Sheng Tang lightly patted his hand: "Why don’t you and Song Chen leave first, I’ll be going to have dinner with my parents later, and Jiang Baocu too."
"I’ll go with you all," Gu Shiting said immediately.
Sheng Tang: "There will be many people."
"It’s fine, last time I even had dinner with your dad’s students," Gu Shiting reasoned.
Sheng Tang thought this was a good point and said, "Alright then, we definitely won’t leave until it’s over. You go first, so you won’t get bumped if there are too many people later.
Go to the restaurant, book a table, and we’ll come straight there once we’re done, okay?"
Gu Shiting nodded: "Okay."
Sheng Tang said again: "Jiang Baocu will also go, don’t mind her."
"I don’t mind, she’s your friend," Gu Shiting replied.
Sheng Tang agreed.
They watched the performance for a while longer.
There was also Gu Jiahui’s cello solo. Sheng Tang and Gu Shiting were too busy talking to watch the stage.
About half an hour before the end, Sheng Tang asked Gu Shiting to leave first.
She squeezed forward, making her way to her grandmother’s side.
As soon as she arrived, her grandmother suddenly gripped her hand tightly. Her soft, dry palm enveloped Sheng Tang’s.
Sheng Tang was slightly surprised: "Grandma?"
Grandma seemed to have grasped something, a rare tranquility appeared on her face: "Tangtang, you sang so beautifully today."
"It’s all thanks to my parents and your teaching, grandma," Sheng Tang replied with a smile.
A hint of bitterness appeared on her grandmother’s smile.
Sheng Tang vaguely understood something and quickly changed the topic: "Next is a skit, that senior studied under a renowned master."
Grandma watched the program intently.
The whole performance ended, the actors took their final bow, and the audience stood up to applaud.
Sheng Tang didn’t go.
The lights in the auditorium seats lit up.
Everyone left their seats one by one, some frequently looking back at Sheng Tang.
Sheng Tang noticed it, raised her eyes and saw it was Qi Lin, who seemed to have something to say.
She wasn’t very familiar with him, so she didn’t pay much attention.
Qi Lin’s parents wanted to invite Sheng Tang’s family for dinner; their seats were at the front and they left the auditorium first.
They waited a moment at the door.
A family of four emerged, a couple with two beautiful daughters.
"Mr. Qi?" The father greeted Qi Lin’s dad.
Mr. Qi took a closer look and saw it was Jiang Wei’s father.
Jiang Wei’s father was the vice chairman of the writers’ association, quite prestigious.
"Hello." Mr. Qi shook his hand.
Mr. Qi had met Jiang Wei’s father before; he even knew that his son Qi Lin had a faint crush on Jiang Wei.
Qi Lin had never pursued Jiang Wei, probably because his feelings hadn’t reached that level.
"Do you have plans later? Would you like to have dinner together?" Jiang Wei’s father asked.
Qi Lin’s dad felt slightly hesitant.
Mrs. Qi interrupted with a smile: "Sorry, we already have plans."
Jiang Wei’s father felt a little embarrassed.
Jiang Wei’s brief expression wasn’t good either, she looked at Qi Lin.
Qi Lin didn’t look at her, staring hard at the people coming and going, afraid of missing them in a blink of an eye.
But they waited for a long time, nearly everyone had left the auditorium, still no sign of Sheng Tang’s family.
"Let’s go!" Jiang Wei’s mother pushed her husband hard, her dissatisfaction overflowing.
The men felt a bit awkward.
Jiang Wei’s family left.
Jiang Wei looked back at Qi Lin, still seeing him looking intensely inside.
She gritted her teeth in anger.
She originally didn’t like Qi Lin, even though he always showed her affection.
But losing this suitor suddenly made her particularly unwilling.
Qi Lin and his parents waited a long time, everyone had left the auditorium, but they didn’t see Sheng Tang’s family.
"Did they leave through the back door?" Mrs. Qi suddenly asked.
Mr. Qi realized too.
By now, they must have gone far.
"Oh well, this dinner invite didn’t work out," Mr. Qi said, "Had I known, we might as well dine with the Jiang family."
"Don’t mention that!" Mrs. Qi said with displeasure, "I don’t want any association with the Jiang family!"
Mr. Qi: "..."