Chapter 10: Reencounter with Lin Heng.
"Have some milk." Fang Han took a bottle of fresh milk from the refrigerator, heated it, and brought it out to Gao Wen.
"Thank you." Gao Wen looked exhausted as she drank the milk.
Fang Han went into the kitchen, cut a fruit platter, washed some cherries, put down a knife and fork, and went out to place it in front of her. "Have some fruit to calm your nerves."
Gao Wen took a deep breath, sat up straight, and put the fruit in her mouth.
Perhaps because she is usually too restrained, when she feels anxious, she wants to eat, she wants to eat anything.
Gao Wen's cheeks were bulging from eating. She glanced at the nuts and snacks next to her and asked, "Can I eat this?"
"Sure," Fang Han smiled and sat down opposite her.
Gao Wen tore open the packaging bag, put the nuts in her mouth, and chewed them continuously to suppress the frustration in her heart and keep her mind clear.
She usually goes to bed at 10 p.m. sharp for her beauty sleep, because staying up late will cause dark circles under her eyes. She's used to her biological clock, and at this time she's too sleepy and tired.
Fang Han said softly, "I bought most of the things in the kitchen and living room. You can use them without telling me."
Gao Wen's drowsiness dissipated considerably. She looked around at the milk and fruit platter and the pile of snacks on the table, and the soft cushion under the chair. It seemed that many things were different now.
"Did you go to the supermarket?" Gao Wen slowed down her eating.
"Yes, I bought some things." Fang Han was helping her look up information. His long, slender fingers had distinct joints, and his nails were neatly trimmed and rosy. He was typing lightly on the keyboard with a focused and serious expression.
Fang Han couldn't do much to help Gao Wen, except to look up information for her, download and save it first, and then filter it later.
His movements were unhurried and gentle, just like him—like a refreshing spring breeze or a sweet spring, clear, tranquil, and soothing.
Gao Wen's anxiety and restlessness were gradually calmed down.
She doesn't consider herself a good person; she's ambitious and driven by vanity and avarice, and she's also a bit pretentious and scheming. She also believes that there aren't many truly good people in the world.
After her father died, her mother disregarded her life and death while she was still a minor, sold the house, absconded with the compensation money, and disappeared. She has never asked her a single question in all these years. If even biological parents are like this, what about strangers?
Over the years, Gao Wen has met many, many people, experienced the conveniences that come with beauty, and also witnessed the darkest aspects of human nature.
Fang Han was the most unique person she had ever met.
He is kind-hearted, has an upright moral compass, and possesses a unique and down-to-earth sincerity, making him suitable for a long-term, steady relationship.
Such a stable and well-mannered person will be loyal and respectful to whoever they are with for life. He may not be able to guarantee his wife and children great wealth, but he can ensure that his partner has enough to eat and wear and lives a stable life.
Gao Wen stared at Fang Han, somewhat lost in thought.
Unbeknownst to her, Fang Han's heartbeat had already become erratic, and even his ears were burning. He didn't dare to lift his head, afraid that she would notice something was wrong.
After a long while, Gao Wen finally looked away.
She was silent for a while, and it was unclear what she was thinking.
Fang Han's Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he carefully began to persuade, "There's still a month before the start of the semester, so there's plenty of time. Besides, it's just the thesis proposal defense, so it won't be too strict."
He downloaded and saved a few more documents, his voice clear and reassuring, "Take your time, things will eventually be resolved, and there will always be a solution. There's no need to rush. It's late, and you have to get up early tomorrow. Go back to sleep."
Fang Han's words were like a reassuring pill. Gao Wen really couldn't hold on any longer. She picked up her laptop and closed it, saying, "Okay."
As she walked toward the door, Fang Han whispered behind her, "I'll try to find more information for you when I have time these next few days."
"Okay—" Gao Wen squinted and dragged herself into the room. She used the last bit of willpower to rinse her mouth and fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed.
On the other side.
Fang Han lost his sleepiness. He opened CNKI and studied it seriously, willingly letting himself be dominated by the paper again.
*
weekend.
Gao Wen was in a good mood.
Once you start something, no matter how slow the progress is, it has at least begun.
She has read a lot of literature in the past few days, and the topic has been almost finalized. She feels confident and is just waiting for the first draft to be polished. The start of the semester is still a long way off.
As Fang Han said, there is plenty of time.
"What do you think of this Cantonese restaurant I booked?" Gao Wen showed Fang Han pictures on her phone.
