Xue Jiao looked at him with some guilt. She also wanted to spend every day with him, eating meals together, but she felt there were still many things waiting for her to do.
She had observed couples around her, and most of them spent a lot of time together.
Compared to them, she and Lin Zhihua seemed to have very little time together.
Their daily interactions consisted mostly of him picking her up and driving her home. Private dates and meals together were actually quite rare, especially when Xue Jiao was busy.
Lin Zhihua was indeed feeling a bit down. Yesterday, he had read a dating guide and planned many activities for their summer vacation.
Just thinking about those dates that would make him smile happily...
But clearly, none of them might happen now.
However, at this moment, Lin Zhihua suddenly thought of Yi Tianyu for some reason.
That boy who had once almost won Xue Jiao's heart—his ultimate failure was not understanding Xue Jiao.
Because of this, Lin Zhihua had always tried hard to restrain and suppress his overwhelming emotions.
He wished he could spend every single hour of the day with her. He wanted to accompany her shopping, watching movies, or visiting underwater worlds—doing anything was fine, as long as it was with her.
But Xue Jiao was too busy.
Lin Zhihua had been suppressing his emotions. He needed to understand Xue Jiao and not make her feel pressured or uncomfortable, as Yi Tianyu had.
After all, she was still young and might not have much patience for a partner.
So Lin Zhihua held back all his emotions. If she didn’t have time, then so be it. One meal a week, or after moving, the daily commute from school to home, plus video calls, became their only time together.
She was about to start her sophomore year, and she would only get busier.
Lin Zhihua had never imagined that one day he would desperately want to ask—
What should you do when your girlfriend is too busy to spend time with you?
Lin Zhihua had been driving in silence. Xue Jiao’s chest tightened, and she turned to look at him.
"Zhihua..."
After a long pause, Lin Zhihua forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. Just thinking about some work stuff. What would you like to eat tonight?"
Xue Jiao tilted her head and replied softly, "Anything is fine."
Feeling her answer was too perfunctory, she added, "Everything you make is delicious."
Lin Zhihua smiled and drove Xue Jiao to his new house.
The building he lived in was identical to the one Cheng Shuo had bought, and they were very close—only three buildings apart.
But upon opening the door, the interior design was completely different from the Cheng family’s home.
The Cheng household had to accommodate a large family, so the style was warm and eclectic.
Lin Zhihua’s place, however, was different. Xue Jiao had visited his apartment in City C, and the style was the same—cold, mechanical, and spacious.
Very minimalist, but also very austere.
Lin Zhihua smiled as he handed her a pair of slippers—adorable bunny-eared ones, snow-white in color. The shoe cabinet only had this one pair of women’s slippers.
"Here, put these on. They’ve been washed."
Xue Jiao couldn’t help but laugh. "You bought these for me?"
"Of course. Who else would come here?" Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow.
Xue Jiao covered her mouth, giggling as she slipped them on—they fit perfectly.
"I’ll go wash up and start cooking. Help yourself to water if you’re thirsty." Lin Zhihua gently tapped her nose, his voice full of affection.
She nodded, and he headed into the kitchen.
Xue Jiao walked around, looking at the surroundings, feeling that this house was truly minimalist to the extreme.
She slowly approached the coffee table, where two washed couple mugs were placed, each printed with a turtle.Thinking of how he often affectionately called her—"little turtle."
Xue Jiao couldn't help but smile as she poured a glass of water and slowly made her way to the kitchen.
Lin Zhihua had just taken the ingredients out from the refrigerator and turned his head upon hearing her approach.
Xue Jiao was wearing a T-shirt and jeans, with the slippers he had bought for her on her feet, holding a couple's mug printed with a little turtle...
Lin Zhihua's heart softened, and he couldn't help but give her an affectionate smile.
The grievances and suppressed emotions in his heart seemed insignificant in such a scene, his chest swelling with contentment and happiness.
After a moment of gazing at each other, Lin Zhihua suddenly said, "I'm thirsty..."
Xue Jiao was taken aback for a second before smiling sheepishly and moving closer, bringing the cup to his lips.
Lin Zhihua chuckled, took a sip, and then said with a smile, "Sweet."
Xue Jiao's cheeks flushed slightly as she set the cup aside. "Let me help you. We can do it together."
"Alright."
She could cook too, but compared to Lin Zhihua's culinary skills, she could only wash vegetables or hand him a bowl—nothing substantial.
Yet he seemed perfectly satisfied, the curve of his lips never fading.
It took about an hour before the meal was ready.
There was black chicken soup that had been simmering since morning, a freshly steamed fish, a plate of stir-fried greens, and another of sliced pork with lettuce—all Xue Jiao's favorites.
"Time to eat!" Lin Zhihua set the dishes on the table just as Xue Jiao emerged from washing her hands.
She walked up behind him and lightly pressed against his back. "You always make what I like to eat, never what you prefer."
"What you love is what I love."
Xue Jiao pouted but said nothing more.
Lin Zhihua took her hand and had her sit beside him, then deftly ladled her a bowl of soup.
They often shared meals together, but this time, being at Lin Zhihua's home, both were in high spirits and thoroughly enjoyed the food.
However, by the time they finished cleaning up, it was already eight o'clock—time for Xue Jiao to head home.
