♡ Chapter 16 ♡

“Don’t throw it away! What’s wrong with the clothes?”

Yu Xia didn’t expect him to get jealous and say such things. She cupped his face in her hands and said seriously, “He gave the clothes back to me, so I returned them. And the clothes only look similar. That night, I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so I didn’t clearly see if they were the same.”

Besides, those clothes cost thousands! How could she just throw them away?

Lu Yanzhou, wearing a hat and mask that only left his eyes visible, looked aloof. He narrowed his eyes slightly. “Are you sure it’s just because the clothes look similar?”

“Of course! He’s a scumbag, do you think I’d waste time on some replacement romance?” Yu Xia reassured him, “You’re way more handsome than him.”

Her fingertips brushed against the hair behind his ear, her fingers a little damp. She touched it again and asked with curiosity, “Did you wash your hair this morning?”

She hadn’t worn her glasses when she got up, so she didn’t notice that his hair was wet.

Lu Yanzhou answered casually, “I took a shower.”

Yu Xia blinked and teasingly smiled, “It wasn’t a cold shower, was it?”

“…”

Lu Yanzhou’s expression stiffened slightly. He turned on his phone, placed it in front of her, and lazily glanced at her, smiling faintly. “Are you sure you want to discuss this now?”

“Ah!” Yu Xia looked at the time and quickly grabbed her bag, pulling his hand as she turned. “Hurry, hurry! We’ll be late if we don’t go.”

The comic exhibition was still crowded. Yu Xia and Lu Yanzhou almost walked in right on time. The readers had already formed long lines, and as soon as they arrived, Yu Xia sat down in her spot. She greeted the fans and then began signing books.

Lu Yanzhou was dressed casually, wearing a mask and hat. Although his face was hidden, his figure and aura stood out so much that everyone’s attention was already on him as he walked in, pushing a suitcase beside Yu Xia.

“Is that some cosplayer?”

“What cosplayer? I bet that’s the boyfriend of Ms. Sanxia! Didn’t you see the post in the fan group? Someone took a picture and posted it there. He’s so handsome!”

“Where? I didn’t see it.”

“Ah? It looks like they deleted it. Probably thought it was bad to take a candid photo.”

…

Lu Yanzhou sat in an empty seat in the back, and while the crowd’s whispers couldn’t reach him, Yu Xia heard them. She felt a headache coming on. She knew this would happen!

After all, her boyfriend was so handsome!

After a while, a bold reader asked with a smile, “Ms. Sanxia, who is that handsome guy sitting behind?”

“…He’s wearing a mask. How do you know he’s handsome?” Yu Xia finished signing and handed the comic to the girl in front of her.

“He’s definitely handsome.” A few readers behind her leaned in and asked, though they were a bit more reserved. “Who is he? It seems like he’s been staring at you.”

“…”

He’s been staring at me?

Yu Xia couldn’t help but glance back.

The chair was a little low, so Lu Yanzhou lazily leaned against the backrest, his long legs spread out casually. The eyes beneath the hat brim were deep and gentle, and indeed, they were looking right at her.

She smiled at the curious girls in front of her, then turned back to them, suddenly not wanting to hide it anymore. She smiled and said, “Family. He came with me to the signing.” Then she put a finger to her lips, making a “shh” gesture. “Don’t look at him too much. He’s shy. You’ll scare him away.”

Lu Yanzhou: “…”

It would’ve been better not to say anything. More people started looking at him.

At 12:30, Yu Xia’s signing still wasn’t over, and Lu Yanzhou had to leave. It would take nearly an hour to get to the airport, not counting traffic. He stood up, walked behind her, ruffled her hair lightly, and said softly, “I have to go.”

Yu Xia looked up with a start. After a few seconds of eye contact, she whispered, “Then… see you at home.”

She couldn’t leave and couldn’t even walk him out.

Lu Yanzhou’s eyes flashed with a smile. He nodded but didn’t say more, then turned and walked off, pushing his suitcase.

