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墨書 Inktalez
This was the third person that greeted Li Hao today. Every time someone approached him, she would deliberately distance herself or pretend to be a stranger admiring different exhibits, trying her best to make it seem like they weren't together.
"Lin Xiao, what are you hiding from?" Lin Xiao recognized Hua Jie's voice. Earlier, she hadn't realized who had called out to Li Hao.
"Senior Sister, new happiness," Lin Xiao said as she noticed the child in Li Hao's arms. She quickly rummaged through her backpack and handed over a cold envelope from a foreign couple to the child in his arms; it was a red envelope for the baby.
Zhao Hua picked up the envelope and teased Li Hao, "This isn't your red envelope for Lin Xiao, is it?"
Li Hao didn't respond, instead pulling out a bill from his wallet and handing it to Zhao Hua.
Zhao Hua chuckled as she shook the envelope in her hand. "You two should just give one gift together."
She wanted to chat a bit more, but Li Hao pulled her away, reminding her not to disturb their date.
Once they were out of earshot, he asked, "Did you give them everything?"
Lin Xiao bit her lip and nodded.
Li Hao sensed her situation but couldn't understand how she could be so generous.
Lin Xiao noticed that he wanted to ask something. "That night, after all, she agreed to lend me money. I'm grateful to her. Besides, she even notified you to come help."
Li Hao felt uneasy; he had personally dealt with the issues at hand and received nothing but a long string of thank-yous and blessings on the first day of the new year.
"Your gratitude towards me seems a bit light. At the very least, treat me to a meal," he said, glancing at the time as dinner approached.
Lin Xiao felt awkward. She had thought about inviting him out as a gesture of thanks, but recently she didn't have much money. What did it mean for single men and women to go out for a meal together anyway?
Moreover, he had confessed his feelings for her before—well, perhaps that wasn't quite right; it didn’t count as a confession since she hadn’t found anyone suitable to accompany her yet.
Currently, she only had around seventy or eighty yuan in change on her, as all the money she earned these days was left at home. With some embarrassment, she mustered up the courage to say, "I don’t have much money on me right now; I can only treat you to something not too expensive."
"That definitely won't do; at least it should meet certain standards," Li Hao replied seriously.
"Then wait until my assessment bonus comes out in March; I'll treat you then," Lin Xiao thought it was important to properly thank him.
She quickly realized that Li Hao was joking with her; he rarely made jokes before, which was why she hadn't caught on immediately.
After finishing their visit at the museum, Li Hao took her to a private restaurant on the outskirts of town. From the outside, it looked unremarkable, but once inside, they discovered an unexpected paradise with an atmosphere reminiscent of an isolated valley filled with orchids.
In the cold winter, several stories high greenhouse had created its own ecosystem—lush greenery surrounded them with gentle flowing water and the distant calls of birds echoing through the air.
Li Hao was unsure about what Lin Xiao liked to eat, but he knew she couldn't handle spicy food, so he asked the owner to serve a selection of seasonal dishes.
As they chatted about the museum, Lin Xiao felt that Li Hao had a genuine passion for artifacts, a love that seemed to stem from deep within him, much like his enthusiasm for his work. He could tell where each piece had been excavated from and could elaborate on the characteristics of different tombs from various periods.
In contrast, Lin Xiao felt she had never been particularly dedicated to anything. She learned what was useful to her, but whether she loved it or not had never crossed her mind. Her interest in artifacts was superficial; she sought knowledge because it was necessary for her job.
As the meal progressed, laughter filled the air, and Lin Xiao often forgot that he was her superior, occasionally teasing Li Hao in a lighthearted manner.
"Lin Xiao, may I ask you a question? I hope you'll answer me honestly," Li Hao said earnestly after noticing she had finished her meal.
Lin Xiao felt a wave of anxiety wash over her; she had an inkling of what he was going to ask, and her face flushed red.
"Why did you refuse me?"
If it were someone else, Lin Xiao would have wanted to say, "You're not currency; why should I be obligated to like you?"
"I'm not saying every woman should like me," Li Hao continued. "We've worked together for so long and gotten to know each other. Why are you unwilling to give us a chance?"
He added, "As far as I know, you haven't had a boyfriend for quite some time."
Lin Xiao was still contemplating how to respond.
"Lin Xiao, I'm not saying I can't live without you. You don't need to brush me off with words," Li Hao said, feeling a bit crazy for pursuing this after having been rejected once before.
Lin Xiao realized she couldn't escape this conversation and decided it was time to lay bare her insecurities.
"I truly feel inferior. You’ve seen my family situation. I've looked at your background check; the gap between us is too wide."
"You have a doctorate while I only have a bachelor's degree. Your future is bright, and I'm still just at the deputy level."
"If we were together and one day you felt we weren't compatible or if we had conflicts during our relationship, would you cut me off?"
Even entertaining half a thought about being with him felt like disrespecting her own life.
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