Zhou Jinglan cared a lot about Qiao Xinruo's opinion, after all, this was their first date, which was of great significance.
In comparison, Qiao Xinruo's answer seemed much more perfunctory.
"fine."
Just three words? Pretty good?
Qiao Xinruo was still wondering if she had fallen for him, unaware of the fleeting disappointment in Zhou Jinglan's eyes.
Well, that's good. It's a positive answer, even if it seems perfunctory. It's still much better than saying you don't like it or hate it, right?
When pursuing someone, mindset and attitude are very important. You need to be positive and optimistic. How can you start to doubt yourself because of a little difficulty?
"Then, can I ask you to hang out again later?" Zhou Jinglan asked.
The answer to this question is very important to him.
Qiao Xinruo looked at him, wondering if she had fallen for him or not. She couldn't tell the answer in one go, but if she rejected Zhou Jinglan now, wouldn't that be the same as nipping the seed of falling in the bud?
Why not just cut it off directly?
But if she chooses this method, wouldn't it indirectly show that she's afraid?
When has Qiao Xinruo ever backed down?
“Sure,” she said.
Qiao Xinruo stood on a few steps, while Zhou Jinglan stood on flat ground. This caused Zhou Jinglan, who was originally taller than Qiao Xinruo, to look up at her. There was a street lamp in the distance, and its yellowish light shone from behind Qiao Xinruo, as if enveloping her in a halo.
Zhou Jinglan was completely dumbfounded.
"I'm going back." Qiao Xinruo turned around and walked into the light.
Only after everyone disappeared did Zhou Jinglan realize what Qiao Xinruo had said.
"Yes, she said yes!" Zhou Jinglan was overjoyed. It seemed that today's date had not made Qiao Xinruo dislike him. At least he had been given another chance to date her.
Everything is moving in a positive direction, isn't it?
On the way back to the army, Zhou Jinglan walked with a bouncy gait, just like a child, in such a good mood that he felt like he could take off at any moment!
When Qiao Xinruo returned home, she found that her family was all sitting in the living room, clearly waiting for her. It looked like a joint trial.
"What are you doing here?" Qiao Xinruo felt inexplicably guilty.
After all, her second brother saw her going out today, so there was absolutely no way she could hide the fact that she was going on a date with Zhou Jinglan from her family.
She knew this would be the outcome, so she didn't even ask her second brother to keep it a secret, because Qiao Gaoyang would never help her keep it a secret; he would only make things worse and add fuel to the fire.
"Xinruo, how was it?" Qiao Gaoyang plopped down next to his sister, sitting very close. "That guy took you on a date, did he try anything? Did he do anything bad?"
Qiao Xinruo: "..."
She instinctively tried to dodge, but as soon as she moved her bottom a little to the other side, Qiao Shouyan pushed her back, leaving her sandwiched between her two brothers in an inescapable, interrogation-like position.
“Tell me honestly what you’ve done,” Qiao Shouyan said.
Qiao Xinruo: "..."
No, this sounds like an interrogation of a criminal.
Does this mean they don't trust Zhou Jinglan, or that they don't trust her either?
"Do you think I'm a prisoner?" Qiao Xinruo said unhappily.
"No, we're just worried about you. How could you—" Qiao Gaoyang covered her mouth, her face filled with disbelief, as if her world had collapsed, and wailed, "You got taken by him so quickly?"
Qiao Xinruo's vision went black. What did he mean by "being taken advantage of"?
"First of all, Zhou Jinglan is not a pig, and secondly, I am not a cabbage, okay?"
"So you've fallen for him and gotten together with him? Xinruo, are you confused? This is only your first date, how could you just, just, just get together with him like this? You're protecting him!" Qiao Gaoyang continued to wail.
A perfectly healthy cabbage in the family, which had been nurtured for over twenty years, was just destroyed by Zhou Jinglan.
Where can he go to seek justice?
"How did I protect him? Didn't you interrogate me first?" Qiao Xinruo said stubbornly.
Qiao Shouyan understood immediately and explained.
“Xinruo, we’re not interrogating you. We just want to know what you did today. After all, it was your first time going on a date, so it’s normal for us to be concerned, isn’t it?” Qiao Shouyan said, his tone noticeably less serious and rigid than before.
Qiao Xinruo: "..."
Seeing her parents, sister, and sister-in-law all looking at her with worry, Qiao Xinruo felt both helpless and amused.
"Don't worry, it was just a normal outing. We had dinner, took a walk, and watched a movie, that's all," Qiao Xinruo said simply, without any details.
She would never mention things like peeling shrimp.
These procedures sound quite normal, typical of a date.
The two brothers weren't worried about eating or taking a walk, since they were in public places. Even if Zhou Jinglan had bad intentions, he wouldn't be able to do anything. But going to the movies was a different story.
In the pitch-black environment, if this kid wanted to do something sneaky, it would be really hard to guard against.
"Going to the movies?" Qiao Gaoyang started croaking again, like a rooster whose toe had been stepped on. "Why are you going to the movies? The movie theater is pitch black. Is that kid up to something?"
As he spoke, Qiao Gaoyang began to roll up his sleeves, looking ready to get into a fight.
"No!" Qiao Xinruo pulled the person down to sit properly with disdain. "He's a gentleman, not as despicable as you think. Besides, I'm not stupid. If he dared to lay a hand on me, I could easily get away with it. Are you looking down on me?"
That's true, Qiao Xinruo does have some skills.
But Zhou Jinglan is a man after all, and his physical condition is not bad either. If it were a real contest, Qiao Xinruo would obviously be at a disadvantage.
"You can't be too careful! Xinruo, don't take this lightly," Qiao Shouyan said.
"You two, stop asking! The way you're asking is making me angry, let alone Xinruo!" Meng Yingxin gestured for the two brothers to shut up and let her and Su Yueya take their turn.
"Xinruo, did Zhou Jinglan take care of you during meals?" Su Yueya asked.
Qiao Xinruo: "..."
They really took good care of her; they even peeled shrimp for her.
But Qiao Xinruo couldn't bring herself to say it, and her tone became vague.
"It's alright, I guess," she said.
Meng Yingxin and Su Yueya exchanged a glance and noticed that Qiao Xinruo's attitude had become noticeably more hesitant, and they instantly understood.
"It's too sloppy. Can you explain it to us in detail?" Meng Yingxin pressed.
Qiao Xinruo's face flushed red instantly.
Qiao Gaoyang: "..."
Are you blushing?
"No, you're just having a meal in a restaurant, why are you blushing? What are you blushing for?" Qiao Gaoyang yelled again.
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