Xia Liyang, still holding onto Song Jinhe’s arm, quickly walked around the classroom building, which blocked the view from behind them. She slowed down, taking a few deep breaths.

“Was it really Lu Huaicheng giving the lecture?” Song Jinhe curiously glanced back.

“Yeah, the person who spoke to me just now was his personal assistant,” Xia Liyang said, still a bit shaken.

“You two are really fated,” Song Jinhe couldn’t help but tease.

“You call this fate? I was scared to death,” Xia Liyang shot her a glance.

Song Jinhe chuckled and glanced at Xia Liyang’s outfit of a plain white T-shirt and jeans. “Honestly, you didn’t need to avoid him. You’re not even wearing any flashy clothes. What, can he stop you from attending your friend’s graduation ceremony?”

Xia Liyang was slightly stunned. “That’s true…”

She’d run into him in so many awkward situations that it had become a muscle memory to hide whenever they met unexpectedly.

“I kind of want to go back and see what he looks like. After all, he’s the handsome guy you mentioned,” Song Jinhe blinked playfully.

“Forget it. What if he suddenly feels generous again and offers to drive me back to school like he did yesterday? I don’t want to have to come back just to get my car,” Xia Liyang said.

“Generous? He clearly wanted to spend more time with you! You’re just too oblivious to realize it and rejected him flat-out,” Song Jinhe shook her head in disbelief.

“Wasn’t I also in a hurry to get home and jot down my inspiration last night?” Xia Liyang pursed her lips. “Alright, let’s not talk about him anymore. Since we’re already here, how about we grab some food at the cafeteria?”

“Sure, at this time, there’s no line. I’ll take you to try the best stir-fry at our school,” Song Jinhe smiled.

The stir-fry counter was at the very back of the cafeteria. Song Jinhe found a seat for Xia Liyang, placed the flowers on the table, and went to order food.

Xia Liyang sat alone for a while when suddenly the noise behind her got louder, as if something exciting had happened.

She couldn’t help but glance back.

To her surprise, she saw Lu Huaicheng, dressed in smart casual attire, walk into the cafeteria gracefully with Lin Shen by his side.

His well-fitted gray shirt, stretched by his broad shoulders, tucked into matching dress pants, highlighted his slim waist.

His striking features and distinguished aura drew the attention of students eating and getting food, making them glance at him repeatedly and whispering.

What the hell! How could someone as picky about hygiene as him be eating in the cafeteria?

Xia Liyang tensed up and quickly turned her face away.

Could he be in a rush and just looking for something convenient?

It couldn’t be because he heard she was here, right?

She didn’t think she had that much influence on him.

Xia Liyang swallowed and forced herself to stay calm.

If he wasn’t here for her, sitting in such a secluded spot meant he likely wouldn’t notice her, so everything should be fine.

Even if he was here for her, as Song Jinhe had said, she wasn’t wearing anything that would give away her identity, so there was no need to panic.

But as the noise behind her got closer, Xia Liyang couldn’t help but stiffen, her back straightening, and her fingers trembled slightly as she pretended to scroll through her phone.

It wasn’t until his tall, imposing figure stopped beside her and cast a shadow over the bouquet on her table that she couldn’t ignore his presence any longer.

With no choice, Xia Liyang braced herself and raised her head, feigning surprise as she widened her eyes slightly. “Mr. Lu? What are you doing here?”

“You ran into my assistant earlier, didn’t you?” Lu Huaicheng frowned slightly, glancing at the flowers on the table, a trace of displeasure flickering in his eyes.

“Yes… but I didn’t expect you to come to the cafeteria for a meal,” Xia Liyang said quietly, pressing her lips together.

“What, am I not welcome here?” Lu Huaicheng raised an eyebrow slightly.

“No, no, you’re welcome, of course,” Xia Liyang chuckled awkwardly, moving the flowers on the table to make room for him. “You can sit anywhere except across from me where my friend’s seat is. She’s getting stir-fry and will be back soon.”