When the man sat there, his long legs were very noticeable. When he stood up, the effect was even more obvious. Someone turned around and looked at Lu Yanzhou’s back, marveling, “Ms. Sanxia, your boyfriend is so tall. He must be 1.9 meters, right?”

“About that.” Yu Xia silently looked away. Actually, she didn’t know exactly how tall Lu Yanzhou was.

After the signing, Yu Xia had lunch with the organizers and the artists. On the way, she was teased several times. “Who brings their partner to a signing event? I’ve never seen that before.”

Yu Xia had been dealing with readers’ jokes all morning and now she could answer without missing a beat. “You guys can bring yours next time.”

Just after she finished speaking, her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Lu Yanzhou, saying he had boarded the plane.

Yu Xia linked her arm with the editor-in-chief and quickly replied: [I just finished. Now I’m going to eat with everyone.]

Living in Spring: [You sat behind me all morning, and now everyone knows I brought my partner to the signing.]

L: [I’ll come with you again next time if I have time.]

What should she do?

They had just parted, and Yu Xia already missed him.

—

After finishing an evening event, Lu Yanzhou was waiting for his ride with Zuo Sheng outside the club. Zuo Sheng nudged his shoulder. “What did you go to Guangzhou for yesterday afternoon?”

Lu Yanzhou glanced lazily ahead. “To find my girlfriend.”

“That was fast!” Zuo Sheng was genuinely happy for him, then turned to discuss, “When are you bringing her out to have a meal with us? Everyone’s curious about the first girl you chased.”

Lu Yanzhou paused before saying, “I’ll ask her.”

The driver pulled the car onto the road, and Lu Yanzhou leaned back in his seat, sending a message to Yu Xia.

L: [Can I call you?]

Half a minute later, the phone rang.

Lu Yanzhou answered with a smile, “Are you ready to sleep?”

“Not yet, I’m packing.” Yu Xia was squatting next to her suitcase. “We decided on a whim to go to Hong Kong for two days. Luckily, my pass hasn’t expired.”

Lu Yanzhou: “Are you coming back in two days?”

“Mm.”

She actually wanted to return right now.

She asked, “Have you gone home yet?”

“I’m on my way.”

“Are you driving yourself?”

“No, I had a bit to drink, so I got a designated driver.”

“Oh…”

Lu Yanzhou looked out the window. “When you come back, would you like to have dinner with my friends?”

Yu Xia paused. “Are they your business partners? The ones who lent me the wheelchair?”

“Yes, they’ll be there, along with his girlfriend and two other close friends.” Lu Yanzhou, noticing she might feel uncomfortable, added, “They’re just curious to meet the girl I chased for the first time. If you don’t want to go now, we can always arrange it later.”

“No need to wait.” Yu Xia sat down on the edge of the bed. She was initially nervous, but remembering how quickly their relationship had progressed, it didn’t seem like a big deal to meet his friends. “My flight is in the afternoon, which is just right.”

Lu Yanzhou smiled. “Send me your flight details, and I’ll pick you up.”

“Alright… I’ll hang up for now. I still have some packing to do.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

Yu Xia hung up the phone, sat on the bed for a couple of seconds, then opened WeChat and sent him a message.

Living in Spring: [There are people in the room, so I didn’t want to say this earlier, but I miss you.]

Lu Yanzhou smiled silently, sending her a voice message: “I miss you too.”

The voice message was two seconds long.

His voice was deep and warm, with a smile in his tone.

Yu Xia felt a tickling sensation in her heart and wanted to go home even more now!

After Lu Yanzhou took a shower at home, he sent a message to his designer: [The design for the study needs to be changed.]

The designer was his high school friend, Gao Xiyuan, who owned a design company and had won many design awards. He was fully responsible for the renovation of Lu Yanzhou’s home.

Gao Xiyuan: [???]

Gao Xiyuan: [Didn’t we finalize everything already? I’ve already ordered the materials. What do you want to change?]

L: [Connect it to the next door and make it a double study room. Redesign the layout to maintain some privacy and ensure that both people have independent space.]

Gao Xiyuan immediately called him: “Are you getting married? Is this going to be a wedding house? When did you get a girlfriend? How come I didn’t hear anything about this?”

