Chapter 11 Missed or Met

After high school graduation, Qi Yi had lost contact with his classmates. It wasn't that he was unpopular; on the contrary, his popularity was excellent.

Every year, when it was time to elect the class leader, Qi Yi was voted in unanimously, without a single vote gone astray.

But Qi Yi was too distinguished, a person who was "admirable from a distance but not suitable for playful banter." Since childhood, Qi Yi never really had any close friends.

At first glance, such a fact might seem strange, but upon careful thought, it was rather normal.

Just like how most people might fancy the school belle yet she might have no suitors.

Or it was like playing house, where everyone seemed to be pursuing her.

When Yan Yan and Qi Yi broke up, the entire class found it incomprehensible, yet no one truly started to hold a grudge against Yan Yan because of it.

After starting university, it was Qi Yi who chose to "evaporate from the world."

At this moment, even if Qi Yi were willing to swallow his pride and seek out his old classmates to inquire about Yan Yan's current situation, he wouldn't know whom to approach.

Aside from Yan Yan, no one knew that the real Qi Yi was not only anxious but also a loner.

Yan Yan's departure was too resolute; her behavior of not willing to speak a single word to Qi Yi throughout their senior year trampled the misunderstood Qi Yi's dignity and pride thoroughly underfoot.

Thus, compared to Yan Yan, Qi Yi was even less willing to recall his high school life.

After Qi Yi got to university, he cut off all ties with anything that reminded him of Yan Yan, including people, events, and objects.

This "people" clearly included every single classmate from his high school.

Looking back now, Qi Yi felt that his mentality back then was quite immature.

Yan Yan's actions and his own misconceptions had blown a trivial matter out of proportion, a dramatic response characteristic of that age.

Qi Yi stood at the entrance of the Eureka Tower for a moment before turning to leave.

He decided to grab a bite to eat first and then find a quiet place to think clearly about what he really wanted to do.

In the unfamiliar Melbourne, Qi Yi could only recall the conversation from the taxi ride from the airport to the city, where he had mentioned Crown Casino—the most prominent landmark he could find in Yan Yan's space photos.

Crown Casino in Melbourne is not just a casino but also a comprehensive shopping mall with restaurants, cinemas, fashion stores, and luxury boutiques.

Not only is the environment pleasant, but in the evenings, the pillars of the casino on the side of the Yarra River even shoot fire at the turn of the hour.

The people outside the Crown Casino—eating, strolling, shopping, dating—always outnumber those inside.

Qi Yi entered a Japanese restaurant within the Crown Casino called Nobu.

For a solo diner, Western cuisine was too exotic, and a Japanese restaurant with bar seating was the least isolating option.

Qi Yi was actually quite accustomed to dining alone, but he just didn't want to be so lonesome in Melbourne.

Qi Yi browsed the menu that the waiter handed him.

Living in the Eureka Tower, a casual meal at a nearby restaurant could cost one or two hundred dollars; he and Yan Yan were simply people from different worlds.

If this was the case, then six years ago, when he and Yan Yan were in their second year of high school and dating, their worlds must have been even further apart.

At that time, the two of them lived every day as if in love letters, knowing nothing about each other's families.

If Yan Yan knew what Qi Yi was thinking now, she'd certainly chide him, "Who always said seeing isn't believing? Where are all these preconceived ideas coming from?"

But Yan Yan didn't even know Qi Yi had come to Melbourne, so it was even less likely for her to know what he was thinking at the moment.

Having just seen a movie, Yan Yan was now dining in the casino, only on a different floor from Qi Yi.

Yan Yan was pondering whether she should go for KFC, McDonald's, or perhaps have noodles at Think-Asia.

In a place like the casino, although some people win money, many more lose.

That's why it's necessary to have premium, upscale restaurants like Nobu.

And the affordability of KFC and McDonald's in Australia, cheaper than a Chinese fast-food bento box, is indispensable.

"Tourists" who only wander around the first floor and perimeter of the casino naturally wouldn't know that the floors above are very "down-to-earth."

As good as Nobu is, no one goes there every day. Most importantly, Yan Yan still had a report to rush home to; she didn't have time to slowly enjoy a meal at Nobu.

Yan Yan consulted with the person she watched the movie with and decided to take away KFC so she could eat on the way home and start on her report.

Yan Yan liked Australia's KFC fries; each one was at least as thick as three from back home, providing a particularly satisfying crunch.

After dining at Nobu, Qi Yi had decided to change his flight ticket and return first thing tomorrow morning.

Yet, even though he was leaving tomorrow, Qi Yi still didn't know what he should do today. He might as well stroll around the casino.

Then, Qi Yi saw two Asian figures, apparently a man and a woman. The slender one looked very much like Yan Yan.

Qi Yi found it hard to believe. Was he going to have a third surprise or shock today?

While Qi Yi hesitated about whether to follow them, another Asian figure caught his eye.

This person, holding KFC, quickly ran to meet the other two figures.

Qi Yi thought this one looked even more like Yan Yan.

Qi Yi shook his head. Was he going to be satisfied only if he mistook every Asian woman's back in Melbourne for Yan Yan?

Qi Yi gave up on the impulse to find out for sure and turned to walk outside the casino instead, to look at the scenery. It was more realistic and prevented his mood from roller-coastering.

Yan Yan returned home, finished her report, and then went to find Shen Xi in her room.

Shen Xi was still working on her report, emanating a "Do Not Disturb" vibe. Yan Yan understood completely and closed the door behind her.

Bao Bao, playing games in the living room, saw Yan Yan get turned away without even entering and stopped his game.

"Why don't we go grocery shopping now instead? If we wait for Shen Xi to finish her report, by then it might be midnight, and we still won't have dinner," Bao Bao asked Yan Yan's opinion.

"Brother Bao speaks wisely. Let's set off quickly and come back early to avoid starvation," Yan Yan said, ready to go put on her shoes.

"Can't you talk normally for once?" Bao Bao looked at Yan Yan with disdain.

"I am being as normal as possible, okay? It's not finishing a report that makes someone abnormal. Someone abnormal is waiting for you in the not too distant future." Yan Yan grabbed Bao Bao's hand and raced out to go shopping.