Upon hearing the roar, Song Qiao couldn't help himself and the mouthful of water he had just swallowed sprayed out. Fortunately, he adjusted his direction in time and didn't spray the three women.
Without time to tend to the water stains at the corner of his mouth, Song Qiao stood up with a look of helplessness in his eyes and opened his mouth, looking outside.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Xia Xueqing had already rushed over and burst into the dining room.
The moment Xia Xueqing appeared in everyone's sight, the three women wore smiles of helplessness.
However, amidst the helplessness, Deng Yihan still looked at Song Qiao with a smile.
Sensing Deng Yihan's gaze, Song Qiao felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. He rubbed his nose and looked at Xia Xueqing, who was already a little dazed.
"You guys..."
The moment Xia Xueqing arrived at the dining room and saw the four of them, she froze on the spot, speechless for a long time. After holding it in for a while, she managed to utter two words.
"How are you all together..."
She felt her thoughts were in a mess, her brain wasn't working enough, and the scene before her was too impactful.
Thinking this, Xia Xueqing raised her hand and tapped her forehead, her eyes widening slightly, looking at them in bewilderment.
What was she seeing?
Deng Yihan, Ye Zhiwei, and Mo Ling?
Each of these three was far more formidable than herself, all being big shots in their respective fields.
This was truly a mortifying social encounter.
While Xia Xueqing was in a daze, Song Qiao wiped away the water stains from his mouth and chuckled bitterly, looking at Xia Xueqing with a face full of helplessness.
Deng Yihan couldn't help but burst into laughter, blinked a few times, and looked at Xia Xueqing.
Although the other two said nothing, they were not much different from Deng Yihan.
"I..." Xia Xueqing opened her mouth, feeling a little flustered under the gazes of the four towards her.
Her mind raced quickly, and she soon thought of a rather lame excuse. She began to speak.
"I was just practicing my lines, preparing to enter the drama club."
"Did I scare you? I'm really sorry. I was just a little excited after getting home, so I wanted to..."
She trailed off halfway through.
Xia Xueqing's face turned as red as a ripe apple, making Song Qiao both amused and exasperated.
Noticing Song Qiao's expression, Xia Xueqing felt a surge of shame and indignation. She glared at Song Qiao resentfully.
Who would have thought that she would encounter something like this right after returning from the capital and opening the door to her home?
This was too dramatic.
"I'll go get you some water. You guys continue talking."
Xia Xueqing found a casual excuse and turned to leave.
Once out of their sight, Xia Xueqing felt her heart pounding faster than usual.
Ye Zhiwei was practically her half-boss, and Mo Ling and Deng Yihan were even more so.
She was truly something.
If Song Qiao could truly win over these three, Xia Xueqing felt she could only bow down in admiration and had no other feelings.
Unconsciously, the water had filled the kettle. Xia Xueqing poured a cup of water for each of them and stood beside Song Qiao, her face still flushed.
Deng Yihan chuckled softly, and the three women stood up one after another.
"Since the hostess is back, we won't delay any further. We have a lot of things to attend to, so let's end our chat here. We'll talk again next time."
With that, the three women left one by one, leaving only Song Qiao and Xia Xueqing.
After they left, Xia Xueqing finally felt a sense of relief. She slowly exhaled, patted her chest, and glared fiercely at Song Qiao with a very resentful look.
"Don't, don't look at me like that. I didn't expect this either."
Song Qiao immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and said with a helpless smile.
Xia Xueqing pouted, puffed out her cheeks, widened her eyes, pushed Song Qiao down onto the sofa, and sat on his lap, hugging his neck.
Her words were full of complaints and grievances.
"You discussed business with them without telling me beforehand, making me humiliate myself in front of them."
Especially Ye Zhiwei.
The social connections between herself and the other two women might not be very deep.
But Ye Zhiwei?
She had to see her occasionally and even stay in touch.
How awkward would it be to meet her afterwards?
Thinking of this, Xia Xueqing pinched Song Qiao's soft flesh on his waist, making him gasp in pain. Song Qiao's arms wrapped around Xia Xueqing, pulling her closer.
"No, they won't take this to heart."
"And you really surprised me when you first arrived. You girl, what are you always thinking about?"
Song Qiao's words were filled with indulgence and helplessness. He loosened his grip slightly, pushed her forward, ruffled her hair, and said softly.
"You are already so outstanding. Just dealing with you one woman tires me half to death, let alone three."
Xia Xueqing's body stiffened slightly at his words. She glared at Song Qiao resentfully and let out a soft hmph.
However, her face suddenly turned red, even half of her neck.
This sentence had a double meaning.
Thinking this, Xia Xueqing spat to the side.
"Shameless!"
Song Qiao laughed heartily at her words and pulled her into his embrace again. After a long time, he let go. Having not seen her for so long, his eyes softened considerably. He asked,
"Enough of this. How do you feel about your time in the capital?"
Getting to the point, Xia Xueqing lost her previous demeanor, and her expression became a little more serious.
Recalling her experiences in the capital, Xia Xueqing couldn't help but sigh with emotion, a deep sigh in her eyes.
"I could indeed learn a lot in the capital, but the waters there are too deep. It's not easy to thrive there."
"However, everything has its pros and cons."
Song Qiao chuckled. The capital was a gathering place for talent, truly a good place for tempering and for Xia Xueqing to gain a lot of experience.
With this experience, her future endeavors would become much smoother, and at least she wouldn't have to worry so much.
"Then your next destination will be the United States."
As he said this, a hint of worry flashed in Song Qiao's eyes. He lowered his head slightly, meeting Xia Xueqing's gaze.
Although there was some playfulness in Xia Xueqing's eyes at this moment, there was more of the joy and longing of a long-awaited reunion.
Song Qiao cautioned.
"When you go to the United States, you must be extremely careful. This will be a test of your abilities."
With a mischievous chuckle, Xia Xueqing patted her chest and said confidently.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself and won't let anyone look down on me."
"You, you!" Song Qiao shook his head, amused. "When you go this time, I'll arrange for Alice to assist you. It will reduce some of your pressure."
Xia Xueqing blinked a few times and didn't refuse. After nodding, she smiled.
"That's fine, but I just came back, I can't leave again right away. I need a vacation."
"Alright," Song Qiao agreed immediately. "In that case, I'll take you to a bar to have some fun."