"Xing'er, be honest with me, is that how you see me?" Ji Haoqi sounded a little annoyed. How could his own sister think of him like that?
"Then how did you get beaten?" Ji Xingmi found her older brother's expression rather amusing.
"For not memorizing words!" Even though he was angry, he still had to explain. This was Ji Haoqi's last bit of stubbornness.
Ye Yu chuckled upon hearing his explanation. He actually admired Ji Haoqi a little! Much of their homework was similar, and Ji Haoqi completed many practical assignments very well. It was only when it came to memorizing words that it became his nemesis, a hurdle he found incredibly difficult to overcome. Fortunately, he could still manage to complete it, though sometimes Ji Haoqi would slack off, get caught, and then be punished.
Ji Xingmi also laughed upon hearing Ye Yu's explanation. Her older brother was actually quite capable! Hearing both of them praise him, Ji Haoqi's mood began to improve. The three of them then sat on the floor in the second-floor corridor and chatted until midnight. Ji Xingmi couldn't discuss many things, so she spent most of her time listening to Ye Yu and the others talk about their experiences while studying abroad.
Because they had all chatted very late the previous night, they all slept in the next day. However, no one in the family woke them up early. By the time they got up, those who needed to go to work had already left. They had agreed to go to the black market that day. After finishing breakfast, the three of them, along with Xiao Ji and Mo Gu, went out.
Under Ye Yu's guidance, they easily found Gao Yu. Gao Yu was very happy to see them. He was having tea with Feng Changze, who was maintaining a pipa. It was a beautiful instrument, and Ji Xingmi was a little captivated by it as soon as she entered.
Gao Yu also noticed Ji Xingmi and greeted her, but his gaze drifted towards Feng Changze. "Xing'er, you're such a busy person, what brings you to see me today?" Hearing this name, Feng Changze immediately looked up and saw Ji Xingmi standing behind Ye Yu. He saw that she was looking at the pipa in his hand.
"Do you want to try playing it?" Feng Changze asked, looking at her.
Ji Xingmi greeted Gao Yu and then heard Feng Changze's question. She was indeed a little tempted, but looking at the pipa, it was clearly someone's prized possession. She decided against it and shook her head at Feng Changze.
Feng Changze's expression immediately dimmed, showing a look of great disappointment.
"Come, come, have some tea! Have some tea!" Gao Yu noticed the change in Feng Changze's entire demeanor. From the delight of seeing Ji Xingmi to the dejection after being rejected by her, he could only step in to smooth things over.
The group found a place to sit, and Xiao Ji and Mo Gu went outside. Both Gao Yu and Feng Changze noticed them.
"What brings you here today?"
"Do you have foreign exchange coupons? I'd like some?"
"What do you want to buy?"
Being asked by Gao Yu, she almost admired her own train of thought! Since it was the black market, there should be watches. Why not just say watches directly?
"I want to buy a few watches, do you have any?"
"Yes, I'll have someone bring some in!" Upon hearing Ji Xingmi's request, Gao Yu went out to make arrangements, while Ji Xingmi and the others waited. Feng Changze remained silent, his gaze fixed on Ji Xingmi. Ji Xingmi, of course, felt it and looked back.
Seeing her look over, Feng Changze smiled. Ji Xingmi was momentarily taken aback by his smile but only paused for a moment.
"This pipa, would you like to take it?" Feng Changze suddenly asked her.
Ji Xingmi was somewhat tempted, but seeing how carefully he had just maintained it, she asked uncertainly, "Can you bear to part with it?"
"A good thing needs to be understood by its soulmate. I don't play the pipa! So, it's not suitable for me."
"From the way you were maintaining it, it doesn't seem like you don't know how," Ji Xingmi said, not speaking without reason. His technique was very professional, and he didn't seem like a novice.
"Mmm, someone very important taught me. But she's gone, so this pipa has no owner."
"Why me?"
"Perhaps because of how you looked at it just now! Do you want to try it?"
Ji Xingmi was now extremely tempted. Seeing him hand her the pipa, she thought for a moment and then accepted it. She played a small note.
"The tone is indeed beautiful! It seems to have some age!"
"Mmm, indeed. You are truly the most suitable for it. So, do you want to take it?"
"How much?"
"Two hundred"
???????
Seeing the confusion in Ji Xingmi's eyes, Feng Changze explained, "A soulmate is hard to find. So, it has nothing to do with the price."
Ji Xingmi found it difficult to accept this explanation. Although she was reluctant, she decided not to take it. However, Ji Haochéng saw that his sister truly liked it and paid for it. Two hundred was within his means.
This is why the elderly always say that a newborn calf fears no tiger. That's the reason. Ji Haochéng didn't understand this, so he thought two hundred yuan was a quite reasonable price, his sister liked it, so buying it was the right thing to do.
Ji Xingmi wanted to get the money back, but Feng Changze was faster than her, and had already accepted the money.
"Shall I wrap it up for you? It's inconvenient for you to carry otherwise!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Xingmi handed him the pipa. Feng Changze didn't hesitate, packed the pipa neatly, and then gave it back to Ji Xingmi.
"Thank you!" Ji Xingmi said sincerely. She knew this pipa might be worth more than this price, yet it had come into her possession for such a sum.
Feng Changze just smiled and shook his head, then poured tea for Ji Xingmi and the others.
"I heard you're getting engaged?"
"Mmm!"
"Are you doing this willingly?"
Only then did Ji Xingmi look directly at Feng Changze. He was still looking at her in that way. Ji Xingmi found it hard to understand this person before her! What did he mean by that question? He couldn't possibly have taken a liking to her, could he?
Feng Changze also noticed the emotion in Ji Xingmi's eyes. He smiled again before saying, "I didn't mean anything else! I heard about the Feng family's situation before. I was just wondering if you agreed to the Gu family because of that. After all, I hadn't heard about your engagement before."
Hearing this, Ji Haoqi became angry and was about to say something, but Ye Yu covered his mouth and shook his head at him.
"The engagement was indeed arranged by the two elders. As for it being announced so early, it was indeed because of the words spread by the Feng family."
"I see! The Feng family truly doesn't deserve you." Feng Changze frowned upon hearing this, and finally said.
"Aren't you also part of the Feng family! Why are you being hypocritical here?" Ji Haochéng couldn't help but retort. If it weren't for their Feng family, his sister wouldn't be becoming someone else's so soon! Ye Yu felt he should have taped Ji Haochéng's mouth shut to prevent him from speaking nonsense.