She had asked Li Leyi about this in the car, but when they arrived, she had completely forgotten due to distractions.
Li Jiajia dragged He Qi across the lawn, her heart pounding. He Qi thought she should at least explain the current situation with Li Xiulan.
But if she told Li Jiajia she had already been firmly rejected by Li Xiulan, Li Jiajia’s nature meant she wouldn’t understand subtlety and might immediately try to stand up for He Qi.
He Qi was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
As she hesitated on how to start, Li Jiajia suddenly ran ahead excitedly, dragging her to a corner of the lawn where a table sat, and made them both sit down.
This spot was far from the barbecue grills, the air fresher, but at the same time it was the quietest corner of the yard.
He Qi looked up and, unexpectedly, met the gaze of the middle-aged woman sitting across the table.
Li Xiulan looked much as He Qi had imagined: extremely lean, short hair brushing past her ears, a pair of small-frame glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were sharp, carrying a faint, inexplicable disdain—hardly friendly at all.
He Qi flinched slightly at that look, awkwardly pressing her lips together.
Li Jiajia, however, leaned forward with great enthusiasm, introducing her: “Auntie, this is He Qi. Pretty, right?”
On the table sat a plate of grilled skewers, already cold. The tray had been pushed far from Li Xiulan’s seat. She clearly wasn’t interested in eating, just lifting her teacup to sip and saying flatly, “Pretty is of no use.”
He Qi’s face froze.
Li Jiajia was used to Li Xiulan’s demeaning attitude, but she hadn’t expected her to extend that disdain to her friend as well, leaving no shred of courtesy.
Her temper flared immediately, her expression darkening. But remembering He Qi was present, she forced herself to restrain, speaking with a deliberate edge: “She’s not just pretty, she’s also a top student at Jiang University. Her writing is excellent too.”
“Excellent?” Li Xiulan snorted coldly, frowning in irritation. She emphasized each word as she called out: “Li Jiajia, birds of a feather flock together. From where I see it, you two are no different—six of one, half a dozen of the other.”
“Bang!” A chair toppled over with a crash. Li Jiajia stood up, chest heaving, equally furious, letting out a sharp snort through her nose and pointing at Li Xiulan while cursing: “Don’t you dare act all high and mighty here! Back in school, no one ever said a bad word about her! And now you’re acting like the teacher? Bah!”
The commotion drew the attention of a few people on the other side of the yard.
He Qi was startled by Li Jiajia’s reaction, feeling as if she were on a spit over a fire. She grabbed Li Jiajia’s wrist and firmly pulled her behind herself.
Without Li Jiajia shielding her, He Qi was face-to-face with Li Xiulan. The middle-aged woman’s eyelids were thin; when she blinked lightly, it was as if a sharp wind had been flicked in her direction.
He Qi swallowed, speaking quickly, her tone light but resolute: “Teacher Li, I apologize for wasting your time earlier. I wasn’t responsible enough in handling my submission, and I failed to seize the opportunity you gave me. That is entirely my fault. But I don’t think it’s necessary to involve Li Jiajia. As her friend, I may lack ability, but that doesn’t reflect on her character.”
Defending Li Jiajia was instinctive. He Qi’s words tumbled out in urgency, barely filtered, her breathing quickened, and the cold wind hitting her made her feel a faint heat in her body.
Li Xiulan remained detached and indifferent throughout the confrontation. She raised her eyelids lightly, as if giving He Qi a proper glance, then returned to sipping her tea without another thought: “He Qi, I advise you to give up your illusions about writing.”
Li Jiajia muttered a string of curses behind her, but He Qi held her firmly, speaking calmly but without yielding: “Teacher Li, I have my own choices.”
The wind grew stronger, carrying wisps of smoke from the charcoal fire.
Li Xiulan tightened her scarf and slowly turned her head, seemingly trying to avoid the smoke—or perhaps she didn’t want to see the two of them anymore.
Just then, Fang Yi walked over carrying a plate of freshly grilled skewers.
He first set upright the chair that had fallen, seemingly unaware of the earlier commotion. He placed the tray on the table and addressed Li Xiulan politely: “Auntie Li, Le Yi said you’re not much of a meat eater, so I specially grilled some vegetables for you.”
Li Xiulan only nodded slightly in return, her attitude toward Fang Yi still somewhat distant: “Put it here.”
Li Jiajia, seeing her aloof demeanor, got annoyed. Muttering a few curses under her breath, she turned without hesitation.
