Chapter 33: What a Coincidence

“I’ll pick you up at ten, we’ll have lunch together, then head to the airport,” Jiang Xueting said briskly, her temperament never one for hesitation.

“Alright.”

Zhang Xiluo packed a few essentials, and when she saw Aunt Li tidying up the living room, she hesitated for a moment before walking over. “Aunt Li, I’ll be away for a while. Please look after the house.”

“Yes, madam.” Aunt Li’s face betrayed a hint of confusion, but she refrained from asking directly and instead promptly informed Mrs. Li.

By the time Mrs. Li called Zhang Xiluo, she was already seated in Jiang Xueting’s car.

“Mom.”

“Luoluo, have you been busy lately? If you have time, come back with Mingye for a meal.”

“I’ve been a bit caught up these days. We’ll visit you and Dad in a few days. I’m going out with Xueting and the girls for a while.”

“Alright.”

After a few pleasantries, Mrs. Li hung up.

“Luoluo, what’s your mother-in-law trying to do? As if she doesn’t know what her own son is like, yet she still presses you like this,” Jiang Xueting complained, clearly dissatisfied. “If she’s so capable, she should deal with her own son.”

“That’s right, Aunt Li shouldn’t put pressure on you,” Xu Xinyi chimed in, her heart aching for Zhang Xiluo. “You should find an opportunity to tell her and get rid of that Aunt Li.”

“This is too much—planting a spy by your side as if it’s a palace drama,” Jiang Xueting fumed. “If it comes to it, I’ll have someone tie her up and send her back to her hometown.”

“Don’t you dare,” Zhang Xiluo hurriedly stopped her. Knowing Jiang Xueting’s character, she could actually go through with it. “I’ll handle it.”

There was no plan for this trip. They simply bought the earliest tickets and flew to Country F.

Not long after takeoff, an elderly gentleman in first class called over a flight attendant, complaining that he felt unwell, and then soon after, he fainted.

Xu Xinyi, ever the compassionate doctor, immediately stepped forward, checked his condition, and administered first aid.

Once he was stable, she gave him some medicine she always carried in her bag out of habit.

“He’s alright now. Just let him lie down and rest.”

“Thank you, miss.”

The flight attendant, a handsome young man, looked at Xu Xinyi with admiration and gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” Xu Xinyi replied, completely oblivious to the look in his eyes, and returned to her seat, rubbing her sore wrist.

Zhang Xiluo and Jiang Xueting exchanged a glance, their eyes full of mischief. Jiang Xueting leaned toward the flight attendant, “Handsome, are you single?”

“Ah!” The attendant looked embarrassed. “Sorry, we’re not allowed to discuss personal matters.”

“Got it,” Jiang Xueting nodded and sat up straight.

As soon as the plane landed, Jiang Xueting and Zhang Xiluo dragged Xu Xinyi to look for the flight attendant. They waited by the crew’s exit and intercepted him.

When he saw Xu Xinyi, the attendant’s face lit up, and he approached them eagerly.

“My name is Li Linhao. I’m single. It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” he introduced himself.

“Xinyi, he’s happy to meet you,” Zhang Xiluo nudged Xu Xinyi, clearly seeing the spark in Li Linhao’s eyes—a look she remembered from her first encounter with Li Mingye.

Xu Xinyi, a little slow on the uptake, blushed furiously. “Luoluo, don’t encourage this nonsense.”

“You work all the time and never date. We’re worried about you,” Zhang Xiluo said earnestly, though she added softly, “But if you’re not interested, you can always say no.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to get to know him,” Xu Xinyi replied, reaching out to shake Li Linhao’s hand, marking their proper introduction.

Jiang Xueting linked arms with Zhang Xiluo and strolled behind the other two as Xu Xinyi and Li Linhao chatted ahead.

Learning they were here for leisure, Li Linhao recommended several great spots. When they parted, they exchanged numbers.

Jiang Xueting had booked them a highly rated, trendy hotel—a luxurious suite for best friends. After settling in, she couldn’t wait to go out, eager to visit a bar and admire some blue-eyed, blond men.

Once they changed outfits, they set off. For safety, Jiang Xueting had even hired bodyguards.

Zhang Xiluo, feeling a bit tired, sat in a booth to rest, her glass of juice still untouched when Jiang Xueting brought over three handsome strangers.

“Not bad, right?” Jiang Xueting raised an eyebrow and pushed the most attractive one toward Zhang Xiluo. “This is the best-looking one—he’s for you.”

These men were quite forward, immediately getting up close. Unused to such behavior, Zhang Xiluo rejected them outright.

To smooth things over, she took the initiative to drink, and the atmosphere soon became more and more lively, with more people joining in.

Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi drank glass after glass, while Zhang Xiluo only sipped occasionally, worried that if they all got drunk, something bad might happen.

Soon, Zhang Xiluo sensed something was off—a familiar face appeared among the crowd.

He had been staring at her, his gaze full of anger.

“Zhang Xiluo, you seem to be having a great time,” Ouyang Chen pushed through the throng, seized Zhang Xiluo without preamble, and said, “Come with me.”

“No, they’ve both had too much to drink.”

Ouyang Chen frowned, said a few words to some nearby people, and they helped carry out Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi.

Even after leaving the bar, Ouyang Chen refused to let go.

“You came all this way just to drink?” Ouyang Chen was angry, but underneath it all, he was worried.

Bars here aren’t like those in Longcheng—bad things happen to drunk women all the time.

“Of course not,” Zhang Xiluo shook off his hand, but glancing at the two drunken women stumbling behind her, she realized her protest didn’t sound very convincing.

“What a coincidence, what are you doing here?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“There’s a great art exhibition.”

“An art exhibition!” Zhang Xiluo’s interest was piqued—she hadn’t been to one in years.

“Yes, tomorrow morning. Want to go together?”

Zhang Xiluo nodded enthusiastically, accepting the invitation without hesitation.

Ouyang Chen drove them back to the hotel, helped Zhang Xiluo get her friends to their room, and as for the bodyguards Jiang Xueting had hired, they took the money and vanished.

Fortunately, Ouyang Chen had found them.

“Get some rest. I’ll pick you up in the morning,” he said.

“Alright.”

Ouyang Chen turned to go, a faint smile on his lips. After a few steps, he glanced back at her.

It took a long time for the drunken Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi to finally settle down and fall asleep. By then, it was well past midnight.

After a bath, Zhang Xiluo climbed into bed and saw several messages from Li Mingye.

“Where have you run off to?”

“Answer me!”

“If you don’t reply, you can just never come back!”

She deleted the conversation, added Li Mingye to her blacklist, determined not to let that wretched man spoil her mood.

She woke naturally the next morning, put on a blue spaghetti-strap dress, and applied light makeup.

Before leaving, with Jiang Xueting and Xu Xinyi still asleep, she left a note on the table.

Ouyang Chen was already waiting at the hotel entrance, dressed smartly in a blue suit that matched the color of her dress.

“What a coincidence—our colors match,” Ouyang Chen smiled, sunlight softening his features, making him seem almost to glow.

Zhang Xiluo smiled radiantly, got into the car, and snapped a quick selfie.

Ouyang Chen drove her to the gallery, and she took his arm as they stepped out.

At that moment, a car pulled up in front of the gallery opposite, and a man and woman stepped out.