"Who was that Ms. Kiyi earlier?" Director Beck suddenly asked Anning from across the table. He looked up towards the direction where Chicheng had left, then followed up with, "That was him at the last event, right?"
"Yes, he’s a... friend of mine."
Anning nodded and replied noncommittally, feeling sowhat embarrassed, then lowered her head again.
She was already feeling uncomfortable inside.
So, during the latter half of the dinner party, she hardly said a word. Fortunately, Qi Helian understood her and took on the task of keeping Director Beck company.
By the ti the al was over and Anning stood up feeling dizzy, she realized she had drunk several glasses of wine.
She braced herself on the table, her head bowed in contemplation.
Qi Helian observed her briefly, then leaned close, asking with concern, "Have you drunk too much? Can you manage?"
Anning extended a hand and waved it dismissively at him, "It’s fine."
She gently shook her head, then stood up straight and walked with Qi Helian toward the restaurant’s exit.
Director Beck was ahead of them. At the restaurant entrance, they exchanged foreign courtesies—an embrace to say goodbye.
Having seen off Director Beck, Anning and Qi Helian headed towards the parking lot. The late autumn weather brought a chill wind that evening.
Wearing little, Anning felt the cold as the wind blew, she hugged her arms tightly around herself, shrinking her neck in.
"Cold, aren’t you?" Qi Helian asked, swiftly undoing the buttons of his suit jacket.
By the ti Anning realized what he was doing, he had already taken off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Anning frowned, "Won’t you be cold too without it? We won are actually a bit more resistant to the cold than you n."
"You’re just a young girl," Qi Helian said with a side glance, admiring Anning’s beautifully made-up face and her eyes, sparkling like the city lights reflected in them.
Without any defense, she lit up his vast and empty heart.
Anning smiled, "I’ve been wandering in the world for several years now, still a young girl?"
Qi Helian’s lips curved, "In my eyes, you will always be a young girl."
Persistent, stubborn, and patient little girl.
Qi Helian had already placed the jacket on her, and after retracting his hands, she did indeed feel much warr.
Anning didn’t give it much thought, so she didn’t make a fuss.
They slowly walked to the restaurant’s open-air parking lot, with several cars separating theirs.
Qi Helian’s car was parked in front, he stopped, hands in his trouser pockets, looking at Anning, "You’ve had so drinks, go to bed early when you get back."
"Be careful on the road," Anning lifted a hand, gesturing to Qi Helian.
Then turning around, she walked towards her car.
She hadn’t taken many steps when Qi Helian suddenly called out to her, "Anning."
Anning turned around, puzzled, "Hmm?"
Despite the two to three ters between them, under the light, Qi Helian’s strikingly attractive face was stunning.
Anning thought the sa, marveling inwardly at how a man could be so handso.
She involuntarily rembered her childhood monts, recalling how Chicheng used to call Qi He the ’Qi Beauty’, and couldn’t help but smile.
Whenever she thought of Chicheng, she always found herself helplessly lost in thought.
Qi Helian said, "The day he ca to find drunk, that was the second ti I saw him cry."
Upon hearing this, Anning’s heart tightened, and she stared at Qi Helian, lost for words.
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