Chapter 73：Next Date

"And then.. and then ?" Xu Qian asks as enthusiastic as her body that leans forward, brings her face closer to A Lin's face.

"Well, after that we chatted about other stuffs. He asked me to help designing the cafe's interior. Tomorrow I would be asked to come to his apartment to discuss it further," A Lin tells while disguising her shyness by tidying up the bolt rope she is holding.

"好棒哦 ! (Hao bang o ! - Great !)" Xu Qian exclaims while ticking her fingers in enthusiasm. "You had already planned your second date less than 24 hours !" she says in fire. "It's only to discuss, Xu Qian, not dating," A Lin denies. Her face feels so hot in cause of shyness and joy.

"Well, the discussion is a start, but can be continued to more private matters, right," Xu Qian says in joking way. A Lin, as expected, can only smile shyly. "You ..."

"Ask him to buy the materials, sis. Then asks him to help you decor the cafe," Xu Qian suggests. "Don't forget to choose school hours so he can't asks Xiao Ping," Xu Qian adds agreed by A Lin's nod.

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Days after was really brought happiness to A Lin. She and Yu Jin had spent so much time together to decor the cafe. The cafe would be opened in three weeks. They were not always alone. With Mr. Bai, they painted the walls and set the furnitures. Tian Tian also made his time to come when the kitchen set was delivered to the cafe. Xiao Ping also helped after school. But only A Lin and Yu Jin that had time to buy the materials and it was the opportunity for A Lin to be closer to Yu Jin. Slowly but sure, A Lin begins to get closer with Yu Jin. She is no longer shy and awkward in front of Yu Jin, al though Yu Jin's friendly smiles and attentions still often make her heart beats faster. There are times that A Lin hopes Yu Jin's attentions is a sign that Yu Jin has a crush on her. She hopes her effort can open Yu Jin's heart to her.

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A sound of apartment's door handle is twisted from outside synchronously turns both heads that had bowed down for some times as diligent as two pairs of hands that folding colorful papers that are piled on the table.

"歡迎 (Huan Ying - Welcome)," Yu Jin greets with friendly smiles to Xiao Ping that half of her body still outside his apartment.

"Good day. Oh, A Lin's here!" Xiao Ping says as a greet to A Lin. "Hi !" A Lin returns the greet without stoping to fold the papers.

After closing the door, Xiao Ping approaches the white sofa that is sat by A Lin and Yu Jin. Her eyes are rounding in enthusiasm to see what her friends are doing. "The brochures are ready!" she says delightfully then quickly walks to ward in front of the table, the crossed end of Yu Jin and A Lin, and sits on the carpeted floor.

"Folded in three like that, right ?" she asks rhetorically while watches A Lin's work. The A4-size brochure is folded two times on its length to become three parts with the same width. After knowing the process, Xiao Ping takes a brochure then folds it. "It will be faster if you take some pieces and fold it at once," A Lin suggests. Xiao Ping nods to sign her understanding.

When she is about to bow her head, accidentally her sight meets Yu Jin's sight that asks without a sound, "Don't you want to check your email ?" Xiao Ping smiles and says, "Later on," then continues her sentence with her sight that saying, "A Lin's still here." Yu Jin thinly smiles in understanding.

Almost at the same time both bow their heads and continue their work. It is different with A Lin who is still watching them. A Lin doesn't understand what they talked about, but she is sure that they were communicating with their sight. This fact feels like a slap for A Lin thus she can only weakly drop down her head.

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"I'm sorry to leave you girls," Yu Jin says his regret while in hurry wearing his parachute jacket. His friend at the university just told him that laboratory's computers had virus attacks. Some of those computers are used for his final project.

"It's okay, Yu Jin. Geez.. yet the thesis defense is the day after tomorrow," Xiao Ping says, frowning in worry, she can't imagine if Yu Jin failed on the defense. Yu Jin smiles to calm her. "Don't worry. Everything will be okay," he says in firm. While grabbing his motorcycle's key Yu Jin opens the door. "I'm leaving," he says goodbye. "Good luck," A Lin replied together with a 加油 (Jia You) from Xiao Ping.

Once the door is closed, Xiao Ping sighs loudly and turns to A Lin with a worry face. "Poor, Yu Jin. He was so confidence about the final defense because everything had done long before," she says ended with another sigh. A Lin softly smiles but says no word. Since she had no response from A Lin, Xiao Ping tries to calm her worry by folding the brochure again.

At her fourth brochure, A Lin calls Xiao Ping. "Hmm..," Xiao Ping just mumbles due her full focus on folding brochure. "Do you love Yu Jin ?" The question definitely makes Xiao Ping's head moves to turn to A Lin,

"Love ?? Nooo..," Xiao Ping answers and shakes her head to reassure. "I care for him as my brother. But, no.. I don't love him," Xiao adds to make it more firm.

"But you two are so intimate," A Lin says widens Xiao Ping's eyes. "Beside.. you come here everyday, like his girlfriend," A Lin continues.

Xiao Ping grabs A Lin's hands. "A Lin ... are you jealous at me ?" Xiao Ping asks. A Lin gasps but quickly shakes her head. "No.. It's not like that," she denies.

"A Lin .. Everyday I come here because I need to read my emails. Since the cafe was burnt, I had no place to go for internet, yet I didn't had money to go to public net. Out of pity Yu Jin let me come here to play internet. Then, to pay him back I help him take care of this apartment. So to make me easier to come when he is not around, Yu Jin gave me his spare key. That's all," Xiao Ping explains in detail.

"I understand now," A Lin says then sighs. "But others may not. I mean.. aren't you afraid his neighbors have negative thinking about you two ? A girl comes to a guy's apartment daily.. you know..," A Lin utters her mind.

Xiao Ping's mouth is opened, ready to speak out objection but she shallows it back. She just makes some small nods, doesn't want to argue further though her heart doesn't agree. For her, as long as she and Yu Jin don't do anything wrong, she doesn't really care about what people's says.