Especially Fond of You

Chapter 3(A, Gu Lin’s Perspective)

Gu Lin had a good feeling when he first saw Wang Miao.

To say it was love at first sight would be an exaggeration, but there were definitely some sparks.

Fan Sizhe once said that Gu Lin was both affectionate and indifferent. He easily fell for someone and then just as easily moved on to someone else. Gu Lin felt that he was simply good at appreciating the qualities of women; after all, in his eyes, all women were quite lovely.

A few days ago, Fan Sizhe called him to show off his love life, and after flaunting his happiness, he also scolded him, “People like you, the more that live on, the more they harm society.”

Gu Lin sat upright in the armchair, took a sip of green tea, and observed the woman across from him to see if she looked like someone who could "harm society."

Before he could start a conversation, Wang Miao was already questioning him with a righteous look on her face, “Are you really a doctor? An associate chief physician? How can someone so young be a senior associate?”

Seeing her disbelief, Gu Lin smiled, “I just got the title this year. I'm still inexperienced and have a lot to learn from my seniors.”

Wang Miao responded with an indifferent “Oh,” clearly still unconvinced.

Gu Lin crossed his hands on his lap, “Miss Wang, please speak freely. It's our first meeting, so let's get to know each other better.”

Wang Miao seemed a bit uncomfortable with the term “Miss Wang,” “You can just call me Xiao Wang.”

Gu Lin almost laughed but managed to hold it in as Wang Miao corrected herself, “Call me Xiao Wang.”

“Alright, Xiao Wang.” Gu Lin nodded, “Is there anything else you want to ask?”

Wang Miao picked a small kumquat from the fruit platter, pierced it with a small fork, and skillfully peeled it with her neatly trimmed fingers, dropping the peel into her tea. “Dr. Gu, how do you share the profits with the dating website? It costs ten yuan to view your profile, but meeting you in person is free. Are there any hidden charges?”

“I don’t know.” Gu Lin’s gaze shifted from her fingers, “When I registered, I got a VIP membership, so viewing profiles doesn't cost me anything.”

The two of them discussed the dating website's revenue model and concluded that neither of them was making any money from it.

“Your profile is prominently displayed on the homepage as a live advertisement, and they don't give you a commission? How many women do you have to meet each month?” Wang Miao still seemed skeptical.

Gu Lin was unaware he had become the “poster boy,” “I don't have that much time. You're my first blind date.”

Wang Miao pursed her lips, “I attended the last hundred-person blind date event.”

When she mentioned this, Gu Lin immediately recalled the event. It was his first week as a member, and the website organized a blind date event where participants switched tables every ten minutes, with no deep conversations—just quick face-to-face interactions.

“Did we talk?” Gu Lin thought he would remember if they had met but wasn’t sure if his memory was failing him.

“No, we weren't at the same table. But the woman who was chosen as the 'goddess of the event' picked you as her final suitor,” Wang Miao explained.

“Oh.” Gu Lin suddenly understood, “That was my high school classmate. She didn’t like any of the guys, so she pulled me up as a decoy.”

Wang Miao was talking about Fang Qing. Gu Lin was surprised to see Fang Qing at the event, but she had quietly told him she was there to support the event as a favor to the website owner. So, she wore a formal dress and heavy makeup, making her quite noticeable.

Gu Lin wanted to say that Fang Qing was a plant and that her selection as the most popular female participant was rigged. In his opinion, Fang Qing couldn’t compare to Wang Miao. But he thought better of it, knowing that Wang Miao wouldn’t appreciate the joke, especially given her serious demeanor and her calculations about the website’s revenue.

The key issue was that he didn’t remember what Wang Miao looked like at the event.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Wang Miao chewed the kumquat, swallowed it, wiped her hands with a tissue, and tilted her head, “So, you're not a plant?”

Gu Lin found her quite adorable. Even if he were a plant, he wouldn’t admit it.

But he nodded solemnly, “Do you always confirm this with your blind date partners?”

“No, this is my first blind date,” Wang Miao admitted frankly, “And you seem too good to be true. It's strange that you don't have a girlfriend.”

Gu Lin focused on her first statement, barely smiling, “I've heard that the more blind dates you go on, the less likely you are to find the right person. Often, the first date is the most reliable.”

Wang Miao tucked her hair behind her ear, “Then we can keep in touch.”

Gu Lin interpreted her words as a polite rejection, “Do you have plans today? I’ve booked a restaurant and would like to invite you to dinner.”

“Sure, I have no plans.” Wang Miao smiled shyly, “I just meant we can continue to get to know each other.”

Gu Lin liked her straightforward yet slightly shy personality, guessing she was the type who was confident in front of a classroom but gentle and elegant in life.

“Is your work usually busy? Do you have summer and winter breaks?” Gu Lin remembered she was a French teacher but didn't know the specifics.

“We don't have summer and winter breaks. I work four days a week, sometimes traveling for recruitment. We might have intensive training sessions during breaks.”

