Gong Chengjue's expression tightened slightly as he watched Lu Linghong get into the car and leave, but he relaxed again when he saw Su Ziqing walking out of the building.
Su Ziqing had no idea that Lu Linghong had just met with Gong Chengjue and even threatened him. As soon as she got into the car, she asked Gong Chengjue curiously, "What are we going to eat?"
Gong Chengjue pulled her hand and kissed the back of it. "It's delicious."
Su Ziqing hummed in agreement.
Gong Chengjue glanced outside and happened to see Su Tianhao. He raised an eyebrow slightly. "What brings Su Tianhao here?"
Su Ziqing followed his gaze and saw Su Tianhao getting into the car.
"They said they came to the capital for a wedding and wanted to stop by the branch office." Su Ziqing looked at Gong Chengjue, hesitating before saying what she would say next.
"Hmm? Just say what you want to say," Gong Chengjue said gently.
"They said they wanted to pay their respects to the Gong family." Su Ziqing changed her words.
Gong Chengjue suddenly understood. "He wants to see my family?"
Su Ziqing nodded.
Gong Chengjue looked at her, hesitant to speak.
Su Ziqing blinked, but did not ask any further questions.
She saw the attitude of the Gong family last night, and she figured that the engagement he wanted wouldn't go so smoothly.
The car drove towards its destination, avoiding main roads and weaving through various side streets unfamiliar to outsiders. Watching the changing scenery outside the window, Su Ziqing couldn't help but ask, "Is it a very remote place?"
Gong Chengjue smiled and shook his head, "It's not remote, but most people wouldn't be able to find it."
Su Ziqing hummed in agreement.
The car finally stopped in a small alley. There are many ancient buildings in the capital, some of which are hundreds of years old. As soon as they got out of the car, they saw an ancient building with a red door and two red lanterns hanging outside the door.
Yes, the Spring Festival is almost here.
Luo Jinhan went up and knocked on the door. A girl in her thirties came to open the door and said, "Mr. Gong, please come in."
Su Ziqing glanced at Gong Chengjue, then let him lead her across the threshold.
The girl glanced at their tightly clasped hands but said nothing.
"This is a private kitchenette." Gong Chengjue led Su Ziqing inside familiarly, giving her a brief introduction.
"The owner is Japanese. He married a Chinese girl and settled down here. He's a good cook, so he chose this place and cooks occasionally."
Su Ziqing looked at the environment of the house. It was a courtyard house, not very big, but decorated in a very unique way.
The girl led Gong Chengjue into a private room on the south side, which had been converted into a room with a sliding door. As soon as the door was opened, a faint fragrance wafted out.
They had just sat down when a girl walked in. "Mr. Gong."
The girl looked very young, in her early twenties, and was wearing a kimono.
Su Ziqing was immediately drawn to the young woman. Perhaps it was a girl's intuition, but she felt that this girl was extraordinary.
Does he seem to be a trained martial artist?
The girl met Su Ziqing's gaze frankly and asked, "This must be Miss Su?"
Su Ziqing looked at Gong Chengjue, realizing that he had introduced her to others before?
Gong Chengjue casually picked up his teacup and took a sip. "These are pine nuts."
"Miss Songzi." Su Ziqing felt that the place for dinner tonight was unusual.
"Miss Su is so beautiful." Songzi's eyes were filled with a smile.
Su Ziqing smiled faintly.
"I'll go bring the dishes up." Songzi didn't bother her any longer.
Su Ziqing stared at Gong Chengjue without saying a word.
Gong Chengjue calmly sipped his tea, but finally couldn't resist her persistence and raised an eyebrow slightly, "What do you want to ask?"
"This Miss Matsuko doesn't seem like an ordinary person." And didn't he say she was Chinese?
"I know a little kung fu," Gong Chengjue said without hiding anything.
"And what about her husband?" Could he be a reclusive master?
"So gossipy?" Gong Chengjue flicked his nose.
"I was just asking casually. If you don't want to answer, that's fine." Su Ziqing just felt something was off.
"Sakai and I had a past relationship in Japan," Gong Chengjue said, offering only this brief statement.
Matsuko quickly brought over a plate of exquisite Japanese food. "Mr. Miyako, would you like to drink tonight?"
Gong Chengjue looked at Su Ziqing, "Want to drink?"
"You can have a little."
"Bring a pot of sake," Gong Chengjue said.
Japanese cuisine is known for its exquisite presentation. Looking at the sushi and sashimi in front of her, Su Ziqing couldn't wait to try them.
"The sashimi is very fresh." Gong Chengjue picked up a slice and put it in her bowl. "It's all air-freighted directly from Japan."
Su Ziqing nodded, "It's delicious."
It was sashimi again, but tonight's was the best Japanese food she had ever had.
"The place I take you to eat will definitely be delicious," Gong Chengjue said proudly.
Just as the two had finished eating, a Japanese man in a kimono walked in carrying a steaming bowl of noodles, his footsteps creaking.
The man had a buzz cut and an ordinary face.
"I made it for you according to your habits." Sakai placed the noodles on the table, his familiar tone making it clear that the two knew each other well.
Gong Chengjue picked up Su Ziqing's bowl and put a bowl on her plate first, saying, "Try his best noodles."
“I’m good at everything, okay?” Sakai said in Mandarin with a Japanese accent as he looked at Su Ziqing and greeted her politely.
Su Ziqing returned a polite smile.
After they had eaten their fill, Gong Chengjue made an excuse to leave, and Su Ziqing didn't ask any further questions.
The courtyard was unusually quiet, as if it were only for the two of them.
When Gong Chengjue returned, everything was as usual. Su Ziqing put the last cup of sake into her mouth and said, "I'm full."
Gong Chengjue looked at her and said, "Ziqing, the engagement will have to be postponed for a while."
Su Ziqing sat there without showing any surprise. In fact, after last night, she guessed that things should change.
It just feels strange. I hadn't been looking forward to the engagement at all before, but now that I hear we can't get engaged, I feel disappointed.
Gong Chengjue didn't hide anything from her, "Grandpa gave me a condition: if I meet it within a year, I can marry you."
"Oh." Su Ziqing nodded.
"Alright." Su Ziqing looked up at him after a while and said with a smile, "Give me more time to get to know you."
Gong Chengjue gave her a deep look. "Let's go."
When it was time to leave, Matsuko and Sakai saw them off to the door and into their car.
………………………
Branch
"There's no engagement anytime soon," Su Ziqing said calmly to Su Tianhao.
Su Tianhao didn't just attend the wedding banquet last night for nothing; he had heard quite a bit about the news in the capital. When he asked Su Ziqing again today when to arrange a meeting between the two families, he knew from her response that the engagement was in jeopardy.
Su Tianhao knew exactly what was going on, but he asked with concern, "What's wrong? Didn't you say in City A that you were getting engaged soon? You also said..."
Su Ziqing looked at him and said, "Something unexpected happened."
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