Chapter 5. Chapter 5. Waiting for her.
At least he didn't refuse.
Although his words clearly indicated a polite refusal, and her sudden refusal seemed too presumptuous, like she was eager to sell herself, there was still a chance.
He said: "...I'll think about it again...and then I'll say more..."
Letting her think about it doesn't mean he has to think about it. She'll think about it a hundred times and it will still be the same; she's very determined.
That's because she's always been good at comforting herself like that.
Unfortunately, I forgot to ask for his contact information when I left. I just said I could tell him what I thought about it. I said I'd think about it some more, so surely I should come up with something.
If you put it that way, he probably won't refuse.
However, thanks to the information Zhong Yan gave her, she spent three days studying it carefully, finding the parts that were useful to her, integrating them all together, and then combining them with her own research for in-depth analysis.
It did give her a sense of sudden enlightenment, but unfortunately, since it was knowledge she had never encountered before, all she could get were some obscure words, which made it difficult for her to fully understand.
"Let me see." Seeing that Jin Huan was very troubled, Du Qingxu offered to help her. He was doing quite well so far, only needing three or four hours a day in the lab.
He walked over to Jin Huan, looked at the experimental data she had just produced, and asked, "What is the survival rate this time?"
Jin Huan answered tactfully, "It's a little better than last time."
Du Qingxu reached out to take her experimental data.
Jin Huan noticed that there were several small cuts on his hands, as if he had been cut by a sharp object. Du Qingxu noticed her gaze at this moment, and clenched his fingers back, concealing the wounds without making a sound.
Jin Huan paused, looked away, and made it seem as if she wasn't paying much attention to his wound.
Du Qingxu is different from others. He has a very good personality and is very calm. You almost never see him argue with anyone. But he is also too introverted and deep. In addition, his family situation is special. Jin Huan doesn't want to bother him with many things, or he has to think before he speaks.
Even though the weather is already quite cold now, she still needs to wear a sweater and a coat. Du Qingxu always wears very thin clothes when he goes to class or comes to the lab. Last time, Jin Huan casually asked him if he was cold. Du Qingxu only glanced at her with a strange look in his eyes, but didn't say anything.
She probably said something wrong.
Jin Huan learned his lesson and warned himself never to ask him such presumptuous questions again.
She felt it was concern, but others might not feel it the same way. Jin Huan was very sensitive in this regard, and she respected every sensitive and thoughtful person because she could empathize with them.
Du Qingxu helped her adjust the equipment and corrected a few minor errors. Afterwards, he unusually asked her if she wanted to go to the cafeteria together for lunch.
Jin Huan shook her head: "I'm not going to the cafeteria today."
She's going to the mall to browse around and buy a few new outfits. She only bought one for her uncle's birthday last time, but now she realizes it's not enough, so she wants to buy more.
She has a very strong urge to buy things right now!
Having a shopping buddy would be even better, but Du Qingxu was clearly not a suitable shopping buddy, so Jin Huan didn't say where she was going or what she was going to do, only that she wasn't going to the cafeteria.
Jin Huan casually carried her handbag in her hand. The bracelet on her wrist was pink and gold with a small gold bow at the end. It was understated, but you could tell it was quite valuable.
She has many such bracelets and bangles, and she wears them almost every day, all from brands that Du Qingxu doesn't recognize.
He doesn't need to say anything; the constant reminders of the gap are always there for him, and he also has two part-time jobs in the afternoon.
Du Qingxu straightened her back involuntarily in the cold wind.
He smiled almost imperceptibly and nodded in response, "Mm."
Jin Huan took advantage of her few hours of lunch break to go to the mall and buy a few outfits. She had been busy with experiments lately and hadn't replenished her face cream, so she bought some face cream and stocked up on some face masks. On her way back, she passed a cute flower shop, went in, and bought a bouquet of flowers.
They returned with a full load.
On her way back, she checked her phone and saw that there were 99+ messages in the group chat. She scrolled up and saw that Jingxin had sent a message saying that she saw Teacher Tan's friend come to the school again.
This time, I guess they came specifically to see Teacher Tan.
Jin Huan stared at the message for two seconds, thinking it must be about Mr. Zhong. Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she received a call from Teacher Tan, asking her to come to the office.
