"Your clothes..." No matter what, she was the one who splashed the things on him, and judging from his clothes, they weren't cheap, Ruolin said in a low voice.
"You want to help me wash? I have no objection to that," Han Haoxuan said, patting his pants.
"Who wants to wash your clothes?" Ruolin had originally planned to take his clothes to the dry cleaners, but she gave up after seeing his teasing tone.
"Whoever makes it dirty has to take responsibility," Han Haoxuan said seriously.
"I..." Ruolin suddenly fell silent.
Han Haoxuan turned to look at Ruolin. Her head was slightly lowered, half of her face in light and half in shadow. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, so lightly that it could only be noticed upon close inspection. Her dark eyes blended into the darkness, as deep and unfathomable as a pool. Her hands were clasped together on her lap, appearing somewhat unnatural.
Ruolin's appearance made Han Haoxuan chuckle. It was just a very ordinary thing; what was splashed on him wasn't anything dirty. He could just take it to the dry cleaners and it would be fine. But she looked so helpless, which made people feel sorry for her.
"I was just joking with you. It's nothing, I'll just take it to the dry cleaners." Han Haoxuan said with a relaxed expression.
"..." Ruolin then raised her eyes and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter Eight
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"I'll take you home," Han Haoxuan said as they walked out of the movie theater.
"No need, I can just take a taxi back," Ruolin politely declined.
"It's so late, my heart is protesting if I don't see you off." Han Haoxuan placed his hand on his heart, looking very serious.
Seeing Han Haoxuan's sincere expression, Ruolin felt she couldn't refuse any longer and agreed.
Ruolin certainly couldn't ask Han Haoxuan to take her to her own place, so she told her Xinyu's address.
Throughout the journey, Ruolin remained mostly silent, afraid of accidentally letting something slip. Han Haoxuan, on the other hand, was quite talkative; Ruolin simply listened and offered agreement when necessary.
The car quickly arrived at Xinyu's residence. Han Haoxuan got out of the car and gentlemanly opened the car door for Ruolin.
"Did you have fun today?" Han Haoxuan asked.
"Open..." Ruolin's face lit up with joy, and she was about to say "happy," but she swallowed the last word back, and her joy vanished instantly. She felt as if something was stuck in her chest, always popping up to stop her when she was about to speak her true thoughts. Now, this blockage made her heart flutter and she felt very uncomfortable.
"How could I not be happy with a handsome guy like me?" Han Haoxuan said with a smile, looking at Ruolin who had her head slightly lowered. "I'm very happy with you."
Ruolin seemed a little lost. She looked up at Han Haoxuan and said in a flustered manner, "I'm leaving."
"..." Han Haoxuan nodded, a smile in his eyes.
Ruolin hadn't taken more than a few steps when she heard a magnetic voice behind her, with an alluring quality.
"Xinyu, see you another day," Han Haoxuan said, raising his voice.
Ruolin paused for a moment before turning around. She looked at Han Haoxuan's handsome face, its sharp features enhanced by the streetlights, and her heart skipped a beat. After regaining her composure, she returned Han Haoxuan's gaze with a faint smile.
Only after Han Haoxuan's car completely disappeared from sight did Ruolin call Xinyu. After confirming that Xinyu was home, she went straight upstairs in the elevator.
"Tell me how your performance was today?" Xinyu asked as she made tea for Ruolin.
Ruolin then recounted to Xinyu how she had made things difficult for Han Haoxuan during dinner, speaking vividly and enthusiastically. However, when the conversation turned to going to the movies together, the smile on Ruolin's face slowly faded, and the story abruptly ended.
"Why did you stop talking? Are you trying to keep me in suspense?" Xinyu was listening intently, seemingly immersed in Ruolin's words. She couldn't help but find it amusing to think about how Ruolin had tricked Han Haoxuan. But she didn't seem satisfied with Ruolin's sabotage and continued, "Did you use the trick I taught you at the crucial moment?"
"A special move?" Ruolin was taken aback and asked.
"You didn't forget to use it, did you?" Xinyu looked at Ruolin with some disappointment, then said with some excitement, "Did you do this in front of him...?" As she spoke, Xinyu made a nose-picking gesture.
"It's disgusting, I could never do something like that," Ruolin said bluntly, frowning.
"How can he give up if you don't disgust him?" Xinyu glared at Ruolin and continued, "Did you spit your abundant saliva on his face while you were eating?"
"..." Ruolin couldn't believe that the elegant Han Haoxuan would do something so vulgar and rude. She took a sip of tea and said, "No."
"Sigh!" Xinyu sighed and said, "That's such a waste of your abundant resources."
