The three women immediately burst into laughter and playfulness, and the topic galloped in an uncontrollable direction.
It was filled with "wonderful" yearnings for the future and joking banter among sisters.
However, none of them noticed.
Pei Jiangmu, sitting beside them, instantly sank his face when Meng Ruochao said the words "be smitten by a pretty face".
The knuckles of his hand holding the teacup turned slightly pale due to the force.
Be smitten by a pretty face...
Simply... be smitten by a pretty face?
A surge of fury mixed with sharp pain suddenly welled up in his heart, almost burning away his reason!
So... so back then, was it also because of that man's face that she took a fancy to him?
That man...
The man she had been yearning for and who had been like a poisonous thorn in his heart for many years... apart from his good looks, what else did he have?!
He suddenly remembered the love letter Meng Ruochao wrote in her sophomore year of high school.
He could recite that love letter backwards, and there was a sentence in it: "You are the most good - looking person I've ever seen."
So.
Was it just because of this?
Just because he was good - looking?!
Then what about all these years of his?
A ridiculous substitute?
Or just another meaningless thing on her "no - choice" list?
The overwhelming sense of loss and anger intertwined, making his chest ache with tightness.
He looked at Meng Ruochao, who was smiling brightly in front of him, and only felt that her smile was extremely harsh.
How could she... so lightly link "love" with "good looks"?
No wonder she had missed that man for so many years.
Was that man really that good - looking?
And what on earth was he inferior to that man?
He suddenly gulped down the rice wine in his cup in one go. The slightly bitter taste spread from the tip of his tongue to the bottom of his heart.
"I'll go to the restroom."
Afraid of losing control, he suddenly stood up and hoarsely left this sentence.
Without even waiting for Meng Ruochao's response, he turned around and strode away. His back carried a hasty stiffness.
The laughter at the dinner table paused slightly.
Meng Ruochao looked blankly at his almost fleeing back, blinked her eyes and said, "What... happened to him?"
Ai Gao was more sensitive. She vaguely felt that Pei Jiangmu's mood was not right, but she couldn't put her finger on it. So she tried to smooth things over.
"Maybe he drank too much. It's okay, it's okay. Let's continue chatting!"
"Once our studio becomes big and strong, the first thing we'll do is to go on a team - building trip, to that kind of... hehehe..."
The topic was derailed again, but a faint question lingered in Meng Ruochao's mind.
Just now, for a moment, Pei Jiangmu's eyes seemed to be filled with sadness and anger that she couldn't understand.
Why?
In the restroom.
Pei Jiangmu turned on the faucet and splashed his face with cold tap water several times.
The water droplets slid down his well - defined jawline and wet his bangs.
He looked up and saw himself in the mirror with a gloomy look in his eyes and an ugly complexion.
How ridiculous.
When did he, Pei Jiangmu, become so insecure and even lose control because of a drunken remark?
Moreover, where exactly did his face lose out?
He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down.
He mustn't be hasty.
He told himself.
She didn't remember anything now.
He couldn't use his emotions to kidnap her, and he couldn't let jealousy cloud his mind.
No matter whether she was with him because she had no other choice or not, what mattered was the result.
More importantly, he would never let go again.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and became the harmless and calm "Pei Jiangmu" again before turning around and walking out.
When he returned to the dinner table, the dishes were already served.
Seeing him come back and his complexion seemed to have returned to normal, Meng Ruochao didn't think much about it and picked up a chopstick full of dishes for him.
"Try this. Linlin said it's a specialty here."
Pei Jiangmu watched her natural movement, and the ice in his heart melted a little.
He forced a smile and said, "Thank you, sister."
The rest of the dinner was quite harmonious.
But Pei Jiangmu talked much less. Most of the time, he just quietly listened to the three women chatting.
He occasionally chimed in, but his eyes always inadvertently fell on Meng Ruochao, with a complex and profound exploration.
After dinner, Meng Ruochao proposed to go for a walk to digest the food.
There was a well - known folk street nearby, which was very characteristic.
Ai Gao and Xu Lin glanced at Pei Jiangmu, who had been obviously unhappy all night.
Then they made an excuse that they were tired after a long day and wanted to rest first. They wisely returned to their hotel rooms first, leaving some alone time for Meng Ruochao and Pei Jiangmu.
When leaving, Ai Gao winked at Pei Jiangmu.
Just now they had learned that Meng Ruochao had broken up with Yan Qiubai.
Although they didn't know the specific reason, they believed that Ruochao was not an impulsive and random person.
Since she had made this decision, it must have been after careful consideration, and it must have been that the two were not suitable for each other.
That also meant that Pei Jiangmu had a chance, and it seemed that Ruochao also had some feelings for him.
As friends, they definitely had to create some opportunities for these two.
The folk street at night had a unique charm. Red lanterns were hung on both sides of the bluestone road, and the warm light was hazy.
Since it was a weekday, there were not many people.
The two walked side by side in the quiet alley, and neither of them spoke first.
Finally, Meng Ruochao broke the silence. She turned to look at him. The street lamp cast a small shadow under her eyelashes.
"Were you... unhappy just now?"
Pei Jiangmu paused slightly in his steps and turned to look at her.
Her eyes were especially bright in the night, with a hint of cautious inquiry.
He sighed silently in his heart, but on his face, he showed a helpless smile.
"I'm not unhappy. It's just... a bit unexpected."
"Unexpected about what?"
"Unexpected that sister... is so open - minded. Your way of looking at feelings is very special," he chose his words carefully.
Meng Ruochao smiled, with a touch of self - mockery.
"Maybe those who have walked through the gates of hell are more open - minded."
"Love can't be forced, and one can't rely on it. Being able to stand on one's own is more important than anything else."
Pei Jiangmu was silent for a moment and suddenly asked.
"Then, in sister's memory, is there... a special person?"
He asked carefully, but his heart couldn't help but hang in the air.
Meng Ruochao was stunned for a moment and then shook her head. Her eyes were a bit blank.
"I don't remember. Du Feng said that I was not very sensible before. And you also heard that I had a child."
"Since I had a child, maybe that person was very special to me. But since I've forgotten, he probably wasn't an important person."
She said it lightly, as if she was talking about a story that had nothing to do with herself.
But Pei Jiangmu's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and the dull pain spread.
Forgotten...
Not an important person...
So, in her heart, he had already become someone who could be so easily defined.
He almost had to use all his strength to maintain the calm on his face.
"Really..."
He responded in a low voice, his voice so soft that it was almost blown away by the night wind.
For the rest of the way, he didn't take the initiative to speak again. He seemed very tired.