Lu Huaicheng’s deep eyes lingered on her for a moment before he turned to instruct Lin Shen, “Go to the stir-fry counter and order a few dishes.”

“Got it,” Lin Shen nodded, then, as if on autopilot, pulled out a wet wipe and wiped down the plastic chair and table near Xia Liyang for Lu Huaicheng before heading off.

Watching Lin Shen’s smooth, practiced motions, Xia Liyang couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.

She wondered how much Lu Huaicheng was paying him to make him stay by his side.

After sitting down, Lu Huaicheng put on a pair of black leather gloves, making his exposed wrists look even paler, giving him an even more aloof aura.

People around them continued to glance over.

Although Xia Liyang sometimes got similar looks when she drove her Porsche onto campus, this time it felt much more uncomfortable.

She wasn’t sure if it was the curious stares or the silent man sitting beside her that was making her feel so uneasy.

She couldn’t figure out what he was up to, so she tentatively started a conversation, “Mr. Lu, were you giving a lecture earlier?”

“Yeah,” Lu Huaicheng responded flatly, offering no further explanation.

Xia Liyang had to keep searching for a topic. “You must be really busy with work, yet you still manage to find time to give so many lectures at different schools. That’s impressive.”

“Just these two schools,” Lu Huaicheng said.

“…Oh, that’s quite the coincidence, haha.” Xia Liyang forced an awkward laugh.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her, then suddenly said, “The flowers are pretty.”

Xia Liyang was taken aback for a moment, not understanding the meaning behind his sudden comment. She nodded stiffly. “I think so too.”

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bought them for Song Jinhe!

“Do you like them?” he asked again.

“…Yes,” Xia Liyang hesitated but replied.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but his tone seemed to carry a subtle hint of sarcasm.

Lu Huaicheng’s eyes darkened slightly, his voice lowering. “Where’s the necklace I gave you? Why aren’t you wearing it?”

Xia Liyang froze for a moment, struggling to keep up with his sudden change of topic.

“The necklace you gave me is too expensive. I’m afraid I might lose it if I wear it out every day…” she explained softly.

“If you lose it, I’ll buy you another one. Just wear it,” Lu Huaicheng’s frown deepened, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“…Okay, I got it.” Xia Liyang, a bit bewildered, nodded, not understanding why he was being so insistent all of a sudden.

At that moment, the janitor pushing a garbage cart shouted, “Make way, watch your legs, careful not to get them dirty,” as he passed by their table.

Xia Liyang quickly glanced at the garbage cart and pulled her feet back.

When she looked up again, she suddenly saw Lu Huaicheng’s gloved hand pick up the bouquet from the table and silently toss it into the garbage cart.

???

Xia Liyang froze, confused and shocked, and turned to him, “Why did you throw away my flowers?!”

“Eyesore.” Lu Huaicheng’s tone was indifferent, even showing a hint of dissatisfaction at her questioning.

“Aren’t you being a bit too much?” Xia Liyang frowned and couldn’t help but complain.

She was truly angered by his inexplicable behavior.

“Too much?” Lu Huaicheng sneered, his voice turning cold. “So, who gave you the flowers that you can’t bear to throw away?”

“…” Xia Liyang opened her mouth, suddenly realizing what was going on and was about to explain.

At that moment, Song Jinhe, carrying her tray back, saw the flowers in the garbage cart driving away and immediately exclaimed, “Oh my god! My flowers! How did they end up in the garbage cart?”

“…” Lu Huaicheng was momentarily stunned, his expression turning somewhat complex.

He awkwardly cleared his throat, seemingly wanting to say something, but couldn’t find the right words.

Seeing such an amusing expression on Lu Huaicheng’s face for the first time, Xia Liyang nearly burst out laughing.

She raised her hand to cover her mouth, hiding her grin, and quickly turned to Song Jinhe, who had just walked over, saying, “A little misunderstanding. He’ll make it up to you later.”