Even the most abundant resources shouldn't be used indiscriminately. Ruolin wanted to say this, but she swallowed her words.
Xinyu looked at Ruolin with disappointment and asked her somewhat discouragedly, "Did you use your ultimate move at the last moment?"
"Is it the trick you used to make me take off my shoes?" Ruolin asked.
"Hmm. You should use it now, right?" Xinyu laughed, glanced at Ruolin, and continued, "You know, even if he has a good impression of you, if you take off your shoes in his car and your feet smell terrible, do you think he can stand you? He'll definitely give up." Xinyu grinned to herself.
Ruolin echoed with a wry smile.
"This game is so much fun! Let's see if he dares to bother you again." Seeing Ruolin's smile, Xinyu thought that she had used her trump card at the last moment, which was also a very satisfying thing. She couldn't help but feel smug about the trick she had come up with.
Ruolin picked up her teacup and poured water into it. She felt that this game was not fun at all, and only she could understand the feeling.
Chapter Nine
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Ruolin had never felt time pass so slowly, moving forward little by little, like a snail's pace.
During work hours, her eyes would always unconsciously drift to her phone on the desk. She hoped that number would call, but she was also afraid that the phone would ring.
And so, Ruolin spent a week in a state of anticipation and anxiety. For a whole week, Han Haoxuan didn't give her a single call or message; he vanished without a trace, as if he had never existed.
However, Ruolin had a fairly fulfilling week because one of her interview drafts was approved by the editor-in-chief.
Ruolin's job at the magazine wasn't as a reporter, but as a process editor. To put it nicely, she did writing work, but in reality, she was just a general helper, doing things like photocopying documents for the editor-in-chief or pouring water for guests.
Therefore, it is truly remarkable that Ruolin, given her current status, was able to obtain the opportunity to interview Qin Tianyi, a rising star in the business world.
If it weren't for her colleague Fang Ling having to cancel due to an urgent matter, Ruolin would never have gotten this opportunity.
Fang Ling is rather sarcastic and often enjoys making sarcastic remarks, so when her family had a crisis and she couldn't complete her interview assignment, almost no one was willing to help her. Ruolin had always wanted an opportunity to realize her self-worth, so at this moment, she decided to step forward.
She had only held a sliver of hope, but to her surprise, the editor-in-chief agreed to let her interview Qin Tianyi.
Qin Tianyi was younger than I imagined, and quite good-looking. He was also said to be single, a typical "eligible bachelor".
Despite it being her first time conducting an interview, Ruolin wasn't nervous. She had done her homework beforehand, researching information about Qin Tianyi and preparing an interview outline.
The interview went smoothly, and Qin Tianyi was very polite.
When talking about the people he wanted to thank during his entrepreneurial journey, Qin Tianyi, in addition to thanking his parents, also mentioned a name that surprised Ruolin—Han Haoxuan.
In that instant, Ruolin felt a slight tremor in her heart. It turned out that this person had unknowingly left his name and image in her heart.
However, since he's stopped contacting her, he probably has no interest in her anymore. And rightly so, with his excellent qualities, why would he really want to get married so soon?
A few days later, just when Ruolin thought Han Haoxuan had disappeared without a trace, his phone rang.
At first, Ruolin thought it was just her imagination. She stared blankly at the phone that kept vibrating on the table, looking somewhat dazed and surprised. After a long while, she finally pressed the answer button.
"Are you waiting for my call?" Han Haoxuan said jokingly.
"..." Ruolin's hand holding the phone trembled slightly. She didn't understand how Han Haoxuan could have guessed her thoughts.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Han Haoxuan asked, his smile fading.
"I'm...busy," Ruolin stammered.
"These past few days have been so busy I'm completely overwhelmed. I've finally managed to find a little free time," Han Haoxuan complained.
"Oh," Ruolin replied.
"Have you missed me these past few days?" Han Haoxuan asked seemingly casually.
Ruolin's face flushed instantly. She hadn't expected him to be so blunt, leaving her a little flustered. But she composed herself and said, "I wouldn't miss a lost puppy like me. Don't be delusional."
"Do you need to use such excuses to justify missing someone?" Han Haoxuan said with a nonchalant smile.
Ruolin didn't understand why Han Haoxuan spoke so resolutely, as if he could read her mind. She was somewhat indignant, but too lazy to argue with him. A pleasant voice came from the other end of the phone, a voice with an inscrutable laugh yet a certain allure, saying, "I miss you."
Ruolin's eyes widened slightly in disbelief, and her grip on the phone tightened involuntarily. Such ambiguous words weren't unheard of, but hearing Han Haoxuan say them gave her a strange feeling. She remained stunned for a while until she heard laughter on the other end of the line, then suddenly snapped out of her daze, hurriedly saying, "I have to go," and hung up.
