Chapter 46: Dating

Chapter 46: Dating

Gu Yan didn't say much, but when he did, it was always to the point. He was also very considerate, frequently putting food on Lin Zhijin's plate.

"Thanks, you eat too." Lin Zhijin reciprocated by putting a piece of squab on Gu Yan's plate.

Seeing her eating happily, he couldn't help the slight smile tugging at his lips. "If you like it, we can come often."

"No need. Eating here is so expensive; we can't afford to come here often." Lin Zhijin said half-jokingly.

Sure, she could afford it, but there was no need, and she shouldn't draw too much attention.

Gu Yan ladled her a bowl of soup and said, "My salary is decent, and my father left me an inheritance."

The implication was clear: he could support her and she didn't need to worry about food and clothing.

Lin Zhijin naturally understood. She glanced at Gu Yan and changed the subject. "You introduced yourself earlier, but I haven't introduced myself to you yet. Lin Zhijin, eighteen years old, from a rural village. Last year, my parents sold me to the Chen family as a bride to ward off bad luck. Shortly after I entered the household, Master Chen passed away from illness. Luckily, the nationwide liberation came, and I was rescued by Secretary Zhang and the others at the Women's Federation. Later, I joined the Women's Federation myself."

While saying this, Lin Zhijin kept observing Gu Yan's expression. Seeing no change in his expression, she wondered if he minded.

This was crucial—if he had a problem with her past, then no matter how good or handsome he was, it wouldn't work.

"Those things are all in the past. I believe your future will be smooth sailing from here on." Gu Yan said with certainty.

When Lin Zhijin went to pay, she found the bill was already settled. Upon asking, she learned that Gu Yan had prepaid yesterday when he ordered the squab.

"I said this one's on me." Lin Zhijin held her wallet, looking at him.

"That's right—you're paying." Gu Yan said seriously.

Lin Zhijin suddenly remembered that old joke—"I'll treat, you pay"—and couldn't help but laugh. "Next time, I'll treat you again. No more pulling that trick."

Gu Yan smiled and looked at the clear blue sky. "The weather is nice today. Shall we take a walk in the park?"

Lin Zhijin readily agreed. The park was full of shady trees and blooming flowers. A gentle breeze carried the faint scent of flowers and fresh-cut grass. They strolled along the lakeside path, making small talk.

"When I was seven, I snuck a sip of my dad's strong liquor and slept for a whole day and night before waking up. I nearly scared my parents half to death." Gu Yan brushed away a little bug in front of Lin Zhijin, glanced at the stinky puddle, and said, "Let's go that way."

"I never would've guessed you were such a troublemaker as a kid. I really couldn't tell." Lin Zhijin looked at Gu Yan in surprise.

He was the type who seemed like the perfect kid—good-looking, studious, and always carrying himself with a steady, composed air.

"Kids will be kids. Are you heading back to the countryside in a few days?" Gu Yan thought of his father. After his father died in service, his mother was busy with work, and he often stayed home alone or stayed with other families. Naturally, he lost the luxury of being mischievous.

Lin Zhijin walked slowly. "That's the plan, but nothing's set yet..."

After looping around the park, they headed toward Anhe Street. At the street corner, Gu Yan stopped. "Comrade Zhijin, I really enjoyed our talk today."

"Me too. It's getting late—you should head back. I'll head home too." Lin Zhijin smiled, tilted her head slightly, and pointed toward where she lived.

"Alright, goodbye." Gu Yan nodded.

Just as she entered the courtyard, Li Yue, who'd been waiting, stopped her. Li Yue pulled her inside, where Wang Chunhua was waiting, eager for gossip.

"Spill it—how did the date go?" Li Yue asked in a hushed voice.

"Just from your face, it looks like it went well. Is it going to work out?" Wang Chunhua followed up.

Lin Zhijin's cheeks flushed slightly, and she smiled a bit shyly. "It was alright. We just had a meal and walked around the park."

Li Yue wasn't about to let her off that easy. She grabbed her arm and pressed, "Don't be vague. Give us the details—what did you talk about, and how did he treat you?"

