"That’s good." Ai Jiaxin breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "I was worried about being misunderstood. I truly want to thank you for rescuing me before; there’s nothing more to it."
"No worries, it was just a small effort." Xu Nianji said nonchalantly.
Ai Jiaxin, however, replied very earnestly, "For you, it might have been a small effort, but for me, it felt like a life-saving grace. If you hadn’t been there that day, I might have broken my leg or hurt my head. So, I’ve always kept this kindness in my heart."
"Really, it’s not necessary. If it were someone else in that situation, I would have saved them too." Xu Nianji said sincerely, feeling for the first time that even saving a life could come with pressure. He just wanted to help someone back then; in such circumstances, regardless of who it was, he couldn’t have turned a blind eye.
But Ai Jiaxin’s omnipresent gratitude made Xu Nianji feel tremendous pressure, and he didn’t want such gratitude. Follow current novels on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝓷𝓮𝓽
"That’s not necessarily true." Ai Jiaxin said with a smile on her face. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Nianji, may I treat you to a meal? Just as a way to thank you and express my sincerity. Otherwise, I’ll always keep this gratitude in my heart and feel uncomfortable."
"No need." Xu Nianji refused.
But Ai Jiaxin came up with various reasons, leaving Xu Nianji with no words to refuse. She said, "Don’t worry, I know you need to go home to be with your sister-in-law in the evening, so I’ll treat you to lunch. In broad daylight, there’s nothing for you to worry about, right?"
"This..." Xu Nianji pretended to be hesitant.
"Nianji, surely you’re not afraid I’ll eat you up, right? I’m not a big tiger!" Ai Jiaxin said exaggeratedly.
Xu Nianji agreed, and at noon, after finishing his tasks, he went to eat with Ai Jiaxin.
"Nianji, the spicy chicken at this restaurant is very delicious, and so is the braised beef ribs." Ai Jiaxin ordered two dishes and then let Xu Nianji order. Xu Nianji ordered a soup.
Ai Jiaxin joked, "Nianji, you don’t have to worry that I can’t pay."
"No, the two of us have already ordered three dishes, which is quite a lot." Xu Nianji said seriously, looking around the elegant restaurant. The two of them were in a small private room, sitting face to face at a rectangular table with fresh flowers by the window and paintings on the walls. The whole setup seemed awkward to him.
"Today, I’m treating my benefactor to a meal, how could it be scant?" Ai Jiaxin laughed and added a steamed bass to the order.
Ai Jiaxin was very talkative, able to chat about anything, connecting with Xu Nianji even if he was reserved. Once the three dishes and soup were on the table, it was fully loaded. The spicy chicken, braised beef ribs, and steamed bass were all substantial dishes. Xu Nianji mused inwardly, thinking this table of food must cost at least dozens of dollars.
Dozens of dollars, that’s an entire month’s salary for an average person.
Xu Nianji marveled at the importance of money. Meanwhile, he didn’t leave anything Ai Jiaxin gave him to eat. He needed to drive in the afternoon, so he drank a soft drink, an orange soda, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief after each sip.
"That handkerchief is really pretty. Do you always carry a handkerchief with you?" Ai Jiaxin noticed his actions.
Xu Nianji paused for a moment, then pulled out another handkerchief from his pocket and said, "My wife embroidered this for me. She says I sweat a lot, so she told me to carry extra handkerchiefs to wipe the sweat."
"Your sister-in-law is so good to you." Ai Jiaxin said sincerely.