Chapter 87: Senior Ji
Chapter 87: Senior Ji
Her eyes opened hazily.
Staring up at the unfamiliar plaster ceiling overhead, the woman, freshly roused from sleep, groaned softly, lazily.
Memories from last night surged through her mind like a tide.
She still felt completely limp all over.
She really didn’t want to move even a muscle.
Subconsciously, her hand reached out to feel the spot beside her in the bed.
The bedding was empty.
And cool.
The woman wasn’t surprised, just a little wistful.
After lying still for a few moments, she forced herself to sit up and reached for the clothes tossed onto the bedside table.
The sky was already fully bright; morning light streamed through the glass partition door of the balcony into the room.
“Good morning.”
The sudden greeting startled the woman who had just pulled her clothes on. “Ah!”
Only then did she notice Gao Jing standing near the balcony.
Gao Jing was sitting on a lounge chair next to a plant stand.
On the coffee table in front of him rested a laptop, and a cup of steaming hot tea.
“You, you…”
This scene, completely unexpected, briefly left her stammering: “You… haven’t left yet?”
She instinctively clutched her collar closed.
Gao Jing smiled. “I was thinking of inviting you for dim sum breakfast. Would you honor me?”
He had originally meant to slip away quietly, just like last time.
However, Zhang Hongyuan and Zhu Lili had showed off their affection quite a lot last night.
Suddenly, he didn’t fancy breakfast alone anymore.
Of course, if she refused, he would politely say his goodbyes.
A pretty blush spread across the woman’s cheeks.
She hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Alright.”
Gao Jing: “Then I’ll wait for you.”
He lowered his head to look at the laptop again.
The woman quickly got up and hurried to the bathroom to wash up and get ready.
She reemerged after just half an hour.
That was impressively fast.
She wore a light touch of makeup, looking bright-eyed, vibrant, and dazzlingly pretty.
It made Gao Jing’s mood grow cheerful, too.
Together, they left the hotel room, took the elevator down to the third floor, and arrived at Yue Zhen Dim Sum.
The Yunshang Grand Hotel housed several restaurants.
Among them, Yue Zhen Dim Sum specialized in Cantonese cuisine; their morning dim sum was particularly well-liked.
Seated, Gao Jing asked for her opinion first.
Then he ordered items like shrimp dumplings, fish congee, char siu rice noodle rolls, fried spring rolls, thousand-layer cake, along with tea.
Gao Jing picked up the freshly served hot cup of tea and took a sip.
His gaze happened to meet the woman’s across the table.
She looked away for a moment.
Gao Jing set his tea cup down and chuckled. “I don’t even know your name yet.”
Though they both willingly agreed to this one-night affair,
since they were still having breakfast together, there was no harm learning a bit more.
Gao Jing felt quite positively about this woman he faced.
He didn’t have any thoughts of romance right now, yet his life still needed a splash of colour to spice it up.
Otherwise, it’d be far too dull.
Crucially, the right sort of activity with a partner could perfectly soothe the restless energy often simmering inside him.
It was vastly good for both his body and mind!
The woman pressed her lips together lightly, answering softly, “I’m Ji Yu. Ji as in commemorate, Yu as in rain.”
She felt she couldn’t refuse Gao Jing’s smile.
Ji Yu.
Gao Jing silently repeated the name, then nodded. “I’m Gao Jing.”
“Gao Jing?”
Ji Yu’s eyes lit up. “‘What is lofty is revered, and moral conduct is followed?'”
That phrase, Gao Shan Yang Zhi, Jing Xing Xing Zhi?
Gao Jing laughed. “‘Not quite materialized, but, ah, this boy has a heart yearning to set the benchmark for the worthy.’”
He’d been going to say his name was Gao like tall mountain, Jing like scenery.
He hadn’t expected her to instantly quote the classical allusion.
His grandfather had named him Gao Jing; it came from The Book of Songs, specifically the Minor Ode Battle Axes.
