章 18: Blind Date
Bo Qiang gently guided Lina to the resting area of the party, where the hustle and noise seemed far away. Sensing the privacy of the empty room, he instinctively closed the door behind them. It wasn't until he turned back to her that he noticed his hand was still gripping her arm. He let go quickly, his face softening with concern. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he asked, eyes scanning her as if looking for any signs of harm.
Lina, surprised by the gentleness in his voice, felt her heart soften. "I'm fine," she reassured him. After a brief pause, she added, a bit more confidently, "He wouldn't have been able to hurt me."
Bo Qiang smiled at her attempt to appear tough, finding it adorable. He reached out, patting her head in a fond, almost brotherly gesture. "Of course," he said playfully, "our Lina is very strong."
Lina pouted, knowing full well he didn't believe her, but she couldn't help but smile at his teasing. Glancing around the quiet room, her mind was made up. "Let's go home," she said with a small sigh. While she had enjoyed the party for what it was, Lina had spent the night reflecting on a lot of things. The book that had brought her to this strange reality said many things, but her presence here had already caused changes. Things weren't as set in stone as she'd feared, and that gave her a sense of relief. Now, all she wanted was to leave the party. She was never much of a party girl anyway.
Bo Qiang chuckled softly, his warm gaze never leaving her. "Let's go home, then." Without thinking twice, Lina looped her arm through his, her smile widening. Together, they left the room. Bo Qiang didn't realize it yet, but his natural instinct to indulge her was beginning to grow, setting the stage for a future where he would only spoil her more.
After the party, life settled back into a comfortable rhythm. Lina returned to her usual routine—going to college while Bo Qiang worked. He made a habit of driving her to and from school, ensuring that they shared breakfasts and dinners together daily. It was a quiet, unspoken routine, and after a month of this, it had become the new normal for them. But then, one seemingly ordinary phone call began to stir things up.
It was a lazy afternoon, and Lina was lounging at home, dressed in her cozy pajamas while working on her homework. That's when her phone rang. Seeing Wei Jian's name light up the screen, her heart lifted. It had been a whole month since they'd last spoken.
"Uncle Wei, I've missed you!" Lina greeted warmly, a big smile spreading across her face.
Wei Jian chuckled on the other end of the line. "Missed you too, kiddo. Your aunt and I have been swamped with work lately," he explained, the sound of his voice bringing a familiar sense of comfort to her. "Are you free on Saturday?"
Lina, always quick to tease, replied, "I'm always free for you, Uncle Wei."
He laughed heartily at her playful tone. "You cheeky girl," he said affectionately before his voice took on a more serious note. "I've got someone I'd like you to meet. What do you think? Are you up for it?"
The suggestion caught Lina slightly off guard. Blind dates weren't exactly her favorite thing, but Wei Jian had always looked out for her, and she knew he had her best interests at heart. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Of course, Uncle Wei. What time should I be there?"
There was a brief silence on the other end of the call, and Lina sensed Wei Jian was thinking something over. What she didn't know was that in that pause, he was mentally scolding his son. "No hesitation? No resistance to a blind date? What on earth is that boy of mine doing?" Wei Jian thought with a growing sense of frustration. He knew Bo Qiang probably had feelings for Lina, but his son had a habit of overthinking everything, worrying too much about every little detail. Often, in his hesitation to act, he ended up missing the most important opportunities.
Wei Jian sighed inwardly, realizing that Bo Qiang was probably overanalyzing things again, just like he always did.
Shaking off his thoughts, Wei Jian's voice returned to its usual warmth. "Alright, I'll send you the address and time shortly."
After hanging up the phone, Lina sighed, looking around her room. She hadn't planned on going out that weekend, but now that she had agreed, she couldn't just show up in her pajamas. With that thought in mind, she headed to her wardrobe to pick out something nice to wear. Sure, blind dates weren't her favorite, but if she was going to go, she might as well look her best.
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