The two walked out quietly without saying a word.
Noticing the gazes from the side, Song Xingyao looked up at Shi Yu.
Song Xingyao: "Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"
Realizing he had lost his composure, Shi Yu turned his head away.
"No, it's just that you seem a little different."
She chuckled, seemingly finding Shi Yu's words amusing: "People always have to grow. Besides, what kind of person was I in your eyes before? You changed your opinion of me after just one sentence."
Shi Yu was taken aback by her words, shook his head, and shook off all those messy character profiles and thoughts.
Indeed, after all, she is someone who can ruthlessly detach herself from the past.
The car hadn't reached lunchtime yet, and the scenery along the way was familiar.
This is the way back to the manor.
Song Xingyao asked in confusion, "Didn't you say Zhuo Wen was waiting for us to have dinner? Why are we on the way back to the manor?"
"It's a meal, but it's at the manor. We have guests today. As for Chinese food, the best chefs in S country are just a few at the manor."
"Guests?" Song Xingyao frowned. During the two years she was studying here, although Zhuo Wen came back quite often, he usually had important business to attend to, so the two of them didn't see each other often. He would only come back more frequently during major holidays and late autumn each year.
Judging from Shi Yu's words, he spent almost all his other days in Jiangcheng.
Therefore, it's really strange that they suddenly announced they had guests today, and even wanted to have dinner with them.
When Shi Yu glanced at the red light, Song Xingyao's puzzled and confused expression was almost written all over her face.
He was also wondering if he should tell her in advance so that she could be mentally prepared.
Just then, a question came from the passenger seat, "What guest? Do you want me to come along? If he has someone to entertain at the manor, maybe we can go together next time."
Looking to the side, his glasses obscured his expression, but I heard him reply, "It's an important guest. Zhuo Wen specially came today to celebrate your graduation. As for who it is, you'll find out when you get there."
These words made Song Xingyao uneasy, as she felt it was a trap.
When the car arrived at the manor, she used the excuse of changing clothes to go back to her room. She intended to check the visitor registration at the security office, but for some reason, the guest was not recorded.
The guards only said that the person was brought back by the head of the household himself.
Behind the mystery lies either a surprise or a shock, and given that Zhuo Wen had no need to create any surprises for himself.
A vague unease and anxiety lingered in her heart.
Chinese food? Special guests?
A sudden, unreal thought crossed Song Xingyao's mind, and her inner turmoil intensified.
Instead of going directly to the restaurant, she tiptoed up the open corridor on the second floor.
The manor's restaurant is designed like a banquet hall that can accommodate a hundred people. A circular viewing corridor encircles the space, much like the ballrooms in medieval European counts' homes, offering a panoramic view of the center of the dance floor.
She stood on the corridor, facing Zhuo Wen's position. Opposite her was the back of a man in a suit and tie... he looked somewhat familiar.
Zhuo Wen keenly noticed her, and the man opposite him followed his gaze.
I didn't see anything.
Song Xingyao, behind the wall, covered her mouth, leaned against the wall, and her hands trembled slightly.
He tried his best to remain silent, but their words still reached his ears perfectly.
"Mr. Fu, although you've tasted countless delicacies, could you also help me judge whether my chef's dishes are authentic?"
"I don't think I need to comment. Mr. Zhuo's chefs must be very strict in their selection, so there's no need for me to judge them."
Despite the back-and-forth of human relationships in their conversation, Fu Siming seemed somewhat distracted.
I felt like I had missed something, so I looked around but didn't find anything.
Seeing his movements, Zhuo Wen asked, "What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking? I was going to introduce someone to President Fu today, but she had something come up and can't make it. Please don't be offended, President Fu."
I glanced at the dishes on the table and they seemed somewhat familiar.
"It's alright, there will be other opportunities next time. The main reason I came this time is to thank Mr. Zhuo. Otherwise, how would I have had the opportunity to gain a foothold in S country so quickly?"
"Mr. Fu, you're too kind. As I said before, we have a common enemy, which is our friend. It seems we'll have plenty of opportunities to meet here in the future."
The phone rang, and Fu Siming answered it. After saying only a few words, he prepared to leave.
Zhuo Wen didn't try to keep anyone. He saw the person out and then looked in the direction he had been looking.
"Come down! He's gone."
Before he could even catch his breath, Fu Siming suddenly appeared right in front of him.
Of course, she could walk out calmly and confidently and watch the other person lose control; this is even the first principle in professional ethics courses: stay calm.
But when he appeared in front of her like that, Song Xingyao realized that she couldn't do it at all.
Her first choice, just like two years ago, was to escape.
Just like her departure from Jiangcheng, she didn't want to, at least not now, appear in front of Fu Siming.
As Song Xingyao sat down facing Zhuo Wen, a hint of anger crept into her stunned expression.
But Zhuo Wen beat him to it: "I thought that after two years, you would have made some progress. How come you still act like a mouse seeing a cat when you see him?"
The cold words extinguished Song Xingyao's anger, which was about to erupt.
Although his actions caught me off guard, he was right. I was always afraid, afraid that seeing him would remind me of that less-than-pleasant time in the past.
"I……"
“I thought you at least had the courage to face him and tell him that you wouldn’t go back. You see? You still haven’t moved on. Even though you’ve learned a lot in the past two years, as soon as the things left over from those days come up, you shrink back again. You’re still stuck in the same place?”
When they heard his sharp words, they always felt it was somewhat cruel, since their long-term education would not allow them to use such words to treat their patients.
Zhuo Wen ignored the two psychology professionals at the table and said to himself, "If things are going to stay like this forever, then don't go back."
Just as Shi Yu was about to speak, Song Xingyao, who had been keeping her head down, spoke up, "I understand, thank you."
"Hmm... Let's eat. This whole table was prepared especially for your graduation banquet."
At night, Song Xingyao lay in bed, recalling that familiar figure. She took out the booklet from her bedside table, and on the last yellowed photo was a picture of ten-year-old Fu Siming.
Even though she left in a hurry, the photo remained with her, just hidden at the very back.
She ran her fingers over the red oil fingerprints on the surface and made a decision in her heart.
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