♡ Chapter 7.2 ♡

Ever since he revealed his profession, the atmosphere had turned slightly awkward. Yu Xia seemed disappointed, speaking less than before.

Lu Yanzhou suddenly remembered a news article from abroad. A graphic artist, fearing they would be replaced by AI technology, became depressed to the point of contemplating suicide. The news resonated with many people in the art industry, as the introduction of AI had led to major layoffs, wage cuts, and many artists complaining. Graduates from art-related programs were also feeling lost, afraid they would struggle to find jobs after graduation.

Yu Xia was a cartoonist, so most of the people she knew likely worked in similar fields. She must have heard her peers’ complaints and perhaps even feared being replaced by cold, impersonal AI one day.

If that was the case, it was understandable that she might not have a good opinion of his line of work.

He watched her calmly, noticing her sigh and frown as she looked down. She had clearly been testing him earlier, but because of his profession, she had suddenly pulled back.

A subtle distance now hung between them.

Yu Xia’s mood was very complicated, as if there was a delicious cake in front of her, but with a tag that said, “Gain 10 pounds.” She couldn’t bring herself to take a bite.

If she really ended up with him, would her colleagues and friends in the industry look down on her?

After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, Yu Xia still felt uneasy. She turned to glance at Lu Yanzhou, then sighed deeply again.

“……”

Lu Yanzhou was both amused and speechless. Her conflicted expression piqued his curiosity about the outcome of her inner struggle. He lowered his gaze at her. “Should we go back now, or do you want to take a stroll first?”

“Let’s go back. I… have something to do,” Yu Xia replied. She really didn’t have the mood to walk around with him anymore.

“Then, let’s go.”

The two of them started walking back. After a few minutes of silence, Yu Xia felt that her emotions were too obvious. Realizing this, she felt a bit embarrassed and cleared her throat. “By the way, how did you find the food just now?”

“It was good,” Lu Yanzhou said, glancing at her. “Next time, we can try other dishes.”

Next time…

Yu Xia’s thoughts became slightly scattered. She halted for a moment. Suddenly, an electric scooter wobbled toward her from the side, ridden by a girl who screamed in panic. It looked like it was about to crash into her, but before anything could happen, Lu Yanzhou swiftly pulled her to the side.

She fell into his arms, and at the same time, her ankle twisted, sending a sharp pain through her. She instinctively grabbed onto his shirt at the waist, hissing in pain.

In the next moment, he lifted her by the waist.

Lu Yanzhou looked down at her ankle, frowning. “Did you sprain it?”

“Mm…” Yu Xia winced in pain, her face scrunched up. She kept her head pressed against his chest, not wanting to look up.

Lu Yanzhou didn’t say anything.

He held her and looked down again. “Can you stand?”

Yu Xia tried to steady herself, but the pain in her ankle made it impossible to put weight on it. She hung her head, almost on the verge of tears. “I can’t.”

“I’m really sorry. A kid suddenly darted out, and I was afraid I might hit him…” The girl on the electric scooter stopped beside them and apologized.

Behind her, a mother and son were also apologizing and arguing over who was at fault.

It seemed like they were going to argue for at least half an hour.

Yu Xia sighed inwardly.

It seemed like she was just out of luck.

People nearby started to gather, and some stopped to watch the scene. Yu Xia didn’t want to be the center of attention, so she tugged at Lu Yanzhou’s clothes and whispered, “Let’s go quickly.”

Lu Yanzhou lowered his gaze and met her eyes. After a moment of silence, without warning, he lifted her horizontally in his arms.

Suddenly being lifted made Yu Xia dizzy. She instinctively grabbed his shoulder, looking up at him in panic. “W-What are you doing?”

Lu Yanzhou’s face was calm, his voice lower and more gentle than usual. “Can you walk?”

Yu Xia’s heart raced in her chest. She froze in his arms. “I can’t…”

“Let’s go to the hospital,” he said quietly.

Yu Xia realized that as soon as he picked her up, all the onlookers focused their attention on her. Her face turned red, especially when she noticed someone taking out their phone to record. She quickly said, “Never mind, don’t bother. Let’s just go.” She then wrapped her arms around Lu Yanzhou’s neck, leaning in to whisper in his ear, “Hurry up, there are so many people watching. I don’t want to be a spectacle.”

