Guan Qingtong's trip to Rong City was primarily a vacation, with only one day allocated for necessary social and work-related activities. On that day, she needed to attend a banquet arranged entirely by the local government, aimed at facilitating cooperation between Rong City's enterprises and agricultural products to promote prosperity in the surrounding rural areas.
Due to her status as a successful influencer, Guan Qingtong was invited to share her experiences on live-streaming and promoting agricultural products, even though she wasn't the main focus of the event.
It seemed as if fate had a hand in things…
While Su Yirao was contemplating whether to visit Guan Qingtong's mother or find another way to meet her, she also received an invitation to the same banquet. Coincidentally, the event was being held at a hotel owned by the Su family. Upon seeing Guan Qingtong's name on the guest list, Su Yirao immediately accepted the invitation.
As dusk settled over the city, the vibrant nightlife of Rong City came alive, with colorful lights illuminating the urban landscape.
After parking her car, Su Yirao turned and spotted someone being escorted into the hotel like a star among admirers. The woman was elegant, wearing a form-fitting dress that accentuated her graceful figure, and her bright, confident smile captivated everyone around her.
It had been two and a half years since Su Yirao last saw her in person. The transformation was striking.
Guan Qingtong was now slimmer, more refined in appearance, and her overall demeanor had undergone a significant shift. She exuded an air of confidence and sophistication that made her almost unrecognizable from the woman Su Yirao had known three years ago.
What experiences had she gone through to change so dramatically in such a short time? Su Yirao could only imagine the hardships she must have endured to grow so quickly.
Reflecting on her own leisurely life during these years, Su Yirao couldn't help but smile wryly. Everyone has different goals—while she sought comfort and ease, Guan Qingtong was determined to become the best version of herself.
But did this change in lifestyle mean she had moved on?
Su Yirao's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Guan Qingtong entering the hotel.
"Su Yirao, are you going inside?" A familiar, annoying voice called out.
Turning, she saw Yu Xingye, the original male lead paired with Guan Qingtong in the novel. He was also the man Su Yirao, in her pre-awakened state, had foolishly pursued.
Seeing him always put Su Yirao in a bad mood, especially knowing he was a prominent businessman in Rong City, making his presence unavoidable at such events.
"You go ahead. I don't want to be the subject of gossip," Su Yirao replied, shaking her head.
As time passed, their canceled engagement was gradually being forgotten, but walking in together at an event like this would still raise eyebrows. Though both were single, the idea of rekindling their relationship didn't sit well with Su Yirao, especially when her thoughts were elsewhere—on Guan Qingtong.
"I haven't heard much about you two lately. Did you break up?" Yu Xingye raised an eyebrow in inquiry.
Su Yirao had had enough and stopped in her tracks. "Yu Xingye, is there something wrong with your brain?"
"Calm down," he said nonchalantly.
"For your nonsense, I've been very calm," Su Yirao retorted. "Forget it. We didn't break up."
"Then it's no fun," he muttered before they went their separate ways.
As Guan Qingtong's attention drifted towards them, the mayor's secretary, having just seen off the mayor, introduced the two with a warm smile. "They are prominent figures from Rong City—Yu Xingye, the CEO of Yu Group, who has taken over his family's business, and Miss Su, who prefers investing to managing her family's hotel business. Both are considered the city's most promising young talents, much like yourself. Let me introduce you."
"I'm from Rong City, so I know who they are," Guan Qingtong replied, her gaze shifting back. She hesitated before asking, "I heard they canceled their engagement years ago. Are they rekindling their relationship now?"
She picked up a glass of wine from a passing waiter, her fingers tightening around the stem.
"Not that I've heard," the secretary replied with a smile. "But who knows what happens in private? They do seem to make a good pair."
Guan Qingtong took a sip of her wine and smiled faintly. "I don't think so."
"Hmm?"
"Nothing."
The secretary, puzzled, decided not to dwell on it and turned to attend to other matters.
"Three years and you're back. It seems like you couldn't wait. But it looks like she doesn't care about you at all, chatting and laughing with Yu Xingye without a second thought," a voice beside Guan Qingtong said softly.
Her smile froze.
"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."
The assistant whispered, "Boss, want to make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"If she makes the first move to be with you, I'll cook myself in a pot."
"..." Guan Qingtong paused. "You don't have to be that pessimistic, but there's no need for such extreme bets."
The assistant hesitated before saying, "Okay, how about if the three-year agreement fails, you double my year-end bonus?"
"And if it succeeds?"
"If it succeeds, you'll get the girl! Isn't that reward enough?" The assistant laughed, teasing her.
