Pear blossoms wet with tears touch the heart of the beholder

Simply wearing a plain white shirt tucked into her jeans, Li Lin radiated a bright, sunny aura the moment she put it on. Despite her cautious demeanor, quite a few gazes in the restaurant lobby still gravitated toward her. She was probably used to it. Bai Haonan subconsciously covered his face, wanting to put on sunglasses. There were already quite a few of her photos circulating online; what if someone chased him to this city?

So, seeing Li Lin beam with a smile as she prepared to walk over, Bai Haonan hurriedly stood up and headed outside. The airheaded girl quickly took large strides to catch up, calling out, "Uncle, what's wrong?" Her tone was laced with nasal inflection, and she even wanted to bend down to pet Ada. The dog immediately straightened up a bit to welcome her, apparently also fond of pretty girls.

As they emerged onto the street bathed in the glow of evening lights, Bai Haonan replied, "I'm on the run right now. If someone finds out I'm mixed up with you, what happens if my enemies come after you, rape you, and then kill you?"

Li Lin pouted and gave her shoulders a wiggle. "You're trying to scare me again!" Then, her expression instantly lit up with excitement. She stepped right in front of Bai Haonan, beaming joyfully, "This is our first time going out for a stroll!" Before Bai Haonan could speak, her face immediately knit into a look of sorrow. "What's wrong, then? Director Yu said you're going abroad to Southeast Asia. What's wrong?"

Bai Haonan was taken aback by her rapidly shifting expressions. "If you could actually cry right now, I'd really admire you."

Li Lin squeezed her cheeks hard, pushing her lower lip out further than her upper one. "I feel like crying when I think about you leaving. Why do you have to leave?"

Bai Haonan had an immense amount of patience for pretty fools. "Let me explain to you. I did the wrong thing in the past, and I owe people several million, maybe ten million. They're trying to hunt me down, and people have already died. So they're definitely coming after me now. I ran from Jiangzhou to Rongdu, and then all the way here, but yesterday I still got exposed in this place. Early this morning, someone came and smashed the doors of the fitness center. So I have no choice but to keep running. Fleeing straight to Southeast Asia is the simplest way out. Director Yu's family has some connections over there, so I can go to a temple to study something. In a few years, after all this blows over and maybe those guys have fled too, I'll be able to come back."

Naively, Li Lin asked, "Millions? Ten million? Just ask Director Yu to help you! From what I heard them casually tossing around in the meeting today, hundreds of millions and billions were flying everywhere—it's so scary!"

Bai Haonan felt an urge to reach out and stroke that innocent face. "If the fitness center was just handed over for free, would your dad take it? Is your smile stiff because your salary is something you actually earned? Director Yu having money is her family's business; why on earth should she shell out millions or tens of millions for me? Everything has a price tag and requires an exchange. If someone gave you a couple of million and asked you to sleep with them, would you do it?"

Li Lin's train of thought was predictably different. She immediately widened her eyes and covered her mouth. Catching the information flashing across those wide-screen eyes, Bai Haonan understood instantly. "Holy shit! I didn't mean Director Yu gave me money to sleep with her. She can find handsome guys by the handful. I don't have anything to sell to others, and I can't afford to owe a favor that heavy. Treating it as returning the fitness center to her is just trading it for a chance to go on the run. Do you get it?"

Li Lin's defining trait was her ability to focus on only a few words in any given sentence. "I get it. Not owing people favors, right? My parents always tell me I owe you a huge favor."

Bai Haonan almost let slip a cheeky remark about paying it back with his body. "Well... let's not talk about that. I told Xiaowan this afternoon too, Director Yu is a good person and very loyal. If you guys follow her, you'll have a good future. Keep your wits about you from now on; you just don't understand the darkness in society."

Head lowered, Li Lin walked slowly beside him without replying, no longer teasing Ada, who was wagging his tail furiously.

