The car drove smoothly on the road. Yi Xing, who had booked a nearby hotel, began to imagine in his mind the scene of meeting Ju Jingyi and how he should describe his trip abroad to her.
As he was thinking, the car stopped. He came back to his senses and looked outside. It turned out that the Star Dream Theater had arrived. He scanned the QR code on the car, paid the fare, took his suitcase from the trunk, and headed to the hotel where he would be staying.
After getting his room key, he placed his suitcase on the floor and took out a souvenir he had bought abroad—a cute little rabbit charm. He thought about giving this small item to Ju Jingyi when they met later.
It wasn't yet the agreed-upon time, so he took out a change of clothes from his suitcase and went into the bathroom. He had been traveling all day and hadn't had time to shower, so this was a good opportunity to wash up properly.
After his shower, he changed into clean and tidy clothes and tidied his hair in the mirror. He hadn't styled it in a while, and its length was already covering his eyes.
He dabbed some water on his hand and tried to comb his hair back, revealing his eyes and eyebrows. He didn't plan to go out and find a barbershop to trim it; he had an event to attend in a few days, and he would ask the stylist there for help then.
After repeatedly confirming that his image was perfect, he put the small charm in his pocket, picked up his phone, left the room, and took the elevator out of the hotel.
He arrived at the Starbucks where he had met Ju Jingyi last time, ordered two coffees again, found a window seat, and sat down, hoping to see her as soon as possible. This time, he wouldn't fail to recognize her.
Ten minutes later, a familiar figure appeared in his line of sight. She was wearing a white down jacket, black pants, and a white mask, walking briskly in his direction. (There's an image here!)
She immediately saw Yi Xing sitting by the window, stopped in front of it, first pointed to herself, then made a walking gesture with her finger, meaning, 'Should I come in?'
The person inside understood what she wanted to express, waved his hand, stood up with the coffee on the table, and came to the door, officially meeting the beautiful woman. He said with a smile,
“Here, the coffee I bought for you, still the same flavor as last time.”
“Thank you.” Ju Jingyi eagerly opened it and took a sip. The weather was still a bit cold today, and she needed it to dispel the chill in her body. It was the familiar taste.
She looked at the person in front of her and felt that he seemed a bit different from when she saw him twenty days ago. His physique seemed a bit thinner. She tilted her head slightly and asked doubtfully, “Are you on a diet? You seem to have lost weight.”
“Oh, don’t even mention it. The food abroad was too bad. I could only eat two meals a day, and I was never full.”
“That bad? Come on, come on, I’ll take you to eat something delicious.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. Recently, she and her teammates had discovered a delicious restaurant, and she wanted to share it with him.
“Okay.” Yi Xing let her pull him. He hoped time would pass slower. The fierce winter wind blew across his cheeks but brought no chill.
“Let me tell you, I just discovered this restaurant. Their signature dishes are very unique. Ever since I tried them last time, they’ve been unforgettable.”
“That good? Then I’m really looking forward to it.” He responded with a smile.
Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of a restaurant. Yi Xing looked up at the sign. Just from the name, he knew it was a stir-fry restaurant.
It seemed that she, like him, didn't really like foreign cuisine. Not only were the portions small, but they weren't necessarily tasty. For the same amount of money, he could eat until he was full elsewhere.
As soon as they pushed open the door, a lively buzz of human voices and the enticing aroma of food wafted out. Looking around, almost every seat was occupied. A waiter enthusiastically walked up and asked, “Is it for two?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll have to wait a moment. A table of guests is about to finish.”
“Okay.”
The simplest way to judge if a restaurant is good is to see how many people are eating there. A crowded place isn’t necessarily delicious, but at least it won’t be bad. However, a place with few people is definitely not good.
While waiting, the two didn't sit idle but chatted with each other. Ju Jingyi was curious about what travel life abroad was like. She had never traveled abroad; at most, she would go to Japan for a variety show and quickly return.
“Hey, where all did you go? Was it fun? I really want to travel abroad too.”
“I visited two countries, Italy and Spain. Fun, not really, but tiring, definitely. At first, I had to walk four or five hours every day. It got much better when we started self-driving later. This program is preparing for its second season; you could sign up.”
“Really?” Her tone became excited, but then she seemed to think of something and became disappointed again: “Never mind, the company won’t let me contact work independently.”
Previously, some variety shows had approached her, wanting her to participate. Although she really wanted to go, she didn't make the decision herself and could only ask them to contact her company.
She waited a long time but never got the announcement, and the reason the company gave was that she was very busy and had no time to go. Yet, she was in the practice room every day learning dance and practicing singing; she had plenty of time.
Perhaps in the company’s eyes, as long as it wasn't a variety show with big names or a very popular one, all others were not allowed. If it couldn't bring visible results, there was no point in going.
“Who knows what will happen in the future? What if they agree?” Yi Xing said comfortingly. He probably knew how Ju Jingyi’s company operated, and he couldn't offer any substantial help; it was all written in black and white.
“Forget it, let’s not talk about this. How’s that drama you were filming? Weren’t you the second female lead? How did it wrap up so quickly?”
“They said I was the second female lead, but there weren’t many scenes for me. I finished filming in no time, then stayed with the film crew for a few more days. The company only called me back recently. Tomorrow, I have to go to Xing City for the New Year’s Eve concert.”
Ju Jingyi shrugged helplessly. After all, novoland: the castle in the sky, to some extent, could be considered a big female lead drama. The important plotlines were basically advanced from the female protagonist’s perspective, so naturally, the second female lead’s scenes would be much fewer.
“You’re quite busy, with acting and concerts.”
“Isn’t being busy good?”
“Of course it’s good! I wish I were busy!” Yi Xing didn’t mention that he was also going to Xing City for the concert. As long as she didn’t ask, he wouldn’t say. Anyway, they would see each other tomorrow, so it didn’t matter whether he said it or not.
The staff member who had initially greeted them walked over again, interrupting the two who were chatting happily, and led them to their seats. Even though there was already a QR code on the table, he still handed them a paper menu, emphasizing full service.