♡ Chapter 14 ♡

The height difference between them was quite big. The first time Yu Xia lost her balance and started sliding down, she was swiftly lifted onto the table. Throughout this, their lips didn’t part, and the man tilted her chin up, deepening the kiss. It shouldn’t have been this intense—it was their first kiss, after all. But it was instinctive, hard to control.

Yu Xia’s tongue tingled, her breathing was erratic, and her heart pounded so fast it felt like it might burst out of her chest.

She had never experienced such a forceful kiss. It felt as if she might be consumed by it. Their breaths intertwined. Sensing her struggle to keep up, Lu Yanzhou softened his kiss, gently pecking her lips, his movements tender.

This slow and gentle approach made Yu Xia feel even more acutely the warmth of his lips and his own hurried breath.

Her breathing slowly steadied in the softness of the kiss. Lu Yanzhou caressed her face, then finally lifted his head, lowering his gaze to look at her.

Yu Xia kept her eyes shut, her face flushed, her eyelashes trembling. She buried her head in his chest, too shy to look up and meet his gaze.

Lu Yanzhou gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb, his voice rough and sensual. “Do you still want to watch the movie?”

“Hmm…” Yu Xia’s voice sounded husky. She took a deep breath, still resting her head on his chest. “What time is it?”

Lu Yanzhou raised his hand and glanced at his watch. “It’s 9:00.”

“If you’re tired, we don’t have to go.”

“I’m fine…” Yu Xia thought to herself that even if he was tired, that kiss had definitely woken her up. She finally lifted her head from his chest. “There’s a cinema nearby.”

“What movie do you want to watch?” Lu Yanzhou still held her, taking his phone from the table and opening a ticket app.

Yu Xia leaned in and pointed to the screen. “This one. It just came out, and I’ve been wanting to see it.”

“Alright.”

There was a 9:30 showing available, so they could just make it. Lu Yanzhou booked the tickets and, without warning, picked her up. Yu Xia’s heart, which had only just calmed down, started racing again. She looked up in a panic and found him watching her.

She shyly lowered her head, murmuring, “I’ll go to the bathroom. Wait for me.”

Lu Yanzhou responded with a low hum.

Yu Xia entered the bathroom and saw herself in the mirror—her face was flushed, her eyes soft, and her lips swollen. A sense of embarrassment washed over her. She washed her face, quickly touched up her makeup from her bag, and walked out.

Lu Yanzhou saw her come out and walked over to her, naturally taking her hand. “Let’s go.”

Yu Xia glanced at their joined hands, and her lips couldn’t help but curl up.

The cinema was still bustling, mostly with couples. Lu Yanzhou handed her the popcorn, and the two of them went through the ticket check just in time for the movie to begin.

While the screen was still showing ads, Yu Xia sent a message to her editor: [I’m going to watch a movie. I’ll be back around midnight.]

Editor: [Midnight? Don’t come back then.]

Living in Spring: [Don’t lock the door!]

The cinema was dim, with Lu Yanzhou resting his elbow on the armrest, leaning close to her. Without meaning to, he glanced at her phone screen. “How many days are you planning to stay here?”

“Two or three days, maybe.”

Yu Xia put her phone back in her bag after sending the message. “I’ve been to Guangzhou a few times and seen a lot of places already. The main reason I’m here is that I’ll have to start working soon, so I’m taking the chance to play for a few days.”

She looked up at him and asked softly, “What about you?”

“I have to go back tomorrow at noon. There’s a dinner I can’t cancel.”

That meant he’d only be here for less than a day.

In that less-than-a-day, they only had a few hours together.

Yu Xia felt that time was too short. She couldn’t help feeling disappointed. “I have a signing event tomorrow morning. It’ll probably finish around one, and after that, I have to have lunch with the event organizers and some artist’s wives that I know.”

Lu Yanzhou held her hand and placed it on his lap, raising an eyebrow. “Do you want me to go with you to the signing?”

Yu Xia hesitated a little. Mainly because he was too eye-catching. Just standing or sitting would draw more attention than cosplayers at the comic convention.

Lu Yanzhou raised an eyebrow. “Is it inconvenient?”

