"What’s the matter, Weiwei? Why do you look ?" Bai Xiaosheng couldn’t help but laugh.
He had witnessed the gentle and charming Lin Weiwei, he had witnessed the overbearing Lin Weiwei, but he had never seen Lin Weiwei . Part shy, part embarrassed, hesitating to speak, and awkwardly coy.
"I, I..." Lin Weiwei mustered up her courage several times, but her voice still choked in her throat.
Bai Xiaosheng didn’t rush or console her, but touched his chin with interest, enjoying her young lady-like demeanor.
Seeing Bai Xiaosheng’s attitude, Lin Weiwei took several deep breaths in annoyance, and finally managed to speak.
"I want to ask you for a favor!"
"Go ahead, I’m listening," Bai Xiaosheng said with a smile.
Lin Weiwei clasped her hands together, "To say it outright, I... I can’t.
"Otherwise, let me first talk about something related to this matter—listen to me first," Lin Weiwei suggested.
Bai Xiaosheng smiled, stood up to pour her a cup of hot water, handed it over, and then gestured to the sofa.
"Come, sit here. Take your time, I’m in no rush," Bai Xiaosheng said.
Lin Weiwei nodded, cupping the warm water in her hands as she made her way to the sofa and sat down.
Bai Xiaosheng sat opposite her.
Lin Weiwei lowered her head, took a couple of sips of hot water, and felt her emotions stabilize considerably.
"I had escorted Miss Shang, and on my way back, I received a call from my aunt," Lin Weiwei said as she put down the cup, looking at Bai Xiaosheng.
Finally, her expression regained some of its usual calm, and her voice was no longer stammering.
Bai Xiaosheng nodded, watching her calmly.
"Our home is in a remote suburb of Zhongjing, in the countryside. Both my parents are honest farmers." Lin Weiwei’s topic seemed to be veering off course.
But Bai Xiaosheng didn’t urge her on, instead listening with utmost patience.
"As a child, my family was quite poor, and I was particularly sickly, always falling ill," Lin Weiwei recalled her past with a bitter smile, "Back then, many relatives were distant, unwilling to interact with us for fear of lending money. The only one willing to visit us and lend money was my aunt Lin Lu, so throughout the years, my father taught me to treat my aunt... No, that I should treat her even better than them!"
Bai Xiaosheng nodded.
It seemed that Lin Weiwei hadn’t had an easy childhood. Starting to shoulder responsibilities at a young age likely shaped her into someone tough and resilient, unafraid to bow down to hardships. And having a grateful father who led by example, she naturally valued gratitude and loyalty highly.
Bai Xiaosheng also remembered how Lin Weiwei, with a heroism like that of a swordswoman, had fiercely rebuked Song Changkong and Chen Changqing in front of the company’s senior management and in front of Wang Xincheng, earning his silent applause!
"Since I was little, my aunt has been especially good to our family and to me, and I’ve always respected her," Lin Weiwei said with a slight sigh, "However, my uncle has always looked down on our family. Even back then, he was cold and disdainful towards me, an innocent little girl. So, since childhood, I’ve disliked him. And my cousin, influenced by her father, also held us in contempt... When I stayed with them to go to school, I performed better than her, but that never stopped her from bullying me. And the classmates and friends, led by her, used to mock me, shunned me."
As she spoke, a trace of resentment showed in Lin Weiwei’s eyes.
Bai Xiaosheng noticed, and it touched him.
Weiwei was not one to hold grudges; speaking out meant the contempt she faced from that father and daughter must have been significant for a young girl.
Bai Xiaosheng frowned slightly.
He could dismiss Lin Weiwei’s cousin’s actions as childish ignorance, but for her uncle to act similarly was unacceptable!
Lin Weiwei was likely a sensible child, not the type to repulse people like some today. The attitude they showed towards such a young girl angered Bai Xiaosheng.
"In my family, there are also such people!" Bai Xiaosheng sighed.
As a child, he too faced disdain and scorn from wealthy relatives to his face. He could imagine what Lin Weiwei’s cousin-in-law must be like.
So-called human nature...
"This time, I received a phone call from my aunt. She said that tomorrow, my cousin-in-law is having a birthday, in the evening, my cousin Meng Bing will bring her boyfriend home, and there will be a party. My aunt wants me to go," Lin Weiwei sighed, "To tell you the truth, it has been a long time since I last visited her."
Bai Xiaosheng nodded and smiled, "If that’s the case, then go."
"But, but..." Lin Weiwei’s face turned red again, and her voice stuttered.
"But what?" Bai Xiaosheng wondered.
He didn’t understand what Lin Weiwei was so conflicted about.
"But, my aunt, she insists that I, that I bring a boyfriend home!" Lin Weiwei lowered her head, her cheeks flushed with shyness, adding a touch of allure.
"I’ve always focused on work, before and even now, how could I possibly have a boyfriend..." Lin Weiwei mumbled softly, "But then, my aunt also said that if I don’t have one, she will find someone for me. I don’t want to go on blind dates, don’t want her to call me over every week. So, so..."
Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback, suddenly understanding Lin Weiwei’s dilemma.
"So, Xiaosheng, could you be my boyfriend for just one day!"
Lin Weiwei finally blurted out.
The moment she spoke out, she felt a weight lifted but also bowed her head deeply again.
She didn’t even dare to look up, to see Bai Xiaosheng’s expression.
Her slender hands trembled slightly, fearing that she would hear Bai Xiaosheng’s rejection.
In the brief silence, Lin Weiwei felt as though an entire century had passed.
Would Xiaosheng agree, or refuse...
Was her request too much...
Qian’er was Xiaosheng’s matchmaking candidate, what if she found out, what then...
Would Xiaosheng find someone else to pretend to be my boyfriend...
How could I be so shameless, to make such an impolite request to him...
Lin Weiwei was in complete disarray, with countless thoughts racing into her mind, bringing her anticipation, worry, embarrassment, and panic...
Even in the face of Song Changkong, Wang Xincheng, Chen Changqing, facing over a hundred company executives, she never felt the slightest bit of timidity. But now, she felt flustered, she was scared.
"About this matter..." Bai Xiaosheng finally spoke up.
Each word, like the tolling of a great bell, struck her heart, making it tremble.
"I agree," Bai Xiaosheng said calmly.
With that phrase, Lin Weiwei felt like she had heard the sound of Heaven’s Melody, and her body went soft with relief.