♡ Chapter 11 ♡

That morning, Lu Yanzhou had come to look at the house since it was a place he would be staying for several months. He had to check it out first. Since the car had to be parked for a while and the parking was not available downstairs, he parked it next to the small plaza.

Zhuo Sheng’s aunt gave him the door password, so he could check it out himself and move in directly if everything was good. After looking around the apartment, he confirmed it was fine and went to the property office to register his car to make entering and exiting the complex and underground garage easier.

After completing the procedures and returning, it was only 9:30. He opened the car door, got in, leaned back in his seat, and called Zhuo Sheng. “I’ve handled the parking registration. I’ll move in tomorrow, and we can take your aunt out for a meal sometime.”

“You’re in a hurry, huh? I’ll come over tomorrow to help you move.”

“No need. I hired a moving company.”

Just then, a girl in a white down jacket gracefully walked around the front of his car. Lu Yanzhou casually glanced over, and just as she turned her head, their eyes met. She was smiling, looking lively and full of joy, though he couldn’t tell what made her so happy.

If he had to describe her expression, Lu Yanzhou was reminded of the look girls had in high school when discussing where to go for a holiday after a long break.

The car window had a one-way film, so she couldn’t see inside.

Lu Yanzhou, without hesitation, continued to watch her while speaking to Zhuo Sheng about business. The girl stood by his car, stretching and doing some casual punches and kicks, though he had no idea what she was doing.

“……”

He found it a bit amusing and actually chuckled. On the phone, Zhuo Sheng asked, “You seem pretty happy about moving. Has Cheng Nana stopped bothering you?”

Cheng Nana was the niece of his previous landlord.

Lu Yanzhou had been bothered by her incessantly lately. Hearing the question, he furrowed his brows and picked up a cigarette box from the center console, lighting a cigarette. “Not for now. I’m hanging up. We’ll talk later.”

After hanging up, he raised his eyes and saw the girl already running towards the small plaza.

The morning temperature was low, but after 9 AM, it started to warm up. The square was the busiest at that time. A group of retired elderly people were practicing Tai Chi there.

The girl walked behind them and joined in the Tai Chi practice.

Blending in with a group of elderly people with graying faces, she looked like a sunflower blooming in a bunch of withered yellow dried flowers—young, lively, and adorable. Her bright smile and sparkling white teeth were simply eye-catching.

Lu Yanzhou lowered the car window, flicked the ash off his cigarette, and couldn’t help but glance toward her. His gaze lingered on the girl.

The elderly people noticed her and pushed her to the front, but she didn’t seem shy. Instead, she earnestly followed along with their practice.

Lu Yanzhou smoked two more cigarettes while watching for nearly ten minutes before finally driving off.

—

“Did we meet before?”

Yu Xia had always thought that the night of the mix-up was their first meeting, but she hadn’t expected that he had seen her practicing Ba Duan Jin with the elderly in the community.

She recalled the scene, feeling utterly… embarrassed!

Lu Yanzhou’s hand rested on the arm of her wheelchair. He lowered his eyes and looked at her as if recalling that night. His gaze appeared gentle and deep in the dim night. “Looking at your social media, it seems like it was the day after your hiatus.”

Yu Xia blankly mumbled, “Ah?” She was curious about his expression now and tilted her head back, resting it on his hand, to look at his face.

He lowered his head.

They shared a unique angle as they locked eyes.

As their gazes met, Yu Xia felt her heart race, so she quickly lowered her head and corrected him, “It wasn’t Tai Chi, it was Ba Duan Jin. Many young people practice it now. It’s great for your neck and body, and they say it brings a sense of relaxation when done twice a day.”

She didn’t want him to think she had prematurely entered old age activities.

She then pulled out her phone and searched the keywords on Xiaohongshu^[1]Xiaohongshu, or “Little Red Book,” is a popular Chinese social media and e-commerce platform where users share lifestyle tips, reviews, and shopping recommendations, especially for … Continue reading, and turned the screen to him. “Look, it’s not just for the elderly.”

Lu Yanzhou didn’t know about it. He glanced at her phone screen and said, “Hmm, I’ve learned something new.”

Yu Xia took her phone back, suddenly unsure of what to say. After a long silence, his hand ruffled her head, and his deep voice rang out. “Want to keep walking around?”

“Hmm…” she thought for a moment. “Let’s just go back after we go around this side.”

On the way back, Yu Xia sat in the wheelchair, distracted, staring at her phone. She realized that the night of the mix-up wasn’t their first meeting. Or rather, it wasn’t the first time Lu Yanzhou had seen her.

He had already remembered her before that night.

She had joked with Tang Yue before that Lu Yanzhou might have fallen in love with her at first sight. But now, at this moment, she suddenly had a bold guess…

Could the story of love at first sight have happened to her? Could it be possible?

“Did you have prejudice against my profession before?” Lu Yanzhou broke the silence.

Yu Xia, still lost in thought, didn’t hear him clearly. She absentmindedly mumbled, “What did you just say?”

Lu Yanzhou pushed her wheelchair into the building and repeated himself.

“There was a bit.” Yu Xia took a deep breath. “Before, everyone said that AI was developing too quickly and that they might be replaced by it. After hearing that a lot, I developed some prejudice.”

She quickly added, “But not anymore.”

Now, as long as you aren’t doing anything wrong and you have a respectable profession, I should like you.

The elevator was on the first floor. Lu Yanzhou pushed her inside and softly said, “AI is just a tool for assistance. At this stage, it can’t fully replace humans, especially mid- to high-level artists.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I’ve seen your artwork. You should believe that, whether it’s AI or anyone else, you can’t be replaced.”

Yu Xia loved her profession and never thought that anything was irreplaceable. This was the first time someone told her she was irreplaceable.

She raised her hand and rubbed her face, sighing, “If you say that, I’m going to get a big head.”

And I might also start thinking about love too much.

At this rate, in a few days, I’ll probably be lost in it, right?

When they arrived at her doorstep, Lu Yanzhou pushed the wheelchair inside. He stood outside and casually glanced over her home. “I’ll leave the wheelchair here. If I come back early tomorrow night, I’ll take you out.”

Aren’t they supposed to be starting a relationship? But since she couldn’t walk, she was stuck in her small space every day, which was a little frustrating.

Yu Xia mumbled, “I want to go watch a movie…”

The wheelchair was suddenly turned halfway. The man squatted down in front of her, and for the first time all evening, their gazes were level.

The sudden closeness, with his handsome face right in front of hers, made Yu Xia’s heart skip a beat. She stared without blinking, nervously asking, “Wh-what’s wrong?”

Lu Yanzhou shifted his gaze from her face to her right foot. She was wearing white socks and cotton slippers, the same as the past few days.

“No need to look!” Yu Xia shrank her foot back. “I think I’ll be able to walk slowly in two or three days.”

“You can go now if you want,” Lu Yanzhou maintained his crouching position and looked at her.

Go to the movies while sitting in a wheelchair? Yu Xia immediately shook her head. “Let’s wait a bit.”

Lu Yanzhou observed her for a few seconds, then stood up lazily and said, “We’ll go when you can walk.”

Yu Xia tilted her head. “Does that count as a date?”

The man raised an eyebrow and asked in return, “What else could it be?”