Chapter 51 It's okay, I don't mind.
The conversation stopped there, the sound fell to the ground, and the air fell silent for a brief moment.
The two people who were inseparable last night now faced each other, feeling awkward and at a loss for what to do.
For a moment, Meng Yanxi even wondered if things would be better now if he had simply pretended to be confused last night. But he quickly dismissed this despicable thought and apologized to her: "I'm sorry."
Jin Zhao couldn't bring herself to say that she had done it willingly, so she turned her gaze away, blushing, and whispered, "It's okay."
"Then, can we still meet tomorrow?" Meng Yanxi looked down at her.
With his long eyelashes and deep-colored eyes, the gesture of lowering his eyes seemed especially affectionate on him.
Jin Zhao met his eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.
He quickly compromised and conceded, saying, "The day after tomorrow is fine too."
He actually wanted to see her tonight, he wanted to see her every day, but he also knew what a mess he'd made last night, and he had to give her some time to process things. Otherwise, what would she think of him? A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Jin Zhao understood everything in her heart. She really wanted to agree, but it was truly impossible.
She apologized, "I can't tomorrow. I have to go to Beicheng for an academic conference tomorrow."
Meng Yanxi: "..."
The coincidences were too great, leading Meng Yanxi to suspect that she didn't want to see him because of what happened last night and was deliberately avoiding him.
Jin Zhao noticed this and quickly explained, "This was applied for a month ago, and the academic affairs office also arranged the classes in advance."
Fearing that Meng Yanxi might misunderstand, she took out her phone and said, "I can show you my OA process."
In universities, attending such academic conferences typically involves the research office issuing a notification first, followed by the faculty member completing an application process on the online academic affairs system (OA). Only after approval can the academic affairs office reschedule the course. This entire process takes at least half a month.
Jin Zhao wanted to prove that she wasn't avoiding him.
Meng Yanxi suddenly smiled.
He held her hand: "How come the OA process is already out? I'm your boyfriend, not your boss. Don't treat me like this."
Jin Zhao gently bit her lip: "You said it yourself..."
"I know." Meng Yanxi smiled. "No need for all that trouble. Just give me a hug, and I'll believe you."
Jin Zhao: "..."
She had said long ago that Meng Yanxi was the least likely person to suffer a loss.
He took full advantage of her last night, apologized this morning, and now it's her turn to hug him.
Why won't he let her kiss him?
But after three seconds of disgust at this person's shamelessness, Jin Zhao still took the initiative to hug him.
She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and gently nestled her face against his chest.
He had a narrow waist, a warm chest, and broad, upright shoulders. He wore a soft, delicate cashmere sweater and casual pants, the fabric's texture carrying his pleasant scent.
Behind me was the bright sunlight.
He held her in his arms and couldn't help but lean down and kiss her hair.
They embraced quietly, and he whispered in her ear, "Lingling, don't be afraid of me. I'll slow down and stay with you at your own pace. If I go crazy again, just slap me."
Jin Zhao gently closed her eyes, tightened her arms, and hugged him even more tightly.
She responded very softly, "Okay."
Only she knows how much she likes this man.
Before, it was just because he was Meng Yanxi, but now there's another reason.
Now, he is Meng Yanxi who would restrain his desires for her sake.
Even if the process was a bit awkward and embarrassing.
But she seems to like him more now.
*
The next morning, Meng Yanxi took Jin Zhao to the airport.
Zhuang Yu was driving a Rolls-Royce. When Jin Zhao got in, she couldn't help but glance at the car. For some reason, it looked familiar, but then she thought she was just being presumptuous. Where did she get the confidence to think a Rolls-Royce looked familiar?
Meng Yanxi didn't say anything.
He had a meeting that morning, but he postponed it by two hours so he could spend more time with his girlfriend. However, his sincerity didn't bring him any sweetness; his girlfriend was still revising her PowerPoint presentation on the way.
This conference is divided into a main forum and sub-forums. Given Jin Zhao's current qualifications, she is not yet qualified to speak at the main forum, but she will participate in the sub-forum group discussions. She is currently facing a bottleneck in her career, so this opportunity to attend the conference is invaluable to her, and she hopes to exchange more ideas with her colleagues at the conference.
She reviews and revises the PPT countless times. Jin Zhao is completely focused on her work. Meng Yanxi tried to attract her attention several times, but when she looked at him, her eyes were full of incomprehension and indifference.
Meng Yanxi felt a little embarrassed, but he tried to salvage his reputation by discussing academic issues with her. As a result, Jin Zhao immediately sent more than ten academic papers to his email.
Meng Yanxi had no idea what she was doing.
When Jin Zhao finally put away her computer, they arrived at the airport. Meng Yanxi escorted her inside and helped her check in.
Before the security check, Mr. Meng stopped voluntarily.
His girlfriend seemed to finally realize she couldn't bear to part with him and gave him a hug.
The airport was bustling with people, and Jin Zhao, being shy, only gave him a light hug, probably for less than a second, before immediately letting go. But in that very second, Meng Yanxi forgave all of her coldness that day.
Meng Yanxi: "Send me your flight details for when you return, I'll come pick you up."
Jin Zhao said, "Okay."
Meng Yanxi nodded.
The two fell silent, with only the sounds of various airport announcements filling their ears.
Neither of them was willing to let go first.
Meng Yanxi looked down at her and asked, "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Jin Zhao thought for a moment, then suddenly blushed and glanced at him quickly.
Meng Yanxi's heart raced at his girlfriend's shy glance, but the next second, he heard her say, "Don't dream every day, it's bad for your health."