Jin Huan put all the things she bought at noon back in her dormitory. She originally intended to put the bouquet of flowers in a vase and add some water so that it could survive for a while, but after staring at the flowers for a few seconds before leaving, she decided to bring them with her.
The sky was overcast, as if it was about to rain.
Jin Huan looked up and regretted not having put an umbrella in her bag when she came out. If it rained, she would have been soaked to the bone.
Jin Huan quickened her pace and walked towards the office.
As soon as she turned the corner upstairs, she saw Teacher Tan and Zhong Yan talking in the hallway. Jin Huan paused and gently stepped back.
The weather was gloomy and the light was poor, so half of Zhong Yan's face was also shrouded in darkness. He always maintained a proper distance when standing with people. At this moment, he was chatting with Teacher Tan. He smiled very gently. Although Jin Huan couldn't hear his voice, she could imagine his tone, which was low and gentle, like an old record player.
Tan Xi was talking to Zhong Yan about his search for a marriage partner.
They were college classmates and friends for many years. Tan Xi even joked about pursuing Zhong Yan back in college. Zhong Yan was said to have a gentle personality, but in reality, nothing really mattered to him. He didn't say anything when Tan Xi made the joke, but Tan Xi was a sensible person, so the joke ended there.
His family is pressuring him to get married, so they need to find a suitable candidate for him.
Tan Xi asked him.
Over the years, Zhong Yan has never been seen to like anyone or be interested in any woman. Tan Xi is very curious about what kind of marriage partner he prefers.
Zhong Yan only said that he hadn't found it yet.
A few days ago, a girl volunteered to be his wife. Zhong Yan didn't think she was being ridiculous. He didn't have a fixed standard for his marriage partner. If it weren't for his father urging him, he wouldn't have been so focused on getting married.
Tan Xi was called in by a colleague in the office because the printer was broken and she couldn't fix it. Tan Xi nodded apologetically to Zhong Yan and said she would go in and take a look, hurrying over.
Zhong Yan was the only one left in the hallway.
Zhong Yan turned around. He had already noticed the white hem of a dress at the corner, and a pair of slender legs unique to girls. He walked in that direction.
When Jin Huan heard the footsteps, the man was already in front of her. His shadow fell right at her feet. When he reached that distance, he stopped and looked at her quietly.
Jin Huan straightened her back instinctively, opened her eyes, and shook her head: "Mr. Zhong, I wasn't eavesdropping."
She did want to hear his voice more, but she had absolutely no intention of eavesdropping. There was a long distance from the stairs to the corridor, and she wasn't an all-hearing person, so she couldn't hear him anyway.
When she was caught red-handed, this was always her explanation.
Zhong Yan said gently, "I didn't say you were eavesdropping."
Jin Huan was still holding that bouquet of flowers in her arms. The main color was pink, with gerberas, freesias, multi-headed chrysanthemums, and turquoise flowers. In the very center were two blooming orchids. The flowers were set against her cheeks, and in the gloomy weather, her smiling eyes turned pink, just like the flowers.
Very cute and vibrant colors.
The next second, Jin Huan handed over the flowers, saying, "Mr. Zhong, I bought these especially for you."
She didn't buy the flowers on purpose, but she brought them out specifically because she heard that Zhong Yan might be here. She genuinely wanted to give them to him. He didn't seem to suit such pink and cute flowers, but Jin Huan still wanted to give them to him.
Giving gifts is a token of affection, and she wanted to show him her feelings more often.
Zhong Yan didn't take the flowers, but patiently asked her, "Why did you give me flowers?"
"I've made up my mind," Jin Huan said, standing on tiptoe slightly, her tone gentle yet firm. "You told me the other day to think about it some more, and I'm sure I... have thought it all through."
Becoming a wife or something... she still gave the same answer.
Before Zhong Yan could speak, Jin Huan, fearing he might refuse, pointed to the office and said she would go find Teacher Tan first, asking Mr. Zhong to wait for her.
Jin Huan shoved the flowers into his hand, jogged a few steps, and went into the office.
Teacher Tan gave her some supplementary materials and a few books, which she said Zhong Yangang had just sent to her.
Because it's a new technology, some of the knowledge might be unfamiliar and difficult to understand. Teacher Tan told her that she could tell her anytime she didn't understand something, and she would help her solve it if she could.
"Thank you, Teacher Tan." Jin Huan put the materials and books into her bag and asked Teacher Tan if there was anything else.
