To be honest, before being exposed to the "Posture Training Book," Zhou Wang always thought "elegance" was an abstract term, or perhaps a mindset carrying a sense of imbalance—
If you have money, you have elegance.
But now Zhou Wang finally understood, "elegance" is something that truly exists.
Excluding Jiang Mo from the ranks of graduate students, Ding Yi could always outshine everyone at Cai University, from freshman to senior year, without finding a single rival. Besides her looks, her elegance played a big part.
Perhaps there were other girls with comparable beauty, but standing next to her, they always seemed dull in comparison.
Unfortunately, the reality is, having money doesn’t guarantee elegance, but the kind of elegance Ding Yi had, seemingly ingrained in her bones, must have come from growing up in a privileged environment.
"Hey, Zhou Wang, you look pretty refreshed, does the senior really have such magic?"
Ding Yi saw Zhou Wang, and after taking a seat, said this with a smile.
Zhou Wang glanced at her, but couldn’t read anything from her expression.
"It might be that the northern climate is indeed more nurturing, I feel I’ve gotten a bit fairer these past few days... I just now understand why your complexion doesn’t look like someone from Yunan Province; turns out, you’re not originally from there."
Zhou Wang wisely refrained from extending the conversation towards Jiang Mo, merely joked half-heartedly.
Previously, he could pretend to be oblivious, but now it wouldn’t work; two nights ago, on that bridge in Houhai, Ding Yi had essentially pierced that layer of superficiality.
Although Zhou Wang answered her by avoiding the topic, Ding Yi didn’t insist on an answer from him, but something subtly changed.
Ding Yi hadn’t shown up these past two days, the apparent reason being she’s still interning at a legal institution in Beidou and too busy, but truthfully it’s hard to say, maybe she was deliberately avoiding something...
She could act as if nothing happened in front of Jiang Mo, even treat her with the utmost friendship, but if Zhou Wang and Jiang Mo were sweet-talking right in front of her, could she really maintain her previous nonchalance?
Zhou Wang vaguely felt, even Ding Yi herself might not know the answer...
Even now, Zhou Wang felt he couldn’t see through Ding Yi, his previous understanding of her had been too shallow.
"Where someone is from is not important, wherever my heart feels at peace, that’s home~ So what matters is always where the people you care about are, right?"
Ding Yi chuckled, pulled out a chair, and sat next to Zhou Wang, her words seemingly carrying a double meaning, creating pressure.
Zhou Wang hadn’t had the chance to reply when Ding Yi noticed another set of tableware prepared next to them, she was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Is someone else coming?"
Because Ding Yi had confirmed ahead of time that Jiang Mo was unavailable in the evening, she subconsciously thought this meal was a "date" between her and Zhou Wang.
But now, clearly, the situation had changed...
Ding Yi immediately ruled out the seemingly most likely Miao Ying, considering her personality, it was unlikely she would involve herself in dinner with Zhou Wang and Ding Yi. Last time at Quan Ju De, Miao Ying hadn’t even entered the door.
So that’s why Ding Yi had such a question.
Zhou Wang hadn’t had time to answer when, at that moment, the private room door opened again, and Jiang Qingkui, wrapped in a black windbreaker from head to toe, walked in, a gust of subtly fragrant wind blowing in, suddenly diluting the previously cozy atmosphere.
Compared to Ding Yi’s fresh and youthful style, Jiang Qingkui was more of an embodiment of mature and sultry elegance, undeniably chic. The truth was, Zhou Wang always thought that if Jiang Qingkui weren’t a top student, she could definitely make it as a model.
She might even become a world-famous model.
At the moment Jiang Qingkui entered, Ding Yi turned her head as if sensing something, and her eyes collided with the equally surprised Jiang Qingkui. Their expressions subtly changed.
The bright smile originally on Ding Yi’s face suddenly faded considerably, and Jiang Qingkui, whose corners of her mouth had been lifting to smile and greet Zhou Wang, also had her face swiftly turn cold.
They stared at each other steadily for a few seconds, then, as if by some tacit agreement, looked at Zhou Wang.
