17 He is my client's father

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains onto the bedside. After a midday nap, Liu Yuwei lazily turned over, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the corners of the quilt. She gazed at the dappled light and shadow on the ceiling, and thought of her dinner with Song Miao that evening, and couldn't help but sigh. Her intuition, like a thin thread, gently tugged at her nerves. She was almost certain that Song Miao didn't know about her past with Jin Lang. After all, what man would tell his reconciled first love that he'd been with her best friend after their breakup? She climbed out of bed, slipped on fluffy slippers, and walked to the closet. Opening the door, she was greeted by a dazzling array of clothes. She pulled out two dresses: a burgundy velvet dress and a navy blue lace skirt. She stood in front of the mirror, comparing them, her eyes flickering between the two pieces, wondering: Was she dressing so meticulously because she was subconsciously afraid of looking like a loser in this relationship? She shook her head, chuckling at herself for almost falling into the vortex of "femininity." Stuffing her skirt back into the closet, Liu Yuwei picked out a once-worn beige tight-fitting cardigan and paired it with dark jeans. She tossed it into the washing machine right after returning from hot pot. She applied a simple layer of foundation, quickly shaped her eyebrows, and finally applied a smudge-colored lipstick. The person in the mirror looked fresh and natural, neither forced nor casual, perfect for a weekend get-together. Nodding with satisfaction and pulling on a white down jacket, Liu Yuwei was about to call a taxi when her phone lit up. Song Miao had sent a few messages, including a restaurant link. "Yuwei, can we go to this Japanese restaurant instead? It's not far from the hot pot restaurant we had planned to meet at!" Her fingertips paused on the keyboard for a second before she replied briskly, "I'm fine with that, no problem!" After sending the message, she stood in the hallway, glanced down at her outfit once more, and glanced at the calm face in the mirror. She took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and stepped into the chill winter breeze. ... The Japanese restaurant Song Miao had switched to had a small entrance, hidden in the heart of the bustling city. Pushing through the door, Liu Yuwei entered a completely different world. The entrance was paved with bluestone, a stone lantern emitting a soft, warm glow. A miniature dry landscape was dotted in the corner, with ripples of white sand surrounding mossy rocks. Standing at the door, Liu Yuwei felt like she had been transported to Kyoto. Sure enough, some restaurants' prices are proportional to the decor. A waiter in a light-colored kimono bowed and guided Liu Yuwei through the long corridor, her wooden clogs making a gentle creaking sound. The wooden shoji doors, painted with ink-colored pine and bamboo patterns, swung open to reveal Song Miao, who was already seated inside...

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the curtains onto the head of the bed. After taking a nap at noon, Liu Yuwei turned over lazily, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the corner of the quilt.

She looked at the mottled light and shadow on the ceiling, and thought about having dinner with Song Miao in the evening, and couldn't help but sigh.

Intuition was like a thin thread, gently tugging at her nerves. She was almost certain that Song Miao didn't know about her past with Jin Lang. After all, what man would tell his reconciled first love that he had been with her best friend after their breakup?

She got up from the bed, put on her fluffy slippers and walked to the closet. She opened the door and saw a dazzling array of clothes.

She pulled out two dresses, a burgundy velvet dress and a navy blue lace skirt. She stood in front of the mirror, her eyes darting between the two pieces as she wondered: Was she dressing so carefully because she was subconsciously afraid of looking like the loser in this relationship?

She shook her head, secretly laughing at herself for almost falling into the whirlpool of "female evil".

After putting the skirt back into the closet, Liu Yuwei picked out a beige tight cardigan that she had worn once, paired it with a pair of dark jeans, and threw it into the washing machine right after returning from hot pot.

She simply applied a layer of foundation, quickly drew in her eyebrows, and finally applied a lipstick of bean paste color. The person in the mirror looked fresh and natural, neither deliberate nor casual, perfect for a weekend get-together.

Nodding with satisfaction and putting on a white down jacket, Liu Yuwei was about to call a taxi when the screen of his mobile phone lit up.

Song Miao sent a few messages and a restaurant link.

