Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qin Zhiâai picked up her phone to see who was calling her. She was surprised when she saw the number. She answered, âHello. Whatâs up, Bro Bancheng?â
âHave you had dinner yet?â Lu Bancheng sounded as if he was driving because she heard beeping on the call.
âNot yet. Whatâs up?â Qin Zhiâai said.
âGreat. Iâll be at your place soon.â Lu Bancheng checked the time and said, âCan you be downstairs in 10 minutes? Letâs have dinner together.â
It was the first time Lu Bancheng had ever asked her to have dinner. Qin Zhiâai was shocked and didnât respond to Lu Bancheng as she silently held the phone to her ear.
Lu Bancheng sensed her doubt and immediately explained, âArenât you leaving tomorrow? Weâre friends, right? I would like to have a goodbye dinner with you.â
After pausing a second, Lu Bancheng asked, âXiaoâai, you donât think Iâm not your friend, do you?â
âNo.â Qin Zhiâai did not turn his invitation down after his question. Instead, she said to Lu Bancheng, âIâm going to wash my face, and Iâll see you in 10 minutes.â
...
Lu Bancheng took Qin Zhiâai to a restaurant famous for its 100-year history, and they ordered hearty, non-spicy food. Lu Bancheng wanted to order some quality wine, but because Qin Zhiâai didnât drink he ordered one of their best teas instead.
They settled in to enjoy the view across the restaurantâs expansive bank of windows. Located near the Forbidden City, its lights cast a beautiful glow across the night sky.
The waitress quickly brought their tea to the table, and Lu Bancheng poured a cup for Qin Zhiâai, who smiled and thanked him.
Lu Bancheng looked up to smile at Qin Zhiâai and then looked down at the table again as he poured a cup of tea for himself. After taking a sip, he said, âI had planned to ask Bro Sheng to dinner tonight with us, but he had some family emergency and couldnât make it. Nuannuan I couldnât get a hold of, and Haozi isnât here because I assumed you wouldnât want to see him given his issues with Nuannuan. And that is why you are with me alone for dinner tonight.â
Qin Zhiâai looked down and smiled. She put down her empty cup and thought for a moment before asking, âDid grandpa Gu wake up from his coma?â
âHuh? How do you know about that?â Lu Bancheng looked at Qin Zhiâai in surprise as he was pouring more tea.
âI found out yesterday when I called Master Gu.â
This made sense, given that Qin Zhiâai was Gu Yushengâs secretary for a few months. And they knew each other socially because their close friends had been dating for so long.
Lu Bancheng said âoh,â and Qin Zhiâai told him what she knew about Old Master Gu. He in turn answered Qin Zhiâaiâs question. âI was at the hospital this afternoon and the Old Master has not woken up yet. He was not doing well and babbling a lot of nonsense.â
âHas Gu Yusheng thought about alternative ways to help his grandfather?â Qin Zhiâai asked.
âHe invited two specialists from overseas and a traditional Chinese doctor to join the medical team,â Lu Bancheng said.
âOh,â Qin Zhiâai responded. After a while, Qin Zhiâai asked, âIs Master Gu alright?â
âNot good.â Lu Bancheng shook his head without any hesitation, saying, âHe was the only family member left for Bro Sheng. He is definitely not doing well with his grandfather being this ill. Bro Sheng and his grandfather havenât gotten along for more than a year because of Xiaokou but, because of his grandfatherâs grave condition, heâs going to have to agree to marry her no matter how much he doesnât want to.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âMarry her?â Qin Zhiâai frowned. âWerenât they married a long time ago?â