Love Has Fireworks - Chapter 48

Chapter 48: What Are You Staring At?

Before she knew it, Li Yifei had already been away on his business trip for a whole week. During this entire week, he hadn't called Qian Fei once. Qian Fei couldn't quite explain how she felt either. For the first three days, whenever her phone rang, she always thought it was Li Yifei. When she saw clearly that it wasn't him, her heart would simultaneously breathe a sigh of relief while also harboring a faint sense of disappointment. The first few times this state of mind occurred, she considered taking the initiative to give him a call to ask how his past few days had been and when he would finish his business trip. But on second thought, the guy had practically fled all the way to a business trip just to avoid her; if she were to hit him with persistent, frantic calls, wouldn't that be the epitome of being incredibly shameless?

And so, she quietly put her phone down. She quietly ate alone every day, quietly went to work alone every day, quietly watched television alone every day, quietly washed her own clothes every day, quietly tidied the house alone every day, and quietly said goodnight to the walls all by herself. Whenever she felt lonely, she would give Yao Jingjing a call.

Yao Jingjing picked up on the fact that her state of mind wasn't right, so she asked her, "Feifei, have you fallen in love again, or have you gotten your heart broken again?"

Qian Fei asked her why she was asking that, and Yao Jingjing replied, "Because the person who understands you better than you understand yourself in this world is me! I can smell a different kind of emotion and vibe on you!"

Qian Fei mocked her for having the nose of a dog. Then, she briefly recounted the situation regarding that intimate encounter which turned out not to be a dream at all, as well as the way Li Yifei had fled from her all the way to a business trip. She asked Yao Jingjing, "How do you think this awkward, deadlocked situation can be broken?"

Yao Jingjing actually fell silent on the other end of the line. Only after a long while did she speak up: "Feifei, have you fallen for him?"

Qian Fei was startled. Before this moment, she really had never considered this question.

She made an effort to concentrate her attention and thought about it, then told Yao Jingjing, "It doesn't really seem like I like him, but when he's not around, I do feel quite lonely. Maybe I've just grown entirely accustomed to having him as a companion!"

Yao Jingjing let out an "Oh" and said, "Thank goodness you haven't fallen for him yet. Anyway, don't think too much about it either. In short, right now I feel that he and we are probably not people of the same world. Just look at what he eats, wears, and does for fun—he's clearly not from our circle!"

Qian Fei asked, "Which circle are we in? Which circle is he in?"

Yao Jingjing said, "Do we even need to ask about us? The ordinary, struggling circle, obviously! As for him, I don't know what kind of background or trick he's using, but anyway, he hangs around the tall, handsome, and wealthy circle. Look at him—he seems quiet and unassuming, but he has plenty of under-the-table methods to make money. My wealthy boyfriend Zeze told me that Li Yifei seems to be using his trade channels with Japan to do some sort of export trade business, and he seems to have made a good chunk of cash from it too. Zeze said he signed a non-disclosure agreement, so he couldn't tell me too many specific details!"

Qian Fei let out an "Oh" and intentionally steered the conversation away: "You just can't keep your mouth shut without giving people nicknames every day, can you? You've already given your lover another new cute name!"

Yao Jingjing grew annoyed: "Qian Feifei, I'm telling you, can you adjust the focus of your attention to the right place! I'm talking to you about Li Yifei, so why are you bringing up my wealthy boyfriend Zeze to me!" She paused, then said faintly, "Feifei, do you know that every time you deliberately change the subject with me, it indicates that you actually care about something!" She let out a sigh and added, "Anyway, I feel that someone like Li Yifei is incredibly suitable to be a buddy. He knows a lot of people, lives a bit wild, and has unconventional connections, so he can help out with a lot of things. But if he were to be a lover, you should carefully consider it. I feel that dating him would be exhausting. Just look at his exceptionally handsome face, his untamed little eyes, and his tall, impressive physique—any wealthy older woman who sets eyes on him would want to drop her pants and throw stacks of cash at him to beg for a relationship! A person like that is someone you and I cannot handle. So, don't think too much about it. If this period is awkward, let it be awkward; if it's uncomfortable, let it be uncomfortable. After a while, when it naturally becomes a numb routine, your relationship will automatically become natural. Didn't some ancient philosopher once say that time can dilute everything? We just need to quietly watch how things change!"

Qian Fei thought for a long time but couldn't recall which ancient philosopher had ever said that phrase. However, she decided to listen to Yao Jingjing and let everything take its natural course.

Two days later, her class monitor from her university days called her. He mentioned that the thesis advisor who had guided their class during university was celebrating his sixtieth birthday next Saturday. He asked if everyone was free that day, suggesting that if they had nothing going on, they should celebrate the teacher's birthday together and catch up at the same time.

Qian Fei said it was no problem and that she would absolutely be there that day.

The class monitor sounded a bit hesitant over the phone: "Qian Fei, well, about that... on that day, it's possible Wang Ruohai will come too. That won't be an issue, right?"

