Chapter 31 Sobriety and Awkwardness

Chapter 31 Sobriety and Awkwardness

The car smoothly entered Beijing, and the interior lights shone on Xie Lin's impressive profile, making his side profile even more distinct.

He rested one hand on the steering wheel, his well-defined fingers tapping lightly, his gaze occasionally falling on Lin Mianmian in the passenger seat, the smile in his eyes impossible to hide.

"What are you thinking about?" Xie Lin turned to look at her, his voice unusually gentle. "Are you still reminiscing about the braised fish my grandfather made?"

Lin Mianmian snapped out of her daze, forced a faint smile, and said, "It is quite delicious. Grandpa's cooking is really good."

She didn't say the second half of her sentence; what actually warmed her heart even more was Xie Lin.

The lovely little bud had just sprouted when she forcibly suppressed it.

She remembered what her grandmother said while holding her hand on her sickbed, she remembered Xie Lin's family background, and she remembered the huge gap between herself and him.

I'm willing to spend time with him, but as for developing feelings, I'd rather not.

Her relationship with Xie Lin was nothing more than a transaction that began out of gratitude.

He truly loved her, but what about her?

Could her attraction to him outweigh the stark differences between them?

But can Xie Lin's affection really last?

Lin Mianmian lowered her eyelashes, concealing the complex emotions in her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the hem of her clothes.

Xie Lin noticed her subtle actions and slowly brought the car to a stop at the school gate.

He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned closer to her, and his warm breath brushed against her cheek, carrying a faint scent of tobacco.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" He reached out and gently brushed his fingertips against the corner of her eye, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension. "Are you tired?"

Lin Mianmian subconsciously stepped back, her thin shoulders tensing slightly.

This action caught Xie Lin's eye, causing the light in his peach blossom eyes to dim.

He withdrew his hand, clenched his fingers, and then quickly released them.

He forced a roguish smile, trying to hide his disappointment. He reached out to unbuckle her seatbelt, his fingers inadvertently brushing against her wrist.

The warm touch made Lin Mianmian's heart skip a beat.

She opened the car door and said softly, "I've arrived. Thank you for bringing me back."

Xie Lin got out of the car, his tall figure blocking her way and encircling her in the halo of the streetlights.

He looked down at her, his peach blossom eyes overflowing with affection, and his tone was domineeringly serious: "Mianmian, I'll pick you up to go to the movies tomorrow, okay?"

Lin Mianmian's heart skipped a beat. She really wanted to nod.

But reason, like a rope, pulled her back tightly.

She looked up and met Xie Lin's burning gaze, forcing a distant smile, her tone unusually polite: "No, I have class tomorrow and a part-time job, I don't have time."

The air grew quieter after those words were spoken.

Xie Lin looked at the distance between her eyes that she deliberately created, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he felt as if something had stabbed him in the heart, causing a dense, persistent pain.

He knew she had concerns, and he knew that.

She was with him to repay the kindness of paying for her surgery.

But he didn't expect her to reject him in such a polite tone.

He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. The pull wasn't strong, but it carried an undeniable force.

Lin Mianmian's nose bumped against his hard chest, and she smelled the familiar cedar scent on his body, instantly freezing in place. She tried to push him away, but he held her arm firmly in his hand.

"Lin Mianmian," Xie Lin's voice rang close to her ear, tinged with a hint of grievance, "Are you trying to avoid me again?"

He tightened his arms, holding her even closer, his chin resting on the top of her head.

Her tone carried a hint of humble pleading: "I don't care what you're thinking, I only know that I like you. You can take your time, it's okay, I can wait."

Lin Mianmian's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She could clearly feel the beating of the man's chest and the seriousness in his words. The suppressed excitement in her heart began to stir again.

But she gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and gently pushed him away.

She took two steps back, creating distance between them, and lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "Xie Lin, let's keep some distance."

After saying that, she didn't look at Xie Lin's expression again, turned around and ran quickly into the school gate.

Xie Lin stood under the streetlight, watching the direction she disappeared, remaining motionless for a long time.

The evening breeze ruffled the hem of his clothes, and the streetlight cast a lonely shadow on him. He raised his hand and touched his lips, where the warmth of her lips still seemed to linger.

He chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with self-mockery.

It's okay. He thought, she only has a slight attraction to him right now, that's alright.

He had plenty of patience, waiting for her to willingly walk towards him, waiting for her to change "keep your distance" to "I like you".

He turned and went back to his car. As he started the engine, his phone rang.

It was a message from Lin Mianmian, containing only five words:

Please be careful on the road.

