Ji Lanruo saw Song Xingjia again a year after attending Jiang Mian's wedding.
Later, she learned that the man had also been at the wedding, but they never managed to meet.
By then, she had been traveling the world for over a year.
During this time, her three elder brothers had urged her to return many times.
But she turned a deaf ear, wanting to enjoy herself to the fullest.
It wasn't until her last stop, Hong Kong City, that she saw Song Xingjia, dressed in a suit, on a giant television screen in the city center as she stepped off the plane.
He looked different from his television persona, and different from how she had seen him in private.
The screen was showing an interview clip.
The man sat on a light-colored leather sofa, exuding a noble and gentle demeanor, a slight smile on his lips as he recounted the development of the family business he had taken over in recent years.
Ji Lanruo stood rooted to the spot, watching for a long, long time until her eyes ached before she finally looked away.
Then, she waved down a taxi and headed for her hotel.
Collapsing onto the hotel bed, the first thing she did was not to interact with her fans on Weibo as she usually would, but to open Song Xingjia's WeChat chat window.
Their last conversation was from years ago, initiated by Ji Lanruo.
She had asked if he was attending the film festival, along with a few other scattered questions, but had received no reply. The entire screen was filled with her green chat bubbles.
Perhaps out of disbelief, Ji Lanruo typed on her keyboard.
"I'm in Hong Kong City."
After sending the message, Ji Lanruo put down her phone.
She rolled around on the bed, deceiving herself. She knew this message, like many others before it, would disappear into the void.
Perhaps Song Xingjia no longer used this account.
Of course, she could ask Jiang Mian for Song Xingjia's contact information, but she didn't want to.
She herself didn't know why she was being so stubborn.
She covered her face with a pillow, her thoughts wandering.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It felt as if some unknown force compelled Ji Lanruo to get up and check the message.
She scrambled to grab her phone and unlock the screen.
And then she saw the reply:
"Where are you?" kuAiδugg
Ji Lanruo stared at those three words repeatedly. When she realized it was real, the corners of her lips uncontrollably turned up, and the arc grew wider and wider.
She replied: "Tianlan Hotel."
"I'll be free in an hour. Would you like to have dinner together?"
Ji Lanruo covered her burning cheeks with one hand and typed with the other: "Okay."
"Mmm, wait for me."
Ji Lanruo reread these few lines of dialogue for a long time.
He said, wait for him.
She immediately opened her suitcase and started looking for a dress.
This one was too formal, that one too revealing.
Ji Lanruo was somewhat vexed. She regretted not buying more dresses.
As time grew shorter, Ji Lanruo closed her eyes and picked a dress.
When she walked out of the elevator, she saw Song Xingjia in the lounge restaurant downstairs.
The man was wearing a white suit, his posture relaxed, and he raised his hand to check his watch.
Ji Lanruo unconsciously jogged over. A rare hint of shyness appeared on her usually bright and confident face, "Sorry for keeping you waiting."
Song Xingjia looked up and smiled lightly, his gaze devoid of the expected distance after so long, "Not at all."
He stood up, "Have you decided where you want to eat? If not, I've arranged for a restaurant specializing in Hong Kong cuisine to take you to try."
"Sure, this is your territory. I'll naturally follow the host."
Song Yan waited outside. Upon seeing them emerge, he immediately bowed and opened the car door.
The two sat side-by-side.
Just as Ji Lanruo was about to speak, she saw Song Xingjia receive a phone call.
She quietly fell silent. It seemed he was indeed very busy.
Two minutes later, Song Xingjia hung up the phone and apologized, "Sorry, just handling a small matter."
Before Ji Lanruo could speak, Song Xingjia turned off his phone.
Ji Lanruo was taken aback, "Won't that affect your work?"
"It's break time now," he said with a faint smile.
Ji Lanruo pursed her lips. She couldn't deny that she was a little happy, the kind of happiness that came from being treated with undivided attention.
Song Xingjia asked, "How long are you planning to stay this time? When will you be returning?"
Ji Lanruo, who had intended to leave the next day, changed her words, "I'm not sure, I'll see. I'm mainly here to travel this time."
As they were speaking, the car stopped.
Ji Lanruo followed behind Song Xingjia, but at some point, the man fell back a step and was walking beside her.
"This restaurant serves very authentic Hong Kong flavors. I hope you'll like it."
Ji Lanruo smiled, "Do you come here often?"
Song Xingjia's voice was calm, "Many years ago, I used to come often."
That was before he debuted.
He had booked a private room, and they went in to sit down.
For the first time, Ji Lanruo didn't examine the room but stared at the man opposite her.
Song Xingjia opened the menu, "Since it's your first time here, shall I recommend a few signature dishes?"
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
If Ji Lanruo's eldest brother, Ji Lanzhou, were present, he would surely have widened his eyes.
This girl, who always hated others making decisions for her, had never been so obedient.
Song Xingjia took the initiative to order several dishes and then handed her the menu, "Take a look, is there anything else you want to add?"
Ji Lanruo added a few desserts and handed it to the waiter.
She looked up, "Are you not returning to the entertainment industry?"
Her way of speaking was as direct as ever.
Song Xingjia chuckled.
"No, I'm not."