Helpless, Lin Zhijin spilled the details of her time with Gu Yan, including his self-introduction, their conversation, and how he had paid in advance.

After hearing this, Wang Chunhua wore a satisfied smile. "This Gu Yan sounds great—a college grad and deputy director of the machinery factory. And I've seen him—he's really handsome. Zhijin, he's the one."

"What do you mean, 'the one'?" Lin Zhijin gave her an amused look.

Li Yue nodded in agreement. "Xiao Jin, you seem to like him. Why not try taking things further?"

Lin Zhijin bit her lip lightly, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. "I do think he's a nice guy, but this is only our first date. Isn't that moving too fast?"

Li Yue patted Lin Zhijin's shoulder. "Fast? Look at the people from the mixer—they're getting married after just one or two dates. Of course, we're not saying you should go get your marriage license right away, but you can at least establish the relationship first. If you really don't get along, you can break up. This is a new society—free love, free marriage, not like before."

Wang Chunhua added, "Exactly. You've met so many people through blind dates—either they weren't right or there was something off about them. Now that you've finally found someone good in every way, don't let him get away."

Hearing their words, Lin Zhijin's hesitation gradually faded. She nodded. "Alright, I understand. I'll try to spend more time with him."

Lin Zhijin was still thinking about when would be a good time to meet again, but the next morning, Chen Qiuqiu handed her a letter, saying Gu Yan had asked her to deliver it.

"How did he get you to bring it?" Lin Zhijin opened the letter, puzzled.

"I ran into him on the way." Chen Qiuqiu looked Lin Zhijin up and down. She'd previously regretted that Lin Zhijin hadn't ended up with Yang Su—knowing his background, marrying him would've been almost like climbing straight to the top. But unexpectedly, she had now gotten involved with Gu Yan instead.

Gu Yan's only drawback was that his father had died early in service; otherwise, his family background would be even better than Yang Su's. But that didn't matter—he still had many old comrades-in-arms, and his mother was alive, with a stepfather who was equally impressive.

If you really compared, the Yang family might not necessarily accept Lin Zhijin. But with only Gu Yan left in the Gu family, there would be almost no opposition to Lin Zhijin marrying in, and she could take charge of the household right away.

Lin Zhijin had already opened the envelope, which contained a small pink flower. Unfolding the letter, it began with a love poem and ended with an invitation to lunch.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly. How romantic.

"Ooh la la." Wang Xiaoyao leaned in to look, but Lin Zhijin dodged away. "Let me see—what does it say?"

"What's there to see?" Lin Zhijin put the letter away. "I'm not eating at the cafeteria for lunch."

Lunch was at the noodle shop nearby—the same one where she'd had a blind date with Zhu Xiangwen last time.

Lin Zhijin looked at the composed Gu Yan across from her and felt he was doing this on purpose. How else could it be such a coincidence—first meal at Rongji, second meal at this noodle shop?

Sensing her suspicious gaze, Gu Yan's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and asked what she wanted to eat.

"Shredded pork noodles. Their shredded pork noodles are good." Lin Zhijin saw his face twitch briefly and felt a faint sourness in the air. She widened her eyes, but when she looked again, his expression was normal, as if she'd imagined it.

That shouldn't be. They had no prior connection—why would he react that way?

The next day, Chen Qiuqiu delivered another letter. This time it contained a leaf, opening with a poem of longing and ending with another lunch invitation.

This time, they went to a different small restaurant. The wheat cakes were delicious, and Lin Zhijin hadn't had them in a while, so she enjoyed them immensely.

For a whole week, it was the same routine: a letter every day, a flower or a leaf, a poem, and lunch together. Gradually, Gu Yan started inviting her to dinner, and after eating, they'd take a walk and he'd walk her home.

"Zhijin, you've been eating dinner out for three days now." Li Yue looked at her with a hint of grievance.

She hadn't thought much of it before, but ever since she started cooking and eating with Lin Zhijin, her palate had been spoiled. Eating her own cooking now—while not inedible—was certainly not enjoyable.

Wang Chunhua also looked at Lin Zhijin with an accusing expression, feeling she'd lost weight.

