Chapter 76

The entire room fell silent.

The next second, Jiang Li lifted his eyelids and stared intently at her.

In many situations, it seemed like the first time I had ever seen someone handle difficult questions with such ease.

Gone is the shyness and awkwardness of the past; instead, there is a calm and composed demeanor befitting someone who can shoulder great responsibilities.

It was at this moment that he realized that the dazed little girl in his memory had already taken root and sprouted little by little in a place he couldn't see.

It can grow into grass, flowers, or trees.

With unwavering resilience, they held their heads high, straightened their backs, and braved the wind and rain.

Zhang Hong, who was toasting with Hei Zi, also peered over, drawn by this seemingly ambiguous remark.

And what about you?

Do you like me too?

But as Zhang Hong glanced between the two, he realized the chances of his guess being true were slim, if not impossible. They were complete strangers, and this unfamiliarity seemed to conceal an awkwardness that clashed with theirs.

This is like a male classmate in school who doesn't know how to express his feelings or face his emotions.

I tease you because I like you.

I want to hear you scold me, I want to see you hit me, I want you to roll your eyes in exasperation.

They want to provoke you, attract your attention, and get your approval.

I didn't understand feelings back then.

But things are different now. With the rapid development of the internet, everyone is teaching you to pursue exciting, eye-catching, and somewhat powerful "likes" and "loves" in a fast-food style, gradually confusing "envy" with "favor."

Their relationship clearly cannot be explained by typical case studies.

So, Zhang Hong, a straight man who had never been in a relationship, came to a conclusion after applying a series of formulas: the two of them were enemies.

However, Guan Nan was clearly stunned upon hearing this.

Guan Nan seemed dazed, stammering, "I..."

Seeing that she couldn't utter a word for a long time, the troll, who thought he knew the plot and had a clear understanding of the whole situation, looked around at everyone in public and hurriedly came out to make a joke and smooth things over.

Fortunately, he was there, so the situation wasn't as awkward as I had imagined.

But after that seemingly casual remark, the words "I have a girlfriend" still lingered in Guan Nan's ears, so she dared not glance at Jiang Li even slightly.

They were all chatting amongst themselves when, somehow, the two groups ended up together.

As the cheerleaders entered, Xie Qiao took her hand, deliberately slowed their pace, and whispered in her ear, "Sis, are you really high school classmates?"

Guan Nan nodded: "Yes."

"Just high school classmates?"

"······right."

"But he doesn't seem like it to me," Xie Qiao muttered. "My brother may be aloof, but he doesn't seem like the type to talk like that, and besides—"

Guan Nan followed up with a question: "And?"

In a flash, Xie Qiao's mind suddenly clicked, and he abruptly stopped, turning his head to stare directly at her: "Do you remember?"

Faced with the sudden question, Guan Nan was a little confused: "Remember what?"

After a pause, Xie Qiao felt as if she had discovered some unspeakable secret. She carefully chose her tone and asked casually, "You went to university at Green Camphor Tree, right?"

This was something Guan Nan had mentioned when they first met.

Seeing that she seemed to have forgotten, then suddenly remembered, and then still looked uncertain.

Guan Nan understood that she wouldn't remember things that weren't her own, but for some reason she asked about it again. She didn't hide anything: "Yes, I went there after the college entrance exam, and stayed there for a few years afterward."

"How many years?" Xie Qiao asked, calculating a series of timelines before her eyelids twitched. "What happened during your junior year of college?"

Guan Nan shook her head: "I went abroad as an exchange student during my junior year of college."

“No wonder,” Xie Qiao said, seemingly out of nowhere, “it makes sense now.”

Guan Nan, clueless and unsure how to respond, asked, "What?"

Xie Qiao tightened her grip on her hand: "It's nothing, it's nothing, sister, Guan Nan, from now on you're my sister, I'm going to stick close to you."

Her smile was both adorable and endearing.

A distant memory flashed through my mind, and for a moment I felt that she and Lin Zhaozhao looked somewhat alike.

When they came to their senses, they found that their studio's table had been combined with Jiang Li's table, and the dozen or so people were now sitting together, making it very lively.

"Seeing is believing, you really are very handsome," Zhang Min said frankly, shaking hands with Jiang Li before even sitting down. "You're more handsome than any of the male artists I've ever managed."

Jiang Li: "Thank you."

"How could it not be good-looking? So many fans are drawn to its appearance," the hater said with a smile. "Our boss, Jiang, is loved by both men and women."

Guan Nan couldn't help but nod upon hearing this.

However, as she listened to their pleasantries, she turned her head and saw Xie Qiao on her right and Jiang Li on her right.

When it was time for drinks, Jiang Li thoughtfully and carefully inquired about the needs of each lady.

