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Xua Ying Yue took the order of Old Master Gu and Zou Zeming before she turned on her heels and then walked inside the kitchen where she recited the name of the dishes which Old Master Gu added once Zou Zeming was done ordering the chilli oil noodles with braised pork.
Once the young lady was gone Old Master Gu turned to look at his grandson, he had known his grandson for quite some time and even though he knew that his grandson was quite friendly, this was the first time he was seeing Zou Zeming taking the initiative to talk to a girl.
" Zeming, what is going on? I will not say much but I think your mother will be upset if you get into messy affairs while studying at the university," Old Master Gu had nothing against Xua Ying Yue or her background, he just knew that his daughter was strict with her children, in her eyes as long as they were not standing on their feet and capable of marrying a woman, there was no need to get involved with another family's daughter and ruining their future only to abandon them later on.
This was a teaching that Old Master Gu agreed on as well.
" What are you thinking, Grandpa?" Zou Zeming rolled his eyes as he placed his elbow on the table and then pressed his cheek on the knuckles which were clenched. "It's nothing like that, Miss Xua just remind me of a little of my past. Have you forgotten what I was like when my father died? I was just like her… if you look carefully her eyes are just like mine." He stared at the girl who was working without stopping and then added, " I am just trying to look out for her a little, just like you and Mother were looking out for me."
Zou Zeming could see the loneliness and pain that Xua Ying Yue was trying so hard to hide, others could not see it but he could see the anger that she was suppressing. It was faintly similar to his own, he had seen his father lose his life all because his mother convicted a criminal who deserved to die. His father was a wonderful doctor who would even save a beggar's life if he could by taking the money out of his own pocket—— when he saw his father getting shot just as he was taking him to buy cotton candy, Zou Zeming wished that he could kill the culprit as well.
The same anger, the same frustration—— it was brimming in the eyes of that girl which both attracted and confused him.
" You don't have to remind me, it was the hardest time for our family," sighed Old Master Gu as he remembered the dark times when he lost his son-in-law. He turned to look at Xua Ying Yue and then thought of something before hesitating a little but when he thought about the condition of his grandson, he couldn't help but say, " I will not stop you from looking out for her, but make sure that you do not drown in that darkness again."
He was afraid that while trying to help Xua Ying Yue, his grandson will fall into depression again.
" Of course not," Zou Zeming promised.
Soon their food was prepared and served by Xue Yenay and just as Zou Zeming picked up the chopstick off the table, the door of the restaurant was pushed open and three girls walked inside, he was sitting in the same direction which the door was facing which was why he could not see the three girls walking inside, but there was a large mirror in hanging right in front of him and he could see the reflection of the three girls who walked inside.
Qi Qiao walked inside the restaurant smiling like a young girl blossoming in her youth, she looked at Jia Lu Li and then tugged at her sleeves like they were best of friends and said, " Lu Li, thank you for buying me this jacket, you are truly my best friend. I was afraid that you will be upset with me, I promise that I will repay you this money as soon as I can."
Though she said that Qi Qiao had no intention of returning the money for this jacket, Jia Lu Li was so rich, she could buy this twenty yuan jacket with ease but she was different, she needed to save for months before she could save twenty yuan!
"It's all right, you can return it when you have money," Jia Lu Li was slightly uncomfortable when Qi Qiao asked her to buy this jacket, even though her father had money they were only slightly better than the other families, it was not as if they had an endless amount of money but when she heard Qi Qiao call her, her best friend, she immediately became happier and then started to smile even more profoundly.
Seeing that Jia Lu Li had been coaxed by her, Qi Qiao exchanged a glance with Fan Jiayi and they both burst out in silent giggles calling Jia Lu Li an idiot behind her back.
It was then —— Qi Qiao's gaze fell on Zou Zeming who was silently eating his meal upon seeing that he was dressed up in the finest clothing brands, her eyes flashed and she tugged Jia Lu Li to sit on the table which was right next to Zou Zeming's.
Because her eyes were on the watch and fancy jacket that Zou Zeming was wearing, she completely ignored Old Master Gu who was sitting opposite to Zou Zeming. Her eyes flickered left and right, as she tucked a strand of her hair and sat down before lowering her voice as she turned to look at Jia Lu Li and Fan Jiayi, " What do you want to eat?" She asked as she picked up the menu card.
Though she asked as if she was asking for their opinions, Qi Qiao had already decided what she wanted to eat already.