11
When Ji Shengsheng opened her eyes, the image of Xu Yu standing at the door last night immediately flashed before her eyes.
After running to the kitchen and living room to check repeatedly, and seeing the empty stew pot and the clean insulated rice bowl, Ji Shengsheng finally confirmed that what happened yesterday was real.
Last night, Xing Xing kept sending messages, and before she could reply, Xing Xing called with a voice message, saying that she was ready to drive over.
Ji Shengsheng couldn't bring herself to argue with Xing Xing about these things in front of Xu Yu, nor did she know how to end her conversation with Xu Yu in a dignified manner.
Xu Yu gave her the choice first.
"Is someone coming to see you?"
“Yes.” Ji Shengsheng nodded.
"Do you want me to leave?" Xu Yu paused for a few seconds, giving her another chance, "or do you want me to stay?"
Leave……
What uncontrollable things might happen if they stayed? At the time, they were young and could still be considered impulsive and immature.
Now that several years have passed, she could no longer take the initiative to have those kinds of things with Xu Yu.
"It's late." Ji Shengsheng looked up at Xu Yu. "Be careful on your way back."
Xu Yu turned and went out the door. Ji Shengsheng immediately answered Xing Xing's call. Fortunately, he hadn't started the car yet.
Ji Shengsheng quickly simplified and concealed some details about sending things to Xu Yu before telling Xing Xing, which finally calmed the other party down.
"Ji Shengsheng, stay home in the middle of the night and don't wander around. You know there are a lot of perverts out there."
“I know, I know. As an adult, I can manage myself… You should use your energy to take care of your parents and girlfriend.” Ji Shengsheng said curiously, “But how did you know I took a taxi out in the middle of the night?”
"Have you forgotten that I logged into my account using your phone last time?" Xing Xing threatened. "I'm warning you, don't log out, in case something happens to you and I don't even know."
"Mmm mmm mmm mmm."
After giving Xing Xing a perfunctory answer, Ji Shengsheng hung up the phone, then logged out of Xing Xing's account and checked all the apps on his phone again.
Before she went abroad, ride-hailing apps in China were not as developed as they are now.
Xing Xing returned to China before her and adapted to life and the pace of life back home much earlier. So after she came back, Xing Xing volunteered to download many commonly used apps for her, and she herself didn't even know when Xing Xing logged into the app's account.
Ji Shengsheng rolled around in bed a couple of times before getting up to wash up. She was going on a picnic with Xing Xing and Xiao Yang that afternoon. She still had some time to prepare milk tea and snacks for the three of them.
"Sister Sheng Sheng, I'm bringing my little brother with us. He's really handsome. I'll introduce him to you later."
Just as Ji Shengsheng was about to enter the kitchen, Xiao Yang sent a voice message using Xing Xing's phone.
“I’m making food to take with me,” Ji Shengsheng typed in reply.
Ji Shengsheng packed the snacks and drinks for four people into a bag, and then divided the extra into two parts. One part was given to Chengyu by the errand runner to share with the colleagues who were working overtime, and the other part was left for Zhu Xiaodan, who had just entered the room and was changing her shoes.
"Are you unhappy, Shengsheng?" Zhu Xiaodan took the cream puff that Ji Shengsheng handed her, but did not taste it immediately. Instead, she was concerned about Ji Shengsheng's mood.
"It's okay." She didn't seem unhappy.
There is just one contradiction.
She rarely shares things with her friends when things are still in a state of uncertainty. She only tells her friends when she has made a decision in her heart or when the matter is already settled.
Therefore, at this stage, she is unable to confide in her friends about what happened with Xu Yu and her inner conflicts.
"I'm thinking about how to reasonably withdraw from Xing Xing's main life story."
Putting yourself in her shoes, if Xu Yu had a childhood sweetheart, and although the two of them had no romantic feelings for each other, they had a great understanding and their daily lives were closely intertwined, she might also feel uncomfortable because of it.
Xing Xing and Xiao Yang are currently getting along very well. It would be very inappropriate and wrong for Xing Xing to rush over to see her in the middle of the night, given what happened last night.
She didn't want to sit idly by and take everything for granted, nor did she want to wait for the conflicts to fester before addressing them, so she decided to take the initiative.
“I support this idea.” Zhu Xiaodan carefully helped Ji Shengsheng sort things out. “Logically speaking, if he is already in a relationship and is still so deeply involved, it is easy for people to misunderstand.”
"Yes," Ji Shengsheng nodded, "and it also easily blocks my romantic prospects."
Zhu Xiaodan was so amused by Ji Shengsheng's serious expression that she almost fell over.
"So what are you planning to do?"
