"Yo, our editor-in-chief is finally here." Xiao Wanqing approached a little, and heard Wen Tong reminding Zhou Qin, whose back was turned to her, with a smile. Her voice sounded the same as before.
Zhou Qin turned his head sideways when he heard the sound, looked at Xiao Wanqing, and greeted warmly: "Xiao Wan, here."
Xiao Wanqing looked at Zhou Qin's friendly smiling face that she knew nothing about, and was unconsciously at a loss, almost unable to squeeze out that usual smile.
The appearance of her and Lin Xian's sweet lips and teeth intertwined in the past two days, inexplicably appeared in her mind at this moment facing Zhou Qin.
Feelings of guilt and shame filled my heart in an instant.
Xiao Wanqing staggered, and a pair of white and slender hands stretched out from the side immediately, quickly and powerfully supporting Xiao Wanqing's crooked body.
Xiao Wanqing turned her face to the side and looked at the owner of the hand—Wen Tong looked at her with solemn eyes and implied worry. Xiao Wanqing's heart warmed up, and the sense of heaviness and helplessness dissipated a little, as if she had found some support from the caring eyes of her friends.
In the next second, Wen Tong let go of Xiao Wanqing. She turned her head and teased Zhou Qin, who was a little unresponsive, and said, "Although I'm a little late, there's no need to give such a big gift. Sister, don't you think so?"
Xiao Wanqing's embarrassment was instantly resolved. Zhou Qin said happily: "Tongtong, don't bully Xiaowan, we are here early."
Xiao Wanqing bit her lip, and sat down next to Wen Tong uneasily, not daring to look directly into Zhou Qin's bright eyes, she frowned obediently and explained: "I'm late, there is a little traffic jam on the road."
"It's okay, anyway, we are here to eat and chat, and we are not in a hurry." Zhou Qin comforted. She handed the menu to Xiao Wanqing: "Come on, order. The receipt on it is what Tongtong and I ordered before you came. You can add some more."
Xiao Wanqing lowered her eyes and looked carefully, she had already clicked a lot. Moreover, several of the flavors above are her favorites. Zhou Qin probably didn't know her that well, Xiao Wanqing glanced at Wen Tong unconsciously, and Wen Tong happened to be looking at her too. The eyes of the two met for a moment, Wen Tong calmly blinked and turned his eyes away.
A faint smile gradually appeared on Xiao Wanqing's lips. The sense of joy that Wen Tong's silent care brought to her temporarily overwhelmed the tension and oppression that Zhou Qin brought to her.
"No need, you can order whatever I want." Xiao Wanqing pushed back the menu.
Today, Zhou Qin was the host, and she refused to let her go. Seeing that Xiao Wanqing really didn't want to order, she called the waiter and generously added a few more dishes on her own.
While waiting for the food, the three of them started chatting. Both Xiao Wanqing and Wen Tong have not married yet, and they don't even have a relationship status. As the older sister, Zhou Qin obviously cannot escape the topic of marriage urging. Fortunately, Wen Tong was so eloquent that he helped him to laugh and laugh. Zhou Qin wanted to say a few more words, but he was afraid that if he said too much, it would be offensive, so enough was enough in the end.
Therefore, slowly the topic turned to work. Especially since Wen Tong just changed to a new job, Zhou Qin inevitably asked a few more questions.
Wen Tong has always been talkative, he and Zhou Qin come and go, chatting in full swing, Xiao Wanqing is not a talkative person at all, plus she feels ashamed towards Zhou Qin, she is a little lost in thought, so she talks less. She mostly listened to their chat quietly, and only answered a few words when asked occasionally.
Xiao Wanqing sincerely thanked Wen Tong for being willing to come to the banquet, and also helped her block many conversations intentionally or unintentionally. Otherwise, she didn't know how difficult it would be if only she was facing Zhou Qin.
