02
Meng Shuyu has been in society for more than three years, doing a secretarial job that requires a lot of superficial work, but he has never experienced such a social failure.
It is true that her mind was in a mess and she didn't pay any attention to the back seat, but if that friend was a good person, he should at least show some gentlemanly manners and make a sound to show his presence while she was talking nonstop.
Instead of sending her on a bungee jumping trip at the climax of the opera, and at the end, as if deliberately playing with her mentality, he gave her a meaningful look.
Just that one glance was more terrifying than exposing her on the spot.
Thinking back to the laughter that came from that person's nose, it didn't sound like he was simply amused.
If this man told Jian Cheng and his family the exact conversation between her and Chen Xing, or even exaggerated it, her embarrassment would become the embarrassment of both families...
Meng Shuyu was still a little confused until he followed Jian Cheng into the roadside coffee shop.
On the coffee table, Jian Cheng was still explaining the cause and effect of the incident with his cousin: "... This is what happened, Shu Yu, I was wrong about this matter, I should have informed you in advance, I apologize to you."
Meng Shuyu lowered his head and said nothing.
"Shu Yu?" Jian Cheng called her again.
"Oh," Meng Shuyu nodded, "I was also wrong. I didn't verify it with you clearly."
"So we are done with this? If you have anything else you want to ask, you can ask me."
Meng Shuyu made up his mind and regained his spirit: "This matter is nothing, but just now... who is your friend?"
Jian Cheng seemed to be hesitant about her jumping around in topics: "She's my high school classmate."
"Are you on good terms?"
"It was good before, but then he went abroad for graduate studies and work. We haven't been in touch much in the past few years, so we're a little estranged."
"Will you meet again soon?" Meng Shuyu smiled tenderly and considerately. "I was thinking that when I was frightened just now, he seemed to be frightened by me too. I wonder if I will have a chance to apologize to him."
"How could that be? I can just tell him for you later."
Meng Shuyu choked, raised the phone with a mottled screen, and frowned: "But my phone is broken, shouldn't he pay for it?"
Jian Cheng laughed: "Do you want to apologize to him, or do you want him to pay you?"
"Okay," Meng Shuyu coughed lightly, "I want him to pay for it. I was embarrassed to tell the truth just now."
Jian Cheng took her phone and checked it: "It's just that the tempered glass is broken. Come on, I'll take you to get a new one as an apology for him."
"… "
Meng Shuyu was in a dilemma.
If I continue to inquire, I'm afraid Jian Cheng will become suspicious and ask his friend directly if something happened in the car, which would backfire. But let it go. This matter has become a time bomb that makes me nervous all night.
The twists and turns of the night ended with a change of phone screen protector. The next morning, Meng Shuyu was awakened by the alarm and went to check the WeChat messages first.
An hour ago, Jian Cheng said good morning to her as usual, saying that he was going to work at the hospital. He also talked about his work schedule for the whole day. His attitude was even more enthusiastic than before, as if he was encouraged by her "jealousy" last night.
Logically, Meng Shuyu should be relieved, but this calmness made her feel even more weird.
How could someone not warn his or her good friend of many years after finding out that she has met a "bad girl"
Meng Shuyu suddenly had an idea and replied to Jian Cheng: Your car was taken away by your friend, how did you get to the hospital today
Jian Cheng probably happened to be free, and replied immediately: I took the subway.
Meng Shuyu: Will there be no subway after get off work
Jian Cheng: It’s okay, he will come to return the car in the evening.
The plan is passed√.
It was originally the last day at the headquarters, and there were problems that needed to be solved urgently. After arriving at the company, Meng Shuyu mechanically confirmed the job transfer approval process on the OA, feeling a little listless.
Tao Shuangshuang was just the opposite. As soon as she saw Meng Shuyu, she wanted to gossip with her about the visitor last night whose appearance could be selected into the "100 Most Handsome Faces in Asia and the Pacific" - from what she heard him and Mr. Cai mentioned in their conversation about a contract, could it be that he was the newly signed celebrity spokesperson for Yongyi
It was obvious that Meng Shuyu was not in the mood, so Tao Shuangshuang had to give up chatting.
By the evening, Meng Shuyu had dealt with all the remaining matters, said goodbye to his close colleagues, punched out at six o'clock, and set off for Nanhuai City Third Hospital.
After getting in the taxi, she sent a message to Chen Xing: Is there anything going on
Because she was not sure what time the man would return the car that night, she asked Chen Xing, who had flexible working hours, to help her wait for a while.
Meng Shuyu thought about it and decided that if that person really wanted to expose her past, she would have no choice but to accept defeat. But now that there was no movement, she had to make a last-ditch effort.
Going to him to explain or to ask for help is better than just sitting there and waiting to die.
