"You made this?" Qin Jian was slightly surprised, but recalling her candied hawthorn-making skills, he was no longer astonished.
"Yeah. Everyone, please try some. I don’t know how it tastes," An Hao said modestly.
Commander Zhang picked up a chopstick-full of fish, tasted it, and his brow relaxed as he repeatedly praised, "Not bad! Really good!"
Then, he tried the other dishes, nodding and praising them incessantly.
Zhang Lanxiang smiled and said to An Hao, "Old Zhang hardly ever compliments anyone. Today he’s sparing no praise, which means your cooking must be really good!"
With her head lowered and a soft smile, An Hao replied, "I’m glad you like it."
Though Qin Jian did not comment on the meal, he had three bowls of rice in one go, and An Hao knew he liked the dishes.
By the end of the meal, all the food had been eaten.
Jianguo patted his belly, smiling at Qiang Jian, "You’re lucky, kid! You found a girlfriend who can cook! Her cooking skills are top-notch!"
At that, Qin Jian laughed heartily, his eyes soft as he looked at An Hao, "Indeed, I must marry such a good woman!"
An Hao looked up, and their gazes accidentally met in midair. Seeing the soft light in her eyes and the faint smile on her lips, she almost believed it was an illusion.
Without a trace, she withdrew her gaze; she couldn’t be imagining things, could she?
After lunch, it was already 2 p.m.
Commander Zhang and his wife tried their best to keep them longer, but An Hao had work to do that afternoon and couldn’t stay for much longer.
Besides, the charade with Qin Jian had reached its end, and it was time for her to leave.
Before leaving, Zhang Lanxiang repeatedly instructed Qin Jian to bring An Hao to their home again when he had time.
Leaving the research institute’s residential compound, Qin Jian and An Hao walked side by side.
Returning to the vicinity of Xinhua Bookstore, An Hao stopped walking, looked up at Qin Jian, who was a head taller than her, and said, "Big Brother Qin, I should head back now, goodbye!"
Qin Jian pursed his lips and looked down at the time, "If you rush back by car now, I’m afraid you’ll be very late. Let me take you."
"No need to trouble yourself; I can go back on my own," An Hao refused politely, perhaps he was just being courteous, and she shouldn’t take it seriously.
"What if I don’t mind the trouble?" Qin Jian retorted.
"Huh?" An Hao was taken aback, "What do you mean?"
Qin Jian, hands in his pockets, leaned forward slightly, looking straight at An Hao with a slight bend. His thin lips opened again, repeating, "What if I don’t mind the trouble and want to take you home?"
His face was suddenly so close, right in front of An Hao’s eyes.
Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time she was seeing him from such a close distance. Previously, Qin Jian existed in her mind as a vague silhouette — tall, aloof, not much of a speaker, even somewhat arrogant.
Now his handsome face was right before her, his black eyes fixed on her intently. An Hao couldn’t withstand his gaze, and her face swiftly turned red.
Seeing her fair complexion tinted with a rosy flush, Qin Jian’s lips curved slightly, and he smiled faintly.
"To send or not to send?" His deep and rich voice rose next to her ear, "An Hao, I’m still waiting for your answer!"
If he truly intended to take her, how could An Hao be unwilling?
She wished he would love her in this lifetime too, and marrying Qin Jian again was her heartfelt desire!
She was just about to respond when a loud voice interrupted, "Qin Jian!"
Startled, An Hao turned her head toward the source of the sound, only to see a man approaching hurriedly, speaking to Qin Jian with a panicked expression, "Qin Jian, there’s an issue with the equipment tuning, and Engineer Jiang is asking for you to hurry back!"