Chapter 33: Those Meant to Meet Will Always Meet

"By the way, didn't you say you were bringing your roommates along?"

"They went shopping. It might take them a while to get here."

Zhou Chao couldn't help but lean forward after hearing this. "Classmate Hong Yan, are your roommates pretty?"

Hong Yan stole a glance at Jiang Qin, her cheeks slightly flushed. "They're pretty—way prettier than me."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. You'll see for yourselves when they get here."

As they chatted, the kitchen had already prepared the dishes, which were brought to the table one by one by the waiter. Along with the food came a pack of beer—eight bottles in total.

Perhaps because the place was too busy, Jiang Qin couldn't find a bottle opener anywhere in the room. He ended up pressing the bottle cap against the edge of the table and popping it open with a firm smack of his palm.

Bang—

Ren Ziqiang's eyes widened. "Brother Jiang, that move was pretty impressive!"

Jiang Qin waved it off casually. "Nothing to it—just practice."

Hong Yan's eyes sparkled faintly, her lashes fluttering twice. "That's from the Song Dynasty literary master Ouyang Xiu's The Oil Peddler. Classmate Jiang Qin, you can even apply ancient texts like that?"

"????"

Jiang Qin froze for a moment, thinking to himself, Isn't that just a worn-out meme from the future? Every time I skipped the opening credits on Bilibili while watching anime, I'd see that phrase—'Nothing to it, just practice.' There's even the variant, 'Nothing to it, just automatic transmission.'

So… this phrase hasn't been overused yet in this time?

Jiang Qin instinctively glanced at Hong Yan, his brow furrowing slightly.

This girl seems to have some kind of crazy filter when it comes to me…

"My roommates are here. I'll go get them."

After chatting for a while, Hong Yan left her seat. The moment she was gone, Zhou Chao and Ren Ziqiang couldn't hold back any longer. Their straight backs slouched instantly, and they each grabbed one of Jiang Qin's arms, refusing to let go.

"Brother Jiang, start the class! We'll listen on our knees!"

Jiang Qin yanked his arms free with effort. "You're overthinking it. Even dogs wouldn't bother with romance."

Cao Guangyu felt a stir in his heart. "You're not interested in a school-beauty-level girl like her?"

"It's not that I'm not interested—it's that I think dating is a waste of time."

Zhou Chao pursed his lips. "Brother Jiang, I'm not making this up—Hong Yan definitely has a thing for you."

Jiang Qin was a bit surprised. "You can tell?"

"Of course! The way Hong Yan looks at you, it's like she's melting. And every time you talk to her, she smiles. Isn't that obvious?"

"Looks like I can't eat with her anymore…"

Zhou Chao: "????"

Ren Ziqiang jumped in smoothly. "Old Jiang, Hong Yan just said her roommates are even prettier than her. You've got to get her to introduce us!"

Jiang Qin shook his head lightly. "Hong Yan has high emotional intelligence and cares about others' feelings when she speaks. So when she says her roommates are pretty, it might not be entirely true. Be careful later—don't say anything out of line."

"Really?"

"I haven't met them, so it's just a guess. But it's probably the case."

Just as he finished speaking, Hong Yan reappeared at the Nanshan Restaurant, this time with two girls trailing behind her.

The girl on the left wore a floral dress, revealing a glimpse of her smooth, jade-like calves. Her skin was as fair as snow, and her eyes carried a captivating charm. She was tall and striking.

The one on the right was slightly less stunning but still beautiful, exuding a poised, ladylike air.

Cao Guangyu, Ren Ziqiang, and Zhou Chao all widened their eyes, thinking, Old Jiang was totally bluffing—this isn't pretty? The one on the right might be a bit less impressive, but she's still on Song Qingqing's level. And the one on the left? She's not one bit inferior to Hong Yan!

Jiang Qin was stunned too, because he realized that maybe, just maybe, the coincidences in this world really were like something out of a novel.

"Let me introduce you all. These are my roommates: Chu Siqi and Wang Huiru."

"…"

"…"

Chu Siqi stared at Jiang Qin, feeling as if time had slipped away.

Wang Huiru, meanwhile, was equally shocked, unable to figure out why Jiang Qin was at Hong Yan's dinner.

After all, she'd tried arranging meetups for Chu Siqi with Jiang Qin countless times before, but he'd always brushed them off, claiming he was too busy. Yet this quiet, unexpected encounter made their meeting unavoidable.

