"Sorry, I thought you were dragging your feet on the divorce because you'd fallen for me. I guess not," I said with a candid laugh, not feeling the least bit embarrassed.
Hugh Pei's face was cold, showing no other emotion as he sat across from me, smoking.
The smoke made me cough. Seeing this, he got up and went outside.
In this regard, Hugh Pei was still a gentleman.
About a minute later, I saw Hugh Pei take a call through the French windows and then leave in a hurry.
Just then, my phone rang. It was Ginny Deng.
"Zoe, come have dinner!" she said mysteriously. "Someone you wouldn't expect is here too."
"Who?" I asked.
"I'm not telling you. Just hurry over. I've sent you the location. If you don't come, I'll come to your place and get you!" Ginny Deng said excitedly and hung up.
I looked at the time. It was indeed dinnertime. I told the housekeeper I wouldn't be eating at home and then drove out.
When I arrived, I pushed open the door to the private room. To my surprise, Tilly Ouyang and Ella Li were there too. Sitting directly across from the door was a man in his early thirties, with thick eyebrows and large eyes—a very standard handsome Eastern man.
He was none other than Ginny Deng's older brother, Deng Yiyang.
Seeing me, Deng Yiyang was first taken aback, then his gaze softened. "Xiaoyi, long time no see."
"Brother Yiyang, when did you get back?" I suppressed the slight awkwardness in my heart and put on a generous smile, then went to sit next to Ginny Deng.
"Just got back this afternoon. Ginny insisted on throwing me a welcome-back dinner, so we came out for a meal," Deng Yiyang's voice was steady and calm, the complete opposite of Ginny Deng's personality.
Ginny Deng's older sister, Deng Xing'er, was also there. She laughed, "Ginny's treat, you pay."
A slight smile touched the corner of Deng Yiyang's lips. "It's all the same."
Tilly Ouyang and I were only children, and Ella Li had a younger brother. Only Ginny Deng was the luckiest, with an older brother and sister who both doted on her.
She beamed like a flower. "My brother is very generous. Does he care about the cost of one meal?"
I lowered my head, sipping my water and pretending to be on my phone, but I was actually texting Ginny Deng: *You did this on purpose, didn't you?*
Ginny Deng: *My brother is still single and can't forget you. The moment I hinted you might be getting a divorce, he immediately transferred his work back to the country. Aren't you touched?*
I was speechless: *I'm not even divorced yet! And even if I do, it'll be my second marriage. Why are you setting your brother up?*
Ginny Deng: *What's there to be afraid of? So what if it's a second marriage? My brother is already thirty-three, an old bachelor. What right does he have to be picky about you?*
I wanted to reply, but I heard Deng Yiyang ask me, "Xiaoyi, why are you so thin?"
Ten years of unrequited love, five years of a celibate marriage—how could I not be thin from all the melancholy?
"Maybe I don't eat much. I'm trying to gain weight," I replied. "I'm also planning to start lifting weights."
"Perfect. I've been working out regularly for the past few years. If you're planning to start, you can hire me as your personal trainer," Deng Yiyang joked. "I can give you a friendship discount of twenty percent off."
Hearing this, Ginny Deng immediately shot me a suggestive look, clearly delighted.
I could only nod. "Okay."
This meal was a bit awkward for me, especially with Deng Yiyang looking at me from time to time, his gaze as direct and open as it had always been.
Before I married Hugh Pei, Deng Yiyang was my number one suitor. I had met him through Ginny Deng. Even though he knew I was infatuated with Hugh Pei at the time, he didn't give up and did everything he could to win me over.
But you can't force feelings. Just as Hugh Pei rejected me, I rejected Deng Yiyang.
At that time, other guys who pursued me would back off when they found out I liked Hugh Pei. But Deng Yiyang was as stubborn as a mule and refused to give up.
It wasn't until I graduated from college and married Hugh Pei that he asked Ginny Deng to give me a wedding gift and then went to the overseas branch of his company.
I really felt a bit ashamed. I had repeatedly rejected Deng Yiyang for Hugh Pei back then, only to meet him again now that Hugh Pei and I were on the verge of divorce.
After dinner, Deng Yiyang went to pay the bill. Ginny Deng took the opportunity to urge me, "Zoe, you should really consider my brother. You're planning to get a divorce anyway. You've tried being with someone you love; now you should try being with someone who loves you!"
"The problem is… my thoughts about your brother are very pure!" I felt helpless against Ginny Deng's persistent matchmaking.
"There's no rush. He's waited for five years. What's another year or so?" Ginny Deng said with a grand air, as if her brother were immortal and had all the time in the world.
Not far away, Deng Xing'er was also smiling at me. She knew all about our past.
I quickly looked away, but then Tilly Ouyang and Ella Li surrounded me. "Yeah, Zoe, I think Ginny's brother is great. And he's handsome too!"
"The way he pursued you back then, I'm still impressed when I think about it!"
I was besieged by their chattering, my head spinning. It felt like a forced marriage proposal.
Thankfully, Deng Yiyang came back after paying the bill, and Ginny Deng and the others finally quieted down. He smiled warmly. "Alright, let's head down."
Then, Deng Yiyang picked up a food container and said to me, "Xiaoyi, I noticed you really liked the shrimp dumplings. I had the hotel pack some for you. You can have them as a late-night snack."
Ginny Deng was about to die laughing, her eyes darting around. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to contain her amusement.
Just then, the elevator doors opened. I looked inside and froze.
Hugh Pei, Evan Yu, Lucas Lu, and Jake Fu were there, with Lila Wei in the middle, looking like she was being doted on by a group of stars.
Lila Wei, who had been smiling, became flustered when she saw me. "Sis Zoe."
She and Hugh Pei stood in the very center, with Evan Yu on her left, and Lucas Lu and Jake Fu on her right, slightly behind.
Anyone could see that she and Hugh Pei were the closest, their arms almost touching.
Hugh Pei's gaze, however, quickly fell on Deng Yiyang, whom he also knew.
"Xiaoyi, who is she?" Deng Yiyang sensed something was off and asked softly.
"Lila Wei, also from the music department at A-University. My junior, I guess," I replied calmly. Then I took the food container from Deng Yiyang. "Thank you, Brother Yiyang. I'll be sure to finish it when I get home."
Hugh Pei and his group had already stepped out of the elevator. I was the first to step in, ignoring his somewhat gloomy face. I called out sweetly to Deng Yiyang and the others, "Brother Yiyang, Ginny, aren't you coming? I'll treat you all to karaoke. It's so boring at home."
Ginny Deng knew I was doing it on purpose. She glanced at Lila Wei and Hugh Pei. "Yeah, let's go party! There's no one at home anyway. Some people have been lured away by a little fox. What's the point of staying home alone? Let's go, let's go!"