Xia Xiaobing was indeed a little nervous at this moment.
She knew very well that Tang Qi wouldn't be happy if she moved next door. And if Tang Qi simply made her progress with Lu Zhe clear, that would be a real problem.
Xia Xiaobing knew that if Lu Zhe really developed a clear self-awareness as 'Miss Tang's boyfriend,' it would be very difficult to turn things around in the future.
Fortunately, although Tang Qi was shocked and seemed somewhat unhappy, this was only reflected in the degree to which her cheeks puffed out; she did not utter any irreparable words.
Lu Zhe didn't offer any opinion, simply lowering his head and silently eating his meat. As for Xue Xiaodie, she had already made a secret deal with Xia Xiaobing, so naturally she had nothing to say at this point.
The first batch of grilled meat was all eaten, and after the waiter finished serving the next table, he came over to continue grilling.
Taking advantage of this brief moment, Xue Xiaodie took out her phone and said to the petite girl beside her, "I filmed them playing soccer today, do you want to see it?"
Tang Qi: "The video of you playing football? You mean Lu Zhe and President Xia?"
"Yes, look at this..."
Xue Xiaodie held her phone between the two of them and opened a video she had taken not long ago.
Even in the past, Tang Qi had little interest in football. However, the main characters in these mobile phone videos were mostly Lu Zhe, which piqued her interest.
The first video was only eight or nine seconds long, from Xia Xiaobing passing the ball to Lu Zhe receiving it, then Lu Zhe dribbling past his opponent, shooting, and scoring, with his teammates applauding, and then it ended.
Tang Qi's eyes lit up: "So handsome!"
Xue Xiaodie laughed and said, "How is it? Isn't he handsome?"
Tang Qi: "But before, when he asked me to watch the games, I didn't watch much. There are so few exciting moments like this, and the games on TV are also..."
Xue Xiaodie blinked, already guessing what Xiao Caitang wanted to say—because the boy she liked wasn't on the basketball court on TV.
The second video is slightly longer, but only about ten seconds long. In it, an unknown person intercepts the ball, passes it to Xia Xiaobing, and then Xia Xiaobing passes it to Lu Zhe. This pass is incredibly penetrating, reaching directly behind the opposing defender. Lu Zhe doesn't even need to dribble past his opponent; he accelerates, catches up with the ball, and shoots, scoring again.
Tang Qi couldn't help but ask, "How many goals did you score?"
Xue Xiaodie smiled and said, "To be honest, it's a bit hard to count. So in the end, the other side didn't want to play anymore, mainly because they were humiliated by Lu Zhe and President Xia."
Tang Qi looked at the mature woman across the table: "President Xia is really amazing."
Xia Xiaobing smiled faintly: "It's alright."
Tang Qi then asked, "Then, next time you guys play football, can I come along and watch?"
Xia Xiaobing smiled and said, "Sure, the more cheerleaders the better."
Her quick agreement surprised Tang Qi. But then, the girl realized what malicious intent meant.
Xia Xiaobing looked at the boy next to her and said, "I should be moving this Saturday. Can you come and help me carry my suitcases?"
Lu Zhe scratched his head, glanced at Tang Qi, and hesitated.
Xia Xiaobing added leisurely, "This can also be considered overtime..."
Lu Zhe quickly interrupted, "It's just a small favor for President Xia. I'm embarrassed to ask for overtime pay for this."
Xia Xiaobing smiled and said, "Okay, Saturday afternoon at four o'clock, is that alright?"
Lu Zhe paused for two seconds, then nodded: "It should be fine."
Saturday afternoon at four o'clock... Xue Xiaodie and Tang Qi didn't say anything, but they both secretly remembered this time.
They certainly didn't want Lu Zhe to help President Xia alone; otherwise, given President Xia's efficiency, it would be too dangerous for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together.
————
After finishing their barbecue, it was already past ten o'clock at night. Xia Xiaobing drove Xue Xiaodie, Tang Qi, and Lu Zhe to the apartment building.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Xia, for tonight." "Thank you, Mr. Xia!"
Lu Zhe and Xue Xiaodie stood by the car window, speaking in unison.
Tang Qi didn't react immediately and just mumbled "thank you".
Xia Xiaobing waved her hand: "The rain hasn't stopped yet, you guys should go back, take a hot shower, and go to bed early."
The three nodded in agreement, said "goodbye" a few more times, and then turned and walked away.
The rain was still falling, but it was significantly lighter than it had been an hour or two ago.
Xia Xiaobing stepped on the gas.
The car continued forward, leaving her all alone inside. She watched the raindrops fall on the windshield, only to be swept away by the wipers, a few more drops falling, only to be swept away again…
She suddenly felt a little tired.
Compared to her academic research in the past and her current entrepreneurial endeavors, matters of the heart leave her feeling more exhausted. Even when she has identified the right direction and worked hard, and chosen the most rational and appropriate strategies, the outcome remains unpredictable.
"This kind of thing is really troublesome..." Xia Xiaobing muttered to herself, then suddenly laughed, "But he's probably feeling something similar right now, isn't he?"
Knowing him as she did, she figured that being surrounded by three girls in a chaotic situation wouldn't make him happy; he'd probably just feel more awkward. After all, he'd never really taken the initiative to interact with girls growing up, preferring to play alone. Even when he did engage in group activities, it was always on the soccer field.
But soon, Xia Xiaobing rallied her spirits again.
After all, tonight isn't over yet.
She drove to the same neighborhood as before, parked the car, and went home.
But tonight isn't over yet.
Xia Xiaobing didn't even change her clothes or take a shower before immediately packing a suitcase, dragging it downstairs, and returning to the BMW.
She put the suitcase in the trunk, got into the driver's seat, released the handbrake again, and stepped on the gas.
The night wasn't over yet, and she was heading to that apartment building now.
She found the apartment suite she wanted to rent yesterday and signed the contract. Tonight, she can move in immediately.
As for what we just mentioned at the dinner table about 'asking Lu Zhe to help move the luggage on Saturday,' that's naturally...
"All's fair in war," Xia Xiaobing murmured to herself with a smile as she dragged her luggage out of the elevator and arrived at the door of her newly rented apartment.
In fact, the apartment she rented this time wasn't next to Lu Zhe and Tang Qi's, but upstairs from them—truly adjacent floors. In other words, the ceiling of Tang Qi's apartment was the floor of Xia Xiaobing's new place.
As for how they were able to pinpoint Tang Qi's location—the address provided by Lu Zhe, combined with the information revealed by Xue Xiaodie, was more than enough to confirm it with 100% certainty.
Upon entering her new residence, Xia Xiaobing's first action was to head straight to the bathroom, quickly take a shower, and then change into new pajamas.
You know, tonight isn't over yet...
————
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