Zhang Hong preemptively answered Guan Nan's question and instructed her, "She drinks Sprite, and it has to be ice-cold."

"You like Sprite too? I didn't expect there to be someone like you who..." The man who had just started to speak fell silent after being nudged by Hei Zi, and immediately changed the subject.

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft sneer clearly reached his ears.

Guan Nan suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed.

The barbecue on the table was sizzling with oil, smelling and tasting delicious. Xie Qiao, who had just been determined to complain, was now completely absorbed in the food, showering it with compliments without repeating himself.

Guan Nan smiled and accidentally bumped her elbow into the person next to her when she picked up the skewer.

She instinctively apologized, "I'm sorry."

"I think you're pretty shameless." Jiang Li glanced at her, a slight smirk on his lips, and said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Guan Nan glanced down and realized that his elbow had knocked down all the loose coupons in front of him, and unsurprisingly, his white T-shirt was splattered with oil.

Then, recalling his initial feeling that he had just realized was unwise, he was stunned.

She never imagined that she would be the culprit behind the dense oil spots.

Guan Nan was extremely embarrassed. She quickly grabbed a few tissues and frantically tried to wipe him down, but she immediately realized something was wrong until someone stopped her.

Several people nearby turned their attention to the commotion.

This is the scene that comes into view.

Jiang Li, with a stern face, pushed her hand away and stood up, saying, "Excuse me, you guys continue eating, I'm going to the restroom."

Everyone was enjoying the food and drinks and didn't take the minor incident seriously.

It was getting late, and Guan Nan remembered there was still work to finish, but seeing everyone's enthusiasm was still high, she didn't want to spoil the mood. So she greeted Xie Qiao and then made an excuse to go to the restroom.

So, Guan Nan, carrying her bag, quietly left the scene.

Since she had taken a car to get there, and after checking the navigation, she found that Rongshuli was quite a distance from the nearest subway station, she decided to take a walk to the subway station to digest her food.

As Guan Nan walked out of the gate and along the community road, she saw a figure not far away.

Under the streetlight, the man leaned against the open car door, the halo of light shimmering above his head, captivating the eye and stirring the heart. Guan Nan blinked, slowly shifting her gaze, and saw the tall, slender figure leaning to the ground, stretched long and thin by the streetlight.

Holding the keys in one hand and scrolling aimlessly on his phone in the other.

Guan Nan hesitated for a moment, then decided not to go up and greet them.

Just as she was about to pretend she didn't see the person passing by, she suddenly heard the person say "Hey" in a soft voice.

Guan Nan hesitated and did not respond.

The next second, she heard the person call out: "Guan Nan".

Guan Nan paused, making sure she hadn't misheard, and looked up at him.

Jiang Li remained as casual and shamanistic as ever. Seeing that he didn't react, she continued, "Please treat me to a bowl of liangxia (a type of cold noodle dish)."

"Huh?" Guan Nan reacted slowly.

But when he glanced at her and his gaze settled on her face, Guan Nan snapped out of her daze and asked, "Do you want to eat liangxia (a type of cold noodle)?"

Jiang Li put away his phone and nodded casually: "Consider it an apology to me."

“…” Guan Nan looked slightly embarrassed.

He said, "How is it?"

What was originally intended as a way to distance myself and refuse, citing the late hour, was instantly blocked by this statement, which reminded her that she should indeed apologize for the elbow she had just given.

Not wanting to argue, Guan Nan agreed: "Okay."

Having received a reply, Jiang Li opened the passenger door and tilted his head to the side: "There's no time like the present, get in the car."

Guan Nan tightened her grip on the bag strap and got into his car again.

The two drove on the road without exchanging a word. Guan Nan tried to start a conversation several times but gave up each time.

She didn't ask him why he hadn't returned to the banyan tree, just as he didn't ask her why she left early. The two seemed to be in tacit agreement, as if they were just going to eat a bowl of cold shrimp.

That was all I could think of.

Old streets, a cold shrimp stall, and young people.

Everything was as it was yesterday, as if nothing had changed.

Guan Nan, holding a bowl of chilled shrimp, silently walked down the steps in front of Jiang Li.

She counted them carefully; there were 108 steps in total.

They walked together, one in front and one behind, one up and one down, from the beginning to the end.

On the last step, Guan Nan suddenly stopped stepping down. Almost instinctively, she turned around and looked up at the boy on the next step.

All the memories that could have been buried deep in the background, layer upon layer, came back to life at this moment.

The present moment gradually overlaps with memories.

He just stood there.

As always.

Just as she forced a smile, her eyes red and her nose stinging, and turned back, her long hair was gently tugged.

She heard a soft sigh behind her.

What she didn't hear was the whisper that followed, a phrase that seemed to shatter and rebuild all self-esteem, an ambiguous blend of compromise and surrender.

"I admit defeat."