♡ Chapter 13.1 ♡

Yu Xia felt dazed for a moment, her heart racing as her breath became a little more erratic. “I… didn’t catch that. Can you write it down for me?”

Lu Yanzhou smiled. “Sure.”

He knew when to stop, and sat down on the sofa in a measured manner, unpacked the bag, and laid out the midnight snacks, “Eat first.”

Yu Xia sat beside him, softly asking, “Are you going to eat too?”

Lu Yanzhou handed her a pair of disposable chopsticks. “I’ll eat a little with you.”

Yu Xia took the chopsticks and turned on the TV with the remote. She needed some background noise to dispel the tension in the air, so she could breathe freely. The TV was playing a funny variety show, but her mind was elsewhere. After taking a few sips of porridge, she said slowly, “I’m going to Guangzhou on Friday for the weekend comic convention. Afterward, I’ll spend two more days there with my colleagues before coming back.”

The implication was clear: if he didn’t have time in the next couple of days, their date would have to be postponed.

Lu Yanzhou turned his head and looked at her helplessly. “I have a business trip tomorrow.”

“Ah?” Yu Xia was momentarily stunned. “When will you be back?”

“The plan is to be gone for two days and return on Saturday.”

Yu Xia hummed in response. “Then I guess you’ll have to wait for me for two more days. I already made plans with my colleague to go out and have fun, so I can’t back out.”

Lu Yanzhou smiled. “It’s fine. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

Half an hour later, Lu Yanzhou kept his word and left after accompanying her to finish the late-night snack. Before he left, he wrote the name of a perfume on a piece of sticky note. His handwriting was strong and graceful, very pleasing to the eye.

Yu Xia picked up the note and smiled foolishly for a few seconds. She took a photo with her phone and carefully tucked the note into her favorite sketchbook.

On Friday afternoon, Yu Xia arrived in Guangzhou with the editor. After eating at a nearby mall, she went straight to a fragrance counter on the first floor of a brand store.

The sales assistant eagerly approached, ready to introduce the products.

Yu Xia immediately asked, “Do you have this one?”

“Yes,” the sales assistant replied with a smile. “This men’s fragrance has a unique scent. The top notes are slightly bitter…”

Before the sales assistant could continue, the editor suddenly grabbed Yu Xia’s head and turned it toward her, whispering, “Why are you buying men’s fragrances? Didn’t your ex-boyfriend cheat on you? Are you really doing what fans think and hooking up with your male neighbor?”

“…Don’t put it like that,” Yu Xia smiled and looked at the sales assistant. “I’ll take this one.”

After leaving the store, Yu Xia admitted openly, “It’s for my new boyfriend.”

The term ‘new boyfriend’ sounded a bit strange.

She quickly corrected herself, “I mean, it’s for my boyfriend.”

“You’re moving pretty fast…” The editor, who had worked with her for over three years, from the beginning of this comic series until now, was quite close with her. “Is your male neighbor really that handsome?”

Yu Xia smiled slyly. “Of course.”

“You’re getting a boyfriend so easily. No wonder a bunch of beautiful girls are trying to steal the wrong male god,” the editor said, a little bitter. Then, she suddenly remembered something. “Aren’t you updating your webcomic? Fans are going to be asking about it tomorrow.”

Yu Xia, worried about being thoroughly investigated, considered not updating it at all.

But it was still hard to explain to her fans.

“I’ll think about it,” she replied.

Later that night, after returning to the hotel, Yu Xia applied a face mask and lay on her bed while sending a message to Lu Yanzhou. The editor, who was in the same room, was also lying on her bed, applying a face mask while having a video call with her boyfriend.

Living in Spring: [I’ve returned to the hotel and am about to sleep. How about you?]

Lu Yanzhou, who had just removed his tie and sat at the edge of the bed, sent a voice message: [Just got back to my room. Is it okay to video call?]

