Lin Yao suddenly realized that Xia Yuwen's place was not far from Xiang Honglian's house, but by the time he realized it, the taxi had already driven quite a distance, so he had to give up. Besides, it was really inconvenient to bring a woman to the appointment; if they bumped into each other, he really wouldn't be able to explain himself.
"You're here... um... let's take a walk." Xia Yuwen's eyes lit up when she saw Lin Yao getting out of the taxi, and she quickly lowered her head, her face turning red.
She was still wearing a pink sweater, but not the thin one from last time. Instead, it was a thick one that she could wear directly on the outside. The weather is getting colder every year, so a thick sweater is perfect for this season.
"You look beautiful today." Lin Yao started with a compliment, which earned him a quiet thank you and an even redder blush, leaving him somewhat lost in thought.
Lin Yao wondered why Xia Yuwen chose to meet near her residence. He wanted to know but didn't ask, and Xia Yuwen didn't say either. The two of them just strolled along the street and chatted.
Occasionally, Xia Yuwen would encounter soldiers in uniform walking towards her or quickly passing by. Whenever this happened, she would feel a little nervous, but she gritted her teeth and persevered, continuing to walk resolutely on the streets near Gongzhufen. She was very close to Lin Yao, and although their bodies did not touch, it was obvious at a glance that they were a couple.
Xia Yuwen is announcing her rejection of her family's arrangements, but she's doing so in a roundabout and indirect way.
As a well-known princess of the Beijing Military Region, many soldiers who pass by Princess Tomb must know her, and have long heard of her engagement to Kang Dikai, a notorious playboy from the same Beijing Military Region, or rather, the marriage arranged by her elders.
Although Kang Dikai and Xia Yuwen did not hold an engagement ceremony, and in fact were not engaged at all, almost all officers above the rank of platoon knew about it. Now, seeing Xia Yuwen walking around with another boy in an ambiguous manner, strange, gossipy, and suspicious gazes were directed at them, making the two of them the center of attention.
After a short walk, Lin Yao immediately understood Xia Yuwen's purpose: she was declaring war on General Nu Shi.
For a girl accustomed to following her family's arrangements, this behavior is especially rare, showing how determined Xia Yuwen was. Lin Yao, of course, wouldn't back down. Just as Seventh Sister Zhou Xiaoqi said, boys should take the initiative and shoulder responsibilities; they shouldn't let girls bear all the pressure. This is a responsibility that men cannot shirk.
Having figured this out, Lin Yao was even happier. He even boldly took Xia Yuwen's hand, but Xia Yuwen, whose heart was pounding like a drum, shook him off and ran away like a frightened fawn.
As they walked, they spoke occasionally, but remained silent most of the time, as Xia Yuwen's face was flushed throughout, even her ears and neck were red.
When passing by the place where Lin Yao had last seen Chen Shiwei from Yanji set up a barbecue stall, he found a topic to talk about and told Xia Yuwen the story of doing good deeds in the spirit of Lei Feng but being extorted. He also mentioned that he had met Chen Shiwei there some time ago, which made Xia Yuwen exclaim in surprise. She sighed that people always realize the beauty of the past and the failure to cherish it after they have lost it.
Xia Yuwen did not find Lin Yao's handling of the situation inappropriate. Just like her adoptive father Fei Xiangde and "brother" Fei Jun before she was five years old, no matter how much they tried to please and flatter her afterward, she would not forgive them, because they were only trying to please her current identity, an identity that could bring them promotion and benefits, rather than truly changing her mindset.
Good times always pass quickly. Lin Yao and Xia Yuwen felt that they had only strolled through a few streets when it was already six o'clock in the evening, and it was time to say goodbye. If Xia Yuwen did not go home by this time, she would definitely be scolded. Even if General Nushi was reluctant to scold his granddaughter, just a glare and a furrowed brow would be enough to frighten people.
Feeling wonderful, Lin Yao headed back by bus, just like millions of other working boys in the metropolis, who were saving money to find a wife.
"Yaoyao, why don't you kiss? It's not fun at all." Xiaocao's voice rang out, like a child pouting.
Lin Yao, who was stepping onto the bus, stumbled and almost fell on the woman in front of him. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and managed to stop himself, thus avoiding the embarrassment of being called a pervert.
"Little grass! You promised to hibernate, and I'll wake you up afterwards!" Lin Yao was somewhat embarrassed and angry, and the ripples that had just appeared in his heart were completely destroyed.
"But you didn't wake me up after you were done! If I hadn't spoken, you probably wouldn't even remember me now, right?" Xiaocao immediately seized on the information that was in her favor and responded promptly, leaving Lin Yao speechless.
Except for not understanding human emotions, the little grass possesses all the thinking of a human: intelligent, knowledgeable, calm, imaginative, and quick-witted. If it had a human body, it would be an absolute prodigy.
"Kissing is a sacred thing. Two people shouldn't kiss before they've developed a deep love for each other," Lin Yao explained, secretly wondering when his own kiss would come. He'd never kissed a girl before.
