books44 Chapter 293 Blushing and Heart-Pounding
Chapter 293 Blushing and Heart-Pounding
Shi Shui felt a warmth in her heart as she listened to Bai Li's decisive arrangements over the phone.
Despite not having been in contact for so long, his relationship with his sister did not cool down.
Just as he was about to agree, he suddenly noticed a figure around the corner.
Startled, I looked up and saw Professor Xu leaning against a pillar in the institute's porch.
Professor Xu crossed his arms, his expression subtle, a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and gossip in his eyes, his gaze fixed on him with interest.
Seeing Shi Shui looking at him, Professor Xu's smile deepened. He showed no sign of realizing he'd been caught "eavesdropping," and even extended a hand in an inappropriate greeting: "Yo~"
Shi Shui froze completely.
In an instant, all the blood in his body rushed to his head.
The teacher saw everything he said and did during his phone call with his sister!
The emotional impact was too great; the immense shame almost overwhelmed him.
In that instant, Shi Shui didn't even know how to react.
Bai Li waited a while for Shi Shui's response, and assumed that the call had been interrupted due to a bad signal. She took the phone away from her ear in confusion, checked the "call in progress" screen again, and then put the phone back to her ear: "Hello? Shi Shui?"
"Ah, sis, sister!" Shi Shui snapped back to reality, but her voice stammered from the panic. "I, I... okay! I understand! See you tonight!"
"Hmm?" Bai Li was even more puzzled by Shi Shui's incoherent voice.
But Shi Shui couldn't explain anymore. His voice was trembling as he turned away and whispered, "Sister, I have some things to do here. I have to hang up now! Be careful on your way home."
Bai Li tilted her head.
Is there something else going on with your research?
But the panicked voice didn't sound like it.
However, now that she had received confirmation that Shi Shui would be staying that night, Bai Li stopped worrying and replied, "Okay, be careful on your way home. When you get home, A He will meet you."
The moment after finishing her conversation with Bai Li, Shi Shui hurriedly hung up the phone.
He turned around stiffly, trying his best to adjust his facial expression so that he would look normal when facing Professor Xu.
But it's actually useless now.
Shi Shui could see how red her face was just by looking in the mirror; even her ears and neck were red.
Anyone who saw it would know something was wrong, let alone Professor Xu, who has a wealth of experience.
Shi Shui's embarrassed appearance could not escape his all-seeing eyes, which further confirmed his suspicions.
Professor Xu, who had a general idea of what was going on, strolled over slowly, his mischievous expression becoming more and more obvious. He took a good look at Shi Shui.
After all, it's rare to see Shi Shui looking like she wants to disappear into the ground at this moment.
In fact, Professor Xu had never seen her before. He clicked his tongue twice and said, "Sister? That's a sweet way of addressing her."
Shi Shui was already afraid to look at Professor Xu, and now, hearing his teasing, she became even more anxious. She pursed her lips and looked away, saying, "T-Teacher...don't talk nonsense."
“Oh, young man, I understand, I understand—” Professor Xu deliberately dragged out his words, walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and said earnestly, “You’ve been locked up in the research institute for the past six months. Besides data and code, you also have someone on your mind. It’s not easy, not easy at all.”
At this point, Professor Xu's eyes lit up, as if he had remembered something. He suddenly realized and said, "No wonder I sometimes see you staring blankly at the screen, and your psychological assessment report is full of emotional points. So that's why."
"Teacher!" Even Shi Shui's voice trembled with anxiety as she tried to defend herself, "Don't tease me, I didn't."
"No?" Professor Xu raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "I don't believe it."
"When you were on the phone just now, you kept calling me 'sister,' and your voice was so sweet it gave this old man goosebumps."
"And you're all smiles, a stark contrast to your aloof demeanor in the office. In my opinion, that doesn't make you innocent."
"I..." Shi Shui wanted to explain further, but found herself at a loss for words.
He couldn't help but smile when he heard Bai Li's voice.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the heat that had just subsided on his face suddenly flared up again.
But what the teacher said was too strange.
He clearly didn't...
Professor Xu knew exactly what was going on when he saw Shi Shui's embarrassed and eager-to-deny expression.
His young apprentice, though exceptionally intelligent in data processing and remarkably calm and rational in scientific research—a departure from his age—seems to be a bit slower to understand matters of the heart than others.
Or perhaps he was already aware of it, but instinctively avoided it?