“…”

“It’s not a wedding, and I wouldn’t call it a wedding house.” Lu Yanzhou went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. Even he found it hard to believe that in such a short time, he went from liking someone to wanting to be with them forever.

He chuckled, “But I do have a girlfriend now, and it’s recent.”

Gao Xiyuan: “I thought you were going to elope, either not dating or doing something totally surprising.”

“No,” Lu Yanzhou paused, keeping it brief, “We’ll have dinner together in a couple of days.”

“With your girlfriend?”

“Mm, Zhuo Sheng and the others.”

Gao Xiyuan laughed: “Then I have to go.”

After hanging up, Lu Yanzhou finished his water, put the glass on the dining table, and rested his hand on the chair Yu Xia had sat on last time. He remembered what Gao Xiyuan had said about “getting married” and “eloping.” He had never thought about marriage before, but with Yu Xia, there seemed to be nothing he couldn’t accept—even something he looked forward to.

Lu Yanzhou smiled at himself, wondering what he was thinking. Yu Xia was still so young—she probably hadn’t thought about that yet.

—

After two days of enjoying the sights and shopping in Hong Kong, Yu Xia bought a lot of things she couldn’t fit into her suitcase, so she had to send them back. As soon as she boarded the plane, her heart seemed to soar along with it.

She sent a message to Lu Yanzhou: [I’m boarding now!!!!]

The five exclamation marks made it clear how excited she was.

L: [I’ll pick you up soon.]

Yu Xia smiled and put her phone away. Her editor, seeing her eager expression, couldn’t help but remind her, “I understand you’re in the honeymoon phase, but you remember—you’ll need to continue the series soon. You better have a new manuscript ready, don’t let love distract you from your career, especially since this is the final season. Let’s make sure it wraps up well.”

Yu Xia slouched her shoulders and muttered, “I know, don’t worry. A man won’t affect my career.”

The plane landed at 4:30 pm. Yu Xia got her luggage, said goodbye to the editor and the illustrator, and quickly pushed her suitcase toward the exit.

She spotted him immediately. He had cut his hair short, his features sharper. Wearing a white shirt and black pants, he stood out in the crowd.

Her heart skipped a beat. She smiled widely and rushed towards him.

Lu Yanzhou opened his arms, embracing her as she reached him.

Yu Xia tilted her head, smiling at him. “Did you wait long?”

“No,” Lu Yanzhou took the suitcase from her and wrapped an arm around her, turning toward the car. “Let’s go, get in.”

At the parking lot, Lu Yanzhou put the suitcase in the trunk, noticing Yu Xia still standing by the car, staring at him. He looked at her with a smile, asking knowingly, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Xia felt as though she were under some sort of spell, with an overwhelming impulse to hug and kiss him. It had only been two days, and though they had already shared a bed, she still blushed and felt her heart race upon seeing him.

“It’s nothing… I’m just… a little hungry.”

She blinked and found an excuse.

“Then let’s get in the car and go eat.” Lu Yanzhou opened the car door for her. Yu Xia sat down, took a deep breath, and watched him walk around to the driver’s seat. She glanced at the windshield and the windows of the car, wondering if he could see her from outside.

Lu Yanzhou turned his head, raising an eyebrow. “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing…” Yu Xia quickly shifted her gaze, struggling for a few seconds before unbuckling her seatbelt and fastening it.

Click—

The next second, her hand was gently held by someone.

Another click, and her seatbelt was undone.

The man’s breath was close, and his familiar woody scent filled her senses. Her heartbeat quickened. He cupped her face, and the warm kiss she had been waiting for arrived. Yu Xia’s mind went blank, and instinctively, she reached for his neck. But just as she was getting lost in the kiss, he stopped and leaned back slightly.

The distance between them was so close that with a slight tilt of his head, he could kiss her again.

The man gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, lowering his gaze to look at her. His deep voice carried a hint of teasing: “You’ve been hesitating for so long, still not daring to take the initiative. Can your initiative only last two and a half days?”

“……”

She had the intention but lacked the courage.

And it was so obvious.