"Of course. You are free," Qin Si Ye replied.
Wasn't that statement too grandiose?
If she were truly free, why would he cling to her?
However, debts were always to be repaid; it was better to repay early than late.
"Alright," Shen Xi thought it through and walked into a bustling restaurant by the roadside with Qin Si Ye.
As soon as the two entered and sat down, a commotion ensued. All eyes in the restaurant turned towards them.
While admiring Qin Si Ye's handsome appearance, they also critiqued Shen Xi.
They felt that with her looks, she simply didn't match the handsome man before them.
Shen Xi listened to the whispered conversations around her. Although she wasn't bothered, she couldn't help but look up and examine the man before her closely.
Thick, ink-like sword eyebrows, a pair of wise and captivating phoenix eyes, a high-bridged, handsome nose, and those sexy, well-defined thin lips were sculpted onto a slightly elongated face, truly a masterpiece of unparalleled beauty.
The aura he exuded further enhanced his noble and refined demeanor.
Wait a minute, she suddenly realized that Chen Chen and Shuo Shuo's eyes and eyebrows were indeed very similar to this man's.
Chen Chen had mentioned it to her before, and she hadn't paid much attention. Now, it seemed, they were exactly alike.
"What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?" Qin Si Ye suddenly reached out and touched his face, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
Shen Xi then realized her lapse in composure. How could a girl stare so intently at a man?
She quickly withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, and said softly, "I wasn't looking at you. I was just spacing out, and you happened to be in front of me."
At this moment, the waiter brought the menu, asking them to order.
Shen Xi handed the menu to Qin Si Ye and said generously, "Here you go. Order whatever you'd like to eat."
Qin Si Ye took it, glanced over it, and then raised his eyelids to look at her. "You're treating me to this?"
"Don't look down on these dishes. They are all specialty dishes from Xi City, which you can't find elsewhere," Shen Xi met his gaze and said softly, "Besides, you didn't specify where you wanted to eat. You wouldn't expect me to treat you to delicacies at a grand hotel, would you?
Aren't you tired of eating those things? Trying something new might give you a different feeling."
Qin Si Ye narrowed his eyes. Hearing her finish her rambling speech, he smiled. "Can you stop calling me 'you' all the time? It makes me sound so old."
"That's my mark of respect for you," Shen Xi replied.
"I don't need that kind of respect from you," Qin Si Ye said, not taking his eyes off her.
"Alright. You said it yourself." Shen Xi raised an eyebrow. In fact, she had wanted to change this form of address for a long time. Every time she spoke to him, she felt as if she were a notch below him.
"Mhm. Isn't it better to speak like this?" Qin Si Ye's lips curved into a smile. He lowered his head and circled some dishes on the menu. "This, this, and this. Let's just order these. We can't finish more than this."
"Okay," Shen Xi called the waiter and handed her the ordered menu.
For a moment, the two fell into silence, unable to find a topic of conversation.
Shen Xi took out her phone from her bag, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Jian Fan.
"How's it going? Did you catch the person?" Although she had basically guessed that person was Qin Si Ye now, she wanted to hear Chen Fa say it himself.
There were some details she hadn't quite sorted out yet.
For example, how did Lu Yu Shan know that the man that night was Qin Si Ye?
And how did Qin Si Ye believe her?
After a long while, she didn't receive a reply.
"What? Contacting your friend again?" Qin Si Ye picked up the clear tea on the table and took a sip.
"No, just checking the news." Shen Xi's eyes flickered slightly, and she put away her phone.
At this moment, the waiter came over to serve the dishes. They ordered some drinks and then started eating.
Occasionally, Shen Xi looked up at the handsome face of the man opposite her and his elegant eating posture, her heart actually began to race.
She still couldn't believe that the man from five years ago was him?
And the very next night, she was saved by him and had been together with him for over a month under the guise of a fake couple relationship.
Heavens, fate truly played tricks on people!
"Why are you spacing out again? Aren't you hungry?" Qin Si Ye looked up at her.