Seeing her rushing around for the first time, Tan Xi smiled and asked, "Busy going on a date?"
Jin Huan laughed, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Jin Huan is at a good age to fall in love. Tan Xi had experienced that feeling back then, but the consequences were terrible, so she didn't want to talk about it anymore. At this moment, she waved her hand and said it was okay, and that she could leave if she wanted.
Jin Huan said goodbye to her and immediately turned and left.
She looked around the corridor and then ran to the stairwell, but still couldn't see Zhong Yan.
Jin Huan hurriedly went downstairs.
Has Mr. Zhong left?
Jin Huan was a little disappointed, but then she thought that Mr. Zhong must be very busy, and it wouldn't be good to waste his time because of her. Besides, she had just asked him to wait for her, but he hadn't agreed.
It's important to learn to comfort yourself from the right perspective; thinking about it this way makes you feel much better.
Parking is inconvenient at school, so he usually parks outside. She only takes five minutes to get into the office, so he probably can't walk very far in such a short time.
Jin Huan still held onto a sliver of hope. She ran toward the school gate, taking large, hurried steps.
It started raining as soon as I stepped out of the school gate.
The rain was fierce, and in just over ten seconds, the raindrops turned into a curtain of rain, which fell with a gust of wind. Jin Huan subconsciously used her bag to shield her head, but then remembered that there were still the documents and books given to her by Mr. Zhong in the bag. She hugged the bag back to her arms, looked around, and ran towards the milk tea shop next door.
The rain came suddenly, and the shop was full of students seeking shelter. Jin Huan stood under the eaves, the rain cascading down on her feet, and she could only try her best to protect the bag in her arms.
A car drove up from the corner and stopped on the side of the road.
The car window slowly rolled down, and Zhong Yan looked at her from inside. She was a little annoyed because she was soaked by the rain. She just stared at the sky, as if trying to tell when the rain would stop. However, the rain was so heavy that her vision became blurred when she looked up. This was frustrating, and her face clearly showed that she was doomed today.
Getting caught in the rain during this season makes it easy to get sick, especially before menstruation when the body's immunity is at its weakest. Jin Huan frowned, still annoyed, but the next second she saw the person in the car, she almost immediately laughed.
Mr. Zhong didn't leave!
Zhong Yan noticed her sudden shift from frustration to happiness and nodded to her, indicating that she should get into the car.
Jin Huan understood what he meant. She took a few steps, opened the car door, and got in.
Her feet were soaking wet down to her calves. When she stepped onto the floor mat in his car, she hurriedly lifted her feet, about to apologize, when Zhong Yan said gently, "It's okay."
Jin Huan winked at him shyly, carefully put her feet down, pulled her coat up over her legs to cover her disheveled legs, sat up straight again, and slowly exhaled.
She slowly looked to the side.
He placed the bouquet of flowers beside his seat, against his coat. Perhaps because of the recent rain, the air inside the car was heavy and stuffy, as if covered by a wet blanket. A faint fragrance of flowers wafted through the air, allowing the people in the car to catch their breath.
Zhong Yan took a handkerchief out of his pocket, folded it into a square, placed it in his palm, and handed it to her: "Wipe yourself first."
Jin Huan looked at the handkerchief in his hand with curiosity, thinking that some people really do carry this in their pockets all the time. She smiled sweetly, took it with both hands, and said softly, "Thank you."
Jin Huan clutched the handkerchief in her hand, her discomfort palpable, and asked him earnestly and curiously, "Why did you let me get in the car?"
Zhong Yan retorted, "Didn't you tell me to wait for you?"
He didn't actually agree to her request, or rather, he didn't have time to agree or refuse, which is why he didn't leave.
A pang of sadness gripped her heart. She looked down at her disheveled feet, thinking that if he said no, she might burst into tears. Sometimes she would do that, suddenly losing control of her tears.
"So what...do you want to say to me?" Jin Huan asked tentatively, then gritted her teeth and spoke first, "Are you going to reject me?"
"Yes." Zhong Yan said calmly. As soon as he spoke, the person next to him visibly drooped, like a deflated puppy.
“Originally, yes.” Zhong Yan’s voice had a warm quality. He paused, then draped his coat over her lap to shield her from the embarrassing situation that girls are concerned about. “But just now, I changed my mind.”
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