♡ Chapter 22: An Unexpected Fairytale ♡

On Sunday, Yu Xia and Lu Yanzhou went to T University to have a meal with Tang Yue. When Tang Yue met Lu Yanzhou for the first time, she immediately understood why Yu Xia had fallen for him so quickly.

Not only was he handsome, but he also had a calm, thoughtful, and caring personality. The key was that he was devoted. A man like that was hard to find, even with a lantern.

After Yu Xia dropped Tang Yue off at the school gate, Lu Yanzhou parked the car on the side of the road to wait for her. Tang Yue glanced over at him and couldn’t help but say, “This girl really has good luck.”

“Yeah, I admit I’m lucky.” Yu Xia agreed, not forgetting to compliment herself, “But he’s lucky too, for meeting me.”

Tang Yue rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, you’re making a six-figure income, and I still haven’t found the right job.”

“Good things are always behind, don’t rush,” Yu Xia comforted her. “How are things going with the senior?”

“Uh… we just had dinner last night.” Tang Yue looked a little confused. “He said he’ll treat me to a meal next time.”

Yu Xia, feeling disappointed, said, “That’s progress! Don’t be so timid!”

Tang Yue’s face lit up. “Really?”

“Eighty percent,” Yu Xia didn’t expect Tang Yue to take the initiative, so she patted her shoulder encouragingly. “Just don’t be scared!”

After saying goodbye to Tang Yue, Yu Xia got back in the car and happily turned to Lu Yanzhou. “Tang Yue complimented you.”

Lu Yanzhou started driving, casually asking, “What did she say?”

“She said you’re handsome, considerate, mature, and devoted.” She counted on her fingers.

“You’re pretty great too,” the man responded with a nonchalant smile.

“I said the same thing.” Yu Xia’s heart blossomed. Complimenting someone and being complimented felt entirely different. She gazed out the window. “Where are we going?”

Her comic would be launching next week, so today was her last day off.

“I’m taking you to see the wedding house,” Lu Yanzhou said, tapping his finger lightly on the steering wheel. “You mentioned you wanted to design part of it yourself, so seeing it in person will help with your design.”

Yu Xia: “…”

Lu Yanzhou’s execution was sometimes frighteningly fast. She often couldn’t keep up with his pace.

——

After the holiday ended, Yu Xia’s comic started its serialized publication. It was an original work, and the conclusion would be coming in a few months. She had kept getting commission requests since last year, with a few major IP adaptations hoping she would be the lead artist. She was still deciding whether to accept the offers. IP adaptations could bring in much larger traffic, but they also meant facing scrutiny from the original fans. She wasn’t afraid of criticism, it was just that she preferred the freedom to create. After thinking it over, she turned the offers down.

Her webcomic from before still had a lot of attention. Some readers guessed the story’s inspiration came from her. Yu Xia neither confirmed nor denied it, letting the readers imagine for themselves. The ending left people wanting more, and some readers suggested turning it into a longer serial. The call for this was so strong that the platform even offered favorable conditions.

Without any hesitation, Yu Xia refused.

Her life with Lu Yanzhou was a little unconventional. Maybe it wasn’t quite living together but more like taking turns staying over. Most of the time, it was Lu Yanzhou stayed at her place since she had to work in her study at night. She often worked until late into the night, and if he was there, she would be more disciplined and stop working to spend time with him before midnight.

Lu Yanzhou knew this, so he usually came over around 11 PM. He wouldn’t come earlier, though, because if he was around, she would get distracted and lose focus.

However, after they got the cat, it did affect Yu Xia’s work a little.

The cat was very clingy.

So, when Lu Yanzhou came home, he would first take the cat to his place next door and then take the cat back when the time came.

Gradually, Yu Xia’s late-night routine became much more regular. Though she still had to deal with the cat before bed, her sleep schedule had become much healthier than before when she would stay up until two or three in the morning.

Once her routine was adjusted, Lu Yanzhou began making more plans.

“By the way, where’s the black card Old Yang gave you?”

“Huh?” Yu Xia was a little surprised. She realized that “Old Yang” was Lu Yanzhou’s childhood friend who owned a gym. A bad premonition crept into her mind. “It’s in the drawer. What do you need it for?”

Lu Yanzhou picked up the cat, which was trying to jump on her keyboard. The cat had grown quite a bit since it arrived, but it was still small. He held the cat in one hand and looked down at her, saying, “From now on, you need to go to the gym with me twice a week.”

Yu Xia: “…”

Ah, I knew it!

This man ran every morning at least three times a week. Whenever he had free time, he also went to the gym to work out and box with Old Yang. He had once tried to get her to join him for a morning run, but Yu Xia always used the excuse of being too tired to get up and ended up falling back asleep.

The one time she did manage to get up was on the first day of summer when she decided she wanted to experience a summer morning.

