Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The two returned to the parking lot of the Japanese restaurant.
“I’m sorry for everything you had to go through this evening!” Lu Jia’er said to Jin Xiangdong as she was getting in the car.
“It is I that should say sorry, I failed to protect you!” Jin Xiangdong apologized.
His remark made Lu Jia’er feel warm in her heart. She kept her gaze on Jin Xiangdong for a few more seconds. In fact, thanks to him grabbing the criminal’s hand, she had successfully managed to escape the attempted slap, which already moved Lu Jia’er!
Jin Xiangdong seemed to enjoy her current gaze on him. He said, “It’s late in the evening. Let me drive you home!”
“No, thanks. I can go home myself!” Lu Jia’er refused his offer of a lift. “Ace, I’m glad I had a chance to meet you,” she added.
Then Lu Jia’er reached out in order to shake hands with Jin Xiangdong as they said goodbye to each other.
Gently holding her hand, he said, “The pleasure is mine as well.”
The two looked each other in the eyes. Lu Jia’er fancied his eyes, they were like crystal glass balls radiating with an electric current. She couldn’t continue to meet his eyes for very long. Lu Jia’er lowered her gaze slightly and caught sight of a scar on his arm.
She had not seen such a scar in the restaurant if she remembered correctly. Lu Jia’er played back in her mind the scene where she was held hostage by the criminal and Jin Xiangdong wanted to drag her to one side but the criminal waved the knife toward him.
“Are you injured?” Lu Jia’er held his hand and wanted to examine the scar.
Jin Xiangdong instantly pulled away and put his hand behind his back and said casually, “Nope!”
“Let me see it!” Lu Jia’er insisted, she wanted to get a look at that scar again.
“That was the scar left after an injury during my childhood!” Jin Xiangdong explained.
Lu Jia’er recalled again and made sure that her memory was working properly. “But I didn’t see this scar when we were eating in the restaurant!”
However, he had risen to the occasion and said with a faint smile. “Professor Lu, are you trying to make me throw some light on my scar?”
His remarks stopped Lu Jia’er’s probe. If it was a scar left as a child, it might have been an unhappy memory for Jin Xiangdong.
“No!” Lu Jia’er said.
Afterward, Jin Xiangdong had an after-you gesture. Lu Jia’er then got into her car before Jin Xiangdong and he closed the door for her.
Lu Jia’er rolled down the window and waved at him.
Jin Xiang nodded slowly. “Have a safe journey!”
“You too!” Lu Jia’er said.
Just as Lu Jia’er was about to roll up the window, Jin Xiangdong began to speak, “Professor Lu!”
Lu Jia’er paused and looked through the window. Jin Xiangdong’s tall figure blocked the streetlamp light and cast a long shadow on the ground.
Jin Xiangdong seemed to be hesitating but in the end he still started. “Professor Lu, do you often test a person that you’ve just met for the first time?”
“Test?” Lu Jia’er was puzzled.
“The confession test that you did when we met at dusk,” Jin Xiangdong explained.
His words left Lu Jia’er face tinted red with embarrassment. After a few seconds, she slowly said, “You are the first!”
Jin Xiangdong’s mouth showed a touch of an almost imperceptible smile. “I am honored!”