Soon, both regained their composure and sat silently beside Hong Yan.

Chu Siqi stayed quiet because her mind was a mess, unsure of what to say. Wang Huiru held back out of consideration for Hong Yan's feelings, not wanting to make things awkward.

"So, what do you think? Aren't my roommates pretty?" Hong Yan asked with a playful smile.

Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao nodded eagerly. "Pretty! Are you guys from the legendary 'school beauty dorm' or something?"

"I wouldn't dare call myself a school beauty, but Siqi here might qualify."

"So… does Chu have a boyfriend?"

At that question, Chu Siqi clenched her teeth, her gaze involuntarily flicking toward Jiang Qin.

Jiang Qin gave a polite nod, his expression neutral, then lowered his head to eat, no longer engaging in the conversation or making a sound, as if none of it concerned him.

That air of detachment and indifference made Chu Siqi's breath catch, an endless wave of grievance surging from deep within her.

Over the entire summer break, they'd exchanged fewer than ten sentences. Finally seeing each other again in this unfamiliar city, only to be treated like strangers—how could anyone feel okay with that?

You used to like me. You liked me so much.

So why, now, can't I even get a single smile from you?

Wang Huiru quietly observed the two of them, deciding she needed to clarify something first. She leaned closer to Hong Yan's ear. "Yan Yan, which one do you like?"

Hong Yan's cheeks flushed instantly. "I'm just here to hang out with friends—don't get the wrong idea."

"You spent an hour getting ready before we left and changed outfits five times. That's not a misunderstanding."

Hong Yan hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice. "Okay, fine. It's that guy—Jiang Qin."

Wang Huiru fell silent for a long while before asking, "What do you like about him?"

"He's different from every other guy I've met."

"…"

So everyone can see how great Jiang Qin is—everyone except Siqi, Wang Huiru thought, a bad feeling creeping in, though she had no idea what to do about it.

Ren Ziqiang and Zhou Chao, oblivious to the tension, kept fawning over the newcomers, asking what dishes they liked and offering to order more.

Cao Guangyu's head was spinning. You guys can be generous all you want, but I'm the one paying!

Still, as a rich second-generation kid, he cared about face and couldn't bring himself to say it outright. Besides, Hong Yan's roommates were gorgeous—especially Chu Siqi, who was on par with Hong Yan in looks.

He could tell Hong Yan liked Jiang Qin, so he probably didn't stand a chance with her. But if he could spark something with a beauty of the same caliber, that'd still be a win worth bragging about.

"Classmate Chu, do you drink?"

"No, thanks."

"What dishes do you like? I'll order some for you."

Chu Siqi shook her head again, not even bothering to reply this time.

Cao Guangyu's attempts at charm fell flat, leaving him instantly deflated. Is the gap in life this obvious and this brutal?

"Let's eat first. We can chat more later."

Jiang Qin suddenly spoke up, handing a pair of chopsticks to Hong Yan.

It was a simple, friendly gesture, nothing more. But seeing it, Chu Siqi couldn't hold back anymore. Her chest felt like it'd been stabbed, and her gaze turned resentful.

Jiang Qin used to like me. That gentleness, that thoughtfulness—it was all mine alone.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Jiang Qin, you said we'd part on good terms. So why are you suddenly showing up in front of me again?"

Her words silenced the entire table as she stared at him.

Jiang Qin paused mid-bite, then looked up helplessly. "It's just a coincidence. I made plans with Hong Yan to eat together—I didn't know you were her roommate. It's too random."

Chu Siqi's temper flared. "If I say you did it on purpose, then you did! You still won't admit it?"

"…"

"I've got something to take care of. You guys enjoy the meal."

Jiang Qin genuinely despised this kind of entitled attitude—You say I did it, so I did? You'd be wasted not working at an infertility clinic with that logic.

He set his chopsticks down on his plate, gave Hong Yan a faintly apologetic smile, said a quick "sorry" to the others, and stood up from his chair.

"You two know each other?" Hong Yan asked, still processing, her expression dazed.

Jiang Qin paused briefly, then nodded calmly. "Yeah, high school classmates."

"Not just classmates—you said you'd like me forever!" Chu Siqi cried, heartbroken by his casual dismissal.

At that moment, Cao Guangyu, Ren Ziqiang, and Zhou Chao were dumbfounded, their brains struggling to catch up.

What just happened?

Chu Siqi… she's tied to Jiang Qin too?

Did Jiang Qin just flex on us again without even trying?