Chapter 237 We Will Have a Future
Meng Anran glanced over suspiciously, "You don't know Ke Ling, so how could you remember a stranger you just met by chance?"
Duan Jingyao picked up his chopsticks and continued eating, his tone casual, "She was with Duan Xi at the time, and I went over to say hello and chat for a while. I heard that she has a brother who is a psychologist. Some time ago, when you were doing a psychological evaluation, I happened to learn that you have a friend named Ke Nai. We have the same surname and work in the same field. He should be Ke Ling's brother, right?"
Meng Anran frowned slightly, "You mean... Ke Ling and Duan Xi know each other?"
"I think we met at a charity event organized by the Qinghe Association. I can't remember which event it was. You can go and ask Duan Xi in person." Duan Jingyao seemed a little nonchalant when he said this while eating.
Meng Anran saw through him at a glance - he was pretending not to care about Duan Xi, but in fact he still had feelings for the "Auntie" whom he had called for more than ten years.
She didn't try to persuade him. After all, what happened between Duan Xi and Duan Jingyao had nothing to do with her.
Instead, he unexpectedly learned that Duan Xi knew Ke Ling. He had to find time to go to the detention center with Ke Nai to ask Duan Xi for details.
As Meng Anran drank the slightly cool tea, she suddenly realized the photo that Kenai had received that day.
The figure reflected in the reflection who was taking pictures of Ke Ling was Duan Xi!
It seems that Duan Xi and Ke Ling did not just meet and chat at an event. They should be quite familiar with each other and may have contacted each other privately.
"Thank you for the news." Meng Anran smiled and picked up the teapot to fill it with hot tea for Duan Jingyao. "Eat slowly. This meal is a thank you gift."
Duan Jingyao snorted self-deprecatingly. His sincerity couldn't earn her a single good word, but news about other people could make her smile instantly.
Where does she draw the line between friends and business partners?
The afternoon sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the restaurant onto the table. Meng Anran put down her teacup, typed quickly on her mobile phone, and told Kenai the clues provided by Duan Jingyao.
At this time, Kenai probably didn't have any patients scheduled, so he replied almost instantly: "When are you free? I'd like to go."
Meng Anran guessed that Ke Nai would be anxious to see Duan Xi. She glanced at her electronic schedule and replied, "I probably won't have time to go with you. I have to fly to Country A tomorrow and won't be back for about a week. If you're in a hurry, you can go see her on your own."
Since Duan Xi knows Ke Ling, he should not refuse to meet Ke Ling's brother.
The dialog box displayed "The other party is typing." After about a minute, a message popped up from Konai: [OK.]
Meng Anran didn't know what Kenai was thinking or hesitating about in this minute, but he was probably ready to reveal his scars.
[Meng Anran]: Dr. Ke, I wish you good luck.
Duan Jingyao slowly picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and said casually, "I'll trouble you to take me back to Hengyi later."
Meng Anran raised her eyes and asked, "Has your car not been serviced yet?"
"A comprehensive overhaul will take quite a long time." He remained calm.
She chuckled and didn't expose his poor excuse: "Okay, just consider it a return gift."
The air conditioning in the car dispelled the summer heat, and the rhythmic music echoed in the car.
Meng Anran held the steering wheel intently, while Duan Jingyao sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the street scene rapidly receding outside the window.
In the rearview mirror, a silver car was following not too far away.
"Someone is following us." Meng Anran noticed it keenly and frowned.
Duan Jingyao glanced at the rearview mirror, his expression unchanged. "It might be a reporter. Ruiming and Hengyi have always been the focus of the media."
Just then, his phone vibrated and a message flashed across the screen: [Photo taken, perfect angle.]
Duan Jingyao locked the screen calmly and turned to look at Meng Anran in the driver's seat.
The afternoon sun shone through the car window, casting mottled shadows on her delicate profile, just as he remembered.
He whispered, "By the way, will you attend the industry summit next week?"
"No." Meng Anran's answer was always clear and concise. "There are more important things."
Duan Jingyao lowered his eyes and was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing: "You actually have something more important than work. Is it related to Qin Mu?"
"This is the pinnacle of my business, and I'm planning to change direction." Meng Anran didn't say it explicitly. The sports car stopped at the entrance of Hengyi Group. She turned her head and pulled up a smile at the corner of her lips. "Mr. Duan, goodbye."
Duan Jingyao opened the car door and looked at her deeply before getting out.
As if to say: We will have a future.
…
In the evening, in a hotel in Country B, Qin Mu's cell phone vibrated.
In the photo that appeared on the screen, Meng Anran and Duan Jingyao were very close to each other in the car. The atmosphere was ambiguous, and the angle was so tricky that it seemed as if they were about to kiss in the next second.
Qin Mu stared at the photo for two seconds, then chuckled softly. He forwarded it directly to Meng Anran, adding the following note: [Your photography skills are excellent. This photo is much clearer than the one from high school.]
After Meng Anran finished the video conference, she leaned back in her office chair with her eyes closed. Her phone vibrated, and she clicked on the message and immediately understood.
She tapped her fingertips on the screen a few times and replied to Qin Mu: [I had lunch with Duan Jingyao at noon, and he told me about Ke Ling and Duan Xi. As a return gift, I sent him back to Hengyi. The photo should have been taken when we just got in the car and were choosing songs.]
After sending it, she opened Duan Jingyao's chat box and typed slowly: [The photos are great. Next time, you can send them directly to me to avoid having to use a middleman to pass the message.]
The message was sent successfully, and she threw the phone on the table with a slight smile on her lips.
She was too lazy to even expose this little trick.
A few minutes later, the cell phone rang and Qin Mu called directly.
After Meng Anran answered the phone, Qin Mu's voice, slightly grave but with a smile, came from the other end: "Have you, the busy young lady, had dinner?"
"Not yet. I'm going to the cafeteria to eat something." Meng Anran curled her red lips. When she heard Qin Mu's voice seemed less tired, she joked, "I thought Young Master Qin was calling to ask for an explanation."
"I have to have the bearing of a first wife." Qin Mu chuckled a few times, and then said half-jokingly and half-seriously: "The angle of the photo is good, but don't let him get so close to you next time."
"No." Meng Anran was so straightforward that it seemed like she hadn't thought about it at all, but after seeing this photo today, she would definitely not give Duan Jingyao the chance to get close to her again.
Even if Qin Mu trusted her and didn't believe in these photos that relied entirely on composition, she was at least a semi-public figure, and if it got out, it would affect her personal reputation.
She would not allow any blemish on her career.
"Yeah. Let's go to the cafeteria to eat first, otherwise you'll be busy and forget later." Qin Mu softened his voice, as if he was coaxing a child.
"Got it. I'll go now." Meng Anran hung up the phone and immediately got up to go to the cafeteria.
On the other side, Duan Jingyao looked at the message on his mobile phone, his eyes darkened, and finally he sneered and turned off the screen.
If you want something, you must do whatever it takes to get it...
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