"What are you talking about," Xu Yanxia said, her face heating up. "I just think it's too exhausting for you, there was no need to come all this way."
To her surprise, Lu Jingming just smiled again and said, "It's not exhausting at all. I'm happy to do it."
Saying that, he looked her up and down and added, "Seeing you in this outfit in person is even more beautiful than in the video."
Xu Yanxia paused, her face growing even hotter.
Just then, Lu Jingxi called out to her from the side, "Xia, do you want to go get something to eat?"
She waved her hand and said, "No need."
During the show's recording earlier, she had eaten several of Mrs. Zhao's dumplings, a bowl of Cheng Yiran and Ah Tian's stewed pickled cabbage with glass noodles, a few pieces of Mama Xiao's braised pork, and hairy crab with rice cakes.
And, of course, the two Sichuan dishes made by Papa Lin. Because they were so appetizing, she even paired them with a small bowl of rice.
In short, she was very stuffed right now.
However, the man in front of her had rushed all the way here from Hangzhou, and was probably still hungry.
So she asked Lu Jingming, "Have you not eaten yet?"
She saw him nod aggrievedly and say, "I rushed over right after getting off the plane, and I haven't even booked a room."
Xu Yanxia said, "Then I'll take you to get something to eat. The seafood in the restaurant is quite fresh."
"Alright."
Lu Jingming smiled, and then casually said to the busy crowd around them, "Everyone has worked hard today. I'm booking the entire restaurant tonight to treat you all to seafood."
"Awesome!"
A round of cheers immediately erupted on the scene—
"Thank you, Mr. Lu!"
"Thank you, Director Xia!"
Xu Yanxia, "..."
Forget it, she better just take him to the restaurant first.
Xu Yanxia accompanied Lu Jingming to eat at the restaurant, then took him to the front desk to check in. Seeing that it wasn't bedtime yet, Lu Jingming took the initiative to invite her, "Do you want to take a walk on the beach?"
Xu Yanxia nodded and said, "Sure."
Seeing that they were going back tomorrow morning, and she had finally made a trip to Hainan, how could she not go step on the sandy beach?
The two of them went back to their respective rooms to change their clothes, and then went downstairs together.
After exiting the hotel's garden and walking down a few steps, they arrived at the hotel's private beach.
At this time, there was hardly anyone on the beach. The gentle sea breeze wrapped around the waves that surged in again and again. The world was so quiet it seemed only the sound of the waves remained.
Although it was already dark, through the hotel's lights, one could still see the fine texture of the silvery-white sand at a glance.
Xu Yanxia had just changed into a casual dress and wore beach sandals on her bare feet. Seeing such beautiful scenery right now, she immediately let out a happy gasp and said, "The sand looks so soft! I want to step on it properly!"
Saying that, she tossed her shoes aside and ran towards the waves.
Behind her, Lu Jingming also followed with a smile.
The sand was indeed very soft, especially after being exposed to the sun during the day; it still retained a cozy warmth.
The warm seawater washed over their feet and slipped away again and again, taking the fine sand beneath their feet and flattening the beach anew, like a game full of endless fun.
Xu Yanxia played happily for a while, then pointed in surprise at the nearby water to show Lu Jingming. "There's a school of little fish!"
Lu Jingming smiled and nodded. "Yeah, the water here is pretty good."
Seeing her as happy as a child, she really did like the beach.
Yes, coming here today was definitely the right choice.
President Lu's exhaustion from traveling half the day was instantly swept away.
He then saw Xu Yanxia say, "I want to see if I can catch one."
Saying that, she chased after the school of little fish.
But how could fish be caught by people so easily?
Not only was she empty-handed after trying for a long time, but she also accidentally stepped on a piece of broken coral and almost fell.
Fortunately, Lu Jingming pulled her back in time. "Careful."
He saw her thank him with a red face, a layer of sweat beads on her forehead.
Taking advantage of the moment she stopped to wipe her sweat, Lu Jingming cleared his throat and said, "I was being sincere."
"What?"
Xu Yanxia didn't realize what he was referring to and couldn't help but look up at him.
But she saw Lu Jingming looking at her seriously and saying, "As long as you are willing, I sincerely want to ask you to be Mrs. Lu."