He didn't have the time. His elder brother's health was deteriorating, and the entire Song family had fallen into his hands.
Hearing this, Ji Lanruo's disappointment was palpable.
She had somewhat expected it, but had been unwilling to believe it.
After all, who would stay out of the limelight for years at the peak of their career unless they no longer wanted to do it.
But this man possessed such charm that even after years of inactivity, his Weibo followers had only increased.
Ji Lanruo quickly put her thoughts aside. The restaurant Song Xingjia had recommended lived up to its reputation; the food was indeed delicious.
Being naturally at ease and uninhibited, she ate with great enjoyment in front of her former idol.
After the meal, Song Xingjia slowly wiped his hands and said, "Tomorrow I won't be able to play the host. I'll arrange for Song Yan to be your guide until you've had your fill and are ready to leave."
Ji Lanruo was momentarily stunned. Her concern was about a different matter, "Song Xingjia, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why did you never reply to my messages over the past two years?"
Regarding this, Song Xingjia had to explain.
It was pure coincidence.
Song Yan had been organizing his old phones for him that very day, which led him to happen upon the messages Ji Lanruo had sent.
He stated concisely, "I wasn't using those old ones anymore."
Given his status, he had numerous business and collaboration accounts, most of which were not managed by him personally.
Ji Lanruo nodded, accepting this reason.
His words seemed to effortlessly alleviate the loneliness and resentment she had felt waiting for a reply all those years.
She stood up, her mood instantly brightening, even her voice carrying a hint of joy, "We're finished eating, let's go."
"Let's take a walk to help with digestion."
The two strolled along the roadside, Song Yan following them from a distance.
Passing by a shop with a long queue, Ji Lanruo exclaimed in surprise, "Pineapple cakes! You sent me some before!"
Song Xingjia followed her gaze, "Yes. It's a time-honored brand here. It's crowded every day. I didn't expect you to still remember."
Hearing him say that, Ji Lanruo abandoned the idea of queuing to buy some.
Her eyes sparkled, "Of course, my memory is very good."
The two continued walking.
Song Xingjia was not a man of many words. He would occasionally introduce interesting sights to Ji Lanruo.
Ji Lanruo walked beside him, full of enthusiasm.
As dusk fell and a hint of coolness entered the air, Song Xingjia spoke, "I'll take you back."
Ji Lanruo nodded.
They said their goodbyes at the hotel entrance.
Song Xingjia: "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Upon returning to the Song family ancestral home, Song Xingjia still had a pile of documents in his study to deal with.
Song Yan followed behind him, "I feel like President Song is in a very good mood today?"
Song Xingjia asked back blandly, "Do you?"
Song Yan chuckled, "Yes, you do. Did seeing Miss Ji remind you of Miss Jiang?"
Jiang Mian, he knew she was with Ji Zhixiu and would be very happy.
Song Xingjia instructed him, "Tomorrow, remember to pick up Miss Ji."
This was the only way he could look after her as Jiang Mian's uncle.
Song Yan nodded, noting it down, "Understood."
…
Back in her room, Ji Lanruo first rolled around on the bed.
She felt as if the day had been a dream.
The fatigue vanished without a trace, and she even felt like running eight hundred meters downstairs.
Her lips curved into a smile, and she opened her phone to send Song Xingjia a message: "Are you home yet?"
The reply came late into the night.
"Just finished my work. Goodnight."
The next morning, while still in bed, Ji Lanruo received a phone call.
"Is this Miss Ji? I'm Song Yan. I'm already waiting downstairs."
Ji Lanruo woke up instantly, "Oh, okay. Please wait, I'll be down shortly."
She washed up and put on light makeup as quickly as possible, then dressed neatly and went downstairs.
Song Yan stood downstairs, "Miss Ji."
Not seeing Song Xingjia, Ji Lanruo felt a slight disappointment.
But she quickly smiled, "Good morning."
"Good morning, Miss Ji. President Song has a very packed schedule today. He specifically instructed me to look after Miss Ji." As Song Yan spoke, he handed her a beautifully packaged gift bag, "These are the pineapple cakes that Miss Ji likes."
Ji Lanruo saw the logo on the bag; it was from the shop they had passed by yesterday.
She hadn't expected such a small detail to be noticed by Song Xingjia. She weighed the still-warm bag in her hand.
Ji Lanruo raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Thank you."
Song Yan scratched his head, "You're welcome. President Song said, as long as you like it."
It was worth his effort to queue up to buy them early in the morning.
"Miss Ji, shall we go?"
Ji Lanruo happily replied with an "Mhm," "Let's."
Hong Kong City has always been known as a food paradise.
Song Yan, a native of Hong Kong, knew the city intimately.
With him around, Ji Lanruo was spared many detours.
Although Song Xingjia wasn't there, Ji Lanruo still instinctively took photos of anything interesting or delicious she encountered and sent them to Song Xingjia.
She didn't expect a reply from Song Xingjia, knowing he was busy.
Song Xingjia was indeed too busy to check his messages.
It wasn't until his last meeting ended that he saw the messages on his phone.
He smiled faintly, flipped through the photos one by one, and finally replied: "As long as you have fun."
However, by evening, Song Yan returned alone.
He wore a look of self-blame and regret, "President Song, it's my fault. Miss Ji has had an accident!"