After the two young ladies had their coffee, Lu Xiaojiang looked at his watch and said, “It’s just dinner time. Let me treat you both to a meal. How about Beijing cuisine?”
Xiao Ning, rarely getting a chance to go out, brightened up excitedly and glanced at Xi Tang.
Xi Tang tried to politely decline: “That’s too much trouble for you.”
Lu Xiaojiang said, “It’s no trouble. If I go home, it’s just the housekeeper there. My parents aren’t in the city, and my wife has gone back to America.”
He added sincerely, “Just think of it as keeping me company for a meal, how about it?”
Xi Tang could only nod her head.
Lu Xiaojiang drove them to 1949 in Sanlitun.
The car is parked in the courtyard. As they got out, Lu Xiaojiang looked up and suddenly let out a surprised sound.
He turned his head to look at Huang Xi Tang.
Xi Tang had also seen it—Zhao Pingjin’s car was parked in the courtyard.
Xi Tang had thought he was still abroad and hadn’t expected him to return to Beijing. Yesterday when she went back to Park Hyatt Residence to get her things, she had followed their usual protocol and notified him, but his phone wasn’t working. She had notified Shen Min, who said he hadn’t returned yet. She didn’t really recognize the cars; looking down the row, they all appeared as dark, large vehicles, but Zhao Pingjin’s license plate was too eye-catching.
Lu Xiaojiang asked in a low voice, “Is everything okay? Do you want to go somewhere else?”
Xi Tang shook her head: “It’s fine.”
Lu Xiaojiang accompanied the two women inside. A server in the main hall greeted them: “Mr. Lu, we’ve saved a table for you.”
Lu Xiaojiang asked, “Do you have any private rooms available?”
The server answered, “Yes, we do.”
The three of them entered a private room.
The server came in to take their order, recognized a familiar face, smiled, and said, “Manager Lu, you’re here for dinner? Mr. Zhao is here too.”
Lu Xiaojiang asked, “Is Mr. Zhao here for business or…?”
The server smiled and replied, “Seems like a family dinner. Quite lively.”
Xi Tang kept her head down, silently listening.
Lu Xiaojiang didn’t ask any more questions and invited the ladies to order. They ordered vegetable salad, foie gras paste, Peking duck, duck soup, Kung Pao prawns, scallops with matsutake, and for the ladies, mango pomelo sago and red date lily dessert.
Xi Tang kept saying it was enough, more than enough.
After a while, the Peking duck was served. Xiao Ning ate with gusto, repeatedly exclaiming how delicious it was, amusing even the chef who was slicing the duck.
Fortunately, she had come along; otherwise, the atmosphere would have been too somber. Xi Tang focused on her meal, though she could barely taste the food.
Lu Xiaojiang didn’t bother her, chatting and joking with Xiao Ning instead. When they were about half finished with the meal, a server entered and quietly said to Lu Xiaojiang, “Mr. Zhao knows you’re here and invites you to join them for a while. He says the elderly lady would like to see you.”
Lu Xiaojiang nodded discreetly.
He sat with Xi Tang and Xiao Ning for a bit longer before standing up and saying to Xi Tang, “I’ll go over for a moment. I’ll be back soon.”
Lu Xiaojiang followed the server for a stretch, through flickering lights and classical Chinese garden decor with red lanterns and green lotus. Pushing open the door to the private room, Zhao Pingjin immediately said upon seeing him enter, “Quite high and mighty, aren’t you? Called you so many times and you wouldn’t come.”
Lu Xiaojiang first glanced at everyone at the table, while displaying a broad smile: “Grandma and Grandpa are in Beijing, I see.”
The elderly lady wore a dark red silk padded jacket and a string of purple sandalwood prayer beads. Her graying hair was neatly combed, and she looked in good health. Between the Zhao and Zhou families, Zhao Pingjin was the only child, and the elderly lady often came to Beijing to visit her daughter and grandson. She cared deeply for all the children in the family: “Zhou’er, stop bullying Xiaojiang. Come, come, sit by Grandma’s side.”
Lu Xiaojiang sat down.
A young woman beside Zhao Pingjin, with chestnut-colored hair permed into slight curls and meticulous makeup, smiled at him: “Xiaojiang.”
That was Zhao Pingjin’s fiancée, Yu Xiaoying.
Zhao Pingjin asked, “Who are you having dinner with?”
Lu Xiaojiang replied, “Clients.”
After sitting down, Lu Xiaojiang picked up his chopsticks. The dishes here were also mostly served, likely having arrived just after they had entered their room. Lu Xiaojiang drank half a bowl of soup, chatted intimately with the elderly lady about family matters for a while, and then politely excused himself.
As soon as he left the private room, he called Zhao Pingjin. After a good while, Zhao answered. Lu Xiaojiang asked, “When are you leaving? Let me know.”
Zhao Pingjin said, “Why?”
Lu Xiaojiang repeated his question.
Zhao Pingjin said, “The elderly lady is enjoying her meal. Who knows when we’ll leave.”
Lu Xiaojiang lowered his voice and said, “Anyway, just give me a call.”
Zhao Pingjin couldn’t be bothered to deal with him: “I’m busy.”
Lu Xiaojiang hung up directly: “Show off all you want.”
Lu Xiaojiang didn’t concern himself with him anymore and returned to their private room. With a composed expression, he glanced at Xi Tang and subtly said, “Nothing’s wrong. Please enjoy your meal.”
Xiao Ning didn’t care at all and continued talking to Xi Tang: “We’ll be shooting on location in a few days. They say it will snow. Director Feng is overjoyed, saying snow scenes look beautiful. Sister Xi Tang, eat more to keep warm.”
