My Youth Began With Him

“Don’t worry, I didn’t investigate you. I found out by chance, anyways… I’m very interested in you.”

“So?”

“So… you have to be friends with me,” Jiang Xiaowei said domineeringly.

“You say it as if I’m not allowed to choose. Are you threatening me?” Huo Mian smiled.

“Of course it’s a threat, you must be friends with me.”

“Why?”

“Because I like being friends with people who are just as smart as me.”

“Miss Jiang, you’re really not modest at all.”

“Why should I be modest? I’m smart, that’s the truth.”

“Uhm… okay.”

“So, have you agreed?” Jiang Xiaowei looked at Huo Mian, looking forward to her answer.

“Ya.” Huo Mian nodded.

Then, she saw Jiang Xiaowei take something out from her bag and place it on the table.

“This is for you, as my first friend in 25 years.”

Snap… Huo Mian was shocked. First friend in 25 years? What kind of person was she?

“You don’t need to give me anything… and you don’t need to be so polite.”

“No, take it. I rarely give others gifts, and I’ve come with a purpose today, and that’s to be friends with you, so I prepared a gift.”

Huo Mian slowly picked up the pretty box. As she opened it, she saw that it was a Swarovski brooch.

It was in the shape of a beautiful butterfly with crystal-plated wings.

It looked quite expensive…

“This… is too much.”

“Good faith can’t be judged by the price. Do you know why I like butterflies?” Jiang Xiaowei asked.

Huo Mian was silent for a moment, and then she said, “I think it’s because you admire them. Butterflies go through the painful process of evolving from a caterpillar to butterfly, but as long as it persists, it will one day break from its shell.”

Jiang Xiaowei looked at Huo Mian with great shock after she heard what the latter said, “I can’t believe you analyzed me so correctly. I’ve liked butterflies since I was a little girl, and my family and colleagues all thought that I only liked them because they were pretty, but that’s not the reason. Butterflies are very ugly when they’re caterpillars, and they move very slowly. Other bugs frown upon them because they look so insignificant… but they persevere. No matter how you treat them or mock them, they will still survive metamorphosis to finally become a beautiful creature.”

“You have a unique personality,” Huo Mian exclaimed.

“Don’t mix up my attitude with my personality. My personality comes from who I am as a person, but my attitude is based on who you are.”

“Uhm… you have a point, I actually have nothing to say to that.”

Huo Mian suddenly noticed that not only did Jiang Xiaowei have a high EQ, she was also good with words.

Even Huo Mian, who liked to throw around Chicken Soup for the Soul quotes, had to admit defeat in front of her….

Just then, Jiang Xiaowei looked at her watch, “It’s time, I have other things to tend to, so I’ll be going now. Let’s get dinner in a few days.”

“Okay.”

Just as Jiang Xiaowei stood up to leave…

Huo Mian suddenly thought of something, and she shouted, “Wait.”

Jiang Xiaowei turned around…

Huo Mian took out a box of Longjing tea and handed it to her. “Here, consider this as a gift for my new friend.”

Jiang Xiaowei froze for a second, and then she accepted the tea with a smile on her face.

After Jiang Xiaowei left, Huo Mian wrapped up the brooch and placed it into her bag. Jiang Xiaowei was truly a very strange girl.

However oddly enough, Huo Mian liked her very much. Maybe Director Wu was right, maybe they were similar people.

When she saw Jiang Xiaowei and how arrogant she was just now, it reminded her of herself, 7 years ago…

Just then, Huo Mian’s cellphone rang…

She saw that caller ID; it was from Huo Siqian…