"How did you know we were at this restaurant?" Shen Yin asked.
"If Shu Yi is somewhere, I'd certainly know as her boss," Chang Zhiyuan said without treating it as a question. If he wanted to know where someone was, it was too easy.
Shu Yi was speechless.
"Have you eaten?" Chang Zhiyuan asked.
"No," said Shen Yin.
"Yes," said Jing Rui.
"Not finished," said Xiu He.
Three people, three different answers. Now not only Shu Yi was speechless, but the other two didn't know what to make of it either.
Why didn't they coordinate their lines?
"It's like this, I haven't eaten, I met Jing Rui who was in the middle of eating, and then the two of us met Xiu He who had finished eating," Chang Zhiyuan made up a lie on the spot.
"Jing Rui, where were you eating that you got pulled out halfway through?" Qi Ji asked.
"Um..." Jing Rui scratched his head, not saying a word. If he said he was eating in the next private room, would they believe him?
"It's like this, we happened to come out to eat too, happened to be next door to you, happened that Chang Zhiyuan hadn't eaten, Jing Rui ate halfway, and I just finished eating," Xiu He explained.
...
"What a coincidence, three coincidences, very very very good," Shen Yin smiled, these three brothers were quite amusing.
Chang Zhiyuan sat down next to Shu Yi, who had nearly finished eating, after all female celebrities still needed to maintain their figures.
Chang Zhiyuan took Shu Yi's chopsticks and started picking up dishes from the table.
Not only Shu Yi, but also the people across from them were stunned.
"What are you looking at? Keep eating. With so many people watching me eat, I'm not used to it. Jing Rui, you haven't finished either, so you eat too. Xiu He..."
Chang Zhiyuan's words were cut off by Xu Xiuhe: "Just eat, there's no point talking to a chatterbox like you."
Chang Zhiyuan started eating. There were no spare chopsticks on the table, so Jing Rui, seeing that Qi Ji had stopped eating, took her chopsticks instead. He wasn't hungry, but he just wanted to use Qi Ji's chopsticks.
Xu Xiuhe watched with an expression of "the student has surpassed the master."
Qi Ji: "Jing Rui, there are chopsticks at the counter over there, let me get you a pair."
"No need, using an extra pair is just wasteful," Jing Rui said.
"Exactly, look at me using Shu Yi's chopsticks. We need to save, not waste. Be frugal, everyone is responsible. Join the 'clean plate' campaign," Chang Zhiyuan said, then picked up Shu Yi's bowl which still had some rice left.
"Hey, that's my bowl, I didn't finish it," Shu Yi said anxiously.
"I don't mind," Chang Zhiyuan replied.
Shu Yi was speechless.
Shen Yin smiled inwardly, now she understood why Xu Xiuhe was so thick-skinned - there was an even thicker-skinned one.
"Jing Rui, do you want more rice? If so, let the server refill it."
"No need, I'll just have a bit," Jing Rui said. He wasn't hungry, he just wanted to see how Qi Ji would react to him.
The little girl still cared about him, so his gifts of fruit and snacks weren't for nothing.
"It's Saturday today, my parents want us to stay over at the old house for a night, is that okay?"
"Of course, it's been a while since we went back."
After dinner, everyone went their separate ways.
Xu Xiuhe carried Zhengzheng and held Shen Yin's hand to the car.
Shu Yi had her own car, so Chang Zhiyuan drove behind her.
Jing Rui drove, with Qi Ji in the passenger seat.
"Did you have fun today?" Jing Rui asked.
Qi Ji hugged her plushie and nodded: "Yes, Shen Yin is really amazing, she knows everything, even fortune-telling. The Martial Arts Club she runs is great too, can I come back tomorrow?"
"Of course, I'll drop you off in the morning," Jing Rui replied.
But what was on his mind was Shen Yin's fortune-telling talent. Fortune-telling, surely it was fake? Did people still do that nowadays? Shen Yin must have been joking, and this little girl just believed it.
He had wanted to tell the little girl that Shen Yin might not actually be able to tell fortunes and not to believe everything she said. But seeing her so excited, he gave up.
At the family compound, the Xue house had its gates closed.
Jing Rui knocked on the door.
It was opened by the family's maid.
"Auntie, are my parents asleep?" Jing Rui asked.
"No, they just went upstairs," the maid replied.
"Okay, then Qi Ji and I will head up too."
"Sure, get some rest early. Fresh sheets in your rooms, sleep well."
"Thank you auntie," Qi Ji said sweetly.
The maid watched them go upstairs, smiling to herself: "How lovely, a handsome couple. When will I have such an obedient daughter-in-law?"
Upstairs, Xue Kai and Ye Rong were watching TV. Hearing the sounds from the staircase, they were surprised - the maid didn't usually come upstairs at night.
When Jing Rui and Qi Ji appeared, Ye Rong stood up.
"Jing Rui, Qi Ji?"
Before she could say more, Jing Rui cut her off.
"Mom, were you and dad waiting for us?"
Having been in business for years, Ye Rong understood what her son meant.
"Yes, yes, your mom hasn't seen my daughter-in-law for so long and missed her. Daughter-in-law, how have you been lately? If Jing Rui bullies you, let me know and I'll support you," Ye Rong said warmly, taking Qi Ji's hands.
"Mom, Jing Rui has been very good to me, he doesn't bully me," Qi Ji replied.
"That's good, that's good. It's getting late, you should rest up and try to give me a grandchild soon," Ye Rong smiled, as if she could hold her grandchild tomorrow.
Hearing this, Qi Ji's face reddened again, just like what Shu Yi had told her earlier that evening.
Jing Rui, on the other hand, wasn't embarrassed at all. He turned to look at Qi Ji and saw her blushing, secretly delighted - did this mean she wasn't completely indifferent to him?
"Mom, I'll go take a shower first," Qi Ji said, having been out all day, a shower would be refreshing.
After Qi Ji entered the bedroom, only the three of them remained in the living room.
"Jing Rui, out with it, what's going on that you suddenly came back?" Xue Kai spoke from the sofa.
"Nothing, I just wanted to come see you," Jing Rui replied.
"That's for the best; we can't let this girl be wronged. I didn't mention to you what happened at the wedding last time, that woman is no good. You should be cautious of her in the future."
"I understand, Dad."
"It's good that you understand, it's good that you understand. Jingrui, tell your mom, how are things going between you two now? Are you trying for a baby?"
Ye Rong pulled Xue Jingrui's arm again, with an inquisitive look on her face.
"Mom... yes, we're trying." Xue Jingrui said somewhat unnaturally.
Ye Rong thought her son was just being shy, and she looked delighted. "Let me tell you, I've been through this myself. During your trying to conceive period, you must take it seriously."
Xue Jingrui was afraid of Ye Rong launching into a long lecture, so he quickly cut her off.
