Chapter 48 Dating Is Also Fine

Chapter 48: Dating is Okay Too

They were sitting near the aisle, surrounded by a constant flow of people coming and going. Lin Haoda made up an excuse, saying he wanted to step out to find Miss Jiang.

After saying that, he felt it was a bit abrupt and didn’t immediately get up. He waited for a while, perhaps realizing how foolish he looked just sitting there frozen, and then, feeling conflicted, he finally left.

Carried along by the crowd toward the exit, Lin Haoda suddenly, inexplicably, looked back, and his gaze accidentally met Guan Junshan’s, who had followed him.

Lin Haoda paused in his steps and stopped, his mind felt fuzzy and confused. He didn’t even know what he was thinking, but in the end, he pursed his lips and gave him a smile.

Once outside the theater, the air instantly felt fresher. The sunlight was warm, tourists bustled about, and nothing seemed different.

Standing under the porch, Lin Haoda looked around but didn’t spot Jiang Tianyi. He pulled out his phone and dialed her number, only to find it was constantly busy. He thought for a moment, then called Jiang Tianyi’s assistant, but several calls went unanswered.

Logically, even if something came up, it was unlikely that both would be unreachable at the same time. Lin Haoda started to worry. One moment he’d recall Jiang Tianyi’s complaints about the underwater restaurant and think she was still upset; the next, he’d wonder if they had already gone back. His thoughts drifted further off track, gradually morphing into a new fear—that Jiang Tianyi might have accidentally seen Guan Junshan touching his face and that this would have serious consequences.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to stew in his anxiety for long before the assistant called back.

Lin Haoda steadied himself, answered, and said, “Assistant He.” The person on the other end gave a brief greeting, explaining that Jiang Tianyi was with her now because she suddenly felt a bit unwell, was resting, and was about to leave soon.

“Is it serious? Should we go to the hospital?” Lin Haoda asked with concern. “Why so sudden?”

Jiang Tianyi’s assistant dismissed the idea of going to the hospital and instead tried to reassure him, saying it might just be an upset stomach and that she’d be fine after a couple of days of rest.

“I see.” Lin Haoda was about to hang up when he heard music coming from the other end of the line. He subconsciously asked, “Are you near the theater?”

Phone in hand, he instinctively looked around. Whether by luck or coincidence, he actually spotted them. Jiang Tianyi and her assistant were sitting under a large tree in the distance. Lin Haoda was too far away to see clearly, and still worried, he hung up before the assistant could answer.

He bought two bottles of water and headed towards them. At first, he walked quickly, but as he got closer, he gradually slowed down and eventually came to a complete stop.

It was not for any other reason; just that Jiang Tianyi didn’t look sick at all.

She was sitting quietly on a bench, the wrist of the hand holding her phone hung down. Her expression was calm—if anything was off, it was perhaps that she was too calm. She wasn’t smiling. Her eyes were slightly red, her gaze fixed absently on the fountain pool in front of her, with a troubled look.

It seemed like she had been crying. It definitely didn’t look like an upset stomach or physical discomfort. If that was the case, why couldn’t she tell the truth? Why hide behind excuses?

Lin Haoda watched her from the side for a long time, hesitating repeatedly, before finally circling around to the bench on the other side of the bushes.

The two benches were back to back, separated by a row of low shrubs. This area saw little foot traffic. Jiang Tianyi’s voice drifted over in fragments.

She called out her assistant’s name, her voice very low and sounding weary. “I’m tired.”

“How long will this life go on?” she murmured. “Will everything be settled after we get married?”

“Tianyi jie,” the assistant paused, then gently comforted her, “Mr. Tang’s call came as a surprise. When you two parted ways, everything was already made clear.”

“Made clear?” Jiang Tianyi gave a cold laugh. “Who clarified it on my behalf?”

“Was it Grandpa? Or Auntie?” Her voice grew colder. “Driving A-Chen to that point—wasn’t it all to force me to marry the person they chose for me?”

