WSIDIILMBOCIR Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Teasing Among Friends

Jiang Muyuan’s recommended restaurant was already elegant and quiet, and since it was past the peak dining hours, there were even fewer people inside.

A piano piece was being played in the middle of the restaurant, but neither of them was in the mood to appreciate it. After ordering, Qin Yuanging and Li Chongge each took their phones to deal with work messages.

“I’ll drive when we go back, okay?”

Li Chongge put down his phone upon hearing this and took a sip of water.

“That’s fine. I estimate I’ll have some drinks tonight.”

In the business world, socializing is unavoidable. Even with Li Chongge’s status, he doesn’t need to drink and smile obsequiously, but there’s no reason to refuse when someone offers a toast.

For appearances’ sake, it’s practically impossible to not drink at all.

“Then I’ll probably have some too, right?”

Qin Yuanging was asking for business, so he couldn’t avoid adopting a humble attitude. If he acted arrogantly relying on Li Chongge, even if this deal were to go through, the two parties wouldn’t cooperate happily.

If that was the case, then no one would be driving tonight.

But this wasn’t a troublesome matter. With Li Chongge’s status and position, there would surely be people willing to run errands for him.

“Drink if you want to, it doesn’t matter if you don’t.”

Li Chongge leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on Qin Yuanging’s slightly thin chin through the dim light, but he didn’t linger there.

“I probably have to drink some…”

After the waiter had served all the dishes, they retreated to a suitable position, able to meet the customers’ needs at any time while ensuring they didn’t disturb them.

Li Chongge seemed to be constantly busy, putting his phone down and picking it up again, but he was still able to talk to Qin Yuanging promptly.

“Gao Zhida doesn’t like the so-called ‘drinking culture.’ As long as you present a professional enough proposal, he won’t care about trivial details.”

“Of course, tonight’s meeting between you two isn’t yet at the stage of presenting a proposal. You just need to come in person and show your sincerity.”

Qin Yuanging nodded honestly, focusing on drinking the bacon and potato soup in front of him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to say anything, but he felt that whatever he said would sound affected, so he simply said nothing.

After all, they had always been like this in the past. Qin Yuanging would never say thank you to Li Chongge.

Qin Yuanging felt somewhat full after a few bites, so he waved over the waiter and specifically ordered a Basque cheesecake.

Li Chongge glanced at Qin Yuanging’s brightly lit phone screen and asked him, “Did Jiang Muyuan recommend this too?”

“Yeah, she said it’s delicious and asked me to bring her a piece.”

“You’re quite patient with Jiang Muyuan.”

Li Chongge’s tone was very calm, and his expression didn’t show any fluctuation, but Qin Yuanging still detected a teasing undertone in it.

This kind of banter, perfectly normal between brothers, made Qin Yuanging somewhat embarrassed.

Li Chongge’s frankness made Qin Yuanging feel increasingly despicable and sordid.

So Qin Yuanging just pulled the corners of his mouth into a smile and didn’t explain anything.

Explain what?

That he and Jiang Muyuan were just friends? Or that they were friends and former rivals in love?

No matter what, Li Chongge didn’t care at all.

“I have other things to do temporarily and will have to stay in Jiang City for another day. I won’t be going back tonight. Are you in a hurry to go back? I can have someone send you back first?”

Qin Yuanging took the carefully packaged cake from the waiter and held it in his hand, feeling somewhat troubled.

Of course, he couldn’t bear to leave Li Chongge behind, even though Qin Yuanging knew that Li Chongge didn’t need him at all.

But he was, after all, an ordinary person. Even though he had already made up his mind, he didn’t have the strong will to keep himself from getting close to Li Chongge.

People are always selfish.

When facing someone they like, companionship and following are instincts.

However, this hesitation of just a few seconds was seen by Li Chongge as an answer already given.

“After dinner, I’ll have someone send you back.”

Li Chongge took his coat, got up to pay the bill, and Qin Yuanging quickly followed.

“I said I’d treat you to this meal!”

Qin Yuanging quickly approached from behind Li Chongge and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Li Chongge probably didn’t expect Qin Yuanging to react so strongly, and was pulled back a little by Qin Yuanging, the two of them bumping into each other.

“What are you rushing for?”

Qin Yuanging met Li Chongge’s inexplicable gaze, smiled sheepishly, and paid the bill himself before slowly walking to his side. The two walked side by side towards the garage.

“I was just afraid you’d try to pay instead. You helped me, so I should be treating you to a meal.”

“By the way, where are you planning on staying tonight?”

Li Chongge started the car and lowered one of the windows.

“I have my own place in Jiang City. I stay there whenever I come over.”

Now Qin Yuanging’s originally hesitant heart finally settled down. If he was staying at a hotel, he could barely convince himself to follow Li Chongge, but it was a different story if Li Chongge had his own place.

That was his private space, and Qin Yuanging didn’t dare to set foot in it.

Even though, two years ago, he had been to Li Chongge’s place many times.

“That’s pretty convenient.”

Qin Yuanging ended the topic with this dry sentence, then looked at the time. It was only two o’clock, still four hours until dinner.

“Where are we going now?”

“Hanshang’s office building. I have a collaboration to discuss at 2:40.”

Qin Yuanging’s hand, which was fastening the seat belt, paused. Li Chongge had serious business to do, what was he going to do following along?

“Then I’ll find a place to sit nearby and wait for you?”

Li Chongge turned his head to look at him, his tone very firm: “Don’t run around, you…”

Knowing that Qin Yuanging couldn’t honestly sit outside and wait for him, Li Chongge changed his words at the last minute.

“I’ll come out as soon as possible. There’s a shopping mall across from Hanshang. You can wander around inside, don’t go too far.”

Qin Yuanging sighed inwardly, feeling that Li Chongge had probably forgotten that he was twenty-seven, not seven.

This person was like this, strong and meticulous, domineering and tolerant, making Qin Yuanging willingly submit to his control.

To say that Qin Yuanging, in essence, was a reckless young master who had caused Qin Haoting and Yu Keci a lot of worry in his youth. Only in front of Li Chongge would he be well-behaved for a moment.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

Li Chongge dropped him off at the mall before driving away. Almost as soon as he left, Qin Yuanging received a call from Qiao Gongyu.

“Yu-ge, what’s up?”

Qiao Gongyu’s tone was somewhat anxious: “Xiao Yuan, is Li Chongge with you? I can’t get through to his phone, we’ve been waiting for him for ten minutes.”

Qin Yuanging was shocked and quickly looked at the time. It was just 2:40.

“No, he said he was going to discuss a collaboration later, so I came to the mall myself. He’s driving over there now, he should be there within five minutes, but didn’t he say it started at 2:40?”

Li Chongge didn’t seem like someone who would get the time wrong. Qin Yuanging thought that Qiao Gongyu had probably misremembered.

But what puzzled Qin Yuanging was that Li Chongge hadn’t mentioned Qiao Gongyu from beginning to end. He had always thought that this trip was just the two of them.

However, Qin Yuanging wasn’t the worrying type. In his opinion, this kind of thing wasn’t worth pondering over.