Chapter 509: The Most Familiar Stranger

Liu Xin'ai snapped back to reality, hurriedly paid the fare, pushed the door open, and got out of the car.

Only then did she turn her head to look at the restaurant close at hand.

This was a garden restaurant, its entrance decorated with all kinds of bright, colorful flowers.

The people coming and going were all young couples, looking intimate and sweet.

Liu Xin'ai's gaze flickered for a moment, her thoughts suddenly pulled back to the past.

She remembered that time when the two of them had come out on a date alone; she had dressed up carefully, and just like now, she had been incredibly nervous.

"Xin'ai?"

The man's gentle voice suddenly rang in her ear, causing Liu Xin'ai's entire body to stiffen instantly.

She froze in place, for a second almost thinking she was dreaming, and did not turn back.

It had been so long since she had heard Cheng Hao call her name like that...

"Xin'ai? Why are you standing there without moving?"

Jiang Chenghao's voice came again, sounding somewhat puzzled; as he spoke, he took the initiative to walk around to her front.

The moment she saw him, Liu Xin'ai felt her entire heart tremble slightly along with him.

Jiang Chenghao's eyes were clear, and his face still wore the warm, genial smile she liked best, as if it were a lifetime ago.

It was as if those muddled years before had all just been a nightmare of hers.

The two of them had never been separated at all, and had always been together sweetly.

"Cheng Hao..."

Liu Xin'ai subconsciously called out to Jiang Chenghao in a low voice.

Jiang Chenghao was slightly stunned, a flash of bitterness quickly crossing his eyes, but it was soon covered up again.

"Mm, it's me. Don't stand here; let's go inside to talk."

As Jiang Chenghao spoke, he bent slightly, making a gesture of invitation.

Only then did Liu Xin'ai nod gently and lift her feet to walk toward the restaurant entrance.

Jiang Chenghao kept his distance, following at her side, using almost all his strength to suppress the urge to hold her hand.

He couldn't.

She was getting married next month...

Jiang Chenghao repeated this sentence over and over in his heart, a deep bitterness filling his soul.

Across the street—

Qin Yiyan watched with his own eyes as the two of them entered the restaurant together, a rare look of disbelief appearing on his face.

Jiang Chenghao had recovered?

Just now, he didn't look at all like the crazy fool from the rumors...

No wonder that woman had been so distracted these past few days; it turned out it was because she was waiting to meet her old lover!

Bang!

Qin Yiyan couldn't hold back and slammed his fist onto the steering wheel.

He didn't know why his chest felt so tight right now; he only knew that the sight of Liu Xin'ai standing with Jiang Chenghao just now was exceptionally glaring.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his emotions, and after calming down for a while, he pushed the door open, got out of the car, and walked straight toward the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant—

A waiter led the two of them to the table that had already been reserved.

Liu Xin'ai sat down against the wall, still not quite having returned to her senses.

Looking at the composed Jiang Chenghao in front of her, she felt it was all somewhat unreal.

"Cheng Hao, is your health really okay now? Why don't you find a time... to go for a detailed check-up again..."

"Okay, I will go do that."

Jiang Chenghao agreed with a smile and then took the opportunity to rattle off a string of dishes to the waiter nearby, all of which were Liu Xin'ai's favorite flavors.

Liu Xin'ai's gaze flickered for a moment, and her eyes couldn't help but sting sharply again.

He still remembered these... remembered what she usually liked to eat...

"Cheng Hao, I..."

Liu Xin'ai felt she had a belly full of words to say, but when the words reached her lips, she didn't know what to say.

Jiang Chenghao wore a gentle smile at the corners of his lips as he poured her a cup of tea, then slowly began to speak: "Actually... I shouldn't have disturbed you."

"What?"

Liu Xin'ai looked up at him in surprise.

Jiang Chenghao's face was calm and indifferent, but his other hand, hidden under the table, had long since clenched until his knuckles turned white.

He paused for two seconds before continuing: "I heard it all from Baobao; she said... you are getting married next month."

"I..."

Liu Xin'ai's gaze stalled, her face instantly burning hot, and her throat felt as if it had been throttled, unable to utter a single word.

Yes, she was getting married.

It was she who had betrayed their love.

Jiang Chenghao saw her embarrassment and hurriedly continued: "Xin'ai, I don't mean to blame you. If we were in each other's shoes, I might not have done as well as you. I just wanted to tell you today that I was very happy during the time we were together. Now... since someone is able to take care of you, I am happy for you too, and I also want to... sincerely wish you well."

He almost gritted his teeth to say the last few words, the smile on his face remaining gentle and genial, not wanting to cause the person he liked even the slightest bit of difficulty.

Liu Xin'ai felt as if someone had sliced her heart open and sprinkled salt on it, trembling with pain.

That wasn't it.

She hadn't fallen for someone else!

And no one could ever replace the position Jiang Chenghao held in her heart!

Marriage...

It was nothing more than a ridiculous bargaining chip between families...

Emotions surged in the depths of Liu Xin'ai's eyes, and she wished she could say everything out loud.

But she could not.

"Xin'ai? You..."

Seeing that her expression was unusual, Jiang Chenghao immediately felt a bit uneasy.

"Hmm? Sorry, I was a little distracted just now..."

Liu Xin'ai came back to her senses and gave an embarrassed smile.

The two of them were clearly the most familiar with each other, yet at this moment, they were acting like two strangers.

Jiang Chenghao's gaze flickered for a moment, and he nodded gently.

The air suddenly fell into silence.

Before he came, he had clearly thought of many things to say, but now that he saw Liu Xin'ai in person, he did not know what to say anymore.

She looked a bit haggard... as if she had something on her mind.

Was there something unhappy going on?

Did it have to do with her fiancé?

Should he... ask?

Jiang Chenghao took a deep breath, not wanting the atmosphere between them to become too heavy.

It wasn't until the waiter came to serve the dishes that he seemed to find a breakthrough, hurriedly picking some of her favorites for her first.

After doing this, he felt a vague sense of regret.

He was a person with an extreme sense of propriety.

Even if he liked her, he did not want to cause Liu Xin'ai any trouble.

Yet, in the end, he still could not resist his true feelings.

This was the last time they would meet...

In the future, there would be no more opportunities to pick food for her.

"Try it first; I don't know if the food at this place still tastes the same as before."

Jiang Chenghao spoke, feigning a relaxed tone.

Liu Xin'ai was touched deep down; she hurriedly took a bite, smiled at Jiang Chenghao, and replied softly, "It's the same as before; the taste is still just as good."

As she spoke, tears could not help but well up in her eyes, so she hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to be focused on eating.

Not far away—

Qin Yiyan sat alone in a corner seat, from where he could see the situation over here perfectly.

The teacup in his hand was already creaking from his grip, yet he only kept his eyes fixed tightly in the direction of Liu Xin'ai.

Heh...

It seemed the two of them were chatting quite well?

When had that woman ever smiled at him the way she just did?