Song Qiao didn’t fail to recognize the man before her; it was just that for a mont she felt as if she was experiencing a hallucination. She stood there stunned, blinking and looking sowhat dazed at the man who seed to have appeared before her suddenly.
It wasn’t until a familiar yet sowhat unfamiliar voice reached her ears and her cheek was pinched that she ca to her senses, looking startled and even a bit hesitant to directly utter a na, "Ji Sifan?"
Ji Sifan stood there with one hand in his pocket, his nearly 1.9-ter stature making him appear extrely tall. He wore a gentle and refined smile, raised his hand to touch her head, and said with a slight smile, "I thought you didn’t recognize and that I’d have to introduce myself again. Why act so surprised? Do you know that your reaction... really had quite an impact on ."
The man’s tone was very gentle, even indulgent, with each word clear and subtly laced with amusent.
Song Qiao carefully looked at the man in front of her, comparing the mature and composed man to the sowhat green, boy who used to tease her that she rembered.
Looking at Ji Sifan, who still stood a head taller than her even in her high heels, Song Qiao eventually laughed, her tone filled with pleasure as she said, "It’s not that I don’t recognize you, it’s just so unbelievable to see you here. I thought I was hallucinating."
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Ji Sifan chuckled softly, took her hand, and led her inside, "Co on, it’s been several years, I’ll treat you to a al. Eat whatever you want, I brought enough money today. If it’s not enough, it just so happens you can wash dishes here."
"Hey! Ji Sifan." Song Qiao twitched her mouth, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, and slapped his hand as she stopped walking, speaking with so apology, "I might not be able to accompany you for dinner today, I ca with friends, and I’ve already made plans with a colleague."
At this, Ji Sifan stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on Qin Zhe and An Ke who were standing awkwardly nearby, and smiled slightly, "Are you Qiaoqiao’s friends? If you don’t mind, co join us for a al. Otherwise, without you guys coming over, this girl probably won’t agree to have this al with ."
Song Qiao, "..." Ji Sifan, you should be asking , hey!
Suppressing her impulse to pull her hand away and leave, Song Qiao glared at him and turned her head to look at Qin Zhe and An Ke.
At that mont, the two were watching her, their gazes filled with inquiry, which essentially ant they were waiting for her direction—they would go if she said go, and wouldn’t if she said no.
Possibly because she understood Ji Sifan too well, she also knew very clearly that if she refused this man, he would definitely not take her words seriously and would drag her along anyway.
She nodded at Qin Zhe and An Ke, smiled slightly and said, "Let’s go together, since soone else is paying. You guys should eat to your heart’s content later, and rember to order the most expensive dishes when choosing—otherwise, I’ll dock it from your salaries afterward."
Qin Zhe remained calm, neither nodding nor shaking his head.
And An Ke, hearing Song Qiao’s words, opened his mouth but in the end nodded sowhat fearfully, gently saying, "I’ll follow Sister Qiao’s lead."
Upon hearing An Ke’s words, Qin Zhe couldn’t hold back, and turned to give her an eye roll but didn’t know if An Ke sensed his intention, she also turned her head towards him and revealed a sweet smile.
For a mont, the boy who was initially sowhat annoyed felt like he was caught red-handed, and swiftly looked away.
Song Qiao didn’t notice Qin Zhe’s reaction, but Ji Sifan did, and couldn’t help but reveal a aningful smirk while still holding onto Song Qiao’s hand.
Turning her head to look at him, Song Qiao furrowed her brows, discontentedly asking, "Ji Sifan, can you let go first?"
In the midst of the public, pulling and dragging—how improper! Moreover, at their location, so people were already noticing them.
After all, her identity was different now. It would be better to avoid attention, given that she was now... a married woman.
Ji Sifan, thinking she was just shy, let go of her hand and laughed, "There were tis in the past when you wanted to hold your hand, and I really didn’t want to."
Song Qiao almost cried, and even felt an urge to trample this man under her feet and give him a good beating.
That was when she was a young child, not knowing better, and being too naive.
...
Ji Sifan had booked a private room, and it was unclear whether he had reserved it in advance, but he led the three of them straight in. Since Song Qiao had already made plans with Lu An’an, who was on her way, she imdiately sent Lu a ssage telling her she was in the private room.
