335 Dinner

“How I wish I could have someone to put me first, to consider whether I’m hungry or have eaten; to put a cloak over my shoulders when I get cold; to hear him declare his love for me openly and reject the advances of all others; to share my burdens and fight on my behalf, so that no one would dare to bully me. I feel so happy just thinking about it.” Zhao Yuan’s yearning was so great that it was almost palpable.

Zhao Yuan turned to Shen Xi with her red-rimmed eyes. “Think about it. Hasn’t Brother Lei always done right by you?”

Shen Xi went over all the time she had spent with Guan Lei. Now that she thought about it, she and Guan Lei had gone through a lot together in just two months.

“Hah! See, you can’t deny it now, can you? Do you feel warm and comfortable when you think of Brother Lei?” Zhao Yuan teased with a crooked grin as she patted her friend’s cheek.

“Alright, let’s get back to the matter at hand. Why have you dragged me into your mess?” Shen Xi deftly steered the focus of the conversation back to Zhao Yuan’s situation.

“Me? I have nothing to say. I’ve failed miserably, I admit. I’ll break up with him, and that’s that. The next one will be better.” Zhao Yuan shrugged in a carefree manner.

“That’s right.” Zhao Yuan picked up her phone and showed it to Shen Xi. “Look, Brother Lei upgraded me to a luxury suite. Tsk, tsk. Brother Lei is going all out to win your affection. I’ll let you two enjoy yourselves. Have fun!”

Shen Xi did not expect Guan Lei to do something like that and did not know whether to laugh or cry.

After Zhao Yuan left, Zheng Huai returned and told Shen Xi, “I’ve arranged for some people to watch you discreetly; their shadowing you should give you enough peace of mind to focus on the competition. However, it would be best if you were still careful. I’ll stay with you for the first two days but after that… I’ll need to be present for an elder’s birthday celebration. I won’t be able to accompany you, then.”

Zheng Huai managed to catch himself before he blurted something he was not supposed to say concerning Grandpa Guan.

“Alright.” Shen Xi nodded. “You do your thing, and I’ll do mine.”

That night, Guan Lei phoned again via a video call. Guan Lei’s smiling face greeted her as soon as she answered, and she giggled.

Guan Lei did not know why Shen Xi was laughing so merrily. He thought he had dirt on his face, but a quick check using his phone’s camera revealed nothing.

“Xixi, what are you laughing at?”

“I don’t know. I suddenly felt like laughing when the line connected. I’m just happy, I guess.” Shen Xi responded honestly.

It was just a few words, a simple sentence that was as plain as can be, but it lifted Guan Lei’s mood. “Xixi, does that mean you’re happy to see me? Doesn’t that mean you’ve been thinking about me?”

Shen XI looked away, avoiding Guan Lei’s affectionate gaze, and remained silent.

“I’ll take it as that since you won’t answer. It’s settled. You’re happy because you’ve missed me,” Guan Lei chirped. Progress at last! The person he had feelings for did not deny that she had missed him.

Guan Lei’s cheer was infectious, and she unknowingly smiled a little wider. It was nice not having to think about anything else sometimes.

“The preliminaries are tomorrow, aren’t they?” Guan Lei asked.

“Yeah. The semi-finals are the day after, and the following day will be the award ceremony. I’ll return after it’s all settled,” Shen Xi said.

“I’ll be back in three days, then.” Guan Lei tilted his head a fraction as he studied Shen Xi through the screen. The more he stared, the harder it was to take his eyes off her.

“How’s your grandma doing?” Shen Xi asked, concern coloring her voice.

“She should be fine. The doctors say she should be able to return to my grandfather’s place the day after tomorrow. I won’t need to hang around for much longer,” Guan Lei replied.

His grandmother’s condition was not as serious as Ah Ying had said. He had even accompanied her for a walk earlier that morning.

“I’m glad she’s alright.” Shen Xi nodded in relief. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Warily, Shen Xi put down her phone and called, “Who is it?”

While Shen Xi felt her parent’s decision to enlist Zheng Huai’s help in keeping her safe was overkill, it never hurt anyone to exercise some caution. After all, Jiang Xue was also in Beijing.

“Miss Shen, we’re here to deliver your dinner.” A voice responded from outside.

Shen Xi was about to say she had not ordered anything when Guan Lei interrupted, “I ordered it for you. Xixi, eat it before it gets cold.”

Shen Xi peered through the peephole just to be safe. After confirming that there was nothing suspicious, she opened the door.

The service staff pushed a trolley full of food into the room with a professional smile. “Miss Shen, this is your dinner. Please enjoy.”

The waiter left after that.

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