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The moon quietly climbed onto the tree branches, creating an intimate and romantic atmosphere. Nina's flushed face displayed a touch of endearing shyness, making Jacob's gaze linger on her, unwilling to look away for even a moment.
Her face was like a delicate peach blossom, beautiful as polished jade; her heart was like spring water, rippling with gentle waves of emotion.
Tonight, Nina was breathtakingly beautiful, and Jacob couldn't help but whisper softly, "Nina."
"Hmm?" Nina responded with a gentle voice that was sweet and melodious. Her slightly hazy eyes looked at Jacob, filled with charm and completely captivating allure.
The two of them quietly gazed at each other in the romantic lighting, not speaking a single word.
"Why did you call my name?" Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly intimate and charged, Nina couldn't help but ask curiously. "Why aren't you saying anything now?"
"You look absolutely beautiful today," Jacob said earnestly, his eyes taking in Nina's flushed cheeks and radiant appearance.
"Am I not beautiful every day?" Perhaps having enjoyed a bit of wine, Nina playfully teased Jacob, her eyes curving in an enchanting smile as she looked at him with a mischievous grin while "questioning" him.
"You're beautiful every day, without exception. It's just that today, you're exceptionally and extraordinarily beautiful," Jacob couldn't help but praise her sincerely.
"A person more delicate than flowers themselves, making the flowers lose their vibrant color; flowers seem to dim in such a person's radiant presence."
"Charming eyes with a natural spring-like smile, whether smiling or not, equally intoxicating and mesmerizing."
Jacob's admiring gaze remained fixed on Nina's lovely face. He searched his mind thoroughly, using every piece of poetry he had ever learned, praising her word by carefully chosen word, making the beautiful blush on Nina's face deepen even further.
The more Jacob looked at her, the more his heart stirred with deep emotion. He even wanted to take advantage of the wine's influence to lean over and kiss Nina's perfect face, but unfortunately, Jacob possessed the desire but lacked the necessary courage. Sometimes, Jacob truly wanted to abandon his restraints completely, but his moral principles and boundaries held him back firmly.
If only he didn't have such strong moral boundaries to consider.
Jacob, Jacob, you truly are being a coward, he thought to himself.
Regrettably, Jacob ultimately did not act upon the passionate thoughts stirring in his heart. After the two finished their romantic dinner, they put their masks back on for privacy, left the elegant restaurant, and strolled leisurely down the busy street, enjoying the pleasant evening breeze together.
"Nina." Their striking pairing attracted numerous admiring gazes as they walked hand in hand. Jacob, at 1.9 meters tall, and Nina, around 1.8 meters in her heels, were undoubtedly the most eye-catching and attractive combination in the entire crowd. Jacob spoke thoughtfully, asking Nina beside him, "Have you ever thought seriously about what kind of person you want to marry in the future?"
"Hmm..." Nina pondered the question slightly, then responded softly, "Of course I have thought about it."
"What kind of person would that be?" Jacob couldn't help but press for more details.
"I won't tell you that information." At this moment, Nina was feeling perhaps a bit playful from the wine, responding with a teasing smile. "What about you? You tell me your thoughts first, and once you do, I'll share mine with you."
"Me?" Jacob frowned slightly, falling into serious thought. He actually hadn't really considered this particular question in great depth before. "I honestly haven't thought that far ahead into the future."
"Then what kind of girlfriend do you want to have? You must have considered that question before, right?" Nina kept pressing him playfully for answers.
"I have thought about that," Jacob admitted honestly.
"Then please tell me, what kind of girlfriend are you planning to find?" Nina's bright eyes sparkled with genuine anticipation and curiosity.
"You really want to know the answer?"
"Of course I do."
"Alright then," Jacob replied with a slight grin, "Actually, my requirements are very reasonable and low."
"I just want to find a beautiful, wealthy woman, with excellent benefits, comprehensive insurance coverage, who can handle sophisticated social occasions and cook delicious meals. As beautiful as a blooming peach blossom and as elegantly cool as morning frost. A perfect lady during the daytime, and at nighttime like..."
"Stop, stop right there." Seeing Jacob becoming increasingly outrageous and ridiculous with his description, Nina quickly interrupted him with laughter. "Why are you always joking around like this? What kind of girlfriend do you really and truly want to find?"