When she got home from get out of class, she took a shower, put on some light makeup, and changed into her flowing dress. Fang Han had helped her a lot these past few days, and she was going to treat him to an expensive meal!
Since taking on the part-time job, Gao Wen wears a yoga outfit with a jacket over it every day, leaving the rest of her clothes to gather dust in a corner.
Having finally gotten a chance, and being so fond of beauty, she naturally wanted to dress up nicely.
"That's great," Fang Han said, his nostrils filled with her delicate fragrance. He looked a little awkward as he asked, "Shall I change the lock for you first?"
Girls should be extra careful when they're out. Fang Han bought Gao Wen a double-lock cylinder, which should have been installed a long time ago, but she's been coming home late and busy these past few days, so it's been delayed until now.
“Okay, but I have to give you the money,” she said, emphasizing, “You can’t refuse!”
"Okay." Fang Han smiled. "I'll take it."
She really shouldn't be too polite to him.
Gao Wen was satisfied. She continued, "That restaurant is very popular. I'll check what dishes to order first, so we can eat right away when we get there. What would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine, I'm not picky."
"OK."
Fang Han, holding a screwdriver, half-squatted in front of Gao Wen's door, studying how to change the lock cylinder. Gao Wen sat on the sofa looking at her phone, considering ordering food. Seeing that he was almost done changing it, she got up and went over to check.
Xu Fei returned from outside. She walked in slowly, closed the door behind her, and looked at the two of them. Her eyebrows twitched, and she paused in chewing her gum.
"Sister Xu Fei, are you off work?" Gao Wen greeted her.
"Mm." Xu Fei nodded in response. When Fang Han glanced over unintentionally, she gave him a meaningful look, her gaze sweeping over the two of them before returning to Fang Han.
Fang Han felt awkward being stared at and avoided her gaze.
Xu Fei found it even more interesting.
Little brat, do you think I don't know what you're thinking?
While Gao Wen was testing the keys, Xu Fei slung her bag over her shoulder and said, "You guys take your time, I'm going back to my room to sleep."
Gao Wen assumed Xu Fei was worried they would disturb her sleep, and replied, "We've already taken care of it."
Xu Fei didn't reply, but instead chuckled softly.
Fang Han: "..."
*
Gao Wen and Fang Han arrived at the restaurant, where a waiter led the way.
“I booked a superb window seat with an amazing view of the night,” Gao Wen said, turning slightly toward Fang Han and lowering her voice.
As she moved, her soft hair brushed against Fang Han's cheek, causing his face to flush slightly, and he almost walked with his hands and feet moving in unison.
Fortunately, the ambient lighting in the restaurant was generally dim, so his expression was not visible.
"Look—" Gao Wen's voice pulled Fang Han back to reality.
She walked to the window with a look of amazement, looked at the night view outside, and couldn't wait to take out her phone to take pictures.
The sky was dotted with stars, the neon lights of distant skyscrapers shone brightly, and below, a golden stream of winding cars flowed down, creating a unique visual feast.
Fang Han had never cared about these things before, but after seeing Gao Wen's bright smile, he felt that everything was incredibly beautiful.
One dish after another was served, each exquisitely presented and filled with enticing aromas.
Gao Wen stared intently.
She had been eating a low-fat diet for several days in preparation for this delicious meal. So the value of this meal is self-evident.
She took out her phone, took a picture first, and then took a selfie.
Fang Han didn't touch his chopsticks either, silently waiting for Gao Wen to take the picture. Just as she was about to tell him to eat, he offered, "Do you need me to take the picture for you?"
It seems she can only take selfies, not panoramic shots.
Gao Wen has always loved beauty and documenting things, and she also loves life. After thinking for a moment, she handed her phone to Fang Han: "Just take one picture."
"Okay." Fang Han nodded and took her phone.
Gao Wen turned her body to the side, showing what she thought was her more photogenic right profile. Her eyes were slightly curved, her red lips were upturned, and she looked at the camera with a bright smile, determined to take the best photo.
This is a very popular restaurant that's trending online lately, and it's really hard to get a reservation!
Fang Han's eyes were filled with emotion, but he kept his composure and was as serious and meticulous as if he were dealing with a massive project, even changing his perspective several times to be on the safe side.
After taking the photos, he handed the phone back to Gao Wen: "I took a few, you can choose which ones you like."
