Chapter 72 Private Places

Ji Wanqing looked at the message and quickly replied.

She had already agreed to Kiyono's request last time, so there was no need to think about it again this time.

Ji Wanqing: [Sure, what time?]

She looked at her phone screen, which kept showing that the other person was typing, but after waiting for a long time, nothing came.

What could you say to make him so conflicted?

Ji Wanqing frowned and pondered. A minute later, the other party finally spoke, but it was only a short sentence.

Kiyono: [I'm letting you know in advance that I didn't mean to lie to you about some things, so I hope you won't be angry.]

Upon seeing this sentence, Ji Wanqing was even more confused. What had Qingye lied to her about?

Her mind raced, and she hesitated for a while before replying to the message.

Ji Wanqing: [Confess and you will be treated leniently; resist and you will be punished severely.]

Ji Wanqing [Serious.jpg]

Her reply was witty and cute, revealing her inquisitive mind without being overly pushy.

Kiyono: [Let's talk when we meet. Tomorrow at 4 PM, I can start the broadcast after I get home from dinner.]

Ji Wanqing sighed softly and resignedly replied, "Okay."

Who cares? We'll meet tomorrow anyway, I won't keep her waiting too long.

I took a shower and fell asleep peacefully.

When I woke up the next day, my aunt had already prepared breakfast.

Seeing the delicious food and her smiling mother, Ji Wanqing felt incredibly happy, and the gloom brought about by the huge changes in her family a few days ago slowly dissipated.

"I need to go out tonight and tell Auntie not to cook my dinner," Ji Wanqing gently instructed her mother.

"Why did you go out? Did a friend ask you to hang out?" Ji's mother asked with some concern.

Since the family tragedy, Ji Wanqing has cut ties with all her so-called friends, and she is well aware of the situation.

If Ji Wanqing can really find new friends to go out with, she would be happy, but she's afraid that they'll be the same kind of bad company that will hurt her feelings.

"I guess so." Ji Wanqing didn't hide anything from her mother. "It's just that the big brother in my live stream happened to be in Beijing on business, so I treated him to a meal."

Upon hearing this, the worry on Ji's mother's face became even more apparent, and her brows furrowed.

"Big brother? Involved in the underworld?" She sighed heavily. "Mom knows you work hard to earn money, but you can't meet with shady people in private. What if they're bad guys?"

Ji Wanqing almost spat out the food in her mouth, but quickly drank a sip of water to suppress it and cheerfully explained to her mother.

"It's just that people who give a lot of gifts in the live stream call me 'big brother' or 'big sister,' but I have nothing to do with the underworld. Don't worry, it's just a meal in a public place, not in any private places."

Hearing her daughter's explanation, Ji's mother finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and she looked at her with affection.

"Mom believes you know what you're doing. Come home early tonight."

"Yes!" Ji Wanqing nodded solemnly.

When it was almost time, Kiyono sent a message.

Kiyono: [The organizers have arranged a meeting at the last minute, which might be half an hour later. Shall we discuss a location first?]

Ji Wanqing: [It's nothing. Where are you? Let me see if there's a suitable place nearby.]

Qingye [Lehe Building.]

It was a bustling commercial district, and Ji Wanqing quickly made a decision.

Ji Wanqing: [There's a Thai restaurant on the thirteenth floor that's pretty good, is that okay?]

Qingye [Okay. 】

Duan Ye put his phone away, and a staff member from the event organizer looked at him with a smile, "Duan Shen, is he... on a date? You're smiling at your phone."

Duan Ye looked up and realized that several familiar friends in the conference room were looking at him with teasing eyes.

Before he could wipe the unconscious smile from the corner of his mouth, he could only cough awkwardly.

“Sorry, a friend. Let’s continue.” He regained his usual composure.

"Well, the competition..." The man looked away and continued talking about the upcoming arrangements.

Zhou Xubai's gaze seemed to fall on Duan Ye almost imperceptibly.

He saw comments in the live stream saying that Kiyono also had a regular match.

Duan Ye, Qing Ye.

It's hard for him not to associate the name with that.

Duan Ye felt his gaze and turned to look at him.

The president of Xinghan, the one who gave the contract to Qingtian... blank.

Duan Ye's lips curved into a very faint smile as he nodded slightly to Zhou Xubai, his eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible inquiry and understanding.

Zhou Xubai's vague guess was almost confirmed. He nodded calmly, but his heart sank.

After waiting for another ten minutes or so, the event finally ended.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone got up and headed outside. A teammate put his arm around Duan Ye's shoulder, trying to pull him to join the dinner party, but he waved his hand and refused.

"If something really happens, you guys go ahead."

He deliberately slowed down his pace while packing his things, and Zhou Xubai was also kept behind by the organizer for a few more words. The two of them finally left the conference room one after the other.

At the end of the corridor, the elevator doors were open, and Duan Ye was standing there, one hand in his pocket, watching Zhou Xubai walk over.

"Mr. Zhou," he began, his voice steady, "shall we go down?"

Zhou Xubai paused for a moment, walked to another elevator, pressed the button, and said in a distant tone, "You go first, I'll wait for this one."

Duan Ye looked at his tense profile and suddenly chuckled, "Well, that's fine. I have an appointment, so I can't be late."

Now that things have been said, what else could Zhou Xubai not understand?

Thinking of Ji Wanqing's previous statement that she didn't want to contact her ex anymore, he felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he managed to maintain his composure.

"Mr. Duan seems to have quite a bit of free time."

"The competition isn't until tomorrow anyway." Duan Ye stepped into the elevator, nodded to him, and pressed the close button. "Goodbye."

The smile on Duan Ye's face vanished only after the door was completely closed.

He wasn't usually such an impulsive and naive person, but seeing the blank space, he couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by his competitive spirit.

With a sigh, Duan Ye composed himself and entered the restaurant that Ji Wanqing had mentioned.

Ji Wanqing hadn't arrived yet, but Duan Ye had reserved a window seat and sent her a message.

Kiyono: [I'm done. Come in, turn left, and go to table 23 by the window. Take your time, no rush.]

Ji Wanqing: [I'm downstairs.]

She put her phone away and stood in front of the elevator watching the numbers keep going down; it must be heading to the underground parking lot.

Two more minutes passed before the elevator came up again.

The last time she saw the finish line was an accident, but this time it was a formal appointment, and meeting her older brother in person made Ji Wanqing a little nervous.

And then there was his mention of "deception," which made Ji Wanqing's mind involuntarily become unusually active.

She looked at her outfit in the elevator mirror: a pale yellow dress and light makeup, which showed attention to detail without being overly extravagant.

She composed herself, entered the restaurant, and followed the number Qingye had given her.

Her gaze swept over the tables of guests, and soon she spotted the figure sitting by the window.

The man was facing away from her, tall and straight, with his head slightly lowered as he looked at his phone screen. His profile was sharp and handsome.

Even though it was just sitting there quietly, it had an undeniable presence, separated from the surrounding hustle and bustle by an invisible distance.

Ji Wanqing paused slightly, took a deep breath, and slowly walked towards him.

Hearing footsteps, Duan Ye looked up and turned to look, his eyes filled with undisguised joy, and immediately stood up.

The moment Ji Wanqing saw his face clearly, her face was full of surprise.

"Kiyo... Brother?"