The dishes were slowly served, and the three of them clinked glasses with tea instead of wine. After Zhou Qin inquired about Wen Tong's situation, he turned to care about Xiao Wanqing.
"Xiao Wan, you said earlier that you would be transferred outside, what happened later?" Zhou Qin was actually not satisfied with Xiao Wanqing's work all the time. It's not that Xiao Wanqing's current job is not good, for most people, it's considered outstanding. However, Zhou Qin always felt that she deserved better.
After so many years, Xiao Wanqing is still her father's most proud student. When she was in school, she published more papers in various core journals than in the same period, and won various awards. Some records have not been broken so far. At work, because of Xiao Wanqing's relationship, Zhou Qin subscribed to their magazine and never missed a single issue. It is often rare to see an article of extraordinary level that makes people admirable. If you look carefully at the signature at the end of the article, you will find that Xiao Wanqing personally wrote it. It can be seen from this that Xiao Wanqing's abilities are definitely not inferior to those at school.
But it was this talented student who was her father's most promising student. Over the years, because of the past, she fell behind most of her classmates who were not as good as her. Zhou Qin doesn't know if Xiao Wanqing really enjoys the life she is living now, but she feels heartache when she judges it from a worldly perspective.
"Later the project was cancelled, so the foreign transfer was also cancelled." Xiao Wanqing took a sip of her drink and replied embarrassingly.
Zhou Qin took out a business card from his bag, handed it to Xiao Wanqing, and said gently: "Xiao Wan, this was given to me by the president over there when I held a management training lecture at Yuefeng Media a few days ago, Wang Chuqi, You should have met a few times. He is a student a few years behind me. When we talked about the compatibility of management and majors, we talked about the current situation in the industry and mentioned you. I know you and I know each other well. , he just wanted me to lead the line. He admires you very much and thinks that you have a more suitable position and more favorable development space with him than now. I heard from him that he tried to contact you in the past two years, but You resolutely refused. He has been brooding all the time, and wanted me to ask you if you have any different ideas now. I am the one who brought the words, you can think about it. I personally think that Yuefeng Media is very good , especially in the past two years of innovation, the momentum is very good, and the benefits in all aspects are obvious to all in the industry."
Xiao Wanqing was stunned for a moment, but before answering, Zhou Qin added meaningfully: "Xiao Wan, people always have to look forward. Life still has a lot of meaning." Remember Xiao Wanqing's sadness. But she always felt that after so many years of stagnation, it was time for Xiao Wanqing to step out and re-plan her life. It’s true at work, and it’s true in life as well.
It's not like Zhou Qin had never advised her in such a tactful way before, but at that time Xiao Wanqing's heart was calm, and she just laughed it off and continued to muddle through. But now, because of Lin Xian, Zhou Qin unconsciously has another identity in her eyes.
For the first time, she began to think, in Zhou Qin's eyes, is she a person who does not think about making progress and does not seek to make progress? Such a self, in Zhou Qin's eyes, apart from being inappropriate for her gender and age, isn't she also a person who can make her feel at ease to hand over her daughter
If she hadn't met herself, Lin Xian is so outstanding, the person she chooses to be with must be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with her. That person, at his current age, should have achieved much more than himself, right
Apart from giving Lin Xian an upright and enviable private life, if that person can give Lin Xian material life, can he afford it
Xiao Wanqing asked herself, her eyes gradually dimmed.
"Okay, I'll get in touch when the time comes." Xiao Wanqing replied with a forced smile.
Even though he said so, Xiao Wanqing didn't really plan to contact her. Wang Chuqi wondered if he had told Zhou Qin the whole story. At that time, Xiao Wanqing's olive branch to Wang Chuqi was not really shaken at all, but later she found that Wang Chuqi not only wanted to poach her, but also wanted to chase her, Xiao Wanqing immediately gave up the idea.
