Chapter 1100: Chapter 313: Chaotic Valentine’s Day
Chapter 313 Chaotic Valentine’s Day
Li Yan dialed Wen Qianyi’s number again, but it was hung up after ringing a few times.
This made him unable to stay calm. Wen Qianyi must have done it on purpose, avoiding him just like she did before. It’s definitely hard for her to accept. He just wasn’t sure if she went out to drown her sorrows. If she went to her friend’s bar, it would be somewhat safer, with at least a bit of company.
But what if she didn’t want her friends to see her in a bad mood, or didn’t want to encounter other acquaintances there? Then she might venture into unknown territory, which could be dangerous!
In this aspect, Li Yan definitely has the right to speak. Just like the party scenes he has been through before; although everyone was willing, it didn’t mean they were all open-minded or fond of partying. Some approve of this lifestyle; some are stressed out professionals seeking relaxation; and some look for sensory stimulation because they’re in a bad mood. In the colorful atmosphere, under the influence of alcohol, people tend to act differently from their usual selves.
But now he was at home, and even if he was worried, it was too late to rush over, especially since he didn’t know where she was. He had to calm down as much as possible and then composed a short message to send over, saying he had something to discuss with her, asking if she was drinking in a bar, expressing concern for her, and asking where she was so that he could go find her!
After sending the message, Li Yan patiently waited. If she really was at a bar drinking, even if it was late, he would go out and find her. Otherwise, he just couldn’t be at ease.
What he hadn’t expected was...
After a while, Wen Qianyi replied with a message.
"No need to worry, I’m drinking at home. And don’t repeat the same excuse; Hai Fu is with me, and I’ve already heard it."
Seeing the message, Li Yan was speechless. So it was the two of them together!
Could it be that because of that incident, rather than drifting apart, they became close confidantes?
These two women who received flowers from the same man on Valentine’s Day can still drink together? Is it liberating, or are they venting their grievances while drinking?
But in any case, she’s at home and safe, so Li Yan can finally be at ease. And since he just explained everything to Hai Fu, maybe she used speakerphone to share it, which was good. Even if Wen Qianyi saw through his excuse, he wouldn’t have to repeat it.
...
Actually, Li Yan guessed it right. Wen Qianyi and Hai Fu were drinking together at home, indeed criticizing him! The trigger, of course, was seeing Zhang Yurong receive flowers.
They both knew Li Yan had to accompany clients today, even if he wasn’t with Shinohara Mirai, he might have to spend Valentine’s Day with Yu Xiaodi. So the two mutually aware women, sharing a sense of unspoken bond, arranged to have dinner together after finishing work.
They are capable women, who don’t need to rely on men for anything in life or economically, but on Valentine’s night, seeing couples everywhere on the streets and in restaurants, they couldn’t help feeling a bit off, especially the older Hai Fu. After dinner, they certainly weren’t in the mood for shopping, lest they saw something that struck a chord; Wen Qianyi invited Hai Fu over for drinks at her place.
Thus, at Wen Qianyi’s house, they started sipping wine and venting about Li Yan. At first, Wen Qianyi ranted for Hai Fu, and Hai Fu for Wen Qianyi, but later it turned into a direct criticism. When Li Yan called Hai Fu, they quieted down, listening to his explanation on speakerphone. He openly admitted sending flowers to Zhang Yurong, and the two relaxed; at least he was upfront about it.
Zhang Yurong was truly the most radiant presence in Paradise Group! Even Wen Qianyi admired her.
Even if she and Li Yan had an unclear relationship, she knew about Yu Xiaodi and Hai Fu but wasn’t willing or bothered to participate in competing. But when it came to Zhang Yurong, it held a different meaning. Choosing not to compete with her felt like losing. She truly didn’t want to be entangled in a love triangle, and preferred to live freely, so she really didn’t want Zhang Yurong involved.
