Chapter 146 You (0.5 seconds left to finish)
Chi Dong didn't know how he got back to the dormitory. When he came to his senses, he had already taken a shower and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the old ceiling, having been sleepless all night.
It was not until the daybreak that he could no longer resist the sleepiness and slowly fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already twelve o'clock in the afternoon, almost time for lunch.
He pushed open the door, lowered his eyes, and found a delicate box hanging quietly on the door handle. Obviously, it was sent by that person again.
Chi Dong stared at the box, his face as pale as paper, bloodless, and the dark circles under his eyes clearly showed his sleeplessness last night.
After a long silence, his hands on both sides moved slightly, as if he wanted to do something. At this moment, a familiar voice came from a distance, interrupting his thoughts.
"Xiaodong, are you awake?"
Chi Dong turned around subconsciously and asked in surprise: "Third brother?" Why did he come back?
I saw Zhou Yize walking quickly from the end of the corridor, holding two thick bags in his hands. The packaging looked familiar, like the take-out bags sold in a store near the school.
"Well, why are you standing here? Are you hungry?" Zhou Yize looked at him with concern, then picked up the bag in his hand and shook it.
"That's just right. I packed you some food from the restaurant in Dongjiang. I also asked the boss to make you a bowl of soup. It's still hot now."
"...Okay, thank you, Third Brother." Seeing that he said so, Chi Dong couldn't say that he had no appetite and couldn't eat, so he could only nod and agree obediently.
"Hey, isn't this the bag from the high-end restaurant in Haicheng Center?" Zhou Yize noticed that there was another bag hanging on the handle, and it looked like it might contain food.
Seeing that he wanted to open the bag, Chi Dong panicked and grabbed it quickly, "Uh, maybe it was delivered to the wrong dormitory. Doesn't Brother Hai from 506 downstairs often eat at this restaurant? He must have ordered takeout to the wrong place. I'll send it to him later."
"...Okay, let's go in and have dinner first." Zhou Yize glanced at him suspiciously, but when he saw nothing unusual, he no longer doubted it, opened the door and walked in.
Chi Dong followed behind with the bag, his heart beating fast.
During the meal, Zhou Yize looked at Chi Dong who was drinking soup slowly, one spoonful at a time. He thought for a long time before he spoke slowly: "Xiao Dong, are you hiding something from us?"
Hearing this, Chi Dong, who was already disturbed by what happened last night, started to tremble slightly with his hand while drinking the soup. The next second, the spoon fell directly to the ground.
Fortunately, it wasn't made of ceramic or glass, otherwise it would have shattered into pieces. He quickly bent down to pick it up, his expression becoming a little unnatural. He put the dirty spoon aside and replied vaguely, "No...no."
Zhou Yize crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows: "Really? I texted you last night and said I would be back today, but when you saw me just now, you looked like you saw a ghost. What's going on?"
"Really not, I just went to bed early last night and didn't check my phone, so... I was so surprised." Chi Dong avoided his eyes and didn't dare to look him in the face. Then he simply lowered his head, pretending nothing had happened, and changed to another pair of chopsticks to continue eating.
Seeing that he was unwilling to tell the truth, Zhou Yize did not force him, and turned around to ask about another matter, "Don't take what happened online to heart. Lin Jie and I have already posted a clarification for you, and the official Xiajiang has also started to block the post. After a while, when the controversy has passed, you can come back to the game. This time we will definitely guide you well and will not bully you again."
When he was asked to return to the game, Chi Dong refused without a second thought, "No, no need. I... have deleted my account, so I can't return."
"Delete the account?" Zhou Yize originally thought that Chi Dong had already seen the announcement issued by ET. and Xia Jiang, but now it seems that he is still unaware of it.
"So you didn't know yet? Yesterday, Xiajiang issued an announcement saying that a large-scale version update would be carried out. The reason was that some players' information was leaked. So in this update, all transactions in the game, including the account deletion function, will be suspended. I think your account should still be there." Zhou Yize explained patiently.
His words left Chi Dong dumbfounded. Before he could digest the news, his cell phone suddenly rang.
He looked down and saw the name "Bu Qianli" on the screen. He hung up subconsciously and then clenched the phone tightly, not wanting Zhou Yize to see it.
But the next second, the ringtone rang again. He originally wanted to press the reject button, but it had already attracted Zhou Yize's attention. Seeing that he was looking at the hand holding the phone with interest, he would definitely become suspicious if he didn't answer it.
Seeing Zhou Yize was about to come over, as if he wanted to see who was calling, Chi Dong suddenly stood up, stopped eating and drinking, and pretended to be calm and said, "Third brother, I...someone at home called, I'll go answer it first."