When it came to her, it was so easy for Bai Haonan to slip into the role of a life mentor. "Chen Meijuan and the others have all seen the darkest and most shameless things, but their futures will definitely be different. Those who do bad things will keep doing them, and those who turn over a new leaf will definitely become good people. I don't even know how to talk to you—I want you to hang out and learn from them, but I'm afraid you'll get scammed. So following Director Yu is your best choice. Make sure you never offend her, and stop making yourself look so pretty in front of her. Being a bit of a ditz is fine too; just go along with whatever she says, and she won't screw you over—"

Li Lin finally spoke up. "Yesterday, she wanted to buy me a designer dress. I didn't take it."

Bai Haonan paused. Li Lin continued, "Clothes worth thousands of yuan—I couldn't afford to owe her a favor that big either. I know some people talk to me and try to cozy up just to get me into bed. I can tell. Today, when I shook hands with some guy, the look in his eyes made it seem like he wanted to swallow me whole! When I stood up on that flight attendant promotional stage, just standing there like that, the manager privately asked me to go eat with him and said... said we should get a hotel room. So when I heard I could make money here, I didn't care about anything else."

Being pretty without adequate protection was indeed a heavy pressure. What else could Bai Haonan say? He himself wasn't very cultured and didn't know many grand principles. "Just take better care of yourself from now on, Director Yu—"

Rarely, Li Lin interrupted him. "But for these past two months, you've taken care of me, and I felt at ease. I didn't worry about anything, and I didn't worry about having to repay your favor. Everyone took care of me because of you. I thought things could just go on like this forever. I want *you* to take care of me, not Director Yu!"

When the same words were spoken by a pretty girl, they sounded completely natural, as if she rightly deserved to be held in the palm of a hand. Bai Haonan chuckled. For once, without any crude undertones, he offered a relatively pure smile. "I'm no good either. Director Yu is a good girl, and she's much safer..."

Li Lin grew brave. "I'm not afraid! I know you're a good person!"

There was a brief pause between them. Bai Haonan, who had been strolling leisurely, stopped to look at the girl, verifying whether she was truly foolish.

This border city didn't exactly have a luxurious urban landscape; the tropical trees along the roadside still carried a hint of primordial rawness. The night sky was a hazy gray, characteristic of a place that had neither fully developed its economy nor properly protected its environment. The streets were filled with the sound of weaving motorcycles. So seeing the girl with her white shirt tucked into slender jeans right now, she looked exceptionally like a flower—a clean flower in the gloom, especially with her eyes so pure they reflected all the surrounding light, giving off a shimmering, vibrant feel.

Sensing that Bai Haonan was looking at her, Li Lin lifted her chin slightly toward him. She didn't feel dazzled by Bai Haonan's so-called handsomeness; she just looked at him without blinking.

She still wore her soft, tiny rooster-crest hairstyle, with her long hair gathered back into a ponytail. It cleanly set off that even cleaner look in her eyes—a mix of bewilderment, childishness, and a touch of firmness, intertwined with pure innocence. Bai Haonan, a veteran of many battles, had certainly seen beauties before; he had even slept with minor third-tier celebrities. He had definitely met women whose looks rivaled Li Lin's in their own ways, but absolutely none had this kind of cleanliness. A cleanliness so pure it made him want to indulge in it, to just grab this girl, find some uninhabited place, and live a quiet life together. The moment that thought popped into his head, he caught himself licking his lips, and his throat felt a bit dry. Completely out of habit, his well-practiced routine took over: "How about... we go to a hotel..."

The moment the words left his mouth, Bai Haonan wanted to slap himself across the face!

He quickly turned his head away and walked on. This time, he even felt a twinge of guilt.

Ada hurried to keep up with him, but kept looking back at Li Lin.

It took the girl a few seconds before her footsteps caught up. She walked beside him in silence, and a sudden quiet fell between them, broken only by the sound of passing motorcycles, the calls of roadside vendors, and the sound of Ada's tail wagging vigorously—if tails made a sound.

