Ming Li had no intention of catching up with them. She offered a brief nod as a greeting, nothing more.
Anyone with eyes could see her detachment.
Zhou Jing’an was not one to overstay her welcome; after the greeting, she returned to her seat. Gu Qingshuang, however, remained standing there like a fool.
Ming Li ignored her completely. She scanned the QR code on the table, ordered two dishes, and poured water for herself and Lin Xun.
The restaurant served tartary buckwheat tea—meant to clear the mind and reduce internal heat. It was exactly what Ming Li needed right now.
Gu Qingshuang couldn’t find a topic to break the silence. She stood by the table, feeling increasingly awkward.
By the time she realized how she must look, she saw Lin Xun watching her with a troubled expression.
Only then did Gu Qingshuang realize her lapse in etiquette. She lowered her eyes and asked, “Are you two out for a meal?”
Ming Li said nothing.
Lin Xun nodded politely. “We’ve been working a lot of overtime lately, so President Ming is treating me to dinner.”
Gu Qingshuang looked at Ming Li. From her angle, she could only see Ming Li’s profile, which carried a sharp edge of coldness and displeasure.
It wasn’t hard to guess who that displeasure was aimed at.
“Then I’ll leave you to your meal,” Gu Qingshuang said sensibly.
She cast one last lingering glance at Ming Li, but the woman acted as if she didn’t exist.
Even after returning to her own seat, Gu Qingshuang remained dazed. At first, she wanted to explain why she was there tonight, but then she realized there was no point. Ming Li wouldn’t want to hear it anyway.
She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
“Still haven’t let go?” Zhou Jing’an suddenly asked.
Gu Qingshuang stared at the spread of food on the table but didn’t have the courage to pick up her chopsticks. She had no desire to chat with Zhou Jing’an anymore.
“Are you full yet?” she asked coldly.
The question was entirely unrelated to the previous topic.
Zhou Jing’an didn’t seem bothered. “Not yet. Wait until I’m finished.”
Neither spoke after that, though Gu Qingshuang frequently glanced back at Ming Li’s table.
Ming Li and Lin Xun were talking about something, and a professional, graceful smile never left Lin Xun’s face.
It was nothing like the lifeless atmosphere at their own table.
Gu Qingshuang had recently discovered she possessed a peculiar talent for making the air around her dull and oppressive. Perhaps it was just her nature.
Dull people weren’t suited for social lives; they belonged in corners, alone.
Yet, despite that, her heart remained restless.
After the meal, Gu Qingshuang went to settle the bill. While she was at it, she paid for Ming Li’s table as well.
Zhou Jing’an didn’t comment. It wasn’t her money, after all.
However, once they stepped out of the restaurant, she couldn’t help but ask, “Looking at you two, you don’t seem as ‘incompatible’ as the rumors say. Why the sudden divorce?”
For Gu Qingshuang, this was private territory. She gave a vague, dismissive answer.
Zhou Jing’an then asked bluntly, “Do I need to attend Gu Mengdie’s engagement banquet as your date?”
“No need,” Gu Qingshuang rejected her again.
“Ah.” Zhou Jing’an frowned. “From what President Gu said, I thought you were fine with anyone. I think I’m a pretty good catch—why won’t you consider me? I’ve never been married, I have no health issues, my family background is clean, my parents are happily married, and I have no bad habits. I earn my own money… honestly, if we were together, it would look like you were the one marrying up.”
Gu Qingshuang: “…”
The sheer amount of information in that statement was overwhelming. Gu Qingshuang didn’t know whether to explain the first half or question the second.
In the end, she chose silence.
In her current state, she simply didn’t want to speak. Communication felt like a futile effort.
“Why the silence?” Zhou Jing’an pressed. “Is it because I’m making too much sense?”
“I can’t afford to ‘marry up’ to you,” Gu Qingshuang said tonelessly. “You should find someone else.”
“But what if I’ve taken a liking to you?” Zhou Jing’an persisted. “Is there someone else in your heart, or is it something else?”
“No comment,” Gu Qingshuang replied.
Zhou Jing’an was stubborn. “Then why reject me? We can get to know each other first. It’s not like I’m asking to marry you today. Besides, didn’t you marry Ming Li after knowing her for only a few days? You’ve done the whole flash-marriage thing before, so why are you acting so timid with me?”
Gu Qingshuang felt helpless. “This has nothing to do with Ming Li.”
“How can it have nothing to do with her? She’s your past.”
“…”
Gu Qingshuang was utterly exhausted by someone as relentless as Zhou Jing’an.
However, she caught a loophole in the other woman’s words. “Did my mother arrange for you to come?”
“Yes and no,” Zhou Jing’an admitted frankly. “I really am interested in you. This just happened to be a good opportunity.”
“I am a very boring, very dull person,” Gu Qingshuang said. “Don’t pin your hopes on me.”
“True.” Zhou Jing’an nodded. “You have good self-awareness. But I still think you’re quite alright. So, will you marry me? I’ll treat you well.”
Gu Qingshuang: “…No.”
In the end, Gu Qingshuang didn’t even add her on WeChat. She practically fled from the storefront.
When she returned to the Gu Manor, Gu Xueqiang was leisurely eating dinner.
The moment the elder woman looked up and saw her, her food seemingly lost its flavor.
Gu Qingshuang had essentially eaten nothing at the restaurant. She sat down at the dining table and gestured for a maid to bring her a set of utensils.
“The food at that place wasn’t good? You’re not full?” Gu Xueqiang asked.
“I didn’t eat,” Gu Qingshuang replied. “I wasn’t used to it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Gu Xueqiang said dismissively. “Tell me, what’s your impression of Miss Zhou? I’ve met her; she’s a wonderful person. Pretty, highly educated, smart, and dignified. If you think she’s suitable, I’ll pick a date to finalize things for you two.”
Gu Qingshuang hadn’t expected her mother to have already planned that far ahead.
It made her feel as though her own thoughts were entirely irrelevant. Even without her, Gu Xueqiang would have seen the matter through to completion.
The feeling of being a mere tool intensified. “What exactly are you trying to do?”
“I should ask what you are thinking,” Gu Xueqiang said calmly. “You were the one who felt you could marry anyone. Back then, you found Ming Li within three days just to deceive me. Is it really that hard to find someone else to maintain a marriage now?”
Gu Qingshuang answered without thinking: “Of course it is! Ming Li is different.”
The air in the room went still.
Gu Xueqiang followed her lead. “How is she different?”
