Treat Him to Dinner

After seeing the few guests off, Xu Yin closed the main gate.

Pushing open the study door, Li Yinlan was sitting behind the desk reading a book rather than painting.

"Why have you stopped painting? Didn't you say you wanted to finish it before today?" Xu Yin asked, "What are you reading?"

Lifting her gaze from the book and raising it slightly, she revealed it to be Lin夏's novel, *Conquering the Realm*.

"No wonder you asked me to take her as a disciple. Is it because of this book?"

Sitting down opposite Li Yinlan, Xu Yin nodded. "I've read this child's work. Back at the publishing house last year, I already noticed her. She is very low-key, possessing a calmness and composure far beyond her years. Originally, I thought a young person who had gained some fame would inevitably become complacent, so I didn't hold much hope for her."

Taking a sip of tea, he continued, "I never expected that after listening to some of my lectures on plotting and structuring, she would actually write this book. Compared to her previous works, this one is indeed much more magnificent and grand, and her writing has begun to show true mastery. She is a fine sapling indeed!"

Li Yinlan nodded. "You have always been stingy with your praise."

Xu Yin sighed. "I observed this child for a week last time, and observed her closely again today, which is why I suggested you take her in. If her writing style weren't so vastly different from mine, I might have even considered taking her as my disciple myself. But my rustic and unpretentious style simply doesn't suit her."

Li Yinlan rolled her eyes at him. "With your earthy, mud-bound phrasing, only that child could dig up a whole basket of nice things to say about you. If it were up to me, I wouldn't give you a single compliment."

Thinking of Lin Xia's praises, Xu Yin narrowed his eyes. "That child simply has great taste!"

Li Yinlan showed no mercy in cutting her old companion down. "At her age, can you find a second person willing to read your books? Have you no shame?"

Having lived for most of her life, Xu Yin could naturally sense who was genuinely admiring and who was being hypocritical. He didn't argue back with her, only asking, "Did you give her the seal?"

Li Yinlan nodded.

Xu Yin sighed, looking at the little birds chirping and hopping about on the tree branches outside the window. "Let's hope my judgment wasn't wrong. Let's hope that child doesn't disappoint us."

Once inside the car, everyone crowded around Lin Xia, chattering excitedly.

"Xia, you are so lucky! You're officially Master Li's disciple now."

"Oh, it's nothing really."

"Indeed, today's turn of events is such a pleasant surprise. It will be much more convenient to ask questions in the future."

"It certainly will be more convenient, but I'm still a student and have to go to school every day. I'm afraid I won't have all that much time."

"What did Teacher Li say to you back in the study just now?"

"Not much, really. Just asked what kinds of books I usually read and if there were any parts I didn't understand."

Seeing Lin Xia instantly become a celebrity, Chen Qing smiled. "Xia, you've really stepped into the heavens in a single bound this time."

Lin Xia shot her a sideways glance. "Sister Miao is just talking nonsense on the side. I still have to rely on my own hard work, don't I?"

Chen Qing smiled without speaking. People nowadays took master-disciple relationships lightly; not everyone understood the profound importance of such a lineage.

With so many ears around at the moment, it wasn't convenient for her to say too much.

Being the wife of Xu Yin and the closing disciple of Li Yinlan—with these two titles alone, not to mention walking unhindered through the literary world, at least publishers and literary figures would afford Lin Xia a generous three points of respect for their sakes.

Although there were no direct material benefits, the invisible advantages were endless.

Chattering all the way, since the others had to return to the company, Lin Xia had Chen Qing drop her off halfway.

"...Then make sure you head straight home early and don't wander around on the streets for too long!"

"I know, Sister Miao. I'm just going to stroll through the shopping mall for a bit. You guys go ahead."

"We're off then. Goodbye," Chen Qing said.

"Bye-bye." Lin Xia waved at the departing car.

Behind her was one of the largest shopping malls in City B: the World Trade Center. She planned to go inside and buy two gifts. One was for her newly minted teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Xu Yin, and the other for Jin Ye. He had helped her with so many things, so she simply had to treat him to a meal and give him a gift of some sort.

However, all of them were exceptionally wealthy and of high status; what kind of novel, thoughtful yet not overly expensive gift could she possibly give them?

Sigh!

Lin Xia shook her head and resignedly walked into the mall.

As the workday ended, Secretary Guo looked at the tightly closed door of the general manager's office, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately stepped forward to knock.

"Come in." The usual cold, flat tone.

"What is it?"

Looking at the boss who was still flipping through documents without raising his head, Secretary Guo said, "General Manager, everyone else in the company has already left off work. Aren't you leaving yet?"

"Mn, you go ahead. Don't worry about me," Jin Ye said, looking up upon hearing his secretary's concern.

"Then I'll head out first. If you need anything, just call my mobile."

"Mn."

Watching Jin Ye bend back over his work, Secretary Guo sighed and gently pulled the office door shut.

