After the public service advertisement and trending topic, the guide dog training center received donations from companies and individuals from all directions, and it also attracted many dog lovers to join their team.
In addition, something unexpected happened: after the high discussion surrounding the event, Aurora’s store traffic and sales volume doubled over the past two months.
Aurora’s recognition and popularity in the country continued to rise. A month later, after the successful development of a new intelligent core system, Aurora was preparing to hold a new product launch event.
On the day of the launch event, Lin Qingle and other members of the planning department were on-site, setting up and welcoming guests.
“Deputy Manager, all the reporters are in position, and representatives from various companies and invited guests have started entering.”
Lin Qingle nodded, “Where is Mr. Xu?”
“Mr. Xu is still backstage.”
“Okay, I’ll go check on him. You all take care of the venue.”
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“Bdelapvsse.” Nkd Ckdtzl bydele shla vbl pkvl vs bla pwcsaekdyvlp yde oldv cynjpvytl vs qkde Dw Mkdtcyk.
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Ebld pbl yaakhle swvpkel vbl zswdtl, pbl jdsnjle sd vbl essa.
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Ebld Dw Mkdtcyk pyo bla jdsnjkdt, bl xsvksdle qsa bla vs nsxl kd, “Usxl kd.”
Nkd Ckdtzl ypjle, “Ya. Dw, bso’p vbl ralryayvksd sd uswa pkel? Mbl alrsavlap yal yzalyeu swvpkel.”
Ohlau vkxl pbl oyp kd osaj xsel, pbl yzoyup zssjle ps plakswp yde nsxrsple. Dw Mkdtcyk nswzed’v blzr cwv pxkzl pkzldvzu yv bla. “Tyhl vbl svblap yaakhle?”
“Mblu’al pvkzz nsxkdt kd. Mblal yal ycswv vld xkdwvlp zlqv.”
“Okay, understood. Everything’s fine here.”
“Alright,” Lin Qingle said, “Then I’ll wait for you outside.”
“No need, come over here.” Xu Tingbai said to the others in the room, “There’s nothing else to discuss, you can all go out.”
“Okay, Mr. Xu.” The people in the room left one after another.
After the door closed, Lin Qingle walked towards Xu Tingbai. Xu Tingbai was wearing a dark blue suit today, which she had picked out for him this morning before leaving, and the tie was something she had tied for him herself.
“Is your cold better?” Xu Tingbai grabbed her wrist, gently tugged her, and pulled her onto his lap. “Your voice is still a bit hoarse. If you’re not feeling well, you shouldn’t be busying yourself outside.”
“I only had a mild cold, it’s already better. My voice isn’t hoarse because of the cold, it’s because I choked on water, okay…” Lin Qingle glared at him, somewhat resentful. Since that “bath” incident in the bathtub, he seemed to have developed a liking for it and always insisted on having her join him.
Last night, it happened again. Eventually, he lost control, and with too much force, she ended up being pressed underwater. Afterward, she choked, and when she woke up this morning, her voice was all hoarse!
Xu Tingbai immediately felt guilty upon hearing this. He had indeed lost control yesterday… and almost hurt her.
“I’m sorry,” Xu Tingbai furrowed his brows.
Seeing that he was truly concerned, Lin Qingle couldn’t help but soften. She cupped his face and said, “It’s not that serious. Why are you so serious about apologizing?”
Xu Tingbai remained silent.
“Alright, it’s really no big deal. Don’t go out with that serious expression. Cheer up!” Lin Qingle cupped his face, looking him over. “Aiya, our Mr. Xu is so handsome! Tell me, why hasn’t anyone invited you to debut?”
She changed the subject, trying to cheer him up. Xu Tingbai smiled faintly and cooperated, saying, “Is that so?”
“Yes! I think your face is perfect for being an idol!”
Xu Tingbai placed his hands lightly on her waist, letting her tease him. “Become an idol no one cares about?”
“Of course not! How could no one care? I’ll send you for training—learn some singing, some dancing, you can do it!”
Xu Tingbai replied, “No, I already have you.”
“Huh?”
Xu Tingbai ruffled her hair, “I have a girlfriend, how can I be an idol?”
“Oh, right! People online say idols can’t date…” Lin Qingle paused dramatically. “Well, okay then. If you do debut, I’ll just quietly support you from behind, hiding my identity…” She said, pretending to be sad.
Xu Tingbai pinched her waist. “I can’t do that.”
