It was Gu Si who called.
Quan Jiu hesitated for a few seconds before answering, her voice laced with a smile, "Hello? Is something wrong? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?" Her relationship with Gu Si wasn't close enough for them to call each other.
Gu Si's voice on the other end was as languid and tinged with a hint of dejection as ever, "Are you busy?"
"No, I'm attending a birthday banquet. We just finished eating and are now wandering around with friends."
Gu Si chuckled softly, "I didn't ask for your whereabouts, why do you need to explain so clearly?"
Quan Jiu giggled, "So? Did you call just to ask if I was busy?"
Gu Si hummed for a while before saying, with a touch of casual testing, "Last time you... gave me two peaches, didn't you? I don't like owing favors. I happen to be handling some business in Lijing Yuncheng today, so I thought, if you're not busy, I'd treat you to a meal."
Quan Jiu burst into laughter, "It's already two o'clock, big brother. Are we having lunch or dinner?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a voice said, "Don't young people sleep until noon on weekends? It's just right for lunch by the time we get ready."
"You mean yourself," Quan Jiu teased.
Wang Feifei looked full of gossip. If someone could make Jiu Jiu laugh so heartily, there must be something. She quickly linked her arm through Quan Jiu's, her ear leaning in.
"So, are you coming?"
It was a deep, magnetic voice. Wang Feifei immediately got excited, blinking at Quan Jiu continuously.
Quan Jiu held down her excited hand and said helplessly, "I'm in the suburbs right now, I can't go even if I wanted to."
"Alright, we'll talk next time then," Gu Si said, about to hang up.
"Wait," Quan Jiu quickly said, "I haven't had dinner yet."
A clear chuckle came from the other end, followed by a smiling "Okay." Then he asked, "What do you want to eat?"
Quan Jiu thought for a moment, "I want to eat shrimp, hot pot, and also dry pot."
"Be careful with spicy food, it might cause internal heat," Gu Si said with a smile.
"I can't live without spice," she said proudly.
Gu Si nodded, "Okay, whatever you say, it's up to you. So, what time should I pick you up?"
"Six o'clock. You pick the place, just don't make it too far from where I'm staying."
Wang Feifei's mouth formed an 'o' shape. After Quan Jiu hung up, she frantically shook Quan Jiu, her face full of eager gossip.
"Jiu Jiu, who is it? I've never seen you so proactive. You seem to like him a lot? Is he handsome? No, no, no, just hearing his voice, it's so sexy, he must be a great handsome guy. Who is he? How could you be dating a boyfriend without telling me?" She pouted pitifully as she spoke.
Quan Jiu helplessly poked Wang Feifei's forehead, "What boyfriend? It's just... someone I need to get to know better."
This statement made Wang Feifei even more excited, "Tell me, tell me, how did you meet? How far has it progressed? How about this, I'll go to dinner with you tonight and help you vet him."
Quan Jiu held Wang Feifei's shoulders, "Tonight, you're in charge of taking care of your godson and goddaughter. This is a bit complicated. I'll tell you once I figure it out."
Although Wang Feifei wanted to gossip, she also noticed the seriousness in Quan Jiu's expression in the latter half of her words, so she didn't ask any more questions. "You can count on me with the kids, but you also need to be safe. Come back as soon as you finish dinner."
"Got it," Quan Jiu smiled warmly.
After hanging up, Gu Si immediately headed to a nearby mall. There were many malls around, and after visiting four large ones, he finally found a place that offered hot pot, dry pot, and shrimp.
...
In the afternoon, Quan Jiu and Wang Feifei took the children back to Lijing Yuncheng. As it was nearing six o'clock, Quan Jiu tidied herself up a bit and went downstairs. As soon as she reached the main entrance, she saw a sleek black Bentley parked by the roadside.
A person stood at the rear of the car, wearing a dark blue "tank top," the contours of his chest muscles subtly visible as he moved, clearly indicating someone who engaged in regular exercise.
A cross necklace hung around his neck, exuding fashion and casualness. His black shorts reached his knees, revealing powerful calves, and he wore deep brown sandals. He exuded a unique aura of颓丧 (tuísàng -颓丧) yet undeniably sexy charm.
"Have you been waiting long?" Quan Jiu asked as she approached.
Gu Si pursed his lips and smiled, shaking his head. He opened the car door, waited for Quan Jiu to get in, then fastened her seatbelt for her before getting into the driver's seat.
"Jiu Cheng Hot Pot, do you know it? It's nearby, about two kilometers away."
Quan Jiu shook her head, "With the children at home, I rarely go out to eat. I only know about five restaurants in this area."
Gu Si smiled and nodded, "There's also a dry pot restaurant next to it. That way, we'll have both hot pot and dry pot, plus shrimp."
Quan Jiu was a little surprised, "Ah? That must be hard to find, with the hot pot and dry pot together."
"It's alright," Gu Si said dismissively.
Two kilometers by car took only a few minutes, and they soon arrived at their destination.
Since they had reserved a table in advance, Gu Si asked Quan Jiu to sit down first, then went to the adjacent dry pot restaurant to order a portion of dry pot shrimp, asking the waiter to deliver it to the hot pot restaurant once it was ready. After arranging everything, he walked into the hot pot restaurant.
"I've ordered a portion of dry pot shrimp, it'll be delivered when it's ready," Gu Si said as he sat down.
Quan Jiu was very happy, "It's been so long since I've eaten shrimp, and hot pot too, it's been so, so long."
Gu Si couldn't help but smile, "Then eat more later."
Quan Jiu looked around, "There are quite a lot of people here, the taste should be good."
"Are you a bit surprised that I suddenly invited you to dinner?" Gu Si looked at Quan Jiu with a playful glint in his eyes.
Quan Jiu paused slightly, picked up her water glass, and took a sip, "Umm... it is a bit unexpected, as we're not very familiar with each other. However, I feel you're a good person, and I'd like to get to know you."
Gu Si subconsciously picked up his water glass and took a sip. After a pause, he said, "Is your child in kindergarten?"
Quan Jiu's eyelids flickered slightly, then she smiled and said, "Yes. By the way, I still don't know what you do."
Gu Si scratched the hair at his temples and looked at the dishes being served at the next table, saying faintly, "I run a small shop."
"Oh... I also own a small company," Quan Jiu put down her water glass and surveyed the restaurant's decor.
Neither of them spoke further, and the air became quiet.
"I've really seen it all. I've never met such bizarre relatives. If I hadn't been in the same hospital ward with that family, I wouldn't have believed it."
It was the voice of the people at the next table. The two tables were only about a meter apart, so they could hear very clearly. Quan Jiu couldn't help but be drawn to the sound.
"What happened?" another person asked.
"That family seems to be the uncle's side. They have a niece, and for some reason, they've lost contact. The way they kept calling her a little beast, a little vixen, a little slut, it was so unpleasant.
You know, they're relatives, not enemies. How could they curse their niece like that? Fortunately, the niece wasn't present, otherwise, I really would have spoken up."
"Why would they curse her? Is there any conflict between that niece and her uncle?"