Chapter 548: Chapter 548
Chen Jiayan glanced at her but remained silent.
Xie Baola caught up to his pace, noticing his shadow stretching out on the ground in front of her. She playfully stomped on it with a sing-song voice, a bit too affected, "Why are you being so proactive? I’m really starting to like you more and more."
Chen Jiayan had become immune to her saying ’like.’
At first, it was strange, causing a ripple in his heart. But after hearing it over and over, he understood it was her way of expressing her feelings.
And he didn’t know how to respond, so he didn’t.
His shadow was tightly linked to him behind his back.
Xie Baola didn’t step on his shadow anymore, walking beside him instead.
She looked up, "When will you start liking me?"
Chen Jiayan clammed up.
Xie Baola mumbled to herself, "You don’t like me yet, got it."
She wasn’t in a rush.
Not in the slightest.
Sooner or later, there would come a day when she would win Chen Jiayan over.
The two reached the side of his car.
Suddenly, Chen Jiayan turned around.
His cool gaze seemed to be covered with a veil of dark light.
Xie Baola couldn’t puzzle out the emotion he was trying to convey at this moment.
"Miss Xie," Chen Jiayan asked as if truly curious, "Aren’t you tired of this?"
Xie Baola, of course, understood the implication of his words.
He was asking if she was tired of chasing after him.
But how could that be?
Other than writing scripts, chasing after him was what she did.
There was nothing tiring in liking someone, in pursuing someone.
After all, she had nothing to lose.
And she would catch Chen Jiayan eventually.
It’s like wanting an apple.
You need to plant the apple tree.
In between, you must fertilize countless times, nurturing careful attention until the tree matures, then wait for it to blossom and fruit.
Isn’t pursuing someone just like that?
It all needs a start, a process, before it can end.
She believed that eventually, she would reap the fruits of her labor.
To chase a man, how could you do it without a shred of patience?
Currently, Chen Jiayan hadn’t stopped her from bothering him, which meant she was already halfway to success, right?
One can’t become fat with just one bite.
She had all the time and patience in the world.
Chen Jiayan might not be able to outlast her after all.
Love and career—she was grasping at both.
Xie Baola was the kind of person who, once they set a goal, would give it their all to achieve it.
Hearing Xie Baola’s resolute words, Chen Jiayan paused for a few seconds before saying, "It’s possible I will never respond to you."
Xie Baola shrugged nonchalantly, "That’s my business, I’ll just keep chasing you."
After all, love was one’s own affair; it became mutual only when both sides ran towards it.
Their current relationship was still the former.
Chen Jiayan and Xie Baola separated.
Each went back to their own home.
Xie Baola drove back to the Xie Family.
Xie Qian was still in the study.
Xie Baola, carrying late-night snacks, walked into the study, "Dad."
Xie Qian took off his glasses, his serene face breaking into a loving smile, "What brings my darling daughter here so unexpectedly?"
Xie Baola placed the neatly packed late-night snack on the desk.
"I went out for some late-night food and thought it tasted good, so I packed some for you. Why haven’t you slept yet?"
Looking at the stuff in front of him, Xie Baola couldn’t help but nag, "Working so late at night, our family has so much money, yet you’re still giving it your all. If you work yourself to death, what are you going to do?"
Xie Qian laughed heartily, "Seeing as you care so much about me, I’ll live to a ripe old age."
Xie Baola poured the soup into the bowl, stirred it with chopsticks, and then handed the chopsticks to Xie Qian.
While Xie Qian was eating, Xie Baola tidied up the documents on the table, "Look at them tomorrow."
"The company doesn’t revolve around you alone; delegate the work to your subordinates. I’ll help out at the company when I have time."
Xie Qian said, "You take care of your own business first. You need not worry about the company. With so many people there, we won’t miss one."
Knowing that Xie Baola was making a film, Xie Qian naturally supported her.
The Xie Group had never ventured into the film circle, and with the Miss Xie aspiring to be a director and make movies, the Xie’s weren’t afraid to foot the bill.
Xie Baola snorted, "Now you’re using my own words against me. In that case, you better stop reading documents so late at night."
Xie Qian chuckled, "Just occasionally."
"People your age are already resting in bed early, unlike you. You think you’re still a young lad," Xie Baola said with a bit of irritation, "Go to sleep right after you finish eating."
"Alright, I’ll listen to my daughter," Xie Qian replied, looking up with eyes full of mirth, "Are you staying at home tonight?"
Once Xie Qian had his fill, father and daughter left the study together.
Xie Qian waved his hand with a smile.
"Good night, my treasure."
The next day Xie Baola joined Xie Qian on a visit to the Xie Group.
After having lunch with Xie Qian in the company cafeteria, she headed back to Begonia Joy Mansion.
In her study, her computer was still on.
Her screen displayed the script pages she had been editing.
Xie Baola, resting her cheek in her palm, used her other hand to mouse upwards through the script, revisiting the scenes in between.
Scriptwriting was no easy task.
It required continuous refinement and simplification of the storyline, bringing out the atmosphere and climax, as well as the lead characters’ dialogue.
She had to review it over and over.
But somehow, after spending time with Chen Jiayan, she would find new inspiration.
Xie Baola put on her anti-radiation glasses and started tapping away at the keyboard.
Last night, while having late-night food, she’d posted a moment on her social media.
The photo included the long, slender hand of Chen Jiayan.
Anyone could tell it was a man’s hand.
Thus, friends joked, "Who’s the guy you went for late-night food with? Are you dating?"
Female friends commented, "Nice hands."
Qiao Xi, catching up on the feed this morning, also left a comment, "Out for late-night food with Brother Jiayuan so late."
Xie Baola replied to Qiao Xi, "Yeah, exactly."
It was as if she couldn’t wait to share Chen Jiayan with the people around her.
And others, harboring secret crushes on Xie Baola, lamented why Miss Xie hadn’t fallen for them.
If she had, maybe they too would have had a story to tell.
But love in this world was downright illogical.
Perhaps one might encounter someone electrifying in the blink of an eye.
Or maybe never meet them at all.
Xie Baola busied herself until evening.
Looking up, she saw it was already dark outside.
She stretched out big and yawned, reaching for her phone to check the screen.
Indeed, there were plenty of messages inviting her out to play, but not a single one from Chen Jiayan.
Xie Baola tugged at the corner of her mouth, proactively sending Chen Jiayan a message: "Have you had dinner yet?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ Novᴇ(l)Fɪre .ɴᴇt
Chen Jiayan would reply, "Just finished."
Xie Baola: "I haven’t eaten yet. Too bad you’ve already eaten, now there’s nobody to have dinner with me."
Xie Baola: "Aren’t we supposed to be food pals? How come you didn’t call me for dinner?"