“Why can’t you?”
“With such a beautiful girlfriend, I can’t resist showing her off.”
Lin Qingle burst into laughter. “You have a point… Alright, then you can only be a no-name idol, the kind with just one fan—me!”
“Hmm… that’s enough,” Xu Tingbai said, leaning in as if to kiss her.
Lin Qingle immediately leaned back, expertly placing her hand over his lips. “You have three minutes, Mr. Xu, you need to leave soon.”
Xu Tingbai said, “A kiss doesn’t take three minutes.”
Lin Qingle replied, “Do you want to take my lipstick to the reporters?”
Xu Tingbai raised an eyebrow, reaching for her hand as if to say it wouldn’t be impossible.
Lin Qingle quickly jumped off his lap. “Xu Tingbai!”
Xu Tingbai missed, so he stood up. “Got it, I’ll leave right away.”
“You should’ve left already…”
___________
The attendees had all gathered, and after Lin Qingle stepped outside, she stood at her designated position with the staff.
When the time came, Xu Tingbai appeared on stage.
This was Lin Qingle’s first time seeing Xu Tingbai speak in a setting like this. While she had seen him address his subordinates during meetings, today felt quite different.
Under the spotlight, his serious yet composed demeanor unexpectedly made her heart race.
“…The infrared control system, intelligent security system, as well as various simple smart curtains, intelligent floor heating, and other systems are all supported by our new-generation smart core devices… The whole-house smart package can be customized by our Aurora experts, with different solutions available for villas and apartments…”
The conference lasted for an hour. After the speech and product PowerPoint presentation, it was time for the journalists’ Q&A session.
Xu Tingbai had been involved in the development of the new smart core device, so he could answer any questions with ease, without missing a beat.
Lin Qingle watched the man on stage, who seemed almost to glow under the lights, and gently bit her lip.
She couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief that she had met him when she was young…
“Mr. Xu, I think most of the product-related questions have been asked. I’d like to ask about your company’s charity projects,” one of the reporters spoke up.
Xu Tingbai nodded. “Go ahead.”
“We all know that Aurora has been involved in some charity projects, but according to the UK headquarters and other country branches, the focus has mainly been on donations to impoverished areas and desert greening. However, the domestic company seems different. You’ve invested a lot in charity for guide dogs. Online, there are rumors that you’re doing this for your girlfriend. Is that true?”
Hearing this question, the colleagues around them exchanged knowing glances with Lin Qingle, smirking as they did.
Lin Qingle cleared her throat, her expression slightly awkward.
Xu Tingbai’s gaze also landed on Lin Qingle. After a brief pause, he turned his attention back to the reporter. “Yes. It’s because my girlfriend is a volunteer at a guide dog base. She has been caring for guide dogs and blind people since her university days, providing free services. I want to help her and support all the blind people who need guide dogs.”
The reporter responded enviously, “You truly are a kind-hearted person, Mr. Xu. You’re also incredibly good to your girlfriend. On behalf of netizens, I want to express our admiration.”
A quiet murmur spread through the room, filled with light laughter.
Xu Tingbai chuckled briefly. “The kind-hearted one isn’t me, it’s her. As for how I treat her, it’s nothing compared to how much she has done for me.”
At this, a few female reporters couldn’t help but ask, “Could you tell us how you and your girlfriend met and how you got together?”
Normally, Xu Tingbai could have easily ignored such gossip questions and walked away, but he didn’t. In fact, his expression was even softer than before.
“When I was sixteen, I was also blind,” he said.
There was a brief pause, and then a wave of astonishment spread through the room. Only a few people close to him at the executive level knew about Xu Tingbai’s past; the others had no idea. Many had always assumed Xu Tingbai was born with everything and was the epitome of privilege, so hearing him say this was a complete surprise.
Xu Tingbai continued, “At that time, for some reasons, I couldn’t see for many years. It was a very difficult period in my life. It was her appearance that gave me a bit of hope to keep going.”
Lin Qingle stood frozen, staring at the man on stage, utterly surprised by his sudden revelation.
Xu Tingbai went on, “It was because of her that I felt life still had meaning. And because of her, I thought I should work hard and become a better person.”
“Wow… So, you started pursuing her after that?” one reporter asked.
“After we met again as adults, of course, I started pursuing her,” Xu Tingbai said, looking in Lin Qingle’s direction with tenderness and love in his eyes. He smiled gently and added, “Because I knew, I couldn’t live without her.”