They ran along the track by the river… and after just one kilometer, Yu Xia was out of breath. She grabbed his hand, recalling the painful memories of running 800 meters back in high school.

Lu Yanzhou knew that Yu Xia had poor stamina, but he didn’t expect it to be this bad.

He was left with no choice but to hold her hand and take a walk along the river. On the way back, Yu Xia acted spoiled and refused to walk any further, so she grabbed a shared bicycle from the roadside.

On their way back, it turned into her riding the bike while chasing him, with Lu Yanzhou running ahead.

Yu Xia took out the black card from the drawer, along with two other gym cards, and honestly explained, “I actually had a gym membership before. One of the gyms shut down, and the other one… expired.”

“…”

Lu Yanzhou sat on the lazy sofa beside her, with the cat curled up on his lap. He casually scratched its belly before setting it aside and beckoning Yu Xia over with his fingers, “Come here.”

Yu Xia walked up to him, only to be pulled into his arms. At that moment, she felt a bit uneasy. No matter how compatible two people are, a certain amount of adjustment is still needed. Their relationship had progressed so quickly, and sometimes she worried that she might not be what he expected. Would he be disappointed?

She wrapped her arms around his neck and voiced her concerns, “Do you think I’m not as good as you imagined? I can barely cook, I don’t like to go out during my publication period, and I don’t enjoy exercising. I feel like I can’t always keep up with you.”

“Indeed, you’re a bit out of sync with me,” Lu Yanzhou nodded.

Yu Xia’s heart sank, and she looked up at him, meeting his playful eyes. The man added meaningfully, “You have very poor stamina.”

“…” Yu Xia’s face flushed as she lightly hit his chest, “That’s not what I meant.”

Lu Yanzhou chuckled, “Not being able to cook isn’t a big deal. I can cook, and if we don’t have time, we can always order takeout together.”

To him, it really wasn’t a problem, it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

“As for not liking exercise, that’s not great,” Lu Yanzhou said as he pulled her closer, his voice low. “Do you remember when you were sick and I called the property management to report it?”

Yu Xia paused for a moment before nodding, “Yes.”

“Sometimes I need to travel for work, and I’ll be away for several days. If your routine gets messed up and you fall ill with no one around to care for you, that’s dangerous. Your friends may be used to skipping breakfast and sleeping until noon or even the afternoon, so if you don’t answer your phone in the morning and no one can find you, they might just think you’re still asleep and won’t see anything wrong. But I can’t do that. If I can’t reach you, I’ll be frantic.”

Lu Yanzhou wasn’t someone who spoke much, and he rarely said anything at length. He looked at her seriously, “You may have been used to being on your own since you were young, and you’ve developed some unhealthy habits regarding your health. Since we’re together, I have the responsibility to take care of you, to make sure you’re in good shape, both physically and mentally.”

Yu Xia thought of a phrase she had heard before: “A good partner and lover should help you become a better version of yourself.” She was fortunate to have found someone like that. She couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him on the lips, murmuring, “How are you so perfect?”

The man returned her kiss and laughed softly, “You’re a perfect match for me.”

Ah, he always said things like that—no overly explicit love confessions, but each time he spoke, he hit her right in the heart. The unease she had felt earlier vanished instantly. She started to negotiate, “I don’t like going out during my serialization period. Going to the gym twice a week is bearable, but… can I occasionally slack off? How about we change it to a walk downstairs or a morning jog?”

A morning jog was probably out of the question.

Lu Yanzhou suddenly had an idea and scoffed, “Let’s change it to practicing Ba Duan Jin.”

“…” Yu Xia tentatively asked, “Go downstairs and do it with the elderly people?”

“Uncle Li asked you to come down and exercise with them before, but you never went.” The other day, they ran into the old man again, who encouraged her to practice Ba Duan Jin.

Yu Xia suspected that he wanted to see her doing Ba Duan Jin with the elderly. After thinking for a moment, she agreed.

The first time they went to the gym together, they met Lin Su, who was there for a Pilates class. She had heard that Pilates was good for the neck, and since most people in their industry suffered from occupational diseases, she had been pushing herself a bit too much without any major issues—at least, none yet.

Following Lin Su’s suggestion, Yu Xia decided to try the relatively gentle Pilates class.

But once the class started, she realized there was no such thing as an easy exercise.

In early June, Lu Yanzhou went to Beijing for a business trip. The plan was for a week, but he stayed a few extra days due to some project issues. On the night before Yu Xia’s 24th birthday, he had a dinner appointment and could only return in the morning of her birthday. He helplessly said on the phone, “I wanted to spend the whole day with you for your first birthday together.”

“It’s okay, you’ll be back by the afternoon and we can have dinner and watch a movie in the evening,” Yu Xia didn’t mind. She added, “I’ll pick you up at the airport tomorrow.”