To break the awkwardness, Bai Haonan said, "I was just joking. I didn't even bring my ID card; I would never go to a hotel room like that manager. You know what getting a hotel room means, right?"

Li Lin remained completely silent.

Bai Haonan figured he might have scared the young woman, and he felt a bit of regret. Damn it, he had exercised restraint for two or three months, yet just because they locked eyes for a second, he had almost lost control. It seemed he really needed to go find somewhere to blow off some steam later. He stepped up his pace toward the restaurant, deciding to take the girl back first.

As a result, after walking at least two hundred meters, Li Lin suddenly spoke up softly, "Do you think my hair looks better long or short?"

Bai Haonan was somewhat puzzled. "They're both nice, I guess. I've never seen you with short hair."

With that, Li Lin swiftly fished an ID card out of her jeans pocket and shoved it into Bai Haonan's hand. "Look, just look..."

Self-proclaimed cunning as he was, Bai Haonan froze solid for two whole seconds before bursting into loud laughter. Li Lin seemed to have cast all caution to the wind. "I know what it means. They... they even said doing that might make me a bit smarter..."

Bai Haonan laughed so hard he almost doubled over. "Th-this! You actually believe this kind of BS? Ah, you really are hopelessly dumb..."

Li Lin deflected, changing the subject. "I am very dumb. You tricked me into going... Right, you tricked me."

Bai Haonan squatted down on the ground, likely having a mild muscle cramp from laughing right after a meal, all because of this silly girl's rare, roundabout display of wit. "Wait... let me catch my breath... Hahaha!"

The girl was already tall, and seeing him squat, she awkwardly squatted down right beside him. She stayed silent, watching Bai Haonan's movements as if waiting for him to use the ID card.

So, adjusting his breath, Bai Haonan pressed a hand on Ada's head and handed the ID card back with a smile. "Alright, alright. I really have to admit this is the first time a girl has ever proactively pulled out her ID card to take me to a hotel. I don't dare do it. Put it away safely; based on this stunt of yours, I'll remember it for the rest of my life."

Clutching the ID card, Li Lin didn't put it back in her pocket. "Did... all of them sleep with you? I can see they're very smart!"

Bai Haonan almost squatted back down from laughing. "Oh man! Those girls were already master manipulators back in the pyramid scheme! Why are you so foolish?"

Li Lin finally couldn't hold it in anymore. "I've been playing dumb to this extent! I even found my own excuse—so what if you tricked me into a hotel?!"

Bai Haonan finally looked her straight in the eye, pulling her around to face him. "Alright, Li Lin, I won't waste words. Let's go. I admit I was still happy having you stay at the fitness center. Clean girls like you are rare these days, and you're worth cherishing. You need to cherish yourself, too. Dammit, I don't know what's wrong with me; even seeing you makes me want to lecture you with big principles. But after today, we might never see each other again. There's no need to leave a memento or have a breakup hookup with a mess like me. In a couple of years, who knows if we'll even remember each other. Now, I'm sure your IQ is still going to slowly improve..."

Li Lin stood there stubbornly, refusing to budge. "I like you! I like a mature and considerate man like you. As long as you're willing to have me with you, I'll dare to go anywhere with you and stay by your side forever!"

Any other man might have had his heart moved. Such a pretty girl, such a direct confession. Bai Haonan had to try his hardest not to sound sarcastic, so as not to hurt that golden heart. "Don't proactively say things like that to men in the future; they won't cherish you. I've already told you, you have to cherish yourself. Take your time looking, take your time waiting, find a good guy and command a good price. Besides, you have to make them chase you; never actively say something like that. Forget it with me, I'm practically your uncle."

Li Lin probably wanted to look angry, but when she pouted, it habitually turned into a Donald Duck face, inevitably resembling a pouty act of spoiled affection. Even her tone matched. "Why are you like this..." She even stamped her foot.