Lu Xiaojiang passed the soup spoon to Xi Tang: “Ms. Ning has a point.”
At the dinner table, Lu Xiaojiang chatted with Xi Tang: “I might be planning to emigrate.”
Xi Tang was taken aback, not expecting he had such plans: “Why? Isn’t it good here in China?”
Lu Xiaojiang said, “My fiancée’s career is in America, and she can’t come back in the short term. We don’t want to live separately, and the environment here doesn’t suit me either.”
Prioritizing his wife and family—from this perspective, Lu Xiaojiang seemed like a good man.
Xi Tang said, “I remember you’re also an only child, right? What about your family?”
Lu Xiaojiang nodded: “Yes. My parents agree to go with us. It’s just her grandparents who aren’t very supportive. We’ll see.”
Xi Tang gripped the white porcelain spoon and said softly, “As long as you’re happy.”
Finally, they finished their meal. Xiao Ning was particularly pleased, enjoying the attention and the pleasant atmosphere. Lu Xiaojiang called for the bill.
The three strolled out of the restaurant and wandered around the art district for a while. When they reached the parking area in the courtyard, a group of people approached from across the corridor.
Zhao Pingjin was in the center of the group, supporting the elderly lady. Beside them, a secretary accompanied the elderly gentleman, along with a fashionably dressed middle-aged woman and a young girl.
The two cars were parked too close to each other, making it impossible to avoid an encounter.
As the group drew near, Xi Tang stood behind Lu Xiaojiang. She was so strikingly beautiful that even Yu Xiaoying couldn’t help but glance at her.
Yu’s mother teased, “Oh my, Xiaojiang, didn’t you say you were dining with clients? Your client is truly beautiful.”
Lu Xiaojiang, maintaining his composure, smiled and joked to smooth things over: “Auntie, this is my sister-in-law.”
Zhao Pingjin gave him a cold look: “Your wife is an only child. Where did you get a sister-in-law?”
Lu Xiaojiang didn’t respond to him but smiled at the elders and said, “Grandma, Grandpa, it’s cold outside. Please get in the car. I’ll visit Zhou’er’s home to see you both another day.”
It was indeed freezing outside. Yu’s mother ushered the elderly couple into the car, with Lu Xiaojiang helping. He saw the elders in the car.
Zhao Pingjin’s car was parked nearby. Yu Xiaoying followed him closely and took the front passenger seat. Zhao Pingjin opened the car door and looked back.
Huang Xi Tang still stood in the courtyard’s cold wind.
Xi Tang had been quietly standing behind Lu Xiaojiang the whole time, only showing a slight smile when Yu’s mother mentioned her beauty. That smile vanished quickly, and she hadn’t looked at him.
Zhao Pingjin watched as Lu Xiaojiang chivalrously invited the ladies to go first. The two women got into his car, and then the vehicle quickly started and drove away.
Xi Tang returned to the hotel of the film crew, entered her room, and held a cup of hot water, unable to collect herself for a long time.
She hadn’t dared to look closely at his fiancée.
Her appearance didn’t matter anymore anyway. After all, they were a harmonious couple with family elders sharing a reunion dinner. She had stood closely behind him, the wife following her husband’s lead—this was what a proper, ordinary couple should be.
Xi Tang pressed her stiff fingers. Her whole body felt somewhat rigid from the cold.
The reality she had been hiding from in the shadows was now clearly visible, and that was for the best.
Her phone rang in her bag.
Xi Tang took it out and looked. It was Zhao Pingjin calling.
She didn’t answer. It rang again, and then again.
Xi Tang finally answered.
Zhao Pingjin’s voice, characteristically deep and mellow, revealed no emotion: “Come out.”
Xi Tang said nothing, listened for a moment, then put down the phone and walked out.
Zhao Pingjin watched from a distance as she walked out of the hotel’s main entrance. Her hair and makeup were still neat, her face calm though somewhat pale from the cold, expressionless. Her steps were steady, but as she approached, he could vaguely see a trace of bewilderment in her eyes. She wore jeans and snow boots, had rushed out in just a sweater without a coat.
Zhao Pingjin pulled her into the car and turned up the heating.
She lowered her head, quiet and still.
With her hair tied up and her head slightly bowed, her clean, slender nape was exposed. Zhao Pingjin looked at her and asked, “Having dinner with Xiaojiang, why didn’t you tell me?”
Xi Tang opened her mouth but didn’t know how to respond.
Zhao Pingjin asked, “What did you want from him?”
Xi Tang said, “I had some banking questions I wanted to ask him.”
Zhao Pingjin frowned: “Whatever you need to know, couldn’t you ask me just the same?”
Xi Tang said calmly, “I called yesterday. Shen Min said you were still abroad.”
Zhao Pingjin was silent for a moment, then told her, “Next time you want to have dinner with someone outside, let me know, so I can make arrangements.”
Xi Tang gripped her wrist and looked up with a cold smile: “What arrangements? Arrangements to ensure I don’t appear in front of your family and fiancée?”
Zhao Pingjin frowned and said, “Situations like today aren’t good for you either…”
Xi Tang didn’t look at him but raised her head to look at the pale white tree branches outside the window. With her head held high, she said clearly, “Listen well, Zhao Pingjin. I’m not afraid of meeting anyone, and I don’t need you to make any arrangements. Beijing doesn’t belong to the Zhao family. I’ll go wherever I want. I’m so beautiful—am I not fit to be seen? You rushed to lecture me right after dropping off your fiancée? I don’t want to hear your lectures. Goodbye, Mr. Zhao.”
Xi Tang pushed open the door and got out of the car.