Chapter Forty-Six: Better Not To Have Met

  At dinner time, Jia Kai still hadn't returned home. Xing Ye slept for the whole afternoon and didn't feel hungry, so she just ate an apple as her dinner and quietly watched TV in her room.

  "Haven't eaten yet?" Jia Kai hastily returned, "Change into this and I'll take you to eat something delicious."

  "What?" Xīn Yè opened the paper bag brought by Jiā Kǎi, inside was a small dress skirt. Looking at Jiā Kǎi in confusion, he only then discovered that he was also dressed formally, not wearing the T-shirt and casual pants from earlier in the afternoon.

  "And here's this one, I've seen your mom buy it for you before, should be fine." Jia Kai handed over another box.

  At night, she opened it and found a pair of mid-heeled sandals with thin straps, which matched the skirt perfectly. The size was just right, and she couldn't help but secretly praise Jia Kai's thoughtfulness.

  "Where are you going? You're still dressed so formally." Xing Ye asked curiously.

  "You'll know when you get here, hurry up and change, I asked the shop assistant to help pick it out, try it on, I'll wait for you outside."

  The starry night shook open the skirt, a white satin little princess dress, only knee-length, very simple style. The starry night changed into the skirt, the top was very tight-fitting, high-waisted, and the hem was flared out, a lovely style that suited a girl's figure.

  The starry night didn't have long stockings, so she simply wore sandals barefoot, not bad just right, the ten toes exposed, without any red nail polish, were their original pale pink color.

  Her hair didn't have a suitable hair accessory, so it was let loose. Without makeup, the girl's rosy skin was already the best makeup. Just a light application of lip gloss would be enough. Only a 16-year-old girl dared to dress up like this.

  "Alright, let's go." Xīng Yè called out to Jiā Kǎi standing in the corridor.

  "So soon?" Obviously, Jia Kai didn't expect that it would be finished in just a few minutes, and he couldn't help but praise; "Not bad, very pretty, my taste is really not bad." Seeing Xing Ye pouting, he quickly changed his words to say

  "We're naturally beautiful, and we look good in anything."

  "Where are we going anyway?" Xīn Yè couldn't help but ask Jiā Kǎi who was driving.

  "It's almost here, you can take a look at this first." Jia Kai handed Xing Ye a folder and turned on the car light with one hand.

  Open the folder, on the first sheet of paper is written: Name, Zhang Honghai, Age...

  Stargazer glanced at it and closed it immediately. "Why show this to me? You've been gone for half a day, didn't you go find this?"

  "Aren't you curious at all?" Jia Kai asked while driving and observing Xing Ye's changing expression.

  Shut the folder on a starry night, "Is it useful? Maybe it's better if I don't know."

  A moment of silence in the car, the sedan slowly drove into a high-end hotel.

  "Where is this?" Xing Ye followed Jia Kai to a grand banquet hall, and saw Jia Kai hand over an invitation-like thing to the doorman, who then let them in.

  "This is a reception after the successful investment promotion in the city, and the guests are all foreign businessmen and domestic successful entrepreneurs." Jia Kai walked into the room with a relaxed tone.

  Under the dim starry night, looking around, they were all socialites and entrepreneurs. Before, I had underestimated Jia Kai's ability. In just one afternoon, not only did he figure out Zhang Honghai's file, but also got an invitation to this high-end banquet. It was just that the two of them were too young, seemingly not fitting in with the crowd around them.

  Alongside the grand hall, a long table was set with snacks and drinks. The banquet was in a self-service format, where everyone could help themselves to whatever they wanted.

  This wine party will only have some small snacks that can't fill your stomach, and no one comes to such gatherings for the food.

  Jia Kai stopped Xing Ye from reaching for the champagne, "That's a strong wine," and handed him a cup of fruit juice instead.

  She didn't say a word, but her own drinking capacity was good. She had once drunk two bottles of foreign wine without getting drunk, and a few cups of champagne were nothing to her, but she dared not tell Jia Kai about it.

  Jia Kai took a few small pastries and pulled Xing Ye to find a quiet place with no one around to sit down.

