Xia Yanran hurriedly searched for a topic and brushed away the question Tang Chao gave to her.
Tang Chao was an understanding person, no longer bringing the topic up after noting that Xia Yanran seemed to be unwilling to talk about her private life.
The car arrived at a supper place in the city.
Xia Yanran didn’t want to go at first, but the car had stopped. If she asked to leave again, it didn’t seem to be too polite.
Seeing that Xia Yanran was still sitting there, Tang Chao seemed to realize something and hit his head. “Look at me. Since Miss Xia is wearing an evening gown, it’s naturally not very convenient for her.” Tang Chao glanced at Xiao Yi. “Brother Xiao, I left my jacket at the resort. Can you lend Miss Xia your jacket?”
Xiao Yi tapped the cigarette, not accepting or rejecting the request.
Tang Chao gave Xia Yanran Xiao Yi’s jacket immediately. “Miss Xia, you can wear Brother Xiao’s jacket. He hasn’t worn his jacket tonight yet, so it’s clean and doesn’t smell.”
Xia Yanran glanced at Xiao Yi, who had already walked towards the supper place.
Putting on his jacket, Xia Yanran got out of the car.
His jacket was very large and was able to cover her butt. There was a faint cigarette scent on it, and it didn’t seem what Tang Chao said was true, about him not wearing it yet.
The three of them sat at a table by the window.
Ever the gentleman, Tang Chao passed the menu to Xia Yanran. Xia Yanran didn’t reject the gesture and ordered a few dishes.
“Hey, Miss Xia, why did you order the dishes that Brother Xia likes usually?” Tang Chao asked with a laugh.
Xia Yanran’s heart skipped a beat, as she looked up at the man sitting diagonally opposite of her. He was looking down at his phone, as if he wasn’t paying attention to Tang Chao and her conversation.
After seeing him again, Xia Yanran realized that he had gotten a lot more quiet and calm, as he exuded a strong aura that stopped people from approaching him and looking at him.
Xia Yanran looked away. In order to hide her panicked heart, she ordered another two dishes that Xiao Yi didn’t eat usually.
After they ordered, Tang Chao ordered a few more dishes.
While they were waiting for their food, Tang Chao received a call. He glanced at the caller ID and apologized to Xia Yanran before going out to answer the call.
Xia Yanran and Xiao Yi were the only ones left at the table.
This supper place was really packed, and the other tables were all lively and cheerful. Their table was the only one that felt stiff and cold.
Xia Yanran took a few deep breaths, before she looked at the man again. Just as she looked over, he looked at her as well.
His eyes were dark, with an unreadable complexity in them.
Xia Yanran lowered her lashes, unable to stop herself from asking, “I heard from Xiao Mo that you’ve retired from the triad. How’s your body?”
Xiao Yi’s expression couldn’t be read as he gave a nasal hum of acknowledgement.
With that, they fell silent once more.
Xia Yanran felt an urge to cry. The relationship they once had could be described as a tough journey as they trekked through difficult times. Just as they thought everything would be fine, there was a depthless abyss beneath them. There was no way to retreat, so they could only end it there.
It was a good thing that Tang Chao came back quickly.
With Tang Chao around, the atmosphere eased a lot.
Yet halfway through the meal, Tang Chao received another call. He glanced at the caller ID, unable to hold back the urge and cursed.
He didn’t pick up, but the person calling didn’t give in either.
Tang Chao sent a strange glance to the man who was drinking quietly beside him. “Where’s your phone?”
“In the car.”
“No wonder. She’s even calling me, do you want to answer the call?” Tang Chao passed his phone to Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi glanced at the caller ID and put down his chopsticks to take the phone.
Hearing the men’s conversation, Xia Yanran lost her appetite to eat. She took a glass of water to drink, as her eyes slowly shifted onto the man sitting diagonally opposite of her.
A wave of emotion washed over her heart.
Was the person Tang Chao talked about a woman?
From Tang Chao’s tone, the relationship between the woman and Xiao Yi seemed to be quite good?
Xia Yanran looked down. She thought she had already learned how to let go slowly, but when she heard that he had an unknown relationship with another woman, sadness still spread in her heart slowly.
She took a deep breath, doing her best to ignore that feeling.
They had already broken up and had no relations to each other. Whatever relationship he had with others were no longer her concern.
However, why was learning how to let go so hard to accomplish?
Xiao Yi answered the call. The person on the other end of the call said something and Xiao Yi replied, “Alright, I’ll come over now.”
Xiao Yi returned Tang Chao his phone before he glanced at Xia Yanran. “Eat slowly, Tang Chao will send you back when you’re done.”
Tang Chao froze. From his tone, why did it sound like this wasn’t the first time he had met Beauty Xia?
Xiao Yi left hurriedly.
Tang Chao stared at his disappearing back, cursing unconsciously, “I really don’t know what this guy is thinking! That kind of woman is so coy and flirtatious, why can’t he ignore her? She must be horny so she called him over so late at night!”
Xia Yanran’s hand on the table clenched slightly.
She glanced at Tang Chao quietly. “Was it his girlfriend?”
Tang Chao seemed to hesitate for a moment.
What in the world?
“I don’t know what’s wrong with Brother Xiao either. He actually played with her for a month now. Yes, she is pretty, but it’s obvious that she has done many surgeries.”
Tang Chao glanced at Xia Yanran. “Ultimately, people still like original beauties like you, Beauty Xia.”
Xia Yanran didn’t hear what Tang Chao said clearly, her mind only thinking about Xiao Yi going to meet a promiscuous woman.
And that woman managed to call him away with a call.
She was the one who suggested to break up and not contact each other anymore. When she suggested it, she would have thought that he would be good to another woman one day.
However, she never expected for the man to remove his feelings for her so quickly. It has only been a little more than three months, but he already has feelings for another woman.
No matter how good the food was, it felt like she was chewing wax now. Xia Yanran didn’t want to show her emotions in front of Tang Chao, as she smirked and forced her tone to sound light. “Mr Tang, thank you for the supper. I’m full now. I’m a little tired, so I’ll go back to the hotel first.”
Tang Chao was still planning to go shopping with Xia Yanran in B City after supper. Seeing that she wanted to leave, he hurriedly stood up. “I’ll go pay and send you back.”
Xia Yanran returned the jacket to Tang Chao. “It’s alright. Since we’re in the city now, I can take a taxi.”
Tang Chao was about to say something else, but Xia Yanran had already started to walk outside. The night was dark, but the busy city seemed like a sleepless city.
After hailing a taxi, Xia Yanran sat inside, a rainbow-lit tall building entering her sight. She leaned her forehead against the window, like a small animal that was trapped in a cage.
Why was forgetting a person so difficult?
Just a careless gaze or a small action from him was enough to tug at her heart.
She clearly knew there wouldn’t be an ending, but her emotions were drawn to him unconsciously still.
Xia Yanran buried her head further down, her neck and shoulders forming a lonely line. When she looked up again, her tears fell and blurred her sight.
