Feng Feng turned her head at the sound and met Qin Si Ruan’s gaze.
Qin Si Ruan was not tall, around 1.6 meters. Feng Feng was 1.7 meters and habitually wore high heels, making her a head taller.
Qin Si Ruan smiled and greeted Shen Su, then turned her attention to Feng Feng, “And who is this?”
“Feng Feng.” Feng Feng stated her name, making no mention of her relationship with Shen Su.
Qin Si Ruan observed Feng Feng intently. She knew this was the woman Shen Su was interested in, but she was different from what she had imagined.
She had dated Shen Su and met many of his ex-girlfriends or lovers. He liked women who were娇媚 (jiao mei - coquettish) and dependent. She had assumed this new woman would be of the same type.
But Feng Feng… she wore a dark gray, long woolen coat, wide-leg pants, and high heels, carrying a black Hermes bag. Her face was delicate and cool, with little expression, clearly indicating a strong, career-oriented woman.
Now… Shen Su liked this type?
“Hello, I’m Qin Si Ruan.” Qin Si Ruan introduced herself to Feng Feng, “Welcome to my exhibition.”
“Thank you.” Feng Feng replied politely yet distantly, “I’ll go take a look then.”
Seeing that Qin Si Ruan had many things to say to Shen Su, Feng Feng didn’t linger to be a third wheel, leaving decisively and gracefully.
Qin Si Ruan watched her figure disappear down the corridor, feeling a bit perplexed. None of the scenarios she had anticipated had materialized.
Qin Si Ruan turned to Shen Su and asked, “Do you like this type now?”
Shen Su merely smiled without answering. He was still recovering from Feng Feng’s “generosity.” Even when they met face-to-face, she remained as calm as ever.
After the exhibition concluded, Qin Si Ruan offered to treat them to dinner.
Just as Feng Feng was about to refuse, Lan Lan called.
Perfect timing, it provided her with a valid reason. “I’m going to dinner with my friend. You two go ahead.”
After ending the call, she left with those words.
Shen Su didn’t stop her, as he knew it would be futile.
This left Qin Si Ruan even more bewildered about their relationship. It was also the first time she had seen a woman treat Shen Su like this, seemingly indifferent to his feelings.
The outcome was that Shen Su went to dinner with Qin Si Ruan alone, while Feng Feng went to the mall to meet Lan Lan, and they went shopping together.
Having not indulged in retail therapy for a while, Feng Feng bought quite a few things. Carrying their shopping bags, they went to a coffee shop to rest and have afternoon tea.
Lan Lan asked Feng Feng, “I haven’t asked you yet, why did you suddenly text me to call you? Who were you hiding from?”
The call that day was not initiated by Lan Lan; Feng Feng had texted her beforehand to call.
It was clear that Qin Si Ruan and Shen Su were entangled, and Feng Feng didn’t want to stay and watch their drama unfold.
“I went to see Shen Su’s ex-girlfriend’s exhibition today.” Feng Feng recounted Qin Si Ruan’s situation to Lan Lan.
Lan Lan asked, “Shen Su is still in contact with his ex-girlfriend? What, are they getting back together?”
“I don’t know.” Feng Feng said, “And it has nothing to do with me.”
If Shen Su truly got back together with Qin Si Ruan, her relationship with Shen Su would inevitably end. This was the self-respect a good casual partner should have.
Lan Lan was not surprised by Feng Feng’s nonchalant attitude. Feng Feng’s heart had long been occupied by someone else, making it impossible for her to fall for another man.
Speaking of that man…
Lan Lan recalled something, and her expression gradually became complicated.
Feng Feng saw through it immediately, “Are you hiding something from me?”
They had known each other since they were eighteen and had lived under the same roof for so long that they could tell what the other was thinking from a single expression.
Lan Lan’s demeanor clearly indicated that there was something she found difficult to tell her.
“Manager Feng is truly sharp-eyed; nothing escapes you.” Lan Lan said, “I’m going on a business trip to London next week.”
Mentioning this place, Feng Feng’s hand holding the dessert fork paused. She knew Lan Lan’s words were not finished.
Soon, Lan Lan continued, “This time it’s to meet with people from London Bank.”
London Bank.
That meant Lan Lan would definitely encounter that person on this trip.
After a minute of silence, Feng Feng regained her usual calm demeanor, “Mm.”
Lan Lan asked, “Has he contacted you?”
Feng Feng shook her head. She had long deleted all his contact information. He now had a family, a wife, and children. From what position could she contact him?
“The old man is quite heartless.” Lan Lan said, “Never mind, if he hasn’t contacted you, then so be it.”
Feng Feng shook her head, “It has nothing to do with him.”
In fact, he hadn’t done anything wrong, and she never thought of him as a scumbag. Love was not something that guaranteed a response just because you liked someone. So many years had passed, and she had long come to terms with this truth.
“How can it have nothing to do with him? Even if you two didn’t officially confirm your relationship back then, his behavior was easily misleading!” Lan Lan rolled her eyes. “He flirted, then walked away without a second thought. How潇洒 (xiao sa - carefree and elegant)!”
Feng Feng did not respond.
Lan Lan added, “Never mind, it’s useless to talk about this now. Thinking about it from another perspective, you should thank him. If not for him, you wouldn’t be who you are today.”
Feng Feng wholeheartedly agreed with these words. If it weren’t for that experience back then, she wouldn’t have such a casual attitude towards relationships and wouldn’t be so at ease in her relationship with Shen Su.
Controlling one’s emotions was a skill that needed to be cultivated.
After finishing their afternoon tea, Lan Lan and Feng Feng went shopping again, and later found a restaurant for dinner.
Coincidentally, as soon as they entered the restaurant, they saw Shen Su and Qin Si Ruan. The two were seated near the bar, chatting animatedly.
Lan Lan instinctively looked at Feng Feng and raised an eyebrow, asking her, “Is this his ex-girlfriend?”
Feng Feng replied with an “Mm” and, unfazed, gracefully walked further inside.
Not long after they sat down in a booth, Shen Su noticed Feng Feng and got up to greet them, with Qin Si Ruan following closely behind.
As Shen Su approached, Feng Feng was ordering food. Hearing the sound, she glanced up at the two of them before continuing with her task.
Up to this point, Qin Si Ruan still couldn’t fathom what Feng Feng was thinking. She seemed completely indifferent to Shen Su.
“And who is this?” Lan Lan looked at Qin Si Ruan, deliberately asking Shen Su this way, to see how he would respond.
“Qin Si Ruan, a friend.” Shen Su introduced her this way.
Lan Lan exchanged pleasantries with Qin Si Ruan. Up close, she noticed that Qin Si Ruan was a completely different type from Feng Feng. Qin Si Ruan was a quintessential delicate woman, evoking pity, pure yet alluring, with eyes that held a captivating gaze.
In comparison, Feng Feng’s looks were more understated. Shen Su’s taste had quite a range.
Feng Feng acted as if Shen Su and Qin Si Ruan were not there, calmly finishing her order and returning the menu to the waiter.
Although Shen Su had witnessed Feng Feng’s composure before, he was still frustrated by her demeanor at that moment, feeling a surge of emotion.
Shen Su asked, “Do you mind if we join you for dinner? I don’t think I’ve ever treated Manager Lan to a meal before. Let me treat you today.”