Chapter 41: Arranging a Dinner Meeting

After speaking, Huo Yeran smiled and extended his right hand to Wen Jiu.
“So, you’re a designer. Let’s get to know each other properly. I’m Huo Yeran.”
Wen Jiu also reached out and introduced herself, “Hello, I’m Wen Jiu.”
Only then did Wen Jiu take the seat opposite Huo Yeran.
Huo Yeran asked considerately, “Would you like something to drink?”
Wen Jiu didn’t hesitate and replied, “A latte, thank you.”
Huo Yeran called the waiter and ordered two lattes.
Wen Jiu noticed Huo Yeran’s phone on the table and spoke a little embarrassedly, “I’m really sorry about last time. I didn’t get a chance to add your WeChat for compensation. Let me treat you to a meal instead.”
Huo Yeran smiled and replied, “Sure, let’s have a meal together.”
After meeting Huo Yeran, Wen Jiu dismissed the idea that he was a fraud and took the initiative to pull up the files, turning her computer screen toward Huo Yeran.
“Mr. Huo, please have a look. I followed your requirements and designed several options, with various styles and patterns. If there’s no issue, I’ll send you a copy.”
Huo Yeran scrolled through with the mouse, nodded, and praised, “Miss Wen, your skills are impressive. I don’t see any problems on my end. Would it be alright if I copied these for the company staff to vote on?”
Wen Jiu nodded, “No problem.”

Huo Yeran copied the files onto his USB drive and then handed the laptop back to Wen Jiu.
Wen Jiu took the initiative, “About the meal…”
Huo Yeran understood her question and replied, “No time like the present. If Miss Wen is free after work, how about tonight?”
Wen Jiu nodded, and then heard Huo Yeran say, “You pick the place. I’ve just returned to the country and I’m not very familiar with it yet.”
Wen Jiu agreed, “No problem. I’ll send you the location later.”
With that, Wen Jiu left first.
Huo Yeran sat for a while longer, and finally, as if something occurred to him, he smiled and left the café as well.
When Wen Jiu returned to the office, it was only a little past three. She first reserved a table at a well-reviewed restaurant she and Shen Mengxia had visited before, then continued to finalize the details of the design drafts.
When everything was finished, there was still an hour left before the end of the workday.
Wen Jiu sent Huo Yeran the restaurant location, then went back to work.
A few minutes later, her phone screen lit up. Wen Jiu thought it was Huo Yeran’s reply and glanced at it, only to find that it was a message from Gu Zehuai.
The message was an [animated emoji]; Gu Zehuai had sent her a sticker.
Wen Jiu unlocked the screen and found that Gu Zehuai had sent three messages.

[It feels like I haven’t seen you in days.]
[Want to have dinner together tonight?]
[Animated emoji]
Seeing the last message—a cute, pouty animated sticker pointing at its fingers—Wen Jiu couldn’t help but laugh, picturing Gu Zehuai making that gesture himself.
She had deliberately not told him she’d moved back home; she just wanted to test her intuition.
Judging by the current situation, it seemed her intuition was right.
With that thought, her mood brightened considerably.
She replied to each message: [I moved back home for a few days, so it’s normal you haven’t seen me.]
Their work schedules were similar, and they’d usually bump into each other in the hallway every couple of days, so it was understandable that Gu Zehuai wondered about her absence.
She then sent another reply: [I have dinner plans with someone tonight; let’s dine together next time.]
After responding, Wen Jiu placed her phone face-down on the desk and continued working.