Back when the general manager was parachuted in, how many people had been unconvinced and secretly waited for him to make a fool of himself? Yet he had stubbornly carried the burden through sheer competence. Using a series of thunderous methods, he exposed various flaws within the company, fired several long-standing veterans, promoted a batch of driven young people, and simultaneously gave opportunities to experienced veterans like himself who had been suppressed by others—all of which earned him the prized seat of the general manager's secretary.

And just how old was the general manager, anyway?

In the blink of an eye, four or five years had already passed.

During these past few years, he had never been seen mingling closely with any young woman. The young girls in the office constantly postured and preened, hoping to one day perch on a branch and transform into a phoenix.

Yet he hadn't favored a single one of them.

Because of this, rumors even circulated around the company that the general manager was actually gay—that he didn't like girls at all, but preferred boys!

Back then he had been at the peak of his youth, and even now he was only in his early twenties. With no girlfriend by his side, and never once seen sparing an extra glance at the pretty girls in the company, it was no wonder such rumors arose!

Lost in these thoughts, Secretary Guo arrived at the underground parking garage. Finding the figure ahead of him strangely familiar, he looked closer—wasn't that the general manager who was supposed to be stuck in his office?

Logically speaking, shouldn't he be working overtime upstairs? Where was he off to?

As Secretary Guo wondered in confusion, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him—

Could he be going on a date?

It had to be!

Aside from a date, what else could possibly drag him away from his office?

With this thought, he instantly felt the flames of gossip ignite all over his body.

Something was definitely going on!

Pulling out his mobile phone, he dialed. Beep, beep—

The call connected. "Hello—"

"Hey, honey, the boss has some matters to attend to today, so I might be coming home a bit late. I won't be able to join you and Kangkang for dinner tonight!"

After giving his wife a quick call, Secretary Guo started his car and followed Jin Ye's vehicle out of the parking garage.

Meanwhile, just as Secretary Guo had closed the door, Jin Ye's phone began to ring.

Almost no one knew this private number. If it were business-related, calls generally went to Secretary Guo's phone instead.

Pulling out the phone, the name "Lin Xia" was flashing on the screen.

Seeing those two words, Jin Ye's mind involuntarily flashed back to the image of Lin Xia hugging someone else at the airport.

Answering the call, he said, "Hello—"

"Hello." Hearing Jin Ye's slightly cold and deep voice, Lin Xia's heart instantly tightened.

"Hello, hi."

Because she was nervous, her pitch had changed slightly.

Hearing that somewhat peculiar tone, Jin Ye could almost picture Lin Xia flushing with tension, nervously clutching the phone with both hands.

The depression that had been weighing at the bottom of his heart for days vanished completely, and his mood suddenly brightened.

"Is something the matter?" Because of his good mood, his voice carried an extra touch of pleasantness, laced with a magnetic charm.

Though Lin Xia didn't know what had happened, she could clearly sense the several upward pitches in the voice from the other end. "Um... thank you so much for the help with the move last time. Are you... free today? I'd like to treat you to dinner."

Having said this, Lin Xia held her breath in nervous suspense, terrified that the person on the other end would say he was busy.

"Where are you?"

"Wh... what?" She had expected one of two answers: either he was free, or he was not.

She hadn't expected him to produce a third option.

"Where are you right now? I'll come pick you up."

Lin Xia panicked and looked around her surroundings. Oh, how mortifying!

She was in the restroom!

"Uh, I'm at the World Trade Center right now."

The World Trade Center happened to not be far from the company.

"Wait for me there, then. I'll be there in ten minutes." With that, he hung up the phone directly.

Speechless as she stared at the screen showing the call had ended, she thought he was far too domineering and arbitrary!

A complete dictator.

Yet, at the thought of seeing Jin Ye immediately, Lin Xia hurriedly looked at the mirror in front of her. *Sigh*, her hair was a bit messy, her face felt a little sticky, and there was a faint trace of sweat.

With that realization, Lin Xia immediately washed her face, combed her hair, and pretended to take moisturizing lotion out of her bag—though she actually retrieved it from her spatial storage. Sometimes when she took a bath inside her space, she would apply skincare products right away.

Girls always loved to make themselves look pretty when going out, especially when meeting a boy. This had nothing to do with whether one liked the person or not; it was an innate human instinct and a woman's natural love for beauty.

By the time Lin Xia had tidied herself up and stood at the main entrance of the World Trade Center, a little over ten minutes had passed. Just as she stepped outside, her phone rang.

"Hello—"

"Where are you? I'm waiting for you at the intersection to the left of the World Trade Center."

To the left. Lin Xia looked to her left, and a low-profile black Mercedes was parked right there.

Without even hanging up the phone, she clutched it tightly and trotted all the way over.

Listening to the sound of the wind and panting breath over the receiver, and watching Lin Xia run toward him with her white long dress fluttering, Jin Ye's mood became even more delightful.

"Hah—" Pulling open the car door, Lin Xia sat in the passenger seat, still catching her breath. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, I just arrived as well."

As he spoke, he turned the steering wheel and merged into the flow of traffic.

"Where would you like to eat tonight?" Lin Xia asked once her breathing had steadied somewhat. "I just moved here, so I'm not very familiar with the area, and I have no idea which restaurants are good."