The door opened, and to his surprise, two people were seated inside.
His mother and Gong Beibei.
It had truly been a long time.
Before the Gong family had moved away entirely, Gong Beibei had gone to Northern Europe alone to study. She rarely returned to China over the years. The last time they met was at his father's funeral.
Zhan Bei Jue was not familiar with her, but he had to admit, he remembered Gong Beibei's appearance very clearly.
His mother always praised her, saying she had been a beauty since childhood.
Now that she had grown up, she had become even more beautiful.
However, no matter how beautiful she was, he had no mood to appreciate it. That damned Jiang Nan Fang always managed to upset him every time he saw her.
"Where's Uncle Gong? Hasn't he arrived yet?" He casually sat down near the entrance.
After such a long absence, Zhan Bei Jue didn't even offer a handshake or a greeting. Instead, he sat so far away, which was somewhat impolite. But Gong Beibei didn't seem to mind.
"There's a very serious patient at the First Affiliated Hospital. The case is very rare in China. Hearing that he was back, the expert team temporarily invited him for a joint consultation. So, it's just the three of us today."
"Oh."
Gong Beibei didn't have any of the airs of a spoiled young lady. She looked at him enthusiastically with her big, blinking eyes.
"A Jue, when I went abroad, you were still a child, about my age. How did you grow so tall now? Can I ask how tall you are?"
Mrs. Zhan was amused by her words. "Silly child, that was so many years ago. If A Jue had stopped growing from that time, Auntie would have been worried to death."
"Hehe, I just wanted to say that you're so tall now. Maybe it's… what's that word, 'ci bu da'…"
Zhan Bei Jue: "Ci Bu Da Yi."
"Yes," she said, smiling brightly, "Ci Bu Da Yi. Please don't mind me."
This girl really loved to smile. And when she smiled, there was a small dimple on her left cheek, which was quite cute. She wasn't rigid or boring, and Zhan Bei Jue's mood improved a bit from her smile.
He made a rare little joke. "No, I'm not that petty. I'm 192 cm tall. Sorry, I've got you beat."
"Oh, I'm only 172 cm. You're amazing."
Mrs. Zhan chimed in again. "Silly girl, why would a girl compare heights with a man? You're already tall enough for a girl at 172 cm. If you grow any taller, who knows which man will be worthy of you!"
Gong Beibei stuck out her tongue.
A waiter came in to take their order. Each person chose two dishes, and Mrs. Zhan started a new topic.
"I remember you two are the same age. Almost thirty now, and neither of you is mature yet."
"Although A Jue is a daddy, he's always been a cause for concern. Beibei, you too. You're so beautiful, why do you always meet the wrong people."
"..." Zhan Bei Jue knew the conversation would eventually turn in this direction.
Gong Beibei smiled again upon hearing this. "It's not too bad. At least I'm not married, so I saw through their true colors in time and cut my losses…"
"A Jue, I've seen your child on Auntie Zhou's phone. They're so cute and beautiful."
That such a beautiful girl would also encounter emotional difficulties gave Zhan Bei Jue a strange sense of comfort. "Thank you."
"Daddy is settling down in China and won't be leaving. I just had a failed relationship and don't want to be alone abroad for now. If I'm bored and free later, can I come over to your place to play with the children?"
"Perhaps it's because I'm getting older and my maternal instincts are overflowing, but I really like children now."
He felt she spoke very frankly, like someone who had been well-protected, pure and innocent. Zhan Bei Jue's mood improved again when he saw the tenderness in her eyes as she mentioned the children.
"Of course. Children love it when people are informal with them. I'm sure you'll become good friends with them in the future."
"That's great! Let's exchange contact information. I'll let you know before I come over."
She suddenly stood up and walked over to Zhan Bei Jue with her phone.
She had a faint scent of perfume, probably Bluebell. Zhan Bei Jue didn't resist.
"I don't have WeChat, only phone calls for now. Please type in your phone number for me," she said, handing her phone to Zhan Bei Jue.
Her fingers were fair and slender, her nails slightly long, with some kind of nail art on the tips – a narrow strip of white, making her skin appear even fairer and her fingers more delicate.
However, Zhan Bei Jue was used to men's clean-cut short fingernails and found this cat-claw-like hand shape somewhat off-putting. He subconsciously took a step back.
"That's an unnecessary detour. Auntie Zhou is right beside you. She knows my phone number by heart. She can tell it to you directly."
Gong Beibei hadn't expected this reaction. She was slightly stunned, then slapped her forehead and laughed heartily to ease the tension.
"You're right, how could I be so silly! Then, if you get a call from a stranger later, remember to answer it. It might be me."
She walked back with a smile, and Zhan Bei Jue let out a sigh of relief. "Of course."
Because Gong Beibei was talkative and not at all pampered, and they all knew each other well and had much in common, the meal was quite harmonious.
The three of them only drank one bottle of red wine. After the meal, Gong Beibei wasn't satisfied. "It's still early, just past eight o'clock. I slept all day to adjust to the time difference, so I don't want to sleep now."
"A Jue, I heard that the night view of Nan City is very beautiful. Can you accompany me for a walk?"
After all, she had just returned, and even as a host, he should accompany her. If Zhan Bei Jue refused directly, it would seem ungentlemanly. "Sure. Where do you want to go?"
"Auntie Zhou, you go home and accompany the children first. We'll wander wherever we end up. I'm borrowing your son for a few hours today, don't be jealous."
Mrs. Zhan smiled and nudged her head. "Don't be so cheeky. Alright, the city at night is for you young people. A Jue never goes out much normally, so it's thanks to you."
"Go ahead, play for as long as you want. Come back when you're satisfied."
"Oh, thank you so much! You're so open-minded and generous, Auntie Zhou, I love you!"
Mrs. Zhan was delighted by her sweet talk and, after a few instructions to Zhan Bei Jue, left the private room first.
With only the two of them left, Zhan Bei Jue felt a craving for a cigarette. He took out his lighter and gestured to her.
"Go ahead, I don't mind."
He lit the cigarette, took a puff, leaned back against the chair, and tilted his chin. "Where do you want to go? Tell me."
Gong Beibei smiled playfully. "You might not believe me, but I've never been to a bar in my life. Since you're accompanying me today, I know it'll be safe. Can you take me to a bar?"
Zhan Bei Jue raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you specifically sent Auntie Zhou away?"
"Mmm~ Don't tell them~ I'm really curious~ Pretty please~"
Unable to resist a girl's pleading, including his own daughter, Zhan Bei Jue raised his hand to interrupt her. "Fine, it's just a bar, no need for all this."
"Yay! I've already done my research! 'Bì Lǐng Yè Mù' sounds nice. Let's go there!"
Nearly thirty years old, yet still as innocent as a child, Zhan Bei Jue couldn't help but smile and shake his head. He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. "Let's go."
As the door opened, a sudden burst of boisterous laughter reached their ears.
Zhan Bei Jue looked across the courtyard. On the other side, a group of people, having finished their meal, also opened their private room door and walked out, laughing and talking.
The distance was too great to hear what they were saying. But he could see that everyone was surrounding Jiang Nan Fang, teasing her.
Someone pulled her arm, someone pushed her from behind. Jiang Nan Fang smiled at everyone, appearing to be enjoying herself.