Chapter 15 – Grab a Meal Together?
Novel Title: 我们已经分手了 (We Have Broken Up)
Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 刘帆 (Liu Fan -MC), 陈谦 (Chen Qian -ML)
*Please read at Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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As fate would have it, the next day Liu Fan ran into Zheng Nian’s girlfriend.
True to Liu Mengjiao’s description, she was a very attractive and gentle girl. She was waiting for Zheng Nian after work. When she saw familiar colleagues, whether close or distant, she greeted them with a smile.
Liu Mengjiao was exceptionally warm this time. And by chance, she managed to get Zhou Xiang’s name and WeChat ID within minutes before bidding her goodbye with a smile.
Before leaving, Zheng Nian glanced at them several times. The two of them, Liu Fan thought, looked like a perfect couple from behind.
Patting her shoulder, Liu Fan remarked, “You’ve got skills too.”
“I can’t just stand by and watch such a pretty flower being treated like this. It’s so damn disgusting,” Liu Mengjiao frowned, looking at her new friend on WeChat with resignation. “Let’s get acquainted first, then we’ll see. We must save this beautiful girl in her prime.”
“Beautiful girls,” Liu Fan said. “The world relies on you to save them. Yeah?” He then looked across the street.
Liu Mengjiao followed Liu Fan’s gaze to a spot across the street. She was curious about what caught his attention. “What’s up?”
There was a black Audi parked across the street. The man in the passenger seat happened to be looking their way, as if he had spotted them and gestured slightly.
“Your friend?” Liu Mengjiao turned to ask.
“Acquaintance,” Liu Fan tilted his head to get a better look. “That’s Fanyu’s.”
Isn’t that Chen Qian’s car? What’s he doing here?
Liu Fan crossed the street with Liu Mengjiao following closely behind. As they approached, Li Yu, standing beside Chen Qian, greeted them with a perfectly timed smile. “I was just about to call you. And here you are.”
Chen Qian leaned against the steering wheel lazily and greeted them, “Your foot is all better now?”
“It’s doing okay. Young people heal fast,” Liu Fan said, leaning slightly and asking, “What brings you over?”
Chen Qian reached out and Li Yu handed him a document folder. He showed it to Liu Fan casually, saying, “Since you didn’t come to pick it up, I thought I’d drop it off for you.”
“Thanks,” Liu Fan glanced at Li Yu and then turned slightly to introduce Liu Mengjiao standing behind him, “General Manager Chen, this is Liu Mengjiao. She’s in charge of this design.”
Liu Mengjiao immediately put on a polite smile and greeted, “General Manager Chen.”
Chen Qian nodded slightly, giving Liu Mengjiao a quick glance before turning his attention back to Liu Fan. His eyebrows furrowed slightly. Sensing something, Liu Fan smiled knowingly and said, “It’s a bother for General Manager Chen to make this special trip. Since we’re all here, how about we all have a meal together?”
At Chen Qian’s raised eyebrow, he quipped, “Got your wallet?”
Making a gesture as if checking his pocket, Liu Fan replied seriously, “Don’t worry. This time, I definitely have it.”
In that moment of eye contact, they found it amusing. They saw a shared understanding in each other’s eyes.
“Sure,” Li Yu interjected with a laugh, breaking their exchange. “You guys know this area better. Any good places to eat around here?”
Whether due to his glasses or his deliberately reserved expression, Li Yu always seemed to exude a restrained sense of austerity. Yet, with that smile, there was a hint of a captivating allure in the corners of his eyes and the arch of his brows. It highlighted his remarkably handsome features.
Liu Mengjiao paused for a moment, seeming slightly puzzled. She instinctively looked towards Liu Fan with her face showing a hint of surprise.
Chen Qian raised an eyebrow inquisitively, “Didn’t you say you had something to do? Let me drop you off first.”
“It’s okay. Since we’re discussing both the copywriting and design, it’s a good opportunity to talk,” Li Yu glanced at his watch, “Let’s get going before the traffic picks up.”
Liu Fan opened the back door and gestured for Liu Mengjiao to get in first, “There are quite a few places to eat around here. What would you like to eat?”
Before Chen Qian could speak, Li Yu added, “Anything is fine. But avoid hot pot or anything spicy. Chen Ge’s stomach hasn’t been great lately.”
Glancing around, Liu Mengjiao caught on to something and glanced at Liu Fan. However, Liu Fan didn’t react much, “Hmm. How about something light then? Actually, hot pot is fine too. There’s a congee hot pot just a few blocks from here, it’s tasty and good for digestion.”
“Pay attention and guide me the way,” Chen Qian turned the steering wheel according to the direction Liu Fan pointed. “There’s a one-way street ahead, it’ll be troublesome if we take the wrong turn.”
