Today’s driving lesson was a complete game-changer for Meng Suihuan. All along, she’d been dazzled by the massive aura surrounding Lu Linshen, believing that as the male lead, he was capable of anything.

That perception, however, had shattered halfway through today’s peculiar teaching journey. She realized that even someone like Lu Linshen had areas he struggled with—learning to drive, for instance, was clearly his Achilles’ heel.

Meng Suihuan slumped into the passenger seat, utterly exhausted. Beside her, Lu Linshen was faring no better. With his long limbs and an afternoon spent endlessly starting the car, his legs felt weak, and his arms ached. He rubbed his shoulder lightly and flexed his stiff ankles before turning his gaze toward her. Watching her quietly rest, all his fatigue seemed to melt away.

He continued looking at her without saying a word, unwilling to disturb her.

After a short rest, Meng Suihuan finally regained some energy. She sat up and swapped seats with him. Yet, whether it was because of his influence or the car’s own rebellious streak after his repeated mishandling, her first attempt to start the engine also resulted in a stall.

Meng Suihuan: “…”
Can incompetence really be contagious?

The faint sound of laughter reached her ears. Realizing that he was laughing at her, she immediately snapped, her tone half-annoyed, “That was just a slip of my foot! Not like you, failing to start the car at all. Back when I was learning, my instructor always said I was his smartest and most outstanding student.”

“Mm, I know,” Lu Linshen replied with a soft laugh, his eyes glowing warmly.

Even though her words had been a bit exaggerated, they reminded Meng Suihuan of her own first driving experience. She’d been so nervous that she barely dared to press the gas pedal but had no trouble stomping on the brake. At first, she would often slam it all the way down—much like Lu Linshen.

Recalling those memories, a touch of nostalgia flickered in her eyes. She murmured quietly, “I wonder when I’ll finally get to go back.”

The surroundings were tranquil, interrupted only by the occasional chirp of insects. Though her words were soft, Lu Linshen, sitting so close, caught every word. In a gentle tone, he reassured her, “The new year is only two months away. When it comes, we’ll be able to go back.”

She immediately realized he’d misunderstood her meaning but chose not to explain further. Instead, she simply replied, “Mm, I’ll go back.”

At this point, her progress toward her goals was around 70%. The closer she got to the end, the slower her advancements became. Still, it didn’t matter. As long as she could return—return to her own world—nothing else was important.

The car moved at a steady pace. Lu Linshen, glancing at the glowing lights in the distance, wished the road could stretch a bit longer and that the car would slow down.

“Thanks for taking so much of your time today. You must be tired.”

“There’s a food street nearby with a nice hotpot place. Want to go grab something to warm up?”

Gathering his courage, he extended an invitation, his eyes full of anticipation.

Unfortunately, she declined.

Though disappointed, Lu Linshen didn’t push. After all, they’d have plenty of opportunities to spend time together in the future.

But to his surprise, that opportunity came much sooner than expected—just two days later, in fact. He received a call from her, asking if he was free to grab a meal.

She’s inviting me to dinner? The moment he heard this, his mind short-circuited, nearly grinding to a halt.

“Hello? Did the call drop?”

In this era of spotty phone signals, call interruptions were common. Hearing no response, Meng Suihuan murmured to herself and prepared to redial.

Just as she was about to remove the phone from her ear, she heard his slightly hurried voice. “No, the call didn’t drop.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

As the words left her mouth, Meng Suihuan suddenly realized something—her unexpected invitation had likely caused his imagination to run wild. A faint smile flashed in her eyes. She wondered how he’d react to the little “setup” she had planned for tomorrow.

Without waiting for his answer, she asked again, “So, are you free tomorrow? There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Yes!” This time, Lu Linshen didn’t hesitate. His reply was eager, his tone firm. “I’m free anytime.”

“Alright, I’ll send you the address later. Come over after work.”

“Okay.”

When Qin Yu returned, he found Lu Linshen smiling foolishly at his phone, his elbow pressed against his laptop keyboard, inadvertently typing a long string of characters.

Qin Yu gently patted Lu Linshen’s shoulder. “Hey, what’s on your mind? You’re so lost in thought, you’re about to crash your computer.”

As he spoke, Qin Yu peeked at the phone screen and instantly caught sight of the caller’s name and the conversation. He grew even more excited than Lu Linshen, smacking him on the shoulder dramatically. “Wow, Lu! Your relationship with Meng Jie is advancing by leaps and bounds. She’s even initiating dinner plans now!”

Startled by Qin Yu’s loud reaction, Lu Linshen snapped out of his daze and quickly hid his phone. “Keep it down.”

Qin Yu grinned cheekily. “Fine, I’ll keep it down. But, come on, share some tips with me. I’ll need them when I’m chasing a girl someday.”

