Chapter 165: Airport, Shouting Sand Building

This is just a form of concern, a worry from not knowing the situation, and he would do the same for anyone else. Just like Qiao Huanxuan, due to not being in the same city, they also only meet after a long time. When they are busy with work, they seldom call, but knowing she’s fine, knowing this is the situation, there’s no worry.

After listening to Li Jie’s call, Li Yan didn’t wait for the off-work hours and left in a hurry.

However, he was in a rush, but Li Jie was not. By the time he reached Jie Rui Office, everyone else had left, and she was still busying herself with random tasks.

"Can you tell me now?" With no one else in Jie Rui Office, Li Yan directly questioned Li Jie in her office.

Li Jie had finished organizing and turned off the computer. Looking at the slightly agitated Li Yan, she softly said, "It’s rare to see you so restless... If it were me, would you be this nervous too?"

The situation could have been explained over the phone, yet she chose not to. Now that he was here, she still wouldn’t say anything, which made Li Yan a bit impatient. He didn’t like the feeling of being coerced, even if it was just about a dinner. Hearing this, he was suddenly stunned, wondering if Li Jie was trying to test his reaction by deliberately mentioning Yu Xiaodi’s news!

However, after H City, his feelings towards Li Jie changed, no longer treating her playfully as before. Seeing her unusual attitude, his impatience and agitation faded away.

"Is this... jealousy?" Li Yan walked to her, smiling slightly.

"Crazy! What could I be jealous of? I’m just blackmailing you for a meal!" Li Jie raised her head, not looking at him, and returned to her usual cool demeanor.

"Whatever you say, I have to tell you. If you lost contact, I’d be even more worried!" Li Yan said seriously.

"Huh?" Li Jie was a bit surprised, but then scoffed: "Is this ’talk to people face to face, and talk nonsense behind their backs’? You’d say this to anyone, right?" She didn’t believe she was more important to him than Yu Xiaodi.

Li Yan shook his head: "You don’t need to call yourself or others ghouls. I’m speaking the truth. This time with Xiaodi, even though I’m worried and concerned, I know she’s with her mother, so there’s no concern about her safety or being uncared for. It’s different with you; your profession means that if you lose contact, it’s likely due to danger!"

This explanation satisfied Li Jie quite a bit, "That’s more like it. If you had said I’m more important to you than Yu Xiaodi, I would disdain your hypocrisy!"

"..."

"Let’s go, have dinner!" Li Jie was ready to lock up and leave.

Dinner... Li Yan sighed, when can’t you eat? You know I’m eager to know about Xiaodi, why delay the time?

He felt a bit helpless, as he needed to get information from her right now. Calling Zhou Yunfei directly wouldn’t yield any results. Perhaps... even the coolest girl can get jealous when it comes to emotions!

...

Li Jie didn’t drive, so Li Yan gave her a ride to dinner.

This feeling made her a little dazed. It was because, back in H City, fearing it would be the last moments, she cast aside all her concerns. It was also because it was a strange city where no one knew them, Li Yan was very relaxed about it, and they spent a week like a dating couple. But after returning, things went back to how they were before. Now, it felt a bit like dating.

But in Li Jie’s heart, there wasn’t much sweetness or happiness, but rather a bit of loss! Because Li Yan didn’t specifically invite her, even on Christmas Eve—surrounded by beauties—he didn’t casually ask her to come; it was Huang Ying who brought her along. Now, it was a condition she set to be with him, against his will.

"Stop over there!"

Upon hearing Li Jie suddenly speak up, Li Yan looked in the direction she pointed. There was only a KFC nearby, making him sweat. "You want to eat KFC? Let’s find another place. I haven’t had time to treat you to a meal, let’s not eat KFC the rare time it’s just us."

Li Jie said indifferently: "Yu Xiaodi probably went abroad with Mr. Chen, returning tonight, flight arrives at nine. Mr. Chen is afraid someone might bother Xiaodi and found me through Zhou Yunfei to protect her for a while. So, I have to pick her up..."