Ruolin knew Han Haoxuan wasn't a casual speaker. Although he had a cryptic smile when he said that, it also revealed a hint of seriousness. Ruolin thought that since he'd said those things, he must be planning to date her. Although it warmed her heart, her annoyance still prevailed.
Hearing the busy tone on the other end of the phone, Han Haoxuan was momentarily stunned. This woman actually dared to hang up on him! And it wasn't the first time she'd done so!
To be honest, at first Han Haoxuan just thought she was a little special and purely regarded her as a pastime after work and a stepping stone to get rid of the troubles of blind dates. However, holding hands that day made him feel a momentary inexplicable heart palpitation, awakening the long-lost beautiful feeling of first love in his heart.
Since breaking up with Anxi, he hadn't been interested in dating for a long time. Perhaps he was tired of relationships, perhaps he was busy with work in the early stages of starting his business, or perhaps he unconsciously compared all the women who tried to get close to him with Anxi. As a result, his love life had been empty for the past few years, so it's no wonder that his parents were so eager to arrange blind dates for him.
He initially had a strong aversion to blind dates, feeling they were somewhat similar to arranged marriages of the past, only with more potential partners. Besides, most people who needed to go on blind dates were what people called "leftover men" and "leftover women," while he, Han Haoxuan, was only twenty-eight, in the prime of his life, and never considered himself a "leftover man." However, his parents didn't see it that way, constantly nagging him that a man should be established by thirty, that it was time to settle down and start a family. After hearing this so many times, he simply thought, why not give blind dates a try? Thus began his bizarre and varied blind date experiences.
However, to his surprise, he met a woman during a blind date who could rekindle his passion. If he told his buddies, they would find it hard to believe, right? A woman who could stir ripples in the emotional lake of a busy man like Han Haoxuan is truly a rare find.
Of course, Ruolin, who went on the blind date in place of Xinyu, never imagined that she would become a rare animal.
The reason Han Haoxuan hadn't contacted Ruolin for so long wasn't because he was busy with work, but because he wanted to give himself some time to reflect. He hadn't even expected that he would actually develop feelings for the girl he'd been on a blind date with!
He told himself it must be just his imagination, so he forced himself not to contact her. But the act of not contacting her only tormented him. He would always think of her, intentionally or unintentionally.
Han Haoxuan couldn't figure out what it was about her that he liked. Was it just because she reminded him of An Qian in her eyes and brows? Was it just because holding her hand reminded him of the feeling when he first held hands with An Qian?
Things didn't seem that simple. So when Han Haoxuan thought of Ruolin again, he dialed her number. He had assumed Ruolin also had feelings for him, but was just being reserved and wouldn't call him. That's why he spoke to her so casually; he thought she missed him as much as he missed her. But she flatly denied it. And that wasn't all; she even used being busy as an excuse to hang up on him!
Thinking of this, Han Haoxuan couldn't help but smile bitterly. He didn't understand whether this woman truly disliked him or was playing hard to get.
It wasn't until his secretary knocked on the office door that Han Haoxuan snapped out of his daze and put down the phone that had been lying in his palm for a long time.
Secretary Zhang Qin knocked on the office door for a long time before finally hearing Han Haoxuan say "Come in." She was immediately relieved and quickly pushed the door open.
"Mr. Han, this is a document that requires your signature. Please take a look." Zhang Qin gently placed the document on Han Haoxuan's desk, then glanced at him casually.
She noticed that her boss's expression was somewhat different from usual; his handsome brows were slightly furrowed, and there was an undisguised confusion in his eyes. Considering that the company's business had been booming recently, there was no reason for her boss to be worried! Could it be something to do with his love life? Although her boss occasionally had some rumors, she had never actually seen his girlfriend in person.
"I'll call you when I'm done reading it, then you can come and pick it up." Han Haoxuan said this without a trace of a smile on his face.
"Okay." Zhang Qin looked at Han Haoxuan's face, which seemed to be covered in icy frost, and felt a little scared. How could the usually approachable BOSS have such an expression?
With doubts in her mind, Zhang Qin went outside.
Chapter Ten
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Han Haoxuan fiddled with the pen in his hand while reviewing the documents, but he was still somewhat restless. Yes, he was unwilling to accept it, unwilling to accept that she didn't care about him at all! Unwilling to accept that he had been deluding himself since their blind date!
Finally, after patiently reading through the document, he signed his name elegantly at the signature section on the last page, and then called Secretary Zhang to take the document away.
After that, he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Ruolin's number.