39. Hello, Uncle Gu～
Xu You.
Hiss……
It feels like I’ve heard that name somewhere before?
I don’t know if it’s just my intuition, but after parting with their uncle, Jiang Zhi kept pondering over the name Xu You, feeling it sounded a bit familiar.
Did she remember it wrong?
Logically speaking, as a shut-in, she rarely met people, so if she had indeed heard of the name Xu You, she should remember it.
Never mind, it’s not important.
Even if she had heard it before, Xu You’s originally arrogant attitude and blatant flirtation had made Jiang Zhi harbor no good feelings towards him.
Sigh 😮💨, beauty can be a curse.
At this moment, Jiang Zhi admired Su Yan, despite their previous conflicts and explosive arguments, he had never acted infatuated with her.
Moreover, the conflicts were also caused by Jiang Zhi herself… Considering this, Su Yan’s evaluation in her mind increased a little bit again.
Just a little bit, huh?
Xu You: Smiley Face.
Seeing the message Xu You sent, Jiang Zhi was too lazy to respond, simply ignoring it. If it weren’t for Qian Qian, how could she give her WeChat to a man like him… even her alternate account wouldn’t!
Shaking her head, Jiang Zhi paid no more attention to Xu You and focused on lunch instead.
Sister Jiang had sent her the restaurant’s location inside this mall. Although it was her first time in this mall, since the mall had designated two floors for all the restaurants, Jiang Zhi found the place quite quickly.
[Emoji Hot Pot Restaurant].
Standing at the entrance of the hot pot restaurant, Qian Qian looked up eagerly at the logo, pointing excitedly and saying, “Mom, look, look, the sign is crying!”
Jiang Zhi’s lips twitched: …
Qian Qian was right; behind the large sign hung a classic 😭 Emoji pattern that brought tears to the eyes of those who looked at it.
The entire hot pot restaurant’s decoration style was characterized by its vibrant blue and white contrast. The walls were filled with various Emoji expressions, truly living up to its name—Emoji Hot Pot Restaurant.
Had she been out of touch for so long?
Was such an abstract style now trending in hot pot restaurants?
Yet, it seemed this abstract theme was quite successful, as the restaurant was visibly busy, filled with guests, while a long queue formed outside, contrasting sharply with the nearby restaurants.
Fortunately, Jiang Zhi didn’t have to wait in line.
She led Qian Qian into the hot pot restaurant, inquiring with the waitress, and followed the waitress’s instructions to enter a private room.
What she encountered upon entering was an unexpected scene.
In addition to Jiang Ruyan, there sat a sharply dressed, cold-looking man. He was sitting next to Sister Jiang and nodded politely at Jiang Zhi when he saw her.
“Brother Gu?”
Jiang Zhi looked at Jiang Ruyan in surprise: “What are you doing here?”
“I’m just handling some matters here and ran into Sister Jiang, so I followed her over,” Gu Zhi Nian explained calmly.
Hearing this, Jiang Ruyan exploded: “You still have the audacity to say that! To put it bluntly, aren’t you just a stalker? Did I agree to let you eat with us!”
“Little Zhi agreed.”
“Nonsense, you haven’t even asked for Little Zhi’s opinion… wait, you can call her Little Zhi?!”
As the battle was about to commence, Jiang Zhi hurriedly stepped in as a peacemaker, a bead of cold sweat trickling down her brow: “Alright, alright, Sister Jiang, it’s nice for Brother Gu to join us, more people make it lively.”
“Hmm?” Gu Zhi Nian raised an eyebrow, revealing a victorious smile.
“Little Zhi~”
Jiang Ruyan pouted her lips, painted with lipstick, and said discontentedly: “You’re not helping me!”
“Okay, okay…”
Feeling a bit awkward, Jiang Zhi found a seat to sit down; had she known Gu Zhi Nian would be there, she wouldn’t have come no matter what Sister Jiang said.
