Perhaps, I never became his friend. He was undoubtedly a good listener, but not an ideal person to talk to. He rarely responds to my complaints and sorrows, let alone shares his thoughts with me. It's not so much that he's not good at words, it's that he doesn't trust me at all, so he chooses to remain silent.

I don't know why he deliberately dressed up sloppy, why he called in sick frequently, why he got into trouble with Liu Yuyang, why he didn't escape from that malicious place by transferring schools like me. The reason why I never raised these doubts with him was not because I was convinced that one day he would tell me, but because I was afraid that our fragile friendship would not be able to withstand such a heavy topic, and that my incompetence would one day lead him to decide to shut me out for good...... Since I didn't know him, I wouldn't be sorry if he disappeared from my life again. Rather, it is only in this way that I can drive away the boredom in my heart and regain the peace of the past.

The relationship between the president and Cang Yu spread throughout the publishing house in half a day, providing colleagues with a lot of after-dinner conversations.

"Yin Ran, you're too uninteresting, you didn't tell us as soon as possible!"

"How do you know?" I sighed helplessly.

"You need to know that the partition wall has ears, and there are more people in the staff cafeteria."

"And your friend was so shocked that it's hard not to get noticed."

"I didn't expect the deputy editor-in-chief to guess correctly, they are really relatives......" After speaking, Li He looked at the seat of the deputy editor-in-chief with respectful eyes.

"Actually, I have long seen that the president and Cang Yu look very similar!" Luo Xiang naturally will not let go of any opportunity to boast.

Hearing this, everyone inevitably let out a burst of boos. "Save it, save you!"

"What are you talking about?" Today's regular meeting ended very early, and before everyone had enough conversation, the deputy editor-in-chief had already pushed the door in, and it was the president himself who walked side by side. It seems that our jokes have been heard by the two of them clearly.

Facing the serious face of the deputy editor-in-chief, we couldn't help but look at each other and be silent.

Surprisingly, the president spoke out at this time. "Actually...... It doesn't hurt to have a chat once in a while. The president said with a smile on his face.

Looking at him, who is the protagonist of the gossip, not only does not feel embarrassed at all, but also looks like nothing happened, I can't help but feel a little lonely in my heart. Compared with the quiet and introverted him in the past, the mature and sophisticated him in front of me makes me feel more unfamiliar.

Although I didn't promise to attend the weekend party, out of politeness, I still found an excuse to let Dong Yiling tell me on my behalf. I thought I could spend a leisurely afternoon at home, but I didn't want my heart to calm down. For some inexplicable reason, I don't want the president and Xu Mingyao to have any intersection. The thought of them sitting together and talking happily makes me feel troubled. But for now, I have no choice but to let them meet, and I hope they don't mention me, and it's better to forget about me completely.

I fidgeted all night, and after all, I couldn't help but ask Dong Yiling what they talked about. I didn't want Dong Yiling to reply that she and Yan Yan also did not go to the appointment because of temporary matters. Since everyone is not available, the party will naturally fall through. Just when I was secretly rejoicing that things had taken a turn for the better, my mobile phone suddenly received a message from Xu Mingyao. The message was to the effect that I had introduced my classmates to him, and they had a good chat and added friends to each other. I stared at the fading screen, my mind blank. In order to inquire about the content of their chat, I had to muster up the courage to ask Xu Mingyao to meet tomorrow. Luckily, Xu Mingyao happened to have a weekend off, so he readily agreed to my invitation and promised to reserve the best spot in the store for me.

That night, the memories of high school kept flashing back to my mind, some good, some bad, some unforgettable, and some long forgotten. I was haunted by a series of dreams all night, and when I woke up, I felt dizzy and listless. After a hasty breakfast, I lay down on the couch and fell asleep, waking up to find that the appointed time had long passed.

When he saw me, Xu Mingyao showed his usual smile, warm and calm, as if I was not late at all. It's hard not to feel good about this tolerance and thoughtfulness, but at this time I don't think about anything other than feeling relieved.

"I'm sorry...... I overslept......" I whispered an apology.

