Kang Yuan stood up, "Rongrong, are these two ladies your friends?"
Rongrong invited the two sisters to sit down, "Yes, my classmate and her older sister."
Being Rongrong's classmate, Kang Yuan thought to himself, it's currently school hours. While it made sense for Rongrong to not be in school since she had already secured early admission, he wondered why her classmate was out and about as well.
He unconsciously formed a negative impression of Rongrong's classmate.
Rongrong, acting as if she had just discovered the Shi sisters were here, called over a waiter to let them order.
Having already filled up on coffee, the two sisters politely declined Rongrong's offer.
"What brings you here, Miss Shi Li?"
Shi Ruan was straightforward about her blind date situation, saying candidly, "I'm here for a blind date, and she's accompanying me."
Rongrong had an expression of sudden realization - her acting skills had improved considerably, with much richer expressions now.
"Please, have a seat."
Shi Li muttered to herself, [He looks familiar, but I just can't place who he is right now]
This answer made Rongrong pause slightly.
Shi Li discreetly inquired about Kang Yuan's background, "Rongrong, is this gentleman your older brother? I've never heard you mention any relatives before."
Seemingly missing the investigative tone in Shi Li's question, Rongrong explained, "Kang Yuan isn't my biological brother, but he's no less than one to me. We grew up together, and he's always taken care of younger kids like me, helping me in many ways."
[Kang Yuan, Kang Yuan]
Shi Li kept repeating this name in her mind. While it sounded extremely familiar, she still couldn't place his identity.
This feeling was quite frustrating.
Rongrong deliberately dropped hints to help Shi Li remember who Kang Yuan was, but it didn't work.
She hadn't intended to praise Kang Yuan, but that's how it came across to him. His face flushed slightly as he modestly replied, "I haven't helped Rongrong much at all, it's all her own doing."
While Rongrong typically disliked engaging in empty pleasantries, she had to continue the polite exchange to support her earlier statement.
"How can you say you haven't helped? I remember when I was little, whenever your family made something delicious, you'd always bring some to our house."
Kang Yuan sighed, "That hardly counts as help."
It was just because his mother had felt sorry for her household, with only an elderly grandmother raising a young girl, so she would send him over with food whenever they made something special.
Even so, Shi Ruan found this connection interesting, remarking on what a coincidence it was.
"I never expected we'd have such a connection."
"It really is quite a coincidence."
The coffee shop had a pleasant atmosphere, with the four of them seated by huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
Outside the windows was the shopping mall, relatively quiet on a workday with few customers.
The sky, which had been clear moments ago, suddenly turned dark with clouds, and rain began to pour down with a pattering sound.
Shi Li exclaimed, "It's raining!"
Rongrong turned to look outside, "Not rain - it's hailing."
Looking more carefully, Shi Li realized it indeed wasn't rain. She had assumed it was rain from the sound, but it was actually hail.
Though the hailstones weren't large, they were enough to send people outside scrambling.
All four watched as people outside rushed into the mall for shelter.
Rongrong's gaze unconsciously fell on one young man seeking shelter, and she inwardly sighed, thinking perhaps their timing wasn't quite right this time.
Such bad weather rarely improved anyone's mood. Shi Ruan murmured, "The weather these days is really quite extreme."
Aliali: 675e95b59234b3e7f2f07a3d
In this weather, the coffee shop's warm lighting created a cozy atmosphere.
Not long ago, there had been only one or two tables occupied.
The sudden hailstorm brought in several more customers, perhaps thinking a steaming cup of coffee would ward off the cold and provide warmth.
Rongrong's somewhat gloomy mood shifted when she noticed a tall young man at the ordering counter.
She rarely showed her emotions so openly, typically maintaining her composure.
Kang Yuan was the first to notice something was off with Rongrong, asking with concern, "Do you know that young man?"
What young man? Why did Rongrong keep getting involved with young men lately?
The young man had his back to everyone, but when he turned sideways after ordering, Shi Li froze.
[Isn't that Liang Rongrong's boyfriend?]
[What a small world]