Chu opened her computer, and Yun Lei was online. Seeing her come online, Yun Lei sent a crying face.
“What’s wrong?” Chu asked.
“I went on a blind date!” Yun Lei typed quickly.
Chu laughed: “That’s a good thing! How did it go?”
Yun Lei gritted her teeth: “He was supposed to be a business elite, but I think he’s just a typical idiot! I regret it so much, what a waste of my time…”
“What happened?” Chu was curious.
Yun Lei said hatefully: “Not long after meeting, he rummaged in his bag for half a day and pulled out half a Mirinda bottle, saying, ‘This is for you!'”
Chu was stunned: “Half a bottle?”
Yun Lei: “I thought, what the hell is in this half-bottle? So I refused, saying I never drink carbonated drinks! Then he searched again and pulled out half a bottle of juice, saying, ‘Don’t worry, no one has drunk this!’ I was like, can’t you see the orange water level?”
Another half bottle! Chu was stunned again: “Is he a recycler at the train station?”
“Looks like it!” Yun Lei sent a laughing and crying emoji: “I said, ‘Thanks, I’m not thirsty.’ Then the most ridiculous scene happened: he pulled out half a box of Oreo cookies and stuffed them at me…”
Half a box! Chu was speechless.
Yun Lei wailed: “What am I supposed to do…”
Chu: “…”
Yun Lei continued complaining: “Then he suggested going somewhere, I said I was tired and wanted to go home and sleep. As soon as I got home, I received his text message. He said, ‘You must take good care of yourself!’ I politely replied: ‘Okay, thanks!’ Who knew he would send another message that was shocking…”
Chu: “???”
“He replied with three words: ‘Sent by mistake!'”
Chu’e spat out a mouthful of water.
Yunlei: “Holy Mother Mary, Sun Dasheng, two pillars, his mother… save me…”
Chu’e laughed again.
Chu’e said seriously: “Don’t we usually talk about pure literature? Like Dream of the Red Chamber, like The Legend of the Condor Heroes, like Jin Ping Mei…”
This time Yunlei burst out laughing: “Chu’e, I didn’t expect that from you…”
While they were chatting happily, Chu’e’s phone rang. Looking at the number, it was Luo Xuan again! She felt a headache and didn’t want to answer, but the other side was persistent, with the ringtone continuing. After a dozen times, he sent a message. Chu’e opened it to find the screen full of: Chu Chu, I’m sorry! She was stunned.
In the chat box, Yunlei asked: “What’s wrong?”
Chu’e sighed. She hadn’t told Yunlei about the situation with Luo Xuan and Lin Lan, and didn’t know how to begin. The current situation was chaotic, and Chu’e didn’t know what role she was playing.
Luo Xuan’s persistent entanglement made her suddenly want to escape. So, she turned off her phone and quickly typed a message to Yunlei: “Lei Lei, I’m going to Zhuhai. Can you arrange a place for me to stay?”
Yunlei sent a clapping emoji: “Welcome, welcome, warm welcome! Chu’e, you’ve finally figured it out. It seems you remembered what I told you yesterday. I said you should go out and move around, not always staying in that small house. If you don’t go out, how will you know about handsome guys? If you don’t meet a handsome guy, how will you get married?”
Chu’e smiled helplessly: “You make it sound like I’m desperate to get married!”
“Do you think you’re still young?” Yunlei sent an eye-roll emoji, “You’re about to turn thirty, and you’re not anxious? Look at me, I’m actively going on blind dates…”
“Who’s turning thirty!” Chu’e protested: “I’m only twenty-five!”
Yunlei laughed: “It’s just five years away!”
“Let’s talk business,” Yunlei cleared her throat, “Stay at my place in Zhuhai. I have space, guaranteed to be no worse than a five-star hotel, hehe!”
They discussed and immediately Chu’e booked a ticket for the next day, with Yunlei agreeing to pick her up at the airport.
