Chapter 129: Could It Be a Date?
Liang Xiucheng continued to gaze at her, his eyes deepened with sincerity.
Qiao Jiu quickly laughed twice. “Look at you, why are you still upset? With our friendship, of course I have to help you.”
After a few seconds, Liang Xiucheng finally looked away. “How can I talk to you like this?”
Qiao Jiu misunderstood, thinking he was criticizing her attitude, so she straightened up quickly. “Alright, alright, no more joking. So what do you want to do? You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend and act it out with you?”
That wasn’t entirely impossible, but it could cause complications later. After all, they had dinner at the Liang family’s old residence yesterday. If people found out Liang Xiucheng already had a girlfriend, they would definitely confront the Liangs.
Liang Xiucheng took a deep breath. “I told her it was a one-sided crush. You just pretend you don’t know anything and go with me to have a meal. That’s enough.”
Qiao Jiu thought it over. “Alright, then let’s do that.”
Until evening, the girl from the blind date called Liang Xiucheng.
Qiao Jiu overheard the woman’s gentle voice, tinged with a hint of coquettishness.
Liang Xiucheng sounded relatively indifferent, simply saying he understood.
After hanging up, Qiao Jiu smirked. “I’m just saying, maybe you should lower your standards a bit. That girl’s voice is so pleasant, she must be good-looking too. If you don’t even like someone like that, what exactly are you looking for?”
Liang Xiucheng turned to look at her again. Qiao Jiu immediately snapped her expression shut. “Never mind, I won’t say anything.”
After tidying up, the two left. Qiao Jiu walked ahead while Liang Xiucheng lagged two steps behind.
He watched her retreating figure, and when she couldn’t see, the helplessness in his eyes finally spilled over.
Stupid. So stupid.
So stupid that many words couldn’t be spoken aloud.
They went downstairs and got into Liang Xiucheng’s car, heading to a restaurant.
Surprisingly, these two valued ceremony quite a bit—the restaurant was a five-star.
When Qiao Jiu and Liang Xiucheng entered the private room, the girl was already there, sitting properly.
As the door opened, she sprang up, likely knowing Qiao Jiu was coming, greeting them without surprise, “You’re here.”
Liang Xiucheng responded with a neutral “hm,” then went to pull out a chair for Qiao Jiu.
Qiao Jiu smiled and said to the girl, “I was going to skip this, you two were on a date and I’d be a third wheel, but I couldn’t persuade this guy. I’ll leave right after dinner, won’t keep you long.”
The girl smiled faintly, “It’s no trouble.”
The waiter came over, and the three ordered dishes.
Qiao Jiu and Liang Xiucheng sat side by side, sharing a menu.
Liang Xiucheng, perhaps learned from Xu Yi, would pick a dish then glance at Qiao Jiu. “How about this? Do you like it?”
Qiao Jiu whined a little, putting on a playful tone, “This dish has garlic, and it leaves bad breath.”
Liang Xiucheng switched to another. “How about this one?”
“This one has a lot of shredded ginger,” Qiao Jiu frowned, “I don’t like ginger.”
The girl quickly ordered two dishes and handed the menu back to the waiter, then pursed her lips, watching the two of them.
Qiao Jiu hesitated but reluctantly picked a few dishes.
After the waiter left, she smiled sheepishly. “I’m just picky with food, don’t mind me. I’m always like this. Most people can’t stand it, only Acheng is a bit more patient.”
Even she felt like spitting out her own words; suddenly she thought of Song Wan, whom she regarded as a little green tea. Now, she realized she was about the same.
The girl forced a smile. “He’s mentioned you before; he says you have a great personality.”
Qiao Jiu turned to Liang Xiucheng, beaming, “Really? I thought you’d say bad things about me behind my back.”
Liang Xiucheng smiled too. “How could I? You have no flaws; what bad things could I say?”
Qiao Jiu blushed slightly, lightly tapping his shoulder, “When did you learn to be so sweet-talking?”
The girl opposite was quite composed, managing to keep a smile despite everything.
Qiao Jiu admired her a little. If it were her, she wouldn’t tolerate such discomfort; she’d have left long ago.
The dishes arrived quickly. They ordered a fish, and Qiao Jiu whispered, “I hate picking fish bones the most.”
Liang Xiucheng cooperated. “When we eat together, when have I ever made you pick fish bones by yourself?”
Qiao Jiu nodded. “True.”
Liang Xiucheng carefully picked the bones and placed the meat into her bowl.
Meanwhile, the girl kept her head lowered, trying not to look at the two cozy but awkward people.
Though everyone seemed polite, the atmosphere was still tense, so the meal didn’t last long.
After finishing, Liang Xiucheng paid the bill. Outside in the open area, the girl’s eyes were slightly red, but her expression remained composed. “I’ll leave first. You two take care on the way.”
Qiao Jiu linked her arm with Liang Xiucheng’s, waving to the girl with her other hand. “Bye.”
The girl turned and got into her car, which sped away.
Qiao Jiu sighed, “Acting out this kind of drama is really tiring.”
A few seconds later, she glanced at Liang Xiucheng and smiled, “Mission accomplished.”
Just then, a car pulled up beside them.
The driver got out first. Qiao Jiu glanced once, then again.
She recognized the driver.
Sure enough, after driving around, the driver opened the back door, and out stepped Lu Fengzhou.
Liang Xiucheng looked surprised. “Mr. Lu, what a coincidence.”
Lu Fengzhou’s gaze fell on the hand Qiao Jiu had linked with Liang Xiucheng’s arm. After a brief pause, he said, “Quite a coincidence.”
Qiao Jiu smiled faintly, composed. “Mr. Lu, here for some socializing?”
Lu Fengzhou replied, “Or perhaps on a date?”
Knowing he was mocking her, Qiao Jiu didn’t take it seriously. “Why isn’t Miss Ding here? If she came, the second half could have been a date too.”
Lu Fengzhou shot her a sharp look before entering the restaurant.
Liang Xiucheng watched Lu Fengzhou’s retreating figure. “Mr. Lu doesn’t seem very happy.”
Qiao Jiu snorted lightly. “When has he ever been happy? Always dragging that sour face around, like someone owes him money and won’t pay up.”
She withdrew her hand from Liang Xiucheng’s arm. “Ignore him, let’s go.”
They got into the car. Qiao Jiu couldn’t help but glance back at the restaurant entrance. Lu Fengzhou wasn’t standing there; he had long since gone inside.
She sneered silently. An unexpected gain—not bad.
Liang Xiucheng sent Qiao Jiu home. As she got out of the car, she hesitated. “Though I shouldn’t assume the worst, you’d better be prepared. If that girl exaggerates the story to her family, and they come looking for your family, your situation will be difficult.”
Liang Xiucheng said, “It’s fine. I’ve already thought of how to handle them.”
Hearing that, Qiao Jiu nodded. “Alright then, be careful on your way.”
She turned to enter her neighborhood, but Liang Xiucheng suddenly called after her, “Qiao Jiu.”