The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

The retro shops on Jianghan Road are hidden in the alleys of old buildings. They may not have big storefronts, but they have a unique charm.

The group entered a small shop filled with floral dresses and each picked out their favorite clothes.

After paying the bill, Shen Qingyao was attracted by a small shop full of pearl hair clips. When she pushed open the door, the wind chimes tinkled.

The shop owner, a girl with curly hair, greeted me with a smile: "Feel free to browse, they're all unique items."

She immediately spotted a hair clip adorned with tiny diamonds and pearls; sunlight streamed through the glass window, scattering tiny sparkles across it.

Shen Qingyao immediately paid the bill. Just as she took the hair clip, Lu Ying walked in and pulled her aside: "Yaoyao, there's a cheongsam in the shop next door that would suit you perfectly."

Shen Qingyao followed Lu Ying to the cheongsam shop, where Xu Huihui was holding a moon-white cheongsam with delicate magnolia embroidery on the collar.

She was pushed into the fitting room by Lu Ying, and after changing into the clothes, she stood in front of the mirror and was stunned for a moment.

The fitted cut accentuated her slender waistline, and the magnolia embroidery made her skin appear fair and radiant, giving her a touch of the gentle grace of a young woman from the Republican era.

"Absolutely stunning!" Xu Huihui exclaimed, snapping photos with her phone. "This cheongsam is practically tailor-made for you!"

Xiang Yu nodded in approval: "The fabric feels great, and the pattern is elegant. Let's buy it."

Shen Qingyao looked at herself in the mirror and nodded with a smile.

She took a picture of herself in the mirror and sent it to Meng Jiangyu, asking, "Does it look good?"

"A masterpiece of Nuwa's skill." Meng Jiangyu put down the document and replied to the message instantly.

"You even know that? You've been staying up all night memorizing plot points again," Shen Qingyao teased.

"Yeah, I have nothing to do when you're not here," Meng Jiangyu said, feigning helplessness.

"I'll be going back in a few days."

The four of them wandered through the alleys, their shopping bags piling up.

By evening, all four of them were a bit tired, so they found a well-established restaurant nearby for dinner.

In the following days, the group did not follow the planned itinerary. They slept in every day and then chose the places they most wanted to visit.

I visited the Zhiyin cruise ship, Gude Temple, the Yangtze River Bridge, and the Hankou riverfront.

On the last day of my trip, I was awakened by the light drizzle outside my window.

Raindrops tapped against the windowpane, creating a hazy mist.

The four of them lingered in bed for a while before finally getting up. After washing up, they packed their luggage and bought some Wuhan specialties on the way to the airport.

Shen Qingyao gazed at the receding scenery outside the window, recalling the experiences of the past few days, feeling somewhat reluctant to leave.

The rain in Wuhan was incessant, while the sky in Beijing was clear and cloudless, and the bright sun made the glass curtain wall of the airport shine.

The terminal wasn't crowded on a weekday. As soon as Shen Qingyao stepped out of the arrival gate, her gaze was drawn to a tall, upright figure in the crowd.

Meng Jiangyu held a bouquet of red roses, wearing a white T-shirt and light-colored jeans. His neat short hair was bathed in a soft glow from the sunlight, exuding youthful energy.

He walked steadily toward her through the sparse crowd.

"My darling, welcome back to Beijing." A deep voice, tinged with laughter, carried the roses he offered, their petals glistening with fresh dew.

Before Shen Qingyao could reply, he had already taken the suitcase from her hand and naturally held her hand in his palm.

"Weren't you supposed to be in a meeting? Why did you come to pick me up?" Shen Qingyao's fingertips curled slightly, and a warm feeling of surprise washed over her.

"You have a fear of parting, you must have been secretly sad when you left Wuhan." Meng Jiangyu squeezed her fingertips, his tone was calm, but he accurately hit the emotion she didn't say.

"Thank you." Shen Qingyao looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

Meng Jiangyu lowered his head and gently stroked the top of her head with his fingertips, his tone filled with undeniable doting affection: "Between us, there's no need for thanks."