Ji Shengsheng added ice to the fruit tea and handed it to Zhu Xiaodan: "Like the past year, naturally create distance between us."
It would be easiest for Xing Xing to explain things clearly, but for Xing Xing, it would be easiest to naturally distance herself from him, just like she did the year before.
Over the past year, due to distance and busy schedules, they have hardly been in contact.
“But the situation is different now. Back then, you were abroad and he was in China,” Zhu Xiaodan said. “And you just didn’t meet, you didn’t completely cut off contact, did you?”
"Hmm..." Ji Shengsheng then realized that something was a little different.
Previously, when Xing Xing had a boyfriend, he would completely disappear from her life. This time, something must have been different for the "chase" incident to happen last night.
"Shengsheng, your phone." Zhu Xiaodan handed the vibrating phone to Ji Shengsheng.
"Sheng Sheng! Thank you for the drinks and snacks!"
It is Cheng Yu.
"We've decided to have a team-building activity this afternoon and would like to invite you to join us," Cheng Yu said warmly. "Are you free right now? If so, I can come pick you up."
Ji Shengsheng glanced at the time: "No need, I have something to do this afternoon. You guys have fun, and we can get together again another time."
"All right."
Cheng Yu suppressed her gossipy nature and hung up the phone.
"Is something wrong with her?" Xu Yu leaned back in his chair and turned to look at Cheng Yu.
"Hmm. I didn't dare ask what it was about specifically." Cheng Yu held her phone. "However, when she delivered the things, she mentioned that she made them on the side to share with everyone. Knowing her as I do, this shouldn't be just a polite remark..."
"There's a high chance she did a lot of things, like going out to eat? Or giving someone a gift? Or going out to eat with her boyfriend?"
Cheng Yu made an irresponsible guess: "The best parks in the city, suitable for picnics... there are only a few, right?"
Thinking about it, Cheng Yu sent a message to Ji Shengsheng: "Shengsheng, we plan to go to the city center park this afternoon. If you're passing by after you finish your work this afternoon, you can come and find us."
A few minutes later, Cheng Yu received a message from Ji Shengsheng: "I'm going there this afternoon too. If I have time, I'll come and find you."
"Yes!" Cheng Yu gave Xu Yu a high five, but Xu Yu dodged it.
“I guessed right,” Cheng Yu said smugly. “She just returned to China. If her friends take her on a picnic, she’ll definitely go to Central Park. If she does go, she won’t avoid us. She’s not the type to sneak around.”
"What if she doesn't go?" Xu Yu didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.
"Then I'll test her a few more times," Cheng Yu sighed. "This time I'll observe her boyfriend carefully and see exactly where he's better than you."
Xu Yu ignored him.
Cheng Yu then sidled up to her and asked, "You decided to go to Central Park beforehand, did you get some information from somewhere?"
As soon as Cheng Yu finished speaking, Xu Yu picked up his coat and prepared to leave.
This hardly qualifies as intelligence.
He just wanted to see how Ji Shengsheng would react when he and Xing Xing appeared at the same time.
"Hey?" Cheng Yu leaned close to Xu Yu with a mischievous grin. "Do you think she brought her boyfriend along?"
Xu Yu glanced at Cheng Yu, who immediately shut up and pretended to be busy looking at her phone.
Xu Yu walked out of the company gate and then walked to the parking lot.
Should I bring Xing Xing to him?
He believed Ji Shengsheng wouldn't dare.
Ever since seeing Zhu Xiaodan off and getting into Xing Xing's car, Ji Shengsheng's right eyelid has been twitching nonstop.
"What's wrong, Sister Sheng Sheng?" Xiao Yang leaned over from the passenger seat. "You don't look well."
"It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night." Ji Shengsheng rubbed her eyes. "I'll just take a nap."
"Your sister went to a game company late last night to discuss a collaboration. She didn't even get any sleep because of an IP collaboration."
"Huh?" Xiao Yang didn't understand. "Do we have to cook soup for the game company to secure a partnership...?"
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
The reason she brought up making soup was because she hadn't finished composing the story at first. By the time she finished, she had forgotten about making soup. Xing Xing obviously hadn't been listening carefully either, but Xiao Yang happened to hear a sentence and remembered it.
"Yeah... why do we have to make soup and send it over?" Xing Xing asked casually as he drove.
Ji Shengsheng scratched his head: "I happen to have a partner over there."
"Oh, I remember, the one who took her to the hospital, right?"
"Mmm," Ji Shengsheng replied perfunctorily, then changed the subject, "Xiao Yang, didn't your brother come with you?"
“He’ll come to see us in a bit. He noticed you’re nervous and wants to buy a nice outfit first.”
