Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Zhang Qiong arrived at Simu Coffee Shop at 1:30 PM.

Nowadays, more and more people prefer drinking coffee on the go. Starbucks and Luckin are everywhere, and not many people choose to sit down in a coffee shop to chat.

Simu Coffee Shop was very quiet. Aside from Zhang Qiong, there was only one table occupied by female college students.

Zhang Qiong glanced at them; they were dressed up beautifully and looked quite lovely.

She was incredibly nervous, to the point where she didn’t even know what to say to Liang He once they met. She had many questions for him but hadn’t figured out how to bring them up.

She couldn’t exactly start with, “Why did you steal a college girl’s travel photos to chat with me?”

Actually, the strangest thing to her was that she and Liang He had been flirting on WeChat for a long time, and they had talked about everything they should and shouldn’t have. Under those circumstances, if she were to meet Liang He, the first place she could imagine was in bed, and the second might be a restaurant. But in any case, it shouldn’t really be a coffee shop.

Coffee shops were only suitable for people who weren’t well-acquainted, like internet friends meeting for the first time, business partners discussing a deal, or blind dates.

Two strangers, one playing the gentleman and the other the lady, maintaining a basic social distance where neither gets too close to the other.

It was 1:50 PM. Liang He would be there in ten minutes.

Zhang Qiong called the waiter over and ordered two Americanos.

She sent Liang He a message: “Where are you?”

Liang He: “Almost there.”

Zhang Qiong waited nervously again.

A taxi pulled up outside, and a girl wearing sunglasses stepped out. She pushed open the coffee shop door, looked around, and walked straight toward Zhang Qiong, sitting down across from her with brisk efficiency.

Zhang Qiong looked at her in confusion.

The girl took off her sunglasses and smiled at Zhang Qiong.

It was Huang Yuanrui.

Zhang Qiong didn’t speak, and neither did Huang Yuanrui. The two of them stared at each other in silence for five seconds.

After five seconds, Zhang Qiong spoke first. “Do you need something?”

Huang Yuanrui smiled. “Hello there, Guest Room Manager.”

Zhang Qiong glanced out the window, terrified that Liang He would suddenly arrive at this moment.

Huang Yuanrui asked, “Who are you waiting for?”

Zhang Qiong replied, “I don’t think that has anything to do with you. I already apologized for the toilet incident last time, and I don’t work there anymore. If you’re just passing by, could you please leave now?”

Huang Yuanrui froze for a moment, then suddenly couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The college girls at the other table all turned to look at them.

Zhang Qiong glanced out the window again. It was 1:58 PM. If she couldn’t get rid of Huang Yuanrui now, it would be a total embarrassment when Liang He arrived.

“Why hasn’t the person you’re waiting for arrived yet?” Huang Yuanrui asked.

Zhang Qiong remained silent.

“Then I’ll just wait here with you,” Huang Yuanrui said.

“What exactly are you trying to do?” Zhang Qiong demanded.

Huang Yuanrui looked at her innocently. “What am I doing? I greeted you warmly, and now I’m patiently waiting with you for your friend. What did I do wrong?”

Zhang Qiong grabbed her bag and stood up to leave. She needed to quickly shake off this bizarre person and arrange a different meeting spot with Liang He.

Huang Yuanrui leaned back in her chair, unhurried. “Don’t be in such a rush to leave. Aren’t you going to wait for Liang He anymore?”

Zhang Qiong stopped in her tracks.

She looked down at Huang Yuanrui. “You know him?”

Huang Yuanrui spread her hands. “Of course. Why else would I come here for no reason?”

Zhang Qiong decided not to leave and sat back down. “How do you know him?”

“What? We’re both beauties,” Huang Yuanrui said. “Is he allowed to know you but not me?”

Zhang Qiong looked down at her phone. It was exactly 2:00 PM. Liang He still hadn’t arrived.

She couldn’t take it anymore and opened WeChat, preparing to start a voice call with him.

“No need to call. He’s not coming today.” Huang Yuanrui called the waiter over and ordered a hot chocolate.

Zhang Qiong looked up. “Why?”

Huang Yuanrui said nonchalantly, “Because I won’t let him.”

“What is the relationship between the two of you?” Zhang Qiong asked.

Huang Yuanrui gave a sly smile. “Him? He’s my sugar daddy. I’ve been with him since I was eighteen. I’m only six or seven years older than his son, but that little hottie has to call me ‘Stepmom.'”

Zhang Qiong frowned.

“Has he been chatting with you constantly lately?” Huang Yuanrui asked.

“So, are you here today to pick a fight?” Zhang Qiong asked.

Huang Yuanrui raised her hands. “Oh, no, no, no. I advocate for peaceful coexistence. I can be the first wife, and you can be the second. But you’ll have to call me ‘Big Sister.'”

“You’re overthinking it,” Zhang Qiong said. “He and I are just ordinary friends.”

“Fine, fine, whatever you say is right,” Huang Yuanrui said. “Anyway, he’s not coming today. But the coffee is already ordered, and since you’ve got nothing else to do, I’ll keep you company while we drink and chat.”

“I don’t think I have anything to talk about with you,” Zhang Qiong said.

“Sigh, you’re really no fun.”

“Have fun by yourself. I’m going home,” Zhang Qiong said.

Huang Yuanrui got anxious. “Okay, okay, don’t go! I’ll tell you something interesting, alright? Once I say it, you’ll definitely want to chat with me!”

Zhang Qiong looked at her without saying a word.

Huang Yuanrui stood up from her seat, moved to sit next to Zhang Qiong, and hooked her arm through Zhang Qiong’s in a friendly manner.

Zhang Qiong shifted away warily.

In that moment, she suddenly felt that Huang Yuanrui looked very much like a cat, or perhaps a snake. Her face was short, the bridge of her nose was a bit wide, and her large eyes tilted upward at the corners. She wore a very red lip glaze, and those luscious lips were slightly parted, as if she might flick out a forked tongue at any moment.

Huang Yuanrui leaned into Zhang Qiong’s ear, her bright red lips brushing lightly against it, and whispered:

“I am Liang He.”