Xu Tingbai’s gaze was so intense that the people in the audience couldn’t help but follow it, turning their heads to look at the woman standing in the staff area.
Dressed in a formal blazer and skirt, wearing a name tag, with her long hair flowing down, she looked incredibly beautiful…
“…And that concludes the press conference. Thank you all for coming…”
By the time the speaker finished, Lin Qingle barely heard the words. She only saw Xu Tingbai step down from the stage and slowly approach her.
Then, his hand gently took hers.
“Let’s go, let’s go home and eat,” he said softly, leading her toward the backstage area.
She didn’t know what was happening behind her, but she could feel the warmth of his hand, so warm and safe.
“Why did you suddenly say all that?” she couldn’t help but ask at the end.
Xu Tingbai glanced at her and smiled, “Didn’t I say? I couldn’t help but want to show off.”
___
After the press conference, Xu Tingbai “lived up to expectations” and made another wave of trending topics, while Lin Qingle was bombarded with messages from her friends. That night, after Yu Tingting saw the video on Weibo, she called her.
Lin Qingle had just finished her shower, so she was curled up on the couch listening to Yu Tingting’s chatter.
“Damn, Xu Tingbai is too good at sweet-talking, is this the same Xu Tingbai I remember??” Yu Tingting sighed on the phone. “But seriously, he’s way more sincere than Huang Chengxu when it comes to sweet talk! I was so moved watching it!”
“Really? You didn’t say that before. Didn’t you say Huang Chengxu’s way with words completely captured you?” Lin Qingle teased.
Yu Tingting laughed, “I used to say Huang Chengxu was the master of sweet talk, but now I think he should step down and let Xu Tingbai take that title!”
Lin Qingle: “…Who would want that?”
Yu Tingting burst into laughter on the other end of the line, “Hey, but seriously, after confessing like that in front of the whole country, it’s going to be hard for you two not to get married.”
Lin Qingle: “You’re crazy.”
“I’m serious! Have you guys ever thought about getting married?”
Lin Qingle: “Why are you talking about us? You and Huang Chengxu aren’t married either.”
“That’s not the same, sis! He needs to work hard right now. But once we save up for the down payment, I’ll think about entering marriage!” Yu Tingting replied. “Xu Tingbai is different. You two are doing so well, and you’re so sweet together, you could definitely get married now.”
Lin Qingle: “Well… I haven’t thought about it.”
“Think about it! Start thinking now! Look, what are the benefits of marrying Xu Tingbai? For example, there’s no mother-in-law involved, which is such a bargain for you!”
Lin Qingle couldn’t help but laugh, “Please, can you stop thinking so far ahead?”
“I’m not thinking far ahead, listen to me—”
Just then, the door opened, and Xu Tingbai came out after his shower. Lin Qingle quickly said, “Alright, I’m not going to chat with you about this nonsense anymore. You’re so boring. I’m hanging up.”
“Hey—”
Xu Tingbai walked over in his home pajamas, sat down, and immediately pulled his girlfriend into his arms. He buried his face in her neck, inhaled deeply, and rubbed it a little more, unsatisfied.
The woman in his arms was soft and fragrant, and it was so comforting to hold her.
“Just chatting with her?” he casually asked.
Lin Qingle: “Yu Tingting. She watched your press conference and called me.”
Xu Tingbai rested his chin on her shoulder. “Oh, what were you guys talking about?”
“Nothing much. She’s just getting all worked up, talking about marriage and stuff,” Lin Qingle explained. “She and Huang Chengxu have been together for so many years and still haven’t married. Now she’s suddenly pushing me and you, and we haven’t even been together for a year.”
Xu Tingbai paused for a moment and suddenly turned to look at her.
Marriage…
Lin Qingle: “I told her she’s being silly, talking about this—”
“Is marrying me boring?” Xu Tingbai interrupted her.
Lin Qingle was caught off guard. “No, I meant, it’s silly that she suddenly brought it up. I didn’t mean marriage is boring…”
“Oh.”
Lin Qingle turned to look at him, and the two of them stared at each other.
Lin Qingle: “Uh… what’s up?”
Xu Tingbai leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Nothing.”
Marriage isn’t boring, so does that mean she finds it interesting?
Mariage is more than just a paper. It’s mean that I love you, it’s means commitment and respect.
I was hoping for a proposal far more early. But it’s okay it will come soon I can smell it đź¤đź¤đź¤