Song Jinhe was momentarily stunned and then noticed the man sitting beside Xia Liyang.

His features were deep, his nose tall, his contours sharp.

Combined with his cool and composed demeanor, he had a hint of aloofness.

Isn’t this the incredibly handsome guy she saw at the author’s conference?!

Song Jinhe couldn’t help but let out an “Ah” and blurted, “It’s him.”

Xia Liyang blinked in confusion, not quite understanding what she meant.

But to prevent Song Jinhe from saying something inappropriate, Xia Liyang quickly introduced, “He’s my employer from my part-time housekeeping job, Mr. Lu.”

“…Oh, oh, oh.” Song Jinhe took a few seconds to process, then immediately cooperated, smiling warmly. “Hello, Mr. Lu. I’m Xia Liyang’s friend, Song Jinhe.”

“Apologies for accidentally throwing away your flowers. I’ll have someone replace them later,” Lu Huaicheng smiled mildly, his expression returning to normal.

“But those were a graduation gift from Xia Xia. She saved up a lot of money for them. Maybe you should think about how to compensate her instead.” Song Jinhe smiled playfully and winked at Xia Liyang.

“I’ll definitely make it up to her, and I’ll also replace your flowers, Miss Song.” Lu Huaicheng said with a warm tone.

“Then you better make it up well. Don’t break my Xia Xia’s heart,” Song Jinhe half-joked.

Lu Huaicheng responded with a noncommittal smile, glancing at Lin Shen, who returned with a tray, gesturing for him to sit down.

“Hello, Lin Shen.” Lin Shen placed the tray down and politely nodded at Song Jinhe.

“Hello, Song Jinhe.” Song Jinhe smiled lightly.

Lin Shen paused for a few seconds, then casually asked, “Miss Song, did you attend the Wenyu Novel Network’s author’s conference in April?”

“…” Song Jinhe froze slightly. She was so focused on Lu Huaicheng at the time that she hadn’t paid attention to the people around him.

Could Lin Shen have been there too?

And noticed her?

She exchanged a glance with Xia Liyang before responding, “Yes, how did you know, Mr. Lin?”

“I happened to accompany Mr. Lu there and saw you go on stage to accept an award on behalf of a friend, so I remembered.” Lin Shen explained naturally.

“Wow, you have a good memory.” Song Jinhe laughed awkwardly, just about to change the topic when Lin Shen continued to ask, “So, are you friends with Wujin Xia?”

“…” Song Jinhe instinctively glanced at Xia Liyang.

Xia Liyang’s hand, holding the chopsticks, paused slightly, feeling inexplicably tense. She didn’t dare meet Song Jinhe’s gaze.

“Um…yes.” Song Jinhe nodded slowly, trying to joke, “Are you a fan of Wujin Xia?”

“Indeed, I’ve bought all of Wujin Xia’s mystery novels. So knowing you’re Wujin Xia’s friend, I got a bit excited and curious. I hope you don’t mind.” Lin Shen smiled apologetically.

Hearing this, Xia Liyang’s tense nerves relaxed slightly.

So Lin Shen was a fan of her novels.

She almost thought Lu Huaicheng had discovered something and sent his assistant to investigate.

“Oh, I see!” Song Jinhe also let out a sigh of relief, half-jokingly saying, “If we meet again, I could get you an autograph.”

“That would be much appreciated.” Lin Shen smiled warmly, his tone sincere.

“You’re welcome.” Song Jinhe waved it off, sneaking a glance at Xia Liyang across from her.

Xia Liyang’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Although she knew many people online admired her books, she had never held a book signing or attended any reader events.

So she’d never met any of her fans in person.

The idea of being liked by someone didn’t feel very real.

At this moment, meeting one, she couldn’t help but feel happy.

But before she could savor this happiness for more than two seconds, Lu Huaicheng suddenly asked:

“Since Miss Song is friends with Wujin Xia, do you also know this author?”