43 What a coincidence!

"Last time, Mr. Williams held the party, were you also there?" James asked enthusiastically, "It was that time I met Lily."

"Let's get in the car, it's freezing." Lily stamped her foot impatiently.

The car was spacious. Alice sat in the back row, watching this young senior engineer, unable to resist her curiosity and wanting to secretly ask Lily how it all started.

"Where should we eat?"

"Didn't you suggest we would go to a better restaurant?" James gripped the steering wheel, very sincere, "I specifically borrowed a Per Se platinum VIP card."

Alice gave Lily a sly smile.

"you've noticed? I'm just a bit excited, let me show off a bit." Lily said embarrassedly.

Alice thought that James was the "cleanest" man she had ever met, just like a clear shallow pond, where you could see everything at a glance. Jack was like an innocent college student. But only "like," James was like a cup of boiled water.

At first glance, it makes you feel warm.

The drive was smooth. James didn't talk much. When at a red light, he looked in the mirror at his girlfriend speaking excitedly in the back seat, and smiled slightly.

When they arrived at the club and parked the car, a waiter had already come forward to ask if they had a reservation. He then led them to a private room. Alice and Lily were well-versed in this industry.

They could see that the service staff were well-trained. With a quick glance, the white shirts were without a trace of dirt and were fine workmanship.

It was their first time here, and they couldn't help but look around curiously.

But it was a place of extreme simplicity, a six-story building.

The waiter led them to the right corridor on the fourth floor, "This is the private room Mr. Williams often comes to." James had reserved under the name John, and sure enough, he received platinum-level treatment.

Of course, they didn't order abalone, shark fin, and sea cucumber. Lily preferred sweets, and Alice complied by pushing the menu to the side, "You order, I'm never picky, as long as it's homely." In the end, they just ordered some dishes they usually liked. Alice then asked for a dessert, and when the waiter left, she smiled and asked, "Lily, you must satisfy my curiosity. I don't care about what we eat, just tell me how you started dating."

Lily fell silent.

"Actually, there's nothing much." James said seriously, "After that dinner, I paid more attention to Lily, and then I met her at the hotel and asked for her phone number."

How bland… Alice couldn't help but want to laugh. She asked, "What does she have that attracts you?"

James looked at Lily.

Lily smiled and said, "Tell us, I also want to know."

"It's just that everyone was happy, and she was sitting there alone…" He couldn't finish, could only smile, revealing his neat and tidy teeth, "I can't describe such feelings well."

Alice and Lily both laughed softly, exchanging glances. That day, she wasn't unhappy, she just didn't like Jenny, the social butterfly.

The dishes arrived, all fresh, tender, and delicious, with an excellent environment, and Lily couldn't help but exclaim, "Rich people really know how to enjoy life!"

James followed up on her words, "Then we'll come here often."

Alice smiled and said, "Yesterday you complained that I couldn't accompany you to the nearby restaurant. This is much more promising than eating there with me, isn't it?"

The waiter came in and walked up to James, and smiled, "Mr Wilson, Mr. Williams is upstairs. Why didn't you come together this time?" Clearly, Per Se was very familiar with Lemon.

James stood up, "I'll go say hello."

Alice felt a sudden panic but tried to comfort herself, "I might not run into him." She couldn't help but lower her head and take a sip of juice to calm her uneasiness.

The waiter pushed the door open gently, and John finally descended the stairs, walking in front of James with a smile, "I came to meet James's girlfriend." He said so, but his eyes told a different story. Alice also stood up, smiling silently.

"What a coincidence! Mr. Williams is here too. Alice quit today, and we are celebrating her new life." Lily stood up and laughed generously.

"Quit?" He confirmed, his gaze fixed on her face.

"Mmm, what a coincidence." Alice shifted her gaze to his cheek and managed a greeting.

"It's a rare encounter. I'll go upstairs and say hello, and we can talk later?" John said casually, turning to go upstairs, leaving only his back.

James was puzzled: "Why does Mr. Williams seem unhappy? He was fine when I mentioned you were downstairs just now."

Lily looked out the window thoughtfully. The previously sunny weather had been ruined by the severe winter, and now it was snowing again, mixed with light rain.

John came down quickly. He held his coat in his hands. Clearly, he had concluded his business upstairs. He sat next to Alice and glanced at her.

"Quit? What's your next plan?" He asked casually.

"Um, Harvard University." Alice forced a reply.

John was stunned. That was exactly how it felt, like a breath getting stuck in the chest, yet it was difficult to express anger. The air instantly filled with an oppressive force, forcing Alice to look directly into his eyes.

Their conversation was slow, one casual and the other tense.

He looked at her and said slowly, "Why did you cut your hair?" He wore a smile but his gaze towards her was colder than ever before.

Her hair was cut on a whim, but he asked in such a way that it seemed as if they had a special relationship. Lily put down her juice and noticed her friend's embarrassment. Unconcerned about the chilly atmosphere, Lily was intrigued: "You two must know each other pretty well?"

Before Alice could respond, John naturally took over the conversation: "Haven't you ever mentioned me to anyone, Alice?"

James looked at Lily and couldn't help but agree with a smile, "I see, Mr. Williams even brought Miss Smith along to say hello last time."

This time, Lily couldn't help but give a meaningful smile.

Alice put down her fork, "Are we done eating? Should we go back home?"

The other three didn't object and stood up to leave.

Lily and James walked a bit faster, leaving John and Alice behind.

John gave her a glance.

She walked with her head down, revealing her impeccably smooth neck in this chill. She wasn't even wearing a scarf. He sighed in frustration, his anger clearly visible, yet he couldn't help but care about her even more.

Arriving at the parking lot, Lily got into the car but didn't leave right away but said deliberately, "Alice, shall I have James drop you off?"

"No need, I'll take her." John stood in front of Alice and blocked part of her figure, and added finally, "We live quite close by, and it's on the way."

Alice looked at John reluctantly.

Once thought about checking out from the hotel tomorrow, she felt upset.

She was well aware of Lily's gossiping ability.

But he opened the car door for her and watched her silently so that Alice could only wave goodbye to Lily.