The three of them were greatly taken aback the moment they saw him.

Ji Gui muttered softly, I didnt invite him though.

Long Xiaoxi stared at the two men who entered, remaining calm and composed.

A deafening silence filled the air. Jin Rongyan smiled and said, Brother said that he happens to be free for dinner and wanted to catch up with everyone, so he tagged along.

Long Wenlun said, Sure, join us, then. Xiaoxi just returned from abroad. She isnt clear about how everyones doing yet. Lets chat while eating.

Long Xiaoxi smiled and said, Yeah, all of us grew up together anyway. Join us.

She sounded calm and composed and acted rather natural. However, Long Wenlun was well aware that she was incredibly upset.

Some traumas just never go away.

Jin Yiheng resembled Jin Qingyan greatly and was just as tall. It had been a long time since he saw Long Xiaoxi.

Actually, it was not the first time that he had seen her ever since she returned from abroad.

He was at the supermarket as well when she was shopping with Zhong Minhe. He wouldnt have recognized her easily if she hadnt been with Zhong Minhe.

She simply looked too different.

Her chubby face had now become slim and sharp, causing her chin to be accentuated.

Her eyes appeared much bigger too.

Jin Yiheng knew clearly that it was tough for Long Xiaoxi to lose weight because of how much of a glutton she was. When they were children, she had never once succeeded in losing weight because she was too impatient and not determined enough to curb her cravings.

Hence, she could not lose any weight despite all the high-intensity training that she had been through during the boot camp.

She would often defeat the purpose of exercising by overeating.

Losing weight used to be the bane of her existence.

He knew that she must have gone through painstaking means to lose weight successfully.

He had made the right guess.

Long Xiaoxi had developed chronic gastritis.

She could not tolerate spicy foods at all and would get an upset stomach after eating just a small amount of spice.

She had to stay away from cold foods as well.

No one knew of her condition except herself.

Long Xiaoxi was dumbstruck after the dishes were served.

They were all spicy.

Although they looked extremely appetizing, they were terrible for her stomach.

However, she could not be bothered to order more dishes for herself because there was already more than enough.

She ordered a glass of warm coconut juice and sucked on it with a straw.

Jin Rongyan asked, Xiaoxi, what do you do for a living?

Im jobless now, I quit my job abroad, said Long Xiaoxi, who wanted to avoid bringing up the modeling contest.

What do you plan to work as?

A model.

Jin Rongyan smiled and said, You should be able to make the cut since youre so tall.

She answered, I cant be too sure yet. Who knows what might happen in the future?

Long Wenlun said, My parents hope that she wont begin working just yet. My father had to lie about being ill in order to dupe Xiaoxi into coming home. Hence, theyre hoping for her to settle down in the nation as soon as possible. Fortunately, she has begun making some progress.

What progress? Ji Gui asked.

Minhe has always carried a torch for Xiaoxi ever since we were kids and he recently confessed his feelings to her and asked her to give him a chance. Xiaoxi agreed and so have my parents. They find him to be very reliable.

Ji Gui guffawed and remarked, Wow, youre really something, huh? Youre so quick to grasp the opportunity when it comes. But I really didnt expect Minhe to have carried a torch for you for so many years.

Long Xiaoxi said, I have to grasp it because its rare. The food is getting cold, lets dig in.

During dinner, a sudden tension filled the air. Although Long Xiaoxi turned up specially to catch up with them, she did not speak much throughout the meal and was exceptionally quiet.

Just before dinner was about to end, she received a call from Zhong Minhe. Hello, Brother Minhe.

Where are you?

Im having dinner with Brother, Dummy, and the rest.

I just wrapped up at work and Id like to see you. May I look for you now?

Long Xiaoxi agreed, Sure, but Ill go find you instead.

After hanging up, she said to her brother, Im leaving now, you guys go ahead.

Noticing that Long Xiaoxi was putting on her jacket, Ji Gui asked in displeasure, Youre leaving so soon?

Yes, lets meet up again another day.

She picked up her purse, waved everyone goodbye, and left.

Upon arriving at the entrance, Long Xiaoxi discovered that it had begun snowing outside. She clutched her chest and found it hard to breathe. She had to pant heavily several times to catch her breath. Just as she was about to hail a taxi, she felt someone grab her wrist and she hurriedly turned around to take a look. To her surprise, it was

Rongyan?

You barely ate anything just now. Take this with you. He let go of her wrist and handed her a paper bag containing some food.

Long Xiaoxi took it from him and discovered that it was a slice of cake.

Everyone around her knew that she had a sweet tooth.

She took a glance at it and said with a nod, It looks delicious. Ill finish everything.

His eyes glistened and he said, Dont go hungry.

Long Xiaoxi smiled and answered, Got it.

Long Xiaoxi stared out of the window while enjoying her cake inside the taxi.

Recalling the moment that Jin Rongyan had grabbed her wrist, she could not help but feel silly for thinking that it was Jin Yiheng.

Why would he even grab my wrist?

Even if we have met again, wed be distant and awkward with each other.

He was the one who ruined everything. I will never forgive him!

She had polished off the cake by the time they arrived at her destination.

As soon as she alighted, she was greeted with the sight of Zhong Minhe waiting for her at the door.

Long Xiaoxi disposed of the wrapper and paper bag into a dustbin nearby and walked toward him. Are you tired?

A little, but Ive already gotten used to it.

Long Xiaoxi smiled at him and said, I signed up for a modeling contest this morning. There were so many hopefuls and they were all tall and leggy. Im starting to lose confidence in myself.

Theyre definitely not as pretty as you are.

Have you eaten?

He answered with a nod, Yes, I have. Shall we go watch a movie?

Which movie?

A comedy flick. I heard that it has good ratings. Ive booked two tickets online.

Long Xiaoxi gladly agreed, We cant let the tickets go to waste since youve already booked them. Lets go.

Theres an umbrella, he said, staring at the door beside her.

We dont need an umbrella. The snow isnt that heavy. Just put on your hood. She then tiptoed to put the hood of his jacket over his head before doing the same for herself. They then began walking toward the cinema nearby.