Chapter 2 – Half 1 out of two

Wednesday.

Jiang Tao didn’t inform her grandma in regards to the blind date and went out at eleven o’clock with the excuse of a pal’s deal with. Cao An had chosen a barbecue restaurant positioned in a shopping center newly opened in Tong Metropolis final 12 months. It took half an hour by taxi and was very talked-about.

Sitting within the again seat of the automobile, Jiang Tao flipped via the chat data between her and Cao An. Cao An’s tone conveyed politeness. He praised her pictures and in addition organized to have a meal collectively with out being overly enthusiastic and attentive. Jiang Tao questioned if it was as a result of he had a way of boundaries or if he wasn’t very smitten by this blind date similar to her however was too embarrassed to refuse the pinnacle nurse.

Both means, Jiang Tao felt no stress. If Cao An didn’t like her, she had no regrets. If he did like her, she may select to simply accept or reject him in response to her personal preferences.

The street was clear, and at 11:30, Jiang Tao obtained out of the automobile. They agreed to fulfill at twelve o’clock, Jiang Tao went to the ladies’s clothes ground first. In early March, down jackets had been nonetheless required, however all types of brightly colored spring garments had lengthy been hung within the purchasing malls.

At 11:50, Cao An despatched a message: “I’m right here, at desk quantity 9; the waiter will present you the best way.”

Jiang Tao replied: “Okay, goodbye.”

She took the escalator to the ground the place the barbecue store was positioned. Throughout peak mealtime, there was an extended line of diners sitting exterior the barbecue restaurant. Jiang Tao guessed that Cao An might need come to line up a very long time in the past; in any other case, he wouldn’t have gotten a seat already.

“Hey,” she stated to one of many waiters exterior. “My pal is at desk 9.”

“Okay,” replied the waiter politely. “Please observe me this manner.”

The ambiance within the store was very energetic. Smoke from the barbecue steamed above every desk and was rapidly sucked away by the smoke exhaust machine.

Coming to fulfill a totally unfamiliar man, Jiang Tao was nonetheless considerably nervous.

“It’s simply across the nook,” stated the waiter.

Following his reminder, Jiang Tao’s coronary heart beat barely sooner, however she pretended to smile simply.

As a nurse, Jiang Tao was superb at smiling like a spring breeze. Nevertheless, when she circled and regarded ahead, she met a person in black who, at first look, regarded like somebody who couldn’t be messed with.

He was gloomy and robust.

Jiang Tao was so frightened that she didn’t even see his facial options clearly. She forgot to giggle or say the rest and regarded away in a panic.

The person was sitting within the row on the left, and he or she regarded to the appropriate, took two steps, after which took out her cellphone, pretending that one thing was incorrect.

At the moment, Jiang Tao even forgot about her blind date. There was just one thought in her thoughts: That man with such a darkish aura should not take note of her!

“Right here it’s,” stated the waiter as he stopped and turned to have a look at Jiang Tao.

Jiang Tao regarded on the desk quantity on the desk subsequent to him, on the chest of the person sitting reverse, after which on the waiter.

The waiter’s eyes flickered; he was clearly afraid of the male diner at desk 9. He left in a rush after finishing his job of main the best way.

Jiang Tao was nonetheless in a daze! How may or not it’s this particular person?

“Jiang Tao?” stated the person as he stood up. His voice was deep and chilly.

Listening to her identify referred to as out from his mouth, Jiang Tao instantly understood that there was no misunderstanding; this was certainly the blind date launched by the pinnacle nurse.

Though there have been a whole lot of doubts in her coronary heart and he or she was too scared to have a look at the opposite get together’s face, Jiang Tao nonetheless needed to preserve fundamental courtesy and smile on the different get together as naturally as doable.

“Hey, have you ever been ready for a very long time?”

Cao An replied: “Thankfully, I simply arrived. Sit down.”

Jiang Tao nodded and sat on the seat reverse. She regarded on the tabletop, on the black informal shirt on the opposite aspect of the desk. Her head was nonetheless stiff; she didn’t dare to vent her breath, and he or she didn’t dare to maneuver.

Seeing her like this, Cao An understood.

When Aunt Biao first knowledgeable him that the little nurse had agreed to attempt it, Cao An thought that the little nurse was comfortable and daring. However now it appeared that Aunt Biao had dug a gap for the little nurse.

“That is the photograph I despatched to my aunt. Isn’t this the one she confirmed you?”

The lengthy and broad hand handed over the cellphone, and a photograph was displayed on the display screen.

A photograph of life; the person was additionally sitting on the couch, however his entire face was proven, expressionless, as if to adjust to the elders’ request to take footage.

Jiang Tao may clearly see Cao An’s facial options on this photograph: wheat-coloured pores and skin, sharp brows, slender eyes, a skinny face, and a chilly define.

Like a lonely and steep mountain or a wolf that doesn’t enable any uninvited friends to step into its territory, it’s silent and harmful.

The aura of that physique nearly burst out of the photograph.

Jiang Tao regarded down; her arms on her lap had been clenched collectively uncomfortably.

She had seen too many mafia bosses on TV: some had fierce faces and beat and killed at each flip, whereas others had a refined temperament and had been good guys who often solely ordered their youthful brothers to do dangerous issues.

Cao An wasn’t any of the kinds in it, however he was extra like a mafia boss than these actors.

The proof was that the diners on the subsequent desk didn’t dare to have a look at Cao An and didn’t dare to giggle or discuss freely. The barbecue restaurant was so large, however this aspect had shaped a low-pressure zone centering on Cao An.

If Cao An had been shorter, his wolf-like aura could be lighter, however he was 1.9 meters tall, and informal shirts couldn’t conceal his muscular determine!

“No, it’s not,” Jiang Tao shook her head at Cao An along with her eyelashes drooping.

“What did she present you?” Cao An requested.

Jiang Tao briefly described.

“That must be a photograph of me from ten years in the past after I was nonetheless in school. My cousin used that photograph to trick the girl into assembly me. I’m sorry,” Cao An stated.

Jiang Tao remained silent.

“”

Ten years in the past, Cao An was simply 20 years previous, however she was very certain that the masculinity within the head nurse’s photograph was already very mature and that it was fully completely different from the male school college students in her impression.

The cellphone vibrated abruptly, and Jiang Tao appeared to be greedy at straws.

It was the pinnacle nurse.

Jiang Tao wanted to take a breath and stated to Cao An, “It’s a name from the hospital. I’ll go exterior to select it up.”