Her ankle was probably just sprained. If she hadn’t been trying to look good in high heels and avoided the accident, she wouldn’t have hurt herself. She didn’t want to stand on the street for ages arguing about medical fees, especially while Lu Yanzhou was carrying her.

Lu Yanzhou didn’t respond. Without another word, he carried her away through the crowd of onlookers.

Once inside a taxi, he gently placed her down. After the door closed, Yu Xia finally sighed in relief. She wanted to take off her shoes to check the injury, but with Lu Yanzhou sitting next to her, she felt too embarrassed to do so.

The driver asked, “Where to?”

“Take us to the nearest hospital’s emergency room,” Lu Yanzhou replied. He then glanced down at Yu Xia’s ankle, hesitating for a moment before asking, “How does it feel?”

Yu Xia winced in pain. “It hurts…”

At the hospital, Lu Yanzhou continued to carry her straight into the emergency room. As they entered, Yu Xia could feel the gaze of everyone in the room fall on them. Embarrassed, she instinctively buried her face in his neck.

Her soft hair brushed against his neck like a cuddly cat.

Lu Yanzhou froze for a second, and his steps slowed. Then he couldn’t help but smile.

Yu Xia, oblivious, kept her face hidden.

After a while, she was placed on a waiting chair in the lobby while Lu Yanzhou went to register and pay.

The receptionist noticed them as soon as they entered. After all, there weren’t many handsome men like him around. She asked, “Do you need a wheelchair?”

Lu Yanzhou glanced back at Yu Xia and then replied, “No, thank you.”

It didn’t take long before her name was called. The doctor quickly examined her ankle, confirming it was swollen but not broken. She was prescribed some medicine for bruising and sprains.

While Lu Yanzhou went to pick up the medication, Yu Xia sat obediently in the chair, her attention half on him and half on the bickering couple behind her. She kept her eyes on his retreating back.

“You see how easily her boyfriend carries her. Why can’t you carry me like that?”

“Oh, look at her calves, so slender. Her weight is probably under a hundred pounds. What about you?”

“Her boyfriend is over 6 feet tall. What about you?”

“Her girlfriend is so soft and cute, always blushing. You just hit me!”

“…Quiet, they’ll hear you!”

Yu Xia blinked, finally realizing they were talking about her and Lu Yanzhou. She turned around, and the couple immediately fell silent.

She looked at them and said, “Actually, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s just my neighbor…”

Just as the words left her mouth, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Lu Yanzhou’s deep voice came from above, coldly saying, “Let’s go.”

Before she could react, she was picked up again, this time in his arms, horizontally. Her heart skipped a beat. She overheard the girl muttering to her boyfriend, “Are we just part of their act?”

Yu Xia’s face turned bright red as she curled up in Lu Yanzhou’s arms, pretending nothing happened. As they passed a patient in a wheelchair at the emergency room entrance, she suddenly asked, “Couldn’t we have asked the nurse for a wheelchair earlier?”

Lu Yanzhou’s expression remained unchanged, and his voice was calm as he said, “I forgot.”

“Oh…” Yu Xia innocently believed him.

The taxi stopped downstairs past 10 p.m., and Yu Xia was carried out of the car by Lu Yanzhou. Under the moonlight, she slightly tilted her head, gazing at the sharp line of his jaw and his tightly closed lips. Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.

Any woman would be moved being held by such a man all night!

Although she still had some prejudice about his profession, she couldn’t suppress the stirrings inside her. “Why do you think everyone thinks we’re a couple?”

Lu Yanzhou carried her through the door, his steps steady. Hearing her, he let out a low laugh and glanced down at her. “Then what do you think our relationship should be?”

“Maybe we’re siblings, cousins, or colleagues and friends…” She blinked, deliberately adding, “Or maybe, we’re neighbors!”

Neighbors…

The words sounded particularly jarring.

Lu Yanzhou stopped in his tracks and looked down at her. “If we’re just neighbors, then maybe you should rethink the way you look at me. Otherwise, why does everyone think you’re my girlfriend?”

“…”