Though she later forgave Yunlei, her health remained poor. Yunlei had returned to Beijing several times to visit her mother, always meeting with Chu’e, and they shared a mutual understanding. Yunlei was a typical northern girl – tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, beautiful, bold, and generous, completely different from Chu’e. Chu’e’s beauty was the delicate, elegant beauty of a Jiangnan water town, refined and graceful, easily evoking sympathy.
Thinking of Lin Lan, Chu’e felt a dull pain in her heart.
Chu’e felt a bit distressed: “Why are we eating at such a high-end place? This must be so expensive! It’s too extravagant, let’s change to another restaurant!”
Yun Lei pulled her back: “Oh, what are you afraid of? I’m treating, someone’s paying, just sit back and enjoy the meal. The food here is really quite good!”
“Someone’s paying?” Chu’e didn’t quite understand.
“Here he comes!” Yun Lei snapped her fingers behind Chu’e, “Mr. Gu, over here!”
“Mr. Gu?” Chu’e almost choked on her saliva. So there was someone else joining this welcome dinner, and a “big shot” at that?
Seeing her thunderstruck expression, Yun Lei couldn’t help but laugh.
Following her gaze, a man in a white shirt walked over, backlit so his features were indistinct, but his physique looked quite good.
As he approached, Yun Lei sweetly smiled: “Mr. Gu, you’re right on time!” She pulled Chu’e’s arm to introduce him: “This is the talented female writer from Beijing I told you about, Shen Chu’e. Chu’e, this is my cousin Gu Yanzhi, a genuine Beijing guy, and today’s bill-payer!” As she finished with a mischievous smile, Chu’e and the man’s eyes met, and they simultaneously exclaimed: “It’s you!”
“Ah? Do you know each other?” Yun Lei was completely surprised.
Chu’e felt a bit awkward. Gu Yanzhi was the very person who had splashed her with muddy water while driving an Audi A6 three days ago. Who would have thought they’d meet again in Zhuhai?
“What a coincidence, we meet again!” Gu Yanzhi smiled warmly. “I still owe Miss Shen a dress from last time!”
“What happened? What happened?” Yun Lei’s curiosity was piqued. “Quick, tell me!”
Chu’e blushed and quickly changed the subject: “Lei Lei, I’m hungry!”
Yun Lei realized: “Oh, we’ve been talking and forgot to order!” She pushed the exquisitely designed menu in front of Chu’e: “Order whatever you want, pick the expensive items.”
After all, Mr. Gu is paying…
Why such a strange title? Chu’e looked at Gu Yanzhi and asked Yun Lei curiously: “Why do you call him ‘Mr. Gu’?”
Gu Yanzhi smiled helplessly, while Yun Lei clicked her tongue: “Don’t you think his name sounds very historical? Gu Yanzhi, how ancient! It’s the kind of name you’d find in period dramas!” She dramatically elongated her voice, mimicking a theatrical female character: “Yanzhi, Yanzhi…” Her affected tone was cringe-inducing.
Gu Yanzhi seemed used to her teasing, just looking at her indulgently and smiling silently. Chu’e couldn’t help but burst out laughing. That laugh was like flowers blooming, instantly brightening Gu Yanzhi’s eyes.
The meal was enjoyable for everyone, with a harmonious atmosphere. The last time, Chu’e was in a hurry to attend Lin Lan’s wedding, so she hadn’t paid any attention to Gu Yanzhi’s appearance. Now, sitting across from him, she couldn’t help but observe this “nemesis”: Gu Yanzhi looked to be in his early thirties, with a very clean face. Not exactly handsome, but his features were pleasant, with a perpetual light smile. Throughout the meal, he spoke little, ate little, mostly sitting quietly and smiling as he watched them eat and listened to their conversation.
His demeanor was calm, giving a sense of composure that made people feel inexplicably safe, as if the world would become serene just by his presence.
This man was completely different from Luo Xuan. Compared to him, Luo Xuan seemed like an immature child! Chu’e thought, her mind beginning to drift.
