He Ziyu's brow twitched slightly when he heard her address. "I've told you many times, I'm not that much older than you. Just call me by my name. If you keep calling me Professor, people will think I'm ancient."
Xu Ning chuckled at his words. "Alright, my mistake. Is it okay if I call you Ziyu?"
He Ziyu nodded with satisfaction. "Are you on duty today?"
Xu Ning shook her head. "I just finished my rounds. I'll be off duty after I change."
He Ziyu said, "Then that's perfect. I need to talk to you about something. Let me treat you to a meal."
"Oh." Hearing that he had something to discuss with her, Xu Ning quickly replied, "Wait for me for a moment. I'll go change and be right out."
With that, Xu Ning returned to the office, changed her clothes, greeted her colleagues, and then went downstairs with He Ziyu.
He Ziyu had walked over, and after they left the hospital, they entered a restaurant across the street.
Once they were seated, He Ziyu handed the menu to Xu Ning. "What do you like to eat?"
Xu Ning had heard from her colleagues that the food at this restaurant was very expensive. She took the menu and glanced at it, finding the prices indeed a bit outrageous. A plate of shredded potatoes cost several mao. With that money, she could buy several jin of potatoes.
However, since He Ziyu was treating her, she couldn't refuse. She scanned the menu a couple of times and finally settled on the cheapest dish, shredded potatoes.
"Then I'll have a plate of shredded potatoes," she said, handing the menu back to He Ziyu.
He Ziyu hadn't expected her to order only shredded potatoes, but he didn't say anything. He ordered three more dishes from the waitress and asked her to prepare them.
"How is your work at the hospital?" He Ziyu asked after the waitress left.
Xu Ning smiled and nodded. "It's currently the most authoritative neurology hospital in the province. I can learn a lot here, my colleagues are easy to get along with, and the salary is good too."
Her monthly salary, including overtime pay, was several dozen yuan. She didn't have many expenses, which greatly improved her family's living conditions, making her very content.
Seeing her satisfied expression, He Ziyu paused for a moment before tentatively asking, "Have you ever thought about leaving here and developing in a bigger city?"
Xu Ning shook her head without hesitation. "My family is all here. Besides, my current life and work are both good. I've never thought about developing in a big city."
He Ziyu said no more.
Not long after, the waitress brought the dishes. The two ate and chatted about other things.
As He Ziyu was a neurology expert, Xu Ning took the opportunity to ask him for advice on cases she had encountered at the hospital.
After the meal, as they were leaving and He Ziyu was paying the bill, Xu Ning suddenly remembered, "Oh, right. Didn't you say you had something to tell me? I kept asking you questions, and I completely forgot. I'm so sorry."
As they walked outside together towards the hospital dormitory, He Ziyu finally said, "My parents have been urging me to return to Kyoto."
Xu Ning replied, "Your parents are getting older. You should spend more time with them."
"I know what they mean. They're just anxious about my personal life. Once I go back, they'll definitely push me to go on blind dates."
Xu Ning didn't know how to respond to this. "Parents might get anxious when their children reach a certain age."
He Ziyu stopped walking. As Xu Ning looked at him, he suddenly said, "How about you be my girlfriend?"
Faced with such a sudden confession, Xu Ning was stunned for a long time, unable to react.
"You're a good girl, and I... I quite like you." He Ziyu had prepared his speech in his mind. He wasn't shy or reserved; on the contrary, he was highly intelligent, even possessing a photographic memory. Yet, when he met Xu Ning's gaze, he found himself uncharacteristically faltering.
Looking at the tall and handsome man before her, it would be a lie to say she wasn't moved. However, reason quickly triumphed over emotion.
She was good friends with Chen Li Shu, and through her, Xu Ning had learned more about He Ziyu's family.
A girl from an ordinary family like hers absolutely could not hope to match him.
Seeing her silence, He Ziyu, who was usually in control of every situation, suddenly felt a bit flustered.
"I know you're a very responsible girl who takes care of her family. If we were together, I wouldn't force you to do anything. It wouldn't matter where you worked, and my parents actually..."
"Thank you for your affection," Xu Ning interrupted him with a smile.
"But I don't think we're very suitable."
He Ziyu frowned, not with annoyance at being rejected, but with genuine confusion. "Why? We haven't even tried, so how can you say we're not suitable?"
Xu Ning said, "Our different backgrounds dictate that we can't be together." She had never believed in Cinderella stories since childhood.
Two vastly different families nurtured two vastly different ways of thinking. Not to mention future disagreements, but even at this moment, the two would face many problems.
"My family..."
He Ziyu said, "I don't care."
"Your parents will care, your relatives and friends will care. Love might be a momentary impulse, but living together isn't."
"My mother has a mental illness, and my elder brother isn't very well either. We are all in the medical field, and you and I both know what the situation might be for the next generation."
He Ziyu countered, "That's just a matter of probability. I don't think the next generation will necessarily inherit it. You're refusing me by saying this without even giving me a chance to try. Isn't that a bit unfair to me?"
Xu Ning clenched her fingers tightly, forcefully suppressing her fluttering heart. She lowered her head and said softly, "Perhaps it's because I don't like you very much, so I don't want to waste each other's time and feelings."
"It's getting late. The dormitory building is just ahead. I'll head back now. You should head back early too."
With that, she left He Ziyu standing there and walked quickly towards the dormitory building.
No one knew how much pain she felt at that moment.
But she had been accustomed to being strong and independent since childhood. It was better to not accept from the beginning than to get hurt later.
Watching her retreating figure, He Ziyu stood there for a long time before turning to leave.
Chen Li Shu stayed in Kyoto for two more days before taking Rui Rui home.
News of the Shu Se Garment Factory's collaboration with Kyoto Television and its sponsorship of the Spring Festival Gala spread like wildfire.
Before the year ended, the factory's orders suddenly surged, with calls coming in from all directions for sales personnel to place orders.
Many even booked orders for spring clothing for after the New Year.
After the incident of being defrauded of orders, the factory became very cautious in selecting clients, prioritizing those who paid in full.
The busy days continued until the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, which was the Minor New Year in the Northeast.
All the factory leaders gathered for the last meeting before the New Year.