"It's okay, I just had a few messages coming back. Come, order first. Xu Mingyao smiled and handed over the menu.

"Then ...... Ice Mocha Bar...... "I don't dare to open the menu and take a closer look, for fear that I will delay Xu Mingyao more time because of hesitation."

"Roger! Then you take a break, and I'll help prepare the meal. ”

Xu Mingyao reserved me a window seat on the second floor, through the clear glass window, the rose fields on both sides of the road can be seen at a glance. I've seen it many times, but I'm still fascinated by the amazing beauty of the rose fields, and I think it's the innate yearning for nature that humans have. The time in a daze always passed very quickly, and after a while, Xu Mingyao came back with a tray full of food.

"This is a few new products that are going to be launched in the near future, and they will taste good or not."

The guests at the nearby tables obviously heard Xu Mingyao's words, and they all cast envious glances, which made me feel a little proud.

I drank my coffee quietly, thinking to myself how to turn the conversation between him and the president without a trace. After all, Xu Mingyao is very smart, and a slight mistake is likely to arouse his suspicion.

Fortunately, Xu Mingyao took the initiative to talk about yesterday's events. "I heard that you and Dong Yiling were going to come ...... too"

"Uh...... That's right...... I can't ...... something temporarily."

"It's good to run into me in the store, otherwise that classmate of yours would be pitiful enough." After speaking, Xu Mingyao smiled gently.

"Whoever asked him to come alone and cause you trouble......" I muttered dissatisfied.

"How so! The store was busy yesterday, and thanks to his help deliver food, I had time to go back to the hospital. Xu Mingyao paused for a moment, and then said earnestly: "The character is so handsome, there are few people who are so good, you have to take good control of it......"

"What nonsense are you talking about......" I glared at Xu Mingyao fiercely.

"Need my help matchmaking? Always at your disposal! ”

Looking at Xu Mingyao's meaningful smiling face, I was ashamed and angry, and my face instantly turned red. "Don't bother!" I replied huffingly.

"Don't think I'm nosy...... I...... I just want to help you come up with ideas instead of Xingyuan......"

I looked at Xu Mingyao in surprise and was speechless for a while. After many years, when I heard Xingyuan's name from Xu Mingyao's mouth again, my heart was not moved, but sad. I can't understand Xu Mingyao's inner struggle and pain very well. After all, for a long time after that incident, I couldn't face the name as much as he did.

"I know...... Xingyuan hopes you can be happy......" Xu Mingyao's eyes drooped, and his voice was a little choked.

"What about you? Xingyuan must also hope that you can be happy! I looked at Xu Mingyao with teary eyes and said in a firm tone. If as Xingyuan's boyfriend, he has the responsibility to take care of the people she cares about for Xingyuan, then as Xingyuan's friend, I am even more responsible.

"I ...... It's okay ...... me" Xu Mingyao rubbed his eyes and squeezed out a wry smile.

"Enough is enough...... Letting go of sadness doesn't mean forgetting Xingyuan, even if you start a new life, you can still keep Xingyuan in your heart and continue to miss her......"

"Sounds good...... Can it really be done? Xu Mingyao looked at me with moist eyes, his gaze a little sloppy.

"Of course, that's how I got through it!" I patted Xu Mingyao's arm vigorously to convey my confidence and strength to him.

Seeing Xu Mingyao's smile again, my heart was full of relief. At that moment, a shadow suddenly appeared beside me.

"Are you here to get the cake?"

I looked up at the person and was stunned.

"Yes, I heard you were here, so I came up and said hello to you." The president's gaze was very cold, as if I didn't exist, and he just nodded to Xu Mingyao and turned to leave.

Perhaps sensing the confusion on my face, Xu Mingyao proudly told me that the president was full of praise for the cake here, and he even ordered a gift before leaving yesterday. You don't have to think about it to know who he's going to give it to. I suppressed my annoyance, put on a non-caring appearance, and took a slow sip of my coffee. Somehow, the coffee turned sour and astringent, not at all as fragrant and delicious as it had just been.