She was happy, but somewhat worried.
Jian Dan was too good, never asking him for anything. Even if he forgot about her, it seemed Jian Dan wouldn’t get upset. The girl was like she had no temper at all, as long as he was happy.
Bo Qin thought of his business partner’s care for his daughter, picking up that person’s words to reply, "If there’s anything you need, just call me. Don’t be polite with me. Your dad and I are great friends who would go through fire and water for each other, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re bothering me;
plus, from the day I brought you back to the capital, I’ve never been bothered by you."
Jian Dan looked up, gazing into Bo Qin’s deep eyes, paused, and then smiled, "But I think I’ve been quite a bother to Uncle Qin. You’ve been looking after me since I was ten, and now I’m seventeen. All these years, haven’t you been taking care of me, Uncle Qin?"
Bo Qin smiled, "What kind of care is that? I just looked after your food and lodging. I never meddled in what you were thinking. At first, I didn’t know how to communicate with young girls like you, and later, I thought you were grown up and that there should be boundaries between men and women.
You, on the other hand, have been good, never demanding anything, always solving your own shortages with your pocket money. I, as your uncle, haven’t been much help. Little Jian Dan, you really don’t need to pay me so much mind, because to me, you are no different from my own daughter."
Jian Dan felt a sense of loss deep inside. When she realized her feelings for Bo Qin were extraordinary, she struggled for a long time. She knew liking Bo Qin was wrong. Bo Qin had always treated her as his daughter. After all, how could a man who cast himself in the role of a father have such thoughts about his daughter?
Her heart felt so sour it seemed to bubble, yet she dared not offer any defense, nor could she find the words to do so.
After taking Jian Dan to her dormitory, where her roommate hadn’t arrived yet, Bo Qin, who wasn’t adept at handling things like sheets, stood by the door while Jian Dan did it herself, waiting for her.
The dormitory had four beds, with desks underneath them and wardrobes to satisfy the simple living needs—of course, it was nothing like home. During her first year of high school, Jian Dan didn’t board; a driver from home picked her up and dropped her off every day.
A few days before the start of her sophomore year, Jian Dan told him she wanted to board school to spend time with her classmates. Although he didn’t understand the young girl’s thoughts, Bo Qin felt Jian Dan was too lonely. Having companions at school would be good, so without much thought, he agreed.
What he didn’t know was that Jian Dan was choosing to escape, to avoid facing him.
While Jian Dan was making her bed, a classmate, who was a new transfer student, walked in. Seeing a tall, handsome guy standing at the doorway, she thought she had entered the wrong room. After double-checking, she confirmed she was correct.
She stood behind Bo Qin, "Excuse me, sir, could you please move aside a bit?"
Bo Qin was taken aback and moved a little, and the young girl thanked him before walking in. She saw Jian Dan making her bed and exclaimed, "Hello, I’m Mi Lu, a transfer student. I’ve just returned from the United Kingdom with my father. We’ll be dorm mates from now on, so please take care of me."
Jian Dan, from her elevated position on the bed, looked down at Mi Lu. It wasn’t convenient for her to get down, but Mi Lu understood her predicament and waved her hand with a smile, "No need to be polite, I just wanted to say hello. Is this your brother?"
Having grown up abroad, she lacked many reservations and asked outright, her eyes filled with curiosity. Jian Dan knelt on the bed and shook her head, "This is my uncle, his name is Bo Qin. Hello, I’m Jian Dan."
Mi Lu, being straightforward and not delicate in her perceptions, didn’t pick up on why the uncle and niece had different surnames. She simply asked politely and turned back to continue making her bed.
She seemed quite experienced in making her bed. Once Jian Dan was done with hers, Mi Lu had roughly finished hers as well. Jian Dan politely offered, "Do you need my help?"
Mi Lu could tell that Bo Qin, waiting by the door, had been frequently checking his watch. She shook her head, "No need, no need. Go eat with your uncle; it’s already midday."
Bo Qin and Jian Dan went downstairs, encountering many people along the way. Most of them were shocked by Bo Qin’s appearance; after all, a handsome, refined, and abstinent man was rare, and among high school students whose presence was still forming, it was even rarer to see such a charismatic man. They couldn’t help but stare a few extra times.
This made Jian Dan quite unhappy.
"What would you like to eat?"
After leaving the dormitory, Jian Dan breathed a sigh of relief. Before she could catch her breath, she heard Bo Qin next to her, his voice gentle and patient.