“But President Guan… he really is a suitable match for marriage.”

“You’re overthinking it,” Jiang Tianyi immediately denied, then after a short pause, asked, “How much do you really know about him? Are you sure he isn’t being forced, just like me?”

She fell silent for a moment, then finally said, “How much sincerity is there, really?”

“…Rarely have I seen anyone eat an ice cream while daydreaming.”

Guan Junshan frowned, reached out and grabbed Lin Haoda’s wrist, pulling him a bit closer. His tone was still biting: “In some ways, you’re really talented.”

Then he bent down and licked the nearly melted scoop of ice cream.

Startled, Haoda snatched the ice cream back, looking around guiltily. “President Guan, how can you do that?”

He spoke quickly, furrowing his brows in mild defiance. “What if Miss Jiang returns? She’ll see.”

Guan Junshan looked down at him, not answering, but instead asked, “What were you thinking about that made you so distracted?”

“Nothing.” Lin Haoda scooted a little to the side, leaving an empty space between them. After a moment, he changed his answer: “Maybe I was thinking about what time this place closes.”

Guan Junshan said nothing. He took out his phone, tapped it a few times, and told him, “It closes at five.” Then he asked, “Did you see the hermit crabs?”

Lin Haoda licked his ice cream and said slowly, “No,” distracted. “It’s not really on the way, so I didn’t go.”

“I’ll take you later.” Guan Junshan didn’t hesitate long before the words were out.

Lin Haoda’s swallowing stopped for a moment. Then his teeth and tongue worked again, but awkwardly. He didn’t agree, nor did his expression betray anything. This slightly annoyed Guan Junshan, and for the first time he experienced being ignored.

But he didn’t lose his temper immediately. Instead, he straightened up from his seat, turned slightly to the side, and let his gaze fall on Lin Haoda’s fingers holding the ice cream.

“Lin Haoda.” Guan Junshan leaned in a little closer and said softly.

Lin Haoda’s heart tingled. Guan Junshan’s voice and scent were getting closer. He wanted to respond, but the next second, he remembered Jiang Tianyi’s words: Love isn’t necessary; marriage is the ultimate destination for people like them.

So even if some vague, fleeting attraction had arisen now, it would eventually become a burden on Guan Junshan’s path to marriage. It would be meaningless.

Thinking this, he decided to make things clear. “President Guan…”

“Jun Shan.”

Jiang Tianyi suddenly appeared.

She stood at the bottom of the steps, slightly looking up. “My feet hurt.”

Then she smiled and said playfully, “Come down and help me.”

Guan Junshan turned his face, paused for a brief moment, then stood up from his seat.

He walked down the steps with large strides, but he didn’t take the last two steps because Jiang Tianyi had already taken his arm and stepped up.

Then they returned to their seats. As Lin Haoda had hoped, Jiang Tianyi sat in the middle, separating him from Guan Junshan.

“What were you two talking about?” Jiang Tianyi turned her face toward Lin Haoda, blinking as she asked casually. “Did I miss much? Was it interesting?”

Lin Haoda smiled faintly and said, “It was okay.” His gaze rested on Jiang Tianyi’s delicate face. He noticed she had touched up her makeup; her originally swollen eyelids were now coated with a layer of glittery eyeshadow, completely hiding any trace of sadness.

Jiang Tianyi nodded, looking at him as if waiting for him to continue. Lin Haoda looked away and said with a wry smile, “President Guan said the performances here aren’t as good as abroad, that after he and Miss Jiang got married…”

“You’re so demanding.” Jiang Tianyi didn’t let him finish. She turned to complain, leaning into Guan Junshan’s arm, speaking in a very natural, playful tone. “Then let’s go there for our honeymoon. We’ll go to the place you mentioned.”

Lin Haoda, still seated, had his view completely blocked, so he couldn’t see Guan Junshan’s profile. He sensed a brief silence before Guan Junshan denied it: “No. It’s actually just average there.”

