Chapter 11
Anuo looked at the glowing "5" on the elevator button, and her expression froze momentarily. She maintained her composure and said, "Sixth floor."
Upon hearing this, Chen Baifan reached out to press the "6" button.
The elevator doors gradually closed.
The elevator began to ascend, and the display screen showed the changing floor numbers.
One, two, three...
Anuo suddenly spoke honestly, "Actually, I live on the fifth floor."
"..."
When the elevator reached the fifth floor, the doors opened.
Anuo stepped out, hesitated for a moment, and then turned back to thank Chen Baifan, saying, "Thank you for today."
After a pause, she politely added, "I'll treat you to dinner another day."
Chen Baifan raised an eyebrow and called out to her, "Anuo."
Anuo responded, "Yes?"
"Do you know I live on the fifth floor?" he asked.
Anuo suddenly remembered how she had rushed to check the elevator's floor display that day.
She immediately waved her hand and took a few steps back, pretending, "Is that so? You live on the fifth floor too?"
Chen Baifan looked at her without saying a word.
"How would I know which floor you live on if you haven't told me?" Noticing Chen Baifan's expression, Anuo lowered her head and said with a forced smile, "It's quite a coincidence that we live across from each other."
Chen Baifan's lips curved slightly, and he casually replied, "Indeed, quite a coincidence."
"I'm heading home," Anuo said a bit embarrassedly as she turned around and walked toward her apartment.
Chen Baifan stood in place, watching her retreating figure, and ran his tongue over his teeth.
Another lie.
Back at home, Anuo changed into different clothes and returned to her study to continue drawing the second episode of "Gentleman." After completing one frame, she leaned back and stretched, rubbing her head. She then sat up, took a sip of water, and was about to continue drawing when her phone, lying next to the mouse, vibrated.
Anuo glanced at the message and then unlocked her phone to read the messages from Chen Baifan:
Chen Baifan: By the way
Chen Baifan: Do you need me to accompany you when you pick up your car?
Chen Baifan: To check if the car has any issues.
Anuo's eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up. She picked up her stylus and began typing a reply, repeatedly editing her message.
However, her final response transformed from "Sure, that would be helpful, thanks!" into "No need, you just had a day off today, right? I don't want to trouble you."
Anuo looked at the message she had sent, wondering why she always had this bad habit.
When he helped her, she treated him to dinner. That's quite normal, right? He shouldn't think she has ulterior motives, right?
Anuo pursed her lips and typed: "Tomorrow?"
In the next moment, she immediately deleted it. It seemed too eager, like wanting to see him every day.
Anuo hesitated for a few minutes and then changed it to: "How about the day after tomorrow?"
Her phone rang.
"Good."
On the day they arranged to meet for dinner, Anuo dressed up, preparing to leave her apartment when she received a WeChat message from Chen Baifan:
"I get off work at six. You don't have to come out too early."
Anuo checked the time on her notification bar. It was 5:30, a bit early.
She replied with a "Good" and waited until 5:50 before leaving her home.
The walk only took five minutes.
When she reached the entrance of the clinic, Chen Baifan hadn't come out yet. Anuo waited for him outside, shivering in the cold and occasionally stamping her feet.
Just at the right moment, Chen Baifan walked out of the clinic.
His eyebrows raised as he spotted Anuo where she was standing.
She approached him, standing in front of him.
To avoid making him think she was too eager to see him, Anuo decided to speak first.
"I just arrived."
Chen Baifan looked at her and nodded in response.
"Next time, just come down at six, or you can directly come into the clinic, no need to wait outside in the cold."
Anuo lowered her head, unusually obedient, and replied with an "Okay."
Why could he casually say things like "next time"? Did his mannerisms imply that he also thought there would be a next time?
Chen Baifan noticed that Anuo had slowed her pace to match his because of their significant height difference. Along the way, Anuo remained silent and didn't speak.
The main issue was that she didn't know what to say, and, according to her nature, she would probably say too much and make mistakes.
However, Chen Baifan took the initiative to start the conversation. He smiled and casually said, "Why are you so quiet? Are you that afraid of me?"
