The two of them bent down and got into the black Mercedes-Benz. Dong Jiaoyan naturally took the front passenger seat, while Qiao Liuyue was arranged to sit in the back row.
When the car started, Dong Jiaoyan leaned over.
She put one hand on the back of the seat and gave the man in the driver's seat a sweet smile.
"Sui Feng, I've brought my best friend to have dinner with us. Do you mind?"
The man with the online name "Sui Feng" smiled very gracefully and said, "It doesn't matter. It'll be more lively with more people."
Dong Jiaoyan was obviously satisfied with this answer.
Although the man in front of her was of ordinary appearance, he made up for it with his good manners.
The three of them went to a local Western restaurant where the per capita consumption was more than two hundred. After they were seated, they ordered food, waited for it to be served, and then started eating. Throughout the whole process, Sui Feng always behaved like a gentleman.
He was very proactive in both cutting the steak and passing the soup spoon.
While Qiao Liuyue buried her head in eating, her ears were not idle. From the conversation between the two, she gradually pieced together the whole story.
It turned out that they had met in a game. Dong Jiaoyan played the support character Yaomei, while Sui Feng played the shooter.
A month ago, they met in a nearby five - player team and found that they had an unexpectedly good cooperation.
So they added each other as friends and started having sweet double - player games. Gradually, their relationship had become somewhat ambiguous.
When the meal was almost over, Dong Jiaoyan's phone suddenly rang.
She glanced down at the screen, and her fingertips paused slightly on the edge of the phone.
A flash of panic quickly crossed her face, which always wore a sweet smile.
Although it was only fleeting, it didn't escape Qiao Liuyue's eyes, who was sitting opposite her.
"My mom is calling me. I don't know if there's something wrong at home," Dong Jiaoyan covered the phone with her palm and made a "wait a moment" gesture to the two of them.
"You guys go on eating. I'll go answer the phone."
Sui Feng nodded with a smile and politely made a "go ahead" gesture.
But Qiao Liuyue sensed something was off.
She knew Dong Jiaoyan's mother very well.
That aunt always took a laissez - faire approach. Since high school, she had been too lazy to ask about her daughter's daily meals.
It was always Dong Jiaoyan who called her mother to ask for living expenses or to complain cutely.
Her mother's calls were few and far between, and most of them were group greetings during festivals.
Moreover, based on her understanding of Dong Jiaoyan, the corner of her mouth would always tilt a little to the right whenever she lied.
Ordinary people couldn't notice it at all.
But Qiao Liuyue was not an ordinary person. After being deceived by Dong Jiaoyan countless times since primary school, she had developed a sharp eye.
So who on earth was calling?
As Qiao Liuyue was thinking about it, she lowered her head and silently scooped the ice - cream in her bowl.
Just as she was deep in thought, Sui Feng suddenly smiled at her gently.
"Hello. I was so caught up in chatting with Jiaojiao just now that I forgot to ask you. "
He paused for a moment, speaking at a leisurely pace as if choosing his words carefully. "You're Jiaojiao's good friend, right? I still don't know your name."
Qiao Liuyue was taken aback for a moment and then slightly raised her head.
However, her thick bangs covered her eyes, and it was impossible to see the emotions hidden beneath them.
She remained silent, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.
Sui Feng didn't seem embarrassed either.
He then laughed and found an excuse for himself:
"It's okay. After all, we're basically strangers. It's really not very reassuring to tell someone your name on the first meeting. I understand."
He picked up the water cup on the table and took a sip. When he continued speaking, his tone became more sincere.
"Maybe... Can we add each other on WeChat first? The thing is, I really like Jiaojiao and I'm currently pursuing her. This is also the first time she's agreed to meet me."
Here, he bent his mouth in a self - deprecating way, as if laughing at himself for still using such young - boy - and - girl tricks at his age.
"So, I really want to ask you, her good friend, to give me a hand. Can you help me out?"
Qiao Liuyue glanced at Dong Jiaoyan, who was on the phone in the corridor not far away.
Then she shifted her gaze back and sized up the man in a suit in front of her.
After a brief silence, she spoke:
"Sorry, Jiaojiao will be unhappy if she knows I've added you on WeChat."
This was actually the truth.
Given Dong Jiaoyan's jealous nature, if the "fish" in her "dating pool" went to add her best friend's WeChat, she would definitely fly into a rage.
Sui Feng showed a look of disappointment, but he didn't force it anymore.
He just put on his gentle and polite demeanor again and invited her to continue eating.
"What are you two talking about?" When Dong Jiaoyan came back after hanging up the phone, her eyes darted back and forth between the two.
The habitual smile on her face faded visibly.
She sat down next to Qiao Liuyue and acted extremely affectionately. She reached out and pinched the other girl's cheek.
The tip of her finger pressed gently on the cheek flesh. On the surface, it looked like a friendly fight between good friends.
In fact, only the one being pinched knew how much it hurt.
Qiao Liuyue winced in pain and couldn't help but let out a soft "hiss".
The sound was not loud, but it was clear enough for the three people present to hear.
Hearing this, Dong Jiaoyan let go of her hand. Instead of showing concern for the other's painful cry, she looked exaggeratedly surprised, pouted in feigned annoyance and rolled her eyes.
"Come on, Liuyue. Stop pretending. I pinched you so lightly. It couldn't have hurt that much."
After saying that, she glanced sideways at Sui Feng, the corners of her lips curving into a perfect arc.
She added with a smile,
"We were just having fun just now. Liuyue and I have been good friends since primary school all the way through college. We're really close."
"And I'm a lady, so don't misunderstand me."
Hearing this, Sui Feng also replied with a big smile, "Of course. Jiaojiao is not only a lady, but also very cute."
Dong Jiaoyan immediately put on an "Oh, how could you" expression and said, "Hey, are you flirting with me?"
But the joy in her eyes was almost overflowing.
It was obvious that she was extremely pleased with this compliment.
After the meal, Sui Feng drove the two of them back to school.
The car stopped steadily at the school gate. Qiao Liuyue opened the door and got out first. Standing by the roadside, she bent down and nodded into the car as a way of saying goodbye.
However, in the few seconds when she turned around, her sensitive ears caught the conversation inside the car.
Sui Feng was asking Dong Jiaoyan in a gentle tone if they could have dinner together again next time, and Dong Jiaoyan's answer was vague.
Anyway, she didn't give a definite answer. She neither refused nor agreed.
She was just playing hard to get.
It wasn't until the shadow of the black Mercedes had completely merged into the traffic and was no longer visible that Dong Jiaoyan turned around.
She affectionately put her arm through Qiao Liuyue's and leaned her head on her shoulder, whispering,
"So, how was it? Did you enjoy this nice meal?"
She tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then wrinkled her nose.
She came to a conclusion.
"Sui Feng is a nice guy, but he's a bit older."
Qiao Liuyue just replied with an "Mmm" and didn't take up the topic.
Instead, she slightly turned her body, and her eyes peeked out from behind her thick bangs as she looked at Dong Jiaoyan seriously.
"That call just now... wasn't it from your mom?"
Dong Jiaoyan didn't try to hide it. She didn't even show any panic at being exposed.
Instead, she covered her lips with her hand and let out a soft laugh.
"Yes, it was from my online boyfriend. He's so clingy."
