Chapter 55: There is a natural sexual attraction between men and women

Little Philip came up to the two of them, still smiling. His expression always looked strange after seeing it so often. He looked like he was smiling, but only the corners of his mouth were raised, and the muscles on his face were still stiff. He exclaimed that they were boyfriend and girlfriend, and apologized to Li Wenjing. Gu Weiyi obviously didn't want to talk to him any more. He just said he had a patient to see and told Li Wenjing to go home early. He kissed her cheek and walked her to the door.

After he left, little Philip followed, stood next to Li Wenjing, and started joking again.

"What a shame. I was planning on meeting you. Thanks for sending me here."

"You're welcome. It's what I should do." Li Wenjing said, "If you really want to thank me, don't look for Charles anymore. He doesn't want to see you."

He was silent for a few seconds, then laughed, with a hint of amusement in his laughter.

"These are just childish things. This time, it was Charles who took the initiative to contact me. Gustav, Charles, and I have reconciled a long time ago. It's just an oil drilling rig. However, when it comes to international relations, Gustav doesn't have such power. The fact that we can act so quickly is also a sign of our sincerity."

"You're disgusting, don't you know?" Li Wenjing said calmly. "Your whole family is disgusting."

Little Philip wasn't angry. A smile always hung on his handsome face, like a mask. He adjusted the wound on his head and said, "This has nothing to do with me. This is how society exists in this world. Foolish people think society is unfair only because it doesn't give them what they want. I believe God is always fair. If He doesn't give them wealth and power, He's protecting them. If He gives them wealth and power, they'll quickly fall and even lose their lives. So we have to help them and make sure everyone has their place. That's the rule of society."

He still smiled. "As for me being disgusting? That's not important. To you, Ciel is a noble doctor, and I'm a disgusting politician. We're just in our respective positions. I helped you this time, which proves that I did a good job, don't you think?"

He smoked a cigarette. The car had not arrived yet. Li Wenjing looked at him. His fingers were well-defined, he had a pair of beautiful hands, a handsome face, and a very moving temperament, but all of this was just skin deep.

"Of course, I don't expect you to understand me. You are an intelligent woman, but your understanding of society is still insufficient."

"Oh? I don't want to understand your disgusting things." Li Wenjing retorted.

The car to pick up little Philip arrived first. He invited Li Wenjing to get in and give her a ride, but she declined. He smiled, shook his head, got in, and drove away. The car to pick up Li Wenjing arrived shortly after. Li Wenjing checked her watch and told her colleagues that she had something else to do at the hospital, so they left. They asked her if there would be a car later, but she told them not to worry, saying she wanted to stay and wait for Captain Lu.

Ten minutes later, Lu Cong arrived. He always came at this time to get the injection. Not only was he there alone, he was also driving with two injured soldiers. The refugees and the local Youth Party had clashed again. He said that everyone needed to drink water and eat. For water, the women here even sold themselves. Some people in the army also violated discipline. If these things were not resolved, the conflicts would only increase and could not be suppressed.

"Everything else must take a back seat to survival," Li Wenjing said. "We've borrowed the oil drilling rig and it should be ready for use in the next few days. But it's from the French."

"So soon?" He was a little surprised. "That's good. One day less of delay means less suffering."

"It was Dr. Gu who used his connections to call little Philip, and he..."

Li Wenjing pursed her lips, a deep sense of guilt nearly overwhelming her. She didn't want this to happen. She had originally thought that at most Gustav would be implicated, but now that it had developed to this point, it seemed to her that she, like Gustav, was exploiting a poor child for profit. Just as Gustav had said before, he and she were on the same side. She, too, had sucked Gu Weiyi's blood to strengthen her existence. The deep sense of guilt made her unable to tolerate herself like this.

"That's not good. I don't want to owe him too much." Li Wenjing couldn't explain too much. "For the projects we do, we still have to use our own equipment."

"That's right. Doctor Gu likes you, so it's fine for him to help you with such a big favor, but it's difficult to deal with foreigners."

"Do you have any ideas? Let's get our machines here quickly. I've tried everything I can think of. Maybe you have some ideas."

Lu Cong pondered for a moment and said, "Well, I'll call the ambassador later. If Dr. Gu can make a call, so can I."

"Thanks."

"You're waiting for me here, just to ask me for help with this?"

"Well—not entirely. Is your injury healed?" He was staring at her. Li Wenjing couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed and added, "I'll treat you to dinner next time."

"Okay, when?"

"When you're free."

"Then when are we going? Let's go now. Let's go to town and grab a bite to eat. We'll be there soon."

"I..." Li Wenjing smiled at him and shook her head.

"Don't you like last-minute invitations?"

"No, you're helping me, so it's me who's treating you anyway."

"No problem, just treat me when the time comes."

He handed the helmet to Li Wenjing, but she couldn't buckle it on, so he helped her put it on, leaving the roughness of his fingers on her fingertips. They rode his motorcycle again, the road was bumpy, and he still said she could hold his waist. Li Wenjing didn't say anything, and he laughed again.

The evening sun pressed down on the two of them, sweeping away the yellow sand behind the wheels. Everything turned red. The bright colors of his uniform and helmet flashed before her eyes. He smelled like the fur of a wild animal after a heat wave, warm and radiant before her. His broad back accidentally touched her chest, leaving her lips dry and tongue parched. She clutched the back seat, afraid she wouldn't be able to resist and would hug his waist. The feeling he gave her was completely different from that of Gu Weiyi. He burned like a reckless force, burning not only her, but also the desire that had always existed in her heart.

