Exiting the place, Luo Jingyi scanned the area. She originally intended to buy a present for Uncle Antoine since they were here. But the idea had to be sacked for now.
"Do you want to check it out?" Luo Jingyi pulled out Yun Jinghan's attention from the display window with a giant sale sign.
"No. I'll take you somewhere for dinner."
'A meal won't hurt.' She reminded herself. It was useless to refuse because even her repeated 'no' entered his right ear and exited on the left. She had always been decisive. This morning, she decided to give things a try and see where it goes.
Yun Jinghan drove to the local market.
"This is the best place in town to try their seafood. You won't regret it. I promise." He assured, unbuckling his seatbelt. He shed his jacket and rolled the sleeves of his white shirt.
They hopped off the car at the same time which made Yun Jinghan wonder why she was different today. She would voice out her refusal immediately.
"Are you allergic to anything?" He asked while they passed by stalls that displayed freshly caught seafood.
"I don't like clams." She answered.
Yun Jinghan acknowledged it with a finger gesture and selected carefully from the glass cases and crates. After paying for it, he carried what he bought to a restaurant nearby. Luo Jingyi watched the fish struggle to free itself inside the plastic bag. Laughing, she followed him inside. Luo Jingyi listened as he gave instructions to the staff on how he wanted the dish to be prepared.
After that, he gave her a tour of the restaurant. When Luo Jingyi got tired observing the nautical decorations on the wall and saltwater aquariums around, Yun Jinghan ushered her to their table outside. Letting her occupy the padded wrought iron chair he pulled, he rounded the table and sat opposite of her.
"This is nice." Luo Jingyi babbled, letting her eyes wander on the different flower displays on one side to conceal her nervousness. She was sure her palms were sweaty.
'It feels like a date. Or am I just overthinking?' Reigning her thoughts down before it escalated to something else, she reminded herself that they were here to eat. Nothing else.
While they waited, they were served drinks. He ordered coconut juice for her. After letting the sweetness of the coconut alleviate her hungry stomach, she suddenly asked, "How long are you going to stay in Sanya?"
Although he was surprised that she was asking things about him, he answered, "I'm helping out my grandmother with a few things. So depending on how it goes, that's how long I am going to stay here."
If Amy heard this, she was going to be mad. In fact, his business in Sanya had been completed yesterday but because Luo Jingyi was here, he decided to stay, pushing back his scheduled overseas trip for a few days. Amy was probably pulling her hair in madness because she had to re-arrange his schedule. On the other hand, his grandmother was glad that Yun Jinghan volunteered to deal with the issues here.
"Why were you asking? Have you planned something for the two of us?" Yun Jinghan quipped.
Instead of rolling her eyes that she's fond of doing, she invited him, "If you free three days later, I'll take you somewhere for a date."
"Sure." He replied, doing his damn best to hide the fact that his heart was drumming rapidly against his chest. He didn't want to misunderstand her intention for inviting him but he was too excited to think straight.
….
Filling in their hungry stomach, Luo Jingyi suggested going for a walk. She felt too stuffed because she couldn't help getting seconds after tasting the deliciousness of the local food. At this time, the sun had already set. As the strolled along the boardwalk lined with food and drink vendors, Luo Jingyi mustered her courage. "Why did you ask me to be your girlfriend?"
Yun Jinghan pocketed one hand while the other touched behind his head. "Do you want the official version or inside edition?"
Confused, her brows snapped together. "Is there a difference?"
"Of course." Came his quick retort before he stopped on his tracks and faced her, blocking her from advancing forward. Luo Jingyi lifted her head, meeting his eyes.
"There's too much pressure from my grandmother to get married. Every week, there were countless women I had to meet and most of the time, I had to find countless reasons to avoid going to. So I thought, maybe it was time to find someone."
Luo Jingyi could relate to that. Both of them were in fact at a marriageable age yet none of them were committed to anyone.
'What answer were you waiting?' A thought pop out.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts away, she moved to the side and ambled away from him/
"Disappointed?" He teased, running after her.
Luo Jingyi frowned. Her steps faltered. He took advantage of this and stood in front of her, looking at her in the eyes. He raised his right hand on the side, making him look like he was giving an oath. He confessed, "The truth is, I like you."