out, "Pink!"
In a daze, she was led out of the elevator by Yan Xunan, who was smugly holding her.
As soon as she stepped outside, she was surrounded by the sounds of cars and people. She stared blankly as Yan Xunan drove away with an air of nonchalance, then suddenly remembered something, glanced at her watch, and unceremoniously cursed, "Damn it!" It was already 7:05.
She was late for both of her meetings with Yi Zhengwei, and both times it was because of Yan Xunan!
She made a phone call as she walked towards the underground parking garage.
"Mr. Yi."