Chapter 168: I Will Not Touch You Again (8)
Translator: Lonelytree Editor: Millman97
That person was Tang Nuan.
Tang Nuan had probably come with Qin Yinan. When she arrived at the restaurant, the two of them were already sitting side by side at the table, chatting among themselves. They seemed to have been there for a while; a smile hung on Tang Nuan's face, and Qin Yinan looked contented.
Song Qingchun spotted Tang Nuan from a distance away, and her movement stopped. Her woman's instinct told her this was a lunch thrown by Tang Nuan to ostentatiously apologize to her. Without wasting too many brain cells, Song Qingchun knew Tang Nuan had managed to get Qin Yinan to forgive her through some sweet words and farfetched justification.
Perhaps Song Qingchun had stopped moving for too long because the waiter came over to ask in a soft voice, "Miss, do you need help?"
The waiter's question was loud enough to catch Tang Nuan and Qin Yinan's attention. Both of them lifted their heads at the same time to look at her. The smile on Tang Nuan's face disappeared instantly while Qin Yinan stood up to greet her with a warm smile. "Song Song."
Song Qingchun stood there for a while before taking the few unwilling steps forward. The waiter pulled out the seat opposite from Qin Yinan for her. As she sat down, he immediately presented her with the menu.
The specialty of this restaurant was old Beijing cuisine. There was a tofu dish that was cooked with chicken broth; that was Song Qingchun's favorite.
Song Qingchun had already prepared to order that before she arrived at the restaurant, but her appetite had completely disappeared when she saw Tang Nuan. She had half a mind to just stand up and leave.
In the end, it was Qin Yinan who made the order. He ordered Song Qingchun's favorite and coupled it with Old Beijing Yogurt, which was one of her fancies as well.
After the waiter served the dishes, Qin Yinan ladled a bowl of tofu broth for Song Qingchun and poured her a glass of corn juice. Then he cleared his throat and announced, "Song Song, actually, this lunch was not my idea; it's Tang Nuan's intention to treat you to lunch."
Song Qingchun's spoon that reached for the tofu froze, and the girl eventually placed the spoon back into the bowl.
"Song Song, are you still angry about what happened before?" Qin Yinan began again in his polite and slightly pleading voice, "Tang Nuan has already explained everything to me. She regretted what happened last time. She said it was because there was only one spot of anchor-woman open at the station, and it pitted both of you against each other, so you really can't blame her, right?
"Furthermore, Tang Nuan did not intend to jump into the water to frame you; she merely slipped and fell. A few days before that, you slapped her, and she was still nursing that anger. The freezing cold made her lose her rationality, and she only did that regrettable thing because she was not acting herself that day."
So, it was exactly as she had predicted… A thin smile appeared on Song Qingchun's face. It was ironic that perhaps the person who knew Tang Nuan the best in the world was probably her, Song Qingchun!
Before Song Qingchun turned to Tang Nuan, the latter opened her mouth to apologize. The words were not dripping with arrogance and pugnacity like usual but instead there were regret and remorse, like she had truly learned her lesson. "Qingchun, I am really sorry. I was not thinking straight at the time, and I regretted it deeply after the fact. I shouldn't have done what I did. I'm sorry; I'm really sorry…"
Song Qingchun was really not interesting in her bold face lie. She raised her hand to rub at her temple before she launched her counterarguments.