Ruolin didn't know what else to say besides thank you. Sometimes, she felt like she was being polite to him like a stranger.
"..." Han Haoxuan just smiled, looking very gentle, with deep eyes.
"Let's go outside," Ruolin suggested, knowing that it wasn't appropriate to talk in the library and that she didn't want to disturb others.
"Okay." Han Haoxuan nodded.
As they left the library, Ruolin asked in confusion, "What are you doing here?"
"Xinyu invited me to dinner at a nearby restaurant, but I arrived early; she was still in class. I was bored in her office, so I came out and just happened to pass by here. I came in to take a look around, and I didn't expect to run into you," Han Haoxuan said.
"What a coincidence." Ruolin shrugged and smiled slightly.
"That's called fate," Han Haoxuan said with a half-smile.
"..." Ruolin remained noncommittal, looked up at Han Haoxuan, and said, "You and Xinyu have settled things, right? Best wishes to you both."
Han Haoxuan's brows suddenly furrowed. After thinking for a while, he slowly relaxed his brows and asked, "Don't you care at all?"
"..." Ruolin could tell that his words were half true and half false, but she was stunned for a moment. After a long while, she put on a natural expression and looked at Han Haoxuan, saying, "Why should I care? I'm happy. I must make Xinyu keep a close eye on you in the future and see if you will still speak properly."
"..." Han Haoxuan laughed. When had he ever been anything but serious? It's just that Ruolin couldn't figure him out. Under the blazing sun, Han Haoxuan felt his back burning hot. He turned to Ruolin and said, "Why don't you come along later?"
"I won't disturb your delicious meal!" Ruolin said dismissively.
"Then I'll treat you to a meal alone next time," Han Haoxuan said gently.
"Thanks, but don't bother, I've been quite busy these days." Ruolin quickly declined his offer.
The two walked and talked, and soon they reached a fork in the road. Ruolin was going straight to her workplace, while Han Haoxuan was going to Xinyu's office. They said goodbye at the intersection, exchanging only ordinary farewells.
At the crossroads, Han Haoxuan silently gazed at Ruolin, bathed in sunlight. She seemed to be draped in a golden veil, dazzling to behold. Only when her figure completely disappeared, leaving behind only the silent sunlight, did Han Haoxuan quietly leave. A faint sorrow lingered in his eyes.
He had been trying hard to forget Ruolin, which is why he cooperated so actively with Xinyu and his parents. He thought Ruolin was no different from any other girlfriend; once she left, she was gone, and he would eventually forget her with the passage of time.
He was able to forget Anxi after a three-year relationship, so how could he possibly forget Ruolin, whom he had only met a few times and with whom he had no close relationship? Han Haoxuan had convinced himself of this more than once.
However, every time he saw Ruolin, his heart couldn't help but want to get closer to her.
Han Haoxuan wasn't in a good mood during lunch with Xinyu, but he still had to say a few words when necessary. He didn't mention seeing Ruolin at the library earlier.
Xin Yu found it strange that although they had gone on several dates together, it was almost always her who invited him, while Han Haoxuan rarely took the initiative. Furthermore, he hadn't shown any interest in her yet; if it were before, someone who liked her would have already said so.
Han Haoxuan didn't seem like the type of man who kept quiet, so Xinyu didn't quite understand his thoughts. Of course, she was too embarrassed to ask him directly, and considering that his parents had already agreed, she stopped thinking about it.
Chapter 33
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This Saturday, Ruolin went to tutor the little girl as usual. She could have gone home at six o'clock in the evening, but it happened to be the little girl's birthday, so they invited her to stay for dinner. The family was very hospitable, and the little girl called out sweetly, "Teacher, don't go!" Ruolin couldn't refuse.
After finishing her meal, it was already dark. Under the dim streetlights, Ruolin walked straight to the bus stop.
Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure leaning against a car at the entrance of the residential area. His face was in shadow, and she couldn't see his expression.
Ruolin was startled, finding it somewhat unbelievable that she would see him here. Who was he waiting for? He seemed very focused.
The summer night breeze gently caressed Ruolin's face. She stopped thinking, lowered her head, and continued walking towards the platform.
"Ruolin." That familiar voice rang out softly, breaking the silence of the night.
Ruolin paused, stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn to look at him.
"Do you think I'm invisible?" Han Haoxuan sighed sincerely, a hint of desolation in his voice. He took a few steps forward and stopped behind Ruolin.
Ruolin then turned around, smiling awkwardly, and asked abruptly, "Who are you waiting for so late?"
"..." Han Haoxuan gave a wry smile before slowly saying, "Waiting for you."
