After hearing this, Yu Hao cast a thoughtful glance over, sizing up the face so close to hers with slanted eyes.

Lu Huaizheng reacted faster. He straightened up, rubbing the tip of his nose uncomfortably. "Even if I haven't eaten pork, I've seen a pig run." Then he plopped down onto the stool behind him, lowered his head to scratch his eyebrow, sat up straight, cleared his throat, and looked over again, saying, "Looks like you still haven't had a boyfriend all these years?"

In the dimly lit restaurant, the faint yellow light was weak. It seemed as if, because of his words, even the lights had brightened a little. The night view outside the window was set, with trees standing tall and silent, adding a touch of tranquility to the night.

Yu Hao's expression was slightly mocking. She raised an eyebrow and retorted, "You look like you have a lot of experience?"

Lu Huaizheng coughed again and immediately explained, "I don't." Then he felt he had explained too quickly, putting himself at a disadvantage, so he leaned back in his chair and added nonchalantly, "Mainly because I haven't had the time."

The corners of Yu Hao's mouth lifted slightly, indicating her understanding.

This secretive expression, which didn't answer whether she had dated before, made Lu Huaizheng a little anxious. In the twelve years they had been apart, their past feelings had already transformed into high cliffs and deep valleys, completely unrecognizable.

The first time he realized he had feelings for the girl in front of him was when he was young, after the sports meet. Back then, she would help their class with the bulletin board every day after school. Sometimes, he would come back after playing ball and find she was still there. The classroom would be empty, even their class's propaganda committee member had disappeared. He would just sit on a desk and quietly keep her company until she finished drawing.

Sometimes he would stare at the drawing, sometimes at her. After watching for a long time, even he couldn't tell if he was looking at the drawing or the person...

As time went on, it gradually developed into him deliberately taking the long way to the Class Five's side to use the restroom, even though there was one right next to him, under the pretext of "stretching his muscles"...During the morning exercises between classes, his gaze would always drift uncontrollably toward Class Five...When playing basketball, whenever he saw her pass by the court, even his layups would be more aggressive than usual, but she never even glanced his way.

He had typed "I like you" countless times on his phone. It got to the point where whenever he typed the character for "I", the words "like you" would automatically pop up as if they were conjoined twins.

What kind of emotion is a secret crush?

Well, anyway, even the predictive text was more understanding than she was.

When he was little, his father was in the military and was never home. He would only see him a few times a year. He would throw tantrums, wanting to see his dad, crying incessantly, wondering why other kids had fathers to lift them up high and give them piggyback rides, but he didn't.

After too many tantrums, his mother could only sigh helplessly, but Grandpa Lu was a man who cared deeply about family values.

Lu Yongkang was in his seventies. In his early years, he had been a cultural soldier, and his back was still straight. Even at his age, his integrity remained. Before the age of five, Lu Huaizheng learned Chinese history, world geography, and various encyclopedic knowledge from his grandfather. It wasn't until his son and daughter-in-law passed away that the heartbroken grandfather, still in shock, handed Lu Huaizheng over to his aunt to raise.

The old man was well-versed in Chinese history and had considerable attainments in the study of Sinology.

The phrase he said most often was—

Do not fear the changes of Heaven, do not blindly follow the ways of ancestors, do not heed the gossip of men.

Even if the sky falls, do not be afraid. Do not fear natural disasters. One should not blindly follow the systems left by ancestors but should innovate and eliminate differences. So-called rumors and slander should be ignored.

His grandfather always used these words to teach him that no matter what industry he ended up in, whether he became a soldier or not, even if he worked in an ordinary profession, this was a man's character. And then there was: to establish a mind for Heaven and Earth, to secure a life for the people, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to bring peace to all future generations.

This included, when he grew older and liked a girl, that his love should be deep, not demanding or frivolous.

Later, he became a soldier. His grandfather was bedridden for some time, and his aunt kept it from him. He only received the news after his grandfather passed away. At that time, he was on a mission in South Africa. By the time he finished the mission and returned, his grandfather had already been buried. He only left a letter for him.