He Qi, still holding her wrist, naturally followed.
She had thought Li Jiajia merely wanted to move somewhere out of Li Xiulan’s sight. But to her surprise, the girl went all the way—after greeting her parents, she led He Qi straight out of the yard.
He Qi felt uneasy, thinking it was all her fault that this incident had occurred. If she hadn’t called Li Jiajia earlier, the family gathering wouldn’t have turned into such a scene.
A few steps away, He Qi stopped, guilt weighing on her: “It’s all my fault.”
Li Jiajia glared, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. Her eyes flicked momentarily to something behind her, and she seemed to put aside her emotions for the time being.
Following her gaze, He Qi saw Fang Yi had come out with them.
“You came out too?” He Qi asked.
Fang Yi’s arm was draped with his jacket. He’d been helping near the grill, sleeves rolled up, and hadn’t had time to put them down: “Jiajia’s car was in for maintenance. Wherever you’re going, I’ll drive you.”
Li Jiajia didn’t bother with pleasantries, treating him like a younger cousin: “Go bring the car around. I need to talk to He Qi.”
Fang Yi acknowledged with a nod.
Once he walked away, He Qi continued: “I should have told you earlier—I submitted a piece a while ago, didn’t do well, and your aunt rejected it. Today I dragged you into it.”
Li Jiajia waved a hand angrily: “What are you talking about? That’s on me!”
She glanced aside, clearly not wanting to dwell on it, but in front of He Qi she didn’t bother hiding anything. Her tone was far cooler than before:
“Li Xiulan has always looked down on my family. She thought my dad was an uncultured nouveau riche, and that I was studying abroad for a worthless degree. I even thought someone so academically snobbish might treat you better. Ugh, it’s all my fault! I held some foolish hope that she’d be my friend… whatever, you’re the one who suffered from me today. If that path with her doesn’t work, I’ll find another way.”
Her rant drifted off-topic. He Qi laughed and cried at the same time, stopping her: “If my writing isn’t good enough, no amount of other avenues will help.”
“Who says your writing isn’t good enough?” Li Jiajia’s righteous anger flared again.
“You’ve never read it, how do you know it’s good?”
“How have I not read it? I can recite everything you wrote in high school!”
“Okay, okay, don’t mention it…”
Between them, guilt never lasted long—it was quickly replaced with teasing and joking to move past it.
The Range Rover had pulled up. He Qi opened the back door, turning to Li Jiajia: “How do you think your parents see me? I came, and immediately you two had a big fight with your aunt, and you got taken away.”
Li Jiajia pushed her into the car: “Even if you weren’t here, I would’ve argued with Li Xiulan. Besides, in my parents’ eyes, you’re a perfect student—good grades, good job, good husband. How would they see me, a troublemaker taking you around all the time?”
He Qi sat down, smiling: “I guess I’m a perfect student too—good-looking, wealthy, and well-tempered.”
The door closed. The two of them huddled together in the backseat, treating Fang Yi entirely as the driver.
Fang Yi didn’t mind. After adjusting the rearview mirror, he noticed He Qi’s rare full smile and unconsciously curled his lips, asking: “Where to?”
Li Jiajia said: “Let’s head to the city first, find somewhere to eat. Today I want to eat like a queen.”
He Qi smiled, glancing at her phone: “I’ll just steal Chen Jin’s money to feed you.”
Li Jiajia snapped to attention: “Tell my brother-in-law, I’m not here to mess up your day—I’m here to join you!”
The ruckus from the back seat made Fang Yi pause mid-step, almost slamming the brakes.
….
They eventually chose a well-reviewed Japanese restaurant in Ning City. It seemed all their luck had concentrated here: during the National Day peak, a reserved private room had become unexpectedly available.
Li Jiajia, hearing this, immediately started ordering as they entered, anxious someone else would get ahead of her.
Once inside the private room, she had already run through all the seafood and sashimi dishes in her mind, ready to move on to sushi next.
The room had some heating, and He Qi, frozen for hours, finally felt warm. She took the menu from the waiter, studying it carefully.
Her selections were practical, pointing out a few recommended hot pots and teppanyaki dishes. Anything beyond that, she left for Fang Yi to choose.
The sashimi arrived quickly, filling half the table. Li Jiajia, as if making up for the missed barbecue, practically shoveled two pieces of salmon in one bite.
