Chapter 63 p1
The conversation at dinner revolved mainly around Qin Qianrou’s training program in Hai City. Although they knew it wouldn’t be particularly exciting, they still asked enthusiastically.
Li Wan, as always, was the most inquisitive. After Lin Shuangzhi finished asking about work-related matters, she took over the conversation. “So, were there more handsome men or beautiful women at the training program?”
Qin Qianrou thought for a moment. “Mostly women.”
“More young people or middle-aged?”
“Around my age and experience level.”
Lin Shuangzhi chuckled. “You’re being too modest, Qianrou. I’ve seen the materials from the training program organizers, each station sent their best people, and you, Qianrou, are exceptionally outstanding. Besides, at your level, there aren’t many people your age in the entire country.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t intend to compare herself to others, but since the team leader had said this, she had to respond. “It’s just that the station has given me many opportunities, and I’ve also been quite lucky.”
Li Wan added, her voice filled with sympathy, “That’s also because you’re more dedicated than anyone else, you’ve devoted all your time to your work.”
Indeed, you achieved in six years what others took over a decade to accomplish. Besides natural talent, it must have taken immense effort, everyone knew that.
“Xiao Wan, don’t worry, the station recognizes Qianrou’s dedication. The directors have praised her to me multiple times, even suggesting she be made an example for others.”
Qin Qianrou, however, frowned slightly; she didn’t like being in the spotlight, and she certainly didn’t like being held up as a role model.
Lin Shuangzhi smiled at Qin Qianrou. “But I also know how you feel about that, so I turned them down. Qianrou, in my team, you just focus on what you want to do.”
Qin Qianrou thanked her gratefully. Lin Shuangzhi, although one of the few female team leaders, was a strong and capable leader.
Li Wan’s heart melted, she loved hearing the team leader speak in that gentle and reassuring tone. It was as if the sky was falling, and the team leader was holding her close, kissing her, and soothing her, Don’t worry, I’ll hold up the sky for you.
The thought made her blush, and she almost forgot to look away from Lin Shuangzhi. Thankfully, it was just the four of them tonight, and she felt that the distance between her and Lin Shuangzhi wasn’t as great as before. She intentionally sent out a subtle signal, hoping Lin Shuangzhi would understand her feelings.
Shen Yiqiu sat quietly, listening to their lively conversation. She couldn’t really contribute, and no one specifically asked about her.
She silently ate the food in front of her, feeling a little disappointed. Sister Li Wan had encouraged her not to give up, but how should she persist? Her previous approach hadn’t been effective, and Jiejie was leaving again in two days, she didn’t know when she would return.
A chicken wing suddenly appeared in her bowl, and Shen Yiqiu turned to look at the person beside her.
Qin Qianrou’s expression was normal, she simply said softly, “The chicken wings here are quite good, you should try them.”
Shen Yiqiu smiled and nodded; Jiejie wasn’t completely rejecting her, even after her transgression yesterday.
Towards the end of the meal, Li Wan casually asked, “Any plans after this?”
It was the weekend, and apart from this pre-arranged dinner, they hadn’t made any other plans. But now, Li Wan, still feeling energized, wanted to continue their evening.
Rong Fei glanced at her phone. “I need to go back to my office.”
Li Wan looked at her, puzzled. “Working overtime on the weekend?”
“Weekends are my busiest time.”
That was true, many people could only attend consultations on weekends, after all, regular workers couldn’t just take time off whenever they wanted.
Li Wan then looked at Shen Yiqiu. “What about you? Any plans?”
Shen Yiqiu shook her head, about to say she had no plans, intending to go home with Jiejie.
Qin Qianrou, however, spoke first. “I have something to take care of later, I probably won’t be back until tonight.”
This was directed at both Li Wan and Shen Yiqiu.
So Jiejie has other plans today, Shen Yiqiu felt another pang of disappointment.
Li Wan winked at Shen Yiqiu and asked, “Qianrou has plans this afternoon, why don’t you hang out with me? I’m bored.”
Shen Yiqiu hadn’t slept well last night and wanted to take a nap. Although she was disappointed that Jiejie had plans, as long as she could return to the comfort of their home, she would be fine.
“I actually…”
Li Wan waved her hand dismissively. “Ah, I know, you young people don’t want to hang out with us old folks, you want to go out with your friends, right?”
Shen Yiqiu saw Li Wan’s meaningful glances, and since Qin Qianrou and Rong Fei were engrossed in their conversation, not noticing their interaction, she understood Li Wan was trying to help her again. Accepting her kindness, she played along. “Mm, I’m meeting a friend later.”
Li Wan volunteered to drive Shen Yiqiu to meet her friend, so Qin Qianrou could attend to her matters.
“Is that alright?” Qin Qianrou asked Shen Yiqiu.
“It’s fine, Sister Li Wan will drive me, Jiejie, you go ahead.”
Qin Qianrou didn’t say anything more and went to get the car with Rong Fei.
Li Wan noticed that Lin Shuangzhi hadn’t spoken, and just as she was about to turn and ask her, she saw her looking at her with a smile.
“I don’t have any other plans, how about we… spend some time together?”
Li Wan’s heart skipped a beat, what was with the team leader lately, suddenly having so much free time. But she loved it, because this free time was spent with her.
Could she be so bold as to assume that the team leader had free time because of her?
The thought made her incredibly happy.
“Sure, let’s spend some time together. But no more ‘anything’ or ‘whatever’ today, you decide.” Li Wan didn’t want to always be the one making decisions, she wanted the team leader to put in some effort.
Blindly following and accommodating wasn’t as fun as a mutual pursuit.
Shen Yiqiu vaguely sensed something at the dinner table, and seeing that they had already made plans, she felt like a third wheel.
“Then I won’t disturb you two.” Shen Yiqiu stood up to leave.