“It’s not…” She blinked, speaking seriously. “You’re just too noticeable. If you sit behind me, readers will gossip, and it’ll affect the efficiency of my signing.”

“…”

Yu Xia thought for a moment and said, “You should wear a mask tomorrow.”

Lu Yanzhou knew he looked good, but he wasn’t a celebrity—why would he need to wear a mask when going out? He helplessly replied, “If you think it’s necessary, I’ll wear one.”

“The popularity of that comic hasn’t faded, and suddenly having a handsome guy around me makes it easy to get noticed,” she said, scratching his palm with her fingers. “You don’t want to be noticed, do you?”

“Don’t move,” Lu Yanzhou tightened his grip on her hand to stop her from scratching. “I don’t really mind, but I’m not afraid either.”

Yu Xia blinked and looked at their hands, then couldn’t help but lean in closer, whispering, “You’re so good at this…”

“Good at what?” Lu Yanzhou tilted his head, their heads almost touching.

“Dating… You’re really good at it,” Yu Xia mumbled. “You make it look so natural. Compared to you, I feel like an amateur…”

Although she was moved by his teasing, it also felt like he was a seasoned pro at this.

At this point, the advertisement ended, and the movie started. The lights in the theater dimmed further. Their seats were toward the back, and there was no one else nearby.

After a brief silence, Lu Yanzhou asked, “Otherwise, what? Should I let you take the lead?”

“…”

“You said you wanted to pursue me, but you haven’t made a move,” he said, lowering his gaze and turning to the screen with a casual air. “Being proactive and being skilled are different. This is the first time I’ve pursued a girl.”

Yu Xia’s heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Did you… fall in love with me at first sight?”

Actually, Lu Yanzhou didn’t know if it could be considered love at first sight, but he did think of her the moment they met and couldn’t forget her. He was sure that even if they hadn’t had that mistaken hug that night, he would still remember her when they met again.

For him, she was someone special.

Lu Yanzhou turned his head and met her gaze with a smile. “Yes.”

Yu Xia’s heart raced, and she held her breath, asking again, “Then what if I hadn’t broken up with my ex?”

The man furrowed his brow and squeezed her hand, falling silent for a moment before softly replying, “I don’t know.”

Yu Xia immediately regretted asking. Why did she bring up that scumbag, Zhou Yu? She ruined the atmosphere! Lu Yanzhou raised his hand, gently holding her chin and guiding her back to the screen. “Didn’t you say you wanted to watch this movie? Focus on the movie and stop thinking about these impossible hypotheticals.”

“Oh…”

—

After the movie, they returned to the hotel, and it was nearly midnight. Lu Yanzhou walked her to her room and looked down at her. “Go inside.”

Yu Xia looked up at him. “Then… I’m going in.”

Lu Yanzhou nodded and released her hand.

As soon as Yu Xia entered, she saw her editor sitting on the bed. She must have heard the door. Yu Xia quickly closed the door behind her. The editor smiled at her. “You’re back early.”

“It’s almost midnight, why aren’t you asleep?” Yu Xia tossed her bag on the bed and started rummaging through her things to get ready for a shower.

“We night owls never sleep before one,” the editor said, eyeing the dress Yu Xia was holding, not her pajamas.

The editor squinted. “You…”

“I’ll leave after my shower. You can lock the door later,” Yu Xia said as she grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Yu Xia stepped out of the bathroom, and the editor gave her a meaningful look as she watched her leave the room.

Yu Xia nervously texted him in the elevator: [Are you asleep?]

L: [Not yet.]

L: [You should sleep soon. You need to get up early tomorrow.]

Lu Yanzhou had just finished his shower, not feeling sleepy. He pulled out his laptop to handle some emails. As he sat down and waited for the computer to start up, another message popped up.

Living in Spring: [Then open the door for me.]

Lu Yanzhou froze. Before he could react, he found himself walking toward the door. He yanked it open, his gaze locking on the girl standing outside. His voice was rough. “You…”

Yu Xia was nervous but still stepped inside. She looked up at him. “Didn’t you say I should take the lead? I just… wanted to stay with you a little longer, so I came…”

Before she could finish her sentence, there was a sudden loud sound.

The door slammed shut, and she was pressed against it as he kissed her without hesitation.