Liu Fan leaned back against the seat, smiling mischievously, “If we take the wrong turn, we can just park and walk over. It’s not far, good exercise for us.”
“Exercise?” Chen Qian met his gaze in the rearview mirror, looking like he was about to laugh.
No need to ask, Liu Fan already knew what he was thinking.
It was probably about the morning exercises arranged by their high school, which Liu Fan always dodged whenever possible. Every morning, he would go through a dramatic farewell with his bed, often wanting to stay wrapped in blankets and roll directly under the bed. This was especially in winter. He wasn’t keen on physical activity on ordinary days either, except for occasional basketball games. He was generally lazy and often mocked by Chen Qian for being a little chubby.
Liu Fan turned his head away, pursing his lips.
“My abs are impressive, biceps are impressive. I couldn’t care less,” Liu Fan muttered.
Catching a glimpse of his displeased profile in the mirror, Chen Qian’s lips quirked slightly. A hint of nostalgia flickered in his eyes before he returned his gaze to the road ahead. Sitting quietly beside him, Li Yu watched him and addressed Liu Fan, “Mr. Liu is Chen Ge’s childhood friend, right? This is our second meeting. Do you remember the last time we met at the restaurant entrance?”
“Of course,” Liu Fan responded with interest, “Did General Manager Chen mention me?”
“Li Yu,” Chen Qian clicked his tongue, “Why are you so talkative today?”
Li Yu chuckled softly and teased, “After helping General Manager Chen deal with so much on normal days, is it too late to complain about my verbosity now?”
Chen Qian glanced at him, seeming a bit perplexed by the banter.
However, Liu Fan did grasp the point Li Yu was trying to convey. The intentional or unintentional exclusionary atmosphere being displayed made him feel somewhat powerless. He estimated that Li Yu’s appearance didn’t match this style at all. So why was he behaving like this? Truly, appearances can be deceiving.
Moreover, what’s the use of doing this?
Liu Fan closed his mouth. His expression turned melancholic as he gazed out the window. Liu Mengjiao understood him deeply, knowing that this was how he often acted when he found things troublesome.
She glanced around and said, “I’ve heard Liu Fan mention General Manager Chen before.”
Liu Fan raised an eyebrow, amused as he looked at her. Liu Mengjiao smiled back at him and said crisply, “It’s fate for you two to meet again.”
“Oh?” Chen Qian’s sharp gaze came through the rearview mirror. His tone carried a hint of meaning, “What did my old classmate say about me?”
“He said you were wise and valiant from a young age. You were able to assert control to reach your goals,” Liu Mengjiao leisurely added. Chen Qian chuckled, “Liu Xiaofan, do you want to get down now and chase after my car?”
Liu Fan raised both hands in surrender, indicating he was backing down.
“You guys really have a good relationship,” Liu Mengjiao remarked with emotion. “I’ve always envied that. I’ve been hoping for a childhood sweetheart. But it’s been over twenty years too late.”
In the front seat, Li Yu interjected, “But you two haven’t been in contact for seven years, right? That’s quite a long time.”
“What does it matter? The time apart is far less than the time together,” Liu Mengjiao said theatrically, smiling coquettishly at Liu Fan and tilting her chin, “Right?”
Liu Fan couldn’t stand it and shook his head. He gestured with his index finger to his lips, signalling her to stop talking before she went too far. Liu Mengjiao simply shrugged. She then hugged her ample chest with both hands and leaned against the window. “Ah. We’re here.”
After parking the car, the four were led by the waiter to their booth and seated. Liu Mengjiao sat next to Liu Fan, while Li Yu sat across from them, flipping through the menu.
Liu Fan felt that Li Yu had put in some effort, as the dishes he ordered were ones Chen Qian liked.
It was then that Li Yu asked, “Is there anything you two don’t eat?”
“Don’t order anything bitter,” Chen Qian said. He then glanced at the table and instructed the waiter, “Bring some vinegar and green chilli over.”
The waiter noted down the order on an iPad and relayed it to another staff member before heading to the kitchen.
Li Yu also ordered some tendon, saying, “You drank quite a bit last night. Let’s keep it light today.”
Ignoring his advice, Chen Qian casually flipped through a few pages of the menu and then tossed it to Liu Fan. Liu Fan ordered crispy pork and bean curd skin for Liu Mengjiao and himself. He then handed the menu back to the waiter, saying, “Just these for now. Thank you.”
“Sure, please wait a moment,” the waiter acknowledged and left. The person who had just come from the kitchen brought over a vinegar bottle and a small dish of chopped green chilli, placing them in front of Chen Qian. Li Yu glanced at them but remained silent, seemingly resigned.
