It’s just a hot pot meal, don’t get me wrong.

Nothing happened, and Li Xuewu would not take advantage of others' danger to do such casual things.

Who among you here doesn’t know that Li Xuewu is the most serious person, right?

The hot pot restaurant was very busy, and the three of them asked for a seat in the corner. Han Jiankun didn't intend to come in, but Li Xuewu called him together.

He still remembered Qin Jingru's nagging, so he found the phone and called home to report.

Afraid that he would get angry and that Lin Tingting would get angry, Li Xuewu only wanted the bottom of the pot of clear soup.

The meat is much more, Li Xuewu can eat it himself, and Han Jiankun has a big appetite.

But even though the dishes were all ready, Lin Tingting remained silent and didn't speak.

"Eat first. If you have anything to do, wait until you can eat."

Li Xuewu handed the chopsticks to her, knocked on the table, and reminded her.

Lin Tingting raised her head to take the chopsticks, looked at the food on the table, looked at Li Xuewu's casualness, and took a deep breath.

"Thanks"

"Yeah, eat"

Regarding Lin Tingting's thanks, Li Xuewu answered simply. Seeing that the white soup in the brass pot was boiling, he began to add meat into it.

Lin Tingting glanced at the people in the dining room and picked up a donkey roll with her chopsticks.

Eating hot pot is actually not suitable for conversation. If you really want to discuss business or things at the table, you will eat stir-fried vegetables.

Hot pot is too urgent and time-sensitive. You have to take out the food in time, otherwise it will be too old.

The pot is not big yet, so you have to refill it with the vegetables you want to eat in time.

And the spicy and spicy taste makes you eager to take another bite, so after the hot pot starts, there is little talk about it.

Especially at this time, everyone has the problem of losing weight in their stomachs. A table of hot pot costs two or three yuan, and you still don’t eat it with your eyes on it.

There was so much chatting and laughing that I couldn't even eat anymore, so I was just sitting there burping.

The three people on Li Xuewu's side did not eat slowly. He and Han Jiankun were able to eat and ate quickly.

Lin Tingting had something on her mind and didn't eat much.

Han Jiankun finished eating first, went to the counter to get the hot tea and brought it over, and then went out to smoke and pack the car.

Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea, picked up a pair of serving chopsticks, picked some meat and put it on Lin Tingting's plate.

“Eat well”

Lin Tingting raised her head and looked at Li Xuewu, then lowered her head and said softly: "I want to tell you something."

"It's just...it's just...I want to apply for transfer and go to other places, but they won't let me go here. Can you..."

"Going to another place?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who won't let you go? The supply and marketing cooperative?"

“I don’t know the specifics.”

Lin Tingting said in a low voice: "I applied to our director, and he agreed at first, but later told me that the policy did not allow it."

"But~!"

When she said this, she raised her head and looked at Li Xuewu and said: "It has always been difficult to transfer people to the city, but not to other places."

"What did Director Ma say?"

Li Xuewu asked, and when Lin Tingting nodded, he nodded and said: "There must be difficulties."

"Why did you remember that you were transferred to another place? Where are you going?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter. It's fine, as long as it's not in the capital."

Lin Tingting's tone was a bit casual, but now she lowered her head and did not dare to look at Li Xuewu, which still revealed her concern.

Li Xuewu looked at her for a while and then said: "It's impossible for the time being. You all know the reason..."

"But!"

Lin Tingting put down the chopsticks in her hand, raised her head and frowned: "Haven't all my questions been investigated clearly?"

"Well, there is no conclusion yet."

Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea and said: "If this case is not solved, all the doubts are still there. You are the last person who is known to have been in contact with her."

"If I leave in a hurry, I'm suspicious, right?"

Lin Tingting pursed her lips, feeling helpless, and said desperately: "If this case cannot be solved, then this incident will be like the things in my family, and will be marked on my face forever, right?"

"You think the problem is too simple"

Li Xuewu did not persuade her directly, but raised his hand to close the fire under the hot pot with a lid, and said lightly: "When it comes to marking, it is also the mark you made yourself."

"What's the meaning?"

Lin Tingting frowned and looked at Li Xuewu, and asked: "You have been helping me, right, including my family's affairs and my work's affairs, right?"

