Chà Chà Novel

After ordering, Guo Weishui watched Ji Shileng for a long while.

Ji Shileng had been away from the Federation for so long, only to return entangled in all sorts of complications involving the Empire’s admiral. Yet plenty of people in their circles still asked about him and tried to make a connection. Guo Weishui could see why.

His expression, his bearing, his face—those alone were enough to draw people in.

Guo Weishui looked away with a faint, self-mocking smile.

Here he was thinking about other people asking after Ji Shileng, when he himself had pestered his mother and gone through their elders to arrange this meeting.

“Why did you leave back then without a word?” Guo Weishui asked.

Ji Shileng turned his head and offered little explanation. “I argued with my family”

“Now that you’re back, are you leaving again?”

Ji Shileng spared him no courtesy. “What’s it to you?”

That familiar attitude made Guo Weishui smile. “Mom told me your family’s looking for someone for you…”

Ji Shileng lifted his eyes, puzzled. “Buddy, wasn’t that beating enough for you?”

He wouldn’t mind finding an opportunity to beat Guo Weishui up again.

Though Ji Shiyun might give him a beating when he got home afterward.

How did Guo Weishui manage to dress so respectably while remaining just as irritating whenever he opened his mouth?

“What I mean is, if you’re considering a marriage alliance, I’m a suitable candidate”, Guo Weishui said. Sensing an inexplicably hostile gaze, he looked up. This time, Qin Si curved his lips into a smile at him.

Ji Shileng picked up his sunglasses and put them on. Only consideration for his mother kept him from leaving.

Thoroughly annoyed, he asked, “Does the Ji family need a marriage alliance?”

“All right, I’ll stop”, Guo Weishui said, instinct warning him that he was close to making Ji Shileng lose his temper. “I was joking. Mrs. Ji said things haven’t been going smoothly for you lately, so I offered to do a reading”

With his eyes hidden behind dark lenses, his emotions were impossible to read. Ji Shileng listlessly picked up his knife and fork and refused. “No need. My fate is mine to decide, not heaven’s”

“Shileng, you’re making it difficult for me to explain to…”

He stopped halfway. That stare was growing so intense that he could no longer ignore it.

Guo Weishui clicked his tongue and pushed himself up from the table. “Let me deal with something first. Some random nuisance keeps staring over here”

Ji Shileng nodded without objection, too disinclined even to speak.

People had already been casting discreet glances at their table. Seeing Guo Weishui rise with one hand in his pocket only heightened their curiosity.

He tapped Qin Si’s table, braced one hand against it, and asked coldly, “Buddy, do your eyes work properly? If not, go get them checked”

Qin Si’s partner had no idea what was going on. They had been having a perfectly normal conversation. How had Qin Si offended Guo Weishui?

Qin Si slowly set down his knife and fork. “Can’t you see he doesn’t want to have dinner with you?”

“What’s that got to do with you? Keep your eyes to yourself”

Whispers began rising around them. Ji Shileng turned and saw Guo Weishui confronting Qin Si.

He froze briefly, then quickly stood. “Guo Weishui!”

Guo Weishui’s hand stiffened around Qin Si’s tie. Reluctantly letting go, he straightened his clothes and smiled at the approaching Ji Shileng. “Why did you come over?”

“What are you doing?” Ji Shileng asked with a frown, stepping in front of Qin Si.

“What am I doing?” Irritation welled up in Guo Weishui. “This idiot keeps staring at us. Do you think just anyone gets to look at you?”

Ji Shileng: “…”

He made himself clear. “Qin Si is my friend. Do you have a problem with that?”

Qin Si stood, a little taller even than Guo Weishui.

Standing beside Ji Shileng, he smiled. “My apologies, sir. I was merely a little curious”

Curious about what made him so exceptional that Xiaoshi had canceled their plans to have dinner with him.

Ji Shileng felt a headache coming on. How was today auspicious for everything? Clearly, nothing was going right.

“Shileng, come here. Let’s eat”, Guo Weishui said, displeased by the sight of them standing together. “Stop being curious. Mind your own business, and keep your hands to yourself”

The partner, who didn’t dare speak, thought, “…”

Buddy, you were about to hit someone a moment ago. Who are you telling to keep their hands to themselves?

Everyone here had eyes.

Ji Shileng cut Guo Weishui off, his head aching. “Enough. I’m full, so I’m going home. If you two want to argue, take it outside”

Making a scene in public was far too embarrassing.

If he had known, he would have pretended his ankle had flared up again and used that as an excuse to cancel dinner.

Guo Weishui frowned and tried to coax him. “The food hasn’t even all arrived. I won’t argue with him anymore. Shall we go back and eat?”

Qin Si also turned to ask, “Is there anything you’d like? We can get something packed to go”

“I’m full. I don’t want anything. Guo Weishui, eat by yourself. Just put the bill on my account”, Ji Shileng said. Not wanting to see either of them, he waved a hand and headed out.

Guo Weishui stood stunned for a few seconds. Qin Si reacted first, hastily excusing himself to his partner before running after Ji Shileng.

He slipped into the elevator in the last second before the doors closed.

Ji Shileng stood in the corner, looking weary.

“Shall I take you somewhere to eat?”

“I don’t want to eat”

Qin Si didn’t press the subject. Instead, he took a different approach. “Did you drive here today? If not, won’t calling your driver this early give you away?”

Ji Shileng pressed his lips together. Calling the driver so soon would indeed give him away.

But it hardly mattered. Guo Weishui might complain to his mother anyway.

Fortunately, where there was a will, there was a way.

“I’ll get a cab”, Ji Shileng said.

Qin Si sighed helplessly. Knowing Ji Shileng was still angry and needed gentle handling, he said, “I’m sorry”

Ji Shileng suddenly looked at him. Behind the dark lenses, Qin Si couldn’t make out his expression.

“I interrupted your get-together with your friend. That was my fault”

Ji Shileng looked away.

Qin Si’s attitude was so good that he didn’t know how to respond.

He was the sort who yielded to gentleness rather than force.

After a long while, he said awkwardly, “It’s fine. I didn’t really want to eat with him anyway”

They stepped out of the elevator. Qin Si didn’t ask for details.

For one thing, he didn’t want to upset Ji Shileng further. For another, whom Ji Shileng ate with was his own choice. As a friend, Qin Si had no right to interfere.

“A friend of mine owns a restaurant chain in the Federation. The food’s lightly seasoned. Since you don’t want to eat with him, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?”

With one hand in his pocket, Ji Shileng lifted his chin slightly and replied with studied reserve, “Since you put it that way, I suppose I could”

The driver had most likely gone with Wen Qin.

Her original plan had presumably been for Guo Weishui to drive him home after dinner, which was why she hadn’t left the driver behind.

The Cullinan glided toward Central Avenue. Ji Shileng sat in the passenger seat, the window more than halfway open, the night breeze stirring his hair.

Qin Si was grateful that he had deliberately brought his new car for today’s business discussion instead of taking an official vehicle everywhere.

He couldn’t bear to make Ji Shileng ride in a “beat-up car” again.

The last of Ji Shileng’s irritation dispersed. “I wasn’t deliberately making excuses to cancel on you”

Qin Si paused, then quickly responded, “I know”

Lights glimmered beyond the window as Ji Shileng explained, “My mother arranged this dinner with Mrs. Guo beforehand. I didn’t know about it”