Jacob turned his head, meeting Nina's bright, questioning eyes directly. Under the soft moonlight, Nina appeared absolutely radiant and beautiful.
Perhaps it was because they were wearing masks for anonymity, or perhaps because they were surrounded by the safety of a crowd, but Jacob's courage grew significantly.
"I just want to find a girlfriend exactly like you." Jacob reached out boldly and grasped Nina's slender, delicate hand. It felt wonderfully soft and pleasantly cool to the touch.
Nina was genuinely startled by Jacob's sudden, direct action. Her hand made a symbolic attempt to pull away from his grasp, but it was held firmly yet gently by Jacob, so she simply allowed him to continue holding it.
The two walked silently down the busy street together, not saying a single word, but their hearts were beating rapidly with excitement, and the warmth between their joined palms continued to grow. After a long, comfortable moment, Jacob continued speaking. "I'm finished answering. Now it's your turn, Nina. What kind of boyfriend do you want to find?"
"Me, well..."
At this very moment, in a upscale hotel restaurant next to where they were walking, Eleanor was having a social gathering with her professional colleagues.
"Eleanor, I'll toast to you personally. You really kept all of us completely in the dark! You hid such a major experimental project as Mega Evolution from all of us. If we hadn't seen your name listed as the second author on the published research paper, we wouldn't have known you participated in such an important and groundbreaking project."
"That's absolutely right, Eleanor. When exactly did you get involved in the Mega Evolution experimental project? Oh, and how was the experience of meeting Jacob in person? I saw his photos and videos online; he's extremely handsome and attractive. Is he as handsome in real life as he appears to be online?"
"We should definitely congratulate Eleanor properly. Participating in such a significant project, she might very well become the youngest department dean in our entire academy. Why can't I ever participate in such prestigious experimental projects?"
"Thank you very much, everyone. This secrecy was due to the strict confidentiality requirements of the project, which is why I had to keep it from all of you. I raise my glass in toast to all of you."
Facing everyone's generous compliments and praise, Eleanor also boldly raised her wine glass and drained it completely.
She had participated in Jacob's Mega Evolution thesis writing process just a week ago. Although she was only responsible for the actual writing and editing of the research paper, she still received the prestigious title of second author, which would be tremendously helpful to her future career development and advancement.
Through her direct interactions with Jacob over the past week, she discovered that Jacob was truly an exceptional genius. She genuinely couldn't understand how his eighteen-year-old mind could be filled with such brilliant and revolutionary evolutionary concepts.
From Z-Move choreography to Z-Moves themselves, and now Mega Evolution, each discovery was absolutely astonishing and groundbreaking.
This afternoon, her mentor had also called her, informing her that Jacob appeared to have developed yet another new experimental project and needed to recruit two dedicated research assistants.
The competition for these two valuable research assistant positions within the Pokémon Association was extremely fierce and intense, with almost every Champion personally getting involved in the selection process. This meant that even if her mentor personally intervened on her behalf, success was far from guaranteed.
Therefore, her mentor had also advised her to prepare early and strategically, interact more frequently with Jacob, and work diligently to secure one of the coveted assistant positions.
Just as Eleanor was thinking seriously about this important opportunity, she suddenly noticed a couple walking hand-in-hand outside the large restaurant window.
Even though they were both wearing masks for privacy, more than ten years of close friendship allowed Eleanor to recognize Nina immediately at first glance. This recognition instantly sobered her up significantly, and she stood up abruptly with a surprised "whoosh."
Oh, how interesting! No wonder she had always felt that Nina had been acting strangely and differently recently. It turns out she's in a romantic relationship!
The fire of curiosity and gossip in Eleanor's heart immediately blazed like a raging inferno of interest.
"Excuse me, I'm going to the restroom. You all please continue eating and enjoying yourselves."
Eleanor found a convenient excuse, secretly slipped out of the restaurant, and began to follow the couple at a discreet distance.
Tonight, she was absolutely determined to see which charming scoundrel had successfully "captured" Nina, who had so consistently and ruthlessly rejected Eleanor's invitations for drinks time and time again.
Go to hell, you smooth-talking man, she thought with playful irritation.