[Yuwei, how about we go to this Japanese restaurant instead? It's not far from the hot pot restaurant we agreed on earlier!]

His fingertips paused on the keyboard for a second, and then he replied briskly, "I can do anything, no problem!"

After sending the message, she stood in the hallway, looked down at her outfit again, and glanced at the calm face in the mirror. She took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the cold winter breeze.

…

The Japanese restaurant Song Miao had moved to had a small entrance, hidden in the middle of a busy city. But once he pushed open the door, he discovered a whole new world.

The entrance is paved with bluestone slabs, and a stone lamp emits soft warm light. A miniature dry landscape is dotted in the corner, with white sand ripples surrounding the mossy stone group.

Liu Yuwei stood at the door and felt like she had traveled to Kyoto. It turned out that the average price per person in some restaurants was directly proportional to the decoration and environment.

A waiter in a light-colored kimono bowed and guided Liu Yuwei through the corridor, her wooden clogs making a slight "creaking" sound as she stepped on the ground.

The wooden shoji door with ink-colored pine and bamboo patterns was pushed open to the left and right. Song Miao was already sitting inside. When she saw the person coming, she stood up to greet him.

Song Miao wore a gold-buttoned Chanel-style suit, with her wavy hair casually draped over her shoulders, making her look even more charming.

At this moment, Liu Yu only felt a little regretful, thinking that his clothes were a little "plain".

"Yu Wei, you're here! This place is a little hard to find. I was thinking about giving you a call!"

Song Miao's eyes were full of smiles and his voice was as sweet as honey.

Liu Yuwei warned himself again in his heart not to say too much when talking about Jin Lang. If he really needed to explain anything, he should be the one to explain it to his girlfriend.

After taking off their coats, the two sat down opposite each other at a rectangular wooden table. The waiter handed them the menu and politely asked if they wanted to order now.

Song Miao smiled slightly and explained softly, "We have one more person, let's order later!"

Liu Yuwei was looking down at the menu. When she heard this, she looked up at the other person in surprise.

Feeling the inquiring gaze, she spoke apologetically, "Yu Wei, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that my name is Jin Lang."

Seeing that Liu Yuwei still had a puzzled look in his eyes, Song Miao continued to explain, "His schedule was quite full, and I said we should have dinner together. He wasn't sure at first, but he told me in the afternoon that he could come later, so I changed to this restaurant."

Song Miao blinked at Liu Yuwei and said, "He definitely can't go to the hall with us to eat hot pot, you know."

Liu Yuwei understands this too well. After all, she is also someone who has accidentally become a hot topic.

"Well, that's true."

She nodded slightly, paused, and seemed to suddenly remember something.

"By the way, I seemed to hear that you two were working together last time?"

Song Miao brushed her long hair over her shoulders and smiled, "Yes, I have a recent project on hand that involves tax consulting for Jin Lang Studio. He is now my client."

Liu Yuwei was stunned when she heard Song Miao's explanation. The words "Party A" were like small stones thrown into the calm lake of her heart, causing ripples.

She couldn't help but speak, "Then you...", but when the words came to her lips, she swallowed them back.

"We?...What happened to us?"

Song Miao tilted his head and looked at her, confused.

Liu Yuwei pursed her lips. "Well, I mean... did you guys just get in touch recently?"

She changed her approach, trying to prove that her previous assumptions about their relationship were wrong.

"Yeah, he saw me at the dinner table a while ago, and his expression was quite interesting, haha."

Song Miao's mouth corners raised again, his eyes wandering, as if he was recalling an interesting scene.

The wooden door opened again, and a male voice rang out, "It's not good to discuss Party A behind his back!"

Jin Lang stood outside the door, his eyes swept between the two of them, finally stopping on Liu Yuwei's face with a hint of a smile.

"You're here! I didn't say anything bad about you, Yu Wei can prove it to me!"

Song Miao greeted, with a hint of coquettishness in her tone.

Liu Yuwei turned her head and saw that the man was wearing a black casual sweatshirt, washed and distressed jeans, an indigo baseball cap, a half-removed black mask hanging on his ear, and a down jacket in his hand.