Just a few words.

There's a beautiful place in Northern Xinjiang called Kanas, with seas of clouds and Buddha's light. When I was young, I went there. It's a pity I never had the chance to go back. If you have time, go for a walk there for me. When you were a child, I often scolded you, saying you weren't like a child of the Lu Family like your older brothers. Actually, you're the most like me when I was young.

I didn't like myself when I was young. I was too arrogant, didn't know how to yield, and missed out on too much.

That's all. I hope everything goes well for you.

Protect our home and country, dare to be a pioneer. Your generation must be strong. A great and heavy responsibility, whose fragrance will last for ten thousand years. Fulfill your duties with loyalty, live and die by them, without regret.

Lu Huaizheng didn't actually remember much about his childhood. He felt he must have done something bad as a child. After his father's sacrifice, his relatives left him one after another. His maternal grandparents disliked him; apart from practicing calligraphy with his grandfather for half a year, he barely saw them after that. His mother's relatives said he was quite the jinx, and he felt he was a jinx too. His childhood personality wasn't actually that sunny; in fact, he was a little insecure.

After his aunt remarried, his current uncle changed him a lot. His uncle was a very shrewd man who managed several hundred people. He saw right through what was going on with him in high school. He would often slip into his room at night and earnestly give him some adolescent education—or rather, guidance.

"You like a girl?"

At first, Lu Huaizheng was stubborn and insisted he didn't, but after a few meaningful looks from his uncle, he spilled the beans.

His uncle didn't say much. At the end, he told him not to let it affect his studies. Then, on second thought, he figured his studies couldn't be affected much anyway, and advised him, "You're still young, don't do anything too out of line."

He hadn't thought much of it, but the words "out of line" made him have a dream that left him drenched in sweat all night.

...

The first half of the meal was a bit awkward. The tension was gone, replaced by caution and clumsiness.

Unfamiliar, yet wanting to get closer, but afraid of being too hasty—it evolved into the following scenes.

The service at the couple's restaurant was also quite thoughtful. The tableware came in matching sets, and the cups formed a heart shape when placed together. Yu Hao found it rather novel and picked one up to look at it. Lu Huaizheng, however, looked at it as if it were a toy bowl his nephew used for meals. He lifted his eyelids but saw nothing special.

Although Lu Huaizheng wasn't a picky eater himself, there were many dietary restrictions in the military, such as spicy food, beans, and celery. These couldn't be eaten before a flight. Lu Huaizheng had a flight mission tomorrow, so he should have been eating at the Air Force Canteen tonight. But if he didn't ask her out, he didn't know when the next time would be.

The dishes Yu Hao ordered tonight were all on the spicy side. After a few bites, Lu Huaizheng focused on the bowl of boiled green vegetables in front of him.

Halfway through the meal, Yu Hao noticed. She looked up at him. "What's wrong, is the food not to your liking?"

Lu Huaizheng thought for a moment and decided to explain, "I have a mission tomorrow, so there are some things I can't eat."

With a piece of vegetable in her mouth, Yu Hao stared at him blankly. "Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

Lu Huaizheng pouted and leaned back. "It's fine, I wasn't hungry anyway."

Yu Hao put down her chopsticks and reached for the menu. "Let me order a few more dishes."

Leaning back in his chair, Lu Huaizheng watched her and chuckled. "Really, you don't have to. I've noticed you're still the same as before, so intense."

Hearing this, Yu Hao suddenly turned to look at him. They were sitting by the window. The world outside was completely dark, the decorative lanterns had just been lit, and neon lights flickered. The occasional car horn could be heard. The light and shadow flickered across his face, making his features look cool and detached. The entire restaurant was elegant and quiet, with lovers whispering to each other, accompanied by the melodious and lingering sound of a piano.

Perhaps it was the atmosphere, but Yu Hao felt that for a moment, the gaze of the man opposite her became ambiguous and filled with deep affection.

In that instant, she was in a bit of a daze, almost thinking that the one sitting across from her was that spirited and lively youth from the past, with a head of fluffy chestnut hair, who would snuggle up to her like a Shiba Inu, coaxing her to rub his head.