Li Wan stopped her. “Where are you going? I promised Qianrou I would drive you.”
Shen Yiqiu looked at her helplessly. “Sister Li Wan, you know I don’t have any plans, where can you possibly drive me?”
Shen Yiqiu had planned to go to a bookstore, have a cup of coffee, and read a book to kill time. She had forgotten to ask Jiejie if she was coming home for dinner, but she still wanted to go back and prepare something for her.
“How about going to see your cousin?”
Shen Yiqiu shook her head. “I told him I wouldn’t be contacting him these next few days.”
Li Wan looked at her curiously. “Why?”
If it was the kind of relationship she had initially misunderstood, it would make sense for them to temporarily stop contacting each other while Qin Qianrou was back. But there was no need for that now, romantic love and familial affection weren’t mutually exclusive.
“My cousin doesn’t want Jiejie to know he’s back in Meng City, I promised to keep it a secret.”
Li Wan had previously suggested a get-together, but Yuan Qi had awkwardly refused. Since he didn’t seem interested, she hadn’t pressed the issue.
But she hadn’t expected him to be deliberately avoiding them.
“He’s still afraid?”
“Not exactly afraid, but he’s being cautious, he doesn’t want to run into Jiejie.”
Yuan Qi hadn’t explained why he was avoiding Qin Qianrou, only saying they had a conflict in the past, and it hadn’t ended well. After so many years, their connection had faded, and meeting again would only be awkward, so it was best to avoid it.
Shen Yiqiu, recalling the slap Qin Qianrou had given him, knew it wasn’t a pleasant memory.
“If Yuan Qi wants to avoid her, he shouldn’t have come back. I thought he had finally let go of the past.”
Shen Yiqiu knew Li Wan and her cousin were also old acquaintances, but they both seemed unwilling to mention the past.
“Alright, then you go have fun. It’s daytime, I’m not worried about anything happening to you, if there’s a problem, just call me, okay?”
Shen Yiqiu waved goodbye and stepped into the elevator.
Lin Shuangzhi walked over and stood beside Li Wan.
“A walk around the area?”
“Not driving?”
Lin Shuangzhi looked around; they were in a commercial district, surrounded by malls, plenty of leisure options, but parking would be difficult.
“We’ll be spending the afternoon here anyway, it’s a waste of a parking spot.”
Li Wan sighed inwardly, she shouldn’t have expected any creative date ideas from the team leader, even a date was spent in such a commercial and ordinary setting.
“Do you want to watch a movie, or go to the arcade?”
Li Wan glanced at her and didn’t answer.
Lin Shuangzhi paused, then chuckled. “Sorry, I’m still adjusting. Let’s watch a movie then, there are a few new releases.”
The top floor of the mall was a cinema, its facilities and environment among the best in Meng City.
Li Wan didn’t comment, and Lin Shuangzhi quietly stood beside her.
She thought, I’ve never watched a movie with the team leader before, I wonder what kind of movie she’ll choose.
She gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and followed Lin Shuangzhi to the escalator. It being the weekend, the cinema was quite crowded, mostly couples, and some families with children, there to watch animated movies.
The aroma of popcorn, the chatter of the crowd, and the slightly cramped waiting area made Li Wan feel a little disoriented.
How long had it been since she last came to a movie theater at this time of day? After starting her career, she would never subject her tired self to such a crowded environment. She and Qin Qianrou, when they occasionally watched movies, would always choose off-peak hours, preferring to watch during mealtimes for a more peaceful experience.
“Which one do you want to see?” Lin Shuangzhi pointed to the promotional posters, checking the screening times on the display.
“Anything is fine, except animated movies.” Li Wan didn’t want to endure the noise and commotion of children throughout the movie.
“Of course, you’re not a child.”
Lin Shuangzhi suddenly took her hand and led her towards the ticket counter.
Li Wan was startled and surprised. The team leader had never held her hand so proactively before, although it seemed to be just to navigate the crowd.
But the feeling was… quite pleasant.
Without resisting, Li Wan obediently followed, half a step behind, her ears feeling slightly warm.
Lin Shuangzhi reached the counter, briefly inquired about the upcoming screenings, and chose a movie.
Li Wan seemed to have become deaf, lost in her own world, until Lin Shuangzhi gently called her name.
“Xiao Wan?”
“Ah, what is it?”
“I’ve bought the tickets, the movie starts in half an hour. Want to buy any snacks?”
Li Wan glanced at the typical movie snacks behind the counter, feeling uninterested.
She thought sadly, Perhaps I’m past the age of enjoying movie snacks, all I think about now is healthy living.
Lin Shuangzhi, seeing her lack of interest, didn’t ask further and led her away.
This time, they didn’t return to their previous spot, but walked towards the spiral staircase in the atrium.
“Where are we going?”
“I remember there’s an ice cream shop downstairs.”
The mall’s heating was on full blast, and after a while, it did feel a little stuffy.
“Who said I wanted ice cream?” Okay, Li Wan thought, I do want some.
Lin Shuangzhi smiled but didn’t argue.
As they reached the ice cream counter, she said, “I want some, would you like to have some with me?”
“Okay, I’ll have a small one.”
Li Wan watched as Lin Shuangzhi pointed to this flavor, then that flavor, and ended up buying a large one.
“Why did you…?”
Lin Shuangzhi sighed helplessly. “Two small ones wouldn’t be enough for either of us, it’s better to share a large one, and we can try more flavors.”
It sounded reasonable, and Li Wan, inexplicably, agreed.
So, she took the spoon Lin Shuangzhi offered, the cold, creamy, and delicious ice cream melting in her mouth.
Vanilla flavor, the team leader knew her preferences after all.
Li Wan’s eyes crinkled in a smile, the ice cream truly delicious.
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