Chapter 67 Chapter 67

Lia arrived at the address Xia Qing had sent her at exactly 6:50. Perhaps Xia Qing's telekinesis had taken effect, but she actually pulled out a black slip dress from her closet.

Her mother had chosen it with her when she returned to the United States. Made of matte chiffon, it draped beautifully, creating distinct layers without appearing overly complicated. The hem dropped a few inches below her knees, swaying gently as she walked.

She wore a light, matching cardigan with cuffs that reached past her wrists, and two silver earrings. Her outfit was casual yet sophisticated, with a pair of black lace-up ankle boots that barely covered her ankles and revealed a slender calf.

The cafe is located in a two-story building near Myeongdong. A simple metal plaque with the word "ILATE" hangs on the door. The space is semi-open, with several dark booths placed against the wall.

The seats are separated by greenery, providing a comfortable level of privacy. A row of high chairs sits by the window, offering a perfect view of Myeongdong's main street, where traffic flows slowly at night. The air is filled with the subtle aroma of baked goods, while low-volume jazz music plays in the background.

The sound was hidden behind the ceiling beams, making it almost impossible to discern its exact source. Xia Qing spotted Lia from a distance and immediately waved excitedly.

She sat in the middle of the corner booth, in front of her was a long table with four drinks already ordered, with a girl sitting on each side. The girl on the left had short hair, round eyes, and a round face.

Very cute. The one on the right had shoulder-length hair and fair skin, appearing gentle and approachable. Lia waved at Xia Qing and walked over quickly. "She looks amazing!" Xia Qing gave her a thumbs-up.

Then he pointed at the short-haired girl and introduced her: "This is my college roommate, Jin Zhao." He then pointed to the long-haired girl on the right: "This is Qi Yue."

"This is Lia, the one I often mention. She's a freshman at Seoul National University, a super-talented student!" She quickly called out several names. Qi Yue smiled and waved at Lia, whispering a greeting.

Jin Zhaoze stood up and looked a little excited: "Hello Lia, I have seen your show a long time ago, and I came here specially to see you today." She looked at Lia intently, and moved aside to make room for her, obviously hoping that she would sit next to her.

"Hello." Lia greeted as she sat down next to Jin Zhao. "She really likes you!" Xia Qing leaned over and added, "She's a huge fan of YG."

Jin Zhao scratched his head a little embarrassedly, his heart was far from as calm as he appeared on the outside.

She is not only a crazy fan of YG, she is also a CP fan, the kind who visits the "GD&LIA;" fan site day and night, and even the college entrance examination didn't stop her from enjoying the couple's love.

She discovered that Xia Qing was actually a high school classmate of one of the couples she had been supporting, and that he was also going to attend a social gathering with her. She experienced great joy and sorrow from the top of the cloud to the bottom of the earth in the shortest possible time.

The good news was that she could see the real person, but the bad news was that her CP was broken. But she could only digest this matter silently in her heart. Now looking at Lia, she couldn't help but feel a complex emotion of joy and sadness welling up in her heart.

Lia naturally didn't know what was going on in her mind. She only secretly wondered if Xia Qing's classmate had just broken up and came to the party. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why she had tears in her eyes while smiling.

While we were still chatting, the boys arrived.

The leader was a handsome boy with a slender figure, fair skin, and soft eyebrows and eyes. He had a medium-length, messy hair, with slightly curled ends and a few strands hanging down in front of his forehead. He looked more handsome than handsome.

As soon as he entered the door, his eyes fell on Xia Qing. "Sorry for the long wait." He said as he raised the bag in his hand, "We stopped by the caramel cookie shop you mentioned last time. We waited in line for a while before we could buy it."

"See, I told you that place has delicious food." Xia Qing's eyes curved, and she said with a proud tone, "That's why there are so many people queuing up." He smiled and sat down opposite her, placing the bags on the table one by one - four in total, obviously as a "greeting gift".

Xia Qing winked at Lia secretly. Lia understood—this guy was probably the "very handsome guy" she'd mentioned. The other two boys also took their seats.

"Sorry, Ji-seong is feeling unwell and can't come," the handsome boy explained. The girls waved their hands to show they didn't mind, and then the four girls and three boys introduced themselves one by one.

The "very handsome" guy's name is Zhao Mingxi, and he lives up to his name. Sitting opposite Qi Yue is Cui Xianyu, who wears rimless glasses. He has an ordinary appearance, but he is neat and tidy, and his temperament reminds people of the student union.

The last boy was tall, with a few highlights in his hair, and he looked a little nonchalant. He slowly sat down across from Lia and said, "Seo Ji-won."

After they sat down, he helped gather the caramel biscuit bags scattered in front of the girls and said with a smile, "This will block you from getting your things." Lia thought to herself, smiling and nodding in thanks.

Zhao Mingxi was clearly familiar with Xia Qing, and while he was taking the boys' orders, he was talking to her. He sat not too far away, his shoulder slightly tilted, his eyes occasionally falling on Xia Qing's face, a smile always on his lips.

Unfortunately, Xia Qing, the fool, was completely oblivious. She even secretly sent a message to Lia from under the table. [Summer] "How about this one in front of me? Do you want me to trade places with you?" Lia almost laughed out loud.