Qian Fei smiled slightly: "We've been broken up for nearly a year already, what kind of issue could there possibly be!"

Even though those were the words coming out of her mouth, her heart inevitably experienced a tiny, sharp pang.

Later on, she called Yao Jingjing to ask if she would be coming back to attend the gathering. Yao Jingjing mentioned that she had far too many matters on her hands to make a special trip back, so she asked Qian Fei to help pass along a monetary gift on her behalf.

Qian Fei said hesitantly, "Since you aren't coming back, I'll have to fight this battle alone and face Wang Ruohai all by myself that day!"

Yao Jingjing let out a cold, mocking laugh and said, "Face him for what! Let me tell you, with your current looks and charm, the only scenario that will happen is him eagerly coming to face you! Let me tell you further, if he dares to step anywhere near you, you just swing two big slaps across his face. If he asks you what you're doing, you tell him I told you to hit him. If he has the guts, tell him to come find me. If that grandson of a bitch dares to come, this lady right here will dare to reimburse his round-trip flight tickets!"

Qian Fei instantly cheered up: "It's a deal then!"

●︶3︶●

On the day of the gathering, Qian Fei selected the blouse, skirt, and leggings combination that Li Yifei had picked out for her the very first time he took her shopping. Then, she meticulously applied light makeup that closely resembled a natural, bare-faced look and styled her hair beautifully.

After packing everything up, she looked at herself in the mirror. The person reflected in the glass had skin so tender it looked as if it were about to burst with moisture. With the enhancement of eyeliner, her eyes seemed even larger, the bridge of her nose looked increasingly sharp under the applied highlighter, and her long hair fell softly over her shoulders, curling gracefully right at the very tips. No matter how she looked at the person in the mirror, she felt as though she had truly undergone a complete transformation.

Satisfied, Qian Fei packed away her makeup bag.

Before heading out the door, she thought for a moment, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and then went downstairs to a flower shop to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers. Next, she went to Black Swan to pick up the birthday cake. With everything taken care of, she took a taxi straight toward King of Knives Teppanyaki on Yuetan South Street.

The roads were heavily congested. Fearing the flowers might wilt, she opened the mineral water and meticulously irrigated the delicate blossoms. The taxi driver caught sight of this and couldn't help but click his tongue in admiration from the side: "Young people truly have creative ideas, to think of even this!"

Qian Fei smiled slightly and said, "A friend taught me!"

After speaking, for some reason, her heart felt a brief wave of gloom.

This friend had been ignoring her lately, avoiding her as if she were a venomous snake.

As she neared the destination, Qian Fei received a rushing phone call from the class monitor: "Where are you? Everyone is already gathered, we're just waiting for you! By the way, you mentioned you would take charge of the teacher's cake, you didn't forget, right?"

Qian Fei answered in a rapid succession: "I didn't forget, I didn't forget, I've bought it and I'm almost there. I'm so sorry, monitor, the traffic on the road is just too heavy!" Taking a breath, she said to the monitor, "By the way, monitor, why don't you come out to meet me? I bought a bouquet of flowers and I'm carrying a cake too, so it's a bit difficult to manage!"

The class monitor agreed.

When she arrived at the location, Qian Fei saw that the class monitor was already waiting at the entrance of King of Knives Teppanyaki.

She paid the fare, opened the door, and stepped out of the car, standing beside the vehicle with a bright smile as she waited for the class monitor to come over and assist her. However, for some reason, the class monitor's gaze swept lightly across her body, appraising her with considerable admiration before turning his eyes back toward the main road.

Qian Fei was stunned. She retrieved the cake from the trunk and shouted loudly, "Monitor, where on earth are you looking? I'm right here!"

The class monitor turned his head around to face her. His mouth fell wide open as he walked over to her side. Upon getting closer, he sized her up and down several more times before crying out as if waking from a dream, "Are you Qian Fei? You didn't look like this during our gatherings the past couple of years! My goodness, did you get plastic surgery? How did you suddenly become so beautiful!"

Qian Fei shoved the cake directly into his arms. "What do you mean plastic surgery? Even if I had the desire, I wouldn't have the money for that!" She pushed away the monitor's face, which was staring intensely at her. "What are you looking at? Even if someone truly had plastic surgery, you wouldn't be able to see the surgical incisions from the outside. You'd have to shove your eyeballs inside my mouth to see them!"

The class monitor was still in absolute shock. "At today's gathering, quite a few people have truly opened my eyes; everyone has their own achievements, especially Wang Ruohai. But after seeing you, I can foresee that you are absolutely the single person who will surprise our class the most tonight, without exception!"

Hearing him bring up Wang Ruohai, Qian Fei rolled her eyes.

As they carried the items and walked inside, Qian Fei asked, "Who chose the venue today? A meal at this place is quite expensive!"

