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Chapter 17 Puncture
“Are you Mr. Jian Chi?”
The concert ended and everyone left the venue one after another. Bai Xiyu was still immersed in the last solo performance and did not get up.
Jian Chi heard his name, looked up at the server, and heard the other person continue: “Mr. Ji invites you and your friends to the backstage.”
“Is that the vice president?”
The three words ‘Mr. Ji’ seemed to have a kind of magic power. Bai Xiyu caught it keenly. His cheeks were flushed, and he was about to get up quickly, “Let’s hurry over, we shouldn’t let the vice president wait… By the way, I didn’t bring any flowers and I didn’t prepare at all. Jian Chi, do you think it’s too late for me to go out and buy a bunch of flowers now?”
Jian Chi listened to Bai Xiyu’s broken thoughts in his ears, and comforted: “He shouldn’t mind such trivial matters.”
“I know, but…”
The road to the backstage was not long, but Bai Xiyu became nervous at a speed visible to the naked eye. The server who led the way knocked on the lounge with the Ji Huaisi name plate, and there was a vague ‘please come in’, followed by a touch of white exposed at the open door in front of him. Ji Huaisi was still wearing that tuxedo, like a noble prince who had just finished a dinner party. He raised his eyes and smiled at Jian Chi.
Jian Chi’s gaze couldn’t help but stay for a while, not to mention Bai Xiyu, who almost didn’t know where to put his eyes under such close contact. He stumblingly said ‘Vice President’.
“How was the concert?” Ji Huaisi asked.
“It’s very exciting, especially at the end…” Bai Xiyu answered hurriedly, slowly reddening his ears, “The last song was very good. I didn’t know what to do at the end and just wanted to continue listening to it. What song was it?”
“Chardash Dance, a piece I like very much,” Ji Huaisi turned his eyes naturally, together with the conversation, “Jian Chi, what do you think?”
Jian Chi, who acted as the background by default, was stunned for a moment, then echoed, “It sounds good.”
The smile in Ji Huaisi’s eyes deepened slightly, with a hint of imperceptible satisfaction, which was quickly covered by his usual emotions, “After listening to music for two hours, you should be hungry. Should we have lunch together later?”
“Really?” Bai Xiyu didn’t hide the excitement on his face, and found that his reaction was too obvious. He quickly added, “Will it be too troublesome?”
“No, we can go back to school together after eating,” Ji Huaisi showed a faint smile, “Jian Chi, is there anything you want to eat?”
Jian Chi found that Ji Huaisi would always lead the topic in his direction in the end and shook his head, “No.”
“Then I’ll decide the location. Do you have any food you dislike or abstain from? I’ll write it down.”
In all fairness, among the outstanding Saintston students, Ji Huaisi’s appearance was not amazing, but it was more of a refreshing temperament infiltrating his bones, like a cup of plain boiling water, soft and all-encompassing. But Jian Chi felt that Ji Huaisi, who had written down their preferences in such a serious way, was more attractive than anyone else; not on the surface, but with his respect and consideration for everyone from the bottom of his heart.
It was inevitable that Bai Xiyu, who was excluded by everyone in the story, would like Ji Huaisi.
The plot is beginning to develop in it’s normal direction, he just needed to find a suitable reason to leave and create a two-person world for them.
The lunch place was finally chosen at a western restaurant. It was an expensive central location with low-key and exquisite decoration. All the people who dined there were wearing formal attire. The waiter who came to the reception saw Ji Huaisi, came out and said respectfully, “Mr. Ji, the seat has been reserved for you. You can enjoy the Chuanlin Building outside the window with your friends.”
Ji Huaisi nodded slightly, “I will have to trouble you all.”
“This is what we are supposed to do.”
Jian Chi seldom entered such places, which reminded him of a western restaurant he once went to in Yuncheng. The people seemed to be trying to imitate the scenes on TV.
Obviously, Bai Xiyu looked even more nervous than he was, holding a menu full of English, at a loss. Ji Huaisi eased the nervousness well and said, “I like to order the single set menu here, there is a creamy mushroom soup, red wine foie gras, smoked salmon and a dessert. If you don’t like the taste of foie gras, you can switch to other staples like steak and other meats.”
Bai Xiyu nodded, with countless gratitude in his eyes, “Then I’ll order that.”
Ji Huaisi looked at Jian Chi, his lips curved slightly, “What about you?”
Jian Chi, who had already calculated the plan for leaving, pretended to open the menu seriously, revealing a bit of confusion, and then raised his head, “Why don’t you order first, I’ll go to the toilet and I’ll decide when I get back.”
“I’ll show you the way, the location is not easy to find.”
“It’s okay, I can ask the waiter.” Jian Chi slowed down to get up, so that he didn’t look so urgent, and when he got out of Ji Huaisi’s line of sight, he immediately sped up and left the restaurant with his head down.
The cafe next to it was open. Jian Chi pushed open the glass door to find a corner, opened HS and sent a text message to Ji Huaisi, then compiled another one and sent it to Bai Xiyu. The content said he wasn’t feeling well and that he was going to head back to school first. Bai Xiyu sent a few words of concern and asked him to go back and have a good rest. Ji Huaisi asked him how serious he was and whether he needed someone to drive him to go to the hospital.
Having come this far, of course Jian Chi could not accept this kindness at the risk of revealing the truth. He turned off his phone after rejecting Ji Huaisi. From that dream to the present, this was a rare moment when he felt relaxed, he didn’t have to worry about the plot going wrong all the time, nor worry about the accident that might befall him.
Jian Chi had faintly realized that some things that should not have happened or should have happened to Bai Xiyu were coming to him quietly, such as the basin of water and the invitation letter. It was like a wake-up call that he had to step up and do a little bit to make the the plot move forward.
He was not a kind person, and his personal interests always came first. Although he occasionally lent a helping hand to the best of his ability, most of the time, Jian Chi firmly believed that the position of a bystander was more suitable for him.
Whether it was Bai Xiyu, Ji Huaisi, Shao Hang or Wen Chuan, their stories had nothing to do with him. It was impossible for him to go to Bai Xiyu and tell him that everything came from a book, or to tell Shao Hang that he would fall in love with Bai Xiyu in the future. They may regard him as a lunatic.
Jian Chi didn’t want to change the plot forcefully. He chose to go on obediently, as long as he avoided the tragedy that happened to him originally, and left the rest to fate.
After drinking a cup of coffee, Jian Chi looked at the wall clock on the wall in the store, calculated the time for the end of the meal, got up and left the cafe, wondering whether to take a rare opportunity to go out to see Chuanlin or to follow the message in the text message to go back to the school early.
The main street of Chuanlin was bustling with high-rise buildings, which was as free and prosperous as what Jian Chi once saw on TV.
With a plan in his mind, he was walking along the street when he heard a horn suddenly. He turned around. The familiar luxury car was parked on the side of the road, the back door opened, and Ji Huaisi walked out.
Jian Chi felt that his feet were fixed in place and he was forced to watch Ji Huaisi getting closer and closer. Then he was in front of him, the smile on his face faded a little and the color of his eyes darkened, which was a little unpredictable for the first time.
“Why did you lie?”
Two words appeared in Jian Chi’s mind – it’s over.