Chapter 3: When Will We Get Married? Part 3
The next day, Ning Qingqing and Shen Zhiqian went on a business trip together.
Ning Qingqing had double majored in finance and law in university, but after graduation, there were some changes in Shen’s family, and Shen Zhiqian needed someone he could trust to handle contracts, so she went to work at Shen Corporation as a contract specialist.
That morning, a call came from Haicheng about a contract dispute between the group and a supplier that needed to be resolved. Ning Qingqing went there with the company’s legal department, while Shen Zhiqian went with the marketing department to meet with a potential replacement supplier.
Both of them were very busy these two days. Aside from a goodnight message each night, they had almost no contact. Although they were staying at the same hotel, they hadn’t even seen each other.
It wasn’t until Saturday morning that Ning Qingqing finally negotiated a solution. She picked up her phone, intending to send a message to Shen Zhiqian when the man appeared in her line of sight.
His eyes showed a rare weariness, but he handed her a bag before speaking, “Local snacks from the client, try them.”
Ning Qingqing took it and asked, “Are you finished with everything?”
“Mm,” Shen Zhiqian said, “Assistant Wu said you guys had a smooth process too?”
“More or less, it’s all sorted,” Ning Qingqing said. “When are we going back to Di City?”
Shen Zhiqian smiled, “Forgotten what day it is today?”
Ning Qingqing froze, then realized that today was April 11th, the day Shen Zhiqian confessed to her.
In high school, a month after Shen Zhiqian confessed, she agreed to be his girlfriend.
“Remembered?” The man helped her carry her briefcase, “Let’s go upstairs and pack our bags, the flight is in two hours.”
When they came out of Di City Airport, it was a little past 2 PM. Their driver was already waiting at the domestic arrivals exit. Along the way, Ning Qingqing was so tired that she fell asleep without realizing it.
When she woke up, she found a thin blanket covering her, her head resting on Shen Zhiqian’s shoulder. The man was also closing his eyes, resting.
“Mr. Shen, we’ve arrived,” the driver stopped in front of a club.
Ning Qingqing looked at the name of the club, vaguely feeling familiar, but couldn’t remember where she had heard it.
Shen Zhiqian, who was already lightly sleeping, opened his eyes upon hearing the driver, “Arrived?” Then he opened the car door and got out, opening the door for Ning Qingqing as well.
He held Ning Qingqing’s hand and walked into the club. The waiter greeted them, “Sir, do you have a reservation?”
Shen Zhiqian said, “Room 103.”
Ning Qingqing sensed something was wrong, and when the door to the private room opened and they were met with the gazes of everyone inside, she finally knew where she had heard the name of this club!
It was in the class group chat, someone mentioned that this club was expensive, but Ning Qingqing only glanced at it at the time and didn’t pay much attention!
“Wow, look who’s here!” The class monitor excitedly greeted them, “Shen Xuezhang, Qingqing, we were waiting for you!”
“Ah, Shen Xuezhang and Qingqing are here! Welcome, welcome!”
The overwhelming enthusiasm enveloped Ning Qingqing, but she felt that all the warmth was accompanied by a biting wind, cruel and ridiculous!
What day was it today?
—It was the day of the class reunion.
And this class reunion was clearly organized by Si Luoqing!
Just then, the woman singing in the large private room turned to look over. Her features were bright, with a carefully applied natural makeup, and from her hair to her clothes, she looked exquisite.
Perhaps all celebrities have small, photogenic faces; Si Luoqing was like that, her face was noticeably smaller than her classmates, and her smile was graceful and poised, everything just right.
Ning Qingqing had just returned from a business trip. Although she had changed out of her suit, she was wearing a simple knit sweater and jeans.
She liked to go without makeup when she wasn’t working, and usually didn’t even bother to put on lipstick. Her hair was a little messy from sleeping in the car, her briefcase was slung over her shoulder, and her phone was casually tucked into her back pocket. She was wearing white sneakers.
The man beside her, however, was dressed in his usual shirt and trousers. Although he wasn’t wearing a tie, he still looked like an elite who could go into a business meeting at any moment.
After briefly scanning Ning Qingqing, Si Luoqing fixed her gaze on Shen Zhiqian. She tightened her grip on the microphone, then stood up and walked over with a smile—
“Shen Tongxue (Shen classmate), long time no see.”
She was 165 cm tall, and wearing heels made her slightly taller than the 168 cm Ning Qingqing. As she approached, Ning Qingqing recognized that Si Luoqing was wearing a Chanel haute couture piece from the new spring collection.
“Hello.” Shen Zhiqian’s gaze was calm, only briefly lingering on Si Luoqing before he looked away, without any emotional fluctuation.
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward until Lu Yue came out, saw Ning Qingqing, and dramatically put her arm around her, introducing her to Si Luoqing, “Luoqing, this is Shen Xuezhang’s girlfriend, Ning Qingqing, also our high school class flower!”
Si Luoqing looked at Ning Qingqing for the first time, turning her gaze to Ning Qingqing and extending her hand, “I’ve heard so much about you, you’re indeed beautiful!”
“Thank you,” Ning Qingqing shook her hand, speaking generously, “Ms. Si has a beautiful singing voice.”
Si Luoqing tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, “Just call me Luoqing. These are all our classmates, no need to be formal.”
Everyone walked into the private room together.
Si Luoqing’s song had finished, so a classmate shouted for Shen Zhiqian to sing a song.
Shen Zhiqian turned to Ning Qingqing beside him, “Qingqing, which song do you want to sing?”