Xie Lin looked at the words, the disappointment in his eyes slowly faded, and his eyes lit up again.

He looked down, typed a line on the screen, deleted it, and finally replied with only two words:

【Wait for you】

Meanwhile, Lin Mianmian, at school, leaned against a tree trunk below her dormitory building, her fingertips trembling slightly as she looked at the two words on her phone screen.

The bittersweet emotions welled up in her heart, bringing tears to her eyes.

She sniffed softly and silently said in her heart: Xie Lin, I'm sorry.

I can't reciprocate your feelings right now. At least not right now.

Final exams are approaching, and the library is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone is studying hard, including Lin Mianmian.

A thick textbook for her major lay open in front of Lin Mianmian, densely covered with important notes, making her eyes ache. Her fingers, gripping the pen, turned white, and she didn't even lift her head, as if everything around her was irrelevant.

Suddenly, a shadow fell, carrying the familiar scent of cedar.

Lin Mianmian paused, her heart skipped a beat, but she stubbornly refused to look up, pretending not to notice anything.

Xie Lin stood beside her, looking down at her.

He was still wearing a black t-shirt today, with wispy bangs hanging down his forehead, making his face look outrageously handsome.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his broad shoulders and narrow waist, which drew furtive glances from the girl behind the bookshelf opposite, who couldn't help but whisper among herself.

Xie Lin completely ignored those stares. He put one hand in his pocket and held a paper bag in the other, which contained warm milk tea and sandwiches.

He bent down, leaning close to Lin Mianmian, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, his low, husky voice carrying a hint of roguishness: "Baby, how long have you been reviewing? Missing your husband?"

Lin Mianmian didn't say a word, didn't even lift her eyelids, and the pen tip scratched across the paper, making a rustling sound, as if silently driving him away.

Xie Lin wasn't annoyed. Instead, he chuckled softly, his voice carrying a magnetic quality that was particularly clear in the quiet library.

He straightened up, stretched out his long legs, and sat directly in the empty seat next to Lin Mianmian.

The chair legs scraped against the floor with a slight creak, startling the girl reading next to her. She frowned, about to turn around and yell at him, but when she saw Xie Lin's outrageously handsome face, she immediately stopped, thinking, "You idiot!" and mentally cursed him three times. She knew he looked amazing in photos, but seeing him in person, he was even more amazing.

Xie Lin pushed the paper bag towards Lin Mianmian, softening his tone and adding a hint of flattery: "You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Sweetie, I brought you a tuna sandwich and your favorite taro boba."

Lin Mianmian still ignored him, even moving her chair to the side to create some distance, her actions unusually cold.

At this moment, the smile in Xie Lin's eyes completely faded.

He stared at Lin Mianmian's tense profile, his Adam's apple bobbing, and reached out to grab her wrist, which was holding the pen.

His strength wasn't heavy, but it carried an undeniable force. His warm palm pressed against her delicate skin, making Lin Mianmian tremble all over.

She finally raised her head and looked at him.

Those beautiful peach blossom eyes no longer held their usual roguishness; instead, they were tinged with a sense of grievance and hurt, like a large dog neglected by its owner.

His voice was very low and a little hoarse: "Lin Mianmian, I said I can wait."

Lin Mianmian pursed her lips, turned her face away, and remained silent.

"When you truly fall in love with me." Xie Lin's voice was even hoarse, and the grievance in his eyes was about to overflow.

“We get along very well at Grandpa’s house. You said you were happy and even ate the fish I fed you.”

"Even if it's just to repay a debt of gratitude, let's stay together like before, okay?"

He leaned closer to her, his nose almost brushing against her cheek, his warm breath brushing against her reddened earlobe. His tone carried a humility he himself didn't realize: "Did I do something wrong? Baby, please tell me, I'll change. Don't ignore me, it hurts."

With more and more eyes on her, Lin Mianmian's cheeks burned, and she tried to pull her hand back forcefully.

But he gripped it even tighter.

She frowned and silently mouthed two words: "Let go."

Xie Lin understood, but he refused to. Instead, he increased the force, his eyes filled with a mixture of grievance and domineering rage.

Her voice was hoarse and seductive, carrying a blatant threat: "I won't let go. If you ignore me again, I'll kiss you right here and let everyone in the library see that you're mine."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mianmian's eyes widened as she looked at him, her eyes filled with astonishment and shame.

Xie Lin looked at her like this, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the hurt in his eyes deepened.

Her tone was incredibly soft: "Baby, don't be stubborn with me. Okay?"

"It's okay if you don't love me right now, I'll wait until you fall in love with me."