Wen Tong has been worrying about Xiao Wanqing, and he is not much more relaxed than Xiao Wanqing. She keenly noticed that Xiao Wanqing's mood seemed to be inexplicably depressed, and worried that Xiao Wanqing was thinking too much, and she didn't know where she was thinking again. She hurriedly smoothed things over, and joked: "Sister, why are you so biased, introducing a job to Xiao Wan, when I resigned, I couldn't find another one, and you didn't treat me so well."
Zhou Qin was suddenly diverted from the topic by Wen Tong, and he took the bait unconsciously. He laughed and said, "Why are you so jealous? You told me just now that someone poached you away, okay? Go over there That's right, you will be welcomed in from the back foot."
Hearing the words "I welcome you in", Wen Tong's mind flashed for a moment the image of Shi Jinglan, who had always had a strong aura that night, frowning and moaning coquettishly under him, and panicked inexplicably. Speaking of which, when Jinglan picked up her drunk home, it was considered a show of mercy. Is she repaying her kindness
Thankfully, after she slipped away, Shi Jinglan didn't even look for her. Perhaps, is it a tacit intention to forget about it
Wen Tong reined in his divergent thoughts, used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of food for Zhou Qin and Xiao Wanqing, and complained: "It's rare to see each other, sister, let's not always talk about troublesome things like work, let's talk about something more relaxing. .”
Zhou Qin chuckled, and ate the food that Wen Tong had brought solicitously. He accepted the suggestion and changed the subject.
However, for Xiao Wanqing, this topic was no easier than the previous one. Zhou Qin asked her: "Xiao Wan, I'm here to ask you some gossip. Is there anything wrong with Xianxian in the past six months? Have you noticed anything unusual?"
Xiao Wanqing's hands trembling imperceptibly, tried her best to pretend to be natural, but her voice was still a little unsteady: "Sister, why do you ask such a question?"
"On Qixi Festival, she sneaked out suddenly and didn't see anyone for two days. She told me that she was going to play with her classmates, but my intuition was not right. She locked the door when she went home for half a year. Never happened. When I passed by occasionally, I could vaguely hear her voice as if she was on the phone, and asked her with a playful smile, saying that she was playing games and talking to friends. But the look, I don’t look like it at all. I suspect She's in a relationship. Does she usually do that with you?"
Xiao Wanqing is not good at lying, and she is not good at lying to Zhou Qin, whom she has always regarded as her sister. Xiao Wanqing's throat slid, and the blood on Wenxiu's face was fading. She denied it with some difficulty: "No..."
Wen Tong felt sorry for Xiao Wanqing, couldn't stand it, and hurriedly helped her out: "Sister, the child is smart now, you are her mother, you can't see what you can't ask, let alone her stupid. It’s 20, it’s normal for this age to yearn for a romantic relationship, and it’s normal to fall in love. We also came here at that time.”
Zhou Qin said with a hearty smile: "I know, I'm not old-fashioned and want to object to her dating in college. I just care about her, so let me take a look at him anyway to see how this boy is, and whether he is a person worth dating. .”
"Hahaha, sister, you said that you are not old-fashioned, and you are only limited to boys, so you can't be girls?" Wen Tong seemed to be speaking quickly, and casually joked.
Xiao Wanqing's heart tightened for an instant, and her hands twisted together unconsciously. She held her breath and subconsciously glanced at Zhou Qin's face.
Zhou Qin's smile subsided in an instant, his brows were furrowed, and his expression was obviously dignified. Xiao Wanqing's heart gradually twisted with Zhou Qin's frowning. The whole body began to feel cold.
Seeing this, Wen Tong immediately changed the topic with wit and interest, as if he had just made an insignificant joke: "Oh, sister, tell me about your son-in-law standards, how can I win your attention."
Zhou Qin's brows stretched out, seeing that Wen Tong just said casually, she felt relieved, and skipped the topic that made her heart sink: "I'm not very demanding. Xianxian is not ugly, and boys have at least the least appearance. Let’s get on with it, other aspects are similar to Xianxian. The most important thing is to be self-motivated, down-to-earth and responsible, and to be able to make progress together with Xianxian. Oh, now, it’s best to be with Xianxian I also plan to study abroad, otherwise I am afraid that they will not be able to survive long-distance relationships when they are young." In her words, there is the unique expectation and pride of every parent when they talk about their beloved children.