Before Ning Qingqing could answer, Lu Yue had already picked a song for them, which happened to be the duet “You Are My Star” by Si Luoqing and a male star.
This song was practically a must-sing karaoke duet, and few people wouldn’t know it.
The next second, Shen Zhiqian looked up, “I can’t sing, you guys sing.”
At this, everyone seemed to smell a rat, and the atmosphere became awkward again.
Someone looked at Si Luoqing, then turned to Ning Qingqing. Compared side-by-side, they were both beautiful in their own ways.
Si Luoqing looked like a delicate and beautiful princess, but even without makeup, Ning Qingqing had a unique charm that couldn’t be achieved with careful grooming.
Many classmates knew she was from the South, apparently raised in a water town. When she sat there, she seemed to have no presence, but once you looked at her, it was hard to look away.
Like ink painting, serene and pure.
It was a quality no makeup could create.
“You Are My Star” started playing, and with no one singing, the accompaniment sounded monotonous and dull.
As the atmosphere became increasingly strange, the class monitor quickly chose another duet and switched it over, smiling to smooth things over, “Shen Xuezhang can’t say he can’t sing this one, right?”
“Mm, this one I can,” Shen Zhiqian picked up the microphone.
It wasn’t their first time singing this song together. Their voices—his deep and magnetic, hers calm and serene—blended perfectly. By the end, many classmates were applauding.
So, when the song ended, a classmate jokingly asked, “Shen Xuezhang and Qingqing are so well-matched, when are you guys getting married?”
This again brought everyone’s attention to the couple.
Ning Qingqing didn’t speak; her eyes were fixed on the mottled lights on the big screen in front of her. In the light, the man in front of her seemed to blur.
She heard Shen Zhiqian say, “Why am I always asked about getting married? Makes me feel like I’m not 26, but 36!”
Everyone laughed, “Yeah, the wedding of the Shen Corporation’s heir can’t be so casual.”
That classmate might have been unintentional, but soon everyone turned their attention to Ning Qingqing.
The classmates present knew that Ning Qingqing had transferred from the south to Di City for high school, and her clothes were always simple and her family seemed average.
She never mentioned her family, implying that her background was not outstanding. Even if she was from a middle-class family, it was worlds apart from Shen Zhiqian’s background.
But the girl remained calm and composed, as if she hadn’t heard anything.
Some watched with interest, some with schadenfreude, but soon everyone shifted their attention to Si Luoqing.
Now that everyone had graduated, they knew the importance of connections. A love triangle was interesting, but clinging to Si Luoqing’s fame was even more important.
Just then, Ning Qingqing’s phone rang. She took it out and saw it was a call from her best friend, Qiao Xiaomian. She walked outside to answer.
“Qingqing, I just found out you went to the class reunion with Shen Xuezhang! You said you weren’t going before! If I’d known you were going, I would have squeezed my way back from my business trip, even if it meant working overtime!”
Ning Qingqing laughed, “It’s okay, I just came at the last minute.” She then explained the misunderstanding she had with Shen Zhiqian.
Qiao Xiaomian was immediately indignant, “So what does he mean? Doesn’t he know he should avoid suspicion? He specifically brought you there so he could have his cake and eat it too?! Wait, let’s video chat!”
Then, she hung up and quickly called back on video.
Ning Qingqing hadn’t had much of an appetite on the plane and was a little hungry, so she walked straight to the cake shop across the street, intending to eat cake while video chatting with her best friend.
“Tell me quickly, is Si Luoqing really like she is on TV? Is her face obviously plastic surgery?” Qiao Xiaomian asked impatiently.
Ning Qingqing said as she walked, “I didn’t see any plastic surgery, but I had no idea I was going to see classmates today. I’m makeup-free and casually dressed, I looked like a country bumpkin in front of her.”
Qiao Xiaomian immediately became unhappy, “Qingqing, you look great! Do you know what ‘a natural beauty’ means? You’re stunning! I’m about to lose control through the screen!”
Ning Qingqing was amused, “Okay, let’s get together when you get back! I don’t care about Si Luoqing. My problem with Zhiqian has nothing to do with her. Anyway, I’ll tell you when we see each other again.”
“Fine,” Qiao Xiaomian pouted, “Come on, big beauty, muah. I’m going back to work on my plan!”
“Muah!” Ning Qingqing said, arriving at the cake shop.
She immediately saw her favorite tiramisu, “Hello, could I please have that ‘Moonlight Treasure Box’ tiramisu?”
The clerk looked hesitant, “Miss, that tiramisu was just bought by this gentleman…”
Ning Qingqing heard this and noticed a man in the shop, dressed in a suit, his tie perfectly knotted, looking like he had just come from a business meeting.
She was surprised to find that it was Gu Youchen!
Gu Youchen looked over, their eyes met, he nodded slightly at her, then said to the clerk, “Give the tiramisu to this lady.”
The clerk looked at them questioningly, but quickly nodded, “Okay, sir, please choose another one! If you’re buying it for your girlfriend, girls usually like this lemon rum one, the bottom layer is also coffee cake, would you like to try that?”
The next second, she heard the man say, “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
Ning Qingqing turned in surprise, meeting Gu Youchen’s gaze again. He was looking at her.
As if explaining to her, “I bought it for myself.”
Author’s Note:
Gu Youchen: Guys can’t eat cake?
Absolutely can’t let the wife misunderstand!
I’m single, I’m single, I’m single! Important things said three times~~
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Thank you very much for everyone’s support, I will continue to work hard!