She had a driver’s license, but since she didn’t go out often, she found taking a taxi more convenient and hadn’t planned on buying a car. The garage had two of Lu Yanzhou’s cars: a black Mercedes and an SUV.

Yu Xia had driven the Mercedes before, but at the time, Lu Yanzhou had sat in the passenger seat, keeping a watchful eye on her. She felt comfortable driving to the airport, but Lu Yanzhou was still concerned. “No need, I’ll take a taxi back. Get some rest and sleep early tonight.”

“My biological clock is set to around midnight now, so I’ll sleep on time even if you’re not home,” she said, except for the two nights before he left on the trip when she had trouble sleeping.

“Alright,” Lu Yanzhou murmured. “Wait for me to come back.”

On the morning of June 19, Yu Xia received birthday wishes from everyone and went to bed early. Before falling asleep, she sent Lu Yanzhou a message, but he didn’t reply.

He was probably still socializing and didn’t have time to check his phone.

The next morning, Yu Xia woke up just before 8 AM. The first thing she did was check her phone. Lu Yanzhou had replied to her message at around 1 AM.

L: [Happy Birthday.]

L: [Good night.]

Yu Xia smiled and replied: [Good morning.]

It was rare for her to wake up before 8 AM. After getting up, washing up, and changing clothes, she went out to have breakfast. After eating at a breakfast shop near the neighborhood, she walked back slowly, filming a video for her birthday vlog.

After passing through the small plaza, Yu Xia was about to join the elderly people who were out for their morning exercise when Lu Yanzhou’s call came in.

“Why are you up so early today?”

“I woke up before eight.” Yu Xia was warming up as she spoke on the phone. “Guess where I am?”

Lu Yanzhou, stepping into the elevator and hearing the background sound, asked, “At the small plaza?”

“Yes.” Yu Xia continued recording a video. “I’m going to practice Ba Duan Jin with the elderly. I’ll record it and send it to you later.”

“Okay.”

Lu Yanzhou smiled and hung up.

After finishing a social engagement the previous night, he rushed straight to the airport to catch the last red-eye flight back. By the time he got off the plane, it was already past 1 AM.

He got home around 2 AM. Since Yu Xia had a habit of locking the door before bed, he knew he’d have to wake her up if he wanted to go to her place.

Standing at her door for a long time, he couldn’t bring himself to call and disturb her. He ended up going next door and made do with sleeping there for the night.

In the morning, he woke up to her greeting and a picture of breakfast.

It was unexpected that she was up so early.

Lu Yanzhou quickly made his way to the small plaza. As he approached the parking spot where they first met, his pace slowed. He looked over at the plaza.

Yu Xia, with a high ponytail, dressed simply in a white T-shirt and jeans, was standing in the middle of the elderly group, seriously practicing Ba Duan Jin.

A smile curled on his lips as he walked down the steps toward her.

He stood diagonally across from her, eyes focused on her. At first, Yu Xia didn’t notice him. Perhaps his gaze was too intense, but she suddenly had a feeling and turned to glance to the side. The moment she saw him, she froze, holding a silly pose.

The man stood with his hands in his pockets, watching her dazed expression, and raised an eyebrow with a smile.

The moment Yu Xia came to her senses, she immediately ran toward him.

She jumped into his arms, looking up at him with bright eyes. “How did you come back? When did you get back?”

“I got home around 2 AM last night. I wanted to surprise you, but I couldn’t bring myself to wake you up, so I slept next door,” Lu Yanzhou said, holding her and looking down at her.

“You should have woken me up!” Yu Xia pouted.

“If I woke you up in the middle of the night, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, would it?” He glanced at the elderly group, who were clearly distracted, their eyes sneaking peeks at them. “Still practicing?”

“No, I’m not practicing anymore!”

Her boyfriend was back—there was no need to keep practicing Ba Duan Jin!

“Did you skip breakfast?” Yu Xia grabbed his hand and happily skipped up the steps. “I’ll go with you to have breakfast.”

“Alright.”

As they turned around, a voice from behind called out, “Xia Xia, you’re not taking your phone?”

Yu Xia gasped. Her phone was still propped up in front, recording the video! She quickly ran back to grab it. The elderly people laughed and teased her, “Now that she has a boyfriend, she’s leaving her phone behind.”

Yu Xia waved her hand at them, blushing, and then ran back to Lu Yanzhou’s side.

Under the bright morning sun, the man smiled as he took her hand.

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

Ayalee: And that’s a wrap! Thank you so much for joining me on this short but sweet journey with Lu Yanzhao and Yu Xia. I hope their story brought a smile to your face and warmth to your heart. Your support means the world, and I’m grateful to have shared this tale with you. Looking forward to translating more wonderful stories together!

Do check out my other translation projects here guys. ʚ(*´꒳`*)ɞ