Zhang Zhipeng thought to himself, "Since the girl has already made the first move, what's the point in holding back?"

Zhao Min was really something. From her character and personality to how she presented herself, she was exactly the type Zhang Zhipeng liked.

Since he liked her, he should respond passionately.

Hmm! Why not ask her out for dinner tonight and maybe catch a movie afterward?

Work is important, but it's okay to sprinkle in a little romance now and then.

“What’s up?” Tian Hongtao asked curiously.

Zhang Zhipeng glanced at Fang Qingping, warning him not to say anything unnecessary.

Fang Qingping stuck out his tongue and stepped aside.

Zhang Zhipeng nonchalantly smiled and said to Tian Hongtao, "Dr. Tian, it's nothing. Fang here was just making a fuss. Let's get back to work."

Tian Hongtao responded with an "Oh" and continued working diligently.

However, Zhang Zhipeng was starting to have some doubts.

He thought to himself, "Tian Hongtao has always had a bit of a thing for Zhao Min. If he finds out that Zhao Min confessed to me, would he blow up at me?"

But then, he shrugged it off.

"It's not my fault you couldn’t win her over. She didn't choose you. What can I do about it?"

"Forget it, no need to overthink. Let's just keep working."

Around 9:50 a.m., Zhang Zhipeng was busy when there was a knock on the door.

Tian Hongtao was closer to the door, so he went to open it.

Standing outside was Zhang Zhipeng's sister, Zhang Zhiling.

"Ms. Zhang, here to see Zhipeng? I'll call him for you."

Tian Hongtao greeted Zhang Zhiling warmly.

Then he turned and called out, "Zhipeng, your sister is here to see you."

Zhang Zhipeng put down what he was working on and walked over.

He was a bit puzzled—why would his sister come to see him at this time?

“What's up, sis?” Zhang Zhipeng asked.

Zhang Zhiling said, "Come out, I have something to tell you."

Zhang Zhipeng responded with an "Oh" and took off his lab coat, following his sister to the corner of the hallway.

Tian Hongtao, ever the eager helper, said, "Zhipeng, if you’ve got something to do, go ahead. I'll take care of the work in the lab."

Zhang Zhipeng smiled and nodded, "Thanks, Dr. Tian."

Tian Hongtao was indeed a smart guy, quick on the uptake and easy to work with. He had been a big help to Zhang Zhipeng in the lab.

Zhang Zhipeng thought, "If word about Zhao Min and me gets out, we might end up as love rivals. He could very well storm out of my lab."

Thinking this, Zhang Zhipeng felt a bit regretful.

“Sis, what’s up? Why do I get the feeling you’re being all secretive today?” Zhang Zhipeng asked with a smile.

Zhang Zhiling said, "I have good news for you."

"You're going to have a girlfriend."

Zhang Zhipeng was taken aback. "Oh? How come I didn’t know?"

He thought to himself, "Could it be that my sister also wants to set me up with someone?"

Zhang Zhiling said, "Well, our aunt said she wanted to introduce you to a girl, didn’t she?"

"You must meet her at lunchtime! Have a meal together!"

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Zhang Zhipeng rolled his eyes, "Sis, I mean, are you and Mom both so worried that I won’t find a wife or something?"

"Well, I already have someone..."

Zhang Zhipeng thought, "I'll just use Zhao Min as an excuse this time."

Zhang Zhiling was surprised, "You have someone?"

"Who is it?"

Zhang Zhipeng said, "Can I keep it a secret for now? Sis, when did you start becoming as nosy as Mom?"

Zhang Zhiling looked a bit conflicted.

She had already promised her aunt that she would persuade her brother to meet the girl. It would be so embarrassing if he suddenly refused now.

Zhang Zhiling said, "Zhipeng, the girl Aunt introduced to you is also from our school."

"You've seen her quite often."

"She's had a crush on you for a while."

"Are you really so heartless that you won't even meet her?"

Zhang Zhipeng was a bit puzzled. "Hmm? She's from our school?"

"And I've seen her often?"