Actually, Yu Hao wasn't cold; she was just not good at handling interpersonal relationships and didn't know how to respond to others' warmth. Unable to react, and not wanting to appear flustered and helpless, she put on an air of not caring about anything.

For example, since they entered, Lu Huaizheng had smiled at the waiter three times; the beautiful woman at the next table had secretly glanced at Lu Huaizheng ten times. Perhaps because her gaze was too intense, Lu Huaizheng returned it once, though his eyes revealed a hint of impatience.

After meeting his gaze for three seconds, Yu Hao suddenly called out to him, "Lu Huaizheng."

"Yes."

He responded quickly, his voice low yet full of allure, seemingly filled with anticipation.

"Excuse me."

A waiter suddenly appeared, holding a plate of beef tongue. In the dim candlelight, he smiled gently at Yu Hao and Lu Huaizheng and said, "Tonight's complimentary beef tongue, would you two like some?"

Yu Hao glanced at it and said bluntly, "If it's free, just leave it."

Lu Huaizheng tilted his head, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably. She really was still as oblivious to things around her as before.

Before the waiter could explain, Lu Huaizheng leaned back in his chair, turned his head, and said directly to the waiter, "Take it away, we don't need it."

Yu Hao: "Why not? It's free."

Lu Huaizheng: "You wouldn't like it."

"I quite like beef tongue."

Yu Hao really did want to eat some. She had smelled it at the entrance just now and found it hard to resist.

Lu Huaizheng stared at her for two seconds, then turned slightly to the waiter. "I'll buy it. Just add it to the bill at the original price."

The waiter gave a troubled smile and scratched his head. "I'll have to ask the owner about that."

Lu Huaizheng nodded. "Go ahead and ask."

"Wait a minute." Yu Hao stopped him. "You're going to pay for it when it's free?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to eat it?"

"I want to eat the free one."

Lu Huaizheng glanced at the waiter, coughed, and nonchalantly averted his gaze. "You can't eat the free one."

...

While waiting for Lu Huaizheng to pay the bill at the door, Yu Hao finally understood why she couldn't eat it. The waiter had brought that plate of beef tongue to the beautiful woman at the next table—the one who had stared at Lu Huaizheng ten times. He leaned in and whispered something in the couple's ears, and the beautiful woman stood up without hesitation, suddenly hugged the man in the crisp suit across from her, and started kissing him lip to lip.

And then that plate of beef tongue was theirs...

...

After paying the bill, Lu Huaizheng came out and shoved his wallet into his pocket. He looked up and saw Yu Hao staring intently in a certain direction. He followed her gaze and saw the couple kissing with audible smacks. Lu Huaizheng looked away, strode over to Yu Hao's side, and directly covered her eyes. He blocked her view, grabbed her arm, and dragged her away.

"Are you that bored? You're even watching this?"

Yu Hao's vision went black. As he led her away, she stumbled and fell into his arms. His chest was as solid as a hard wall, nearly knocking her out. Dazed, Yu Hao was dragged to the car. Lu Huaizheng then pulled open the passenger door, hung one hand on the top of the door frame, and pushed her inside with the other. He leaned halfway in, pulled the seatbelt across, and fastened it for her. Resting his arm on the window frame, he squinted at her in the pale moonlight.

"Really haven't dated anyone?" He smiled. "Were you waiting for me? Hmm?"

Author's Note:

Lu Lu's mental journey is probably: This girl is pretty - This girl is okay - This girl is not bad - I secretly like this girl - Announce it to the world.

Yu Hao is actually quite adorkable at her core. Her surface personality is because of her past experiences, which will become clear later.

As for everything else, I won't say more. Anyway, this should be a story about mutual healing.

Do not fear the changes of Heaven, do not blindly follow the ways of ancestors, do not heed the gossip of men. —Wang Anshi

To establish a mind for Heaven and Earth, to secure a life for the people, to carry on the lost teachings of past sages, and to bring peace to all future generations. —Zhang Zai