This casual outfit was in stark contrast to their previous meetings. For a moment, Liu Yuwei's gaze stayed on him for a little while.

"Why, don't you recognize your old classmates?"

Jin Lang deliberately teased and joked, after all, it was not appropriate to say too much in front of Song Miao.

Liu Yuwei quickly looked away, feeling a little embarrassed, and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Song Miao stood up and was about to call Jin Lang over to sit in the seat inside, but saw that he had already walked around to the opposite side.

Originally thinking that there were only two of them, Liu Yuwei naturally sat on the outside near the door, and folded her down jacket into a tofu block and placed it together with her bag on the empty seat next to her.

At this moment, Jin Lang naturally picked up the clothes and placed them on the small square stool behind him, then pulled out a chair and sat down next to her.

Liu Yuwei subconsciously shifted her butt, and the stool legs scraped against the ground, making a harsh sound. She could only smile awkwardly and say, "It's a bit crowded."

Song Miao looked at the two people across from him, one in black, the other in white. Their casual attire seemed like they had agreed on a dress code for the day. His own meticulously coordinated outfit, by contrast, seemed a bit overdone.

In fact, when Liu Yuwei first arrived, she had already carefully looked at this high school classmate whom she had not seen for many years.

She no longer wore a high ponytail that exposed her forehead like she did in school. Her long, smooth hair fell on her shoulders. Without the obstruction of the black frames, her slightly upturned eyes and long eyelashes were clearly visible.

The smile on Song Miao's face froze for a moment, but he quickly adjusted his expression and warmly invited the two to order food.

The three of them lowered their heads and flipped through the menus in their hands. Jin Lang casually rolled up his sleeves, revealing half of his forearm with slightly protruding veins.

He sat on the chair, his long legs bent uncomfortably, slightly apart as he tried to find a suitable sitting position, when his knees suddenly touched some rough warmth.

The denim fabric rustled and Liu Yuwei retracted her legs as if she had been electrocuted. She glanced at the person beside her and saw him looking at the pictures with his eyes lowered. She belatedly realized that she was too sensitive.

Jin Lang saw her looking at him from the corner of his eye. For a brief moment, he quickly looked away, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. He picked up the teacup, his Adam's apple curved as he swallowed, and he slightly moved his right leg.

Being touched again, Liu Yuwei instantly understood that he was doing it on purpose. He seemed to have guessed her thoughts and knew that she was unwilling to say more in front of Song Miao, so she couldn't help but feel a little angry.

This time, she looked at him directly with sharp eyes, her mouth was tight, and she looked angry. Jin Lang raised his eyes and saw her angry look, and inexplicably felt good.

Song Miao wanted to ask them if they had chosen their dishes, but when he looked up, he saw their eyes meeting. Jin Lang was leaning lazily on the curved armrest of the wooden chair with a faint smile on his face.

Buzz, buzz, buzz! Liu Yuwei's phone was lying on the table, vibrating and moving. Jin Lang glanced at the three words "Ren Yiming" and his expression immediately darkened. The slight joy he had just felt disappeared in an instant.

"Sorry, I have to go out to answer a call. You guys order first." Liu Yuwei picked up the phone and walked out of the private room.

Seeing the man opposite staring at the closed wooden door, Song Miao wondered what he was thinking about, so he asked softly, "How is it, are you satisfied? What do you want to eat?"

"Oh, whatever. I'm fine with anything." His tone was so casual that anyone could tell he was being perfunctory. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Jin Lang opened the door and took two steps before seeing the slender figure standing in front of the French window, holding up a cell phone. She lowered her head slightly, and the huge glass reflected her smile.

He moved forward again, not too close nor too far away, but he could vaguely hear her words.

"A New Year's gift? Fawn loves Percy and Pip the most, she will definitely be very happy."

"No, I'll just take a taxi back later."

"Okay then, I'll text you when I'm done. Parking is hard here, so don't leave early."

Liu Yuwei hung up the phone and saw the waiter outside leading the customers across the bluestone slabs in the yard.

My gaze shifted, and I caught a glimpse of the man's reflection standing not far behind me through the glass. I turned back, only to find that he had already hurried away.