ask
After finishing her meal, Xu Feifei was wondering whether to go home this afternoon or tomorrow. She had previously made plans with Lin Yuan to go to Europe together the day after tomorrow, but she definitely wouldn't have time then.
She hadn't paid any attention to the European trip. She had initially thought of having Lin Yuan make the plans, but she blindly followed along. This was because her understanding of Europe was extremely limited, and that limited understanding came solely from television dramas.
However, is it still appropriate for the two of them to travel together now? Xu Feifei recalled Lin Yuan's confession to her yesterday and fell into deep distress.
The phone vibrated a few times on the table.
Xu Feifei glanced at the message on her phone with a bit of nervousness, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was from Zhang Jiayi.
Zhang Jiayi: Feifei, are you free this afternoon?
Xu Feifei: Yes, what's wrong?
Zhang Jiayi: I have something I'd like to ask you for help with. Can we meet this afternoon?
Xu Feifei hesitated for a while, but soon agreed.
When Zhang Jiayi saw that she had agreed, he happily sent a message: Great! Can we meet at the coffee shop on the first floor of the city center square at 3 pm today?
Xu Feifei checked the time; it was 2 PM. Considering the time for changing clothes and getting a taxi, meeting at 3 PM would be a bit rushed, so she decisively arranged to meet at 3:30 PM.
At 3:30, I arrived at the coffee shop as agreed.
After pushing open the door, Xu Feifei saw Zhang Jiayi sitting by the window, waving at her. She walked over, sat down, and smiled, "Didn't keep you waiting long?"
Zhang Jiayi pushed the cake in front of her towards her and said, "No. I ordered you a latte and a matcha Basque. What else would you like?"
Xu Feifei shook her head and said, "No need, I just finished eating and I'm still a little full."
Zhang Jiayi asked in surprise, "Why are you having lunch so late?"
Xu Feifei hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "I just finished my exams, so I thought I'd relax by playing on my phone. Before I knew it, I was up all night, which is why I woke up late this morning."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiayi laughed and said, "I didn't expect that. I always thought you were an early riser."
"I finally have a holiday, I definitely need to relax properly!"
"Yes, that's true."
Xu Feifei picked up her cup, took a sip of coffee, and got straight to the point, asking, "Jiayi, is there something you wanted to discuss with me?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiayi pursed her lips, looking uneasy. She picked up her coffee and took a big gulp, the cold coffee rolling down her throat and suppressing her agitated emotions.
"Feifei, I...I..." Zhang Jiayi hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.
Xu Feifei looked at him with a puzzled expression, but she could see the tension and unease in his eyes, so she quickly comforted him, "What's wrong?"
"Actually, my family's company is facing a major problem. If it's not resolved properly, it will experience a break in the cash flow, leading to serious trouble. My family has been trying very hard to remedy the situation, but we haven't been able to..."
Xu Feifei frowned as she listened, recalling what Zeng Hao had told her before; it seemed to be true.
“My dad had heard of you before. The Xu Group is your family business and can provide financial assistance to our family, so I want to ask you for help.”
Zhang Jiayi had kept her head down, not daring to look at Xu Feifei's face, but towards the end of her speech, she raised her head and looked at Xu Feifei with pleading and longing in her eyes.
Xu Feifei readily agreed: "Sure!"
Suddenly she realized there was a big problem. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry as she said, "How can I help you? I have no experience in business and don't know how to provide you with financial assistance."
Zhang Jiayi waved her hand and quickly said, "No need, no need, you just need to go home and tell your dad."
Ask her dad for help? Xu Feifei pictured her dad at home always wearing a suit, with a stern face. She felt a little scared, unsure if this fear stemmed from herself or from her body.
Xu Feifei nodded and said, "Okay, I'll tell my dad when I get home."
Zhang Jiayi breathed a sigh of relief when she agreed, and said happily, "That's great, Feifei, thank you!"
Xu Feifei quickly waved her hand and said, "No need, no need. I haven't even said anything yet, I don't even know if it will work."
Zhang Jia also smiled and said, "Whether it succeeds or not, I want to thank you."
Xu Feifei noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She hadn't paid much attention to them before, but today she realized that his dark circles were quite deep and that he looked rather haggard.
Xu Feifei asked with concern, "No need to be so polite. Jiayi, have you been very tired lately?"
"It's alright." Zhang Jiayi deliberately avoided Xu Feifei's gaze when she said this, and picked up her cup to take another sip of coffee.
"Hmm." Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Xu Feifei didn't ask any further questions.
Some people in the coffee shop were working, some were chatting, and some were studying, but their table was completely silent.
"Where are you going after the exam?" Xu Feifei broke the silence first.
Zhang Jiayi shook her head and said, "I don't know, I'm planning to go help out at my dad's company."
Xu Feifei's eyes lit up, and she said admiringly, "Wow, that's amazing! You're already learning how to manage a company so early. You're definitely going to be a big boss someday!"