"In that case, go ahead and make that crazy bet…"
The banquet proceeded as planned. Guan Qingtong stood under the spotlight, sharing her experiences. The room erupted in applause as she finished and left the stage.
"That was excellent!"
"Very insightful!"
"Ms. Guan, could I add you on WeChat? I'd love to ask for your advice."
"This is the strategy of a top influencer…"
Surrounded by people offering compliments, Guan Qingtong responded politely, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
But as the crowd dispersed, she heard a familiar voice.
"Qingtong, long time no see."
She looked up to see Su Yirao smiling, raising her glass in a toast.
Guan Qingtong nodded, clinking her glass with Su Yirao's, using the wine to mask her unease.
"It's crowded here. Could we talk somewhere more private?" Su Yirao smiled gently and, without waiting for a response, took her hand and led her out of the banquet hall.
As they walked away from the noise, Guan Qingtong became more aware of the rapid beating of her heart.
They finally stopped in a quieter area, and Guan Qingtong pulled her hand back.
"There are fewer people here. What did you want to talk about?"
Su Yirao didn't seem bothered. Standing still, she spoke softly, "Qingtong, you've changed a lot in these three years. If you hadn't been so active on screen, I might not have recognized you."
"What do you want to say?"
Guan Qingtong tried to act nonchalant, but inside, she was troubled. It hurt to know that Su Yirao had noticed all her growth and effort but hadn't reached out to her. Why did she have to be the one to return to Rong City to fulfill their three-year agreement?
Sometimes, people's instincts and auras are inexplicably linked.
Right now, Su Yirao sensed that Guan Qingtong had become more guarded, like a hedgehog ready to protect itself from any intruder.
Su Yirao raised her hand, gently placing it on Guan Qingtong's shoulder, and patted it reassuringly, just as she used to three years ago.
"Alright, be good. Not keeping in touch was my fault…"
Guan Qingtong had been the one to delete and block Su Yirao, yet hearing her apologize and comfort her now, a wave of bitterness washed over her.
Back then, she had acted out of jealousy, hoping that Su Yirao would miss her enough to reach out. But Su Yirao had vanished from her life without a word.
It made her realize that Su Yirao didn't care.
If Su Yirao hadn't cared for the past three years, what were the chances she would care now? Guan Qingtong had returned to Rong City only to put a period at the end of a sentence, to close a chapter without regrets.
"Su Yirao, you don't have to do this. I blocked and deleted your WeChat because I was immature in handling my jealousy back then. I envied the friend you made while traveling abroad—she seemed to be able to stay in your life the way I used to…"
Guan Qingtong's mature response would have made the Su Yirao of three years ago proud. But now, it only made her feel uneasy.
"After I blocked you, we never contacted each other again. Now that you've reached out, it must be for work, right? If there's a proposal you'd like to discuss, just send it to me."
"I'm more than willing to cooperate with a former… mentor and friend. Just let me know what you need."
Guan Qingtong's words created a distance between them, drawing a clear line in the sand. Even at the three-year mark, Su Yirao's apparent indifference made Guan Qingtong wary of hoping for more.
Her words were a test, a way to see if Su Yirao was interested in work or in her as a person.
To her surprise, Su Yirao didn't mention work at all, nor did she respond directly to Guan Qingtong's question.
Instead, she stepped closer, her voice teasing, "Qingtong, meeting like this at the end of our three-year agreement, what do you think I'm here for?"
Guan Qingtong's breath caught, her grip on her phone tightening as she tried to steady her emotions.
But Su Yirao's keen perception noticed the slight tremor in her arm caused by her nerves.
With a soft laugh, Su Yirao reached out, taking Guan Qingtong's hand and indicating she should unlock her phone.
"Qingtong, you were the one who deleted my contact. Shouldn't you be the one to add me back?"
Guan Qingtong hesitated, then, as if waking from a dream, turned away to unlock her phone and added Su Yirao back.
At first puzzled by her actions, Su Yirao suddenly recalled a photo from three years ago. Guan Qingtong had said it was a beautiful picture and had set it as her wallpaper.
Had she kept it all this time?
A smile tugged at the corners of Su Yirao's lips, filling her with newfound confidence.
She lowered her head and accepted the friend request on her phone.
"Su Yirao, you still haven't told me what you're here for," Guan Qingtong couldn't help but ask, seeking the answer she had longed for three years ago.
"You know what I'm here for," Su Yirao responded with a smile, sidestepping the question while fixing her gaze on Guan Qingtong with an inviting look.
That look—so full of warmth and familiarity—made Guan Qingtong's heart flutter with a mix of joy and frustration.
Glaring at Su Yirao, she pouted, "Fine, don't tell me. I don't care anyway."