Hearing her speak of Xiaodi’s whereabouts, Li Yan was a bit surprised. He originally thought Li Jie was using this to make him have dinner with her, and he was somewhat impatient with her for deliberately withholding the information. Now he realized she may have been a little selfish but wasn’t deliberately putting it off to hang him out to dry or wasting his time. The timing simply allowed for a meal!

"...I’ll pack from KFC and eat while we wait at the airport."

Li Yan reacted, definitely due to his impatience and dismissive expression, she was quite disappointed, deciding not to have a sit-down meal and disclosed the information. He felt a bit ashamed, parked the car, and turned to look at Li Jie.

"Sorry. I was just focused on Xiaodi and neglected your feelings. Since there’s enough time, let’s find a place to have a good meal. Going to the airport now would just be waiting for hours. Haha, even if it’s KFC, there’s no need to pack from here, there’s KFC at the airport, too."

Seeing Li Yan speaking sincerely, Li Jie paused before saying: "Then let’s go eat at the airport’s KFC."

Li Yan understood her meaning, if they went to the airport, it might be awkward to run into Zhou Yunfei, so he said: "I’ll arrange it, we have time anyway."

Knowing her tastes from their days spent together in H City, Li Yan drove to a restaurant and enthusiastically invited Li Jie to dinner.

However, Li Jie wasn’t very enthusiastic. From her perspective, Li Yan’s mood change was simply because he had gotten definite news about Yu Xiaodi and wasn’t worried anymore.

...

After dinner, it wasn’t too late, so Li Yan drove Li Jie to the airport. Though there was enough time, he was eager to see Yu Xiaodi, so he didn’t drive slowly.

Upon arriving at the airport, the usually quiet Li Jie spoke, "Captain Zhou said Mr. Chen asked me to protect Xiaodi to avoid anyone bothering her, though he didn’t specify whom, but I think you can guess."

"Mm..." Li Yan nodded, who else could it be? Maybe Chen Mingying would confront him and insist they not meet again?

"Then I’ll go down first, you watch from a distance!" Li Jie instructed and then got out of the car.

Li Yan understood her intention. She was hired as a bodyguard, but instead informed the guarded person, if Chen Mingying found out, she wouldn’t be happy. At this point, it wasn’t the right time to confront or give everyone no room for maneuver.

Perhaps Li Jie was right, watching from afar, knowing Xiaodi’s situation was enough. Moreover, upon returning, it’d be Li Jie supervising the protection, Xiaodi should have more opportunities to contact or even meet him, so he wasn’t in a hurry.

This was a drop-off and pick-up point, and no cars were allowed to stay parked for too long. After watching Li Jie enter, Li Yan slowly drove away to park and then walked over.

Just after parking the car, Li Yan was walking out of the parking lot when his phone rang. He had texted Zhang Yurong earlier saying he wouldn’t be home for dinner. So he thought it was Li Jie who’d just left calling and answered, "What’s up?"

"..." Silence on the other end.

Li Yan frowned, a little nervous, is this foolish girl going to tell me this news was fake?

"Can’t I call you without reason?"

Hearing her somewhat resentful tone, Li Yan realized it was Qiao Huanxuan on the line, not Li Jie. Concern was clouding his judgment, always worrying whether the news about Yu Xiaodi was false.

"Huanxuan? Uh... no, I didn’t check the caller ID and thought it was a colleague from the company calling."

Qiao Huanxuan said softly, "You don’t call me and say this when I call you... I thought after sleeping with me, you’d want to dump me."

"..." Li Yan felt a bit awkward, did she have to say it so directly? "How could I? I often think of you. But you’re not in S City, you have your career, and I have my work."

What Li Yan said about reality was true, and Qiao Huanxuan, no longer at the youthful stage where love ruled all, understood the helplessness reality brought when life got busy, and did not really blame him.

Li Yan chuckled softly and asked again, "When will you come over again?"

"Hmmph!" Clearing her throat, Qiao Huanxuan said seriously, "I’m over here now. Come to the airport and pick me up right away!"

(Thanks to yesterday’s supporters: Romantic*Prodigal, zjun971210, dongmin8061, CP Pampas) (To be continued, for more updates, please visit www.qidian.com, support the author, and read original works!)