Around noon, Lin Sitao received a call from He Xian, who said that he wanted to go to the vicinity of the design institute and have lunch with him.
Lin Sitao said: "I usually eat in the cafeteria at noon."
Actually, that’s not entirely true. There are still some good restaurants nearby, and colleagues often go there for dinner.
He Xian followed his words and said, "Okay, I'll go to the cafeteria with you."
After a while, He Xianzhen came over, bringing with him a manager, an engineer, and a driver. Lin Sitao then realized that they were here for a meeting.
As expected, they ate lunch in the cafeteria. There were several people between He Xian and Lin Sitao. Lin Sitao was eating with his head down and didn't dare to look up at him, but He Xian seemed to be in a very good mood. He told two jokes and everyone laughed. Only then did Lin Sitao look at him. When their eyes met, He Xian's smile deepened. Lin Sitao's heart was pounding.
After dinner, He Xian made the excuse of going out to smoke and finally found a chance to talk to Lin Sitao alone.
They stood on the balcony outside the smoking room. Lin Sitao brought him a cup of tea and said, "I didn't expect this to be so important that I would have to trouble you to come here in person."
He Xian said: "Whether it is important or not is up to me to decide."
Lin Sitao leaned against the railing and laughed: "It seems that I am narcissistic."
He Xian then said: "I have something to ask you."
Lin Sitao said: "You can send an email or make a phone call, there is nothing you can say here."
He Xian didn't care, so he asked him, "I received the things you sent me at night."
Lin Sitao still had a smile in his eyes: "Is it useful?"
He didn't know what he was thinking. He recorded He Xian's nonsense and sent it to him. It was like knowing that you shouldn't tear a scar but you couldn't help but tear it. He envied that "Zhao Shuqing" to the point of jealousy. He thought he was not a weird person, but love can make people crazy.
"What's the use?" He Xian asked him, "Don't believe a word a drunkard says."
Lin Sitao insisted: "Don't they say that the truth comes out when you're drunk? Even if I can't win back my old love, I can recognize my true feelings."
He Xian just smiled: "Are you sincere about what you said?"
Lin Sitao really thought so, but it would be hard to say it at this time. He simply stopped talking. He suddenly felt that He Xian was annoying - he could just treat this as a teasing and laugh it off, but he had to come to confirm it in person.
It's like they are in love.
He Xian liked him like this. He had never liked this type before. He Xian knew himself, he liked the type of beauty that was not concealed.
Lin Sitao is not like that. He is not very pretty, just refreshing and pleasant. He is also quite self-aware. This kind of low-key and self-suppressing charm attracted He Xian for the first time. It is like a tightly closed pine nut. If you want to eat its fragrant flesh, you must be patient.
In this way, the failure of the first hookup was actually a good thing. It was just a little bit away from success.
"If you really think so, I'll just have to stop drinking." He Xian joked in a low voice. Lin Sitao glanced at him. They both stopped talking and just looked at each other. If it wasn't difficult to do anything here, He Xian would definitely kiss him. At this moment, words were superfluous, they could only kiss.
"What do you want to eat tonight?" he asked Lin Sitao gently.
In the evening, Lin Sitao went with him to eat private dining.
The shop is in a quadrangle, with lights hanging under the corridor. The shadows of the trees and the color of the snow are in harmony. When the gate of the courtyard is closed in the twilight, a world of its own is revealed.
The charcoal used in the hot pot warms people's hearts. Lin Sitao sat next to He Xian, as if he had been in love with him for ten years.
He Xian rolled up his sleeves and served him personally. In the curling steam, his handsome features were relaxed as he told some interesting stories about this old restaurant. When Lin Sitao sat down, he wanted to say that there were too many restaurants where you could eat hot pot, and you could eat hot pot at home, but it was too luxurious to eat hot pot here. But at this moment, he had nothing to say.
It feels so good to be cherished, no matter what the reason is.
After dinner, He Xian asked Lin Sitao where he wanted to go.
Lin Sitao wanted to go to the movies. He Xian asked him what he wanted to see, but Lin Sitao said he didn't know.
He just thought it was a must-do for couples on a date. But he was very busy recently and didn't care what movies were released, and there didn't seem to be anything to watch. Looking at the time again, he thought he should go back to reading.
He sighed: "Forget it, I'd better go back to review..."
The exam is coming soon, and although he is relatively confident, he still cannot be careless.
He Xian did not force him and sent him home. On the way, he asked Lin Sitao what he wanted most now.