As an older, more experienced person, and given that Professor Xu genuinely liked his student, he felt it necessary to guide this "blockhead" a little.
"Silly boy." Professor Xu put away his teasing tone and said seriously, "Some things, like when we do experiments, the data doesn't lie."
"The variables in your mind have clearly reacted due to certain phenomena, causing your state parameters to deviate completely from the baseline value. This abnormal data is so obvious, how else do you want to explain it?"
Professor Xu paused, looking at Shi Shui's somewhat dazed expression, and decided to be more direct, "Let me ask you, when you hear her voice, does your heart race? When you can't see her, do you wonder what she's doing? When she cares about you, are you overjoyed? If she gets close to someone else, do you feel a little... uneasy?"
Professor Xu's questions were all direct and to the point, revealing Shi Shui's innermost feelings, whether they were vague, deliberately ignored, or forcibly concealed.
Shi Shui was speechless at the question. These sudden, unfamiliar emotions overwhelmed him, leaving him unable to accept or process them. His mind was in chaos, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. For a moment, he was at a loss, completely bewildered: "Teacher, I..."
"Alright, alright," Professor Xu interrupted Shi Shui directly.
That was all he wanted to say; he was afraid that if he continued, his little apprentice would explode on the spot.
Professor Xu chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, pushing him toward the dormitory: "Isn't President Bai waiting for you to have dinner? Hurry up and get ready, don't keep him waiting."
Shi Shui eventually forgot how she left.
Data overload caused his memory to fragment, resulting in a kind of blackout effect.
He could only recall that the wind was cool, blowing on his face with a slight chill, but it did nothing to dispel the heat in his heart.
-------------------------
The plane taxied onto the tarmac, and the last rays of the golden-red sunset disappeared below the horizon.
By the time Bai Li returned home, it was already completely dark outside.
The car came to a smooth stop in the underground parking garage, and the motion-sensor lights lit up one by one, outlining the figure that was already waiting there.
Jingye stepped forward, opened the car door, and reached out to protect Baili's side, steadily catching her from the nanny van that was somewhat off the ground; "Miss, welcome home."
Today, Bai Li went to inspect a film crew in another city, so Jing Ye was put in charge of all company affairs.
The two of them, one in charge of external affairs and the other in charge of internal affairs, had a clear division of labor and worked together seamlessly.
Bai Li landed safely on both feet, and Jing Ye let go of her hand as she was being supported: "Dinner is ready, you've come back just in time."
Actually, it's already a bit late to have dinner at this time.
In summer, it gets dark quite late.
As is Shirari's usual practice, dinner was already over before dark.
But it was already dark, so by then they had missed dinner time.
But Jingye wasn't wrong to say that. As the head of the family, Baili's return for dinner at any time was "just right."
After getting off the bus, Bai Li glanced behind Jing Ye, but seeing no one else, she asked as she walked, "Has Shi Shui arrived yet?"
Jingye followed closely behind, softly replying, "We've arrived."
The villa was brightly lit.
Shi Shui sat somewhat awkwardly on the sofa in the living room, with tea and snacks for two people placed beside her.
Bai Li glanced at him and knew that Shi Shui must have arrived home much earlier than her.
Fortunately, Jingye was at home and should have already entertained him on my behalf.
Upon seeing Bai Li, Shi Shui immediately stood up, a gleam of surprise flashing in his eyes. But this light vanished in an instant; his gaze swept quickly over Jing Ye's figure behind Bai Li, then he lowered his eyes, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tension: "Sister..."
"Don't be shy." Bai Li naturally stepped forward, pulled Shi Shui over, and looked him up and down, left and right, carefully examining him before finally coming to a conclusion, "...He's pale."
Perhaps due to the secluded research life, Shi Shui was not exposed to sufficient sunlight for a long time, which caused her skin to turn into a cool white tone.
Under the bright lights of the living room, it seemed to glow faintly.
However, Shi Shui did not neglect her training at the research institute. Despite wearing only a simple white shirt and black pants, her body showed off her extremely smooth and firm muscle lines.
The research institute is full of colleagues who see each other every day, so no one pays special attention to each other's changes.
However, in Bai Li's eyes, who hadn't seen Shi Shui for half a year, the changes were quite obvious.
The change in appearance is one part, but the more important change is in temperament.
The childishness on his body seemed to have faded away, leaving only a calm temperament that an adult would have.