Ruolin was momentarily stunned. How could she have imagined that the person Han Haoxuan was waiting for was her? She thought that as long as she walked past him silently, he wouldn't notice or call out to her, but she had miscalculated. She didn't know what he wanted to see her about, nor did she know how long he had been waiting there.
How did he know that she was tutoring here? After thinking for a while, Ruolin remembered that he had brought her here before. She didn't expect him to have such a good memory.
By the light, Ruolin noticed that Han Haoxuan's hair was a little damp on his forehead. She guessed that he had probably been standing outside the car waiting for a while. The temperature outside was still quite high, so it was fine to wait for a short while, but if he waited for a long time, he would definitely sweat.
Seeing the sweat beading on Han Haoxuan's forehead, Ruolin felt a little embarrassed and asked, "Is there something you need from me?"
"Have you eaten?" Han Haoxuan asked, seemingly unrelated to the question.
"I've eaten. If you have nothing else, I'll be going." Ruolin prepared to leave.
"Wait a minute, I want to take you somewhere," Han Haoxuan said.
They were two or three steps apart, but Ruolin could feel the magnetic field around Han Haoxuan, drawing her closer to him. She was momentarily confused, but when she looked at Han Haoxuan more closely, the feeling slowly disappeared. She politely declined, saying, "Sorry, it's so late, I have things to do when I get back."
"You promised me a request, and this is my request." Han Haoxuan had finally found a reason to get her to go.
A request? She hesitated for a moment before gradually remembering that it was something he had made when he returned the pendant to her.
Ruolin always kept her promises. Since she was going to agree sooner or later anyway, she figured it was better to repay the favor now than to wait until things got complicated later. With that thought, she nodded in agreement.
A glint of light suddenly flashed in Han Haoxuan's deep eyes, like a star. At least, his long wait had been worthwhile this time.
Han Haoxuan knew that Ruolin tutored students every weekend and worked part-time at a restaurant after her regular job, her schedule always packed, only able to go home earlier on weekends. He knew she usually finished her assignments by six o'clock, but today he waited and waited and she didn't come, so he thought she hadn't come at all. He wanted to call her, but didn't know what to say. He finally made up his mind, convinced that she had come today, but perhaps something was wrong and she would be a little late, so he waited there with the idea of waiting for her to come to him.
From the first rays of dawn until dusk and then until the moon hung high in the sky, the sweltering heat of the air assaulted him. He had considered going back to his car to wait, but he was also afraid that he might miss her if he wasn't careful. This time, he had finally mustered up all his courage to come find her, so how could he let her slip away so easily?
So Han Haoxuan stood outside the car and waited. Although the night lacked the intense sunlight of the day, the temperature in the air was still quite high. Listening to the intermittent chirping of cicadas and the sparse sounds of conversation, he felt that time was passing particularly slowly.
At first, he didn't feel anything, but gradually, he felt his back was slightly damp. His close-fitting white shirt was soaked with a thin layer of sweat, sticking to his back and feeling a little uncomfortable. Beads of sweat kept appearing on his forehead, and after wiping them away, another layer would appear, endlessly.
Nevertheless, he waited patiently.
He hoped that her delicate and beautiful face would appear before him in the next moment, but time ticked by slowly, and he didn't know when it would come to an end.
Just as his heart was slowly sinking to the bottom and gradually cooling down, Ruolin suddenly appeared.
At that moment, his eyes seemed to light up instantly, as if Ruolin was a huge, dazzling halo, which made his spirits suddenly lift.
He thought Ruolin would come up and greet him, but instead, she walked past him hurriedly with her head down.
His heart suddenly sank.
At that moment, he even wondered if he had seen Ruolin. Why did she rush away as if she had seen a ghost, without even glancing at him?
If he hadn't called out to her, would she have stopped? Han Haoxuan thought, maybe not.
Her steps were so hurried, clearly indicating that she wanted to avoid him and get out of his sight as soon as possible. But in the end, Han Haoxuan called out to her, stopping her from taking the next step.
Even when Han Haoxuan called out to Ruolin, all Ruolin gave him was her back. Gazing at her silent back, Han Haoxuan felt as if his heart had been pierced by a fine needle; he felt pain, but he could only endure it without showing it.
His patience with Ruolin had truly reached its limit.
He didn't know why, but she still didn't turn around even after he called her name. She was like a proud tree, while he was like a blade of grass beside her, silently waiting in an inconspicuous corner.
It wasn't until he walked behind Ruolin and spoke to her that she turned her straight back. In that instant, he noticed her shoulders tremble slightly.
Seeing her turn around, his heart skipped a beat. The lamplight made her face even more beautiful, her fair skin bathed in an orange glow, but her expression was somewhat unnatural. When she asked that question, Han Haoxuan finally understood why she had hurriedly walked away from him; she had thought he was waiting for someone else.
