Chapter 87: Another Encounter While Out

Although Lin Hexi had taken time off to return to the country, there were still some things that needed to be handled remotely for work, so he spent most of his time at the hotel without going out.

It wasn’t until Fang Qingning finished her work and returned from out of town that she invited him out for a meal.

In the years he had spent abroad, Lin Hexi had grown used to the presence of a watch on his wrist. Now, back in the country and without the watch, whenever he raised his left hand to check the time, only to see his bare wrist, he would sometimes feel an inexplicable emptiness settle within him as well.

Before heading out for his lunch appointment, Lin Hexi rummaged through his suitcase and found his old watch to wear again.

They had arranged to meet at a popular Western restaurant in the city center. Fang Qingning arrived before him, dressed no differently from an ordinary student, with sunglasses and a baseball cap, sitting in a relatively secluded corner of the restaurant waiting for him.

When Lin Hexi sat down across from her, he almost didn’t recognize her.

Clearly seeing through his thoughts, Fang Qingning removed her sunglasses and placed them on the table, smiling with curved eyes as she asked, “Couldn’t recognize me, could you?”

Lin Hexi nodded sincerely, then raised his eyebrow. “You still dare to come to a restaurant in the city center? Aren’t you afraid of being recognized by fans?”

“I’ve wanted to eat at this place for a long time, but could never get a reservation before. Besides,” Fang Qingning flipped through the menu enthusiastically, not taking Lin Hexi’s teasing to heart, “I’m not famous enough yet to be recognized by fans on the street.”

Hearing this, Lin Hexi laughed.

After they finished ordering and while waiting for their food, Fang Qingning couldn’t help but ask, “Now that you’re back in the country, are you planning to leave again?”

Lin Hexi didn’t think much of it. “My job is still in the U.S.”

Fang Qingning paused for a moment. “You could look for a job here, back in the country.”

“If it weren’t for your email, I probably wouldn’t have come back at all.” Lin Hexi lowered his gaze to the table. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke calmly, “When exactly did you say You Chong is getting married?”

Fang Qingning, however, looked just as puzzled. “I don’t know.”

Not expecting such an answer, Lin Hexi was visibly surprised. “You don’t know?”

Fang Qingning replied truthfully, “None of the sources could give me a definite time.”

A small glimmer of hope suddenly rose in Lin Hexi’s heart, and he murmured softly, “Could it be a false rumor?”

But Fang Qingning shook her head. “No, it’s not.”

Since it wasn’t false, after eliminating other possibilities, only one answer remained.

Fang Qingning added, “The news came from You Chong himself.”

What truly shatters a person’s confidence is never the absence of hope, but rather the crushing disappointment and emptiness that comes after gradually nurturing expectations.

Even though Lin Hexi tried to act nonchalant, the dejection in his expression was still hard to conceal.

Fang Qingning had a meeting with her manager in the afternoon, so after finishing their meal, they didn’t linger long at the restaurant.

Her assistant drove over to pick her up, and with her sunglasses on, Fang Qingning left the building together with Lin Hexi.

It was a busy weekend, and the underground parking lot at the mall was already full. Fang Qingning’s assistant had no choice but to park in a temporary spot on the roadside across from the square in front of the mall, meaning Fang Qingning had to walk through the square to reach the car.

Lin Hexi, needing to catch a taxi by the roadside, was walking in the same direction.

However, as they reached the fountain in the middle of the square, an unexpected incident occurred.

The drama Fang Qingning had recently starred in was currently airing, and some fans recognized her as the character from the show. They surrounded her in front of the fountain, asking for autographs and photos, causing quite a commotion in the square.

Lin Hexi found himself stuck on the outskirts of the crowd, blocked by the fans. He was about to step forward to help her out, but when he raised his eyes and saw someone striding toward them from a distance, he froze in place unconsciously.

He truly hadn’t expected this. The city where he was born and raised seemed impossibly large.

Even just standing still, every second, different strangers brushed past him. Yet, in the three days since his return to the country, he had already run into You Chong twice.

Lin Hexi’s first instinct was to use the fans in front of him as cover while he quickly removed the slightly old watch from his wrist.

Fang Qingning, clearly not used to such situations, tried to use the excuse that they had mistaken her for someone else as she attempted to break free from the crowd, managing to squeeze her way over to Lin Hexi’s side.

Before she could pull Lin Hexi away, the persistent fans surrounded them again, trapping both Lin Hexi and Fang Qingning between the fountain and a wall of people.

In the chaos, as fans jostled and pushed toward Fang Qingning, someone accidentally slammed into Lin Hexi’s raised elbow, causing the watch he had just removed and was holding in his hand to fly out.

The watch traced a not-too-high arc through the air before dropping straight into the fountain behind them, quickly sinking to the bottom.

Lin Hexi’s face instantly turned cold. He pushed away the people who were still crowding around Fang Qingning, then turned and jumped into the fountain behind him, the water reaching up to his thighs. After rolling up his sleeves, he bent down and began searching through the fountain filled with wishing coins for his watch.

His actions were marked by a noticeable urgency.

Fortunately, the water in the fountain was crystal clear, and Lin Hexi quickly retrieved his watch from the bottom. Without even looking at it, he stuffed it directly into the pocket of his jacket.

When he looked up again, You Chong had already arrived with others, standing by the edge of the fountain.

The mall security guards following You Chong chased away the crowd that had surrounded Fang Qingning, their stern shouts echoing in the air. But Lin Hexi seemed deaf to it all, standing frozen in the fountain, forgetting to step out.

The square was bustling with people, some of whom kept glancing back, curious about the commotion. Lin Hexi, with half his body soaked, stood there in the fountain, staring fixedly at the person in front of him.

The first time they met, he was trapped in an elevator. The second time, he was retrieving something from a fountain.

It seemed that since returning to the country, both of his encounters with You Chong hadn’t exactly been under ideal circumstances—if anything, they had been rather embarrassing. And up until now, he hadn’t even had a proper conversation with You Chong.

He wasn’t even sure now if You Chong would be willing to have a proper conversation with him, something as simple as the casual pleasantries exchanged between friends.

Lin Hexi suddenly felt the urge to laugh but restrained himself.

Soon, he realized that You Chong had no intention of making small talk. With a calm and indifferent tone, You Chong simply said, “Why are you still standing in there? Since you’ve got your things, come out.”

Lin Hexi replied just as casually, “Step back a bit.”

You Chong paused for a moment, his raised hand subtly changing direction as he naturally slid it into his pocket, taking two steps back.

Lin Hexi braced his hands on the edge of the fountain and vaulted out, bringing a considerable amount of water with him.

As he steadied himself by the fountain, the once-dry ground around him quickly became soaked.

Even so, his waterlogged pant legs were still heavy, the wet and sticky fabric clinging to his skin, with water continuously dripping down from the soaked fabric.

You Chong took two steps forward and stopped in front of him, his gaze briefly sweeping over the top of Lin Hexi’s jacket pocket, his emotions hard to read. Then he asked, “What were you picking up just now?”

Lin Hexi paused slightly, then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a hotel key card, covered in droplets of water.

Spreading the card out in his damp palm, he smiled calmly at You Chong, saying, “A key card. I was picking up my room key.”