"Oh, it's your family. Then you should go quickly. Remember to call me if you need anything. I'll be in the dormitory all day today. But I have something to do tonight, so I probably won't be back to sleep." When Zhou Yize heard that it was a call from his family, he didn't want to keep asking. Just now, he saw Chi Dong looking nervous and thought it was someone else calling, but it turned out to be just a family member.
Seeing that Zhou Yize believed it so easily, Chi Dong couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt, but he quickly put it behind him.
Under Zhou Yize's gaze, Chi Dong walked to the balcony at his usual pace, closed the door and locked it. After making sure that Zhou Yize did not follow him, his tense heart finally relaxed and he dared to answer the phone that had been ringing for a long time.
“…”
After the call was connected, he didn't say anything and the person on the other end was also silent.
In a moment of silence, Chi Dong vaguely heard a barely audible sigh from the other end of the phone, followed by a deep and magnetic voice that slowly rang out: "... Dong Dong, it's me."
"Boss Bu, is there something you want to talk to me about?"
"Well, I have something to tell you. Would it be convenient for you to come down now? I'm just downstairs from your dormitory."
"Now?" Hearing Bu Qianli say that he was downstairs, Chi Dong subconsciously stuck his head out to look. After seeing the familiar buildings below, he realized belatedly that this was a balcony. He could only see the vegetable garden that the school had reclaimed on the back mountain, but not the main entrance of the dormitory.
"Well, there are some problems with your work handover, and I need to check the information."
Chi Dong has always believed in Bu Qianli's words. Apart from hiding his own gaming identity, he has never suspected that Bu Qianli would lie to him.
So when he heard that there was a problem with the handover of work, he immediately believed it, thinking that he had really neglected something, and quickly agreed: "Okay, I'll go down right away."
"Third brother, I'm going out for a while."
"Hey, where are you going?" Zhou Yize had just finished tidying up his closet and was about to sweep the dusty bed. When he looked up, he saw Chi Dong walking out from the balcony with a worried look on his face. He didn't even take the key, and disappeared in front of him after saying something in a panic.
*
Chi Dong hurried downstairs, and before he could catch his breath, he was gently but irresistibly pulled into the car by Bu Qianli, who had been waiting for a long time. He leaned over and fastened his seat belt. A familiar breath swirled around him, and when he came to his senses, the car had already driven smoothly out of the campus.
"Boss Bu, aren't we going to talk about the handover of work? Where are we going?" Chi Dong's eyes widened, his hands involuntarily tightly grasping the backpack. Upon closer inspection, one could still see a hint of panic and confusion in his eyes.
Hearing the question, Bu Qianli only raised his eyes slightly and glanced at him, his expression showing no clues: "You'll know when you get there."
Chi Dong opened his mouth, his eyes fixed on the handsome face that was concentrating on driving. He didn't dare to ask any more questions for fear of disturbing his driving. After hesitating for a moment, he finally swallowed back what he was about to say.
There was an awkward atmosphere in the car, and the silence made Chi Dong feel a little uneasy. He straightened his back and his slender fingers unconsciously relaxed, no longer tightly holding the backpack chain.
His eyes were erratic, and he didn't dare look at the person in the driver's seat, for fear that his heart would waver again. He hadn't decided whether to accept Bu Qianli's confession, so he could only turn his head and look out the window silently.
He was not stupid. From the moment he was inexplicably dragged into the car, he knew that Bu Qianli's claim about the problem with the handover was false, and the purpose was to trick him into getting off. But the car had already started, and no matter how unwilling he was in his heart, he had no choice but to follow.
Maybe, the work handover was really not handled properly, so Bu Qianli came to the school to find him, but this possibility was only 1%. After all, he was just an intern, and resignation, such a small matter, was not something that the company's boss could step in to handle.
Chi Dong's thoughts were in a mess, with various ideas intertwined in his mind.
"arrive."
As he was stunned, the car gradually slowed down and then slowly stopped in front of a building with very European-style decoration.
Chi Dong came back to his senses and said, "Oh, okay."
Bu Qianli noticed his distraction, and her deep eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't say much. She gently and considerately opened the car door for him.
After getting off the car, Chi Dong deliberately walked a step slower and followed him not too far but not too close. Seeing this, Bu Qianli looked normal, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and a hint of doting flashed in his eyes.
As early as when Bu Qianli said "We're here", Chi Dong guessed that this might be a hotel. Because the people who come here are either couples or friends, there are almost no other types. When we walked in, we found that it was indeed a French restaurant.
Chi Dong also noticed that when they entered the door, a young man in a silver-gray suit immediately came up to them with a smile as soon as he saw them, or rather, as soon as he saw Bu Qianli.
