WSIDIILMBOCIR Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Long Time No See

Chapter 2 Long Time No See

The welcome dinner was held at Deng Weien’s private club. It opened half a year after Qin Yuanging left, aggressively occupying a considerable space near the prime Jiangtan area.

Qin Yuanging had good relationships, and as soon as they heard he was back, almost all of his old friends came.

There was a sense of reminiscing, but also an intention to inquire.

It wasn’t so much that they were interested in Qin Yuanging’s old news, but the main focus was still on Li Chongge.

The Li family was different from these rising stars. This family had at least a hundred years of industrial heritage, a deep foundation, and a red background. It held a pivotal position in both political and business circles. The current Kewei was an absolute leading enterprise in Jing City and even the whole country, a major taxpayer.

Li Chongge was not yet thirty, but he was already the well-deserved head of the Li family. Those who wanted to curry favor with him could line up all the way from Jing City to Canada.

In the past, because of Qin Yuanging, Li Chongge was willing to occasionally gather with these people. But since Qin Yuanging ran off to Canada without a word, it was now difficult to even see him.

The rumors were rife that Qin Yuanging and Li Chongge had broken up, but the truth was probably only known to Qin Yuanging himself.

In short, this dinner party had different intentions for everyone.

Qin Yuanging was the protagonist of the night, so naturally he couldn’t arrive too late.

Deng Weien, the owner of the club, was waiting for him early on.

“You can really run. You didn’t reveal a single piece of news for two years. We all guessed if you weren’t coming back.”

Deng Weien was good in every way, except for his questionable taste. He was wearing a silk black suit covered in sequins, and his hair was plastered with who-knows-how-many bottles of hairspray, each strand standing rigidly upright. His accessories were miscellaneous and expensive, but they only made him look more cumbersome.

He didn’t look like a young master, but more like a male model from some unknown club, and not even an expensive one.

Qin Yuanging unceremoniously pushed away Deng Weien, who was trying to give him a hug.

“Luckily you listened to advice, and the decoration of this club doesn’t have your personal style, otherwise I wouldn’t dare to enter.”

Deng Weien didn’t mind Qin Yuanging’s teasing and smilingly pushed him into a luxurious private room. There were already a few people sitting sparsely inside.

Among them was Qiao Gongyu.

“Yuanging, long time no see.”

“Long time no see.”

Qin Yuanging looked natural, pulled out a chair with one hand, sat in the main seat, and greeted him with a smile.

Sun Qihao put out his cigarette, blew a smoke ring, and complained, “At first, I didn’t believe it when Jiang Muyuan said you were back. You didn’t even tell your brothers when you left, and now that you’re back, we have to find out from Jiang Muyuan. So much for so many years of friendship.”

“I came back suddenly, and didn’t have time. It’s my fault. I’ll have a good drink with you later!”

Qin Yuanging was tall and lanky. When he spoke, his arm was lazily draped over the back of the chair next to him, showing a natural, unrestrained charm.

“Yeah, you didn’t have time to tell us, but you had time to tell Jiang Muyuan.”

Sun Qihao was always unforgiving.

“You and Jiang Muyuan…”

“Friends.”

Qin Yuanging asked Sun Qihao for a cigarette, bit it between his lips, and spat out two words.

He was telling the truth. Whether in the past or now, he had never had any ambiguity with Jiang Muyuan.

It was just that he had been forced to go on a blind date because of his elders, and although they hadn’t hit it off as expected, they found that their personalities were quite suitable for friendship.

As for the later story of friends turning into rivals in love, it was indeed a twist of fate, quite dramatic.

But fortunately, it didn’t affect them much.

With Jiang Muyuan’s personality of loving one person after another, Li Chongge had long been thrown to the back of her mind.

People arrived one after another. Qin Yuanging joked and bantered with them for a while, but his gaze inadvertently swept towards the door several times.

“Qin Yuanging, come over here for a moment.”

Qiao Gongyu took the lead to get up and walk outside, not giving Qin Yuanging a chance to refuse.

Qin Yuanging knew he was in the wrong and followed Qiao Gongyu submissively. The two of them went one after the other to the outside terrace.