The class monitor hesitated for a moment before saying, "Wang Ruohai chose it. He mentioned that he's picking up the tab for this meal!"

Qian Fei let out a "Wow" and remarked, "That truly opens one's eyes! He must be doing pretty well for himself right now, right?"

The class monitor looked at her, asking testingly, "It seems to be quite good... I heard that he has already been promoted to a department head at their company!"

Qian Fei didn't say anything further.

As expected, it was always easier to enjoy the shade under a large tree. During the few years he spent with a piece of dry grass like her, he had been constantly changing jobs. Yet, less than a year after changing his strategy to embrace a large tree, he had already climbed to the position of a department head. Qian Fei thought mockingly to herself that it seemed she really had held him back in the past.

When they reached the door of the private dining room, she gathered her thoughts. The class monitor blocked her at the entrance and said to her, "Wait a moment before coming in!" Then, carrying the cake, he pushed open the door and shouted to the people inside, "Classmates, open your eyes wide and see who has arrived! Ta-da—"

The class monitor stepped aside. Qian Fei couldn't help but laugh, walking through the doorway even as she laughed.

Following that, she felt that after the night at Golden Palace Restaurant, her life had welcomed a brand new peak.

Every single person seated around the circular table turned their eyes in unison to look at her, sizing her up, and then someone began to let out incredulous cries of surprise: "Qian Fei?! My goodness, this great beauty is Qian Fei?!"

Smiling, she nodded and greeted everyone one by one. When she reached the head of the circular table facing the door, she bent her waist, bowed, and said, "Teacher, happy birthday!"

As she continued to extend greetings toward the right, she saw Wang Ruohai.

He sat there, staring at her without blinking even once. A look resembling absolute surprise was plastered across his face, and the corners of his mouth were still slightly upturned, as if he had been laughing and chatting with someone just moments ago and hadn't had time to pull back his expression yet. She glanced at him, initially intending to skip over him entirely without smiling or greeting him, but in a split second, her train of thought suddenly shifted. She paused her gaze, flashing him the most elegant smile she could possibly muster.

Why let him think she still cared? Passing him by with an elegant smile like this, letting him understand that he wasn't the only one flourishing after leaving each other and that she was living very happily—wasn't this kind of display far more composed?

And so, she smiled at him elegantly. Then, she distinctly saw the hand he was using to hold his teacup give a violent shudder.

●︶3︶●

The theme of the entire meal consisted of everyone wishing the teacher a happy birthday. Qian Fei was seated at a ninety-degree angle relative to the teacher. Throughout the entire meal, she felt as though two gazes were staring straight at her without deviation.

Initially, she managed to endure it. But after downing a few glasses of alcohol, she couldn't suppress her temper anymore. Forcing her head around, she glared fiercely at the culprit, Wang Ruohai, asking with the shape of her lips: "What are you looking at?"

Wang Ruohai, however, flashed her a smile. She truly wanted to shout out and curse him for being completely shameless.

Following that, the gaze he used to look at her became even more direct and unbridled. Qian Fei's teeth itched with rage, yet she had no way to vent it due to the crowd of people.

She sent a WeChat message to Yao Jingjing, saying: "You guessed it perfectly, that grandson of a bitch Wang Ruohai has been staring straight at me the entire time!"

Yao Jingjing replied to her within seconds: "Send a selfie to me so I can see, let me judge the probability of you simply overthinking things."

Qian Fei discreetly sent her an unedited raw photo of her selfie.

Yao Jingjing replied swiftly: "Damn! With you looking like this today, let alone him, even a gay guy would take a couple of extra looks at you! That bastard Wang Ruohai must see that your beauty has experienced a sudden revival, so his lustful desires have flared up again! Feifei, remember what the two of us said earlier: if he dares to approach you, you swing a massive slap and beat that worthless piece of trash to death!

●︶3︶●

After eating and drinking for a round, singing the birthday song, making wishes, and cutting the birthday cake, the teacher expressed that he was "very happy today," "unable to handle further alcohol," and "thankful to everyone." Following this, the class monitor found someone to escort him home in a taxi.

As soon as the teacher left, everyone became lively, no longer acting so restrained. Their gossiping cells began to revive as they inquired among themselves about how work had been going lately, whether anyone had changed jobs again, how much money they earned in a month, whether they had bought a house, when they were getting married, as well as who had broken up again, who was about to marry a wealthy tycoon, who was going to wed a rich and beautiful woman shortly, and so forth.

When the conversation touched upon these topics, Qian Fei entered a period of taking collateral damage while lying down.

Finally, someone couldn't resist leaning over to ask her in a lowered voice, "Qian Fei, is there really no chance left between you and Wang Ruohai? I watched Wang Ruohai do nothing else for the entire evening except stare at you with eyes full of deep affection!"

Qian Fei suddenly choked violently.

Coughing repeatedly, she felt as though a clump of phlegm was stuck right in her throat, unable to go up or down, making her feel incredibly disgusted.