The phone rang. On the other end, Yu Jiali sounded somewhat puzzled. "Where did you run off to? Little Li is gone too!"

Bai Haonan wondered if there were surveillance cameras hidden on his body. "Just stepping out for some fresh air by the door. What's up?"

Yu Jiali was brief. "Get over here and rendezvous quickly. The people coming to pick you up have arrived."

Bai Haonan hung up the phone, gave Li Lin a teasing look, and turned around. "See? This is the exact kind of life I'm afraid of. If you sell yourself to someone, you have to come at their beck and call... I'd rather run far away and be free."

Hearing that, Li Lin asked, "You're leaving?"

Bai Haonan nodded, quickening his pace toward the restaurant. "They said the people coming to pick me up are here. Make sure you don't offend Miss Yu. She has a kind heart and is very capable; she will definitely help you. Let me share a little trick I've learned over the years: whenever anyone asks you to sign a contract or put your signature on something, take your sweet time and read the whole contract from start to finish right in front of them. It doesn't matter if you understand it or not; the moment the other person shows the slightest sign of talking to you, distracting you, or rushing you, throw the contract away and walk out. Don't ever sign it..."

Following closely behind him, Li Lin only let out a low murmur of assent. For some reason, Bai Haonan could only find these kinds of topics to talk about. He didn't dare turn his head to look at the girl again, afraid that if he couldn't help himself, he'd grab her and run away. Several times, Ada trotted up to his side and looked up, but Bai Haonan didn't look down.

Yu Jiali was standing just inside the restaurant doorway, looking around slightly. "You really can't stay still for a single minute..." Then her voice cut off abruptly, and the expression on her face grew complicated.

Only then did Bai Haonan follow her gaze.

Perhaps on the walk back, her ponytail had been casually pinned up on top of her head. Just this simple change in hairstyle seemed to make Li Lin look a bit more mature, while also accentuating the exceptional fairness of her face.

To be precise, Li Lin didn't have one of those seductive sharp-pointed v-line or snake-like chins; her face was still slightly round. But it was precisely this rounded face that made her smile look so innocent. Yet now, the eyebrows that usually curved into crescents when she smiled were slightly upturned—typically the expression that accompanied a frown. And yet, her eyes, the corners of her mouth, and even her cheeks were smiling, unfolding into her most familiar smile.

So, brows like those and eyes like those looked completely wrong no matter how you saw them—as if one half was smiling while the other half was desperately fighting back a frown.

Taking two more steps forward into the restaurant lights, one could finally see that the girl's face was flushed all over from holding it in—a flush driven by uncontrollable emotion. The redness gathered around her eye sockets, turning both her eyelids and the skin beneath them a deeper, darker reddish hue. Meanwhile, her tear-filled, limpid eyes were brimming with moisture. The moment she lifted her gaze to meet Bai Haonan's, tears instantly spilled over like broken pearls, sliding down her cheeks to collect and drip from her chin. Yet her cheeks were still trying their best to pile into a smile, even though that smile had already grown somewhat forced. The corners of her mouth kept twitching downward as if wanting to cry, but she was stubbornly pulling them upward, just like her cheeks, lifting them as high as possible as if that could block the sliding tears.

Yet the tears only grew more abundant, pooling all over her face. That pair of clear, black-and-white eyes soaked in tears tried their best to pierce through the blurring liquid, but even the slightest shift of her dark pupils would squeeze out more tears, flowing from every corner of her eyelids down her face. It made her liquid-drenched cheeks gleam everywhere she looked, further accentuating the actually quite agitated rosy flush spread across her entire face, even turning the tips of her ears fiery red. And yet, she forced herself to endure it—because Bai Haonan had always taught her to endure, to hold it in and not let it show.

But how could an emotion like impending parting be held back? Like a child with a face full of tears yet still forcing a smile, her entire nose was twitching violently.

What a foolish girl.