"Oh, I don't understand." Xiaocao honestly expressed her feelings. Apart from her instinctive liking for Lin Yao, she didn't have any special feelings for anyone else. Even her acceptance or rejection was entirely based on Lin Yao's preferences.
The punishment of those men at the "Shu Kingdom Champs-Élysées" hot pot restaurant was also due to sensing Lin Yao's emotions and hearing his words, which prompted her to take the initiative in punishing them. However, Xiao Cao is becoming increasingly intelligent, allowing her to act based on her own judgment without needing Lin Yao's orders.
"Forget it, let's get off the bus and go to the hospital to treat that patient." Lin Yao saw that the bus had arrived at a stop and got off directly. He needed to relax his nerves by treating the patient so that he wouldn't overthink things and affect his cultivation.
"I know, you want to curry favor with that old man Xia so he'll owe you a favor, and then he won't have the nerve to break you two up." Little Grass cleverly guessed Lin Yao's thoughts and said it with great pride.
“That’s right. As a man, I can’t let women bear the blame. I have to take positive action. This is a roundabout way to achieve my goal.” Lin Yao said seriously. “As for other things, I can’t run away from them in the future. Just like Seventh Sister said, a man should have a sense of responsibility.”
Lin Yao didn't find these words surprising. Although he hadn't explicitly said that he and Xia Yuwen were dating, he already considered Xia Yuwen as his girlfriend in his heart, as if it were a natural progression.
Although he hadn't had much contact with this girl and didn't know her thoroughly, Lin Yao firmly believed in his feelings. Both of them had unhappy childhoods and past memories, both endured life's trials, and both were always optimistic and positive, striving to make their mood and future better—that was what they had in common.
Lin Yao had great faith in his senses. As his medical qi cultivation deepened, this perceptual ability became clearer and more reliable.
He could sense that Pei Yuan and Sun Miao were not bad people, but rather hostile towards him, though not in an irreconcilable way. That's why he was able to tolerate their sudden appearance at the company and their becoming his colleagues.
Otherwise, even if he lost this job of experiencing the world, he would have already lashed out and punished the two of them. After all, enemies who are always sticking to him cannot be tolerated.
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This chapter has few words, only 2300. I've been resting these past few days and have been feeling sleepy, so this is all I can update. Please forgive me!
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Chapter 302 The Purpose of Working
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When Lin Yao returned to "Urban Forest" with a wonderful feeling, it was already 10 p.m. Traffic was congested during rush hour, and it took him quite a while to get to the hospital where General Xia's former subordinate had stayed, receive treatment, and then rush back.
To Lin Yao's surprise, Yi Zuojun greeted him when he returned to the villa, which made Lin Yao very happy. He felt relaxed when he was with Yi Zuojun, and many things were more convenient.
This diligent and steady young man, although not as talented as Yi Guoguo, advanced earlier than Yi Guoguo, simply because he "honorably" became Lin Yao's "test subject".
At the mid-stage of the Earthly Realm, even the second-ranked aristocratic family in Gansu, the Hong family, only had twenty-three people on the surface, which shows how difficult it was for them to advance. Yet, Yi Zuojun, who was only two years older than Lin Yao and not yet twenty-five years old, had achieved this. Although this was related to the fact that the Yi family's "Yi Jin Jue" was originally the fastest cultivation method, it must also be said that his aptitude and luck were quite good.
Yi Zuojun arrived in Beijing from Chengdu on a midday flight. Upon arrival at the villa, he immediately began tidying up the interior, rearranging the alchemy room and cultivation room according to Lin Yao's living habits. He also rearranged other aspects based on his understanding of Lin Yao, which greatly surprised Yi An and Yi Guoguo.
Yi An was already fifty-one years old, so of course he wouldn't care about such trivial matters. He had never served anyone before, so he just did his job as a bodyguard.
When Lin Yao parted ways with Xiang Honglian, he specifically called Yi An, telling him not to follow him. He didn't want to go on their first date, which Xia Yuwen had proposed, while under her protection. So Yi An returned to the villa early and encountered Yi Zuojun, who was undergoing a major adjustment.
Although Yi Guoguo is a girl, apart from cooking skills, she has no experience or awareness of serving others. Even after living in Chengdu for a long time, she was only responsible for arranging the daily life and management of the disabled children of the Yi family.
Although Lin Yao doesn't need much service in his life, there are some small details and personal preferences. These were summarized by Yi Fei and Yi Zuojun when Lin Yao made adjustments on his own, which can be considered as service.
Dinner was also prepared by Yi Zuojun. After receiving Yi An's "complaint," Yi Fei told Yi Zuojun over the phone to take charge of cooking, otherwise no one would be able to eat their fill and would have to eat out or gnaw on bread every day.
Yi Guoguo was still depressed and clearly hadn't adjusted her mindset. Although she tried her best to appear normal on the surface, anyone could tell that this girl had something on her mind, something very serious.