"Qianli, you are finally here." The man's name is Yuan Zheng, not only the owner of this restaurant, but also the second son of the Yuan Group, and one of Bu Qianli's good friends. Originally, Yuan Zheng was not going to be here today, but he received a call from his friend early in the morning, saying that he would have lunch here at noon and reserved the best seat.
Chi Dong's mind was in a mess, with all kinds of thoughts mixed together.
"arrive."
Just as he was stunned, the car slowed down and then slowly stopped in front of a building with very modern decoration.
Chi Dong came back to his senses and said, "Oh, okay."
Bu Qianli noticed his distraction, her deep eyes flashed, but she didn't say much.
After getting off the car, Chi Dong deliberately slowed down and walked in behind Bu Qianli, not too far or too close.
As early as when Bu Qianli said "we're here", he guessed that this might be a hotel. Because the people who come here are either couples or friends, there are almost no other types. When he walked in, he saw that it was indeed a high-end French restaurant.
As soon as the two of them walked in, a handsome man in a silver-gray suit came up to them with a smile as soon as he saw them, or rather, saw Bu Qianli.
"Qianli, you're finally here." The man's name was Yuan Zheng. He was not only the owner of this restaurant, but also the second son of the Yuan Group and a good friend of Bu Qianli.
Originally, Yuan Zheng was not going to show up here today, but that morning, when he was still sleeping soundly in bed, he was woken up by a call from his friend, who said that he was going to have lunch here at noon and asked him to reserve the best seat for him.
It was a rare occasion that Bu Qianli wanted to come to his restaurant to dine, and he even wanted to reserve the best table. This strange behavior couldn't help but make Yuan Zheng curious. Who on earth had such great charm that could make this workaholic put down his work and travel thousands of miles across half of the city center to dine here?
Yuan Zheng smiled at Bu Qianli, but his eyes involuntarily fell on Chi Dong behind him, his eyes full of gossip and ridicule: "Who is this?"
"His name is Chi Dong." Bu Qianli saw through his thoughts at a glance and simply introduced him in two sentences. Then he ignored his frowning and turned around while Chi Dong was not paying attention. He grabbed his wrist and said softly, changing his cold tone just now: "This is a friend of mine. His last name is Yuan. This restaurant is opened by him. If you want to eat in the future, we can come again."
"Eh, come on, is this how you introduce your friends?" Yuan Zheng looked at him speechlessly, his eyes full of accusation and helplessness.
Bu Qianli glanced at him calmly, with a hint of warning in her eyes where Chi Dong couldn't see. Seeing this, Yuan Zheng raised his eyebrows slightly and thought to himself: Bu Yan is right, my good friend really cares about this little boy.
Yuan Zheng shrugged and said with a conciliatory smile: "Okay, two distinguished guests, please follow me."
He took the two of them to the second floor, a quiet place with a great view. The second floor was much more spacious than the first floor, with a wide view, and more importantly, there were only three of them on the second floor.
"What's wrong?" Bu Qianli seemed to see Chi Dong's confusion and asked softly.
Chi Dong shook his head: "Nothing."
When ordering, Bu Qianli handed him the menu, but Chi Dong did not take it. He just said lightly: "I'm not picky about food, so you order." Bu Qianli smiled slightly when he heard it, and without saying much, he lowered his head and checked a few dishes on the menu.
But when the dishes were served, Chi Dong was stunned. The table was filled with all his favorite dishes, such as sweet and sour spare ribs and blanched prawns. There were five dishes in total.
Isn't this a Western restaurant? Why is there Chinese food here?
Chi Dong couldn't help but ask: "Why are there these dishes here?"
Bu Qianli looked calm and said unhurriedly: "The dishes cooked by Yuan Zheng are OK, you can try it." As soon as he finished speaking, Yuan Zheng, wearing a chef's hat, walked towards them angrily.
"Damn it! I was wondering how you could have the time to come all the way here to eat, but it turns out you wanted to trick me into being your cook. That's too much!" Yuan Zheng complained as he took off the apron from around his waist and threw it on the table next to him.
Bu Qianli picked up a piece of fresh fish with chopsticks slowly and said with a faint smile: "I didn't say I came here to eat Western food. You have been the boss for a long time. I just brought people here to check if your cooking skills have declined."
Yuan Zheng rolled his eyes and said unhappily, "Come on, don't give me that! I'll tolerate it because you brought people with you. I won't do it again next time."
Chi Dong watched the two of them bickering, and couldn't help but smile, with a smile clearly visible in his eyes. He didn't expect that Bu Qianli, who usually looked so high and mighty, actually had such a side to him.