“Don’t you have anything to explain? You left without a word, without even telling anyone, and you even refused to contact any of these friends. What exactly are you doing?”

“Yu brother, I encountered some things that are not easy to tell you, but this matter is my fault, and I accept the punishment.”

Seeing Qin Yuanging’s good attitude, Qiao Gongyu’s tone softened a little, but he still didn’t let him go.

“Could it really be because of Jiang Muyuan?”

“It’s really not because of her.” Qin Yuanging’s tone was a little helpless: “She and I are just friends, don’t overthink it.”

The two stood side by side, each silent for ten seconds or so. Qin Yuanging couldn’t help but ask: “Will Li Chongge come?”

“He can’t come. He’s getting busier and busier now. To sit in his current position at his age, he has to work harder.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? Qin Yuanging, you and Li Chongge have been brothers for so many years. You finally came back. Aren’t you going to say hello to him?”

Mentioning that name, Qin Yuanging subconsciously lit another cigarette.

“We’ll talk about it later. Isn’t he busy? When he’s free one day…”

The accumulated longing gradually evolved into a secret love that couldn’t be seen in the light. Qin Yuanging couldn’t guarantee that he could still be by Li Chongge’s side as naturally as before.

“Tsk.” Qiao Gongyu waved his hand. “Just keep it up.”

Qin Yuanging: “…”

“How did your smoking addiction get so bad? You’ve lit two cigarettes in less than twenty minutes.”

Qin Yuanging put out the cigarette.

“Okay, I won’t smoke.”

Li Chongge didn’t like the smell of smoke.

The meal lasted a long time. When the group came out, it was already twelve o’clock. Gao Jingyu clamored to play some more, but no one paid attention to him.

Qin Yuanging drank a lot of wine, and his steps were a little unsteady, but it wasn’t obvious on his face. Jiang Muyuan and the others called their drivers, and left one by one.

Qin Yuanging swayed and also called his driver, waiting for him to pick him up.

There were still guests in the club. Deng Weien was called away. Qin Yuanging wanted to get some fresh air, so he simply squatted alone on the steps next to the door, took out his phone, and glanced at it. There was only one message from Yu Keci urging him to go home.

Near Qingming, the rain kept falling, fine and dense. The neon lights of Jing City were covered with a hazy light. Qin Yuanging stared at the distance for a while without blinking, feeling a little dazed, until he heard footsteps behind him.

The person’s pace was very steady, neither fast nor slow. Qin Yuanging felt a little familiar.

“Li Chongge?”

Qin Yuanging’s heart beat suddenly faster. He didn’t expect to meet Li Chongge at this time and in this place.

After two years of not seeing him, Li Chongge’s majesty was even greater. His cold and handsome face was still full of impact.

He was wearing a black, crisp suit, with his coat held in his hand. Hearing the sound, he coldly raised his head and looked over.

“Mm.”

Just one word froze Qin Yuanging’s steps, preventing him from moving forward involuntarily.

Qin Yuanging twitched the corners of his mouth, took a step forward somewhat awkwardly, and then suddenly retreated back, proactively saying in an awkward manner: “Long time no see.”

735 days.

Since they met at the age of ten, attended the same elementary school, the same middle school, and the same university, in the fifteen years until the age of twenty-five, they had never been separated for such a long time.

Li Chongge calmly swept his gaze over him, his tone carrying an imperceptible mockery.

“Only two years, not that long.”

Qin Yuanging knew that Li Chongge was angry.

Or rather, not angry, but disappointed.

Disappointed in him.

He had always known that Li Chongge, on the surface, seemed polite, amiable, and approachable, but in reality, it was difficult for him to truly accept anyone. He, Qin Yuanging, was fortunate enough to be one of them.

But he…

“I’m sorry.”

Qin Yuanging spat out three words dryly.

“I have something to do, I’ll go first.”

Li Chongge didn’t look back, got into the car decisively, and sped away.

Leaving Qin Yuanging alone, staring blankly at the night, greedily tracing his back, tasting the lingering bitterness in his heart.

Disappointment after surprise, self-blame, embarrassment, and other emotions gushed out from his heart in an instant. Qin Yuanging took a deep breath of the humid air and laughed mockingly.

That’s good too.