Chapter 220 Dating Me
After hanging up the phone, Ji Wanqing finally managed to help her mother squeeze out of the crowd.
Ji Wanqing casually squeezed into a coffee shop and found a private room.
When the waiter saw her face, a fleeting look of surprise crossed his eyes, but fortunately, the waiter was quite professional and did not scrutinize her or ask any further questions. He took her order and then left the private room.
Ji Wanqing let out a long sigh of relief and exchanged a helpless glance with her mother.
"Looks like shopping won't be very convenient today."
Ji's mother smiled helplessly and patted her hand with mixed feelings.
“Wanqing, I’m both happy and worried. I’m happy that someone values you so much, but I’m worried because… this is too much of a show of force. I’m a little uneasy. Do you know who sent this?”
Ji Wanqing frowned, shook her head, and then nodded slightly.
"I have a guess, but I'm not sure. It's probably one of my viewers in my live stream."
"Just a viewer?" Mrs. Ji clearly didn't believe it. "What viewer would go to such lengths for a small-time streamer? This isn't just liking, it's practically..."
She couldn't find the right words to describe the solemnity that was almost like a declaration of sovereignty, so she could only sigh softly.
Ji Wanqing picked up the lemon water that the waiter had just brought her. The cool temperature of the glass seeped into her palm, calming her down a little.
She shook her head, her eyes somewhat confused. "I don't know, Mom."
Ji Wanqing lowered her head, looking at the reflection of the water swirling in the glass. "I don't even know what he looks like. He only asked me about my birthday, and at the time... I didn't think much of it."
Just as the mother and daughter were speechless, Ji Wanqing's phone screen on the table suddenly lit up.
Their eyes were simultaneously drawn to the word "blank" that Ji Wanqing had marked in her notes.
Ji Wanqing glanced at her mother, took a deep breath, her fingertips trembling slightly as she pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" Her voice carried a hint of nervousness that she herself was unaware of.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the call, followed by a deep and familiar male voice, carrying a hint of tension and probing.
Happy birthday... Did you see your present?
"I saw it." Ji Wanqing tried to keep her voice calm. "This... is too exaggerated, Brother Blank, thank you, but... why?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were carefully choosing their words.
"I just wanted to make your birthday a little special."
He avoided the main point, then changed the subject with a determined tone, "Qingtian, can we... meet?"
Meeting? Ji Wanqing was stunned.
With so many big shots in the live stream, almost everyone has asked to meet her, even wealthy women have taken the initiative to ask her out.
There was only blank space; I never took the initiative to ask him out.
So when he said those words, Ji Wanqing was a little taken aback, and because of the huge shock she had just experienced, she subconsciously wanted to refuse.
"I..." she began, but Kong interrupted her.
“I know this request is presumptuous.” Blank’s tone became a little urgent, with an earnestness that was quite different from his usual composure. “I also know you may feel uneasy, but I assure you, there is no ill intent. It’s just that there are some things I’ve thought about for a long time and feel I must tell you in person.”
He paused for a moment, his voice lowering, carrying a complex mix of emotions.
“I see more and more people around you, and I’m worried that if we don’t meet again soon, if we don’t muster the courage to take a step forward, we might really… never have another chance.”
Ji Wanqing's heart was gently touched by his words, and the words of refusal stuck in her throat.
Undeniably, she was curious about and grateful for the blank space, and even developed a vague dependence and trust in it because of the long-term companionship of the game.
Now, this trust, coupled with the enormous surprise he created and the unease and urgency revealed in his words, is shaking her resolve.
She remained silent for a long time, while her mother watched her with concern but did not interfere.
"...Okay." Finally, Ji Wanqing heard herself say this.
She needs to give an explanation for this months-long silent protection, and she also needs to unravel the mystery in her heart.
"Time? Place?"
Blank seemed to let out a long sigh of relief, and his tone immediately became light and solemn.
"Is today okay? Any place is fine, whichever is convenient for you."
"Then let's go to 3 pm at that coffee shop called 'Misty Realm' in the west of the city. It's relatively quiet." Ji Wanqing quickly selected a place in her mind that was not far from home and had a peaceful environment.
"Okay, I'll be there on time." Blank's voice was filled with barely concealed anticipation. "Then... see you in a bit."
"Um."
After hanging up the WeChat voice call, Ji Wanqing stared at the blank profile picture on her phone screen, unable to calm down for a long time.
"Have you decided to meet him?" Ji's mother asked softly.
"Hmm." Ji Wanqing nodded, her eyes filled with complex emotions. "I need to know who exactly is the person who has been helping me all along."
After Ji Wanqing and her mother finished their drinks, they took a taxi and sent Ji's mother home first.
Then, timing it perfectly, Ji Wanqing left home and arrived at the Tranquil Cafe ten minutes ahead of schedule.
She chose a secluded spot by the window, ordered a latte, and unconsciously stirred the spoon with her fingers, glancing at the door every now and then.
At 2:59, the door of the coffee shop was pushed open, and the wind chimes made a crisp sound.
Ji Wanqing subconsciously looked up.
Against the light, a tall and imposing figure walked in.
He was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and black trousers, tall and slender, with a composed gait.
As he approached, the sunlight streaming through the window outlined his clear and handsome facial features: deep-set eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed thin lips, all combined to create an unforgettable and strikingly beautiful face.
And this face...
Ji Wanqing's pupils suddenly contracted, her breath stopped for a moment, and the small spoon in her hand fell onto the porcelain plate with a clatter.
She stared intently at the face that drew closer and closer, a face so familiar it was etched into her very being, her mind blank, as if the sounds of the entire world had faded away at that moment.
Zhou...Xu Bai?
How could it be him?!
Memories flooded back like a tide.
“Zhou Xubai, I can cover all your father’s medical expenses, including finding the best kidney donor, on the condition that you and I date.”
She remembered when he looked up at her; his beautiful black eyes held no emotion, only a deep, unfathomable stillness.
He looked at her for a long time, so long that she almost thought he would refuse, and then he softly uttered a single word.
"good."
Thus, they became the most eye-catching and most perplexing couple on campus.
She took him to various luxurious places she was familiar with, and he dutifully played the role of her boyfriend.
He would accompany her to class, save her a seat, remember all the things she liked and disliked, patiently coax her when she was throwing a tantrum, and even climb over the school wall to buy her medicine when she had a fever late at night.
He was so good to her, so good that she could hardly find fault with him, so good that sometimes she would feel that he really liked her.
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