"I'm planning to introduce you to my roommates," Shen Qingyao said. "I think the time is right."

"My darling, I couldn't ask for this more."

Shen Qingyao turned around, pulled him towards the people behind them, and said, "Let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Meng Jiangyu."

"He's the Meng Jiangyu we were talking about before?" Xiang Yu's eyes widened, her tone filled with disbelief.

Xu Huihui exclaimed in shock, "My God, sister, you're amazing!"

Meng Jiangyu smiled politely and nodded to the two of them: "Hello everyone, I am Meng Jiangyu."

"Hello, hello, I'm Hsu Hui-hui!"

"My name is Xiang Yu!"

The two responded in unison, their restraint barely concealed.

Lu Ying, standing to the side, was much calmer and greeted him with a smile, "Brother Jiang Yu."

Meng Jiangyu nodded to her, then looked at everyone, his tone gentle yet tactful: "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you all for taking care of Yao Yao these past few days. Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you all to dinner."

"I'm free, I'm free!" Hsu Hui-hui quickly agreed.

Xiang Yu nodded in agreement, a sly glint in her eyes: "If a handsome guy is treating, how can I not go!"

Lu Ying smiled and replied, "I'm free too."

The black Maybach drove smoothly away from the airport. Shen Qingyao sat in the passenger seat, while Lu Ying, Xu Huihui, and Xiang Yu sat in the back seat.

"Hey, Yingying," Xiang Yu leaned closer to Lu Ying and asked in a low voice, "You knew Mr. Meng before?"

Lu Ying put down her phone and explained softly, "Yes, my cousin and he are childhood friends."

As time passed, Xu Huihui and Xiang Yu accepted this astonishing news.

The initial awkwardness between the two dissipated considerably. So what if he was a big shot in Beijing's elite circles? At this moment, he was just her roommate's boyfriend.

As evening approached, the car stopped in front of Wangjinglou Restaurant, where a private room had already been arranged.

Xu Huihui and Xiang Yu were still a little reserved, after all, they were having dinner with the legendary ruthless Meng Jiangyu.

Meng Jiangyu gentlemanly pulled out a chair for Shen Qingyao, then looked up at everyone with a faint smile on his lips: "Don't be shy, just treat it as a gathering of friends, order whatever you like."

Shen Qingyao chimed in, laughing and joking, "That's right, you're all my family, no need to be so polite."

"Yes." These words instantly struck a chord with both of them, and Xiang Yu immediately agreed, her initial awkwardness vanishing completely.

The waiter handed over the menu, and Shen Qingyao said, "Don't be polite with him, order whatever you want."

"Then we won't be polite!" Xu Huihui's eyes lit up as she looked at the pictures on the menu.

Xiang Yu was the first to announce the dishes: "Braised prawns in oil, braised pork belly, typhoon shelter-style stir-fried crab, and roast duck."

Hsu Hui-hui added, "And another poached chicken, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, mango sticky rice, and coconut cake!"

Lu Ying put down her water glass and said calmly, "Add a serving of braised chicken in a copper pot, shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, and seafood sashimi."

Meng Jiangyu didn't look at the menu, but simply raised his eyes to signal the waiter, and said in a calm tone: "Add another serving of braised pork, Longjing shrimp, stir-fried seasonal vegetables and pea flour cake. Also, bring each lady a bowl of bird's nest soup."

Shen Qingyao felt a warmth in her heart; he had ordered all of her favorite dishes.

The other three also understood, and their gazes toward Meng Jiangyu held a newfound approval.

Meng Jiangyu then looked at everyone and politely asked, "Would you all like to drink?"

"Drink! We have to drink!" Xiang Yu immediately raised her hand.

"Should we drink champagne or red wine?"

"Red wine!" the three exclaimed in unison.

Meng Jiangyu nodded slightly and instructed the waiter, "Patus from 16."

"Yes, Mr. Meng." The waiter responded and withdrew.