Everyone could see that Gu Zhi Nian had feelings for Jiang Ruyan, including but not limited to the beautiful, kind, and generous waitress at the coffee shop, regulars at the café, and employees from Gu Zhi Nian’s company.
Except for Jiang Ruyan.
So, what’s a lightbulb and a single dog doing here? To watch this pair of childhood friends bicker and sweeten up? I’ve truly had enough!
But now that she was here, there was no turning back.
Luckily, she had Qian Qian with her.
Huh?
Qian Qian?
While Jiang Zhi was lost in thought, Su Ziqian had already walked up to Gu Zhi Nian, her little mouth slightly open, eyes wide, staring at Gu Zhi Nian with an eager look that made him uneasy.
Oh right!
Jiang Zhi suddenly remembered, wasn’t this Qian Qian’s first time meeting Brother Gu?
Out of courtesy, she walked behind Qian Qian, patted the little girl’s head, and introduced to Brother Gu: “Brother Gu, this is my daughter, Qian Qian…”
“Hello, Uncle Gu～”
The little girl greeted in a soft voice.
“Ah? H-hi…”
“Hahahaha Uncle, hahahaha,” Jiang Ruyan laughed unabashedly: “Gu Zhi Nian, did you hear that? She called you Uncle!”
After saying that, she didn’t forget to add, “Little Qian Qian calls me Sister, you’re Uncle Gu～”
Gu Zhi Nian shot a glance at Jiang Ruyan, lightly retorted: “Do you believe everything a child says? It’s obvious Aunt Jiang is thrilled to be called Sister, huh?”
“You!”
The two began bickering once more. Meanwhile, upon hearing her daughter’s greeting, Jiang Zhi showed a confused expression.
Had she…
Said anything about Brother Gu to Qian Qian?
By the way, why does this scene feel so familiar?
Jiang Zhi instantly recalled the first meeting between Qian Qian and Jiang Ruyan. Besides the different location, the déjà vu was quite strong. Could it be that in the future, Qian Qian and Gu Zhi Nian also know each other?
Qian Qian’s next sentence answered Jiang Zhi’s doubt.
“Why is Sister Jiang arguing with Uncle Gu? Couples should get along harmoniously, just like Daddy and Mommy!”
Jiang Ruyan: ?
Gu Zhi Nian: ?
Jiang Zhi: !!!
My goodness!
The little girl’s words were like thunder on a clear day, causing the two who were still bickering to fall silent in unison, then exchange glances and simultaneously shoot a soul-searching question at Jiang Zhi: “Did you teach her this?”
I didn’t teach you anything!
Jiang Zhi quickly came around and realized: So these two are actually a couple in the future? That’s not surprising… but how do I explain this?!
“Ah… this child…”
Jiang Zhi forced a smile and said: “Actually, this child has been watching too many idol dramas with me recently; maybe she thinks Brother Gu is a tyrannical CEO, so she thinks you two are a couple? Like love after marriage…”
She couldn’t make it up anymore.
Just as Jiang Zhi was in a panic, Sister Jiang unexpectedly continued her line: “Oh, so Qian Qian watches idol dramas too?”
She patted the little girl’s head and said earnestly: “Sister likes watching them too, but this strange uncle and I aren’t a couple, oh, this strange uncle is just Sister’s dog, understand?”
“But…”
But Sister Jiang and Uncle Gu are supposed to be a couple, right? They’re very good friends with Daddy and Mommy; although they always argue outside, she secretly heard Mommy say before that arguing is their couple’s… feelings…
Romance?
That sounds about right!
Su Ziqian wanted to say something more but suddenly felt a chill run down her back, and the next moment, her mother had grabbed her by the back of her neck.
“Be good.”
Jiang Zhi smiled brightly, but her tone made Qian Qian feel a long-lost sense of pressure: “Let’s be quiet for a moment and take a break, okay, sweetheart?”
Qian Qian (with teary eyes): O-okay…
