Chapter 1101 - Grand Wedding! (4)
Upon hearing that, Dongfang Liuyun did not continue. She only lowered her eyes, picked up the bottle and poured two more servings for them.
“About the equipment, thanks!” She lifted a drink to toast to him.
Qi Lei smiled calmly as he lifted his glass as well and returned the goodwill. “No worries. Those were yours anyway. Why are you so late today?”
She downed the drink before responding, “I was evaluating a treasure with a friend and lost track of time. What about you? Haven’t seen you online much these days.”
“I’ve not been in the mood,” Qi Lei responded, and something flashed in Dongfang Liuyun’s eyes.
She recalled the recent funeral they had attended together and could not help but sigh. “I forgot that you’re close friends with them. I’m sure you grieve with them too, but a person’s death is like a light put out. As sad as we’ll be, they won’t ever come back, so we should take good care of ourselves instead and let them rest in peace.”
“Mmm, Grandmother Mu’s passing was too sudden. I don’t know if they’ll be able to recover from this soon. I know how they feel.”
Did Wang Qin leave that suddenly as well?
That was why he knew all too well how it felt. Someone who had been just alive moments ago, talking to you and smiling at you, could be gone in the next moment. Who could so calmly accept such cruel reality?
“I’m not someone who knows how to console others. If you aren’t in a good mood, I can only advise you to drink more!” Dongfang Liuyun had pretty solid tolerance, so she said that as she poured Qi Lei another cup.
Upon hearing that, he suddenly laughed. “Other people have been telling me to drink less. Don’t they say that drinks don’t resolve real sorrows?”
Dongfang Liuyun picked up her drink. With an arm propped up on the table, she looked at the table of students beside them as she said, “To me, drinks are great. They can chase away my sorrows, and even bolster my courage. Enough now. Where do you find so many sorrows at your age? You’re not the only one going through tough times. Your mindset can change your future. Look at them. Do you miss how things were?”
“Don’t you?” he asked her instead.
She smiled. “I’m rarely nostalgic about the past. There’s a saying that goes ‘the only reason you should turn back to look is to see how far you’ve come’. When I was abroad and was a teaching assistant to my mentor, my mentor always loved saying that. He even made that his classic line.”
Now, Qi Lei began to smile bitterly and shook his head. He said humbly, “If I had half of your state of mind, Swift Snowy, I wouldn’t have become the way I am today.” Then, he subconsciously furrowed his brows and looked a little comical.
As Dongfang Liuyun listened to him, she laughed gently. “You can call me Dongfang. Liuyun works too. I’ll call you Qi Lei then. The names in the game are too corny. I’m just saying.”
“You seem to be treating me like your student, hmm?” Qi Lei said, laughing.
“I don’t have a student as old as you.”
Qi Lei recalled what Yang Sheng had found out from before, so he could not help but ask, “Please, all you of Ph.D. Professors are mostly over 30 years old. Oh, I heard that you’re planning to take on a role at University A, huh?”
Dongfang Liuyun picked up her chopsticks casually, took a slice of fish and elegantly put it into her mouth. She finished chewing it before saying unhurriedly, “Well, I’m not too sure about that.t It depends on whether my store can hold up. I’ll ask my father to delegate one or two people over. If it works, then I might go take a look. After all, I think that the school environment is much more relaxed.”
“University A’s pretty good. Xi Xiaye’s parents are also lecturers at University A.” Qi Lei very naturally thought of Xi Xiaye.
“Xi Xiaye?”
Upon hearing this name, the light in Dongfang Liuyun’s eyes paused for a bit. She thought for a moment and quickly remembered that when she had attended the memorial service, it had been her first time seeing Xi Xiaye with Mu Yuchen. She then nodded. “I remember now. That was Xi Xiaye with Mu Yuchen the other day, right? She seems quite nice and should be a pretty great person. Hmm, Xi Xiaye? Xi Mushan’s her father, isn’t he?”
Qi Lei nodded. “Yes, that’s right! Vice-Chancellor at University A.”
They were all people within a network he was familiar with.
Back then, when Xi Mushan had sent her an invitation to take on a position at University A, their university had been applying to take on a doctorate program for archaeology. A few days ago, the Chancellor of University A had called her, but she responded that she was still considering it.
The two of them drank till past 10 p.m., but they did not get drunk like they did the first time. Most of the drinks were drained by Dongfang Liuyun. Qi Lei did not drink too much. However, she did not seem tipsy at all and remained very much sober.
Looking at the floor full of empty bottles, even Qi Lei could not help but admire Dongfang Liuyun’s tolerance! She was truly one of the guys! This was his first time meeting a woman who could drink so much.
Dongfang Liuyun finished the last drop in her cup as she looked at the mess on the table. She finally set her cup down in satisfaction, and then picked up her bag. “I’m full. It’s your turn to get the bill. I’m going home now. The last bus is at 10.30p.m.”
“Didn’t you drive?” Qi Lei was stumped.
“Sent it to the workshop this morning. I’ll only get it back in another few days,” she said as her slender figure walked away towards the pavement ahead.
Qi Lei thought about it, then took out a few dollar bills from his pocket to put on the table. He told the boss to get the bill and then picked up his coat and put it on his shoulders before going after her.
He stopped a few steps behind Dongfang Liuyun before he called out to her, “Let me give you a ride!”
When she heard his offer, she stopped walking and stayed there with her back against him. After a while, she turned around and smiled calmly. “That’s fine. The bus is here. Bye!”
As soon as she finished, the bus had already slowed to a stop at the bus stop, so she fixed the bag on her shoulders and waved to Qi Lei with her back to him. Then, she got onto the bus.
Qi Lei watched her slender figure vanish before his eyes. His gaze shifted, then he saw her walk to the back of the bus before finally finding a seat by the window.
Dongfang Liuyun turned to look out the window. When she saw that Qi Lei was still standing in the same spot, she smiled and waved goodbye.
Her bright and beautiful smile greeted his sight, and he suddenly felt dazed.