Chapter 8 Phalaenopsis Orchid "A date?" He smiled enigmatically. ...
The three of them stood in silence for a moment, and Lan Jia had no choice but to take on the responsibility of breaking the awkward silence. While thinking, she moved hesitantly towards the door, stood half a step behind Meng Cenjun, and asked softly, "Xiao Qiao, what do you want to see me about?"
Seeing that most of her figure was obscured, and that the two were talking as if they were separated by prison bars, Qiao Zimu felt frustrated. "I found the scarf. I'll bring it to you."
When Lan Jia saw the paper bag he was carrying, a surge of joy welled up inside her, but when she thought of Meng Cenjun standing beside her, she suppressed it slightly and lowered her voice: "That's great, thank you."
Qiao Zimu pursed his lips, his smile appearing quite restrained.
Lan Jia racked her brains, not knowing what else she could say, when she suddenly felt a large hand land on her right shoulder, squeeze it, and then the force quickly disappeared.
"Come over and get your hair dried in a bit," Meng Cenjun said, then turned and went inside.
Lan Jia agreed and subconsciously touched his shoulder. She felt that even after he left, the touch was still there, as if reminding her not to linger too long.
Knowing that Meng Cenjun must have given Qiao Zimu a bad look, she smiled apologetically: "My brother has always been like this, and I'm the same way in front of him."
Qiao Zimu noticed that Lan Jia's half-dry hair was hanging down, and couldn't help but wonder: Does her brother have to do things like washing her hair for her?
But he didn't ask any more questions, his expression revealing a hint of grievance, "Why bother explaining? You know perfectly well that I never care about these things."
"Lan Jia, this makes us seem much more distant." He finally had a chance to get closer to her.
Lan Jia forced a smile, carefully considering her own feelings. She realized that even without Meng Cenjun, she couldn't immediately return to the carefree attitude she had towards Qiao Zimu. The words spoken that morning, while not a river, were at least a stream separating them, flowing gently between them. He wanted to reach out and pull her to his side, but she was afraid of getting her shoes wet.
Qiao Zimu was adept at reading people's expressions. Seeing her hesitant look, he immediately realized that she was still dwelling on that matter and had gotten stuck on it, so she deliberately distanced herself from him.
To reassure her, I gritted my teeth and changed my strategy. I adopted a relaxed tone and said with a half-surprised and half-laughing tone, "You wouldn't actually be considering my suggestion, would you?"
Lan Jia immediately rolled her eyes at him.
She never thought about getting married, let alone marrying Qiao Zimu.
The people she's grown up with are so familiar with her, like another version of herself, that takes away so much of the fun of exploration.
Qiao Zimu noticed her disgusted expression and finally regained a sense of familiarity. He pressed on while the iron was hot, "Lan Jia, I was just saying it casually. Just think of it as me not thinking straight this morning. You really don't need to take it to heart."
He picked up the paper bag with the VOYANCE shipping company logo, pursed his lips, and said, "See? I got up really early to keep track of the cruise ship news for you." He then pointed to the dark circles under his eyes and complained to her, "Look, look, I worried about you all night last night, and my dark circles are practically falling off the floor."
Lan Jia couldn't help but want to laugh, but she held it in and asked suspiciously, "Really?"
He's been two completely different people in just a few hours; I really don't know what he's up to.
Seeing that she still didn't believe him, Qiao Zimu steeled his heart and decided to go all out. After a moment of contemplation, he said to her very seriously, "Lan Jia, don't overthink it. My feelings for you... aren't like that."
Lan Jia secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking about it carefully, it made sense. What kind of confession was that? Perhaps Qiao Zimu was genuinely offering her advice? She was overthinking it and had misunderstood.
After going through all that, he felt his mind clear and his mood improve, so he couldn't help but punch his chest hard: "Thank you so much." But his smile was also more genuine, "Thank you for helping me find my scarf."
Qiao Zimu clutched his chest, feigning weakness as if he had been defeated, and laughed along with her. In reality, his heart felt like it was being pierced by countless needles, bleeding profusely.
How could she show such a relieved expression? How could she be so cruel, leaving him not even the slightest hope?
He grinned, feeling the despair of his pain-sensitive nerves being constantly torn apart, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Then he heard Lan Jia speak again, as if still worried, adding, "Xiao Qiao, you know, love has a very short shelf life, while friendship is always stronger than love. The reason I resisted was simply because I didn't want to lose you as a friend."
Qiao Zimu nodded, but secretly he gritted his teeth even more.
Beyond love, there is family ties. Isn't family ties even stronger than friendship? She simply doesn't understand. He's no longer content with just being friends, much less lovers. What he wants most is to be her family. An unbreakable bond will forever bind them together. Perhaps one day, she will truly develop genuine feelings for him? To love within a secure relationship is the safest option. Coming from a business family, he has always been adept at avoiding risks and getting straight to the heart of the matter.
He wouldn't allow himself to lose to Lan Jia.
Seeing his strange expression, Lan Jia tilted her head to confirm, "Xiao Qiao, we're still good friends, right?"
Qiao Zimu struggled to suppress his surging emotions, like trying to hold back a pack of wild beasts that could break free at any moment. He forced a smile, a genuine and innocent one, just as he had always done in front of Lan Jia.
"Of course, you will always be my best friend."
Lan Jia was completely relieved and happily bumped fists with him.
