Yan Jing felt that since they had officially become a couple, the frequency of him being both amused and exasperated by her had only increased.
Yan Jing: [Is catching ghosts the only thing on your mind?]
Shi Pengpeng: [Eye emoji]
She looked at this message, deep in thought, almost replying with “What else?”, but her intuition told her he seemed a bit displeased?
That shouldn’t be the case, his temper had been quite good recently, hadn’t it?
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [Bro, my head’s a bit dizzy, can’t think deeply, can you give me a hint? [Pitiful emoji]]
Yan Jing:”….”
Amused and exasperated x2.
Yan Jing: [Don’t overthink it, it’s just what it says, I’ll take you out to eat.]
Shi Pengpeng scratched her head.
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [Speaking of which, I said I’d treat you to a meal before, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. So tonight, it’s on me.]
Yan Jing: [Now you remember my promise?]
Shi Pengpeng thought to herself, didn’t you also make promises to me?
At least the ones I made, you actually got to enjoy!
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [You can pick the place, you know my current capabilities]
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [[Rich, so rich.gif]]
Yan Jing: [No need, just wait for me after work.]
Exiting the chat page, Yan Jing still felt a bit helpless, and also a bit of an indescribable confusion.
Since they had officially become a couple, why was this little witch still so preoccupied with her work?
Didn’t she have any awareness of being in a relationship?
Yan Jing didn’t have much experience in this area either, and after much thought, he suspected that the words he had hastily spoken that day at Elephant Stone Mountain were too casual, lacking a more formal ceremony.
A sense of ceremony…
Those relationship bloggers on Cat Paw often mentioned this, didn’t they?
Yan Jing felt he had grasped the crux of the issue.
Although they were very familiar with each other, being friends and officially dating were different.
The necessary ceremonies still had to be observed.
On the other side, Shi Pengpeng looked at Yan Jing’s chat records, combined with his overly attentive behavior these past few days, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was off.
Although she had never been in a relationship, she had plenty of experience being pursued.
If it were anyone else, she would have suspected they had feelings for her.
But Yan Jing… there must be something wrong, right?
Shi Pengpeng was utterly perplexed and decided to seek advice from her lunch buddy at the company, Xiao Pan.
Coincidentally, Xiao Pan was in the break room, so Shi Pengpeng went over and said, “Xiao Pan, there’s something I want to ask you.”
Xiao Pan: “What is it?”
Shi Pengpeng pondered for a moment and said, “It’s like this, I have a friend…”
Xiao Pan paused: “Is this friend you?”
“…NX.” Shi Pengpeng wiped her face, “Anyway, I have a friend!”
Xiao Pan made an OK gesture: “Alright, alright, I get it.”
Shi Pengpeng, sweating profusely, briefly recounted the events of the past two days and finally asked, “So, what do you think is up with my friend’s friend?”
“Hmm…” Xiao Pan pondered, “It does sound a bit strange. Generally, this kind of behavior would suggest they like you…”
Shi Pengpeng corrected: “My friend.”
Xiao Pan smoothly followed: “Like your friend.”
Shi Pengpeng: “So that’s your conclusion?”
“Of course,” Xiao Pan confidently patted her chest.
“I’ve met countless people in my life, and I’m quite accurate when it comes to judging them!”
Shi Pengpeng looked at her with respect.
“I didn’t know you had such rich life experience.”
Xiao Pan: “Didn’t you see? I interview people every day.”
Shi Pengpeng:”…..”
She almost forgot that Xiao Pan’s main job was recruitment.
Shi Pengpeng: “Go on, what’s strange about him?”
Xiao Pan crossed her arms, looking somewhat puzzled.
“If he likes your friend, he should have properly pursued her first. What’s the point of pulling these inexplicable stunts? It’s as if your friend is already his girlfriend… Hey!”
She suddenly thought of something and warned, “Pengpeng, I think you should be careful. Maybe he’s the type who just wants to flirt around without ever committing or taking responsibility—a total jerk.”