Yu Xia: “…”

She glanced at the editor and then typed a response.

Living in Spring: [I’m sharing a room with my editor. She’s video calling her boyfriend, so I’m going to the bathroom…]

Yu Xia touched the face mask on her face while typing and got out of bed to wash her face before the video call.

Living in Spring: [Wait for me for three minutes.]

Lu Yanzhou’s fingers paused briefly, and he sent a voice message: [If it’s inconvenient, we can talk tomorrow night instead.]

He didn’t tell her that he had already booked a flight to Guangzhou for the next day at noon. After all, a surprise is no longer a surprise once it’s spoiled.

Yu Xia didn’t catch the hint in his words and sat back down.

Living in Spring: [Alright, then. Goodnight.]

L: [Goodnight.]

—

The crowd at the comic convention was large. Yu Xia was mainly there for a signing session in the afternoon. She attended at least once a year, but seeing the endless line in front of her, she felt a little dazed.

Why are there so many people this year?

The editor leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I heard your comic actually helped a few girls get their male gods. Someone posted on Weibo saying they’re bringing their boyfriends to the convention to get your signature and thank you for playing matchmaker.”

“…Is it really that easy to get a male god these days?” Yu Xia couldn’t believe it.

This was too crazy.

The editor said, “The brave ones always find love faster.”

“…”

Yu Xia looked up at the line and saw a few couples. She felt a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, the only couple who came to thank her as their “matchmaker” was one pair. The girl was blushing but very gracious as she introduced her boyfriend. The boy looked slightly tense, but his ears were red, so it seemed he no longer minded the girl’s matchmaking. Yu Xia felt a little complicated but still sincerely wished them: “I wish you a sweet and long-lasting life.”

The girl linked arms with her boyfriend, smiling happily. “Ms. Sanxia, can we take a photo together?”

“Of course.”

Yu Xia stepped out from behind the table and posed for a photo with them.

The girl took her phone back, eagerly asking, “Ms. Sanxia, will the comic be continued? I really want to know what happens next.”

Others around also joined in asking.

Yu Xia smiled. “I’ll find some time to draw another episode.”

She had already decided that this would be the last episode. She had thought it over last night.

For the entire afternoon, Yu Xia was focused on signing, taking photos with readers, and letting her editor handle her phone in case of any important calls. There were quite a few readers this time, and she didn’t want anyone to leave disappointed, so she discussed with the organizers to extend the signing time a bit.

Just as she was still signing, Lu Yanzhou’s call came through.

The editor held up the flashing phone screen in front of her and asked, “Who is it? Should you answer?”

Yu Xia paused. She had told him when the signing would end, so he probably thought she’d be done by then. She leaned toward the editor’s ear and said, “It’s my boyfriend. Can you pick it up and tell him I’ll call him back later?”

“Sure,” the editor smiled and walked off to answer the call in a quiet spot.

Yu Xia didn’t notice that after answering the call, the editor went out, and she didn’t know where they had gone.

The convention hall had time limits, and they couldn’t extend it too much. By now, only a few readers were left. As Yu Xia continued signing, she suddenly heard someone in the crowd whisper, “Wow, that guy is so handsome.”

“Where?”

“Just ahead, walking this way with a suitcase.”

Yu Xia didn’t think much of it. She didn’t even raise her head, thinking to herself: How handsome can he be? Surely, not more handsome than my boyfriend.

But the next second, she heard someone else say, “He came with the editor-in-chief of Ms. Sanxia. They know each other!”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Yu Xia had a strong premonition. She turned her head and looked over. Lu Yanzhou had already followed the editor-in-chief into their exclusive booth behind them. The background poster of the booth displayed the male and female leads from her comic, with life-sized cutouts of the characters beside it.

Lu Yanzhou stood next to the male lead cutout, dressed in a black shirt and suit pants, looking taller and more elegant than the cutout. The moment Yu Xia saw him, she froze.