She glanced sympathetically at Zhao Mingxi, who was flirting with the blind man, and subtly shook her head at Xia Qing. Xia Qing looked puzzled, her gaze flickering between Zhao Mingxi and Lia, muttering to herself, "Isn't this good enough? How much more picky do I have to be?"

Over here, Choi Hyun-woo and Qi Yue were already chatting away, the atmosphere harmonious. Beside Lia, Jin Zhao was clearly not focused on the socializing, only stealing glances at her from time to time—so happy.

What other CP fans would be able to sit at the same table and drink coffee with the main characters? Her face was filled with fascination. "Have we... met somewhere before?" Xu Zhiyuan suddenly asked, his tone slightly tentative.

Lia glanced at him carefully, her mind quickly racing through people she'd recently met—nothing resembling a single person. But she wasn't great at remembering people, so she just went along with the answer: "Maybe?"

The other person smiled, as if receiving tacit approval, and then naturally changed the subject. Lia nodded as she listened, not forgetting to occasionally check on Jin Zhao to ensure she wasn't left out. The conversation between the three of them gradually became lively.

Midway through, Xia Qing suddenly raised her hand. "I'm going to the restroom," she said, giving the girls a look. It was a common practice at social gatherings: the girls would find an excuse to slip away en masse to exchange their thoughts on the boys.

Qi Yue immediately understood and stood up, saying, "I'm going too." Lia and Jin Zhao were left confused and indifferent. Xia Qing blinked several times anxiously, then finally dragged Qi Yue out with her, feeling frustrated.

Seo Ji-won was recounting his interesting exchange experience in Japan when Lia's phone vibrated. She slyly hid under the table to take a look. [Summer] Why didn't you come out with me? I wanted to ask you how you were feeling.

Lia raised an eyebrow, glancing at the chattering Seo Ji-won before her, typing quietly under the table. Seeing her distraction, Jin Zhao calmly helped pick up the conversation. [NeonL] He's a nice guy. But he's not her type.

On the contrary, Jin Zhao, who was looking at her like a little fangirl, was more interesting. Xia Qing replied immediately. [Summer] What a pity! Let's finish it quickly and try another batch next time. Qi Yue didn't like any of them either.

Lia glanced at Zhao Mingxi, who had been a bit absent-minded since Xia Qing left. [NeonL] What about you? Don't you like Zhao Mingxi?

Xia Qing, who was waiting for Qi Yue to put on makeup while holding her phone at the bathroom door, suddenly choked on her saliva and coughed until her face turned red. [Summer] ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? She was about to continue typing when a familiar voice suddenly rang in her ear:

"Xia Qing?" She looked up suddenly. "Xiao Yu?!" She thought to herself, "Fuck!" "You...why are you here?" Her voice faltered.

The young man before him was much taller than he remembered. He wore a light-colored shirt, which made him look thin and upright. His facial features hadn't changed much, but the immaturity between his eyebrows had faded, and a subtle sharpness appeared.

"I just met with a scriptwriter," Yu Seung-ho explained, his tone neither hurried nor slow. "I came here with my agent. They may be collaborating on a new drama in the second half of the year. Let me chat with them first."

"It's been a long time since we last met." Xia Qing couldn't help but sigh, feeling a bit guilty. He had barely been back to school since his second year of high school, and since then, he'd only been seen on TV.

"Yeah." He nodded, not shying away from mentioning dropping out. "I'm too busy filming, so I'm just going to take a leave of absence." Xia Qing opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. She felt strangely uneasy.

She'd seen it all too clearly back in high school when Yu Seung-ho had a crush on Lia. Now, just a few meters away from the "social gathering" she'd organized, with the perpetrators already in the act, she just wanted to end the conversation quickly and run. Furthermore, he felt a strange sense of distance.

Although he'd been popular before, the series he'd starred in since taking a leave of absence had been incredibly popular. Even if she hadn't paid much attention, she'd still heard his name in subway ads and in classmates' gossip. Things were different now. For a moment, Xia Qing could only think of this word.

"What about you?" Yu Chenghao asked. Xia Qing suddenly came back to her senses and couldn't help but secretly glance over at Lia. From this direction, she could only see her back.

"Come... come to the social gathering." She swallowed hard and confessed the truth, secretly lamenting her own poor mental state. Yu Chenghao seemed to sense something and followed her gaze without a word.

At this time, Qi Yue came out of the bathroom, combing her hair while shouting, "Xia Qing, why are you running—" Before she could finish her words, she saw the boy standing in front of Xia Qing. "!!!!!!"

She almost thought she was seeing things—she'd bumped into a celebrity here. "Hello, I'm Xia Qing's high school classmate, Yu Chenghao." The boy smiled slightly and greeted him in a gentle voice.

"Hello, hello - I'm Xia Qing's college classmate, Qi Yue." Qi Yue spoke haltingly, his eyes fixed on her.

"If you don't mind, can I go over and say hello?" Yu Chenghao asked with a smile, "Over there... there should be an old classmate." "Oh, no, no, no, no!" Qi Yue was completely overwhelmed by the beauty in front of him.

Xia Qing erupted in a violent coughing fit. "Let's go," Yu Chenghao smiled at her and asked Qi Yue to lead the way. Qi Yue walked ahead in a daze.

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