"Let me make this clear first, your brother can't make any moves on Ji Shengsheng." Xing Xing slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a stop just before the red light.
"What's wrong with my brother? He's handsome!" Xiao Yang couldn't help but argue with Xing Xing, hands on her hips. "Besides, you already have a boyfriend, and you won't let your sister Sheng Sheng date. You think you can enjoy life while everyone else has to stay single? You're so domineering!"
Xing Xing was stunned by Xiao Yang's shout and stood there for several seconds before she came to her senses: "You keep saying that my sister is love-struck, I'm afraid she'll get hurt."
"I think my sister is much more mature than you, why do you have to worry about so much? If you cause trouble for my brother later, I'll never forgive you!" Not satisfied with just yelling, Xiao Yang punched Xing Xing.
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
She didn't join the conversation. It was essentially Xing Xing and Xiao Yang communicating, and although they were talking about topics related to her, it was best for her to remain an observer.
"It's fine if your brother is good, as long as he's not like Xu Yu," Xing Xing muttered to himself.
Xiao Yang immediately seized on the key words: "Who is Xu Yu? Is he Sister Sheng Sheng's ex-boyfriend? Where is he now?"
“…We’ve arrived.” Ji Shengsheng looked at the large sign at the park entrance.
"Then we'll question Sister Sheng Sheng again later, hehe."
Xiao Yang is a very simple girl, straightforward in her actions and words. Although she sometimes lacks a strong sense of boundaries, you don't need to be too reserved when talking to her. Ji Shengsheng always has a strong sense of tolerance and acceptance towards girls with this kind of personality.
After finding a picnic spot, Xiao Yang and she carried the things from the trunk to the lawn.
After finally finishing tidying up, Xiao Yang stared at Ji Shengsheng and said, "Sister, sister, please tell me about Xu Yu. Before my brother arrives, I know he's an outsider, so we can't let him hear these things."
Xing Xing was checking for any errors by the car when he saw the two of them huddled together, and he shrugged helplessly.
"Was he my sister's first love? Was he handsome?"
Ji Shengsheng scratched his head: "...He's quite good-looking."
"He is very talented, and many people like him."
In fact, she doesn't mind talking about Xu Yu with the people around her. Her past feelings for him were sincere and genuine, and she doesn't hide them.
"And you, how did you two get together?" Xiao Yang was very excited and thrilled. "I love hearing stories of handsome men and beautiful women falling in love."
“We were never together.” Ji Shengsheng began to recount earnestly, “Back then, I liked him, but he didn’t like me. I pursued him, but he didn’t agree. And then it ended.”
"Ah..." Xiao Yang sighed, "What a pity, but it was also quite wonderful."
"What was Little Star doing at that time?" Xiao Yang asked curiously. "Didn't he help his sister?"
"Back then, I broke up with your sister Sheng Sheng, so she went to pursue someone else, but after being rejected, she came back to me to get back together," Xing Xing said irritatingly from behind them.
"Stop talking nonsense." Xiao Yang kicked Xing Xing. "Sister Sheng Sheng couldn't possibly be that kind of person."
“If you don’t believe me, ask her,” Xing Xing pointed at Ji Shengsheng, looking very serious. “See what she says.”
Ji Shengsheng: "..."
Although it was a joke, it was still a bit too much, especially since Xiao Yang's expression clearly shifted from disbelief to some degree of belief.
Cheng Yu spotted Ji Shengsheng and Xing Xing's car while queuing in the parking lot.
They then chose a location some distance away from Ji Shengsheng and his group. After all, it was a company team-building event, and there was no need to let personal matters affect other people's dining experience.
However, because the parking locations were relatively close, they still inevitably had to pass by the area near Ji Shengsheng and his group.
I didn't mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, nor did I expect them to talk about Xu Yu here...
Cheng Yu glanced at Xu Yu awkwardly, then quickly followed Xu Yu and left the awkward situation.
When he rejoined the main force, Xu Yu did not utter a single word.
Cheng Yu didn't know whether he should say anything or not. After all, he had overheard Xu Yu's gossip, and his sense of shame made him want to say something to ease the awkwardness.
"So it seems... Sheng Sheng didn't cheat on you." Cheng Yu's mouth was faster than her brain, and she picked the worst thing to say to start the conversation, "If you had taken the initiative to give her feedback back then, it would have been natural for you to be together."
"What do you think now...?" Cheng Yu secretly pinched her thigh.
“She won’t cheat on me,” Xu Yu said calmly.
Cheng Yu breathed a sigh of relief: "You're planning to give up?"
"It was I, the third party, who subjectively and maliciously ruined their relationship."
The tone was as if to say, "Hand me the fruit basket."
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