Chapter 407: A Spontaneous Confession
Wang Yuelan looked at Xiao Lin too, but she looked away much earlier than Xiao Lin. She was more confused than anything, because although Xiao Lin did not differ that much from what she remembered of him, there was still this odd feeling that she could not put her finger on.
“Brother Xiao Lin, there’s a new café in the city that’s not too bad. We can have a seat there.” Wang Yuelan addressed him very naturally, but her tone was quite assertive. She made that decision directly without consulting Xiao Lin, but he did not mind that much anyway.
The two of them were relatively silent during the drive as they tried to find a common topic. For example, they asked each other about college life and work, but the both of them soon sensed the obviously half-hearted replies from each other, making it difficult to further the conversation.
The small town where Xiao Lin is located is a very remote suburb, and after more than an hour’s drive to a place close to the city center, Wang Yuelan brought Xiao Lin to the quiet café after parking the car.
The café was newly opened and there were few people, but the environment was very good. After entering the door, a waiter enthusiastically came to the door to greet her, “Miss Wang, glad to have you visiting us again.”
“I’ll just get my usual coffee.” Wang Yuelan pursed her lips and turned her head to look towards Xiao Lin.
“Uh, I don’t normally drink coffee. I’ll just have a glass of water.”
Wang Yuelan froze and nodded to the waiter.
After sitting down at the corner table, Xiao Lin gently sipped his water and was thinking about what to say. His initial purpose of going on that blind date was simply to please his parents, and it was not as though he had any other ideas.
Wang Yuelan took the initiative to speak. Her tone was very direct, “Let’s date.”
“What?”
Xiao Lin was stunned, but immediately reacted, “Is this an act?”
Wang Yuelan cocked her eyebrow and said with a smile, “What’s wrong? You’re not serious about wooing me, are you?”
“No, I don’t have that intention.” Xiao Lin waved his hand quickly.
Wang Yuelan pursed her lips and she had a faintly displeased expression. That was the case with women. Even though he did not have any intention of wooing her, it was inevitable that she would feel slightly bitter after receiving such a decisive, face-to-face rejection.
However, Wang Yuelan quickly concealed her fleeting expression and continued, “If I have a boyfriend, I can at least explain myself to my family. I’m almost never at home throughout the year and I don’t want my family to be that worried. What about your family??”
“More or less the same. My mom is rushing me, but my dad isn’t giving me too much pressure.”
“Hehe, you’re a man, so it’s only natural that there isn’t much pressure. Sigh, I’ll become an old woman soon.”
“Heh, don’t you have a boyfriend?”
“I had one when I was in college, but we broke up after graduation.”
The two of them finally had something to talk about. After all, they were longtime friends who were not that much of a stranger to each other. Wang Yuelan even mentioned had it not been for Xiao Lin’s coincidental return, she originally planned to rent a boyfriend online to help her deal with her parents. However, since she had an acquaintance at her disposal, she did not have to put in too much effort.
“Aren’t you afraid of being deceived?” Xiao Lin also read many similar situations from online news portals. He would never use that method to rent a girlfriend and he was also worried that Wang Yuelan would be deceived.
“Me? Deceived? I’ll make sure anyone who does that to me will suffer!” Wang Yuelan said domineeringly, and after a pause, she asked again, “What do you think, Brother Xiao Lin? I’m only going to go back about once a year at most. My request is very simple. All you should do is keep me company at home during those few days. You’re completely free at other times, and your business is none of my business.”
Wang Yuelan took a sip of the fragrant coffee and added, “If you still find it awkward, I can give you some remuneration every year. Please don’t get me wrong, this is just a normal business deal.”
Xiao Lin frowned and said in a half-joking, half-serious tone, “I don’t provide escort services.”
“Sorry, I was just throwing that around,” Wang Yuelan ended the topic decisively and apologized.
“Well, we’ll just do it like this. Since we’re meeting each other right now, we can just elaborate on our date to our parents however we want. At least we can deal with them this time.” That was the reason Xiao Lin accepted the invitation. All he wanted was to enjoy his holiday without worrying, since he would not be able to manage future affairs when he returned to Dawn Academy.
“Alright, but it’s a shame I’ll be staying in the country for a bit longer this year. Sigh, I’m afraid my parents will pester me to death,” Wang Yuelan muttered. She did not object, but she seemed somewhat distressed that she could not solve her problem once and for all.
The two of them chatted casually again, but they both seemed absent-minded, or rather, they did not have much in common. After all, Xiao Lin could not possibly talk to her about his life in Dawn Academy.
When the atmosphere was getting more awkward, Wang Yuelan’s cell phone rang suddenly. She glanced at the number, then glanced at Xiao Lin apologetically, before trotting to a secluded corner and answering the call. After a few minutes, she came back with a smile and said, “I’m sorry, but there’s something urgent with my company. I’m afraid I have to rush there.”
“Don’t you need to go home first?”
“No, I’ll call home directly later, umm, but you have to take a taxi and go back by yourself.”
“It’s fine.”
“Mm, see you next time then! We’ll keep in touch!” Wang Yuelan did not seem too hesitant either.
“Bye.”
The two of them soon parted ways in front of the café. The short meeting did not leave much of an impression on Xiao Lin and he believed that it was unlikely for him to meet her again in the future. Judging from Wang Yuelan’s expression, it was obvious that she basically had the same thoughts as him. Meanwhile, Xiao Lin’s cell phone number would be invalidated when he returned to Dawn Academy.
On the way home, Xiao Lin took the opportunity to call Gu Xiaoyue and Song Junlang separately. Song Junlang could not be reached, and he guessed that the man had already boarded the plane to Hawaii at that moment. Gu Xiaoyue’s call was connected though. Perhaps the date with Wang Yuelan, which could not actually be regarded as a date, prompted him to be reminded about Gu Xiaoyue.
“What is it?” Gu Xiaoyue’s cold voice was vividly expressed on the phone.
“Uh, nothing, I just feel bored all of a sudden and I wanted to call you.”
“You really are bored, aren’t you...?”
“Be my girlfriend, Gu Xiaoyue...” Xiao Lin felt a rush in his brain and burst into that sentence. However, he regretted it as soon as he said that.
Xiao Lin waited nervously. There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Just as he thought that Gu Xiaoyue had hung up, she said, “Have you gone crazy today? Even if you’re bored, please don’t make such stupid jokes!”
Gu Xiaoyue’s voice seemed to be a little angry and slightly faltering too. In fact, even Xiao Lin did not expect himself to ask that question out of the blue. Maybe it was his parent’s constant urging of going on blind dates that deepened the thoughts circling inside his heart, or perhaps he just had enough excuses that day to justify himself if she rejected him.