After this was said, Lin Mian's eyes widened in disbelief.
Shi Lin glanced at her lightly and sneered, "I told you to stay away from him. He has ulterior motives towards you. Did you really think any company could open a dormitory in Eight-Fang City?"
Lin Mian's head buzzed, her emotions suddenly complex.
No wonder she felt so lucky when she moved, she thought it was just a coincidence. But it turned out that everything was arranged by Qin Li to give her special treatment.
But then she remembered the news she heard at the canteen today, how Qin Li had helped the previous year's student who was facing financial difficulties.
He was a kind-hearted person.
"He doesn't have ulterior motives, he is just kind-hearted."
Lin Mian silently defended him. When it came to ulterior motives, who could be more scheming than the man in front of her?
"I am kind-hearted too, why don't you just move into my house instead of me coming back and forth?" Shi Lin mocked her.
Lin Mian: "..."
*
After dinner, Lin Mian voluntarily went to wash the dishes.
When she came out of the kitchen, the man was no longer in the living room.
Tonight's activities in the car were too intense, the space was narrow, and she had to keep her legs curled up the whole time, causing her calves to ache and feel uncomfortable.
Presumably, he felt the same.
So he let her off for tonight.
Lin Mian returned to her bedroom, leaning against the head of the bed to continue reading. Now that she had the opportunity to go abroad, she needed to study harder.
*Ding-*
Her phone rang lightly with a new message.
Lin Mian put down her book and checked her phone. It was a WeChat message from Qin Li, with several architectural documents attached, which seemed to be internal design drawings.
Qin Li wrote: [These are some of the overseas projects the company has worked on before. You can use them for reference.]
Lin Mian replied: [Thank you, Master, I will study hard!]
Qin Li sent her an emoji of encouragement.
Lin Mian felt instantly confident and full of energy.
She picked up her book to read again. Suddenly, she thought of something and sent Qin Li a few questions.
[Master, I heard that colleagues who go abroad need to work on confidential projects and cannot return to the country for a long time. Is that true?]
Qin Li quickly replied: [It's not definite. For interns like you, who are going abroad for the first time, you will only have one month of exposure. If you can't adapt, you can return to the country, it's no problem.]
So that's how it was.
Lin Mian felt relieved.
She didn't dare to mention the duration of going abroad to Shi Lin today, afraid that he would explode on the spot.
If it was just one month, then it would be much easier, at least she could temporarily appease that man.
She originally wanted to ask about the apartment, but she was afraid that Qin Li would suspect their relationship with Shi Lin was too deep if she did so.
After some thought, she abandoned the idea.
Since he intentionally kept it from her, he probably didn't want her to know. When the dormitory assignments for other company employees were made, she would just move into a shared apartment.
...\
The next few days went smoothly.
However, she had Shi Lin added to her life, being summoned by him from time to time.
As time passed, she gradually figured out his personality - cold and rational, straightforward but not easily swayed by pressure.
Although he enjoys teasing her in bed, whenever Lin Mian softens her tone and pleads with him, he tends to lighten up a bit. What he enjoys most is simply to torment her stubbornness.
After getting off work, Lin Mian went to the supermarket as usual to buy ingredients, then returned to the apartment to cook. Meat and vegetables, along with soup, as requested by Jin.
However, he was quite generous, providing separate payment for the ingredients and meals. Lin Mian felt that she rightfully accepted this money as her hard-earned income and didn't refuse it.
After eating properly with him for a few days, she noticed that she had gained some weight. Even her sensitive stomach had improved significantly, no longer experiencing the usual discomfort.
"Beep beep—"
As Lin Mian was serving the food at the table, the sound of the door unlocking was heard, and a tall, weary man walked in, his eyes and brows showing signs of just finishing work.
There was an unexpected surgery in the afternoon, so he had to work longer, and now he felt exhausted all over.
"You're back. Go wash up and have dinner."
In the moment he entered, Lin Mian softened her voice, sounding particularly gentle and harmless.
"Yeah."
Shi Lin smelled the aroma of the food, and the fatigue from a busy day decreased slightly, even her mood calmed down a bit.
During this period, he had been relying on her for a few meals, and it seemed like he was starting to get addicted.
Not only addicted to this body, but also somewhat unable to leave this person.
He changed into disposable slippers at the door and sat down directly at the dining table. There were still simple dishes of three vegetables and one soup, but they opened up his appetite.
Having been accustomed to a variety of dishes since he was young, he inexplicably developed a dependence on these homely dishes.
However, when Shi Lin picked out a small piece of garlic and ginger from one of the dishes of stir-fried reed, she looked up at Lin Mian with a faint gaze.
"I don't eat ginger and garlic, have you forgotten?"
Lin Mian scratched his head. "But I like to eat them. Stir-fried dishes lack flavor if they're not fragrant."
Shi Lin took a deep breath. "Lin Mian, who is the one paying for the food here?"
Lin Mian pushed the other two dishes in front of him and spoke even more softly, "I didn't use onions and garlic in these two dishes. They are specially made for you. Since we're eating together, and I've been the chef for so many days, can't you let me have one dish to show the generosity of the one paying?"
Shi Lin: "..."
She's getting more and more eloquent!
He narrowed his eyes and spoke softly, "Well said, but people with stomach problems shouldn't eat spicy vegetables like ginger and garlic. Mild symptoms can cause pain and acid reflux, while severe symptoms can lead to stomach bleeding. You handle it yourself."
Lin Mian: "..."