Like Old Friends

"May I take a look at the cigarette box?" Song Qingcheng extended her hand in front of him.

Yu Tingchuan looked at the clear lines on her palm. It was delicate and had a hint of playfulness. He drew the pack of cigarettes out from his pocket. Song Qingcheng took it from him. The packaging was a bright yellow box with the building of the Yellow Crane Tower on it. The brown bottom had '1916' printed on it. She studied the box and said, "I've seen a type of cigarette in the past. The packaging carried the words 'My first acquaintance with the gentleman felt like an old friend coming home.' Many people fell in love with this brand of cigarette because of these words."

With that, she smiled and looked up at Yu Tingchuan. "Did you know that?"

Song Qingcheng's eyes were very beautiful and dark; there was less white in her eyes. Under the dim light, her bright eyes seemed to reflect a faint light. Because of her fair skin, when she smiled, she exuded a tranquil sort of demeanor.

After a while, Yu Tingchuan said unhurriedly, "Isn't your final exam in a week?"

He did not answer her question.

Seeing that he had changed the topic, Song Qingcheng did not pursue the matter any further. She answered in the affirmative and returned the cigarette box to him.

In the quiet of the night, her emotions began to wane.

There were very few people in the center of the epidemic control center. On such a hot summer night, there were only the occasional sounds of insects in the grass. Sometimes, cars would be passing by, the sound of tires screeching—accompanied by the sound of sirens that cut through the darkness.

Time passed…

There was a faint smell of smoke in the air.

Song Qingcheng glanced at Yu Tingchuan's left hand, which was hanging by his side and holding a cigarette between his fingers.

She had more or less realized that Yu Tingchuan's smoking addiction was rather serious. It could even be said that he was never without his cigarette.

Her gaze lingered on his finger.

The man had beautiful hands with well-defined joints. It reminded her of how he had placed his large hand on her waist in the afternoon. His grip was restrained but strong.

…

On the way out of the epidemic control center, her stomach suddenly growled.

Not to mention dinner, after having been accosted by CEO Liu at the hospital, she hadn't even eaten lunch.

Yu Tingchuan did not drive to school straightaway. Instead, he drove around to a hotel.

The car pulled to a stop at the entrance of the hotel, and a doorman came up immediately. Then, Song Qingcheng heard Yu Tingchuan's deep and mesmerizing voice say, "Get out of the car. You'll need to eat first."

Song Qingcheng followed Yu Tingchuan to the third floor of the hotel.

It was dinnertime, and the private rooms were packed. Yu Tingchuan was not fussy and got a table at the outer dining hall of the restaurant.

The restaurant waiter came over with an apple tablet for them to place their order.

Yu Tingchuan asked, "What would you like to eat?"

When the waiter heard this, he astutely placed the tablet in front of Song Qingcheng.

Song Qingcheng did not stand on ceremony with him. She lowered her head and looked at the menu. Her fingers slid across the screen lightly. After she had finished ordering, the waiter passed the tablet to Yu Tingchuan. Without looking at the menu, Yu Tingchuan verbally ordered a few dishes.

After they had ordered, the waiter left with the tablet.

Song Qingcheng could tell that Yu Tingchuan was a regular customer of this hotel. Otherwise, the doorman wouldn't have known his surname and addressed him so respectfully.

She couldn't help wondering why he would come here so often.

Simply to attend dinner parties and entertain clients… or to check in with other women after wining and dining?

Many big bosses had fetishes like sleeping with female celebrities and models.

She recalled what she had read in the gossip magazines about him and Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi was one of the most popular rising female stars in recent years. She used to be a model from a certain local female magazine, but she was now a movie star, a TV star, and a singer. Zhou Qi's face came to her mind. She often saw the actress in television dramas or movies. She had a head of wavy hair, and her peach blossom eyes were especially seductive in front of the camera. With those charming red lips and a voluptuous figure, she was every man's sexy stunner.

Song Qingcheng started to reflect on this point. Should she change her strategy when dealing with Yu Tingchuan?

Throughout the meal, she was distracted.

Although most dishes were ordered by Yu Tingchuan, he didn't eat much because he was sitting in the smoking area. He lit a cigarette and held it between his fingers. Rather than saying he was relieving his smoking addiction, it seemed more like he was using it to while away time.

"Yu Jing's results had improved a great deal in last month's exam." Yu Tingchuan suddenly broke the silence.

A thin veil of smoke shrouded Yu Tingchuan's face so that it was hard to see his expression. "Yu Jing has never liked studying. You're willing to be her friend and help her with her homework. As her uncle, I thank you on behalf of her parents."

"Yu Jing was willing to learn. I didn't do much." Song Qingcheng smiled lightly, but she was not as relaxed as she looked.

Yu Tingchuan kept mentioning Yu Jing to her. His intentions were obvious.

It was a reminder and a warning to her.

However, the moment Ge Wenjuan forced her to marry CEO Liu, she had no way out.

…

By the time they left the hotel, it was 9:30 pm.

Yu Tingchuan drove Song Qingcheng back to school. They were silent throughout the journey. More accurately, from the time Yu Tingchuan mentioned Yu Jing, Song Qingcheng had not spoken another word.

Yuan Wei was not far from the hotel.

Ten minutes later, the black Jaguar stopped in front of Yuan Wei University.

"Get out of the car," said Yu Tingchuan.

Song Qingcheng held onto her seatbelt but did not move.

Yu Tingchuan added, "If I remember right, Yuan Wei's door will be locked at 10 pm."

He was trying to get her out of the car.

Song Qingcheng stared at the darkness in front of her. After a while, she said, "I didn't go to the golf course willingly today."