Qin He sighed, "Whether I tell your parents about this matter or not, I need to meet your boyfriend first before I can consider it."
She was afraid her sister might be deceived.
Ming Xue was silent for a few seconds, and a shy voice came through.
"Sister, you've met him."
Qin He frowned and thought.
At Gu Ranran's birthday party before, she had indeed invited many of her and Ming Xue's classmates from Qingda University, but she barely knew any of them.
"Who is it?" Qin He asked.
Ming Xue whispered, "It's that boy you saw at the Gu family's place last time."
Qin He's mind quickly recalled the boy she had seen at the Gu family's last time. At that gathering, only Ming Xue, Gu Ranran, Shen Yilin, and that boy named Xiang were present.
Ming Xue's voice came from the phone, "His name is Xiang Mingjun. He's a very excellent person, and he's very good to me."
In her memory, that boy looked decent, and during their conversations, his values seemed pretty sound.
Only then did Qin He relax.
Ming Xue's voice was hesitant, "Cousin, can you not tell my parents about this yet?"
Qin He sighed, "Yes, but this is your first relationship. Since you've asked me to keep it a secret, I also need to be responsible for you. Whatever happens, tell me immediately, understand?"
Ming Xue happily replied, "Okay, don't worry, sis. Mingjun is a very good person."
Qin He hung up the phone and drove on the road, the corners of her lips slightly upturned.
Ming Xue had always been a carefree tomboy since she was little.
She really hadn't expected Ming Xue to have such a girlish demeanor one day.
Even though she agreed not to tell her uncle and aunt about the relationship, Qin He immediately went online as soon as she got home.
She pulled up all the information about Xiang Mingjun and reviewed it.
Xiang Mingjun's family background was simple. His father was a chief surgeon at a hospital in Qingcheng, and his mother was a teacher.
Qin He checked Xiang Mingjun's academic records; he had been an excellent student since primary school.
There was nothing unusual that could be seen from the information, and Qin He finally put her mind at ease.
For the next two days, Qin He mostly stayed at home, busy with her elder brother's engagement matters.
On Thursday evening, Qin He received a call from Gu Qichen.
"Hello, what's the matter?" Qin He asked.
On the other end of the phone, Gu Qichen's voice was clear and cold.
"From country Y, Wilson has already called, asking when we will be going to sign the contract. It should be the will of the royal family of country Y."
Gu Qichen's voice was deep, "To avoid further complications, I might have to leave for country Y tomorrow."
Qin He's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively asked, "How long will you be gone?"
"After signing the contract, I will return as soon as possible. It will probably take about a week," Gu Qichen's voice carried a hint of a smile.
This timeframe was normal. Qin He had calculated before that doing business with people from country Y was very troublesome, and there would inevitably be a lot of socializing there.
Normally, it would take half a month. Gu Qichen's timeframe was indeed quite fast.
"It's fine, you go. Starting tomorrow, I will be at the Western District United Department. I won't let anything happen in the Western District while you're away."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and Gu Qichen's voice became somewhat deep.
"Qin He."
"En?"
"Before I leave, I want to see you one last time."
Qin He's hand holding the phone tightened slightly.
"Why do you want to see me?"
"I might not see you for the next week," Gu Qichen's voice was husky with magnetism, filled with intense emotion.
Qin He's heart suddenly fluttered.
Just as she was about to refuse, Gu Qichen on the other end seemed to have guessed her thoughts.
"There's still a lot of work at the Western District United Department, I need to brief you."
Qin He's rapidly beating heart finally calmed down a bit.
"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Qin He checked the time. It was already three in the afternoon.
She considered for a moment, "Why don't I treat you to dinner? After all, you're representing both our companies. I can't go over, and you'll be working so hard alone. It's a good opportunity to discuss what you need to say."
Gu Qichen's laughter came through, "Okay."
They set the time for six in the evening. Qin He left before Qin Yun returned.
She drove to the restaurant Gu Qichen had booked.
It wasn't a weekend or holiday, so there weren't many people in front of the restaurant.
Qin He got out of the car and walked in. As soon as she entered, she sensed something was amiss.
Gu Qichen had booked a French restaurant, but even on a non-holiday, the first floor shouldn't be this empty.
After entering, two waiters closed the door again. Qin He stood by the door, and all the lights on the first floor instantly dimmed.
Through the glass dome of the lobby, there were specks of starlight.
Qin He's heart skipped a beat.
Not far away, on a long table in the center of the restaurant, candlelight flickered on one by one.
Beside the long table covered with a white lace tablecloth, Gu Qichen stood there, like a prince stepping out of an ancient oil painting.
Qin He's feet were rooted to the spot, unable to move.
The waiter guiding her into the restaurant looked confused and turned to ask, "Miss?"
Qin He pursed her lips, tightened her grip on her bag, and feigned composure as she walked towards Gu Qichen.
Candlelight, candles, dinner, and elegant music playing from the second floor.
The atmosphere was too intimate.
Qin He sat down and casually asked, "Did you book the entire restaurant?"
A smile appeared on Gu Qichen's face, "What, if you're inviting me to dinner, you need to show some sincerity, right?"
The two sat at opposite ends of the long table. Gu Qichen frowned slightly.
He stood up and moved his chair to Qin He's side.
"What are you doing?"
Gu Qichen's expression was calm, "I don't want to be too far from you."
With just a few words, Qin He felt as if her heart had been struck by something.
The reverberations after the blow continued to stir her heart.
Amidst the melodious music, dishes were served one after another.
Gu Qichen thoughtfully cut her steak for her. Qin He's hands under the table clenched unconsciously, and she became a little restless.
Qin He ate this meal without tasting any of it.
She suddenly felt like a frog in warm water, about to be boiled by Gu Qichen at any moment.
When they came out of the restaurant, Gu Qichen reached out and gently held her waist.
Qin He felt a little uncomfortable.
Stepping out of the restaurant and standing on the roadside, the sky had already darkened.
Under the streetlights, Gu Qichen's eyes looked very earnest.
It was now late autumn, and a cool breeze blew from the street. Qin He couldn't help but shiver.
Gu Qichen took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
His gaze was calm, but his movements were extremely gentle.