Chapter 318: Chapter 313: Phoenix Man
"I’ll come and help too." Song Shi approached Zhang Meng, her round, rosy cheeks even more adorable, "Sister Meng Meng, hello, my name is Song Shi, I’m Dan Bei’s girlfriend."
"So you’re the secret crush Dan Bei has been unable to forget all this time." Zhang Meng’s face lit up with realization, thinking of the relationships between Ye Qiu, Dan Bei, and the others, she didn’t refuse, "Then I’ll leave it to you."
"No need to be polite, so Dan Bei has told you about me, huh? What did he say?" Song Shi asked with a face full of curiosity.
"He said he’s had a crush on a girl named Song Shi for a long time. Because you liked wearing white lab coats, he went to Medical University, and later when you mentioned you liked men in military uniform, he went on to apply for a postgraduate program at the Military Medical University. It really made us curious, who could have such charm to make him so willing to go through all this trouble. Now that I see you, I understand; you truly deserve to be the one Dan Bei likes, indeed very cute haha." Zhang Meng tapped Song Shi’s cheek affirmatively, looking very fond of her.
"He’s just silly, not even bothering to ask me directly. I was talking about a character from an anime, could he even take that seriously? He’s utterly foolish." While Song Shi spoke with a tone of disdain, the happiness and emotion at the bottom of her eyes could not be hidden.
"But, your wish has come true, right? You get both the white coat and the military uniform." Zhang Meng wore a knowing expression, then suddenly asked, "Little Shi, are you of age yet?"
"I’m 26 this year." Song Shi’s face showed utter frustration, "I just look younger than I am."
"Now that I know you’re of age, I’m relieved. I thought Dan Bei had really gone too far. But you’re only two years younger than us; honestly, it doesn’t show."
"What are you two chatting about?" Li Xin suddenly joined the conversation as she walked up to them. She looked at Song Shi with a somewhat dangerous expression, always feeling that Song Shi might say bad things about her to Zhang Meng.
"Sister Li, you seem to be in quite a hurry, did something happen?" Song Shi asked deliberately.
"What happened?" Zhang Meng asked Li Xin with a puzzled look.
Li Xin felt annoyed inside, growing more irritated with Song Shi: "Nothing, I was just wondering if it might be too late since the house is still a bit messy this late?"
"Oh, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve had someone arrange the yard outside the villa; we just need to move the sofas apart, and place some cakes and drinks inside and it will be all set." Zhang Meng had also meticulously prepared for Ye Qiu’s celebration party for several days; nothing would go wrong.
"That’s good then." Li Xin replied absently. She wore a brand-new red dress and crystal high heels, her elaborate and perfect attire clearly out of place among the few busy people on the scene, standing off to the side without being able to lift a finger.
"Sister Li, did you really come here to help today? Why are you dressed so beautifully and here so early? Aren’t you afraid that your makeup will be ruined by the time the party starts? Sister Meng Meng said there will be a bonfire barbecue later on, are you sure it’s okay for you to be dressed like that?" Song Shi asked innocently, and except for Li Xin, nobody would think she was asking these questions on purpose.
Even Zhang Meng advised, "Xinxin, you might as well sit to the side for a while, we’ll be done here soon."
Li Xin was truly getting tired of standing; she chose ten-centimeter stiletto heels for the sake of looking beautiful, and it was her first time wearing these shoes. They were rubbing her heels sore, but she didn’t dare to leave, for fear Song Shi would badmouth her to Zhang Meng.
What does Song Shi have to do with all this? Why would she meddle so much?
Is it wrong to like Ye Qiu? There are so many who admire him for being so outstanding; she’s just one of them, after all. If Ye Qiu and Zhang Meng could be so easily torn apart, it would suggest that their love isn’t real, and thus there would be nothing wrong with her pursuit.
Li Xin comforted herself and her expression firmed up quite a bit, her gaze at Zhang Meng flickered uncertainly. Zhang Meng was already so wealthy, with countless people pursuing her; even without Ye Qiu, she would still live a good life.
But it was different for her; her parents were just ordinary office workers. Other than marrying a good person, she couldn’t think of any other way out. Once October passed, she would be 28 years old; how much youth did she have left to squander?
Mengmeng, I’m sorry, but for my own happiness, I must make an effort. If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll surely work hard to repay you.
After 6 o’clock, people started to trickle into the villa, ranging from Zhang Meng’s classmates and colleagues to researchers from Ye Qiu’s lab. Everyone was young and quickly mingled together.
Though it was said to be a welcome party and a pre-wedding soiree for Ye Qiu and Zhang Meng, it was more like a gathering among friends. Because Zhang Meng had mentioned it, everyone dressed rather casually, with the only exception being Li Xin.
She was indeed stunningly dressed today, drawing the attention of many single men present, but alas, it was unrequited affection as Li Xin’s attention was focused solely on Ye Qiu.
After a few rounds of drinks, it was time for the evening’s final event—bonfire barbecue. Everyone gathered together in the villa’s outdoor courtyard.
"I’ve had enough to drink, I’m going to go grab some more," Ye Qiu said as he stood up to address everyone.
All evening, Li Xin had no opportunity to speak with Ye Qiu alone. Watching him walk alone into the villa, her eyes flickered, and then she quietly followed.
Song Shi and Zhong Sheng kept an eye on Li Xin the whole time, fearing that she might do something rash due to her personal feelings. Hence, when she made any move, both of their hearts sank.
"Sister Meng Meng, I need to go to the bathroom, can you come with me?" Song Shi asked with a pleading look, and Zhang Meng, unable to refuse, accompanied her.
Fearing that something might happen, Zhong Sheng quickly called Dan Bei and Huang Lou, and the three of them followed closely behind.
At this moment, Li Xin, with a nervous heart, was following Ye Qiu, brewing the words she intended to say later. Ye Qiu was an adult man, and there were so many acquaintances outside; Li Xin had never planned to force anything from the start. She simply wanted to talk to Ye Qiu alone, to tell him about her unrequited feelings.
Ye Qiu was still very fond of Zhang Meng, but that didn’t matter. As long as she often made herself noticeable in front of Ye Qiu and got him used to her presence, she didn’t believe that her vivid beauty, silently in love with him, wouldn’t move his heart.
One day, when a misunderstanding arises between Zhang Meng and Ye Qiu, she’ll definitely be able to step in.
She had long figured out that Ye Qiu’s mom and sister were from the countryside. She didn’t believe that they wouldn’t clash with Zhang Meng after moving to the city. At that time, when Ye Qiu was caught between a rock and a hard place, whom would he need comfort from?
She would definitely play the role of a caring friend. Perhaps she might even let slip some clues to Zhang Meng to make her suspicious and deepen her misunderstandings with Ye Qiu.
Li Xin believed that true love couldn’t be broken. If Ye Qiu chose her in the future, it would surely mean that Zhang Meng and Ye Qiu were unsuitable, and that they were not truly in love.