Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared
Chapter 431: Definitely Not a Coincidence

Chapter 431: Chapter 431: Definitely Not a Coincidence

Ning Qi walked down the road, her heart still a bit nervous. Although she’d dealt with Lin Xi, would things really go as Qian Ying said they would?

"I’m sorry, Lin Xi, but they came for you, there’s no reason I should take on that responsibility." Ning Qi didn’t want to be manipulated by Qian Ying forever. She was more than willing to sacrifice Lin Xi for her freedom. In her view, trouble had always followed Lin Xi, so there was no reason to feel guilty. Ning Qi even felt that she had been unnecessarily dragged into all this.

Ning Qi found her car and drove it back as Qian Ying requested, intending to take Lin Xi away.

However, an unexpected event occurred. Someone abruptly dashed across the road, startling Ning Qi. She quickly hit the brakes, but it was too late and the pedestrian seemed to be knocked down.

Ning Qi went pale and quickly got out of the car to check on the person. To her surprise, it was Gu Fan.

Gu Fan also recognized the driver as Ning Qi. He feigned surprise, then got up, clutching his leg, and said, "Old friend, it’s been a while. Is this how you greet me?"

"I didn’t mean to. But why did you suddenly appear?" Ning Qi gave an awkward smile, relieved that Gu Fan was not seriously hurt.

Gu Fan sighed, "That was close, really close. Lucky for me, I’m robust. Otherwise..." He paused, grimacing in pain.

"Are you okay?" Ning Qi appeared concerned, but she suspected Gu Fan was up to something.

"I should be fine." Gu Fan assured her, making light of the situation. Then he laughed and tried to seem happy to see an old friend, "I didn’t expect that we’d bump into each other here. When did you arrive? You didn’t tell me!"

"I texted you earlier, but you didn’t respond." Ning Qi felt suspicious about Gu Fan’s appearance. It didn’t seem coincidental, but she didn’t think Gu Fan knew anything.

"I’ve changed my phone and number, so I didn’t get your messages." Gu Fan made up an excuse quickly, then added, "I was actually looking for Lin Xi. The crowd was huge and I lost track of her. I couldn’t reach her on the phone. I never expected to run into you while looking for her. What a coincidence!"

"Indeed, quite a coincidence." On the outside, Ning Qi kept her composure, but inside, she was questioning. Did Gu Fan not know about the relations between Qian Ying and Lin Xi? Was Lin Xi hiding something from him?

The thought made Ning Qi secretly elated. If Lin Xi was indeed hiding something from Gu Fan, then he would not know anything about Lin Xi’s predicaments. This could work out better in Ning Qi’s favor.

Gu Fan didn’t seem to be worried about Lin Xi at all and just asked for Ning Qi’s contact info enthusiastically. He said, "We are friends after all, we should keep in touch!"

Ning Qi thought for a moment, then calmly asked, "But are we still friends? Last time we met, we didn’t exactly part on good terms."

"I apologize for that. I was too worried about Lin Xi and didn’t consider your feelings. Regardless, we are friends who have gone through tribulations together, and friends like that are hard to come by." Gu Fan appeared very sincere. He also suggested, "Why don’t I make it up to you by inviting you to dinner?"

"Sure, but let’s do it another day. I have something on now." Ning Qi started to feel anxious. Gu Fan had already delayed her some, and she was worried Qian Ying would be waiting anxiously.

"Another day?" Gu Fan’s eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t coincidentally run into Ning Qi. He knew she’d be here and had deliberately intercepted her, intending not to let her go easily.

Knowing where Lin Xi had been taken, they didn’t rush in impulsively but instead sent Jie to buy a drone from a nearby store. They flew the drone around the restaurant where the adversaries were hiding and saw Ning Qi’s car arrive.

Gu Fan sensed that they intended to take Lin Xi away by car. That’s why he’d shown up. His goal was to buy as much time as possible.

Seeing Ning Qi about to leave, Gu Fan quickly grabbed her hand and looked at her intensely. Filled with embarrassment, Ning Qi shrugged off his hand and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I...actually...have something to tell you. I thought I would never get the opportunity, but I didn’t expect to run into you again... so..." Gu Fan rambled on and on, trying to create a strange ambience, appearing as if he had a lot to say to Ning Qi, but was too shy to speak.

Ning Qi also felt Gu Fan had something to say, but he just couldn’t get it out, leaving her helpless. She couldn’t wait any longer, so she said, "Alright, Gu Fan, let’s not bring up the past. We’re still friends. If you have something to say but can’t say it now, we can talk another time. After all, you have my contact details." Finishing her sentence, Ning Qi turned to go back to the car. She didn’t want to keep Qian Ying waiting for too long.

Gu Fan wouldn’t let Ning Qi leave that easily. He decided to go all-in and hugged Ning Qi from behind. Ning Qi was baffled. He whispered in her ear, guilt evident in his voice, "I’m sorry, that was my fault. I should have treasured...I shouldn’t have let you leave that day."

Ning Qi furrowed her brow, wondering what on earth was going on. Then she shook herself free of Gu Fan, stating, "Gu Fan, don’t do this. We missed our chance, plus you just said you were looking for Lin Xi. It seems like you and Lin Xi are together now."

"I thought we missed our chance too, so I started dating Lin Xi. But now that I’ve met you again, I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I think it’s fate giving me another chance." Gu Fan spoke earnestly. But inside, he was cursing his luck, thinking that at this rate, he wouldn’t be able to stall much longer.

Ning Qi frowned, feeling that Gu Fan was being serious. Although she seemed indifferent, inside she was elated. Gu Fan, one of the few men who hadn’t fallen for her charms, had finally succumbed.

"I’m sorry, Gu Fan. Maybe for you, it’s fate giving you another chance. But to me, it’s just a coincidence. Let’s just stay friends." After Ning Qi finished speaking, she felt extremely satisfied. Rejecting someone who had once rejected her felt incredibly gratifying.

Nowadays, Ning Qi had no feelings left for Gu Fan. Besides, she had work to do and decided not to drag things on with Gu Fan. But no sooner had she climbed back into her car than Gu Fan jumped into the passenger seat, determined not to let her go.

"Guys, could you speed it up?" Gu Fan was extremely anxious. He silently prayed for everything to go smoothly for Du Jun and his team, hoping that no trouble would arise.