"What?" Anuo looked up at him, slowly retracting her gaze.
"My teeth are fine, there's no need to be afraid of me," she added.
"True," Chen Baifan agreed with a smile.
The two of them entered the hot pot restaurant and found a table to sit at.
Just as Anuo was about to hand him the menu, Chen Baifan waved his hand and said, "You can order; I'm not picky."
Anuo didn't hesitate and ordered a hot pot with a combination of both spicy and non-spicy broths, quickly selecting some side dishes.
A server approached to pour water for them and took the menus away.
The restaurant was well-lit, and the waitstaff bustled around the place. Despite the spacious setting, it was still bustling with activity.
Anuo took a sip of her water, while Chen Baifan removed his coat, folded it neatly, and placed it beside him. He then rolled up his sleeves slightly, pouring water from the kettle into a bowl while asking, "Are you planning to settle in Bocity from now on?"
Anuo hadn't really considered this question, and she hesitated when asked.
"Not necessarily," she replied. Initially, she had thought about living in different cities to find inspiration for her artwork. But now, after meeting Chen Baifan, she was beginning to change her mind. Bocity seemed like a good place, especially with handsome dentists.
Hearing her response, Chen Baifan was briefly surprised, "Where do you work now?"
Anuo blinked and started rinsing her utensils with hot water. "I don't have a fixed job. I'm a full-time illustrator, so I can work from anywhere."
Since Chen Baifan had some understanding of this profession from helping Hexiong Jia with a cover, he didn't press further, and the topic came to an end.
Conveniently, the server brought their hot pot to the table.
Anuo looked at the steam rising from the pot, which slightly obscured Chen Baifan's appearance.
She was about to put all the meat from the plate into the hot pot when Chen Baifan reached out and took the plate from her.
"I'll do it," he said.
Watching his movements, Anuo lowered her head, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
Although Anuo was small in stature, she had a hearty appetite.
As they ate, they chatted casually.
During lulls in the conversation, Anuo pretended to eat her food calmly.
Unknowingly, she had consumed more than half of the dishes on the table.
After finishing her meal, Anuo noticed that Chen Baifan was still eating slowly.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she said, "I'm going to wash my hands."
Chen Baifan looked at her and nodded, saying, "Sure, go ahead."
Anuo went to the restroom and touched up her makeup. She gathered her sleeve to her nose, catching a whiff of the hot pot smell that clung to her.
She suddenly regretted the decision to have hot pot today. She felt like she had overindulged, and she didn't want to seem like she invited him out for dinner and then regretted it, so she decided to eat excessively.
Thinking about this, Anuo quickly returned to her seat.
Chen Baifan had already stopped eating and was on his phone, probably sending messages.
When he saw her return, he put his phone down and was about to speak when Anuo asked seriously, "Do you want to order more dishes?"
Upon hearing her question, Chen Baifan was momentarily surprised, but he didn't react strongly, saying, "Are you still hungry? If you are, we can order more."
Anuo looked at him for a moment, then touched her stomach and said, "No, I'm very full now, extremely full."
Chen Baifan's gaze lifted, and he stared at her with a somewhat puzzled expression. But he didn't say much and quickly said, "Then let's go."
"I'll pay the bill first," Anuo said as she reached for her wallet.
Chen Baifan, who was putting on his coat, said, "I've already taken care of it."
Anuo had not expected him to do that, and she looked somewhat bewildered.
"Let's go," Chen Baifan said.
Anuo quickly put on her bag and followed his lead.
Walking out of the hot pot restaurant, Chen Baifan turned to look at her, saying lazily, "I'm at an age where I can let a young girl like you treat me to a meal."
"It's just one meal," Anuo replied. She had never experienced this situation before, so she took her phone from her pocket and said seriously, "I can transfer the money to you."
With a soft and gentle tone, she had a petite figure and a small face, with fair and smooth skin. Beneath her long, thick eyelashes, her eyes were clear and expressive. She looked quite serious.
Chen Baifan didn't know what he was thinking, but he subconsciously reached out and patted her head lightly.
His Adam's apple moved slowly, concealed by the dim lighting.
"No need, just one meal."
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