When they arrived at the restaurant, Mr. Qin ordered the food first, then sat with Qi Jingren for a while before making an excuse to leave.
In the past, when Qi Jingren dined with Mr. Qin, he often left early as well, so she was quite used to it and waved her hand, saying, "Go ahead, we'll keep in touch by phone." Mr. Qin explained a few things before leaving. As he was about to go, he intentionally observed Qi Jingren's expression; he initially expected to see some disappointment, but to his surprise, Qi Jingren acted as if nothing had happened, sipping red wine and eating steak as usual.
After leaving the restaurant, Mr. Qin drove away and made a phone call to Song Zhike from the car, asking him for some advice.
Upon hearing this, Song Zhike laughed heartily, "So even Mr. Qin has times when he's at a loss."
"I'm giving you a chance to prove your strength," Mr. Qin replied.