Ji Sifan sat next to Song Qiao, while An Ke sat on Song Qiao’s other side. It was unclear if Ji Sifan had arranged it, but he directly placed Qin Zhe next to An Ke, making Qin Zhe appear calm on the surface, but his heart was sowhat turbulent.
He lifted his hand to take the teapot that the server had just brought in. Ji Sifan poured a cup of tea for Qin Zhe and An Ke first, then poured one for Song Qiao, and with a smile began, "I haven’t had the ti to co back from abroad in recent years, so I don’t know how you’ve been, but I see you’ve beco a lot prettier, not like the skinny little girl who used to be skinny as a monkey."
Song Qiao took the tea Ji Sifan handed her, said thank you, then couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him and said, "You’ve the nerve to say that when you haven’t returned for so many years. Don’t talk about ; you still look as handso, but not as tan as before, now you look rather like a pretty boy."
Ji Sifan, "..."This little hedgehog.
"Why are you still taking the jokes from our childhood seriously? Weren’t we supposed to be friends for life?" Ji Sifan said with a helpless laugh, his eyes brimming with a gentle smile.
Qin Zhe and An Ke both sat quietly, not saying anything, as if they were trying hard to reduce their presence.
Maybe it was because they had just entered society and hadn’t developed a thick skin yet, and since it was their first ti eting Ji Sifan and they weren’t familiar with him, here they only knew Song Qiao, and in a way, Song Qiao was like their boss.
So there were no complaints or discontents, just quietly drinking tea, listening to Song Qiao and Ji Sifan banter, quietly waiting.
Song Qiao took a sip of tea, comfortably letting out a sigh, then after a while started speaking, "Things from childhood are in the past... Are you planning to develop your career back in An City now?"
Ji Sifan humd in response and nodded, "I’m preparing to take over the family business, and might stay in An City permanently from now on."
Ji Family is also considered one of the prominent families in An City, owning a listed group company, and is one of the top ranking in An City. Ji Family and Song Family have been friends for generations.
When Song Qiao’s mother was still alive, she used to take her to play at Ji Family’s house frequently, as her mother had a good relationship with Ji Sifan’s mother, so much so that their childhood almost ended up in them being betrothed.
But after her mother passed away, although she and Ji Sifan still interacted occasionally, since Ji Sifan was sent abroad by his family, and she herself was thrown out of the Song Family, she had never visited Ji Family again. Ji Sifan used to return to the country during holidays in the past years, even coming to see her.
But later on, contact gradually ceased.
Now that they had suddenly t, she could recall many beautiful mories, as if the things they did together in their youth had just happened yesterday.
Song Qiao smiled faintly, took up her own tea cup, ready to toast with tea instead of alcohol, "Congratulations on your successful graduation and return to the country."
Ji Sifan laughed heartily, his smile bright, also lifting his tea cup, "Congratulations to you too, for not being the frail, bullied little girl anymore. Otherwise, I’d have to figure out how to protect you 24/7."
Song Qiao smiled shyly. Ever since she got to know Ji Sifan, he had always protected her like a big brother. During their childhood, whenever soone bullied her and he found out about it, he would beat up the bully without a word.
The two clinked their tea cups together, replacing wine with tea, and downed it in one go.
When the server brought the nu in, Ji Sifan directly handed the nu to Song Qiao, "I said I would treat you to a al today, so you pick, you should still rember what I like to eat, right?"
Although she didn’t really want to take it, Song Qiao pursed her lips and still accepted it, very much wanting to mutter, "It’s obviously you who are too lazy to order."
Instead of ordering imdiately, she first turned to Qin Zhe and An Ke beside her, handed them the nu, and with a smile initiated, "I don’t know what you two like, you should also help select the dishes."
"We aren’t picky eaters." Neither of them took the nu, and An Ke even nervously declined, "Qiao sister, you order."
Ji Sifan’s gaze unconsciously drifted towards Qin Zhe next to An Ke, a smile unknowingly appearing on his face, before he turned to Song Qiao and spoke, "Qiaoqiao, I heard you are working as an agent, are these two your artists?"
Song Qiao, sowhat aware of Qin Zhe and An’s thoughts and not wanting to embarrass them further, confidently and generously ordered herself. Hearing Ji Sifan’s words, she didn’t look up, flipped a page of the nu, glanced through it, and nodded, "Yes."
Suddenly she thought of sothing, hastily looked up from the nu, and asked the man across, "By the way, doesn’t your family’s company deal with advertisents and films? How do you think these two would do?"
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