"Thank you." Gao Wen took the phone and smiled as she selected photos, but as she did so, her smile grew increasingly stiff.
Fang Han asked nervously, "Was the shot bad? Should I reshoot it for you?"
"No need," Gao Wen said with a smile, putting her phone aside. "Let's eat."
She shouldn't have had such high hopes. The photos Fang Han took weren't for remembrance; they seemed to be for her to keep a criminal record.
Fang Han touched the tip of his nose guiltily: "I don't usually take many photos, so they might not look good."
“You guys always take pictures like this, it’s okay,” Gao Wen picked up a piece of black char siu, the skin was crispy and fragrant, and her eyes lit up. “This is so delicious, you should try it.”
"Um."
Gao Wen tasted all the dishes one by one, and none of them were bad. They were all incredibly delicious. Today, she didn't have to hold back and could eat to her heart's content.
Too much happiness.
Not far away.
Lin Heng and Jiang Shuyan were also in this restaurant, and from his spot, he could see Gao Wen.
She seemed to be in a good mood, the smile on her lips hadn't faded. A man was sitting opposite her, the two were chatting and laughing, they seemed to have a good relationship, but they were far apart and back to back, so Lin Heng couldn't see his face.
"Aheng?"
As soon as Jiang Shuyan spoke, Lin Heng looked at her and caught a glimpse of Gao Wen leaving her seat.
The next second, he stood up and said, "I'm going to the restroom."
"Go ahead." Jiang Shuyan smiled gently, then looked down to study which dishes would look best in photos.
When Gao Wen came out of the restroom, she looked up and saw Lin Heng standing in the corridor. She was startled, her eyes showing wariness, and she even unconsciously took half a step back.
Didn't she already resign? How could she still run into Lin Heng? Even if she tries to avoid it, is she still going to get caught up in the so-called romance between the male and female leads and become cannon fodder?
"Deputy Director Lin, what a coincidence, you're here for dinner too?" Gao Wen forced a smile and greeted him.
Lin Heng did not respond immediately.
Gao Wen's departure was so sudden and abrupt that, in the meantime, there has been more discussion about her in the office.
The young woman is highly educated, beautiful, sweet-talking, hardworking, conscientious, and attentive. Some people have even started to say that Gao Wen and he would be a good match, but it's a pity that the young woman doesn't reciprocate those feelings.
After all, the two are six years apart. In their eyes, a three-year age gap might mean a man who is already a personal shopper, and a two-year age gap might mean he is an old man.
Lin Heng had previously only heard that Gao Wen was interested in him and wanted to get his attention, and that she was going to marry and settle down in City A. Now that the situation had changed, he couldn't help but overthink and feel uneasy.
Lin Heng didn't respond to Gao Wen's question, but suddenly asked, "Did you come with your boyfriend?"
Gao Wen was stunned by the question, and alarm bells went off in her mind again. She didn't want any emotional contact with Lin Heng. If he thought she had a boyfriend, would there be no more of this?
After thinking about it, she nodded: "Mm."
Since no one can verify whether it's true or not, it's good to completely dispel any thoughts that Lin Heng or others might have about her feelings for him.
Lin Heng frowned and said in a deep voice, "You quit your job for your boyfriend?"
Gao Wen's expression froze: "What?"
Lin Heng's phone rang. He took it out, glanced at it, and didn't answer. His voice was cold and sharp, with a hint of barely perceptible disdain: "I thought you were a smart person who knew what you wanted. Your future is much more important than those ephemeral romantic relationships."
"Don't do anything you'll regret in the future. If you've figured it out, come find me and go back to work."
Before Lin Heng could finish speaking, he turned his back to Gao Wen and left.
"I know what I want better than anyone else."
Gao Wen's voice came from behind Lin Heng, and he stopped in his tracks.
"Please don't presumptuously define my life. I will never regret any decision I've made, and I will work steadfastly and tirelessly toward my goals."
"Since it's something I've given up on, there's no going back. Thank you for your kindness, but let's leave the opportunity for someone who needs it more and is more suitable."
Gao Wen had been gone for a long time, but her clear words still seemed to echo in the corridor.
Lin Heng was surprised by the resilience she displayed, and also felt that he didn't know her at all, which caused his expression to change repeatedly.
His expression quickly returned to normal.
She's just a young girl who hasn't graduated yet; she's at the age where she doesn't know her place.
A note from the author:
----------------------
good morning!
I'm still sending out 100 red envelopes. See you tomorrow!
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