"Is she a student or a teacher?"

Zhang Zhipeng found it strange. He hadn't noticed any girl he frequently interacted with showing any affection toward him.

Besides, there weren't many girls at school he dealt with regularly.

Zhang Zhiling said, "Of course she's a teacher!"

Zhang Zhipeng said, "Sis, stop keeping me in suspense. Who is it?"

Zhang Zhiling said, "It's Teacher Zhao Min from the Computer Science Department."

Hearing Zhao Min's name, Zhang Zhipeng couldn't help but shiver.

What?!

Zhao Min even went as far as finding a matchmaker to increase her chances? She's really putting in a lot of effort.

Zhang Zhipeng scratched his head.

Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt like someone had just darted around the corner.

"Who's there?!"

He turned his head and asked.

Tian Hongtao awkwardly revealed half of his body, grinning. "Zhipeng, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I have a problem I can't solve and wanted to ask for your help."

Zhang Zhipeng also felt a bit awkward.

Tian Hongtao had probably heard what his sister just said.

Who knows what he was thinking right now.

"Dr. Tian, what's the problem? Let me finish talking to my sister, and then I'll come back to help. Is that okay?"

Zhang Zhipeng smiled as he spoke, observing Tian Hongtao's expression.

He noticed that Tian Hongtao didn't seem to show any negative emotions.

Tian Hongtao smiled and nodded at Zhang Zhiling. He said to Zhang Zhipeng, "Alright! I'll wait for you."

"And Zhipeng, congratulations on winning Teacher Zhao Min's heart!"

As he said this, he winked at Zhang Zhipeng.

Zhang Zhipeng breathed a sigh of relief.

Tian Hongtao's reaction suggested that he was taking it well.

He had calmly accepted the fact that the person he had been pursuing was now interested in Zhang Zhipeng.

As the saying goes, if you’ve been chasing someone for so long and they still haven’t agreed, it just means they don’t have you in their heart.

"Thank you, Dr. Tian. How about this, I'll treat everyone to some paomo* another day," Zhang Zhipeng said.

Tian Hongtao smiled and said, "Zhipeng, you're too kind. After working with you for so long, I feel like I've learned so much from you. I should be the one treating you."

Tian Hongtao left.

After he was gone, Zhang Zhiling grew impatient and said, "Well, are you going to meet Zhao Min for lunch or not?"

"You probably lied about having a girlfriend, didn't you?"

Zhang Zhipeng chuckled and said, "Actually, I wasn't lying."

"Sis, you probably didn't expect it, but Teacher Zhao came prepared."

"She gave me this this morning."

Zhang Zhipeng pulled out a book titled *The Wind of Youth*.

Zhang Zhiling glanced at it and said, "She gave you a book? Did she confess to you?"

Zhang Zhipeng flipped to the second page and showed Zhang Zhiling the acrostic poem.

Zhang Zhiling read it silently and laughed, "Look at her, she's really devoted to you!"

"She even gave you an acrostic poem."

"So, it turns out this was all a misunderstanding!"

"How about this? No need for the matchmaker at lunch. You go find Zhao Min yourself, and the two of you can go have a bowl of paomo at Lao Ma's place nearby. How about that?"

Zhang Zhipeng nodded and said, "Alright, I'll go find her after I'm done here."

Zhang Zhiling took out two ten-yuan bills from her pocket and handed them to Zhang Zhipeng. "Take this money. After lunch, make sure you stroll around the area. If you see something you like, buy it."

Zhang Zhipeng quickly declined, "Sis, I can make my own money. How can I take yours?"

But Zhang Zhiling wouldn't take no for an answer and stuffed the money into Zhang Zhipeng's hand, saying, "Take it!"

"I might not make as much as you do now, but this is just a token of your sister's care!"

Zhang Zhipeng had no choice but to accept the 20 yuan.

When Zhang Zhipeng returned to the lab, he noticed that everyone there was winking at him.

---

(Paomo: A traditional Xi'an dish consisting of crumbled unleavened bread soaked in mutton or beef broth.)