"Then let me make this clear first: we must not mention those things from last time again. Let's turn the page on this chapter completely."
Qiao Zimu maintained his smile, but forced out a single word through gritted teeth.
He agreed.
Lan Jia took the paper bag and cautiously looked inside. Although she didn't see Meng Cenjun, she still remembered his earlier reminder.
The hourglass reached its end, and she waved to Qiao Zimu, "My brother is waiting for me, I'm going in first."
Seeing that she was about to close the door, Qiao Zimu hurriedly added, "How about we have lunch together later?"
Lan Jia agreed with a smile.
Inside the house, Meng Cenjun was carrying a freshly made cup of black coffee into the guest room. She glanced at the time and, exactly eight minutes later, sat down on the sofa when Lan Jia arrived.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee beans. She sniffed it and said with a flattering smile, "Brother, I want some too."
Meng Cenjun glanced at her, then slowly picked up the steaming bone china cup and took a sip. She knew the woman wouldn't be interested.
Lan Jia thought he wasn't giving her a drink and was about to complain inwardly that he was stingy, but when she sat down next to him and saw what was wrong, she frowned: "Why do you always drink such bitter coffee..."
I drank it without sugar or milk until my tongue went numb.
To be honest, her tastes were completely different from Meng Cenyun's. One preferred healthy, bland dishes devoid of oil, while the other favored a wide variety of flavors. When they cooked dinner at home, the dishes she specified were laid out in such a clearly defined color scheme that it drew a clear line between the two on the dining table. She should be thankful that Meng Cenyun didn't bother with her playful banter; otherwise, their home would inevitably be filled with daily battles between sweet and savory factions, and spicy and sour taste wars.
Many times, Lan Jia would think, at least there are similarities between people, right? But how could there be such completely opposite cases as her and Meng Cenjun in this world? Their personalities, hobbies, and ways of doing things are all very different.
After being family for twenty years, they were like two different bacteria that had grown out of the same petri dish.
But thinking about it, it's a pity that we can't even share something as trivial as food, let alone anything else.
Sometimes I want to talk to him about things we have in common, but I feel powerless to do so.
Lan Jia sighed, her whole body like a dried-up salted fish, sliding down the slippery velvet sofa, her neck bent at a dejected angle.
Meng Cenjun glanced at her and instructed her, "I have something to do later. Stay in the room and don't wander around. Wait for the doctor to come and examine you."
"oh."
"Let's have lunch together at noon."
"Hmm." Lan Jia responded, then realized something was wrong and inwardly cried out in alarm.
"etc……"
"Brother, how about we do it tonight?" she asked him nervously.
"You have an appointment?" He asked with a half-smile.
Lan Jia heard him put down his coffee cup, the bottom of which made a crisp sound as it hit the saucer, like a warning bell.
This was another potentially disastrous question, and she really wanted to scream.
When these two meet, it's like two peas in a pod; she'll be the one embarrassed and suffer the consequences.
As for Qiao Zimu, their relationship had just eased, and he had already agreed beforehand, so it wouldn't be good to refuse again. But Meng Cenjun was even more difficult to deal with; she couldn't afford to offend her.
Unless... he takes the initiative to say no?
The fact that he forced her to choose between the two options shows that he definitely didn't want to lower himself to get involved with them.
Lan Jia rolled her eyes, an idea forming in her mind. She smiled ingratiatingly, "Brother, how about... we all go together?"
Meng Cenjun hesitated for a moment, then did not agree.
Lan Jia chuckled to herself; just as she had expected.
It was soon noon, and the sky had lessened. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the hotel restaurant, it was clear that the downpour was subsiding. Galveston was only temporarily affected by the hurricane; according to the staff, the airport would resume operations in a day or two.
Qiao Zimu arrived early and sat at a round cherry wood dining table, waiting for Lan Jia. The tablecloth was snow-white, with only two sets of tableware left. The lilies and freesias that had been in the vase had been removed, and the orchid ball on the side table had also been taken away.
The orchids were vibrant in color, with long, dragon-like inflorescences, blooming profusely. They were said to be a rare variety purchased at a hotel auction. It took a long time of communication with the manager before the two of them were allowed to carefully carry them away together.
With such a publicity stunt, it was hard to ignore him. Employees immediately began whispering among themselves, speculating about who he was waiting for.
Not long after, a slender girl came into the restaurant. She had black hair, fair skin, and wore a pale yellow dress. She had a classic face with arched eyebrows, but for some reason, she looked a little worried.
The employees who had previously guessed the two were a couple laughed, rubbing their hands together, and were about to eagerly ask for their bets when their colleague pushed them aside, signaling them to look again. And just like that, their ten-dollar bet flew away.
Behind the girl came a tall, composed man with outstanding looks, but a cold and austere expression, like a snow-covered mountain that could only be viewed from afar.
The two walked side by side, with completely different styles and sizes. Their faces were different, one pale and one dark. At first glance, they looked nothing alike. But if you looked closely, you would find that their auras were strangely harmonious.
Qiao Zimu was secretly surprised to see Meng Cenjun and Lan Jia coming together, but seeing them getting closer, he had no choice but to stand up and call out, "Brother Cenjun."
Meng Cenjun nodded slightly and naturally took her seat.
Lan Jia met his questioning gaze, speechless, and could only offer an awkward smile.
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