"This is ridiculous!" Xi Qian frowned as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Shen Jiao and Su Xiaofei came barging into her apartment, pulling her out of bed late in the afternoon, telling her that they were going bar hopping that night to celebrate her getting into med school.
Xi Qian was planning to spend the rest of her day resting to catch up with the sleep she had been deprived of for several months. Now that her hard work had finally paid off and she could finally have some peace, but she couldn't blame her friends for wanting to celebrate her achievement.
"Come on, Xi Qian. Xiao Rufeng will come with us to introduce her new boyfriend. You can bring yours too, if you want." Shen Jiao laughed, and shoved a towel in Xi Qian's arm before deciding to raid the latter's closet for a decent dress.
"What boyfriend?" Xi Qian frowned, before shooting her best friend an accusatory look.
"Don't look at Feifei like that, Qian. I spotted you on a date the other day at a mall." Shen Jiao answered.
"I…" Xi Qian found it hard to defend herself. It was impossible for her to deny that she was with Li Xiran the other day.
It was the day of her exam and he volunteered to treat her to a meal after hours of struggling and racking her brain to answer the questions. Li Xiran had insisted on accompanying her and had been patient with her. Could she really call him her boyfriend?
They kissed, held hands, shared their body warmth with each other beneath the sheets, but something was still holding her back from accepting what they truly had at this time.
"Go now! We don't want to keep them waiting for too long." Shen Jiao pushed her into the bathroom, forcing her to take a shower.
An hour later, she found herself on the top floor of a five star hotel, where the finest restaurant was located. An expensive crystal chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, a long table was set in the center with several people already sitting around it. A soft music was being played, setting an relaxed ambience around them.
The place looked so formal that Xi Qian suddenly felt like she didn't belong in this place. Everyone was dressed expensively. Even Xiao Rufeng looked divine and unusually happy next to a scarred man next to her.
"I thought this was a celebration?" Xi Qian asked. She could recognize three out of the five men seated. As for the other two, she was sure she had never encountered or crossed paths with them before. From their looks alone, she could tell that they were big shots like Li Xiran and Lu Qingfeng.
Su Xiaofei walked towards her husband and gave her a quick peck, before eyeing Xi Qian.
"I thought you'd like to meet some new friends tonight." She suggested.
Li Xiran rose from his seat and offered a seat to her. Xi Qian accepted it without a question and sat next to him. With Li Xiran next to her, the discomfort she was feeling dissipated.
She wasn't looking at him, so Xi Qian didn't notice the smoldering look he had on her. But Su Xiaofei and Shen Jiao didn't miss it, the latter hiding her smile behind her drink while Su Xiaofei pretended like she saw nothing.
Li Xiran held Xi Qian's hand under the table and Xi Qian tried to keep her composure. Since the other men were his friends, would this mean that their relationship was going to be official?
""I… I don't know what to say… but thanks for coming here to celebrate with me."
She didn't have a family to celebrate or to share her achievements with, so having her friends come and prepare something for her today was a pleasant surprise for her.
The night felt blurry for Xi Qian, but she truly enjoyed the night with her friends, regardless of her prior comments. Li Xiran's friends were polite and decent, with Song Yiran making the conversations among the group entertaining.
"Where's Ning Xuan anyway? Shouldn't he be here by now?" He asked as he picked up his drink and eyed the rest of his brothers. He thought that for the first time in months, the six of them would be complete tonight.
Zhu Baichuan agreed with him. They all flew to Qiying City, courtesy of Li Xiran and Su Xiaofei's invitation, to have a decent gathering of their brotherhood. Lu Qingfeng had missed a lot of their meetings previously and they needed him to be present.
"His meeting must have kept him." His eyes then landed on Xi Qian. "So where did you and Li Xiran meet? I finally understand why he isn't willing to move to Shenjing despite the need to stay longer there."
"We met under unfavorable circumstances, I'm afraid." Xi Qian replied. "But everything is fine now. I used to be his father's personal nurse."
She left out the fact that she lived under the same roof with him and the rest of his family for a few months before they became an item.
At her suggestive glance, Li Xiran took the liberty to fill up the details, but omitting some personal details between them. She trusted that Li Xiran hadn't shared any intimate details with them.
"I suppose it's fate that brought you together then, Li Xiran seems happy enough."
Xi Qian took a sip from her drink, but didn't respond. She was beginning to understand that she was treating Li Xiran unfairly. She realized now how she was making things complicated between them, when it's clear to her what Li Xiran felt towards her.
"Don't worry. Whenever Li Xiran was in Shenjing, he didn't see another woman." Song Yiran winked at her suggestively, and she had this urge to give her schoolmate a good smack on his head. It was obvious that this man hadn't changed, not one bit.
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