They arrived at a tavern in a nearby town. It was very lively at dinner time, with most of the people there being foreigners. The bells for taking orders were ringing, and the waiters were weaving in and out amidst the notes of black jazz, with each step a bell would ring. He and Lu Cong seemed to be very familiar with each other. As soon as he saw the two of them, he led them inside and sat them down next to a cubicle. They drank an aperitif first. He unbuttoned his coat, revealing his protruding shoulder blades. Li Wenjing's eyes unconsciously slid into his round-necked pectoral muscles. He noticed her gaze and straightened his chest.

Li Wenjing looked away and asked him, "Do you come here often?"

"Not often. I come over when I'm free. Otherwise it would be too boring."

"Being a soldier is boring, it's strange that you came here to drink with me."

"Who says soldiers can't ask girls out for drinks?"

"Okay, stop drinking. What if my drunk driving leads me into a ditch?"

"There's no alcohol. If you don't believe me, drink mine."

He pushed his cup in front of Li Wenjing, who waved her hand, "If you don't drink it, who knows if you have Helicobacter pylori?"

"No, I have a physical examination every year. I'm in good health. You can rest assured."

After the dishes were served, he used a knife and fork to divide the meat for Li Wenjing. "Sometimes I want to do something really crazy, like when I just dropped you off. The sunset was so beautiful. I really want to drive forever, just to be with you. Where will we go? Africa is so big, we can drive forever, right?"

"I don't want to drive with you for so long. I still have work to do. If I don't work, there will be no water, and the refugees in town will get sick."

"Ah! Work is more important than me."

"right!"

Li Wenjing admitted it straightforwardly. He waved his hands, holding his head helplessly, and said, "Honestly, do you sometimes want to get rid of everything and go wherever you want, alone?"

"I can't get rid of it, and I can't be alone. As long as we live and survive, we won't be alone."

"You are quite rational. Cheers to you, Mr. Li."

"You want to be free, but isn't being a soldier full of rules? A soldier's duty is to obey orders."

"Yeah, I just think about it sometimes. When I retire, I'll do this. I'll stay home for a year, then go out and travel, just for myself, instead of running around for work like I do now."

"fine."

"I still have two years and three months until I retire," he said. "That's a long time for a girl, and I don't expect you to wait for me. If you're still single, Wenjing, can I come find you?"

"Perhaps this is very likely." Li Wenjing said with a smile, "We'll talk about it later."

His eyes were fixed on hers. Li Wenjing said, "Can I assume you like me and want to pursue me? That's too casual."

"I admit that I have feelings for you. You're smart and work very hard. Most importantly, I have a really good feeling about you. It's just that we've known each other for so short a time that I don't know you well enough. Your heart is still with Dr. Gu. The safest way is for us to slowly get to know each other. Unfortunately, relationships aren't very logical. I'm just telling you how I feel, that's all."

"I would just think you're raising fish, confessing your feelings to a girl every time you go somewhere," Li Wenjing laughed. "Tell me, how many girls have you said that to?"

"You're so smart, so smart you're a little unreasonable. If you keep accusing me like this, I'm going to cry." He bit the ice cube, making a sizzling sound in his mouth. "I'm serious. Of course, you don't have to believe me. I'm just someone you met by chance. If it weren't for Doctor Gu, you wouldn't have met me. I don't have any reason to make you wait for two years. Love can't stand waiting, and I don't want you to wait. What I said today is just a gamble on a future possibility. After all, Doctor Gu..."

He chose his words carefully. "He must have made you miserable."

Li Wenjing said nothing, shook his head, and poured himself a glass of wine.

He continued, "I understand that you need some time to process these things. Maybe you're afraid of upsetting him or causing him to have a relapse. I don't expect anything, I just think you could take some time off. You've already broken up with him, and he's still making you unhappy. Maybe he's not the right person for you."

"You don't understand what happened between him and me."

Li Wenjing drank the wine in a gulp, slamming the glass on the table. He said, "How do you feel about me? Can I understand?"

"You're so nice, it's easy to be with you."

"No more?"

He sighed and patted his chest, which swayed slightly. "Why did you look at me like that just now? I was not mistaken."

"Maybe it's a kind of admiration." Li Wenjing said, tensing her toes. He was still staring at her, and Li Wenjing could only sigh. "To be honest, I have a good feeling about you too. You are very frank with people and treat me very well. I feel very safe, but..."

"Doctor Gu?"

"No, there's a natural sexual attraction between men and women. Just like handsome men, beautiful women, and guys with good figures, everyone who passes by will take a second look. Doctor Gu..." The alcohol was starting to take over, and Li Wenjing pressed her temples. "That's how I was attracted to him at first. He was very good-looking, and I liked him, but even that didn't stop us from being together. Later, the more I interacted with him, the more I liked him. Because during the time I was with him, I went through a lot, and I was slowly getting better. He promised me that he would get better, too. Do you understand what I mean?"

"But now I can only see that you are unhappy."

"This too shall pass."

"I hope so."

He stopped talking and drank his drink in silence. After dinner, he sent Li Wenjing home and said he would call the ambassador tomorrow.

Lu Cong's help worked. He came to see Li Wenjing the next evening and said that the matter had been resolved. The ambassador promised to send the drilling rig immediately. He also asked Li Wenjing if she needed anything else, and she could ask for it. Li Wenjing said she needed food, water, and sanitary napkins.