"It's not that bad, is it?" Lin Zhijin looked at her with amusement, then hesitated. "Weren't you the ones urging me to find someone? Now that I'm going on dates, you want me to cancel them?"

"Do we have to be this clingy?" Li Yue said, sounding put out.

"Clingy? Don't be ridiculous." Lin Zhijin glanced at them. "Tomorrow's no good. Gu Yan's having dinner with friends, and I'm going along."

"So are you two officially a thing now?" Li Yue sat up abruptly.

"No." Lin Zhijin shook her head, but it was basically one step away.

Birds of a feather flock together. Tomorrow she'd check out Gu Yan's friends and see what they were like.

The next day after work, Gu Yan showed up right on time at the Women's Federation building to pick up Lin Zhijin, drawing quite a few teasing looks from people nearby.

Lin Zhijin suddenly realized that Gu Yan had been inching closer without her noticing—from the corner outside the street office to the entrance, and now to the Women's Federation building. Would he next show up at the front door, or even come inside the office to get her?

"What's wrong?" Gu Yan looked Lin Zhijin up and down. She was wearing a light green maxi dress with a white floral knit cardigan, her black hair in a loose double Dutch braid draped over her chest, paired with white leather flats—fresh and elegant, absolutely stunning. "You look great. Come on, they're probably waiting for us."

"Zhijin, don't drink." Chen Qiuqiu reminded her.

"Don't worry, Chen Jie. I'll make sure Zhijin doesn't drink." Gu Yan quickly assured her.

The get-together was at a small, tastefully decorated courtyard. Lin Zhijin followed Gu Yan inside, where quite a few people had already shown up. They all looked at the newcomers curiously.

"Gu Yan-ge, so this is your girlfriend? She's really pretty." A fashionably dressed girl smiled at Lin Zhijin, though her smile looked a little forced.

Gu Yan gave her a brief nod and didn't bother with her, then took Lin Zhijin's hand and introduced her to his friends from the capital.

Lin Zhijin greeted them warmly and found them all friendly, so she chatted with them a bit.

"Zhijin, how did you and Gu Yan meet?" A young man asked curiously.

Lin Zhijin glanced at Gu Yan and smiled. "Right on the street. A pickpocket stole my wallet, and Gu Yan helped me get it back."

"Oh, a hero saving a damsel in distress!" The young man elbowed the dark-skinned guy next to him. "Old Yang, isn't that romantic?"

Lin Zhijin turned to look at Old Yang and couldn't help but do a double take. She hadn't looked closely before, but now she noticed he looked about forty percent like Yang Su, and they had the same last name. Could they be blood-related?

"Hi, I'm Yang Tao." Yang Tao nodded at Lin Zhijin, shrugging off the arm the guy had slung around his neck. "This is Su Zhan. We're not busy these days, so we came to see Old Gu."

"Hi, pretty sister! I'm Su Yan, Su Zhan's cousin. I've been following them around since I was little. Gu Yan-ge has never dated anyone before—you're his first! You're really pretty. Where do you work? What do your parents do?" Su Yan sidled up, her voice all sweet.

Lin Zhijin felt a wave of fake sweetness hit her and stepped back. She wanted to see how Gu Yan would handle this. If he stayed indifferent or took the little schemer's side, that would be the end of their relationship.

"Su Yan, you're twenty-one, three years older than Zhijin. Don't call her 'sister.' And what Zhijin's family does or where she works is none of your business." Gu Yan shot Su Zhan a glare. Why did he bring such a troublemaker along?

Su Zhan shrugged innocently. He hadn't brought her—Su Yan had snuck along. When they spotted her at the Nancheng train station, they were just as shocked. But since she was already there, they couldn't just ditch her, so they had to bring her along.

Su Yan pouted at Gu Yan's dark look, her eyes getting a little red as if she were deeply hurt.

"Sorry, Zhijin, I didn't know you were younger than me. But... you're only eighteen. Isn't that too young to be dating? Do your parents approve?" Su Yan asked with a concerned look.

Gu Yan's face went completely dark. "Su Yan."