Nobody spoke, but Zhou Wang distinctly read three words in their eyes—
"Who is she?"
Zhou Wang was utterly baffled at that moment; you two aren’t mute, so why can’t you suddenly even speak?
Zhou Wang was certain this was Jiang Qingkui and Ding Yi’s first meeting, which also left him a bit bewildered. Neither Jiang Qingkui nor Ding Yi were the "socially inept" type, so why did they become frozen as they did?
Though he had some uneasy premonitions, Zhou Wang could only lightly clear his throat and stand up, making a simple introduction in the usual manner.
"Qingkui, this is Ding Yi, my college classmate, she’s from Beidou..."
"She’s called Jiang Qingkui, my secretary, and like me, she’s a Jing City person..."
After Zhou Wang finished the introductions, Jiang Qingkui and Ding Yi gazed at each other again.
After a brief pause, Ding Yi was the first to break the silence with a slight smile, "Hello, Secretary Jiang... Hey, Zhou Wang, when did you get a secretary? How come you never told me?"
Ding Yi’s words made Jiang Qingkui raise an eyebrow slightly.
First was Ding Yi’s address, "Secretary Jiang"... It seemed to inherently carry an air of superiority.
All this was secondary, the main point was the question Ding Yi asked Zhou Wang afterward, as if she were telling Jiang Qingkui, given her relationship with Zhou Wang, he should have told her about getting a secretary, implying their bond was more than just "college classmates" as Zhou Wang had introduced.
Before Zhou Wang could say anything, Jiang Qingkui smiled faintly and responded first, "Mr. Zhou, I’ve never heard you mention having such a college classmate in Beidou, seems like I prepared too few Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes."
Hearing this, Ding Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly.
She had just hinted at her closeness with Zhou Wang to Jiang Qingkui, but she didn’t expect Jiang Qingkui to respond so swiftly.
"Never heard Zhou Wang mention" equates to "Zhou Wang tells her everything, even things related to personal life and social interactions."
"Prepared too few Mid-Autumn Festival gift boxes" translates to "Zhou Wang didn’t place you in a very important position, otherwise why wouldn’t you have a share in the gifts I prepared."
"Secretary Jiang, it seems you know Zhou Wang quite well?"
Ding Yi suddenly beamed a brilliant smile.
"Oh, Mr. Zhou and I were neighbors when we were kids, he was completely different back then, always following me around... Sorry, Mr. Zhou, I probably shouldn’t mention your childhood embarrassments."
Jiang Qingkui said as if she had misspoke and quickly apologized to Zhou Wang.
"So you guys are childhood sweethearts?"
Ding Yi gasped slightly, "What a pity then..."
"What a pity about what?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking, sister you must have lost contact with Zhou Wang later on, otherwise someone as beautiful as sister, if you had kept in touch with Zhou Wang, then maybe I wouldn’t have had any chances later on..."
Ding Yi’s sudden change in address caught Jiang Qingkui off guard, but she quickly smiled faintly.
"Miss Ding, your words... Did you and Mr. Zhou have something going on in the past?"
"Not much really, just someone said he wanted to give me a home... Right, Mr. Zhou?"
After finishing, Ding Yi playfully winked at Zhou Wang.
Jiang Qingkui’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she soon lightly laughed, "But it seems there’s no home now, so is this... Water under the bridge?"
"Sister should know the next line after ’water under the bridge,’ I prefer to believe it’s ’except for Wushan.’"
"Is that so, but a person climbs so many mountains in their life, how can you tell which one is that ’Wushan’?"
"As long as one chooses firmly, the mountain in front is ’Wushan.’"
"You seem a bit presumptive, at least I can’t see any mountain being chosen right now."
...
The conversation happened so quickly, Zhou Wang couldn’t even get a word in. Before he could react, Jiang Qingkui and Ding Yi went back and forth, diving from strangers to an intense "philosophical" debate.
Darn it, what are you two doing, discussing state affairs with such depth and intensity?
Zhou Wang, a bit dumbfounded, suddenly realized that perhaps he was rather impulsive in setting up this dinner with both Jiang Qingkui and Ding Yi...