“Li Li, you’re back.”
As soon as Ji Xueli stepped into the house, her parents walked over, gazing at her as if they couldn’t get enough, watching her with adoration even as she changed her shoes and took off her coat.
“Mom, Dad, what’s going on?” Ji Xueli smiled helplessly.
“You just returned from abroad and went out again in the evening. We hardly got to see you,” her mother said, linking arms with her and letting out a light huff.
Ji Xueli replied, “I just wanted to get familiar with things back home.”
“What’s there to get familiar with? You’re the daughter of the Ji family—who would dare say anything about you?” her father said.
“Alright, I won’t go out anymore from now on. I’ll stay home and keep you company, okay?” Ji Xueli coaxed them with a playful tone.
“That’s more like it. Li Li, how about you quit the entertainment industry? Let your father assign you to a subsidiary company?” her mother suggested.
The entertainment industry isn’t easy to break into. Even though she comes from a prestigious family, she wouldn’t be spared from criticism.
“I’ve studied abroad for so long; how can I give up so easily? Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, I know what I’m doing,” Ji Xueli shook her head.
She still needed to maintain her persona as a celebrity and stay visible on television. She was quite eager to experience it all.
Her mother sighed but ultimately went along with her wishes: “Alright then. In a few days, we’re having a meal with the Yan family. Li Li, it’s been a while since you’ve seen Yan Zhou.”
They were aware of their past relationship from their younger days, but since it didn’t end well, they avoided bringing it up to spare her feelings. Still, deep down, they hoped to bring them back together.
Ji Xueli was looking at her phone, noticing that the friend request she had sent hadn’t been accepted yet. She only half-listened to her mother’s words: “Mm, let’s have a meal together.”
“Mom, Dad, I’m going upstairs to rest now. I’m a bit tired.”
Watching her go upstairs, her parents noticed her looking down at her phone and assumed they had touched on a sore subject.
Her father complained, “They’ve already broken up. What’s the point of having a meal together? Look at how reluctant Li Li seemed. Does she really want to have a meal with him?”
“But they broke up so ambiguously back then. They must still have feelings for each other. Wouldn’t it be good to help them clear the air?” her mother said, though she felt a bit uneasy.
“Li Li left for abroad the very next day. They haven’t been in touch for so long—their feelings might have faded,” her father argued.
“Let’s see after they meet. You didn’t see how devastated Yan Zhou was after Li Li left. I just can’t bear it…”
Completely unaware that her parents downstairs were nearly arguing over her situation, Ji Xueli lay on her bed, staring at her phone.
Why hasn’t Duan Qingyu accepted the request yet? Could it be he hasn’t checked his phone? Should she send another request?
Ji Xueli bit her fingertip, feeling conflicted. Then, she rolled over and was about to send another friend request when a notification came through: the other party had accepted.
She excitedly kicked her legs and sat up, staring at the pure black profile picture before clicking into his Moments without hesitation.
Blank…
What? Did he set it so she couldn’t see, or does he really not have any Moments?
Ji Xueli frowned.
In contrast, her own Moments were filled with posts about her performances during her time studying abroad.
Forget it. She sat up and sent her name first.
He replied quickly, saying: “Mm.”
Whatever. Ji Xueli tossed her phone aside and went to take a shower. It was only the first day; there was no need to rush. As the saying goes, “slow and steady wins the race.” Chatting on the phone for so long wasn’t as useful as meeting in person.
But just now, Ji’s mother mentioned having a meal with someone…