Su Yan quickly covered her mouth and ducked her head, acting like she didn't dare speak again.

Su Zhan didn't look too happy either. She wasn't his biological sister, but she was still his cousin. Her antics embarrassed him too.

Su Yan didn't cause any more trouble after that, so the meal went pretty well.

After the get-together, Gu Yan muttered a few words to Su Zhan and Yang Tao before heading out. "I'll catch you tomorrow. Let me take Xiao Jin home first."

Zhijin had become Xiao Jin. Tsk!

"What's Yang Tao's relationship to Mayor Yang?" Lin Zhijin asked directly.

"Yang Tao is Mayor Yang's nephew." Gu Yan saw the knowing look on Lin Zhijin's face and didn't elaborate, instead explaining about Su Yan first. "Su Zhan, Yang Tao, and I have always been tight. Especially Su Zhan—we grew up together like brothers. Su Yan is Su Zhan's cousin. She snuck along this time. She confessed to me before, but I turned her down. I've already arranged for Su Zhan to put her on a train back to the capital first thing in the morning. She won't be spouting any more nonsense at you."

Sure enough, at lunch the next day, Lin Zhijin didn't see that little schemer.

"So? I threw Su Yan on the train before dawn. Loyal enough, right?" Su Zhan sidled up to Gu Yan and whispered. "I'm this loyal, so you owe me a favor, right?"

"Let's hear it." Gu Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Help me talk my grandpa into it. I want to join the military." Su Zhan dropped the act, his face turning serious.

Gu Yan's father had died in the line of duty, but his mother was still alive. Su Zhan had it worse—both his parents had died on a mission, leaving him the only one left in their branch of the family. That's why Grandpa Su and Grandma Su were dead set against Su Zhan joining the army.

"Listen to your grandpa." As a friend, Gu Yan was on Grandpa Su's side on this.

"Old Gu, even you won't back me up?" Su Zhan asked, disappointed.

Gu Yan opened his mouth to speak. He understood, but he didn't want to back it. What if something happened?

Su Zhan and Yang Tao stayed in Nancheng for five days and left on the sixth, loaded down with bags of local specialties for family and friends.

Back at the Women's Federation, Lin Zhijin had just put down her bag when Wang Xiaoyao sidled up. "Zhijin, when are you and Factory Director Gu going to hand out your wedding candy?"

At the mention of Gu Yan, thinking of their time together, Lin Zhijin's lips curved slightly. "Don't talk nonsense. Nothing's set in stone yet."

At noon when she got off work, Lin Zhijin overheard people gossiping, bits and pieces drifting into her ears.

A: "The Sheng family's Fourth Concubine is truly insane. She put knockout powder in the well, then killed Old Master Sheng, the First Wife, and everyone else. She didn't even spare the Second Miss, who had come home for a visit."

B: "I heard she even tried to kill her own son. Luckily he happened to step out and dodged a bullet."

C: "She's really crazy? She'd go after her own son?"

A: "She was always crazy. If she hadn't been lucky enough to have a son, the Sheng family would have kicked her out long ago."

The Sheng family? Was that Sheng Huaimin's family?

"Xiao Jin." Gu Yan walked over quickly.

"Oh, Factory Director Gu is here! Xiao Lin, when are we drinking at your wedding?" Sister Wu called out when she saw them.

Lin Zhijin frowned. She knew that because Sister Li and Li Yue had warned Sister Wu, and because things hadn't worked out between her and Zhu Xiangwen, Sister Wu's son was having a rough time at the Finance Bureau. As a result, Sister Wu held a grudge against her. She didn't dare say anything outright, but took every chance to make snide remarks.

"I'm still courting Cadre Lin. If I'm lucky enough to marry her, I'll definitely invite everyone for a drink." Gu Yan clasped his hands in thanks and led Lin Zhijin away amid the crowd's teasing.

"Sorry. I'll try to avoid people from now on." Gu Yan said seriously.

Lin Zhijin shot him a sideways glance. "Isn't it a bit late for that? Whatever. They saw us—it's not like it's the first time."

