Chapter 39 My Idol Actually Invited Me to Dinner
At 1 p.m., the phone finally rang again, breaking the quiet of the office lunch break.
Lin Xili picked up her phone, and sure enough, Huo Nanchen's name was displayed on the screen.
Huo Nanchen: [Congratulations, I hope I didn't disturb your work?]
Looking at these few words, Lin Xili's lips unconsciously curled up slightly.
He saw it and offered his congratulations.
She quickly replied: "No, I'm just going through a handover process this week, nothing urgent."
His message came back quickly: "[Take care and get plenty of rest. Try to avoid night shifts for the next three months.]"
Lin Xi felt a warmth in her heart and replied, "I know, I'm only working day shifts now."
The conversation ended there naturally, without any follow-up.
Lin Xili looked at the few short sentences of conversation and felt incredibly fulfilled to have someone respond to her sharing.
At the Lin family home, she received no response no matter what she shared, and over time she began to silently share with herself in front of the mirror.
On Monday, Lin Xili officially reported to the forensic department.
The new environment, new colleagues, and cutting-edge equipment filled her with a sense of novelty and a desire for challenge.
Under the guidance of her new colleagues, she quickly became familiar with the procedures of the forensic department, and a busy and fulfilling day passed quickly.
As she stepped out of the elevator after get off work, a colleague at the front desk called out to her, "Forensic Doctor Lin, please wait a moment. There are flowers for you here; you need to sign for them."
flower?
Lin Xili walked over with some doubt.
The receptionist handed over a beautifully wrapped bouquet adorned with white baby's breath and eucalyptus leaves.
The main flower was actually that familiar blue color—blue snowflake.
She took the bouquet in a daze. Tucked inside was a simple card. She picked it up and opened it; it contained a line of text printed by the florist:
[Congratulations on your joining the company, Huo Nanchen.]
It was him.
In the remote town of Lixiang, he ordered this bouquet of flowers for her through an online florist in Hong Kong.
An indescribable, overwhelming sadness welled up in Lin Xili's eyes, and her eyes uncontrollably reddened.
Over the years, she achieved excellent grades, received awards at school ceremonies, later gained admission to a prestigious university, completed her bachelor's and master's degrees, joined the judicial bureau, and successfully completed her internship...
At every significant milestone in her life, she never received a word of congratulations from her parents, her brother, or her sister.
What her parents saw was whether her behavior was proper, whether she had disgraced the Lin family, and whether she could still be used as a bargaining chip for marriage.
She was already used to walking alone in a corner where no one cheered.
But now, this taciturn man, thousands of miles away, remembers the important moment of her career change.
With such a meaningful bouquet of flowers, I gave her the first and most solemn congratulations of her life.
Just then, her phone rang, and the word "Mom" appeared on the screen.
The jarring ringtone instantly pulled her from her emotional state.
She took a deep breath, answered the phone, and asked calmly, "Mom, what's up?"
"Xi Li, are you off work? Xue Nuo and Yan Chi are going home for dinner. Why don't you come back and join us, so the whole family can get together?"
Song Yuan's voice came from the other end of the phone, and it was also faint.
"I have to work overtime tonight, I can't go home." She used her most common excuse to refuse.
"Overtime? Why do people in the public sector need to work overtime?"
"Okay, I'm busy at the bureau, I'll hang up now." Lin Xili didn't want to say anything more and ended the call directly.
After hanging up the phone, she looked at the bouquet of blue snowflakes in her arms, then at the brief conversation with Huo Nanchen on her phone screen, and felt nothing but irony.
Holding the flowers, she walked towards the gate of the Justice Bureau, preparing to return to her dormitory.
Just as she reached the door, a black sedan slowly pulled up in front of her.
The car window rolled down, revealing a face that was both exquisitely beautiful and imposing—Director Lu Qingshu.
Lin Xili immediately stood up straight and greeted him somewhat awkwardly, "Hello, Director Lu!"
