After a bit of teasing, Yi Mo turned serious and asked with concern,
"By the way, what exactly happened in that car accident you mentioned before? Was it serious? How did you lose your memory?"
Mentioning this, the smile on Meng Ruozhao's face faded a bit.
She gently stirred the juice in front of her and gathered her thoughts.
Then she roughly told Yi Mo about the car accident half a year ago, losing her memory after waking up, how she gradually adapted, and how she built her studio step by step.
She subconsciously omitted the part about Yan Qiubai.
After all, it was an unpleasant relationship that she thought had already ended, and there was nothing worth sharing.
Yi Mo listened with a shocked and heart - aching expression. She couldn't help but hold Meng Ruozhao's hand.
"I had no idea you've been through so much, Zhaozhao. You've suffered."
As they ate the delicate dishes, they chatted about their experiences over the years.
It was mainly Yi Mo talking, about the ups and downs after her family immigrated and how she fought her way into the entertainment industry.
Meng Ruozhao listened quietly and occasionally asked one or two questions.
Although they couldn't share memories, the tacit understanding and trust between old friends were gradually being rebuilt.
This dinner took longer than expected and was full of unexpected harvests and warmth.
For Meng Ruozhao, the little episode with Pei Jingdu was quickly forgotten, and she didn't give it much thought.
The dinner was coming to an end in a pleasant chat.
While Yi Mo was in the restroom, Meng Ruozhao quietly got up and went to the bar to pay the bill, but was told,
"Hello, ma'am. Mr. Pei has already paid the bill for your table."
Meng Ruozhao was stunned. "Mr. Pei? Which Mr. Pei?"
The waiter maintained a professional smile and said respectfully, "It's Mr. Pei Jingdu."
Pei Jingdu?!
Meng Ruozhao was completely stunned. A strong sense of unease and confusion welled up in her heart.
At most, she and Pei Jingdu were strangers who had only met once. They couldn't even be called friends.
It was already a bit abrupt for him to come over and say hello just now, and now he silently paid the bill for them?
What was going on?
When Yi Mo came back from the restroom, she saw Meng Ruozhao standing in front of the bar looking strange. She walked over and asked,
"What's wrong? Have you paid the bill?"
Meng Ruozhao came back to her senses and said helplessly in a low voice,
"The bill has been paid... but it was Pei Jingdu who paid it."
"Ah?"
Yi Mo also opened her eyes in surprise. She subconsciously looked back in the direction where Pei Jingdu had left and lowered her voice.
"He paid it? Why? Are you really not familiar with each other?"
"Really not familiar!"
Meng Ruozhao nodded affirmatively, frowning slightly.
"The last time we met, I was with... with someone else."
She glossed over Yan Qiubai vaguely.
"He should know that. This is only the second time we've met, and we haven't even said a few words. His behavior... is too strange."
Yi Mo pondered for a moment. A look of hesitation and speculation appeared on her face. She leaned closer to Meng Ruozhao and said in an even smaller voice,
"Zhaozhao, do you think... could it be that Pei Jingdu is really interested in you and wants to chase you?"
This speculation made Meng Ruozhao immediately shake her head and deny it.
"Absolutely impossible! There's no way!"
"Not to mention the gap between us. The last time, he clearly saw that I had a male companion."
"Even if he may not know that my... uh, situation has changed now."
"But a person of his status and position would never do something so obviously misleading. It doesn't make sense."
The more she thought about it, the more something seemed off. This kind of inexplicable attention from a strange big shot didn't make her feel flattered, but rather a faint sense of unease and burden.
Seeing her frowning tightly as if very troubled, Yi Mo patted her arm and comforted her,
"Come on, maybe it's just the habitual gentlemanly demeanor of those big shots.
"Since the bill has already been paid, it would be even weirder if we chased after him to give him the money now.
"Let's just leave it at that for now. When we have a chance to meet him on another occasion in the future, we can return the favor. Don't take it too much to heart."
Meng Ruozhao thought for a while. There didn't seem to be a better way for the time being.
She sighed and temporarily suppressed this doubt. "I guess that's the only way."
The two stood at the door and chatted for a few more words. They made an appointment for the time to meet on the set tomorrow before taking separate taxis and leaving.
Below the apartment building.
As soon as Meng Ruozhao got out of the taxi, a familiar figure jogged over from the night not far away.
It was Pei Jiangmu.
He was wearing a well - fitting black tracksuit that outlined his smooth and powerful muscle lines.
Night running had made his forehead hair slightly damp, and a few strands of black hair stuck to his forehead.
Against the cold streetlights and the thick night, he shed the deliberate innocent and gentle guise of his usual self and exuded a sharp and wild aura.
Like a black panther patrolling its territory at night.
When he saw Meng Ruozhao, he slowed down and stopped. His breath was a bit rapid from the exercise, and his chest rose and fell slightly.
He quietly and quickly sized up her expression.
There was a hint of exhaustion between her eyebrows, but more of a sense of relaxation and a faint joy. There was no sign of anything wrong or that she had been wronged.
He felt a little relieved. Immediately, a harmless smile appeared on his face, and his breath quickly calmed down, as if the sharp aura just now was just an illusion caused by the night.
"Sister, you're back."
He naturally stepped forward and took the not - heavy bag from Meng Ruozhao's hand.
"Did you have dinner with your friend? Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah, I had a great time!"
Mentioning this, a genuine smile appeared on Meng Ruozhao's face.
The little trouble caused by Pei Jingdu just now was also diluted.
As she walked side by side with Pei Jiangmu into the apartment building, she excitedly shared with him,
"Speaking of which, it's really amazing!
"The friend I met on the set today, Yi Mo, turns out to be my best friend from kindergarten! We haven't seen each other for more than ten years!"
She roughly told him about how they recognized each other, including Xingxing Kindergarten, that graduation photo,
and the extremely hidden red mole on the palm of her left hand.
Pei Jiangmu listened quietly, showing appropriate expressions of surprise and happiness for her on his face.
"Really? That's so coincidental! Congratulations, sister, on finding such a good friend again."
His tone was sincere, as if he was hearing this for the first time.
In fact, he had already memorized the investigation materials sent by Qi Yu.
"Yeah, it feels like winning the lottery!"
Meng Ruozhao's eyes sparkled. It was obvious that she was in a great mood.
"The work on the set is also quite interesting. You can see a lot of things you don't usually see."
"By the way, if you're free this weekend, come with me to the set and have a look? Let me show you around?"
She extended the invitation purely out of a desire to share her happiness.
Pei Jiangmu's eyes lit up and he immediately nodded.
"Sure, I'm free this weekend. Thank you, sister, for taking me to see the world!"
It was exactly what he wanted to be able to go and keep an eye on things himself.