Growing Fond of You, Mr Nian

Nian Xi was shocked.

She very much wanted to say out loud that she had not done that. He came to her and brought her gifts, so she should take him out for dinner to thank him.

But seeing him act like a happy little boy, she gave up explaining.

It was just dinner. It didn’t matter who invited whom.

“What are we gonna eat?” Nian Xi asked.

Jiang Yuning only ate vegetables but knew she liked meat. He also remembered that she seemed to enjoy steak back in France. So, he hurriedly said, “Steak.”

“Great, we’re going for barbecue,” Nian Xi stretched herself and said, “It’s getting warm. A barbecue is our best bet. Come on, get in the car.”

Once she turned around, Jiang Yuning grasped a corner of her shirt.

“I said steak,” Jiang Yuning murmured.

“I know. I didn’t say we’d follow your advice. I just wanted to know what was on your mind. Don’t take what a girl says too seriously.” Nian Xi couldn’t help but rub his hair. He looked like a fluffy little animal.

It felt different from rubbing her Jiang-jiang’s fur.

After she got into the car, Jiang Yuning touched his own head. He sensed sweetness from his heart.

Why did he feel so comfortable when she touched him?

“What are you waiting for? Get in,” Nian Xi hastened him. Jiang Yuning opened the door of the backseat.

“I’m not your chauffeur. Sit in the front,” Nian Xi said.

Jiang Yuning paused for a few seconds, then hopped in the front and buckled himself up.

…

The spring in Xia City was always warm. At night, many young people came out to drink and hang out.

The snack street was especially busy. Most of the seats were taken.

Jiang Yuning frowned when he saw all those people.

He had never been to a place like that before.

Nian Xi walked straight into a restaurant, ordered fried rice, barbecue, roast fish, crayfish, then handed the menu to Jiang Yuning.

“You can order some grilled vegetables. If you don’t like spicy food, tell the chef not to put chili sauce in yours.”

He took his time reading the menu, then ordered grilled potatoes, eggplant, sweetcorn, and swamp cabbage.

The vegetables were served first. He tried a small piece of grilled eggplant, then nodded approvingly with glowing eyes.

“It’s good, isn’t it?” Nian Xi laughed, “Eating vegetables at home every day must be so boring. You should come out and relax once in a while.”

Jiang Yuning swallowed the food, then wiped his mouth and said with a frown, “I don’t want to come here alone.”

“You can invite Uncle Han,” said Nian Xi.

Jiang Yuning imagined sitting in front of Uncle Han in that restaurant, then shook his head and said, “No.”

Nian Xi didn’t know what to say.

“Can I invite you?” He asked in a low voice.

Nian Xi’s cheeks reddened a little. Jiang Yuning wasn’t trying to hide his feelings. She could surely sense it.

They hadn’t seen each other for half a year, but he was still nice to her as always.

She was scared once because her father told her the projects that he was working on were not the same as normal scientific projects.

She could feel it. She and her colleagues had to protect him in Europe. In addition to them, he had a bodyguard like Xu Gang protecting him.

She didn’t understand why he was now teaching classes at a university, but she guessed that was only temporary. He was such an outstanding scientist, after all.

When she didn’t respond, Jiang Yuning said in a muffled voice, “You don’t have a boyfriend. You lied to me.”