She was a completely different person from two years ago when Bai Li first met Shi Shui.
Bai Li still remembers the first time she saw Shui in the hospital. She was thin, like a flower about to wither, showing no signs of life whatsoever.
But now, Shi Shui has transcended the realm of a privately cultivated flower and is more like a newly unsheathed sword.
Bai Li, a "flower grower," expressed great satisfaction: "I've worked hard for the past six months at the research institute."
Shi Shui felt a little embarrassed by Bai Li's close and direct gaze. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt awkward, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.
Especially when he recalled what the teacher had said, his mind was in complete turmoil, and he almost dared not look Bai Li in the eye.
Hearing Bai Li's voice, he quickly glanced at her, noticed her bright eyes, and looked away again, whispering, "It wasn't too hard."
The advanced research institute under Shirai's name is fully equipped and offers convenient living facilities.
Living and conducting research there, he not only maintained a regular schedule but also ate healthy food, so it wasn't actually hard work for him.
Everything is fine except for the lack of freedom.
Bai Li nodded and smiled sincerely, "I'm relieved to see that you look well."
Shi Shui's heart raced once again as she was struck head-on by Bai Li's smiling face.
He was no longer able to receive or think about what Bai Li was saying.
Normally, my mind is exceptionally clear, but now it's working extremely slowly, and I can't even manage a decent response.
Feeling helpless, Shi Shui could only mechanically hum in response.
Jingye stood behind Baili, taking in everything. She sighed softly and gently defused the situation, saying, "Miss, why don't we eat first and talk while we eat?"
"Alright."
Bai Li turned and walked towards the restaurant, not thinking much about it.
It's normal to feel a bit awkward after not seeing each other for half a year.
Especially among boys of this age, the majority are not very talkative.
Shi Shui breathed a sigh of relief; only now did he dare to breathe heavily.
Bai Li was so close just now that he had to be careful even when he was breathing.
But while relieved, Shi Shui also felt a little lost.
Shirari seemed completely oblivious to her unusual nervousness...
Shi Shui took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions surging within her, and followed Bai Li's footsteps, thus missing Jing Ye's thoughtful expression.
Today's dinner was rather impromptu; Bai Li didn't have time to inform the kitchen in advance that there were guests, so tonight's dinner will still be some "home-style dishes."
—But that's just what Shirai understands as everyday life.
The three main dishes were crab meat lion's head meatballs, lychee shrimp balls, and lotus leaf-scented glutinous rice steamed with crab roe. The staple food was sea urchin rice in golden broth. The soup was bamboo fungus and morel mushroom stewed with snowflake beef. In addition, there was a dessert of mango pomelo sago with peach gum and snow swallow jelly. Each dish was exquisite and intricate.
The ingredients are carefully selected, and the cooking method is not the typical home-style dish; it is both time-consuming and labor-intensive.
In the kitchen, it would be impossible to complete everything at the same time without two or three chefs working together, ensuring that every dish is in its most perfect and delicious condition when Bai Li returns.
It's just that Bai Li has gotten used to it, so she says it's nothing special.
But in reality, it is quite different from what others understand as "home-cooked food".
The meal was of a five-star, black diamond standard.
And tonight, in order to celebrate the successful completion of Shisui's research and to clean out the wine cellar, Shirai specially asked Awa to open two bottles of wine.
One is a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, which pairs best with seafood; the other is a Merlot from the right bank of Bordeaux, France, which goes well with risotto and beef.
—These are all leftovers from Wuhai, we can't finish them all, we simply can't finish them all.
Bai Li still said with some regret, "Today was too rushed, so this is the only way."
In her view, such an important project had come to a successful conclusion, and it was also Shi Shui's first dinner outside the research institute in half a year, so it should be more sumptuous and formal.
But Shi Shui called him in the evening, so it was too late, and he could only make up for the regret later.
Shi Shui, however, did not feel anything was amiss.
Compared to the grand ceremony, he preferred the relatively warm atmosphere at this moment, as if he had returned to the time when he stayed here.
Thinking back to her life here, Shi Shui's lips unconsciously curled up.
It was Bai Li who helped and took them in when they had nowhere else to turn.
Without Bai Li, he wouldn't be who he is today.
A warm feeling welled up in Shi Shui's heart; his gratitude towards Bai Li never diminished.
He sincerely thanked her, saying, "That's already very good, thank you, sister."