Ding Ruola didn't decline the man's invitation. She thought it must be something related to business. If the deal was good enough, throwing herself into work might help ease her pain.
The girl had good intentions, but life is full of disappointments.
After leaving the hotel, she went to the hospital. Fang Siyan was still lying in the hospital bed.
Fang Siyan was in the intensive care unit. Ding Ruola couldn't go in to take care of him. She could only press her face against the glass and look at his profile.
Making a big fuss would only make Ding Ruola feel worse.
"Is there any special condition?" she asked the nurse standing guard at the door. The nurse thought for a while and slowly shook her head.
"No."
The stable condition was good news for Ding Ruola.
She arrived at the place where she had an appointment with Gu Tingjun. The man was wearing a dark cotton undershirt and a gray cardigan over it.
The off - white pants on his legs added a touch of liveliness to the otherwise dull color scheme. On his feet were Vans black - and - white checkerboard shoes.
"What's wrong? Is there something on me?"
Ding Ruola always paid extra attention to the man's outfits. Gu Tingjun was different from Fang Siyan.
Fang Siyan always stuck to one style, while Gu Tingjun had a variety of styles, trying every means to catch Ding Ruola's eye.
"You look good in this outfit today," Ding Ruola said.
Gu Tingjun smiled and reached out his hand, motioning for Ding Ruola to hand over her bag.
"Order whatever you like."
There was a faint smile on the man's face. Under his gaze, Ding Ruola felt a bit uncomfortable.
She casually ordered a few of her usual dishes and then handed the menu to the waiter.
"This is a deal from Europe."
"A deal from Europe. It should be okay."
Ding Ruola was holding a cup in her hands, her knees knocking together. She looked very reserved.
It was already their fourth meeting.
"I'm sorry about what happened before. I didn't know you cared so much about the meaning of things."
Whether it was true or false didn't matter. Gu Tingjun had already apologized, and Fang Siyan wouldn't hold on to it.
Maybe Gu Tingjun's way of thinking was really different from normal people's.
"Are you in some trouble?"
Gu Tingjun had apologized for the previous incident, but Ding Ruola still seemed listless.
He had originally come to talk about this business with Ding Ruola before Tomb - Sweeping Festival, but then he heard that Ding Ruola had gone out with Fang Siyan.
Now that they were back from the trip, Ding Ruola was in this state.
"Did you have a fight with Fang Siyan?"
"No—no—no. He's on a business trip and hasn't come back."
Gu Tingjun frowned slightly. A glint flashed in his eyes. He realized that something must have happened to Fang Siyan.
Ding Ruola's answer sounded like she was reciting a prepared answer.
"Let's not talk about this."
After saying this, Ding Ruola realized she had slipped up. She wanted to change the topic immediately. She looked up at the man in front of her. The man didn't say a word for a long time.
At that moment, Ding Ruola's heart started beating faster. She felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat.
"Let me tell you a joke."
Gu Tingjun was really a silly guy, using such an old - fashioned way to flirt.
The man's sense of humor was really different. After he finished telling the joke, Ding Ruola forced out a couple of dry laughs to avoid the awkwardness.
"If you had a childhood sweetheart with a good relationship, would you be with her?"
Gu Tingjun didn't need to think to know this question was about Fang Siyan. If so, then the childhood sweetheart was Gu Qianxue.
The man rolled his eyes in his eye sockets, and an idea popped into his head immediately.
"Yes. The feelings of children are the purest."
Hearing Gu Tingjun's answer, the muscles on Ding Ruola's face stiffened. The steak in front of her didn't smell good anymore.
She stopped moving the knife and fork in her hands.
Not giving up, she asked another question, "What if you were already married to another woman?"
"You can get divorced if you're married. What I want is love."
Gu Tingjun's words lingered in Ding Ruola's mind like a spell.
The girl ended the meal in a hurry. Gu Tingjun's answer and the way he looked at her made her feel uncomfortable.
When leaving, Gu Tingjun insisted on sending Ding Ruola home. Naturally, she didn't refuse.
After getting home, Ding Ruola was the only one in the whole room. She seemed to be having an illusion. Fang Siyan's figure was everywhere in the house.
"Old Fang! What should I do without you?"
The girl took off one slipper, but before taking off the other one, she sat on the floor and started crying.
Kneeling on the floor, she supported herself with one hand to prevent herself from falling due to loss of balance.
Tears fell on Ding Ruola's pants. The pink pants turned a darker shade of pink because of the tears.
Ding Ruola didn't know how long she had been sitting on the floor. Finally, she stood up and changed into the other slipper.
She had no appetite during the meal, so she wanted to find some instant noodles to fill her stomach. But after rummaging through the whole room, she couldn't find any instant noodles.
Could it be that Fang Siyan had hidden the instant noodles?
For the time being, Ding Ruola could only go to the convenience store to buy a pack of instant noodles.
When she was at the convenience store checking out, she noticed a man standing in front of her.
This back view was so familiar.
Ding Ruola wondered in her heart, "I always feel like I've seen him somewhere."
When she looked up, she accidentally bumped into the man's back.
"Sorry!"
"Ruola, you're also in this area."
The man in front pulled down his mask, and his face came into Ding Ruola's view.
"Xia Ziyu!"
It seemed that neither of them had eaten yet. Now that they had a dining companion, who would still eat instant noodles?
Xia Ziyu snatched the instant noodles from Ding Ruola's hand and put his own instant noodles on the shelf beside.
He grabbed Ding Ruola's wrist and led her to a rice - noodle shop at a corner.
Ding Ruola never knew there was a rice - noodle shop here.
"I thought no one would eat with me, and I was just going to find someone to eat with. I didn't expect to meet you."
"Do you also live here?"
Xia Ziyu casually pointed to a residential area in the west. His classmate lived there, and he was living with his classmate now.
Wouldn't it be inconvenient for a big star to live with his classmate?
"Where's Professor Fang? Why are you alone?"
Xia Ziyu had learned about Ding Ruola's situation from Song Yan.
Ding Ruola still gave the same answer as before—Professor Fang was on a business trip in Yin City.
After the two finished their meal, Ding Ruola said goodbye to the man in a hurry.
Early the next morning, Ding Ruola received the best news of the year.
Fang Siyan had woken up.
The girl didn't even have time to tidy up. She took a taxi and rushed to the hospital. As soon as she walked into the ward, she felt Fang Siyan looking at her with a strange look in his eyes.
She pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and only opened her mouth to speak after she had prepared herself mentally.