She ate while chatting with Fang Yi: “Li Le Yi would die of envy—riding in your Land Rover, eating Japanese food, and not being nagged all day.”
Fang Yi laughed, agreeing, smearing a generous amount of wasabi on a piece of salmon.
“Thanks for today. My car won’t be back from the 4S shop until tomorrow morning,” Li Jiajia said.
Curious, she asked: “Your car, was it bought by your family?”
He nodded.
Li Jiajia drew out a long “oh”: “I thought guys your age would prefer sports cars.”
Fang Yi didn’t argue, smiling lightly: “I like this too.”
He Qi had been quietly eating, but at that comment she curved her lips slightly, sensing the implied meaning: I like all of it.
Unlike some boys, who would talk about cars endlessly like experts, Fang Yi wasn’t showy. He answered questions, occasionally tossed a topic their way, carefully gauging the conversation.
As a “cousin-type” figure, it was hard to find anyone more likable.
The meal stretched on. Li Jiajia ate with abandon, ordering five servings of matcha pudding alone, eventually collapsing in her chair, stunned and content.
He Qi felt stifled and uncomfortable, so she stood up, saying she needed to go to the bathroom.
She stepped outside to get some fresh air, and after washing her hands in the restroom, she planned to stop by the front desk to settle the bill.
She gave them the private room number and had her payment code ready, but the front desk told her the room had already been paid for.
He Qi froze for a moment and asked who had paid.
The front desk said it was a young man.
He Qi’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned and walked back, pushing open the private room door as she asked, “Fang Yi, did you pay the bill?”
Li Jiajia was still finishing the last portion of her matcha pudding. Shocked, she lifted her head: “Fang Yi? What are you doing! I bossed you around all day, and now you’re paying the bill to make amends?!”
Fang Yi set down his teacup and smiled at them both: “Today, since both sisters weren’t in the best mood, I thought I’d save you the trouble.”
He Qi didn’t even know what to say. She walked to her seat but didn’t sit, standing after the meal to aid digestion, and exchanged a glance with Li Jiajia.
Neither of them had expected a boy, so much younger and still a student, to pay the bill.
Li Jiajia felt a little embarrassed. “Seriously, Fang Yi, you’re making us two older sisters feel so incompetent.”
He Qi nodded in agreement beside her.
“I pay the bill. You sisters just need to say thank you,” Fang Yi said, smiling with those gentle, curved eyes, effortlessly changing the subject. “So, where are we heading next?”
Li Jiajia’s eyes fell on the half-finished bottle of sake on the table, which hadn’t been very enjoyable, and her mischievous side instantly came out. She whispered, “Shall we go drink some more?”
He Qi knew her—without alcohol, Li Jiajia couldn’t survive the night—so she helplessly agreed. Fang Yi naturally had no objections and happily went ahead to start the car.
By the time they left the Japanese restaurant, it was already dark outside.
As soon as the sun had set, the temperature dropped sharply. He Qi was only wearing a T-shirt and a slim hoodie, thin fabric that offered almost no protection against the cold wind.
At the entrance, they discussed that out of respect for Fang Yi paying the bill, they wouldn’t treat him merely as their driver anymore. The car pulled up, and He Qi got into the passenger seat.
Li Jiajia climbed into the back as usual, bossing him around: “Fang Yi, turn the heat up for He Qi—she’s freezing.”
Fang Yi complied and, glancing at He Qi as she fumbled with her seatbelt, asked softly, “Which bar are we going to?”
“Follow Li Jiajia; she knows the places,” He Qi finally clicked her belt into place and replied.
In the back, Li Jiajia’s face was lit by the phone screen. She was utterly focused. “Let’s drive toward Dongsheng Road first.”
The bar Li Jiajia finally picked was a little far from the Japanese restaurant. Fang Yi noticed the two weren’t talking much, so he turned on some music in the car.
He Qi, probably from all the sushi and soup she’d eaten, felt a sugar rush and couldn’t stop getting sleepy.
The heat made the air a little stifling. She cracked open the window a tiny bit, propping her head on her hand against the glass, closing her eyes for a short nap.
Fang Yi was extremely focused on driving, barely noticing the surroundings. It wasn’t until a red light stopped the car that he realized how quiet it had been in the car for a while, apart from the music vibrating softly.
He glanced over and saw He Qi in the passenger seat, the night city lights reflecting on the window. In that glow, she seemed lightly asleep.
To Fang Yi, everything looked impossibly calm and serene.