Shi Pengpeng instantly retorted, “No way, he’s not that kind of person.”
She had full confidence in Yan Jing’s character.
Xiao Pan clicked her tongue. “Do you have feelings for him too? You’re already defending him.”
Shi Pengpeng: “…I’m just telling the truth.”
“Really?” Xiao Pan sounded skeptical.
“What if he seriously pursued you? Would you accept him?”
Shi Pengpeng:”……”
This was a question she had never really thought about before.
However, she patted Xiao Pan’s shoulder.
“I think your judgment is off. He’s probably just acting out of sorts.”
When it was time to leave work, Yan Jing arrived punctually to pick up Shi Pengpeng and took her to the same Chinese restaurant in Xiluo where they had first met.
Yan Jing had specifically reserved a window seat with a view of the Luo River, which was incredibly refreshing.
Shi Pengpeng sighed with emotion.
“Time flies. It’s already been two months.”
Yan Jing smiled. “Indeed, your grandfather and my grandfather are about to return home.”
“Right,” Shi Pengpeng remembered as he reminded her.
“I’ll have to report to Grandpa Yan then. I hope he’ll be satisfied with my performance.”
Yan Jing found her choice of words a bit odd but assumed it was just her work habits rubbing off on her.
He nodded in agreement.
“He’ll definitely be satisfied. After all, you’re the one he personally chose.”
Shi Pengpeng confidently nodded.
“Hard to disagree.”
Yan Jing watched her, filled with self-assurance, and found her both bold and adorable.
His heart felt instantly full, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
How could he have ever thought she was annoying?
He must have been blind.
Yan Jing gazed at her intently, hesitating for a moment before speaking with a hint of restraint.
“Pengpeng, last time we were here, I said some foolish things to you. I hope you won’t hold it against me…”
“It’s nothing,” Shi Pengpeng brushed it off, even finding it strange that he was making such a big deal out of it.
“We’ve known each other for a while now. I’m used to it!”
Yan Jing:”….”
He couldn’t argue with that.
Yan Jing pursed his lips and said: “It’s different this time.”
Shi Pengpeng was puzzled and asked: “How is it different?”
“You…” Yan Jing chuckled exasperatedly, then sighed in resignation.
“Never mind. I’ll make sure to do better in the future, so you’ll feel the difference…”
Shi Pengpeng grew even more confused, unable to tell whether it was his way of expressing himself or her own comprehension that was off.
Lately, she often found herself struggling to understand his words.
She just wanted to ask for clarification when her phone suddenly rang.
Seeing it was a client calling, she had no choice but to gesture to Yan Jing and answer the call first.
Shortly after she picked up, Yan Jing’s phone also lit up with an incoming call-it was from Yan Fengshu.
Noticing that Shi Pengpeng was still on the phone and not wanting to disturb her, Yan Jing got up and walked to a corner before answering, “Grandpa, you’re out of the mountains?”
“Yes, I’m on my way back. I just got my phone back,” Yan Fengshu replied energetically, clearly benefiting from his wellness retreat.
Concerned about his grandson, he briefly mentioned his recent activities before quickly shifting the topic, “How about you? Has anything happened recently?”
“Don’t worry, nothing’s happened,” Yan Jing chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice.
“With Pengpeng around, no ghosts or demons can get close to me.”
“Ah, right, Pengpeng!” Yan Fengshu remembered the situation before he entered the mountains.
At the time, he had hastily arranged for Shi Pengpeng to assist Yan Jing without consulting him first, worried that his grandson might not accept her.
But now, it seemed Yan Jing not only accepted her but was also quite satisfied?
Yan Fengshu was surprised, “Sounds like you two are getting along well?”
“We are,” Yan Jing coughed lightly, maintaining a reserved tone.
“I was actually planning to discuss with her about finding a time to visit you and my parents together.”
Yan Fengshu was taken aback.
Visiting him was one thing, but why his parents too?
He asked, “Why visit us?”
“?” Yan Jing felt his grandfather was being rather unenthusiastic.
