novelraw Chapter 162 Turn around and look at me.
Chapter 162 Turn around and look at me.
Lu Xiran asked doubtfully, "The second young master of the Xin family, do you still care about whether or not there's a discount?"
"Not only that." He held out his hand. "I've become good friends with the boss. When he heard I was bringing a girl, he said if things work out, he'll treat us to meals for free for a year."
"What if it doesn't work out?"
Xin Mubai thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Then I'll tell him that the process is more important than the result."
Lu Xiran smiled and shook her head, then followed him into the restaurant.
They were the only table in the restaurant.
The floor-to-ceiling windows face the river, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyes the entire river orange-red. In the distance, several egrets fly by, their wings gilded with a layer of gold.
"You booked the whole place?" Lu Xiran sat down and looked around.
"You don't like noise." Xin Mubai sat down opposite her, picked up the menu, "Besides, what's a free meal?"
"Besides, it wasn't a loss." He flipped through the menu without looking up. "He taught me a lot of techniques for pursuing girls."
Lu Xiran couldn't help but laugh: "It seems the boss is quite experienced."
"That's right." Xin Mubai looked up, his face serious. "He told me that he pursued the landlady for three years back then. I thought to myself, three years? That's too long. I only had a week."
He was still smiling when he said those words. But Lu Xiran sensed something hidden beneath that smile.
She didn't reply.
Xin Mubai didn't press the matter. He lowered his head and continued looking at the menu, muttering, "This is delicious, this is good too. Do you eat spicy food? Never mind, you don't eat it. Last time at Yunyuji, none of the dishes you ordered had chili in them."
Lu Xiran looked at him. He had only flipped through the menu twice, yet it seemed as if he had memorized all her preferences.
The dishes were served one by one.
Every single dish was one of her favorites.
As Xin Mubai ate, he talked, recounting everything from Jin Qiqi's embarrassing childhood stories to how he skipped classes in college and was chased by his professor, from his resistance to his parents to join the family business to his establishment in the design institute. When he spoke, his eyebrows moved, his eyes curved, and he seemed to radiate light.
Lu Xiran listened, smiling, occasionally interjecting with a comment. She found that being with him was truly relaxing.
Don't think about tomorrow, don't think about the past, don't think about the people and things that caused her pain. Just eat, just listen to someone talk.
"You know what?" Xin Mubai suddenly put down his chopsticks and looked at her seriously, "when you smile, your eyes shine."
Lu Xiran was taken aback.
"You smile sometimes, but it's different." He gestured with his fingers. "Usually when you smile, it's like you're completing a task. Now when you smile, it's because you're genuinely happy."
After he finished speaking, he picked up his chopsticks again, took a piece of fish, and put it into her bowl.
"So you should smile more."
Lu Xiran lowered her head, looking at the fish in the bowl, and her nose felt a little sore.
After the meal, the waiter came to clear away the plates and brought two cups of tea.
Lu Xiran knew it was time to get down to business. She took a deep breath and was about to speak—
"etc."
Xin Mubai raised his hand and looked at his watch.
"I know what you want to say," he said softly, "but could you please listen to me first?"
Lu Xiran looked at him. He was unusually not smiling, nor did he have that carefree attitude. There was something very serious in his eyes that she had never seen before.
Suddenly, the surface of the river lit up.
The first firework exploded in the night sky, followed by the second and the third. Golden, pink, and purple fireworks bloomed one after another, turning the entire river into a flowing silver river.
Lu Xiran turned her head and looked at the dazzling light outside the window.
"Lu Xiran".
She heard his voice coming from behind her; it was steady.
"I like you. I've liked you ever since you went back to your country."
Fireworks bloomed one by one, reflecting on the French windows and in her eyes.
"I've seen every design you made in Switzerland, I've seen your photos. Your graduation project, your planetarium proposal, every project you've done, I've seen them all."
He paused.
"I've fallen in love with someone I've never met. I even thought about flying to Switzerland to find you."
Lu Xiran's fingers tightened slightly.
"Then you came back. The moment I saw you at the company, I knew—it was over."
He smiled, a smile that held a hint of self-mockery and a touch of relief.
"I've lived for over thirty years, chased girls, and acted foolishly. Of course, it was almost always others who pursued me. I thought liking someone was just like that—exciting, fleeting, and gone in an instant. But you're different."
He paused for a moment.
"From that day on, my eyes have never left you. No matter where you are, I can always find you at first glance."
Fireworks exploded in the sky above the river, their orange-red light falling on his face.
"I'm not good at pursuing people," he said. "I have a sharp tongue, a bad temper, and I don't like to be taken advantage of. But I know one thing—you deserve to be treated well."
He watched her retreating figure.
"I know you don't like me right now. You have someone else in your heart, you're not ready yet, and you're going back to Switzerland soon. I know all of this."
His voice was steady, without the slightest hint of backing down.
"I just want you to know that someone likes you. Likes you sincerely."
He lowered his head, glanced at his hands, and then raised his head again.
"I don't need your approval now, nor do I need any promises from you. Go back to Switzerland, do your design work, and live your life. I won't bother you or pressure you."
He paused.
"I just want you to consider me. Just think about it."
The last firework faded into the night sky, and the river returned to calm. Only the reflected lights, broken into fragments, swayed with the waves.
Lu Xiran sat there without turning around.
"And—" Xin Mubai's voice came from behind again, with a hint of hesitation and a hint of composure, "I need to explain my situation to you."
Lu Xiran was stunned for a moment.
"I've had many girlfriends, and I was a bit wild when I was younger. But I have no children, and no lingering exes. I like design, and I won't take over the Xin Group. However, I do have shares in the group, several properties, and a few shops that I rent out. You should know my capabilities—" He thought for a moment, "My assets are definitely more than enough."
Lu Xiran didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
"My parents love each other very much. They never argue or have cold wars. They travel everywhere every day now. You two will definitely get along well. My mom will definitely like you. She hates my sharp tongue the most, while you are quiet. You complement each other perfectly."
He's finished speaking.
There was silence behind me for a few seconds.
"Lu Xiran, turn around and look at me."
His voice suddenly softened, with a hint of coquettishness at the end.
"I'm so nervous."
Lu Xiran slowly turned around.
Xin Mubai sat there, ramrod straight. His usually carefree face showed a rare hint of nervousness, like a schoolchild waiting for their report card.