Lu Qingshu's gaze lingered for a moment on her face and on the blue snowflake in her arms.
She nodded slightly and asked, "Your name is Lin Xili, right? Are you off work?"
"Yes, Director Lu, it's time to go home," Lin Xili replied respectfully.
"If you're free, how about we grab dinner together?"
Lu Qingshu extended the invitation, her voice as natural as if they were good colleagues.
Lin Xili was stunned. The idol she admired most in her entire career had actually invited her to dinner?
Thinking she had misheard, she suppressed her shock and nodded, "I'm free, thank you, Director Lu."
She opened the car door and got into the passenger seat.
The car was filled with a faint, pleasant woody scent, just like Lu Qingshu herself—intellectual and elegant.
Lu Qingshu didn't take her to any high-end luxury hotel, but instead drove to a traditional, old-fashioned medicinal cuisine restaurant hidden deep in the old street.
The environment is quiet and peaceful, with few people, exuding a sense of tranquility and serenity.
After they sat down, Lu Qingshu handed the menu to Lin Xili and said casually, "Don't be nervous, relax. Let's just treat each other as friends and chat casually."
"You handled the love potion case very well last time. Your thinking was clear and your observations were meticulous. How are you settling into your new job at the forensic department today?"
"It's a habit, thank you for your concern, Director Lu." Lin Xili took the menu and tried to relax.
This shop has been around for a while, combining herbs and ingredients for nourishing and health-preserving purposes.
The food was served in a harmonious atmosphere. Lin Xili suddenly felt that Huo Nanchen would probably like the food here, as it had a faint herbal fragrance.
"Forensic Doctor Lin, are you married?" Lu Qingshu asked casually, picking up a piece of green vegetable with her chopsticks.
Lin Xili paused slightly in her chopsticks before answering truthfully, "I'm married."
"Oh?" Lu Qingshu raised her eyes and asked jokingly, "Is it from our department?"
"no."
"What does he do for a living?"
Lin Xili paused for a moment, then said frankly, "He works as a doctor at a township health center, specializing in thyroid diseases."
After she finished speaking, she subconsciously observed Lu Qingshu's reaction.
Given Lu Qingshu's status and perspective, would she show surprise or disdain upon hearing such an answer that they were "not a good match"?
Lu Qingshu's face showed no unusual expression; she simply nodded slightly.
She then steered the conversation back to her studies: "I heard you're pursuing your PhD while working; you're very ambitious!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Director Lu."
Dinner ended in a relaxed atmosphere.
After paying the bill, Lu Qingshu took out a folded note from her handbag and handed it to Lin Xili.
“Studying for a doctorate while working is more difficult, and it’s not easy to learn entirely on your own.”
“Let me introduce you to a mentor named Dr. Lan. He is also very knowledgeable in the field of forensic science, but he is a rather low-key and mysterious person. I have never met him in person.”
"This is his email address. You can try contacting him. If he agrees to mentor you, it will greatly benefit your future research and papers."
Lin Xili took the note with trembling hands. It only had a handwritten email address on it.
Director Lu Qingshu actually personally introduced her to a mentor!
"Thank you so much, Director Lu, thank you so much!" Lin Xili was so excited that she was almost incoherent.
Lu Qingshu looked at her and encouraged her, "You know it's not easy to cultivate someone in this field. I hope you can persevere."
Lin Xili nodded earnestly, "I will persevere and work hard."
After leaving the restaurant and getting back into the passenger seat, Lu Qingshu dropped her off at her dormitory building and then left.
Lin Xili watched the car disappear, then looked down at the blue snowflake in her arms and the note in her hand, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
On this day, she received congratulations and care from her husband, whose name appears on their marriage certificate, who had traveled thousands of miles to be with her.
They also received unreserved recognition and support from their workplace idols.
Since returning from the lychee-growing town and recovering from hyperthyroidism, I've blossomed like a dazzling blue snowflake.
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