  "What's the point of coming here? Don't tell me it's just for food, I don't believe you. And how did you get an invitation anyway? Don't say you picked one up, that excuse won't even fool a kid." Xing Ye said to Jia Kai.

  "I don't know if it's right to bring you here, let me ask you first, and later on, don't get angry with your brother, okay?" Jia Kai said with a bit of a mischievous tone.

  The fox-like girl gazed at him with a suspicious look, and a bad premonition began to grow in her heart.

  "Ladies and gentlemen," the host's words drew everyone's attention to one place, and the host on stage continued, "Next, please welcome our municipal party committee leader Secretary Zhang to give us a speech, everyone is welcome."

  Xing Ye watched as Zhang Hong Hai walked onto the stage amidst applause from the crowd, but all she could hear was a buzzing in her head. Zhang Hong Hai's speech had already begun, yet she hadn't caught a single word.

  "Is this why you brought me here?" Xing Ye turned his head and coldly said to Jia Kai, not waiting for him to respond before turning around and walking out.

  "Listen to me, Xīn Yè, listen to me." It wasn't until they reached the doorway that Jiā Kǎi finally managed to grab hold of the furious Xīn Yè.

  "You clearly know that I don't want to recognize him, nor do I want to meet with him. Why are you still doing this?" Xing Ye's heart was filled with anger, but she didn't shout loudly, instead asking calmly.

  Jia Kai looked at Xing Ye, thinking she would cry and scold him, but instead she just calmly asked herself, her detached indifference hurting him more than if Xing Ye had yelled at him.

  "I know you don't want to acknowledge him, and I think it's good that you don't. To be honest, I don't have a good impression of him either. This afternoon, I went to look for his file just to satisfy my curiosity. Coincidentally, I heard he would be attending this party, so whether or not you come, I'm quite anxious about it." Jia Kai looked at Xing Ye, who was quietly watching him with no change in expression, and continued, "You want to treat him as an ordinary person unrelated to you? But look at your reaction yesterday, and then look at your reaction now - anyone can tell that it's not normal. Your heart is not as carefree as you say."

  At night, I thought about what he said in my heart, and after thinking about it, I still said "I'm not being dishonest, I really don't want to have anything to do with him."

  Jia Kai's anger dissipated upon hearing Xing Ye's words, and he let out a sigh of relief. He spoke in a gentle tone, "That's right, it's your heart's desire, so you must achieve it. Even if you're face to face with him, can't you remain calm?"

  Xīng yè yǒu xiē chà yì de kàn zhe jiā kǎi, zhè ge pàng zi shuō lái shuō qù jú rán shì wèi le zhè gè, zhè yě tài fù hēi le xiē ba!

  Translation:

  Starry night looked at Jia Kai with some surprise, this guy was actually talking about this all along, isn't that a bit too sinister?!

  "You think about it, our whole family, even if it's dad, won't tell him without your consent, right? But just like yesterday, who knows when we'll run into each other."

  Between intelligent people, there's no need for explicit explanations. Xing Ye naturally understood Jia Kai's meaning and found his approach somewhat amusing.

  "I know, don't blame you, but there's no need to be like that. Yesterday I just wasn't mentally prepared, and it won't happen again when we meet next time. Why bother going to such great lengths? You even specially bought clothes and shoes." Xing Ye said.

  "Are we going in or not?" Jia Kai asked, still waiting for Xing Ye's response.

  "It's no use," Xing Ye glanced at the crowded hall, "we seem to be out of place here, let's go back."

  "Alright, let's go have a real meal, there's nothing good to eat here," said Jia Kai.

  Xing Ye had no opinion on this proposal either. It was already past 9 o'clock, so the two of them found a restaurant and solved their late dinner.

  "Don't tell Grandma everything when you go back, don't make her sad." Xing Ye asked Jia Kai.

  After dinner, Jia Kai poured tea and served dishes while accompanying Xiao Xin. Upon hearing Xing Ye's words, he hastily gave a military salute, "Yes, madam."