Chapter 123: Her Answer (1)

Just as I stepped out of the house, I saw Xinmeng and... Ji Niansheng.

"Hi, didn't expect to see me here, did you?" Ji Niansheng greeted with a wide, arched-eye smile.

Leng Xinmeng ignored him and turned to Qiao Xi. "Have you seen Gu Heng?"

"Yes." Qiao Xi nodded, then turned to Ji Niansheng. "Why are you here?"

"Don't worry about him," Leng Xinmeng said, pulling Qiao Xi away.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm still standing right here!" Ji Niansheng called out.

"I don't see anyone," Leng Xinmeng replied without even glancing at him.

Qiao Xi, however, asked, "Is something the matter?"

"I haven't had dinner yet, and I came all this way. We're classmates, surely you're not going to just ignore me?" Ji Niansheng put on a pitiful act.

"There's a restaurant up ahead," Qiao Xi said, then turned back to Xinmeng. "You don't want to stand in the middle of the street to talk, do you?"

Xinmeng never entered Qiao Xi's house; the reason was simple—she didn't like Qiao Xi's aunt.

Leng Xinmeng glared at Ji Niansheng and said lethargically, "Fine, whatever."

The three of them went to the restaurant and sat down. Ji Niansheng was genuinely hungry and shamelessly ordered several dishes. Qiao Xi and Leng Xinmeng had already eaten dinner and weren't hungry, so they each ordered a drink.

"Hey! You really have no shame, are you even a guy?" Leng Xinmeng had a poor impression of him, and her feelings were even worse, so her tone was naturally sharp.

"Do you need me to prove it to you? I have plenty of ways," Ji Niansheng teased, winking at her with a bright, brilliant smile.

"Damn it, you’re asking for a beating," Leng Xinmeng said, slapping the table as she stood up.

"This is a restaurant," Qiao Xi reminded her.

Leng Xinmeng restrained herself and sat back down, though she didn't forget to add, "Just you wait!"

Ji Niansheng wasn't the least bit worried by her threat. It wasn't as if they hadn't fought before; he wouldn't lose to her.

The waiter arrived with the food, along with a steaming bowl of rice. As he picked up his chopsticks to dig in, he didn't forget to say, "You two go ahead and talk, don't worry about me."

Leng Xinmeng couldn't be bothered with him and turned back to Qiao Xi, asking directly, "So, did you talk to Gu Heng?"

"Yes," Qiao Xi nodded.

"And the result? Are you going back to Fengyang?" Leng Xinmeng pressed.

Shan Chou Chou had told not only Gu Heng but also her about the situation at Fengyang. She was well aware of Qiao Xi's history there and knew that Gu Heng had sought her out tonight; she didn't need to guess what they had discussed.

Very few people could tolerate her temper, so she didn't have many friends. Qiao Xi was one of them. Although Qiao Xi was a woman of few words, her departure had made Gu Heng even more silent than before—it was enough to suffocate anyone. Naturally, she hoped Qiao Xi would return.

"Are you really going back to Fengyang?" Ji Niansheng asked, looking up. He hadn't quite believed it when Nan Zixi mentioned it earlier.

Setting aside whether Yu Fan would allow it, hadn't Qiao Xi just started dating him? Why would she go back?

Wait...

Could it be that he had been lied to?

"Why are you interrupting! I thought you said for us to just talk," Leng Xinmeng said irritably.

"I said for you to talk, but I never said I wouldn't interrupt," Ji Niansheng replied with perfect logic.

"You!" Leng Xinmeng balled her fists again.

"Alright, alright, I'll eat and you two can talk," Ji Niansheng said, having no desire to get into a scuffle in the restaurant.

Seeing that he had actually started eating quietly, Leng Xinmeng suppressed her anger and turned her gaze back to Qiao Xi. "So, what exactly did you tell him?"

Ji Niansheng kept eating without a sound, but he was listening with rapt attention.

"He wants me to return, but I haven't given him an answer yet. Tomorrow..." Qiao Xi paused, looking out the window. "I'll give him my answer tomorrow."