klisemfg Chapter 279: Shared Fate
Chapter 279: Shared Fate
Chapter 279: Shared Fate
When Ji Meiqing returned, the food was already served. Lu Yu, seeing that she had only gone to get a jar of wine after all that, asked in confusion, "Isn't there wine? Why did you go out of your way to get it?"
Ji Meiqing said, "You don't understand." Then, turning to Zhang Xiaofei and Qiu Ze, she said, "The wine the waiter served is certainly not as good as the one I brought. Come, come, try it." She then replaced the wine served by the waiter. While replacing it, she said, "Where were we? By the way, Mr. Qiu, do you have a girl you like?"
Roy Chiu picked up some food and said, "Hmm, this."
Lu Yu, who was standing nearby, said, "If it's inconvenient for Young Master Qiu to say, then he shouldn't."
"There's nothing inconvenient about it. To be honest, during the days I was drunk, I didn't really have anyone I liked. However, I've recently become interested in a girl. At first, I thought she was as beautiful as an angel, but now I want to get to know her better," Qiu Ze said, sharing his feelings.
Ji Meiqing could tell that Zhang Xiaofei was visibly pleased when Qiu Ze said he had no one he liked, but when he said the following, Zhang Xiaofei's eyes dimmed. It seemed that this girl had truly fallen for him but wasn't admitting it. Ji Meiqing thought this was a good thing; judging from their conversation, Qiu Ze seemed like a gentleman. The problem, however, was that he had recently developed feelings for another girl. What to do?
Ji Meiqing felt she couldn't handle things alone, so she pulled Lu Yu outside to discuss a solution. As soon as Lu Yu stepped outside, he asked, "What are you doing? Aren't we eating? Why are you always coming out? Now we've left the two of them alone. This isn't a good idea."
Ji Meiqing told Lu Yu all her thoughts: "You know, it's not easy to find such a good young master. He has a good background, good looks, and a good figure. Most importantly, Xiaofei likes him. You have to help me find out about him later. The wine I gave them is the strongest alcohol. They say people speak the truth when they're drunk."
Lu Yu hesitated, "We helped Xiao Fei find someone with her consent, but we shouldn't interfere in other people's relationships now."
Seeing his thoughts, Ji Meiqing said, "Alright, then let Xiao Fei stay with us. I can afford to support her. But Brother Lu, you'll have to live alone in a room all the time." She then made a helpless expression.
When Lu Yu thought about his lonely and desolate days, he immediately changed his mind and said, "No, I'll help you, okay?"
Inside the room, after Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu left, Zhang Xiaofei and Qiu Ze ran out of things to say. Qiu Ze kept looking at Zhang Xiaofei and finally asked in one go, "I wonder if Miss Zhang is married now?"
Zhang Xiaofei, head down, ate her meal and said, "Not yet, but my father has been pressuring me to get married lately. I didn't want to, so I ran away. My family was originally in Rongcheng, but Xiaoqing is my best friend. I haven't seen her for many years, so I came to find her. Actually, I have been bothering her quite a bit lately." For some reason, she felt a sense of kinship with this unfamiliar young man, so she couldn't help but say a few more words.
Qiu Ze shook his head and said helplessly, "I didn't expect our experiences to be so similar. However, it seems that the girl my father wanted me to marry was also from Rongcheng. I heard that she didn't want to marry me, so she ran away from home and I haven't heard from her since."
Zhang Xiaofei put down her chopsticks and said, "With a man as good as you, how could anyone not want to marry you?"
Qiu Ze smiled. Seeing that they were having a good chat, Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu went to the riverbank to continue releasing lanterns. Lu Yu was, of course, very happy to oblige.
Zhang Xiaofei looked outside the door and said, "Why hasn't Brother Lu and Xiaoqing come back yet after so long?"
Qiu Ze didn't want anyone to bother him when he was with the person he liked, but since she had asked, he had to answer her. So he got up and asked the waiter, who said, "The boss said she has some urgent business to attend to, and she trusts that Mr. Qiu can take good care of Miss Zhang."
Upon hearing the reply, Qiu Ze's lips curled slightly upward. He silently thanked Ji Meiqing in his heart, then sat back down and joked, "Young Master Lu and Madam Lu had some urgent business to attend to, and asked me to take good care of Miss Zhang. They really trust me. Aren't they afraid I might do something to you?"
Zhang Xiaofei muttered to herself, "What urgent matter could Xiao Qing have that she has to deal with now, leaving me all alone? How embarrassing."
Qiu Ze chuckled as he heard her mutter to herself, "Ms. Zhang, there's no need to be so reserved. I feel a strong connection with you all. We can definitely be friends, right?"
Zhang Xiaofei was more than happy to agree, so she said, "Yes, yes, of course."
Zhang Xiaofei wasn't a good drinker to begin with, and Ji Meiqing had switched to the strongest liquor. After a few drinks, she became quite drunk. She slurred, "Young Master Qiu, it's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pity you already have someone you like. I originally wanted to find someone to take care of me at the Lantern Festival, so I wouldn't bother Xiaoqing and the others anymore. But now, I'm afraid I only have one path left. Tomorrow I'll go see my father. Since I can't find him in this life, I'll do something for the family."
Seeing that she could still speak so fluently even while drunk, Qiu Ze replied, "Who isn't like that?" After downing a glass of wine, he looked at Zhang Xiaofei again and found her asleep on the table. Qiu Ze shook his head, "Your sense of crisis is really poor. Are you really on guard against me?"
Qiu Ze nervously sat down next to Zhang Xiaofei. They had been facing each other earlier. Looking at Zhang Xiaofei's sleeping face, a few strands of hair obscuring her features, Qiu Ze raised his hand to tidy them up so she could sleep more comfortably. But he stopped just as his hand was about to touch her. What right did he have to do that?
He withdrew his hand and looked at Zhang Xiaofei with deep affection, saying, "Xiaofei, you're the one I love, but I don't know how you feel about me. Besides, you're going back to see your father tomorrow, so we're just not meant to be. Ever since I saw you that night, I don't know why you've been lingering in my mind." Qiu Ze knew Zhang Xiaofei couldn't hear what he was saying, but he didn't dare say it to her face, so he could only express his feelings after she got drunk.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Xiaofei suddenly said, "Young Master Qiu, I... I think I've fallen for you." Although her voice was very soft, it was enough for Qiu Ze, who was sitting next to her, to hear. Qiu Ze was slightly taken aback. He thought Zhang Xiaofei had woken up, but seeing that her eyes were closed, he figured she was just talking in her sleep.
Hearing her say that, Qiu Ze suddenly didn't know what to do. Joy and bewilderment welled up inside him. Having won Zhang Xiaofei's heart, he mustered his courage and hesitantly picked her up in a princess carry.