“To meet the family, of course. Since the family insists so much, I’ll reluctantly agree to marry Pengpeng…”
Yan Fengshu was confused, “Marry? Wasn’t Pengpeng supposed to help you deal with ghosts? How did it turn into marriage?”
“……?”
Yan Jing paused, instinctively asking, “What did you say?”
Thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, Yan Fengshu repeated, “Given your special circumstances and your refusal to have Taoist priests or monks around, it was a coincidence that Old Ding mentioned Pengpeng was also in Xiluo.”
“I thought her situation suited you well, so I contacted her. Didn’t I explain it clearly in my WeChat message?”
Yan Jing:”……”
Yan Jing felt a rush of blood to his head.
Even when facing ghosts, he hadn’t felt this numb.
After a moment of silence, he calmly asked, “So, Shi Pengpeng came to me just because you asked her to help me deal with ghosts?”
“Yes,” Yan Fengshu found his grandson’s comprehension unusually poor today.
“I even gave her a 60,000 yuan red envelope. Didn’t she tell you?”
Yan Jing:”….”
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then said nonchalantly, “Yes, she mentioned it.”
Yan Fengshu: “So, were you serious earlier? Are you two dating?”
“No,” Yan Jing genuinely laughed this time, calmly replying, “I was just joking because you seemed too tense.”
Yan Fengshu protested, “I just came out of the mountains, I’m feeling great. How was I tense? But your joke really gave me a scare.”
He added, “Though, if it were true, it wouldn’t be bad. Pengpeng is such a lovely girl. It’s just you who’s so picky and unappreciative.”
Yan Jing:”….”
“Stop scolding, stop scolding, I’ve already paid the price.”
After hanging up the phone, Yan Jing’s mind was in complete disarray.
He pulled out the voice message Yan Fengshu had sent him two months ago and listened to it several times, finally confirming that his grandfather had indeed never mentioned anything about a blind date.
It was entirely his own presumptuous interpretation.
Scenes from his reunion with Shi Pengpeng in Xiluo replayed in his mind.
No wonder.
Over the past period, he had often felt that Shi Pengpeng’s attitude toward him had become so unrestrained, as if she had become a completely different person.
Although she had explicitly stated several times that it was because he paid her well, deep down, he couldn’t help but feel a secret delight, thinking that given her character, if she had this intention, she must at least like him a little.
But it turned out that he had misunderstood from the very beginning……………..
She wasn’t here for a blind date with him at all.
From the start, she had come to do business with him, so all those confusing and unsettling things she said now made sense……
Made sense, my ass!
Yan Jing thought about all the self-indulgent behaviors he had displayed during this time, as well as Shi Pengpeng’s confident and enthusiastic responses every time.
What the hell kind of love was this?
It was all just the self-discipline of a corporate drone and a full-blown desire for money!
No wonder she still had no awareness of being in a relationship.
She probably didn’t even know they were dating, did she?
Yan Jing stumbled back to his seat.
Shi Pengpeng had already finished her call and asked him, “Bro, why were you gone for so long?”
Yan Jing kept a straight face and replied: “Nothing, just pondered life a bit.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a waiter from the restaurant approached with a large bouquet of white roses and said: “Sir, these are the flowers you ordered.”
Yan Jing: “……!”
Shi Pengpeng glanced at the beautifully wrapped bouquet and couldn’t help but pause.
In this setting, in this scene, it was hard not to think that the flowers were meant for her.
Her mind instantly recalled Xiao Pan’s words.
Could it really be as Xiao Pan had said?
Shi Pengpeng had never considered this possibility before, and for a moment, she found it unbelievable and, inexplicably, a little nervous.
How could Yan Jing……………..?
Shi Pengpeng blinked. “Bro, what’s this…………”
Yan Jing replied expressionlessly, “Oh, my place is too dull, so I bought some flowers to decorate it.”
Shi Pengpeng: “……”
Haha, scaring herself for nothing!
Shi Pengpeng skillfully gave a thumbs up and said: “Such a refined taste, bro.”
Yan Jing: “……”