Hearing this, Lin Yiqiao’s heart trembled, though she kept her expression neutral.
“Yes, I am pursuing you.”
She stared intently into the man’s eyes, her breath close, and she continued to lean in.
Qi Jun couldn’t hold her gaze and turned his head away.
Lin Yiqiao breathed a sigh of relief, glancing around. The two guards had already left the room, leaving just the two of them on the balcony.
Was this moving too fast?
Before she could think further, Qi Jun turned back to look at her. “How’s the soup coming along?”
“Haven’t even plucked the feathers yet,” she replied calmly.
She was genuinely afraid and unsure of Qi Jun’s intentions.
Did he want to engage with her, or was he just teasing her?
Just the day before, he had urgently demanded her release, yet today he seemed flippant and indifferent.
Lin Yiqiao suddenly felt uncertain about Qi Jun. His temperament was hard to decipher, at least not what she had initially assumed.
“What are you thinking right now?” she asked, looking into Qi Jun’s eyes.
If she couldn’t figure it out, she’d just ask directly.
“What do you mean?” The man’s dark eyes were as still as an ancient well.
“What do you think of me? I like you, and I want to date you.” She smiled, her small dimples faintly visible.
Qi Jun was taken aback. How could she be so direct?
“Have you always been like this?”
“Huh? Like what?” Lin Yiqiao was a bit confused.
“You barely know me, yet you want to date me?” Qi Jun stared at her.
“Exactly. I don’t know you, so I want to date you. I’ll get to know you slowly.” She smiled brightly.
The man fell silent, leaning back in the recliner and gazing into the distance, lost in thought.
Lin Yiqiao grew impatient. This man was truly difficult. She had to win him over today, or she might never get another chance.
She leaned her head close to his face. “Hey, comrade! What are you thinking? Are you really that unhappy about my confession?”
Lin Yiqiao pouted, putting on a wounded expression.
Qi Jun gave her a deep look. “What do you like about me?”
“Huh? There’s so much!”
Lin Yiqiao sat back and thought for a moment.
“Do you know the feeling of love at first sight?” She placed a hand over her chest, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
“It’s like being struck.”
“If you were really struck, you wouldn’t be alive,” Qi Jun couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Well, lucky for me, I’m still alive,” she said softly, reaching for his hand. “Otherwise, you’d never find someone who likes you as much as I do.”
“Smooth talker.”
The man didn’t pull his hand away. Lin Yiqiao squeezed his fingers and blinked.
“We…”
Before Qi Jun could finish, Lin Yiqiao intertwined her fingers with his, completing his sentence, “Let’s date!”
He paused for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curved upward.
“Alright.”
“Really?!”
Alright, since you’ve agreed, get ready to be stuck with me for a lifetime.
Lin Yiqiao was overjoyed. She carefully rested her head against Qi Jun’s chest, unsure where to place her hands.
Qi Jun smiled too. Lin Yiqiao’s emotions were always so full, almost overflowing. It was amusing, and he could feel her happiness.
Watching her nestle against his chest, her hair soft and fluffy, her delicate nose tinged with red, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart and reached out to stroke her hair.
Having just started dating, Lin Yiqiao didn’t dare let her true nature run wild. She smoothed her hair and stepped away.
Dongzi and Zhu Yang were guarding the entrance of the small building, but she didn’t feel embarrassed at all.
“You two comrades have worked hard,” she said with a bright smile.
Dongzi quickly waved his hand. “Not at all, not at all. It’s our duty,” he replied earnestly.
Lin Yiqiao was amused by him, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zhu Yang staring at her with a deep, intense gaze—like a wife glaring at the mistress who had just stepped out of her husband’s room.
What was wrong with these men from the north? One after another, they loved to gossip and jump to conclusions?
She was unmarried, he was unmarried—what was wrong with dating? Who was she bothering?
Lin Yiqiao couldn’t be bothered with him and turned to walk out of the small building.
Outside, there was a small courtyard with neatly trimmed flowers and plants, uncommon and quite elegant.
Lin Yiqiao was thinking she must take the time to appreciate it properly later, but as she pushed open the courtyard gate, she saw a familiar figure.
Zhao Xinxin spotted Lin Yiqiao, and her smile froze at the corners of her mouth, her eyes filled with a malicious scrutiny.
Lin Yiqiao felt it but wasn’t afraid. She met the young girl’s gaze directly.
“What are you doing at my uncle’s house?” Zhao Xinxin challenged her outright.