"Xixi, is this really interesting to you?"
"Whether it’s interesting or not, it seems it’s not up to you to decide."
"But sister, you... you crossed the line."
"Ding Yi, that’s even less interesting. May I ask in what capacity you’re involving yourself in this matter? As far as I know, Zhou Wang already has a girlfriend, and you’re not her, are you?"
"Don’t insult me like that."
"...Alright, sister apologizes to you, but shouldn’t you also apologize to me? Do you know how long it took me to edit those photos?"
"If you delete them completely, I can apologize."
"Ding Yi, you’re becoming uninteresting again, and have you considered that certain tactics aren’t exclusive to you? Sister isn’t an orphan, you know!"
"But you can’t tell your family about such things, can you? Sister isn’t an orphan, but sometimes she does make people feel sorry for her."
"... "
After that line, Xia Xiwei fell silent.
Ding Yi put down the phone, smiling as she looked at Zhou Wang, "So, how’s the flavor of this $180 million duck?"
"Not bad... You didn’t look so well just now, are you okay?"
Zhou Wang glanced at Ding Yi with concern.
He wasn’t sure who Ding Yi had been messaging, but at one moment, he sensed a sharp aura from her.
Probably because he’d never seen the usually cheerful Ding Yi wearing such a cold expression, even if it was just for a second, it made Zhou Wang feel a tiny chill.
"I’m fine, maybe I just ate too many sweets this afternoon and now I feel a bit nauseous~"
Ding Yi shook her head.
"Should I have Ying Tao get some medicine for you?"
Zhou Wang suggested.
Only Miao Ying had come with the two, but she said she didn’t want to eat roast duck, so she went to wait on the first floor, while Yun Rou and Yun Lan stayed at the hotel.
Initially, the two girls were quite eager to eat at Quanjude, Zhou Wang could tell, but when Ding Yi arrived this afternoon, after hearing they’d have to eat with her, Yun Rou and Yun Lan shook their heads like rattles and Zhou Wang didn’t push them.
"No need, some soup will be fine."
Ding Yi shook her head, then smiled brightly, "I really like this lady driver of yours, she has a great personality."
"She’s really nice, though she speaks a little less, her personality makes people feel assured."
Zhou Wang nodded in agreement.
"How did you find her?" Ding Yi asked curiously.
"Nothing special, just through a headhunting company, but her background is quite unique..."
As Zhou Wang explained, Ding Yi sat propping her chin, gazing at Zhou Wang, capturing every detail of his words.
After he finished, having confirmed that Miao Ying and Zhou Wang didn’t have any ambiguous relationship, Ding Yi’s smile grew even more radiant, "If she ever needs language tutoring, you can let me know. I know some courses from elite schools that would suit her well."
"Sure, I’ll thank you on her behalf."
As they chatted and laughed, the meal ended quickly, costing them a total of 926 bucks, plus a 10% service fee, just over a thousand.
This price was nothing to Zhou Wang now, but for an average salary worker, it was undoubtedly still quite high.
However, considering many come here with the mindset of checking it off a list, thinking they’ll just eat once and leave, the crowd willing to accept this price was larger than imagined.
The neighboring Gou Bu Li buns were equally outrageous in price, a few hundred bucks just to not even fill up on buns, which was absurd.
"Are you in a hurry to go back?"
Walking on the bustling Wangfujing street, with the Waldorf hotel not far away, Ding Yi glanced around and asked.
"Want to take a walk?"
Zhou Wang instantly understood what she meant, just like back in their college days, and he laughed.
"Sure thing," Ding Yi smiled.
"Wait for me a minute."
Zhou Wang turned to find Miao Ying, who was quietly following them, and whispered something to her, asking her to buy a roast duck to take back for Yun Rou and Yun Lan. Once Miao Ying nodded and left, he rejoined Ding Yi.
The two walked side by side, strolling along the brightly-lit Wangfujing, slowly heading toward Chang’an Street.
"So, you actually grew up in Beidou?"
Zhou Wang causally asked, though a bit absentminded, his gaze couldn’t help but veer towards Ding Yi.
Ding Yi held her little white Hermes bag in the other hand, and her left hand hung by her side. With them walking so close, it was to the point that Zhou Wang could reach out and touch it with a slight move.
This moment brought a sense of nostalgia to Zhou Wang. Back in a certain time, they often walked around the campus together, and it was the same back then. Although Zhou Wang wasn’t exactly cowardly, he never dared to actually hold this hand.
It was pretty funny to think back, Zhou Wang now thoroughly understood that when a girl walks with you in this posture, it actually represents...
She’s willing to let you hold her hand.
"Not exactly, only my grandparents have always been in Beidou. I followed my parents around many places, actually, a small county town is what I’m most familiar with... haha, surprising, huh?"
Ding Yi blinked, "Maybe I’ve spent more time in the countryside than you."
"If you put it that way, it might be true. I only ever went back to the village during summer and winter breaks..."