At this time, Yuan Zheng turned his head and looked at Chi Dong with a sly smile on his face: "My dear, this guy looks cold and paralyzed, but he is actually very cunning. Don't be fooled by him."
Hearing this, Chi Dong's face turned slightly red and he lowered his head subconsciously, not daring to look at Bu Qianli's expression at this moment.
Bu Qianli, who was sitting opposite him, looked calm. He took a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and put it in Chi Dong's bowl, saying softly, "Ignore him. Try it and see how it tastes."
Chi Dong nodded, picked up the ribs and took a bite. It was sweet and sour, tender and delicious. He couldn't help but praise, "It's delicious. Boss Yuan's cooking skills are amazing."
Yuan Zheng raised his eyebrows proudly: "Of course, Chinese food is my best cuisine, but today's meal is not for nothing, Qianli, what do you think?"
Bu Qianli glanced at him calmly: "Don't worry, I know what to do."
"Hehehe, that's good, that's good." Yuan Zheng nodded with satisfaction, "My dear, come often in the future. The Western food here is also very delicious. Okay, I won't disturb you two's world of two. I have something else to do. I'll leave first. Contact me by phone."
Bu Qianli: “Yeah.”
After Yuan Zheng left, the atmosphere at the dinner table gradually became mellow. Chi Dong secretly looked up at the person opposite him and found that he was concentrating on peeling a shrimp. His slender fingers moved gracefully, giving people the feeling that he was negotiating a contract worth billions.
Chi Dong pursed his lips, a complex emotion rising in his heart. "How... do you know that I like to eat these?"
Bu Qianli stopped what she was doing and placed the prawns she had peeled in his bowl. She smiled softly and said, "I always ordered these dishes at company gatherings before. Someone told me about this."
Chi Dong was startled. Someone told him? Who? Was there someone Bu Qianli knew around him?
"Is he someone I know?"
Bu Qianli looked mysterious and said, "You'll know later. The food is getting cold, let's eat first." After that, he picked up a few other dishes and put them in his bowl.
Chi Dong looked at the mountain of food in his bowl, then looked at Bu Qianli's empty bowl, and suddenly an indescribable emotion surged in his heart.
He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but found that he didn't know what to say. In the end, he just whispered, "Thank you."
Afterwards, when Bu Qianli picked up food for him again, he no longer refused and even took advantage of the gaps to pick up some for him. Seeing this, Bu Qianli chuckled, and the tenderness in his eyes almost overflowed. After that, the two of them picked up food for each other from time to time, and their movements were so natural as if they had been getting along like this for a long time.
Chi Dong enjoyed this meal very much. It was not until he put down his chopsticks that he realized that he had eaten too much. His originally flat belly was slightly bulging. He rubbed it subconsciously, and a blush of embarrassment appeared on his face.
Seeing this, Bu Qianli's smile deepened: "Are you full?"
Chi Dong nodded, a little embarrassed: "Well, I ate a little too much..."
"As long as you like it." Bu Qianli raised his wrist, glanced at the time, and then stood up. "You sit here and wait for me for a while. I'll make a phone call."
Chi Dong was stunned for a moment, thinking that he was going to deal with work matters, and nodded quickly: "Yes, you go ahead, I can do it by myself."
Bu Qianli raised the corner of her mouth slightly, without explaining that she was not going to deal with work matters, but just said softly: "Wait for me to come back."
Watching his tall back as he left, Chi Dong felt that Bu Qianli seemed a little different today, but he couldn't tell exactly what was different.
Just as Chi Dong was staring out the window in a daze, suddenly a beautiful piano sound came from the other end of the restaurant.
He was stunned for a moment, then looked in the direction of the sound, and was surprised to see Bu Qianli, who had said she was going to make a phone call, now sitting in front of a piano in the middle of the restaurant. Her slender fingers played on the orderly black and white keys, which seemed to have some kind of magic that made people unable to help but indulge in it.
Chi Dong stood up in a daze, unable to take his eyes off the handsome figure. He could clearly feel his heart beating uncontrollably, the "thump, thump" sound made him feel like his heart was going to jump out.
Chi Dong had never seen Bu Qianli like this before. She was elegant and noble. She was no longer high and mighty, but someone he could reach out and touch. The sound of the piano flowed quietly in the air, and his heart seemed to sink a little bit in this romantic melody.
On the other side, although Bu Qianli was playing, his eyes were always fixed on Chi Dong, and the passion in his eyes was even more heart-warming than the melody he played.
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There are too many, so I have to upload them in two chapters (ò ó||). This will be the last chapter. Also, my dears, when you read this, did you see any typos or repeated paragraphs? If you do, please let me know in the comments or on the pop-up screen, and I will correct them, because I was dizzy while writing and didn't proofread much.