"When I was studying to make changes, I was whipped again and again, but I almost escaped from you. It was you, right?"

Li Xuewu neither admitted nor denied that he had connections in the power department and the supply and marketing system. It was not difficult for Lin Tingting to guess this.

He picked up the teapot and refilled the other person's tea bowl with hot tea, and said, "I'm not saying I won't let you go. It's really a matter of policy."

After speaking, he looked at Lin Tingting's somewhat stubborn eyes and said: "I have never interfered in your life, and I have no intention of causing you to feel troubled now."

Lin Tingting raised her hands to cover her face, tears streaming down her face. She knew, she knew, that there was no love for no reason in this world.

Once or twice she could explain it by coincidence and fate, and she avoided the blowing knives one after another. How could she still lie to herself?

My parents are gone, my brother is gone, and the only person in the world who can do this is the person in front of me.

But she didn't want to be like this, she didn't want to bear the heavy pressure of her family background, let alone Li Xuewu's care for her, pretending not to understand, turning a blind eye, and deceiving herself and others over and over again.

After her parents' case was over, she once thought about leaving with them, but in the end she didn't have the cruelty or courage.

She could not let down the love of her parents and relatives, nor could she let down the love of Li Xuewu, so she wanted to change her life as soon as possible and get out of the gloom.

Only later did she slowly realize how childish and ridiculous her thoughts were at that time. The haze never disappeared and was truly with her.

People would come to visit her home regularly, and the streets and neighbors looked at her with vigilance.

Colleagues in the unit were mostly understanding, but after the big study activity started, the criticisms seemed to come like a cold arrow.

She wanted to leave, really wanted to leave, away from this land of right and wrong, to a place where no one knew her.

But the historical issue is like a heavy shackle, fastened around her neck from which she will never be freed.

In the turmoil of the big study activities, every time she was on tenterhooks and near misses, she peeled off a layer of skin and made her colleagues treat her more differently.

What did she do or pay to get the stability she has today?

No, she was sure that she had done nothing, and she was even more sure that her "lover" had done nothing. Someone was always protecting her silently.

If this case hadn't happened, she thought she would have continued to pretend, pretended that she didn't understand, pretended that she didn't care, and just lived her life plainly.

But life is so unpredictable, causing her dignity to be tortured over and over again.

Especially when she walked out of the investigation office today, the clerk's words of reminder completely tore off her mask and disguise.

Lin Tingting had never taken the initiative to pay attention to Li Xuewu or asked about his situation or information. She was afraid.

She was afraid that she would not be able to help but miss him, and she was even more afraid that she would not be able to bear the torture in her heart, and would be unable and unreasonable to bear this silent and heavy love.

The turbulent self-blame and regret, as well as the despair about life, instantly filled Lin Tingting's entire inner world. She cried so sadly and despairingly.

Seeing her like this, what could Li Xuewu do? This feeling can be recalled later, but it was already at a loss.

Li Xuewu didn't know how to persuade others. If he did, he would probably cry even more. Qin Jingru knew this very well.

So Li Xuewu sat silently aside, drinking tea, and helped her block the surprised looks that came her way.

After about ten minutes, Lin Tingting stopped crying, wiped her face with her handkerchief, and said in a hoarse voice: "Thank you, I've caused you trouble."

"Hey~ why are you talking about this?"

Li Xuewu shook his head, looked at her and said: "It's just a small effort, you don't need to take it to heart, just live a good life and live a good life."

"Well, I owe you too much and I can't afford to pay it back."

Lin Tingting wiped her eyes, picked up the meat in the bowl and ate it. She pursed her lips and said, "The luckiest thing in my life is that I met you..."

"Don't ever say I'm a good person!"

Li Xuewu waved his hand, interrupted her "heartfelt words" and emphasized with a smile: "My heart is entirely illuminated by the glory of the organization. If you praise me too much, you will have to see if I float again."

I am no longer a good person."

"You will always be an interesting person in my heart"

Lin Tingting pursed her lips and smiled, tears staring into Li Xuewu's eyes. All the regrets and misses in the past were relieved after this moment.

"If it's convenient, please protect me. I'm really powerless in this world."
To be continued...