Hai Fu was even less likely. She accepted that Li Yan had a girlfriend, though as feelings grew over time, she hoped to be with him long-term, but understood such desires were extravagant. Therefore, she always cherished the present, knowing perhaps they’d separate after a few months or years. But if his girlfriend wasn’t Yu Xiaodi, but Zhang Yurong, it wouldn’t mean the same to her. She would leave as early as possible to avoid causing harm to Zhang Yurong.
However, everyone has selfish desires. Wen Qianyi always acted indifferent towards Li Yan, but today, in the same situation, Li Yan called Hai Fu first instead of her, which left her feeling a bit undeserved. Did she rank lower than Hai Fu? Considering their relationship had also evolved at the beginning of the year, why was he prioritizing Hai Fu now?
This thought led her to ignore Li Yan’s call, continuing to drink with Hai Fu, saying it was the same nonsense again, and choosing not to bother with him; he was the kind of man who repeats the same talk to everyone, not reliable.
Yet she didn’t turn off her phone, and when he called a second time, she cut it off, letting him stew.
When his text message came, Wen Qianyi was a bit surprised since she hadn’t expected Li Yan would think she was out drinking sadly, nor did she realize not answering his call would make him worry so much. His inquiry about her whereabouts, expressing he’d come over, made her quite pleased!
In matters of love, no matter how broad-minded, women unconsciously compare!
The call with Hai Fu was on speaker, she had clearly heard Hai Fu invite him over, and Li Yan had declined citing work tomorrow as his reason. But when her turn came, she hadn’t even spoken, and he was eager to come see her. While concern played a part, worry stems from affection after all!
Such comparisons made Wen Qianyi feel that even if Li Yan called Hai Fu first, his attention to her wasn’t less. With that realization, her mood balanced and calmed down, willing to reply to him.
...
Receiving Wen Qianyi’s message let Li Yan know she was safe, although it was strange that they were drinking together, previously Wen Qianyi had brought wine to Hai Fu’s place, whether their relationship had grown closer or not, it definitely didn’t worsen.
With the two of them together, he refrained from calling again, avoiding saying anything untoward.
This was truly a unique day, and after a while, he received another message from Yu Xiaodi, saying she had indeed gone to see Li Jie, even inviting Li Jie and Huang Ying for dinner, and mentioning how they all had a great chat.
Due to message length restrictions, the content was concise, leaving out specifics, and whether the three were still together remained unknown, making it inappropriate for him to call and ask. So, Li Yan could only imagine their conversation topics incorrectly!
What will be will be, misfortune cannot be avoided, whatever is coming will come. He decided not to worry, opting to shower and sleep early.
However... certain things can’t be avoided simply by staying passive. After bathing and preparing for bed, he received a message from an unknown number, with a questioning tone.
"Are you bored? Sending me flowers and writing such contents in the card is just too much! Do you believe I won’t spill everything to your girlfriend?!"
This number wasn’t saved in Li Yan’s phone, and the content left him stunned for a moment. He quickly reviewed the list of today’s flower recipients—nine in total: Zhang Yurong, Wen Qianyi, Hai Fu from Paradise Group, all encountered either in person, by phone, or message; seen the two from Beihai Country in person, called Yu Xiaodi, spoke to Yue Yao face-to-face...
The remaining shy Huang Ying and cool Li Jie hadn’t been contacted further, yet their numbers were known, and neither would send such a message.
He never imagined that the florist lady at the obscure little shop suspected him of casting a wide net for girls, and wanted to match him with Xiao Xun. So, she added a complimentary bouquet in his name for Xiao Xun!
Regardless, Li Yan’s first-ever Valentine’s Day turned into the most unforgettable one.
(February updates averaged only 5k words daily, which for ’Mixed’ is the slowest month since starting, even slower than when the book launched. I feel rather ashamed, but it’s not intentional laziness, just a brief explanation. As the story nears its conclusion, the word count can’t keep expanding indefinitely; it’s time to consider wrapping it up well, especially closing it well. March will see renewed effort! Thank you all for your support.) (To be continued. To discover what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com for more Chapters. Support the author, support authorized reading!)