Lin Sitao thought he had misunderstood He Xian's meaning, and he said, "What I want most is to be admitted as a graduate student."
He Xian said, "I'm talking about a specific thing. What gift do you want? I'm not very good at choosing gifts."
Lin Sitao stopped talking. He had never been in a relationship, let alone a relationship with a rich and powerful man. But he felt it was wrong to give gifts after just a few days.
He Xian asked him: "Electronic products? Clothes? Bags? Or wine?"
Lin Sitao doesn't want any of them.
"It's not a holiday or birthday, why give a gift?"
“Do we have to celebrate holidays to give gifts? I often buy things for... Zhao Shuqing.” He Xian said.
Lin Sitao is still unable to adapt to this rhythm.
When getting off the car, He Xian smiled and said, "If you don't say anything, I'll just give it to you. If you don't like it, don't blame me."
He spoke so casually that Lin Sitao had no intention of spoiling his mood.
Lin Sitao just returned home when he received a call from Xu Dan.
She is very concerned about the follow-up of the gossip.
"How was it after returning from your trip?" she asked Lin Sitao.
"I just came back from having dinner with him." Lin Sitao fell on the sofa and gave a brief account of the situation.
Xu Dan blamed him: "You are stupid. You are still thinking about going home to read. You should go out for a drink and watch a movie. Everything will be easy if the atmosphere is good. Do you want to force the ambiguity to become friends?"
Lin Sitao added: "He also said he would give me a gift."
Xu Dan was stunned for a moment: "It's only been a few days, and I'm giving you a gift! I don't understand the world of rich people."
Lin Sitao sighed: "I don't understand either."
"But if you give me a chance, I will understand!" Xu Dan wanted to reach through the phone and grab Lin Sitao and shake him wildly, "What are you hesitating about! You are not enthusiastic enough!"
Lin Sitao hadn't told her his true sexual orientation yet. Maybe coming out to a friend was a matter of timing, and at first he didn't think it mattered and kept putting it off until now when he had no idea how to start.
In the next two days, He Xian did not go out with Lin Sitao again.
Lin Sitao finally realized how busy he was.
He only sent brief messages occasionally. When Lin Sitao asked him when he would be free to have dinner together, He Xian just said: I don't know.
On Thursday, He Xian called him and said that the gift had been chosen and he hoped he would like it.
Lin Sitao held the phone and said, "But I just want to meet you."
He Xian's voice was very light: "I really don't have time these two days. I'll make arrangements next week."
Lin Sitao felt that the voice was not like his usual voice, and there was something else behind the words.
He couldn't help feeling anxious.
There was a lot of gossip in the unit, but there were only a few people with accurate intelligence sources, and even fewer who knew where He Xian was. Lin Sitao had no idea how to get any information about He Xian.
He asked Chen Yi about it, and only knew that the headquarters was relatively calm. It was just the end of the year, and they were busy with year-end activities. The other things that were involved were all mid-level matters and had nothing to do with He Xian.
According to Chen Yi, Mr. He only showed up at the company on Tuesdays. But for someone in his position, it was common for him to have meetings outside the company.
By Saturday afternoon, Lin Sitao had become accustomed to being distracted while reviewing.
He persuaded himself that maybe He Xian had given up on him and changed his target. This was normal. The ambiguity was over.
He was sitting there when the courier arrived.
He said nonchalantly: "I didn't buy anything."
The courier repeated his name and phone number: "…Yes, it's you."
Lin Sitao suddenly realized that this was a gift from He Xian. He jumped up and signed for it.
He Xian gave him an air purifier, a practical home appliance. Lin Sitao placed it in a conspicuous place, stared at it for a while, and then called He Xian again.
He Xian's voice was very tired: "As long as you are satisfied, I didn't choose the wrong thing..."
Lin Sitao lowered his voice: "Are you busy?"
"You can't say I'm busy," he said, finally smiling, "I just can't get away."
He Xian didn't talk to Lin Sitao for a long time on this call. He Bu Tong knocked on the window, and He Xian gestured to him and hung up the phone in a hurry.
"Dad." He walked up to He Bu Tong.
He Bu Tong said, "I'm going to Guangzhou soon. I'll leave Grandpa's case to you. The hospital should come up with another surgical plan today. You go to the hospital with your aunt. Contact me immediately if anything happens."
He Xian nodded and said, "I went to see grandpa yesterday, and he asked why He Yan didn't come."
He Bu Tong glanced at his eldest son with a calm expression: "Grandpa has always had only you in his eyes, why are you asking He Yan?"