Xu Qinghe nodded. "I'll have to eat an extra bowl tonight. Once Director Shi moves, I might not have the luck to eat this again."
Shi Wenli looked up at her.
He wanted to respond, but didn't know how to.
Jiang Yang had already devoured four or five wontons, finally satisfying his craving. He teased, "Sis, the way you say it, it's like Brother Shi is moving away from Earth."
Xu Qinghe: "..."
She smiled imperceptibly and said, "I've lived in the same neighborhood as Director Shi for years, and I never had time to freeload. Let alone after he moves. It's really no different from moving away from Earth."
From now on, it wasn't just about distance.
Jiang Yang said casually, "If you want wontons, it's simple. Any day you want, just ask him to bring you a portion. No need to be shy. His whole department has him bring scallion pancakes."
Shi Wenli still didn't know how to respond.
Seeing Xu Qinghe only eating wontons, he thought she might be a bit shy since it was her first time as a guest, so he handed her two skewers of chicken wings.
"Thanks."
Xu Qinghe put down her spoon and took the chicken wings.
Compared to the crispy yet tender chicken wings, she actually preferred his tomato wontons.
Jiang Yang was thick-skinned and didn't notice that Shi Wenli was much quieter than usual.
Xu Qinghe noticed something was off with him.
She glanced at him from time to time.
He never wore his emotions on his face unless the problem was serious enough to distract him.
Shi Wenli looked up after a few bites of wonton, intending to ask if she thought the broth was a bit bland, but found her studying him.
He smiled. "What are you looking at?"
Xu Qinghe asked directly, "Did something happen at work?"
Shi Wenli kept his smile. "Is it that obvious?"
Xu Qinghe: "Not really."
Maybe after spending so much time with him, she could keenly detect even the slightest deviation.
She said in a half-joking tone, "It's just that you don't seem as lively as usual."
The word "lively" made Shi Wenli laugh out loud.
It was the first time someone had described him that way.
He could only find a family-related excuse. "Something with my parents." He added, "Nothing major."
"Is the tomato soup too bland?" he asked instead.
Xu Qinghe: "It's just right."
It was the best tomato wonton soup she had ever had.
Great cooking, superb medical skills. No matter how tough the situation, he remained calm and composed, never losing his temper or taking it out on others.
She couldn't think of any flaw in Shi Wenli.
Jiang Yang finished a big bowl of wontons, and even the grilled fish he had packed for his dad was devoured clean, leaving only bones.
Full and satisfied, he leaned back in his chair with a contented sigh.
"Oh, right, Brother Shi, what kind of girlfriend are you looking for?"
He asked out of the blue.
Shi Wenli: "..."
Xu Qinghe couldn't help glancing at Jiang Yang. She could imagine that when Dean Jiang set up the blind date for Shi Wenli, he was probably just as blunt, catching him off guard.
Even matchmaking required some finesse in speech.
Jiang Yang said, "Brother Shi, there are no outsiders here. Just say what's on your mind."
Shi Wenli smiled helplessly, deflecting the question. "Did Dean Jiang ask you to continue working on me?"
Jiang Yang waved his hands repeatedly. "I'm just curious."
In his eyes, Qi Ruo was independent, capable, outstanding-looking, and had a good personality. She matched Shi Wenli well in every way.
Even such a high-quality prospect had been flatly rejected by Shi Wenli. He couldn't understand it.
"Brother Shi, you haven't met Sister Qi Ruo in person, have you? She's as good-looking as our Dr. Xu. Are you really not going to meet her?"
Jiang Yang wasn't usually a busybody, but he felt it was a pity for them.
Shi Wenli said, "No need to meet. It has nothing to do with her looks. I just don't want to get married."
He paused briefly, then rephrased. "When Dean Jiang proposed, I really had no intention of considering marriage or dating. I've already declined, so no need to meet."
Jiang Yang didn't notice any substantial difference between the two sentences.
This time, even Xu Qinghe, who usually understood him well, couldn't immediately discern the difference.
Shi Wenli stood up to clear the table, not letting either of them help.
As soon as he brought the dishes to the kitchen, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out and saw it was a message from Director Zhao.
Zhao Mingde: [Wenli, no need to rush to give me an answer. It's about your lifelong happiness. You need to calm down and think it over carefully. If you really can't decide, talk it over with Shi Miao. For such a big matter as marriage, family opinions are also important.]
This was a constant reminder not to forget to reply.
To seem more familiar, he had switched from "Director Shi" to calling him by his given name.
It was quite a stretch for the straightforward Zhao Mingde.
Shi Wenli replied: [Sorry, Director Zhao. Jiang Yang and Dr. Xu came over for dinner tonight, and I've been busy until now. I didn't have time to reply to you.]
Zhao Mingde: [No rush, no rush.]
He said that, but he was actually burning with anxiety, to the point that he didn't even notice "Dr. Xu" in the message.
Shi Wenli deliberately closed the kitchen door, blocking out the laughter and chatter from the dining room.
Earlier, when he refused Dean Jiang, his words weren't an excuse. He really didn't plan to marry so early.
Even though he had decided not to marry early, faced with Xu Qinghe, he couldn't utter any words of refusal.
Since he couldn't refuse, then he wouldn't refuse.
He weighed his words carefully: [Director Zhao, I've thought it over seriously. If Dr. Xu is willing, I'll ask her out for a proper chat.]