Gu Yan froze for a moment, then was flooded with joy. He hurried after Lin Zhijin. "Xiao Jin, does this mean you're agreeing to go out with me?"

Lin Zhijin glared at him in exasperation. How had she ever thought Gu Yan was mature and reliable?

"You haven't even properly confessed, and you expect me to be with you?"

She didn't demand grand gestures, but some things should still be done right. First, she wanted beautiful memories. And second—well, men were all the same. What came too easily, they didn't appreciate.

Gu Yan nodded repeatedly. "Right, my fault."

His mind was already racing with ideas on how to confess—take Xiao Jin to a Western restaurant and confess there? Or by the lake, under the blue sky and white clouds? Or pick a memorable date?

The next significant date coming up was Qingming Festival. Ahem, definitely not the day for that.

Xiao Jin's birthday was in June—too far away. Qixi? Even further off...

Lin Zhijin saw Gu Yan lost in thought, and a flicker of amusement crossed her eyes. "Stop thinking. Let's eat."

After work that afternoon, Lin Zhijin walked home by herself. Gu Yan had told her at noon that he had a meeting and would likely work late.

When she got to Anhe Street, she saw white mourning cloth hanging outside a house not far off—looked like Sheng Huaimin's brother-in-law's place.

So it really was the Sheng family. Did he lose everyone overnight?

No, wait—he still had an older sister and a younger sister.

As she turned a corner, Lin Zhijin nearly ran into someone. She looked up and saw Sheng Huaimin in white mourning clothes.

"Miss Lin, it's been a while." Sheng Huaimin's face was haggard, his voice hoarse.

"I heard about your family. My condolences. The dead can't come back. You're the only man left in the Sheng family—you've got to hold things together, and your sisters need you to back them up. You've got to stay strong." Since they knew each other, Lin Zhijin offered a few words of comfort.

"Thanks. Hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better." Sheng Huaimin reached out as if to take her hand.

Lin Zhijin quickly dodged back. "I've got things to do at home. I'm heading off now."

Watching Lin Zhijin walk away, a sharp glint flashed in Sheng Huaimin's eyes.

"Master, if it weren't for Miss Lin, your plan wouldn't have been rushed, and you wouldn't have to spend more time cleaning up the mess." Liu Yuan said with displeasure.

Sheng Huaimin shot him a glance. "What's this got to do with Zhi Jin? It was only a matter of time. They were all bound to meet the King of Hell sooner or later."

The Sheng family all deserved to die—it was just a matter of when.

Sheng Huaimin stood up, smoothed his clothes, and was once again that polished, elegant gentleman.

The next day, Wang Xiaoyao came by Lin Zhijin's place again with more Sheng family gossip.

"The Sheng family is a total mess now. Sheng Huaimin's second sister—the one born to the legitimate wife—is demanding the family pay her off! And the eldest daughter came back to fight over the inheritance, claiming the young master of the Sheng family is a bastard. Tsk tsk tsk, it's like a soap opera."

"Bastard? What's that about?" Lin Zhijin asked, curious.

Wang Xiaoyao said in a hushed tone: "I heard Sheng Huaimin's real mother—the Fourth Concubine—had a shady background when she came into the Sheng family. Some say Old Master Sheng took her by force, others say she was a low-class actress who schemed her way into his bed to have Sheng Huaimin. Anyway, the rest of the Sheng family doesn't accept him as Old Master Sheng's blood. Every last one of them, including the illegitimate eldest daughter, is trying to grab a piece of the family fortune."

Lin Zhijin listened, totally hooked. What a family drama!

Sheng Huaimin seemed so refined and well-mannered—she wondered if he could hold his own against all of them.

Soon enough, someone came in asking for help, and Lin Zhijin naturally had no time to keep up with the Sheng family gossip.

What was bugging her more now was Zhang Haixia. She'd known Zhang Haixia would come back—and come back black and blue. Sure enough, it hadn't been long. Were her ribs even healed yet, and she was already beaten up like this again?