Liu Fan poured tea for the four of them. While doing so, he grabbed the dish of chilli oil. Chen Qian looked at him and was speechless.
“I just wanna try some chilli oil for the taste,” Liu Fan said as he divided the chilli oil between himself and Liu Mengjiao, adding it to their dipping sauces. “You shouldn’t eat raw green chilis if your stomach’s not feeling well. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of these for you.”
Chen Qian hesitated for a few seconds. He was visibly displeased. But he then reluctantly passed the vinegar bottle over with a look of disdain. “Here. Take it.”
“Thank you,” Liu Fan took the vinegar bottle, sensing a meaningful glance. He looked up at Li Yu and casually asked, “Assistant Li, would you like some?”
Li Yu gave him a deep look. “No need. I don’t like eating vinegar.”
The statement was ambiguous. Liu Fan almost misunderstood it, but he quickly rephrased, “It’s acidic and appetising. Eating more in summer can stimulate your appetite.”
“By the way, Assistant Li,” Liu Mengjiao chimed in, steering the conversation away, “what do you think of the design you reviewed? How does it look?”
Liu Fan didn’t join their discussion. He instead quietly sipped his tea and wondered how long it would take for the food to arrive. A text message notification chimed on his phone lying on the table.
He picked it up and checked. It was from the guy across the table.
Chen Qian: So, is she straight?
Liu Fan switched his phone to silent mode.
Liu Fan: Yeah. But she’s a straight ally, ever heard of it?
Chen Qian: Never heard of it. What’s that?
Liu Fan: How old are you anyway, General Manager Chen?
Chen Qian: If you want a beating, just say it.
Liu Fan: But in our company, there’s indeed a kindred spirit. He’s a fraud who deceived others pretending to be straight and cheated behind their back. What a scumbag.
Chen Qian: Oh, you know about someone else who’s a fraud and a cheater?
Liu Fan: We’ve met his girlfriend. She was quite a nice girl. But last night when me and Mengjiao went to a gay bar, we saw him flirting with another guy.
Chen Qian: You’re not fully recovered yet, but you went to the bar. You’re quite capable.
Liu Fan: Drinking doesn’t require legs. Next time, I’ll take you out to have fun together, General Manager Chen. Muah!
Chen Qian lifted his head expressionlessly from his phone. Liu Fan also put down his phone, innocently smiling at him.
Beside them, Li Yu seemed to notice something, “Chen Ge, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Chen Qian put away his phone and said lightly, “Just thinking about where to go after this meal.”
This statement clearly caught Li Yu off guard. He was used to following Chen Qian, even when they were both in sales. Since Chen Qian had made a decision, he had nothing else to say.
However…
Li Yu remained expressionless. But his hand subtly tightened around the teacup.
He didn’t want to continue interacting with someone else together with Chen Qian.
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*Author’s Note:
Jiao Jiao firmly stands with Liu Xiaofan: Fan Fan, I support you!
Chen Qian: Who are you to call him Fan Fan?!
The two were about to reconcile. And everyone should be happy. [Chen Qian: Hmph!]
-Yu Xiaofan
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*Translator’s Note: Well, if you’re familiar with Chinese culture, then you know what ‘eating vinegar’ means, right? It means ‘being jealous’ so Li Yu had directly or indirectly made a statement there. Honestly, I hate this kind of person the most. Although he didn’t do anything too bad, I just feel that he’s pathetic. Just move on or make a move. Choose. But Li Yu never confessed before and now that LF is here, he wanted to possess CQ like a jealous wife and pretentiously trying to show that they’re really close. Wtf, man? Now, I remember the discomfort I felt while I was reading this back then. It was the presence of this character! By the way, CQ still grabbed an opportunity to eliminate a potential love rival [LMJ] hahaha!-K
*GLOSSARY:
- Straight ally = A straight ally, heterosexual ally, or cis ally (often simply called an ally) is a heterosexual and cisgender person who supports equal civil rights, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ social movements.
- In Chinese culture, doubling a person’s name, like calling someone named Liu Fan “Fan Fan,” is often a term of endearment. It’s a way of expressing affection, closeness, and intimacy, similar to how someone might use a nickname or pet name in other cultures. This practice is especially common between romantic partners, close friends, or family members. The repetition of the name adds a sense of warmth and familiarity, making the name sound more tender and cute. For example, a boyfriend might call his partner “Fan Fan” as a sweet and affectionate way to show his love and closeness.
- Gege/Ge/Da Ge = (Big) Brother
- Shushu/Shu = Uncle
- Ayi = Auntie
- Didi = (Little) Brother
- Jiejie = (Big) Sister
- Meimei = (Little) Sister
Next update: 2024.09.20
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