Meng Yanxi: "..."
Meng Yanxi suddenly didn't know what she had come here for today. Was she just asking for humiliation?
Jin Zhao blushed like a strawberry ice cream, looking even more embarrassed than him. He couldn't even get angry, so he could only glare at her with a mix of amusement and exasperation: "Who told you I dream every day?"
Why won't you admit it? Jin Zhao looked at him innocently: "You said it yourself..."
Meng Yanxi looked at her, initially not remembering, but suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered what she had said to her in bed.
She thought he had mistaken her for someone else and asked him who she was. His malicious nature got the better of him, and he deliberately whispered a vulgar phrase in her ear.
Now that it's broad daylight, even someone as shameless as Meng Yanxi feels a little embarrassed when he thinks back on it.
He coughed lightly and explained in a sanctimonious manner, "I thought I was dreaming at the time. You know, people tend to let loose in their dreams and sometimes say some outrageous things, but that's only in dreams. I'm not like that in real life."
Jin Zhao looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
She didn't say anything, but her distrustful look seemed to have said eight hundred words.
Meng Yanxi felt guilty and couldn't make any promises, because the more she promised, the more painful it would be to be proven wrong later.
All I could do was verbally apologize: "I'm sorry."
Jin Zhao didn't say anything, but suddenly tiptoed and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly, whispering, "It's okay, I don't mind."
With a loud bang, Meng Yanxi felt all the blood in her body rushing to one place.
The plane quickly soared into the sky, and Meng Yanxi himself had no recollection of how he got back.
He usually handles things in the car, but today he probably just grinned the whole time.
Even after returning to the company and entering the conference room for a meeting, President Meng's mind was still filled with his girlfriend's words, "It's okay, I don't mind."
Her smile never faded; she saw everything as beautiful and virtuous.
The senior executives below thought: "President Meng is really easy to talk to today."
*
The academic conference in Beicheng lasted for three days. This was the first time Jin Zhao had attended such a large conference since returning to Japan, and he listened to the research of many leading figures in the field.
She studied Shakespeare throughout her studies and, after returning to China, pursued comparative literature, researching Shakespeare and the Taoist worldview. This research direction is interdisciplinary, relevant to the times, and offers a novel perspective. Jin Zhao spoke at the group forum and presented a conference paper.
Also attending the academic conference was Wang Shi'an, the dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Suiyuan University. The elderly gentleman, over sixty years old, is considered a leading figure in Chinese academia. Invited to chair the conference, he happened to hear Jin Zhao speak and became quite interested in her research, proactively inviting her to give an academic presentation at the School of Foreign Languages at Suiyuan University.
Jin Zhao was flattered and added Dean Wang on WeChat.
The return flight was booked in advance. The meeting ended on a Saturday, and Jin Zhao booked the flight for that very evening, his selfish motives obvious.
Her Monday classes ended last week, so she could spend both Sunday and Monday with Meng Yanxi.
The day before my return trip, I learned from my cousin's WeChat Moments that Jin Wenyi was in the hospital.
Jin Zhao immediately called, but Jin Wenyi was undergoing a checkup at the time. Zhao Xu answered and said the results weren't out yet, but the problem wasn't serious, so she shouldn't worry. The next day, Jin Zhao called again and learned that the doctor had scheduled Jin Wenyi for surgery the following Monday. Although Jin Wenyi repeatedly insisted that it was only a minimally invasive procedure, Jin Zhao still changed her flight at the last minute. She didn't return to Suiyi on Saturday and flew directly to Lin City early Sunday morning, intending to accompany Jin Wenyi for the surgery on Monday.
Meng Yanxi waited a whole week for his girlfriend, only to be stood up at the last minute. He was so disappointed that he wanted to punch his pillow.
But this guy is always stubborn. When Jin Zhao apologized to him in the video, he said with an arrogant look, "It's okay, I didn't miss you that much. If you had come back two days later, I might have even forgotten what my girlfriend looks like."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Jin Zhao knew he was in the wrong, so he took the initiative to tell him some stories from the past.
Jin Wenyi was not only her relative but also her benefactor. When she was about to transfer to No. 9 Middle School, Jin Wenyi helped her transfer to No. 1 Middle School in a neighboring city. Later, she went abroad for her master's degree. The cost of studying in the UK was very high, and the money her mother left was only enough for tuition, leaving her struggling financially. She worked part-time, but even that wasn't enough. Jin Wenyi would send her money every holiday, calling it a red envelope, but it was really just financial assistance. Afraid of putting pressure on her, she didn't even mention borrowing.
But Jin Wenyi herself is not wealthy and has to support her son, so how could Jin Zhao not repay the money?
Jin Zhao gently coaxed her boyfriend, "It's not just about the money, but also about the kindness of helping me in my time of need."
Meng Yanxi stared quietly at the screen.
He had probably guessed this.
He was mature beyond his years and was not some spoiled brat who thought, "Why don't they eat meat porridge?" After noticing that his girlfriend was short of money, he figured out what was going on.
Meng Yanxi asked, "Which hospital?"
Jin Zhao asked in surprise, "Are you coming over?"
Meng Yanxi raised an eyebrow with amusement: "In what capacity am I here? Teacher Jin, you should give me a proper title first."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Her boyfriend has a really sharp tongue.
Unable to argue with him, she protested in a low voice, "It's too late now."
“I know,” Meng Yanxi chuckled softly, then said helplessly, “I won’t come over. I’ll make the arrangements for the hospital for you.”
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