{“Didn’t Qian Xu agree with this?” 1}

The two walked side by side out of the Zhao Tian Group building. As the setting sun dipped below the horizon, the weak winter sunlight fused their figures together, creating a slightly blurred image, bathed in faint golden light.

It was almost time to go their separate ways.

And according to Zhao Buhui’s simple-minded assumption, based on Qian Xu’s earlier unhesitant stance that showed no doubt about his sincerity, he thought she would, after all, agree to have a meal with him.

As usual, he had reserved the same spot by the window at that Western restaurant.

But Qian Xu believed that her words earlier had nothing to do with the personal affection between them. Instead, it was because she knew that Zhao Buhui was naturally not a particularly upright person. No matter what methods or tricks she used, he would never be surprised or shocked.

“You’re not driving?”

Qian Xu couldn’t understand why Zhao Buhui blindly followed her as she walked downstairs from the very beginning. She had clearly finished work, and all the problems she needed to deal with had already been cleared up. She didn’t understand why such a big man was following her every step of the way. “Listen, I don’t have any other problems right now. I’ve got plans to go shopping with a college friend. If there’s nothing else, we should probably just say ‘goodbye’ now.”

She was being deliberate.

Saying these things in broad daylight was nothing but a clear signal that there was little to no personal connection between them.

Even though Zhao Buhui hadn’t stepped in on her behalf when it came to the Li Xinyin matter, Qian Xu still seized every opportunity to avoid unnecessary gossip.

Zhao Buhui averted his gaze, replying, “Alright.”

His turned face still looked somewhat flushed, slightly red, which made Qian Xu naturally think that it was probably because he had been sitting too long under the air conditioning.

She had intended to remind him, but then realized that mentioning something like this at that moment could very well undermine everything she had carefully orchestrated, especially in a public setting, and possibly even ruin her efforts.

Without looking back, she walked forward. But after encountering her college friend, she once again thought about Zhao Buhui.

More accurately, it was Zhao Buhui’s role.

Her college friend, Bi Xin, had dedicated herself to the preservation of traditional culture after graduation. She also organized cultural events and activities, and this time, she had reached out to reconnect and explore the possibility of future collaboration.

“Qian Xu, if there’s one thing that’s changed about you over the years, it’s that you’ve become even more beautiful.”

“Aren’t you more outstanding yourself?” Qian Xu smiled gently. “But are we going to just keep complimenting each other the whole way?”

“Not really, it’s just that there’s a kind of beauty about you that makes it hard to look away,” Bi Xin said. As an art student, she had a keen sense of aesthetics, and in her eyes, Qian Xu’s beauty was flawless from every angle. “I really think it’s not fair how nature works.”

The two didn’t immediately dive into a discussion about business cooperation.

They talked casually about their lives over the past two years. Bi Xin focused on the challenges she faced while curating exhibitions, the complexity of the approval process for funding, and the difficulties of packing up after every market event, with her male colleagues always coming up with excuses to avoid helping.

“Field research, project coordination, and exhibitions are all things I love. But there’s always a lot of debate over the final list of exhibitions, and sometimes it gets exhausting.”

Qian Xu patted her on the head. “It’s been tough for you these past two years, huh?”

Bi Xin casually added, “Xu Xu, why don’t you tell me about your experiences in the U.S.?”

Qian Xu had nothing to hide and briefly shared her experiences and reflections over the years. Bi Xin, unlike some other friends, didn’t show any sympathy or pity. She listened attentively to everything Qian Xu said, and her conclusion was, “Xu Xu, I feel like after everything you’ve been through, you’ve become so much stronger than the person I first met.”

While they were out and about, they came across a famous restaurant.

But as they watched more and more couples and groups of friends approach, the waitstaff informed them that there were no available seats left for the evening.

Bi Xin was disappointed and started pulling Qian Xu toward another direction, but Qian Xu glanced at the name of the restaurant, The Fan’s Restaurant, and was reminded of someone she had parted ways with not long ago.

Zhao Buhui, with his devil-may-care attitude, always made “play” his core approach.

“Wait a second, I’ll ask a friend. If he knows the owner, maybe we can still get in,” Qian Xu said.

She had already noticed the regret in Bi Xin’s eyes, and she couldn’t bear to let her friend feel disappointed. So, half-believing, she called one of her few contacts in Jiangcheng, Zhao Buhui.

…

It turned out that Zhao Buhui did, in fact, have some connection with the owner of The Fan’s Restaurant. How could they not be familiar with each other? After all, Zhao Buhui had been calling the owner for two days straight to make a reservation, only to suddenly cancel on him.

If the owner had any sense of pride, he wouldn’t have answered Zhao Buhui’s calls anymore.