Every time Zhou Qin said something, Xiao Wanqing's face turned paler.
As he said that, Zhou Qin seemed to have remembered something, and said to Xiao Wanqing: "Xiao Wan, if you have a chance, please help me find out about Xianxian's tone. Speaking of which, I suspect that she is in a relationship. Another reason is that she is going to college. It was said before that it was good to go abroad for postgraduate study. This summer vacation, I mentioned to her that next year I will be an exchange student to get familiar with the foreign environment. I won’t go. I wondered more and more whether she had any unresolved concerns in China. This child looks obedient, but he has his own ideas inside. He is very stubborn and doesn’t listen to what he says. gone."
Xiao Wanqing was moved and sad when she heard it, and felt deeply guilty. Her eye sockets were sour and red, and she no longer dared to look up at Zhou Qin. She was afraid that the look in her eyes would not be able to hide the shame and love in her heart.
Lin Xian, I'm sorry, do I still have to delay you
For me, is it worth it
After a meal, although the indoor air conditioner was turned on extremely comfortably, Xiao Wanqing ate until her entire back was wet and cold.
Finally, the bloodless Ling Chi finally came to an end. Zhou Qin still has work at home, so he took a step ahead and went straight to the parking lot. Wen Tong grabbed Xiao Wanqing and said in a low voice, "Let's go for a while."
Xiao Wanqing nodded, and went downstairs with her to the square outside the mall.
"Wen Tong, thank you." Xiao Wanqing said in a low voice. Thank you, she didn't say. Because, I have so much to thank.
Wen Tong suppressed his love and gave Xiao Wanqing an obscure look, then turned his gaze away, and sighed helplessly. "Xiao, you have also heard, sister Zhou Qin's expectations for Lin Xian, and her attitude towards Lin Xian who might like girls."
Xiao Wanqing's hands on both sides of the skirt clenched into fists, silent and did not answer. In fact, she knew Zhou Qin's conservatism more or less. Therefore, she can confess to Wen Tong, but she dare not come out to Zhou Qin. In these years, no matter how Zhou Qin urged her to get married, she dared not speak out.
They stood in front of the fountain in the square, and the water mist sent bursts of coolness. Wen Tong held Xiao Wanqing's arm, stared straight into Xiao Wanqing's eyes, and asked her earnestly with a frown: "Xiao Wanqing, it's too late to get away now. Obviously, you have more and better choices, so you must choose Lin Are you envious? With her, your journey will only be more tiring and sad than before. Do you really want to go your own way like this? "
Wen Tong saw that her gentle crush looked up at her steadily, with a vaguely bitter yet soft smile on his face: "Wen Tong, I have no other choice."
"I don't want to choose anyone but her."
"Wen Tong, Lin Xian is very warm." Gradually, there was tenderness and brilliance in her eyes that Wen Tong had never seen before. "Even though I'm a little tired, Lin Xian makes me feel that I'm still alive. It turns out that I can still cry and laugh."
"I'm selfish, I'm sorry for my sister and the others, I'm sorry for Lin Xian." It's unavoidable, and I can't help it. "Wen Tong, I know, maybe I will die again because of her in the future, and that is what I deserve. But now, I really want to live again for her."
Xiao Wanqing's voice gradually choked up, and crystal tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes, burning Wen Tong's heart.
Wen Tong looked at her silently, heartbroken.
Finally, she raised her hand, gently wiped away Xiao Wanqing's tears, and said in a warm voice: "Xiao Wanqing, there is no right or wrong when it comes to feelings. You have not wronged anyone, so don't take it all in."
"I want to meet Lin Xian." Wen Tong asked solemnly.