Meng Shuyu held the phone and silently prayed that everything would go well. When he was still one kilometer away from the hospital, he received a reply from Chen Xing: [Picture] I found it! Is this Jian Cheng's license plate? Where are you
Meng Shuyu nervously urged the driver to move out of the way, and arrived at the Third Hospital three minutes later. He punched a number on the code he had scanned in advance and got out of the car quickly.
In the dark sky, people were coming and going near the hospital. Meng Shuyu walked through the crowd and searched for the location of Chen Xing's photo.
Jian Cheng's Audi Q7 was parked quietly on the side of the road, with the rear of the car with its taillights on facing her direction.
Meng Shuyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Chen Xing's latest news said that Jian Cheng hasn't come out yet, so the man in the car right now should be the same man from last night.
Just two minutes, or one minute, and she felt confident she could get his contact information.
Meng Shuyu adjusted the hem of her suit skirt and walked quickly forward in high heels. After taking a few steps, a familiar figure suddenly flashed into her peripheral vision.
She paused and looked towards the main entrance of the hospital—
Jian Cheng came out.
How come it came out at this time!
Meng Shuyu made a 180-degree turn and hid behind the billboard. In the blink of an eye, the remaining few meters of road seemed to become a natural chasm, standing between her and the man.
She watched Jian Cheng walk to the car in two or three steps, say something to the driver's seat, then open the passenger door and sit in.
The car started and turned out of the parking space.
If despair has a sound, it must be the roar of the Audi Q7 starting at this moment.
Meng Shuyu stomped his feet in annoyance, and suddenly heard a louder roar behind him.
It was Chen Xing who caught up in her Porsche Panamera.
The car stopped suddenly beside Meng Shuyu, and Chen Xing waved at her, "Get in the car!"
In the driver's seat of the SUV, Zhou Jun turned the steering wheel with one hand and glanced out the window.
In the wide rearview mirror, the pretty figure hurried out from behind the billboard and got on the passenger seat of the white Panamera.
A smile appeared on Zhou Jun's lips and he eased off the accelerator.
When I looked away, I saw Jian Cheng looking under his seat.
"Looking for that?" Zhou Jun pointed to the back seat.
Jian Cheng turned around and saw the bouquet of red roses that he had not given away last night.
After one night, the fresh dew had dried up, and the originally plump petals became shriveled and lifeless as if covered with a layer of dust.
"I'll compensate you with a bouquet." Zhou Jun said.
"No, no, the timing was not right last night. You couldn't have sent the car away even if you didn't drive it away."
"The conversation wasn't going well?"
"Not really," Jian Cheng said vaguely, "It's pretty good."
Zhou Jun bit his tongue and slowly repeated his words: "Very good - how far have we come?"
"It's just... just a thin layer of window paper."
"That means they haven't been together yet." Zhou Jun nodded thoughtfully.
Jian Cheng's eyelids twitched, and for some reason, an inexplicable sense of vigilance suddenly rose in his heart.
Just like last night when Meng Shuyu asked him about Zhou Jun.
"We can settle it when we meet this weekend." Jian Cheng answered subconsciously.
Zhou Jun raised his eyebrows and looked at him with a half-smile: "Good luck."
Jian Cheng glanced at Zhou Jun, feeling that after not seeing him for a few years, every word and expression of this man carried an elusive sense of mask and distance, becoming a little strange.
He said "good luck", but it didn't sound like a blessing.
Approaching the traffic light, Zhou Jun followed a long line of people and stepped on the brakes. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a Panamera parked in the back of the car, and shook his head slightly.
"What's wrong?" Jian Cheng asked.
Zhou Jun smiled and sighed: "It's not easy to follow a car during the evening rush hour in Nanhuai."
Jian Cheng looked at the car in front of him—they were following him just fine, weren't they? He agreed, confused, "Ah, yes."
In the passenger seat of the Panamera, Meng Shuyu looked anxiously at the road conditions ahead.
Just now, Chen Xing had just left a little distance behind the other car when a hurried van cut in line.
Now there was such a huge vehicle in front of them, and Jian Cheng’s Audi Q7 was completely invisible.
"Don't worry. If my Panamera can't pass this green light, his Audi Q7 can't either." When the green light came on, Chen Xing confidently stepped on the accelerator.
The van in front was probably in a hurry, so it overtook the car before reaching the solid line at the intersection.
But it was a good thing for Meng Shuyu and Chen Xing, because after the Audi Q7 gave way, they were able to follow it again.
"I don't think this man is as scary as you say," Chen Xing sighed, "The character of the car reflects the character of the man. He doesn't mind others forcing him to overtake him in such a traffic jam. He must be as gentle as Jian Cheng."
Meng Shuyu was not comforted, and stared at the front with full concentration: "Sister, horror story, there are traffic police directing ahead."
"I'm not so unlucky to get stuck..."
Before Chen Xing finished speaking, the traffic policeman's palm was right in front of the two of them.
The Audi Q7 was the last car to cross the line at the green light, and it left in a cloud of dust, becoming an unreachable shadow...