Lu Linshen ignored him, but Qin Yu wasn’t about to let up. He bombarded Lu Linshen with a flood of questions, each one more persistent than the last.

Finally, driven to the brink of exasperation, Lu Linshen replied, “There’s no trick, no technique.”

“Just sincerity.”

Qin Yu wasn’t satisfied with the answer, immediately calling Lu Linshen out for brushing him off and passionately voicing his grievances.

“Lu Ge, this isn’t fair at all! Back when I was in a relationship, I didn’t hide anything from you guys!”
“And let’s not forget, I’ve given you no shortage of advice about you and Meng Jie! Is this how you repay your love guru?”

Lu Linshen wasn’t fazed. He lifted his eyelids lazily and said, “You’ve been chasing someone for three and a half years with no results. You still dare to call yourself a love guru?”

Qin Yu: “… That’s called slow and steady progress! One day, she’ll definitely be moved by my sincerity!”

“You say that at least a hundred times every year. Has it worked?”

Lu Linshen, in a good mood, followed up the critique with a gentle suggestion. “You’ve tried all those flashy tactics and still haven’t succeeded. Why not abandon them and use your genuine feelings to win her over?”

Qin Yu: “… Lu Ge, why do I feel like you’ve gotten a bit cocky lately? You’re even giving me advice about dating now!”

—

The next day, as Lu Linshen was preparing to head out, he bumped into Qin Yu, who gave him a thorough once-over before speaking in disbelief.

“Lu Ge, are you seriously planning to go out dressed like that?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“… This is your first date with Meng Jie! You’ve got to make an impression, show off your charm! This outfit is way too plain, way too ordinary—it’s a total waste of this golden opportunity!”

“We’re just having dinner, not a… date,” Lu Linshen corrected, but as he said the last two words, his heart seemed to skip a beat.

“How is that not a date?” Qin Yu retorted indignantly. “It’s just the two of you, sitting face to face in a room or restaurant. How is that not a date?!”

While talking, Qin Yu dragged him back into the house and rummaged through his wardrobe, eventually pulling out a “secret weapon” he’d been saving—a trendy denim jacket.

“Wear this. It’s brand new,” he insisted. Seeing Lu Linshen’s hesitation, Qin Yu stuffed the jacket into his hands and rattled on, “This is the hottest style this year! If you weren’t my bro, I wouldn’t let you wear something this good. Trust me, wear this, and you’ll leave a deep impression on Meng Jie!”

Against his better judgment, Lu Linshen put on the jacket and even swapped his inner shirt for a crisp white one as per Qin Yu’s suggestion. However, when Qin Yu tried to convince him to style his hair into trendy waves, he firmly refused.

“It’s about time. I’m leaving,” Lu Linshen said.

Although he couldn’t give Lu Linshen the full makeover he’d envisioned, Qin Yu was still satisfied with the outfit. “Lu Ge, in this battle armor I tailored just for you, tonight’s date with Meng Jie is bound to be unforgettable!”

—

Following the address carefully, Lu Linshen arrived at the venue, confirmed the name and table number, and sat down to wait.

His gaze frequently flickered toward the entrance. One person after another passed by, but none of them were her. As the agreed time approached, his ears flushed slightly red as he recalled Qin Yu repeatedly referring to this as a “date.” His heart swirled with both anticipation and nervousness.

He checked his watch countless times, and when the hands pointed to six, he heard her clear voice behind him.

“Lu Linshen?”

He instinctively stood up and looked at her, his voice slightly stiff. “Yeah, you’re here. Have a seat.”

It wasn’t until he stood that Meng Suihuan confirmed it was indeed the Lu Linshen she knew.

He was dressed in a denim jacket paired with a white shirt, his cool and handsome features exuding a clean and refreshing aura that made him look like a campus heartthrob straight out of a drama. This was the first time she’d seen him like this, and for a moment, she almost didn’t recognize him when she walked in.

“You look great today,” she said generously, offering him a couple of compliments.

“Mm, just threw something on,” Lu Linshen replied, his ears turning faintly red.

“I’d like to introduce you to someone. This is Song Mian, the head of product design at Feiyun Group. I invited you here today so we could all get acquainted since we’ll be collaborating quite a bit in the future.”

Hearing this, Lu Linshen finally noticed the young woman standing beside Meng Suihuan. When his gaze met hers, she shyly greeted him.

“I’m Song Mian. Nice to meet you.”

“Hello, I’m Lu Linshen,” he replied coolly, quickly shifting his attention back to Meng Suihuan.

She was smiling warmly as she invited Song Mian to sit, and the sight inexplicably dampened his mood. For some reason, an unexplainable irritation began to bubble up within him.