As he admired the yellow jade thumb ring, Wang Guan naturally couldn't put it down, finally sliding it onto his own thumb. It fit perfectly, as if custom-made for him. Of course, he'd only wear it for moments like this; he wasn't Yu Feibai, someone who’d parade it around casually.
Feeling the warm, smooth texture of the yellow jade ring, Wang Guan’s phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and immediately answered. Bei Ye was nearby, and catching the faint, pleasant sound of a woman’s voice from the phone, her gaze lingered with a flicker of interest.
A brief exchange followed, and Wang Guan hung up, then turned back with a smile. “Bei Ye, someone’s treating us tomorrow. Come with me.”
Bei Ye naturally had no objection, and asked out of curiosity, “Who’s treating us?”
“A beauty, a very beautiful one,” Wang Guan admitted frankly, his smile widening. “As for who she is, I can’t tell you now—you’ll know tomorrow.”
“Hmph, as if,” Bei Ye retorted, rolling her eyes playfully before heading back to her room to rest.
Silence reigned through the night. The next morning, Wang Guan and Bei Ye took a taxi and were driven to an elegantly situated coffee shop. However, upon entering, they found their host had not yet arrived.
“Tee-hee, looks like you’ve been stood up again,” Bei Ye chuckled, an undisguised schadenfreude flickering in her lovely eyes.
“No worries, she should be here any minute,” Wang Guan speculated nonchalantly. “Probably got held up by some dead weight tagging along…”
“Dead weight?” Bei Ye paused, momentarily confused.
Even as they spoke, two figures entered the coffee shop entrance, drawing immediate attention.
One was a stunning beauty, with long, dark hair flowing down her back, dressed in what resembled professional office attire. Her long legs were encased in sheer black stockings, complemented by delicate, slender high heels—a sight guaranteed to capture the gaze of many a man.
However, this beauty seemed rather spirited. At that moment, she was firmly gripping the ear of a shy, green youth of about eighteen or nineteen, dragging him forcefully into the café before looking around expectantly.
“See? Here they are.”
Seeing this, Wang Guan smiled knowingly and immediately raised his hand in greeting. “Over here!”
“Wang Guan, you’re here! I’m so sorry to keep you waiting…” The beautiful woman was indeed Qiao Yu. She approached, still holding her younger brother, Qiao Zhishu, but her steps involuntarily slowed when she noticed Bei Ye sitting next to Wang Guan.
“Sis, let go of me.”
Seizing the moment, Qiao Zhishu managed to slip free from his sister’s grasp. Despite looking flushed with embarrassment, he didn't rush off. Instead, he looked left and right, his eyes darting around, brimming with curiosity.
Could this be a clash of romantic rivals, sparking brilliant friction? If a fight broke out, should he step in to help or try to mediate? For a moment, Qiao Zhishu found himself caught in a dilemma.
“Baby…”
However, Qiao Zhishu didn't have long to agonize. To his astonishment, his sister, whom he viewed as a veritable demon, let out a joyful cry and immediately embraced the beauty sitting next to Wang Guan, twirling in a happy dance.
In an instant, Qiao Zhishu was dumbfounded, feeling his entire worldview crumbling. He muttered to himself unconsciously, “It’s over, it’s over. No wonder older brother Meng never got a second glance from my sister—it turns out she likes beautiful women, not men.”
Fortunately, Qiao Yu was too immersed in the joy of reuniting with her friend to hear Qiao Zhishu’s murmurings, or she would have surely slapped him flat with a swift hand.
“What a family misfortune. I absolutely cannot let Dad or Grandpa find out, or it’ll cause an uproar. Even though my sister can be violent sometimes, she’s still my sister. I guess I’ll have to cover for her; keep it quiet for as long as I can.” Qiao Zhishu sighed deeply, feeling a sudden, heavy sense of responsibility, as if he had truly grown up.
Just as Qiao Zhishu was contemplating this weighty sense of duty, Qiao Yu finished catching up with Bei Ye and immediately turned back, calling out, “Qiao Zhishu, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and greet them.”
Qiao Zhishu snapped back to attention and asked tentatively, “What should I call her?”
Brother-in-law? Calling a beautiful woman that felt too… Or perhaps she was his sister’s partner? How should he address that? Qiao Zhishu racked his brain but couldn't come up with an answer; such etiquette was certainly not covered in any textbook.
“Call her Sister Bei,” Qiao Yu said with a laugh. “She was my classmate in college, a dorm sister.”
“Surname Bei?” Qiao Zhishu was taken aback, suddenly feeling that he might have severely misunderstood something.
“That’s right. B-E-I, like 'baby,' my dear darling,” Qiao Yu chirped, then linked arms with Bei Ye. The two beauties stood side-by-side, instantly drawing the attention of every patron in the coffee shop.
“Little Qiao, stop fooling around.”
Under everyone’s gaze, Bei Ye naturally felt a bit embarrassed and quickly pulled Qiao Yu down to sit. Simultaneously, Wang Guan snapped his fingers to signal a waiter and asked with a smile, “Little Qiao, what would you like to drink?”