Nothing is difficult in the world as long as you are willing to give up. Half an hour later, Meng Shuyu gave up and went into a Japanese restaurant along the way.
After going around all possible roads and still not seeing Jian Cheng's car again, Meng Shuyu couldn't stand the repeated missed opportunities and said he was tired and decided to destroy it and not look for it anymore.
However, Chen Xing was still brooding over the mistake she made while driving, and suggested that Meng Shuyu try one last time to see if he could get Jian Cheng to tell him where they were.
Theoretically, this is indeed Meng Shuyu's last chance.
Once that man and Jian Cheng separated, it would be difficult for her to find him again, after all, she didn't see his face clearly last night.
Although she could tell from his figure that he definitely had an aura that stood out from the crowd, she couldn't just go up to recognize every man with outstanding temperament she saw, right
Meng Shuyu thought about it, took out his cell phone and sent a message to Jian Cheng: Have you had dinner
Jian Cheng: Eating.
Meng Shuyu raised his phone and took a picture of the plate in front of him: [Picture]^_^Me too, I'm having Japanese food tonight, how about you
Asking directly “where did you eat” would be too blunt. It would be much more reasonable to share your daily life first, then guide Jian Cheng to take a photo and send it to you, and then ask “it looks delicious, which restaurant is this?”
Chen Xing gave a thumbs up to Meng Shuyu's perfect rhetoric. Just as she was about to praise her, she saw a new reply on her screen: I'm with the elders. I'll talk to you later.
Meng Shuyu: “…”
Chen Xing blinked in confusion: "Why would you lie like that when having dinner with a male friend?"
Meng Shuyu turned his phone screen upside down and supported his cheek with his hand with an expressionless face.
In the more than one month since she came into contact with Jian Cheng, Jian Cheng had always responded to her requests. However, from last night till today, he had been avoiding news about that friend, and it was clear that he was very averse to her having any contact with that man.
"I asked him about that person yesterday," Meng Shuyu guessed, "Isn't he thinking that I have feelings for him?"
"Oh wow, it's over."
Even the most honest man will build an iron wall when a strong threat approaches. Chen Xing felt that not only tonight, but Meng Shuyu would never see that mysterious man again in his life.
Meng Shuyu pursed his lips: "But Jian Cheng didn't hide his other friends like this before. He even took me to their parties."
"Don't you understand?" Chen Xing sighed, "This means that this man is very likely-"
"More handsome than him."
"Richer than him."
"More attractive than his personality."
"Crush him from all directions, 360 degrees."
At the same time, in a Cantonese hotpot restaurant, Jian Cheng remembered something, clicked on Meng Shuyu's photo again, enlarged it, and carefully observed the hand across the table.
Zhou Jun glanced at him and asked, "Are you checking so closely?"
Jian Cheng raised his head embarrassedly and put his phone aside: "Just take a look..."
Zhou Jun's eyes swept across the Japanese food plate on his mobile phone screen and fell on the enlarged store logo.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Jun picked up his cell phone.
Once unlocked, the internal resume of Yongyi Group received a month ago popped up again—
18th Campus Recruitment-President's Office-Meng Shuyu.pdf.
In the one-inch photo frame in the upper left corner of the resume, a childish girl is wearing a clean white shirt, her long black hair tied into a high ponytail, and she has a bright smile and curved eyebrows.
Zhou Juan glanced at Jian Cheng across from him, locked the screen and stood up: "Go to the bathroom."
Jian Cheng nodded and continued to study the photo sent by Meng Shuyu silently. After determining that the person opposite her was a woman, he put down his phone and left his seat to get the dipping sauce.
When I walked to the condiment table, I happened to see Zhou Jun standing outside the bathroom at the end of the opposite aisle, talking on the phone.
Their eyes met, Jian Cheng raised the bowl and plate in his hand towards him and asked with his mouth if he wanted him to get one too.
Zhou Jun nodded at him, and heard a respectful female voice coming from the receiver of the phone: "I'm sorry, sir, we can't tell you the room number of the guest without the guest's permission."
"I think that lady would like to see me." Zhou Jun said to the person on the other end of the phone.
"Sir, we can't confirm whether you and that lady really know each other..."
"Her last name is Meng," Zhou Jun glanced at Jian Cheng who was mixing the dipping sauce across from him, holding the phone loosely in his palm, and spoke in a calm and relaxed tone, "She wore a very beautiful haze blue suit skirt tonight, and came to your store with her friend in a white Panamera. Just three minutes ago, she took a picture of the food on her table for me. If I remember correctly, there was a plate of prawn sashimi on her right hand, and a bowl of cold seaweed on her left hand - can I confirm it now?"
The waiter said "wait a moment" and replied after a while: "Hello sir, we can provide you with the information. May I ask why you need the box number..."
Zhou Jun lowered his eyes and smiled: "I want to book the box next to hers and give her a surprise."