On Monday noon, Minghuan and An Yun arranged to meet at a restaurant near their home.
Both of them lived near their workplaces, so they naturally met in that area.
In the past, the two of them would often come here to eat after rehearsals, and then go home separately.
Minghuan sat by the window looking at the trees lining the street, and suddenly realized that it had been a long time since the two of them had come here together.
After a long silence, An Yun spoke first.
"Didn't you ask me to come? Why aren't you saying anything now?"
On the table were the same dishes they both loved, but neither of them touched their chopsticks, nor did they even look each other in the eye.
An Yun was rinsing cups and chopsticks with her head down, while Ming Huan was looking out the window.
Hearing An Yun speak, Ming Huan turned around and said, "I thought we would be friends for life."
Hearing this, An Yun scoffed and poured the boiling water that had just been used to scald the bowls and chopsticks into the trash can next to her.
"Huanhuan, I've always said you're too naive, but you won't admit it. There's no such thing as a lifelong best friend. That's just how people are; it's normal for them to drift apart."
Minghuan pursed her lips, recalling the past when the two of them signed with the same band and happily hugged each other, saying they would never be apart again.
“But we’re still in the same city, even in the same orchestra. I never thought the phrase ‘drifting apart’ would apply to the two of us.”
"Isn't it you who no longer needs friends? Huanhuan, I also thought we would be best friends forever, but now you don't need me anymore. You've found a boyfriend who seems great to everyone, and even his sister is your friend."
An Yun stared into Ming Huan's eyes, "Do you still need me?"
Minghuan suddenly felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
“You are my good friend, and Wensheng is my boyfriend. Is there any relationship between you two where it’s either you or him? Besides, I have never thought that you don’t need friends when you are in a relationship.”
Minghuan had always considered herself not to be a stupid person, but now she really didn't understand why things had turned out this way.
When Mingming and Wensheng first got together, Ayun was very happy, and she was the first to introduce them.
“You even told Wen Sheng that if he dared to treat me badly, you would definitely not let him off the hook.”
"Yes, that's right, I did say that. But didn't you think he's good to you? You said it yourself, and you trust him. I'm just respecting your decision."
Seeing that Minghuan was about to explain something, An Yun interrupted her directly: "He's your boyfriend, not mine. I won't stop you if you believe him, but you don't need to try to convince me. From now on, we'll still be colleagues and ordinary friends."
After saying that, An Yun took her bag and left.
Through the window, Minghuan saw her hail a taxi and leave.
The dishes on the table were no longer steaming, and Minghuan finished the meal by herself.
Halfway through the meal, Minghuan even reflected on her behavior after she started dating Xia Wensheng, wondering if she had really neglected her friends because of the relationship.
But the truth is, because of the nature of her work, she is busier on weekends than on weekdays, and Xia Wensheng is even busier than her. The time they spend together is far less than the time she spends with An Yun.
As for Wenxi's matter, she didn't think there was any conflict between trusting Wensheng and Anyun.
After finishing her meal and leaving the restaurant, Minghuan told herself that it might really be a very common thing for friends to drift apart.
————
Thursday.
"Aunt Li! I'm back, and I brought back lots of things."
Besides bringing back some local pork to nourish Xia Wensheng as promised, they also brought back a lot of dried vegetables and mushrooms that the local farmers had dried themselves.
In addition, Xia Wenxi also brought back a menu from that place.
"Aunt Li, I don't have the specific recipe here; it's their trade secret. But I'm confident that with your skills, you can definitely do it!"
Feeling a pat on the shoulder, Aunt Li was instantly filled with ambition.
"Of course! This is what I, Old Li, do. It's just a few dishes, Miss. Don't worry, I'll make sure they're cooked perfectly. The master and mistress will be back tomorrow, so let them have a taste too."
Xia Wenxi smiled and nodded, handing over all the things she had brought back to her with peace of mind.
"Oh, by the way, Aunt Li, I also invited Sister Minghuan to come over for dinner tomorrow."
"Okay, okay!" Aunt Li said with a smile, "I will definitely cook more of my signature dishes tomorrow."
"good."
"Oh, right, Miss..."
Xia Wenxi was about to go upstairs when her aunt stopped her again.
Then I heard her ask in a low voice, "Will Miss Minghuan be alone tomorrow?"
Xia Wenxi thought for a moment and said, "And Xia Wensheng too, let's come together."
"Miss, that's not what I meant. I heard you're in a relationship! Is that young man coming?"
Xia Wenxi chuckled. She hadn't expected the news to spread so quickly, that even Aunt Li knew about it.
"Old Zhou told me about this."
Butler Zhou had somehow wandered over to the two of them and, before Xia Wenxi could even speak, proactively answered her question.
"It was my husband and wife who talked about it a couple of days ago."
Seeing the expectant expression on Aunt Li's face, Xia Wenxi smiled and said, "That young man can't come for the time being. We've only been dating for less than a week, so he can't meet the parents so soon."
It seems that Aunt Li and Butler Zhou only know about this matter, but they don't know who Xia Wenxi is dating. After all, Lin Shen and the other two have met, so if they knew, they certainly wouldn't be so curious.
"You're right, we need to spend more time with them before bringing them home."
After Xia Wenxi went upstairs and settled Xiaoyuer in, she remembered that she should have told a young man named Lin Shen that she had arrived home.
When she turned on her phone, she realized that Lin Shen had sent her a message half an hour earlier. She had just arrived home and was talking to Aunt Li and the others, so she probably hadn't noticed her phone.
Xia Wenxi has never been in a relationship since she was a child. Due to her family background, there have been very few people she has ever wanted to contact.
She felt a little embarrassed thinking about it; although she had never been in a relationship herself, she had seen others do.
In a relationship, one person can't always be the one taking the initiative.
I'm home now, about half an hour ago. Sorry, I forgot to tell you...
Xia Wenxi's main principle is to admit her mistakes.
After the message was sent, Lin Shen quickly called.
"Are you free on Saturday? Would you like to come over for lunch?"
"Saturday... okay, I don't have any other plans."
"Okay, I'll pick you up then, and there will be your favorite dishes."
"What I like to eat? It can't be..."
Xia Wenxi was surprised; her recent favorite dish was chicken stew with mushrooms.
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