“Iced black tea… Just kidding,” Qiao Yu waved a hand. “Just two cups of coffee will be fine.”
After dismissing the waiter, Qiao Yu’s clear eyes moved back and forth between Bei Ye and Wang Guan, and she suddenly asked, “When did you two get together?”
Qiao Yu certainly had sharp eyesight, easily noticing the ambiguous affection between them. Bei Ye smiled shyly and remained silent. Wang Guan took the opportunity to hold her slender hand and chuckled, “A long time ago, ever since college.”
“Liar!”
Qiao Yu didn’t believe it at first, then pondered. “Unless it was after I went abroad…”
Though Qiao Yu appeared carefree, she was actually an excellent student, qualifying for an international exchange program after only two years of university before studying overseas. Counting back, it had been four or five years since they last met.
However, Qiao Yu had no intention of prying into others’ love lives. After exchanging congratulations, she remarked with feeling, “It really has been a long time; I almost didn’t recognize you just now.”
“You too, Little Qiao. What’s more enviable is that you’re still as fair and smooth-skinned as before, without even needing makeup,” Bei Ye said with a smile, which was indeed true. The difference between a youthful student appearance and the demeanor of someone established in a career after graduation was naturally vast.
“You too. It makes me jealous that you haven’t changed, still so fair and delicate…” Qiao Yu sighed, her tone filled with deep envy.
The two beauties soon began discussing methods for beauty and skin whitening, becoming so engrossed that they completely overlooked the two men beside them.
Wang Guan remained composed, taking a sip of his coffee and smiling slightly. “Qiao Zhishu?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
By now, Qiao Zhishu understood he had misjudged the relationship between his sister and Bei Ye, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. That would have been such good leverage; alas, it was gone in an instant.
Sighing internally, Qiao Zhishu collected himself and pouted, “I wasn’t wrong, and I won’t apologize to you.”
“Heh heh, you don’t need to apologize,” Wang Guan said with a laugh, casually inquiring, “Why don’t I see Meng Jian?”
“He left… Huh!” Qiao Zhishu looked surprised. “You know Brother Meng too?”
“I know Meng Jian, and Yao Jing as well,” Wang Guan said dismissively. “She lives in Seattle, right?”
“…No.” Qiao Zhishu shook his head, then frowned. “Since you know Little Jing, why didn’t you give her your bowl when she wanted it?”
Hearing this, Wang Guan felt both amused and exasperated. “Why on earth would I give it to her?”
“Because she liked it,” Qiao Zhishu stated as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Wang Guan was momentarily speechless. What kind of logic was that? He liked gold very much too; did that mean someone should gift him a ton of it? The logic didn't hold up, so he dropped the subject and continued sipping his coffee.
Still, Wang Guan wasn't entirely ready to give up. He inquired again, “By the way, do you know where they plan to go after leaving Shanghai?”
“…I’m not telling you,” Qiao Zhishu replied haughtily.
Smack!
Just then, Qiao Yu’s slender hand swiped out, landing precisely on the back of Qiao Zhishu’s head. The force was light, but enough to make his proud head bow.
“Sis…” Qiao Zhishu looked wronged and very disgruntled. “Why did you hit me?”
Qiao Yu glanced sideways at him. “Did you forget what I told you before we came? A real man should be decisive in his actions, not dawdle.”
“What did you say just now?” Qiao Zhishu decided to feign ignorance.
“So forgetful.” Qiao Yu’s beautiful eyes widened, her hand forming a palm, radiating palpable aggression. “Are you asking for a beating?”
“Little Qiao, forget it,” Wang Guan intervened with a smile, trying to mediate. “It’s a minor issue, not even a real conflict; there’s no need to argue about it. By the way, I wanted to ask you something…”
After glaring at Qiao Zhishu one last time, Qiao Yu countered, “What is it?”
“What’s Meng Jian’s background?” Wang Guan asked directly.
“Why are you suddenly asking about that person?”
Qiao Yu frowned. “I’m not close to him at all. I met him on the ship coming back from America, and then he just wouldn't leave me alone. After finally reaching Shanghai, the scoundrel set his sights on her cousin, begging me not to leave in a hurry. Otherwise, I would have gotten as far away from him as possible long ago.”
“Brother Meng is actually quite nice,” Qiao Zhishu muttered under his breath.
“What does a kid know? That guy’s slicked-back hair and oily mannerisms tell you right away he’s no good,” Qiao Yu scoffed. “I see plenty of men like that on TV; he’s definitely a playboy…”
A true tomboy, her words were enough to make Wang Guan and Qiao Zhishu sweat in exasperation and deep resignation. Putting television on par with reality—regardless of whether Meng Jian was truly a playboy—left them utterly speechless.
“Ahem.”
Composing himself, Wang Guan inquired again, “Do you know where they are now?”
“I’m not sure…”
Qiao Yu shook her head, growing more suspicious. “Why are you so concerned about him? Or wait, did you take a liking to her cousin too? If you dare to betray the class monitor, don't blame me for forgetting our old friendship and finding someone to dig a pit and bury you.”