Jiang Tianyi wanted to press further, but the lights dimmed again, signaling the start of the show. Sparse applause broke out, so she let it go.

After the performance, Jiang Tianyi didn’t want to wander anymore and suggested they go back.

Lin Haoda accompanied them to the parking lot entrance. Everyone except him was about to leave. After Jiang Tianyi showed up, Guan Junshan reverted to his earlier demeanor: cold, curt, and expressionless. Lin Haoda couldn’t be sure what had upset him or if it had anything to do with him, but he couldn't bring himself to ignore him completely.

Jiang Tianyi and her assistant got into the car first, leaving the two of them at the back of the group. In a quiet spot, in the last moment before turning a corner, Lin Haoda reached out and gently tugged Guan Junshan’s sleeve. “President Guan.”

Guan Junshan did not turn around, but his steps hesitated and he stopped.

Lin Haoda tugged at him, edging closer until his chest brushed against Guan Junshan's arm, and murmured, "Come on, cheer up."

Guan Junshan tilted his head, glanced at him, and parted his lips as if to say something.

Lin Haoda was afraid he would scold him, say something hurtful, or push him away and withdraw the affection he'd been showing. Nervous and a little afraid of being caught, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions, he made a very irrational decision.

He clung to Guan Junshan's forearm, rose slightly on his tiptoes, and swiftly leaned in, pressing his lips gently against Guan Junshan's chin.

Although he saw it more as a gesture of appeasement and affection than as being playful, he still couldn't help but speak in a sweet, clingy tone: "I can go see the hermit crabs by myself. Stop being mad."

Guan Junshan looked at him, his eyes very dark, his lashes thick. After a moment, he agreed, saying, "Okay."

And so Lin Haoda felt a little lighter, happier than when he'd been alone with Guan Junshan in the open-air theater moments before. He took a step back, creating some distance, and waved at Guan Junshan, saying, "Go keep Miss Jiang company."

But later, as he sat in the car, Guan Junshan gradually realized that Lin Haoda probably wasn't happy at all.

He loved sweets, so he would keep eating them until he got sick of them. It was the same with his feelings; if he truly liked him, he would want to stay with him all the time, even if they were just chatting idly or doing nothing in particular.

So even though he told him to go see Jiang Tianyi off, deep down, he must have wished for Guan Junshan to stay.

Lin Haoda was actually easy to appease. He didn't ask for much, couldn't even put his feelings into words, yet he was so easily satisfied. He liked him so much that he'd initiate a kiss, and just one kiss was enough. He would rather let Guan Junshan do what he had to do, would rather say it's fine to go see his favorite hermit crabs alone.

Thinking this over, Guan Junshan wondered how there could be someone in this world so foolish—too afraid to ask for commitment, too afraid to overstep and ask for a little more love and companionship.

Even if Guan Junshan couldn't easily promise him marriage or a title, since Lin Haoda was so obedient and well-behaved, maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a short fling with him.

After seeing Jiang Tianyi off, the driver asked where to go next. Guan Junshan glanced at his watch, figured it was still early, and told him to drive back to the Ocean Park.

He got out of the car, didn't call Lin Haoda, and without any hesitation, headed straight for the Freshwater Aquarium.

As closing time approached, this less popular pavilion had even fewer visitors. Guan Junshan followed the signs and easily spotted Lin Haoda on a bench near the entrance.

He was leaning back against the seat, his head slightly raised, staring blankly at the sky—either lost in thought or daydreaming.

People came and went, but even after Guan Junshan had watched him for a long time, Lin Haoda didn't notice. He sat there, unnaturally still, with no one accompanying him. His chin was sharp, his lips a moist, vivid red, and the sunlight cast a soft halo around him.

At that moment, Guan Junshan's willingness to "have a relationship with someone like him" increased by a few more percentage points.

And because it wouldn't feel right to approach empty-handed for a date, Guan Junshan walked to a nearby shop, waited in line for about five minutes, bought a strawberry-flavored cotton candy, and then headed toward Lin Haoda.