Chà Chà Novel

Ji Shileng raised an eyebrow, suddenly interested. His air of boredom vanished.

“What makes you say that?”

“You and Engineer Ji have completely different styles. Besides, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Ji Shifeng stare at someone like that.”

Qin Si answered directly. His reasoning sounded remarkably simple.

Precisely because it was so simple, Ji Shileng believed he meant it.

His second brother took after their father, Ji Jie: reserved, distant, and never inclined to say a word more than necessary.

When he did talk at length, his words were inevitably cutting.

Ji Shileng, by contrast, resembled their mother, Wen Qin. Though his appearance suggested romantic charm, he was actually gentle and exceptionally quiet.

He did not answer immediately. After a while, he said leisurely:

“Perhaps my brother hadn’t seen me in so long that suddenly realizing how much I’d grown caught him off guard.”

“That explains it.”

Qin Si changed direction.

“I’ve heard quite a few rumors about the Ji family’s third child lately.”

“Hmm? And?”

Now Ji Shileng understood. Qin Si had not come to settle accounts. He was probably here for the gossip.

Qin Si looked steadily into his eyes. Seemingly noticing the coolness in Ji Shileng’s response, he spoke gently.

“I think you’re a very cool person.”

The answer took Ji Shileng by surprise.

For a moment, he had nothing to say. Then he chuckled, the fleeting chill in his expression disappearing.

“Cool? You’re the first person who’s ever called me that.”

Qin Si continued beside him as they strolled slowly along the rose-lined path.

Warm yellow streetlights filled the garden with an air of intimacy.

Seen from the second floor, they looked like a perfectly matched couple.

Su Ke, who had been dragged back to Ji Shifeng’s side, drew out a long, knowing “Oh.”

“No wonder you insisted Shi attend the banquet. You’re playing matchmaker.”

Ji Shifeng neither confirmed nor denied it. Withdrawing his gaze, he said pointedly:

“After all, tonight’s main quest is introducing him to some promising young men.”

Work was only the side quest.

As things stood, Ji Shileng had shown no interest in the young men present, but quite a few had shown interest in him.

Only minutes earlier, Ji Shifeng had escaped a crowd of people asking, openly or indirectly, for Ji Shileng’s contact details.

Still, Qin Si’s interest in his little brother had genuinely surprised him.

After making an excuse to slip away earlier, Su Ke had actually wandered around the banquet hall several times without spotting anyone from the Empire. He finally asked outright:

“Speaking of which, why didn’t anyone from the Empire come tonight?”

Ji Shifeng took a small sip of champagne.

“Because it’s a private banquet. The Empire and Shaye weren’t invited.”

Su Ke fell silent.

Then he gave Ji Shifeng a thumbs-up.

No one did it quite like him.

Not only had he excluded the Empire, he had left Shaye out too.

The Ji family’s fierce protectiveness clearly ran in the blood.

After a little more idle conversation, Qin Si changed the subject and asked in all seriousness:

“May I exchange contact details with this very cool Mr. Ji?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Qin Si made no attempt to conceal his intentions.

“I originally planned to ask your brother for an introduction. But you’re rather popular, Mr. Ji. A whole crowd was surrounding him, asking for your contact details.”

“Huh?”

Ji Shileng did not quite process that. His steps slowed half a beat.

“This is my first time pursuing someone. I felt I ought to get a head start.”

Qin Si stopped and lowered his gaze, carefully tracing the gentle contours of Ji Shileng’s face with his eyes.

“So I decided to make the first move.”

His eyes curved with amusement, and he laughed at his own words.

Only now did Ji Shileng finally understand.

Qin Si was neither here to call him to account nor to gather gossip.

He was here to flirt.

To be fair, Ji Shileng did not dislike people who took the initiative.

“What if you don’t win me over? Wouldn’t that be awkward?”

Tilting his head, he offered a hypothetical.

“Or suppose you do, but we don’t make it to the end?”

Like him and Shang Jianli. They had shared so many days and nights, only for the outcome to fall far short of what he had hoped.

Rather than let everything descend into an unmanageable mess, perhaps it was better never to begin.

The lights reflected in Ji Shileng’s eyes, glittering like scattered diamonds.

Qin Si shook his head and spoke very slowly.

“I wouldn’t start by assuming I had to spend my entire life with someone. I’d simply let us get to know each other naturally.”

He paused, met Ji Shileng’s eyes, and continued:

“Wherever fate takes us, that’s where we’ll go.”

“If we’re meant to be, it won’t keep us apart. If we aren’t, I’ll respect that.”

Ji Shileng burst into a soft laugh. Qin Si really was rather interesting.

For someone working in military affairs and defense technology, he had a surprisingly literary way of speaking.

If Ji Shileng had never met Shang Jianli, perhaps he might have been interested.

Unfortunately, there were no ifs.

“That makes a lot of sense. I didn’t expect you to be so philosophical, Mr. Qin.”

As he spoke, Ji Shileng took out his communicator and opened his digital contact card.

“We can be friends.”

It was a tactful rejection of Qin Si’s pursuit.

Qin Si calmly scanned the card.

“We can start as friends.”

Shang Jianli, standing by the entrance, witnessed everything.

Chu Wan followed behind her general. Several times, she wanted to peek around him to watch the drama, but someone’s foul mood forced her to suppress her excitement.

Shang Jianli pressed his lips together, his expression growing colder.

Qin Si was the first to notice the burning stare that seemed determined to pin him to the ground.

Turning, he abruptly met Shang Jianli’s gaze. He smiled at him as though nothing were amiss.

“Good evening, General Shang.”

Shang Jianli’s gaze shifted from Qin Si to Ji Shileng.

Compared with their chance encounter at LILALI that afternoon, Ji Shileng looked exquisite tonight in his immaculate suit. Beneath the soft yellow streetlights, he seemed to glow.

From a distance, he resembled an illusion beyond reach.

“Good evening, Mr. Qin.”

Though Shang Jianli spoke to him, he did not spare Qin Si a glance.

After accepting the friend request, Ji Shileng belatedly raised his head.

The moment he saw Shang Jianli, the stone suspended in his heart finally dropped with a thud.

He had prepared himself to face Shang Jianli before coming to the banquet.

Still, he had clung to the hope that they probably would not meet tonight, since Shang Jianli disliked “social” banquets.

His brother was also determined to avoid people from the Empire. Surely he would not lead Ji Shileng straight into their path.

Yet here Shang Jianli was.

Even so, meeting him was nothing extraordinary.

They had nothing to say to each other anyway.

There had never been anything left worth saying, had there?

“Xiao Shi, may I call you that?”

Qin Si’s voice interrupted Ji Shileng’s reverie. He put an arm around his shoulders and drew him closer.