Han Haoxuan had already guessed that Ruolin wouldn't agree to his request, so he remembered that Ruolin still had to agree to something else. Although it was a bit of a stretch, he genuinely wanted to take her somewhere. He felt that she might not know enough about him, which was why she avoided him so much. He wanted her to know more about him, so he wanted to take her there.
"Where are you taking me?" Ruolin asked, looking at Han Haoxuan beside her as she got into the car.
Ruolin felt that she couldn't just let him do whatever he wanted just because she agreed to his request. She needed to ask where he wanted to take her. If he had any ulterior motives, she could still tell him to stop the car now.
"You'll know when you get there." Han Haoxuan turned his head, a strange smile appearing on his lips.
That smile made Ruolin feel uneasy, worried that she might have boarded a pirate ship and wouldn't be able to escape. She couldn't understand why he always acted so mysteriously when he wanted to take her somewhere; this man seemed unfathomable.
Ruolin kept a close eye on the scenery outside the window. If everything was familiar, she wouldn't feel afraid. However, gradually, as they moved away from the bustling city, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, and the scenery outside the window became increasingly unfamiliar. She began to feel a little scared. Looking at Han Haoxuan, who was focused on driving, she quickly shrank closer to the window and asked timidly, "Where exactly are you taking me?"
Han Haoxuan glanced at Ruolin, seemingly understanding her thoughts, smiled, and deliberately said, "Don't you feel unsafe being with a man late at night?"
"Where exactly do you want to take me?" Han Haoxuan's words probably slightly annoyed Ruolin. She held onto the car window, slowly sat up straight, and asked again with a determined look.
Han Haoxuan turned his head away, ignoring Ruolin, and drove off on his own, suddenly humming a song softly.
At this moment, Ruolin was already a little scared, and hearing his incomprehensible singing only increased her fear.
"Stop the car." Looking at the completely unfamiliar scene outside, Ruolin finally mustered the courage to speak her mind.
"Don't be afraid, we're almost there." Han Haoxuan stopped scaring Ruolin, stopped humming softly, and spoke with unusual gentleness, as if whispering but very close.
Ruolin stared blankly at Han Haoxuan. His expression was gentle, not at all like a bad person, and the tone of his voice when he spoke to her was so soft, like a feather brushing against her heart. Instantly, her fear subsided considerably. She comforted herself, thinking that perhaps she hadn't boarded a pirate ship and that nothing bad should happen, so she gave up the idea of getting off the bus.
Ruolin didn't know how long Han Haoxuan had been driving, but she felt that time was passing very slowly, and every minute was torture. She didn't know where she was going, so she always felt a little apprehensive.
Chapter Thirty-Four
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Han Haoxuan finally parked his car next to an open space.
This is just an ordinary open space in the suburbs, but the scenery at night is exceptionally beautiful.
A wide river flowed silently in the still night in front of the open space. The half-moon reflected on the water seemed to bathe the entire surface in gold, making the water shimmer and sparkle. A row of willows had been planted along the riverbank, swaying gently in the breeze like dancing ribbons.
Ruolin was stunned by the scene before her. It gave her a sense of déjà vu. After thinking for a while, she realized that it was very similar to the scenery in the corridor of her high school, but this place was much more beautiful than the one in school.
The similar scenery inevitably evoked Ruolin's memories of high school, those days of morning reading, sweet yet tinged with a hint of bitterness.
Ruolin only now realizes that having a crush is like a long journey; it feels wonderful at first, but later you slowly discover that it is also very difficult.
Ruolin instantly fell in love with this place, not only because of the beautiful memories it held, but more importantly, because it truly was a haven of tranquility outside the stone castle.
Seeing these things, she realized that her fear and worry in the car earlier were unnecessary.
Han Haoxuan walked to the riverbank, put his hands in his pockets, and quietly watched the flowing river.
The surroundings were quiet and still, as if everything was enveloped in peace.
Han Haoxuan turned his head and saw Ruolin still standing next to the car, so he reached out his hand and beckoned her over.
When Ruolin stopped beside Han Haoxuan, his magnetic voice rang out softly in the quiet night: "What do you think of this place?"
“It’s beautiful,” Ruolin said with a smile.
"Like paradise on earth?" Han Haoxuan asked exaggeratedly, a hint of joy in his expression.
In truth, this place was his own personal paradise, a beautiful paradise brimming with childlike innocence. He had never told anyone about this wonderful place, nor had he ever brought anyone with him, but Ruolin was an exception.
"Like the purest dream." Ruolin was immersed in the beautiful scenery, which was also her most beautiful dream in her youth. To roam freely in her own Eden, and if possible, to meet her Prince Charming. But all of this was just the most beautiful longing in her youth.
"What is your purest dream?" Han Haoxuan asked curiously.