3
That evening, my brother and I went out for dinner together.
As soon as we arrived at the restaurant we’d reserved, we saw Pei Jinzhou and Jian Shutong walking in, arm in arm and smiling.
When he saw us, Pei Jinzhou instinctively let go of her hand and walked over.
Jian Shutong’s expression shifted slightly, but she smiled and said,
“We’re late and there aren’t any empty tables left. Do you mind if we join you?”
Pei Jinzhou didn’t wait for our answer and sat down right next to me.
Seeing this, Chu Yun’s eyes widened in surprise. He quickly stood up and switched seats with him.
“What are you thinking? Is it really appropriate for me to sit next to her?”
Pei Jinzhou, nudged aside, ended up sitting across from me, his eyes
showing a hint of displeasure, as if waiting for me to say something.
I avoided his gaze and handed the menu to Jian Shutong.
“Sister Shutong, go ahead and order what you two want. My brother and I already chose our dishes.”
She took the menu with a smile, trying to sound casual as she said,
“Zhizhi, the yam and pork rib soup you made is really delicious—so much better than anything you can buy outside.”
Her words confirmed my suspicion: the soup Pei Jinzhou asked me to make was actually for her.
I smiled but said nothing.
Chu Yun, on the other hand, looked genuinely pleased.
“She suddenly got it into her head to learn to cook a while back. I was
worried she’d blow up the kitchen, but she turned out to be a quick
learner. I wonder which lucky guy will benefit from her cooking in the
future.”
Pei Jinzhou had been smiling, but after hearing this, his smile faded a little.
He took a slow sip of tea and said calmly,
“Zhizhi, are you thinking about dating now?”
I looked at him in confusion.
Remembering what he’d said in the private room that day, I nodded slightly.
“I’m twenty-six this year. It’s about time I started dating. If you know
any suitable candidates, Jinzhou-ge, please introduce me.”
“You’ve finally come to your senses!” Chu Yun was more excited than anyone,
“I’ve tried to set you up so many times before, but you always refused.
Now that you’re finally open to dating, I’ll do my best to find you a
great boyfriend!”
After Chu Yun finished, Pei Jinzhou pressed his lips together tightly, his eyes fixed on me, as if trying to read something from my face.
Jian Shutong...
Noticing his change in mood, Jian Shutong smiled sweetly and said,
“Zhizhi, you’re so lucky to have such a good brother. I’m honestly a
little jealous. But actually, I think Jinzhou is pretty great too—why
don’t you…”
“Don’t say that. Zhizhi is my sister.”
Before Chu Yun could say anything, Pei Jinzhou frowned and cut her off.
His words sounded reproachful, but his expression was just helpless.
I nodded in agreement with Pei Jinzhou.
“That’s right, I see Jinzhou-ge as my own brother. Sister Shutong, please don’t joke about things like that again.”
“And honestly, I think you and Jinzhou-ge are a much better match than I am.”
Pei Jinzhou’s face darkened instantly, a hint of anger flickering in his eyes as he forced a smile.
“Is that so? Then let me introduce someone to you. Would you like to meet him sometime?”
“Sure, thank you, Jinzhou-ge,” I replied brightly, readily agreeing.
For the next few days, I didn’t contact Pei Jinzhou, nor did he contact me.
Instead, it was Jian Shutong who came looking for me.
When she arrived, both Chu Yun and I were at home.
“So, what brings you here?” Chu Yun asked.
Feigning embarrassment, she glanced at me and said,
“A-Yun, you know Jinzhou and I grew up together. We’ve been on and off for years, but there are still feelings between us.”
“It was my fault for bringing up breaking up during our last argument.
This time, I want to confess to him and get back together. Can you help
me?”