4. Pearl necklace
Vivian jumped out of the taxi. The neon lights were still shining around her. Although the hotel was located in the heart of the city, it felt extremely quiet at that moment. There was a breeze blowing, and it seemed that the whole world had quieted down, holding its breath to watch any story happen.
What greeted her was Qiu Fang's round and honest face.
To Qiu Fang, this was just another familiar routine, except for a different character. None of them was even the heroine.
They are just NPCs.
In this story that is gradually unfolding with similarities, Qiu Fang himself is the only true male protagonist who remains unchanged.
Qiu Fang's seemingly sincere and frank face didn't directly betray such cruelty and ruthlessness. Unlike those who were obviously scumbags, Qiu Fang seemed more like a reliable brother, boss, or senior.
In fact, that was how Vivian viewed Qiu Fang: a senior, a brother, a man who might bring something different to her life.
"Mr. Qiu!"
"Vivian, why are you still so polite? Didn't I tell you last time that you can just call me Jack? What would you like to drink?"
"Ice soda will be fine."
"How can that be? Such a beautiful scenery without good wine." Qiu Fang took it upon himself to order her a whiskey. She shook her head slightly.
It’s not necessary to drink, but it doesn’t seem good to spoil the fun at this time.
Vivian never considered herself a shallow woman who relied on men. Of course, she thought she was different. She thought her good education, respectable job, and well-spoken and well-mannered personality gave her an advantage in the Tian Ji horse race.
Of course she thought she was different. Unfortunately, Qiu Fang didn't think so.
To him, Vivian was a bit intellectual and interesting, with a good appearance that wouldn't be embarrassing to show off. She also graduated from a prestigious university, studied abroad, had a respectable job, and had decent IQ and EQ. When he took her to a French restaurant, she could chat and laugh with the chef. Qiu Fang didn't understand French, but her light, soft accent made her sound like a spoiled child.
At that moment, Qiu Fang thought: This woman is quite interesting.
But that’s all, “a bit interesting”.
He knew that if he put in a little effort, it would not be difficult to impress her, because the kind of woman he could never win would not easily go out for dinner or drinks with him from the beginning.
She's just pretending, Qiu Fang thought.
*
Qiu Fang was very rich. But for Vivian, money alone was not enough. Her self-esteem would never allow her to associate with people just for money.
She had to go through the whole process of a romantic relationship, even though she knew it wasn't pure. However, the fact that they could have a three-hour meal together and talk about things that had nothing to do with money or reality at least gave her the feeling of being in love.
At this time, if the man also understands a little romance, he will be more likely to appear cute.
The cuteness of men and women is not the same. We often see unattractive men accompanied by beautiful women. If we simply dismiss them as materialistic, it would be a bit unfair, because women are easily blinded by romance.
It is not difficult to find the shining points of a man who understands romance, even if he looks ordinary.
Vivian was no exception. The illusion of romantic love was what mattered most to her.
Even for Qiu Fang, the romantic illusion was indispensable. Otherwise, if his role was just to pay the bill, what would be the point?
But during this process, both he and she were very clear that a fixed process was being carried out.
For the first time, we were well-dressed and chatting happily.
The second time, there were ambiguous words and they were testing each other.
If things go well the third time, you can hit home run. If both parties enjoy the ambiguity, it might last until the fourth or fifth date. But it probably won't last much longer. Otherwise, it's like a school romance, repeatedly testing the waters, which is not something you'd do at this age.
A man like Qiu Fang, at this stage in his life, has neither the time nor the mood for that kind of relationship. So, he and Vivian followed his honed best practices and came to this day.
*
The whiskey was served and Vivian took a sip. Actually, she didn't like foreign liquor. She once got drunk after just two glasses, and the next day she was hungover and had a splitting headache.
But Qiu Fang was someone who pursued Western-style everything, probably to make up for her plain appearance. Therefore, she felt obligated to pretend to like this wine.
"This is a gift for you." Qiu Fang pouted.
On the low table between the two of them, there was already a small white box tied with a silver ribbon.
Vivian wasn't shy; Western-style people were naturally generous with their gifts. When she opened it, she saw a gleaming pearl hanging from a platinum chain, with a small diamond embedded above the pendant.
Vivian raised her head, her dark pupils reflecting the glimmer of pearls, shining brightly.
"What a nice view."
"I know you appreciate it, so I gave it to you specially. Pearls are given to beauties."
Qiu Fang liked to be serious and say these half-complimentary, half-flirtatious sentences, which always made Vivian feel embarrassed.
He seemed to be an old man who was behind the times, so he was particularly anxious to catch up with the new trend. He was not willing to be a man with wealth and status but no sexual charm, and he also had a whimsical dream of becoming a romantic and wanton Don Juan.
"Want to try it?"
"Here?" Vivian pursed her lips.
Even someone as experienced as Qiu Fang was a little surprised.
In a relationship between a man and a woman, the most variable and unpredictable moment is the moment before crossing the final line. No matter how romantic the previous moments are, whether it is a candlelight dinner or looking at the stars and the moon, when the relationship changes, there will always be some awkwardness, such as how to invite the other person to your room late at night without being noticed.
It took Qiu Fang many years of actual combat for him to be able to pretend to be relaxed and indifferent and get through that moment.
He almost subconsciously said: "Then...why don't you come to my room?"
Vivian nodded without saying anything.
She knew this was a crucial moment in her relationship with Qiu Fang. At that moment, she even felt a surge of compassion, unwilling to see a man her age racking his brains just to say those words. It was truly embarrassing.
Between men and women, it seemed as if only that moment was so strange. There was no need for so much speculation, testing, and foreshadowing at any time afterwards.
It was a narrow gate, but it was easy once you got through it.
So she chose to pretend to be open-minded and say it out loud.
Weiwei's understanding was unexpected and relieved Qiu Fang. As for what happened next, there was nothing to worry about. This was something he was very familiar with.
He even took his medicine in advance.
///
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