The line ‘What is lofty is revered, and moral conduct is followed’ implied that one of noble character would be held in high regard.
His grandfather had wished for Gao Jing to become someone with outstanding virtue and cultivation.
Gao Jing felt he was still miles from such a state, maybe too distant to ever reach it in this life.
Hence his reply: ‘Not quite materialized, but, ah, this boy has a heart yearning to set the benchmark for the worthy.’
A touch of humility and self-awareness.
Gao Jing offered his hand across the table. “Let’s start over. I’m Gao Jing.”
Ji Yu’s eyes curved happily as she took his hand. “Hello, I’m Ji Yu.”
They shared a smile.
It seemed the distance between them closed considerably; the slight earlier awkwardness vanished completely.
Just then, the server arrived, setting down bamboo steamers filled with piping-hot morsels.
Gao Jing and Ji Yu chatted while they ate.
Through the conversation, Gao Jing learned Ji Yu had previously worked in the legal department of a large corporate group.
She’d recently resigned for certain reasons.
Seeing she wasn’t keen to elaborate, Gao Jing didn’t press; he smoothly changed the subject to something lighter.
It was then he discovered Ji Yu was the same age as he was.
The age of most women is a secret, but Ji Yu was completely open about hers, with no taboos at all.
Also, she was born in February, making her one month older than Gao Jing.
What was even more interesting was that Ji Yu was not only the same age as Gao Jing, but they had both attended the same elementary school attached to Yunhai University.
Ji Yu even started school one year earlier than Gao Jing!
They just didn’t know each other back then.
Ji Yu was quite delighted about this and smiled, her dimples showing: “You should call me Senior Ji.”
Did elementary school even count?
Gao Jing felt both amused and helpless; it really was such a coincidence.
He could only think, It was really fate, wasn’t it?
“Sure thing, Senior Ji.”
He asked with a grin: “Are you free by any chance these next two days?”
“What do you want to do?”
Ji Yu looked somewhat cautious.
“I’m going to Huhai tomorrow.”
Gao Jing explained: “I need to discuss a partnership with a company. You’re a professional; could you help me assess things?”
During their chat earlier, Gao Jing had also shared a bit about himself with Ji Yu.
He helped people with their timber business and had a company registered on Hong Kong Island, and so on.
“Huhai?”
Ji Yu thought for a moment before asking: “How long will you be staying there?”
“Probably about three days.”
Gao Jing replied: “All expenses in Huhai will be covered by me. Plus, I’ll pay you the standard consulting fee according to industry norms.”
A one-night stand was an exchange based on mutual willingness; neither owed the other anything.
But to ask for help? That demanded payment in return.
The two things could not be confused.
Gao Jing was very clear about this point.
He wouldn’t think that just because he’d been intimate with Ji Yu, she should help him for free.
“Do I look like I need your consulting fee?”
Ji Yu bit her lip, hesitated for a second, and said: “Oh, forget it. I have nothing to do staying home anyway. I’ll come with you to Huhai for a few days, consider it a break.”
Gao Jing was pleased: “That’s fantastic.”
So they decided on a meeting time and place and exchanged contact numbers.
Ji Yu didn’t let Gao Jing see her off; she left the Yunshang Grand Hotel by herself.
The next morning, Gao Jing picked up Ji Yu at the subway entrance on Renmin Road, driving his own M760Li.
Today, Ji Yu was wearing a new dress set, her hair pinned up in a bun, and she wore a pair of non-prescription glasses.
With her briefcase, she radiated a sharp and smart look both inside and out.
It was like she had become a completely different person!
Gao Jing hardly recognized her.
And Ji Yu was also a little surprised by the brand-new car Gao Jing was driving.
She probably hadn’t expected Gao Jing to be so wealthy.
But she didn’t show anything special.
Once this Senior Ji had buckled her seatbelt, Gao Jing drove with her towards Huhai, over two hundred kilometers away.