"I'll walk you back."
"Okay."
Hand in hand, they strolled toward Xue Jiao's place like a young couple.
Under the dim glow of streetlights, Lin Zhihua murmured softly, "If only every day could be like this... how wonderful..."
Xue Jiao turned her head, biting her lip slightly. "When I'm free in the evenings, I'll try to come back for dinner."
The word "back" pleased Lin Zhihua immensely, and his lips curled into a smile, his heart swelling with satisfaction once more.
The three buildings were close together, and they soon reached Xue Jiao's doorstep.
"I'll head in now. Goodnight." Xue Jiao pursed her lips, reluctant to part.
Lin Zhihua bent down, bringing his face level with hers, his eyes twinkling. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Blushing, Xue Jiao stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
Lin Zhihua also leaned in, pressing a light, tender kiss to her forehead.
His voice was gentle as he said, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
This was the first time Lin Zhihua had walked her all the way to her door. He waited until she entered before turning away.
Compared to earlier, his silhouette now seemed solitary and cold, standing alone.
Yet the warmth of Xue Jiao's touch lingered in his palm, and he felt a lingering warmth in his heart.
——
Early the next morning, on the first day of Xue Jiao's summer vacation.
She hurried to school, backpack in tow, heading straight for the lab.
Chu Sheng and Zheng Jiakun had already arrived. Zhang Han and Yang Zhan weren't there yet, but they showed up shortly after.
This was the first group meeting of the summer break.
"Little junior, long time no see! You're on summer break now?" Yang Zhan asked with a grin as soon as he walked in.Xue Jiao looked up and said earnestly, "Officially, there should be a break."
"Hahaha, officially? Little junior sister, are you complaining that we don't have holidays? I'm not too happy about it either," Yang Zhan raised his eyebrows and joked.
Xue Jiao shook her head, too lazy to engage with him.
Zhang Han sat down beside Xue Jiao and noticed her notebook. "Notes?"
"Yes, things we've worked on, successes and failures, and some occasional thoughts I've had."
Zhang Han gestured that she wanted to see it, and Xue Jiao handed it over.
Even someone as demanding as Zhang Han found Xue Jiao's notes valuable—what they had worked on, what succeeded, what failed, and the reasons for failure were all recorded.
After reading, Zhang Han returned the notebook.
"Let's take turns discussing our current progress and issues, along with everyone's thoughts."
"Alright."
They took turns sharing updates, but truthfully, there hadn't been much progress.
The project was indeed promising, but it was still too abstract, requiring step-by-step exploration.
Xue Jiao listened attentively, occasionally jotting down notes, sometimes frowning, other times relaxing her brow.
Before they knew it, it was noon. They went to the cafeteria together for lunch and returned to continue the discussion.
"Honestly, I don't think we can succeed with this project right now. It might just be a waste of time and effort," Yang Zhan suddenly said seriously after such a long discussion.
This project was Chu Sheng's brainchild and his aspiration, so he couldn't help but retort, "We've barely started. How can we talk about giving up so easily?"
"It's not about giving up lightly—it's about knowing when to let go. And it's not about abandoning it, just postponing it. At our current age and level of experience, the difficulty is just too high. In a few decades, with more data, information, and knowledge, that would be the right time to begin," Yang Zhan argued.
His words were sincere and sharp.
Chu Sheng fell silent. He didn't know how to counter, but he was deeply reluctant.
Zheng Jiakun looked at Yang Zhan. "I've never backed down under these circumstances. We've only just begun."
Yang Zhan shrugged and spread his hands. "Alright, that's your perspective. But can we find a direction? We've been at this for a while now. Even with other distractions, the lack of progress should tell us we're truly stuck."
Zhang Han remained quiet for a long time before standing up and saying, "Let's call it a day. Everyone should go back and cool off. At tomorrow's meeting, share your thoughts and decisions."
She was a rational person and knew that the most important thing in research was direction. There was no rush to start—determination and clarity came first.
"Fine. It's good to think it over today, especially for our junior brother and sister. You two just finished exams—take the night to rest," Yang Zhan also stood up.
The meeting ended before four o'clock. It wasn't exactly a bad breakup, but everyone left in different moods.
"Gu Xue Jiao!" Chu Sheng's voice called out from behind just as she reached the door.
Xue Jiao turned and smiled. "What is it?"
"You..."
As if knowing what he wanted to say, Xue Jiao interrupted, "Chu Sheng, since I agreed to this back then, there's no reason for me to quit halfway."
Chu Sheng was taken aback, then scratched his head and smiled. "Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? I benefit from this too. It's an honor that you thought of me." After a pause, she added, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now...""Are you busy?" Chu Sheng asked, puzzled.
Xue Jiao smiled sheepishly. "There's something urgent I need to attend to."
After bidding farewell to Chu Sheng, she immediately hailed a taxi home, arriving just past four o'clock.
Finding the house empty upon her return, Xue Jiao went straight to the kitchen. Around five o'clock, she emerged carrying a thermal lunch box.
She walked briskly to the residential compound's entrance and flagged down a taxi—
"To Lin Corporation."
She was well aware that Zhihua was upset—because she hadn't been a proper girlfriend.
But she would try her best to become at least a slightly better one.
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