Xu Yanxia froze.
Only then did she realize he was referring to what that greasy man Xu Qinghe had said to her after losing his temper during the show's recording earlier.
A rush of heat immediately surged to her face. She quickly looked away and said, "I don't care what that guy said. I have a clear conscience anyway."
Saying that, she added, "Besides, it's not like I'm clinging to your coattails."
Today, she originally planned to wait until the show finished recording to quietly remind the director about the source of the ingredients for those two posers, to see how they would handle it in post-production.
She hadn't expected that those two posers, in order to build their personas and sell products, would not only step on all the other guests but also dare to slander her cooking techniques.
And at the end, they kept going on and on about things being air-freighted from France.
Seeing that things were going this way, and fearing that post-production wouldn't be able to save it no matter what, she had directly spoken up and exposed those two.
She didn't expect someone with such thick skin to actually lose their temper over it.
Just thinking about that guy surnamed Xu's flustered and exasperated appearance made her want to sneer.
...
To her surprise, after she said this, Lu Jingming nodded and said, "That's right, I'm the one who wants to cling to your coattails, but I can't even manage that."
"What is wrong with you?!!"
Xu Yanxia was amused by him and couldn't help but complain, "I've noticed that ever since you drank that night, it's like you've become a different person."
Who knew he would smile and ask her, "Then do you like the current me, or the previous me?"
What is with this guy?
Xu Yanxia simply said, "Neither."
"Really?"
But he stared into her eyes, a smile in his gaze, and said, "I don't believe you."
"I think you probably like the way I am now a bit more."
"Why?"
Xu Yanxia widened her eyes and asked him.
Lu Jingming smiled and said, "Because you really like to smile now."
Xu Yanxia tried hard to keep a straight face and said, "...That's only because you're funny."
She wondered if Chairman Lu, Mrs. Lu, Aunt Zhang, and those colleagues at the company would believe that he was like this now.
To her surprise, as if he had heard what she was thinking, he added, "Then you should cherish it, because I'm only like this in front of you."
Xu Yanxia, "..."
Immediately after, she saw him look to the side, point at the beach, and say, "There's a crab!"
Saying that, he rushed over.
...
Meanwhile, in a VIP suite of a five-star hotel in faraway Hangzhou, Chairman Lu also received a voice message from his daughter, Lu Jingxi—
"Don't worry, Dad. My brother and Xia are on the beach right now. I can just see them, and they are having a great time!"
"Tsk, you haven't seen my brother's utterly smitten look! His mouth is grinning from ear to ear, and he's running around like a big idiot!"
After the voice message played out loud, Mrs. Lu beside him couldn't help but frown. "This girl, how can she say her brother looks so worthless?"
Chairman Lu hurriedly explained on his daughter's behalf, "It's just how young people talk nowadays. It means he's smiling very happily."
Mrs. Lu finally let out a sound of understanding and said, "Then it was worth it. It wasn't a waste for you to travel all this way for him and spend the whole night drinking."
"But tomorrow, when Jingming gets back, you are coming with me to meet some friends. We will be drinking tea, absolutely no alcohol."
"Of course."
Chairman Lu agreed without hesitation.
Actually, it did not matter to him what they drank. The important thing was that he had promised to support his son, and he was determined to follow through.
...
If they had not needed to wake up early the next morning to catch their flights, Xu Yanxia and Lu Jingming probably would have stayed out playing on the beach for most of the night.
After all, catching crabs and hunting for seashells was genuinely a lot of fun.
Naturally, before heading back to their hotel room, they released all the little creatures they had caught back into the ocean.
When they woke up early the next morning, the two of them had breakfast and headed to the airport together.
Lu Jingming flew to Hangzhou City. He had a few scheduled events regarding cutting-edge technology today, and his father could not fill in for him on those.
Meanwhile, Xu Yanxia flew back to Rong City.
After she landed, Uncle Li picked her up at the airport.
Since Chairman Lu and his wife were currently in Hangzhou, there was nothing that required her attention at home. She simply went back, changed her clothes, dropped off her luggage, and drove straight to Jiushan.
National Day was just two days away, and starting today, Jiushan was beginning its soft opening.
The moment to prove herself had finally arrived.