Zhang Jiayi forced a smile and said with a wry smile, "No, it's just that the company is having some difficulties. I was planning to go back and help out, doing some odd jobs."
Xu Feifei comforted her, "It's okay, you'll definitely get through this. After you overcome this difficulty, your good fortune will begin."
Zhang Jiayi didn't want to continue talking about himself, so she took the initiative to change the subject, "What about you? What are your plans for summer vacation?"
"I plan to go to Europe with Lin Yuan in a couple of days."
Xu Feifei stirred the coffee in her cup with a spoon. There was still half coffee left, and the original pattern on the coffee had become blurry. After stirring, it was completely gone.
"Where in Europe are you going?"
"I don't know yet. I'm open to going anywhere. But I don't like planning trips. I plan to follow Lin Yuan around like a little shadow."
She suddenly laughed as she spoke.
Looking at her smile, Zhang Jiayi's heart raced, much faster than usual. He felt a warmth that instantly soothed his weariness of the past few days.
The phone rang. Xu Feifei picked it up and saw it was Gao Lan calling. After answering, Gao Lan told her she had to go back that night. Xu Feifei agreed and then texted Lin Yuan saying she wouldn't be going back to the dorm that night.
After she hung up the phone, Zhang Jiayi asked, "What's wrong?"
"No, my mom told me to come home tonight."
Are you going back now?
Xu Feifei checked the time. "No, it's still early."
She didn't want to go back so soon; she always felt constrained and awkward in that house. She wanted to stay away from home as long as possible, and avoid it if she could.
That afternoon, the two spent the entire time in the coffee shop. Xu Feifei used this free time to explore some of Europe's most famous tourist attractions, while Zhang Jiayi offered her some advice.
Around 6 PM, Xu Feifei's mother called again to urge her to have the driver come pick her up. Xu Feifei quickly refused, saying she would take a taxi home herself.
After hailing a taxi, Zhang Jiayi said, "Where are you getting on? I'll take you there."
Xu Feifei waved her hand and said, "No need, I can cross the highway intersection by myself."
After saying that, she glanced down at her phone at the ride-hailing page, which showed that the driver would arrive in five minutes. She then stood up and said, "The driver will be here in five minutes. I'll go now. Bye-bye."
Zhang Jiayi also stood up and said, "I'm going back too, let's go together."
Xu Feifei looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "You took a taxi too?"
“No, the driver is coming to pick me up,” Zhang Jiayi said, shaking his head.
Xu Feifei nodded, and the two walked side by side.
It's summer vacation now, and the sun is scorching and the weather is humid during the day. Only in the evening, when the sun is about to set, does a breeze begin to blow, bringing a slight coolness.
In summer, most people go out around dusk. The square gradually fills up with people, and the excitement is just beginning.
The two waited at the intersection for the driver to arrive, while cars came and went on the road.
Xu Feifei looked down at the page on her phone, her thumb constantly refreshing the page to see how many meters the driver was in.
"Feifei," Zhang Jiayi called softly above her head.
"Hmm?" Xu Feifei looked up in confusion after hearing this.
"Is it true that you said you'd only start dating in college?" Zhang Jiayi asked, her eyes filled with a mixture of pity and anticipation.
Xu Feifei avoided his gaze. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because I wanted to clarify the doubts in my mind."
Zhang Jiayi took another step closer, bringing the two even closer together. His figure blocked Xu Feifei's view and the sunlight, pressing down on her.
She took a few steps back, creating distance between them.
Xu Feifei sighed silently and said softly, "Jiayi, we're not a good match."
Rejected again, Zhang Jiayi gave a self-deprecating bitter smile, suppressing her emotions, and still pressed on, "Will you wait until college to start dating?"
Xu Feifei didn't reply to him immediately. Looking at him, she was slightly shocked by his tired and red eyes. She felt a pang of pity, but she was powerless to help and didn't know how to comfort him.
Zhang Jiayi stared intently at her, without blinking.
"I......"
Xu Feifei had just opened her mouth when her phone rang. The driver had arrived, and a white car next to them honked its horn a few times.
The car arrived just in time, solving her immediate problem.
"My taxi is here. That's all for today. I'll be going now, bye-bye!" After saying that, she hurried to the car.
Zhang Jiayi followed her up and said, "Remember to send a message saying you're safe when you get home."
Xu Feifei nodded.
Zhang Jia watched the car drive away until it became a black dot and disappeared into the long line of traffic.
The roads are busy during rush hour, and cars are stopping and starting, so they don't drive very fast.
Xu Feifei stared at the traffic outside the window, Zhang Jiayi's words echoing in her mind, her heart in turmoil. Those words struck her like a thunderbolt, a sudden and profound realization.
Perhaps everything here needs to be done slowly, and everything needs to be carefully considered.
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