After discussing matters with her best friend, Qu Fulan found that it was already dark. Since they lived in opposite directions, they couldn’t return ho together.
After watching her best friend leave by car first, Qu Fulan prepared to head to another taxi.
Suddenly, a car stopped right in front of her.
The car window rolled down slowly.
"Get in, I’ll take you ho."
Qu Fulan recognized the driver imdiately. Who else could it be but Pei Ji’an?
"It’s no trouble, I called a taxi."
"It’s not safe to take a taxi alone at night. Get in."
Though they had broken up, Qu Fulan didn’t intend to continue dwelling on things. They hadn’t reached a point where they were estranged from each other, and she had already left him at the door in the morning. Rejecting him now would make things too rigid, which wasn’t good for anyone.
She was planning to start her own business, and with the Pei Family’s business being so big, they might have opportunities for cooperation.
It’s always wise to leave yourself a way out while doing things.
"Then thank you." Qu Fulan walked around and opened the car door.
After getting in the car, Qu Fulan thought he might say sothing since she hadn’t given him a good face in the morning, but he remained silent throughout the ride. Although she felt a little uneasy, she didn’t try to force a conversation.
Upon reaching the destination, Qu Fulan expressed her thanks and prepared to get out, but found that the car door wouldn’t open.
She turned back in confusion to look at him.
"What are your plans for the future?"
If there hadn’t been just the two of them in the car, she might have thought he was talking to soone else, as he stared straight ahead, without looking at her while speaking.
Qu Fulan couldn’t understand what he ant, but she still replied truthfully, "I’m planning to start my own business."
She only ntioned entrepreneurship and didn’t elaborate further, as whether they would cooperate was a matter for the future—there was no need to reveal everything under uncertain circumstances.
"If you need help, you can reach out to ." He didn’t ask what specifically she was planning to do but kindly offered this.
Qu Fulan nodded politely, "If there’s a need."
Then, he unlocked the car door, and Qu Fulan pushed it open and got out.
Coincidentally, it started to rain heavily outside.
There was quite a distance between here and the building she was staying in, and she didn’t have an umbrella nor intended to ask if he did. She placed her bag over her head and prepared to move.
A hand grabbed her wrist, "There’s an umbrella in the car."
The umbrella was in the back; he leaned over to take it. Although the car was spacious, it wasn’t enough to eliminate the proximity between the driver’s and passenger’s seats. When he leaned over, they were quite close, and Qu Fulan felt the warmth emanating from him, causing a slight discomfort in her heart.
"Here." An umbrella was placed in her hand.
"Thank you." Qu Fulan breathed a sigh of relief as she expressed her gratitude.
Pei Ji’an didn’t say anything further and left quickly.
Qu Fulan turned her head to glance in the direction the car departed, feeling a touch of strangeness in her heart.
He had co by in the morning just to ask a question, and after being refused, he didn’t persist. But then he offered her a ride in the evening...
She couldn’t quite figure out what it ant.
Unable to comprehend, she decided not to waste ti pondering it. However, she would have to find an opportunity to return the umbrella in her hand.
She didn’t have to wait long for the opportunity; it presented itself the very next day.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the complex, she saw Pei Ji’an’s car.
His expression was as indifferent as ever, but sohow seed different.
"Get in the car," he said.
"This is your umbrella, thank you for picking up last night, but I have things to do now..."
"I’ll give you a ride since I’m going the sa way. Get in." Pei Ji’an opened the car door for her, not waiting for her to refuse.
Qu Fulan hesitated for a few seconds, then disregarded the idea of whether they were heading in the sa direction and got in—it was always awkward to refuse soone who’s offered help.
"Is President Pei passing by for business? You can drop off at the intersection of Comrce Road on Anyang Avenue."
There’s a breakfast street over there, where she likes to eat breakfast. Many old-fashioned stores there have great flavors.
However, many old stores don’t appear as clean as new ones, which doesn’t affect their thriving business. Lines for breakfast only exaggerate the desolate presence of newly opened stores.
The street is cleaned daily, but the sanitary condition of the roads in front of dining establishnts is never as clean as other places. So patrons leave napkins or disposable chopsticks on the ground after eating.
People weave in and out of the street, from white-collar workers rushing to work, salespeople buying clothes, to students passing by for breakfast.
This setting suits ordinary people but isn’t accustod by heirs of wealthy families.
Thus, when Pei Ji’an joined Qu Fulan and walked into the street, Qu Fulan’s surprise was evident.
"I haven’t had breakfast either." Pei Ji’an explained.
Qu Fulan felt like the sun had risen in the west.
The young master had ample choices for breakfast. She had been with him long enough to know he wasn’t keen on food, yet was quite particular—not just him, but she herself had experienced a period of ’training’, highlighting the importance of etiquette and decorum.
Now that he was with her in such a busy area, she wondered if he was affected by sothing.
It didn’t concern her, though; if he was willing to co, she wouldn’t stop him. After all, this street wasn’t hers.
Just as long as he didn’t show disdain later and upset the shop owners, that would be problematic for her.
Qu Fulan entered a shop with mixed feelings, ordering so regular items, then noticed the owner—or rather, President Pei—reading the nu.
The tables and nus were wiped daily, but even so, they retained a slightly greasy, slippery feel.
The custor flow in this dining establishnt was heavy, and sotis the owners couldn’t keep up, preventing sanitation standards from matching those of a five-star hotel.
Qu Fulan was used to it, though watching President Pei in his suit sitting in such a shop, exuding an aura of a successful elite, holding a plain nu, felt incongruous.
The staff noticed the remarkable figure in the shop, feeling uneasy as they approached cautiously for inquiries. Despite not having seen much of the world, they could tell with a glance that this man carried a noble essence.
Pei Ji’an seed unsure of what to order and eventually chose the sa as Qu Fulan.
Qu Fulan sipped the tea on the table, the kind placed at each table, brewed from regular tea leaves, rely for quenching thirst.
The cups were disposable, which didn’t bother Qu Fulan; she poured and drank for herself, not serving President Pei. The distinction was secondary since she assud the wealthy heir wouldn’t dare drink from such a place anyway.
As expected, he didn’t drink, rely eyeing the teapot and scanning the disposable cups without speaking.
Qu Fulan lowered her gaze. Though she couldn’t comprehend the young master’s willingness to condescend for breakfast here, perhaps it was a whim to experience life’s hardships.
But deep-seated habits and convictions hardly require self-imposed difficulties.
Inevitably, juxtaposed against everything, one becos out of tune.
Qu Fulan suddenly recalled her earnest efforts in learning etiquette. At that ti, she was likely just as out of place within that environnt, leading others to regard her strangely.
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