"Cadre Lin, I..." Zhang Haixia herself felt too ashamed to face Lin Zhijin. "I'm sorry. I'm not here for anything else today—I'm here for my two kids. That animal Li Fengnian not only beats me, he beats the kids too. Look at the bruises on them."

If it weren't for the two kids, Lin Zhijin really wouldn't want to deal with her.

"What are you planning to do?" Wang Xiaoyao asked from the side.

"I..." Zhang Haixia stammered for a long time before hesitantly asking: "Could you have the Women's Federation talk some sense into him? He's usually good to the kids—he just had too much to drink this time."

Lin Zhijin turned her head and rolled her eyes. Chen Qiuqiu caught her and gave her a look. In her official tone, Lin Zhijin said: "Comrade Zhang, your husband's domestic violence isn't a one-off. It's not just us—the street office and the police station have all talked to him. My abilities are limited. My personal suggestion is you use love to change him—that might work better."

She couldn't help it and slipped in a sarcastic jab.

To her surprise, Zhang Haixia's eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. "Cadre Lin, that's a great suggestion! You're right—if I love him good and treat him good, he'll definitely change."

Watching Zhang Haixia leave with her kids, Lin Zhijin laughed in exasperation. "She's gotta be kidding me."

She barely made it to the end of the workday and dragged herself out of the Women's Federation, exhausted. She didn't see Gu Yan—he must've been tied up. She kept walking home, and at the corner, there was Gu Yan in a crisp suit, holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Zhi Jin, I'm taking you somewhere." Gu Yan said, smiling.

"Wait, let me go home and change first." Lin Zhijin looked down at her outfit—a knit top, black pants, and leather shoes. Not bad, but too plain. Plus, she had that worn-out workday look. She needed to go home, wash her face, and put on a little makeup.

"You're already beautiful." Gu Yan said, dead serious.

Lin Zhijin leaned in to smell the flowers, then shook her head. "No. Look, you're wearing a suit. I've gotta go change. Hey, can you get a camera? I want to take pictures to remember this."

"I can—and I happen to know how to take pictures." Gu Yan wasn't bothered by how much Lin Zhijin was making of this; instead, he felt she really valued their relationship.

Back home, Lin Zhijin rummaged through her stuff and found a white dress. She did her hair in a braided bun, pinned it with little colorful gemstone flowers, and put on light makeup. She spun around in front of the mirror.

Gorgeous. If she got this photo taken and it ended up online in the future, her grandkids would post it and everyone would be singing her praises.

"Xiao Jin, you going on a date?" Li Yue ran into Lin Zhijin on her way out after getting home from work.

"Mm." Lin Zhijin didn't hide it. She waved at her and left, humming a tune.

"Xiao Jin." Gu Yan handed her the flowers and patted the back of the bike. "Let's go."

Lin Zhijin thought he'd take her to a park or the lake, but instead he brought her to Peach Blossom Village. The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and as a gentle breeze blew, petals drifted down like something out of a fairy tale.

"How'd you find this place? It's gorgeous." Lin Zhijin trotted over and turned to face Gu Yan.

"Comrade Lin Zhijin, I like you—from the very first moment I saw you. Will you be my girlfriend?" Gu Yan looked at her with deep affection, his heart pounding as he waited for her answer.

"Please take care of me from now on, boyfriend." Lin Zhijin held out her hand, but Gu Yan gently pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.

"Please take care of me too, girlfriend." Gu Yan's body trembled a little with excitement.

Just as Lin Zhijin was about to ask about the camera, she saw Gu Yan call out, and a man with a camera came out from around the corner.

Her eyes went wide in shock. Did that mean Gu Yan's confession had just been seen by someone?

She elbowed him and gave the newcomer an awkward smile. "And this is?"

"Secretary Liao's son, Liao Xiaobao—he's a newspaper reporter." Gu Yan introduced him with a big smile, then added: "And this is my girlfriend, Lin Zhijin."

"Cadre Lin, hello. I'm Liao Junhao." Liao Junhao shot Gu Yan a look of annoyance. He'd told him not to call him Xiaobao, but the guy insisted on using that nickname every time.

"Comrade Liao, nice to meet you." Lin Zhijin said politely.

