196 Comfortable feeling

The students seemed to be hanging onto each and every word uttered by Ying Hui. The interaction had gone on for a few hours, with the entire auditorium listening in attentively.

"I think that didn't go so bad. I hope that at least few students would do pro bono work because they wish to and not because the university has forced them," Hui spoke out of the blue.

Both of them had bid farewell to the dean and had been walking in silence towards where the car was parked.

His words caught her off guard.

"Uh… I think you did a great job at communicating the idea behind that pre condition and also about what is the real purpose of Earthly Matters Ltd.'s existence." she replied.

Hui got conscious with her unexpected praise and didn't respond to her compliment. Instead, he started telling her about the restaurant that they were headed towards.

They entered a quaint little place in the heart of the city. It was a really small eatery and Jia Li was surprised at Hui's choice. She would have expected him to eat at a fancy upscale place instead of this homely grill restaurant. But she wisely kept her thoughts to herself. The place looked nearly full but apparently Hui had made a reservation the week prior already! A nerdy planner...

They went ahead and ordered steaks for both of them, as per the server's recommendations. Jia Li was enjoying the unpretentious vibe of the place. Her eyes and nostrils were getting treated to various dishes being served at other tables.

"I think I should…" she stopped mid-sentence when she caught Ying Hui looking at her intensely.

"Uh…there is a little black mark on your face," Hui said, as a way of explanation.

He had been fascinated with the play of emotions on her face and hadn't realised that he was staring at her. It was only when Ms. Lin had looked back at him with enquiring eyes that it hit him but he was too late in averting his eyes. So he fibbed about the stain on her face. What was wrong with him??

He saw her trying to surreptitiously rub off the non-existent mark and felt really guilty.

"The mark's gone now," he told her after few seconds.

Right then, the food was served and Jia Li gave a small squeal of delight. The food not only smelled amazing but had been presented in a beautifully appetising manner. Hui smiled at her delight and urged her to start digging in.

"Uh…I was wondering if you minded that we leave for London after the meal?" Hui asked after a bit.

Jia Li was happily gorging on the juicy steak when he spoke up. She immediately guessed that the workaholic in him must be urging him to not waste any more time.

"He is probably experiencing withdrawal symptoms of staying away from his girlfriend aka his precious lab for so many hours," she thought mischievously.

Outwardly, she had a serious, concerned look on her face when she asked him, "Sure, I don't have a problem. But aren't you tired? Will you be able to drive back?"

He was relieved that she didn't create a fuss about it.

"Of course, it's not that far anyways. I would have you home by midnight, latest," he assured her.

Jia Li wasn't looking forward to being cooped up in the car again for 4-5 hours but she didn't complain. Finishing her food quickly, she excused herself and informed him that she would be back in a jiffy. Hui looked at her retreating back with a confused frown.

What was she up to now? The day had gone well. He hadn't expected to have engaging conversations with different people across the campus earlier that day. But, he had come away inspired by the young people's ideas and visions. That was one of the reasons why he couldn't wait to get back to his lab.

Despite being involved in so many talks, he couldn't help but notice the interested glances which men across different age groups had thrown in Ms. Lin's way. The people who were engaged in a one-on-one conversation with him, often found their eyes straying to the quietly striking figure next to him. To her credit, she had not tried to attract any attention towards herself. She stood perfectly still in the background, providing a comfortable feeling ,the way Eric had done in the past.

This was in complete contrast to her flamboyant behaviour from a fortnight ago where she had dazzled everyone with her oratory skills. Hui was happy to note that she knew how to adapt herself to different situations, as needed in the role of an executive assistant.

She could be an asset in the future meets. But where was she?