“Right, students have time for these classes during holidays.”

“I teach adult classes. My students are all working professionals.”

“Oh.” Gu Lin nodded, “Teaching adults is better. Kids are too naughty and hard to manage.”

Wang Miao agreed, “I also worry about not teaching kids well and delaying their progress.”

“You're too modest. You seem like a patient and meticulous teacher.”

“I once taught a middle school class. The kids were quite adorable.”

Seeing that she seemed to like children, Gu Lin thought she must also like pets, especially cats and dogs. He mentioned his pet, “I have a big dog. It's a mixed breed, looks a lot like a Husky, quite funny.”

He noticed Wang Miao’s face stiffen and thought she didn't like dogs. She looked distressed, “I was bitten by a big dog when I was a child. I'm afraid of dogs.”

“No worries. My dog is very gentle. It wouldn't bite even if you put your hand in its mouth.” Gu Lin had seen many people act coy, but it was rare to see a woman express fear with such seriousness and averted eyes.

Suddenly, he realized why his past relationships didn't last long.

Turns out, he really liked this type of good woman!

They talked a bit more about their careers and daily lives, moving from the tea house to a Western restaurant. While it wasn’t an intense, non-stop conversation, they never ran out of things to say.

It was still light when they started dinner, but by the time they finished, the sky was overcast and threatening rain.

They had been inside the mall the whole time, so they decided not to stay out longer due to the bad weather.

Gu Lin asked how Wang Miao had arrived, and she said she drove. She then asked him.

“I live nearby, so I took a cab.” He didn’t want to deal with weekend parking issues.

Wang Miao offered, “Then I can give you a ride home. It’s probably hard to get a cab now.”

She was so straightforward that Gu Lin couldn’t refuse. He thanked her and followed her to the underground parking lot.

The parking lot was quiet with few people around. Occasionally, the sound of a car driving over a speed bump echoed. Wang Miao led the way, and Gu Lin followed. He had long legs, so he could keep up with her leisurely.

During dinner, Wang Miao had tied her long hair into a bun, allowing Gu Lin to see her fair neck and delicate ears from behind.

He raised his hand to measure, estimating she reached his chin. He then glanced at her shoes and adjusted his hand a few centimeters lower.

His movements must have been noticeable because Wang Miao turned to look at him, puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Lin swung his arm in a big circle, pretending to stretch, “I've been doing too many surgeries lately. My shoulder felt a bit uncomfortable just now.”

Wang Miao covered her mouth and laughed, “My mom used to have shoulder pain too. She started dancing in the square for two months and said her waist and legs stopped hurting, and she could climb six floors without a problem. You should try it.”

Gu Lin was touched by her smiling eyes and mischievous expression.

He didn’t say anything, and Wang Miao stopped laughing, glancing at him again before unlocking the car and getting into the driver’s seat.

Gu Lin sat in the passenger seat, buckled up, and entered his address into the GPS for Wang Miao.

Wang Miao was very focused while driving, not saying a word to Gu Lin. He didn’t want to distract her, so he stayed quiet.

When they arrived at Gu Lin’s place, he hesitated to invite her up for a drink, fearing it would seem too forward. Instead, he awkwardly asked, “Would you like to meet Gu Er?”

Wang Miao looked confused, “Gu Er?”

“Oh, my dog,” Gu Lin explained, “My dog is named Gu Er. Do you want to see him?”

Wang Miao shook her head, “

It’s late. If it bites me, I won't have anywhere to get a rabies shot.”

Gu Lin found her amusing and appreciated her sensible refusal to enter a man's home at night. He unbuckled his seatbelt and bid her farewell, “I won't keep you then. Drive safely. Let me know when you get home.”

“Okay, bye!” Wang Miao waved and drove off.

Gu Lin waited until her car was out of sight before heading upstairs. As soon as he walked in, Gu Er greeted him enthusiastically, jumping and barking.

Gu Er was very clever and could tell if Gu Lin had been at work or out having fun. Whenever it smelled alcohol on him, it would bark and scold him for not spending time with it. Today, however, it didn’t smell any alcohol but did sense another person’s scent on him.

It sniffed carefully and realized the scent wasn’t from Fan Sizhe. It barked persistently until Gu Lin took a shower and changed, removing all traces of the other person’s scent.

Just then, Gu Lin received a call from Wang Miao, informing him she had arrived home safely. After exchanging a few words and wishing her a good night, he was about to hang up when Gu Er started barking again.

Wang Miao curiously asked, “Is your dog very lively?”

Gu Lin didn’t know why Gu Er was acting up. He lightly nudged it with his foot, but it kept barking. He joked, “Maybe it wants to talk to you.”

He placed the phone in front of Gu Er, teasing it, “Come on, say hello to Auntie Wang.”

Gu Er stopped barking, grabbed the phone in its mouth, and ran. Before Gu Lin could react, Gu Er dropped the phone into the toilet with a splash.