After the small talk, Lin Zhijin and Gu Yan finally took their first photo together under the peach blossom tree, followed by a few solo shots—not wasting the beautiful scenery.

"When will the photos be developed?" Gu Yan walked over to ask.

"Day after tomorrow at the earliest." Liao Junhao fiddled with the camera and whispered in Gu Yan's ear: "Not bad—you came in and snatched up the prettiest flower at the Women's Federation. Does Secretary Zhang know about this?"

Liao Junhao, being a journalist, had a sharp nose for news, especially since Lin Zhijin had quite a reputation internally—many single men had their eyes on her, only for an outsider like Gu Yan to swoop in and win her over.

"Why would Secretary Zhang disapprove as long as I treat Xiao Jin well?" Gu Yan patted Liao Junhao's arm. "Go on, head back and develop the photos. It's getting late—I gotta take Xiao Jin to dinner."

"Hey, wait a minute. You dragged me all the way out here to take pictures for you, and you're not even going to treat me to a meal?" Liao Junhao looked at Gu Yan in disbelief.

"Next time. Today's not the right time for outsiders." With that, he shoved Liao Junhao aside like the outsider he was and took Lin Zhijin to the Western restaurant he had booked.

Western food wasn't as good as Chinese, but they sure knew how to make it romantic, and having it once in a while was a nice treat.

"Have you been here before, Xiao Jin?" Gu Yan pulled out a chair for Lin Zhijin to sit down.

"Yes, the second mistress of the Chen family treated me to cake here—soft and sweet, better than sponge cake." Lin Zhijin sat down, acting all prim and proper.

"I've been twice in the capital, but this is my first time here." Worried Lin Zhijin might not know how to use a knife and fork, Gu Yan deliberately cut his steak slowly, only speeding up once he was sure she'd gotten the hang of it. Then he pushed his cut steak over to her and swapped plates.

"Thanks." Lin Zhijin didn't make a fuss. Isn't it just natural for a boyfriend to serve his girlfriend? Besides, it was something he should get used to doing.

Gu Yan had also ordered cake, but Lin Zhijin was too full to eat any more of it, so they just packed it up to take home for a midnight snack.

"Two more slices—one for Sister Wang, one for Li Yue." Gu Yan asked the waiter to pack two extra.

"Thanks, boyfriend." Lin Zhijin leaned in and whispered.

"You're welcome, girlfriend." Gu Yan couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips.

Lin Zhijin walked home from the alley entrance, flowers in one hand, cake in the other. Before she even sat down, word that she had a boyfriend had already spread all over the compound.

Li Yue and Wang Chunhua were the first to come knocking, both asking excitedly, "So it's official?"

"Yeah, Gu Yan's a good man. I really like him." Lin Zhijin lowered her head with a faint smile.

"Good that it's settled—no more losers pining after you." Wang Chunhua clicked her tongue at the flowers in Lin Zhijin's arms. Young people really knew how to do things right; she'd never received a single flower in all her years.

Li Yue had received some before—wildflowers, sure, but they were still a token of someone's affection. Seeing Lin Zhijin and Gu Yan so happy together made her heart feel sweet too.

By the next day, quite a few people knew about Lin Zhijin's relationship, and Sister Wu couldn't help but make a sour remark: "No wonder she turned down the match I set up—she's got her sights set high."

There were also those who couldn't stand Sister Wu and spoke up for Lin Zhijin: "Cadre Lin is beautiful and capable, favored by the higher-ups. She and Factory Director Gu are a perfect match made in heaven. The men you introduced? Not even as tall as a winter melon—you should be ashamed to even mention them."

Lin Zhijin, of course, knew nothing of this. All she knew was that the people trying to set her up suddenly vanished, the chance encounters every few days stopped, and aside from the occasional teasing about when she'd hand out wedding candies, her ears were suddenly much quieter.

Meanwhile, Sheng Huaimin, having dealt with his foolish and greedy relatives and elder sister, sat alone in his study. He opened the jewelry box, revealing a red jadeite inside. Miss Lin had fair skin—it would look stunning on her.

Author's note:

None.