♡ Chapter 9 ♡

She stood there with a red face, looking obviously panicked, biting her lip and not answering or moving.

Lu Yanzhou thought she was silently consenting, but as soon as he took a step forward, she hurriedly raised her hand. The wine bag came between them, and Yu Xia’s heartbeat was racing. Her voice trembled, “The wine! Please put the wine down first!”

“And then?” Lu Yanzhou took the bag and raised an eyebrow. “Should I carry you next?”

He was definitely doing this on purpose!

Yu Xia’s heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She felt like he was tempting her. If she really opened her arms to him, she would become the prey.

A relationship that progressed too quickly would seem shallow, and it would also make her feel intimidated. Even though she had initiated this connection, she wasn’t ready to fully accept it yet.

Besides, she still had many questions, like: Does he really like her?

The hum of the kitchen exhaust continued.

The smell of sweet and sour ribs filled the air, bringing back some of her clarity.

“So… you’re going to the kitchen?” she suddenly asked, her eyes darting. The occasionally strange thought process of a comic artist had returned. “I managed to get here from home, so I’ll make sure I get to the dining table too. I have to earn this meal!”

“……”

Lu Yanzhou was amused and perplexed. What exactly was she proud of?

Her words were like when she renamed herself “Living in Winter” and posted two rows of [shocked] emojis on her social media. She would boast that “I’ll definitely do it myself,” and when he responded, she backed out.

A master of empty words, but a coward in action.

Bold, but also timid.

That’s her.

Lu Yanzhou casually placed the wine bag on the entryway shelf and looked at her with a half-smile. “Then take your time.”

He turned, took a few steps, then looked back. “No need to close the door.”

“……”

Yu Xia quickly realized what he meant. She wasn’t too worried about him doing anything inappropriate. She opened her mouth with an innocent look, glancing at him, then pointing at her foot. “I can’t exactly run away, right?”

Lu Yanzhou was charmed by her expression, chuckling and nodding. “True.”

He then turned and walked into the kitchen.

Standing in front of the stove, he listened to her clumsy, careful movements. He could imagine her awkward attempts, and it made him smile. Aside from the landlord’s niece who had once pestered him, Lu Yanzhou had been too busy with work to spend much time around girls, let alone date.

So, the feelings he was experiencing were quite clear.

He heard the sound of a chair moving and glanced over his shoulder.

Yu Xia was sitting neatly at the dining table, turning her head to look at him. When their eyes met, she lifted her small chin and smiled sweetly at him.

“Wait for ten minutes, it will be ready soon.” Lu Yanzhou said in a calm tone. He turned and picked up a plate, transferring the sweet and sour ribs from the pan.

Yu Xia sat still, watching him move slowly to serve the food: sweet and sour ribs, steamed fish, vegetables, and a seafood soup—three dishes and one soup, a perfect balance of color, fragrance, and taste.

She clapped her hands in appreciation, saying, “You’re amazing.” Lu Yanzhou paused for a moment, said nothing, and turned to serve the rice.

Yu Xia took out her phone, planning to take a sneaky picture to send to Tang Yue.

As soon as she opened her phone, a barrage of messages flooded in. The group chat had been discussing her trending topic for two hours. Yu Xia decided to ignore it. Even if it was a big deal, she’d deal with it after finishing her meal.

However, someone didn’t want her to eat in peace.

An unknown call came in.

Yu Xia hesitated for a moment but answered it.

As soon as the call connected, a woman’s voice started to say “You…” but was quickly interrupted by a familiar male voice, “Let me speak.”

Hearing this voice, Yu Xia furrowed her brows.

“It’s me, Zhou Yu,” came the voice on the other end.

Yu Xia’s expression turned cold. “Oh, what is it?”

She had a pretty good idea of what this was about. During her time with Zhou Yu, she had eaten with his friends twice: once with his roommate and another time with him and his mentor’s students. They had asked about her profession, and when they inquired about her pen name, she had shyly avoided answering.

But Zhou Yu’s roommate had found her alias through his Weibo.

That was how she had briefly been exposed to his social circle.

Since they rarely met, she hadn’t thought much of it. But now, her comic had gone viral, and everyone knew about Zhou Yu’s affair.

She guessed that people had probably been gossiping behind his back and that pressure had driven him to call her.

Zhou Yu hesitated for a moment before asking directly, “Can you delete the comic you posted on Weibo?”

Lu Yanzhou sat across from her, watching as she answered the call. Her expression suddenly turned cold, and her eyes narrowed slightly. Yu Xia glanced at him and then looked down, sneering. “I’m updating my comic. I didn’t name anyone specifically. Why should I delete it?”

It seemed like Zhou Yu had switched the call to speakerphone. Before he could say anything, his ex-girlfriend’s sharp voice cut in. “Because his friends all know your account. Do you know what they’re saying about him? It’s already affecting his and my normal life.”

Zhou Yu was proud and wouldn’t tell his friends that he was having an affair and getting back together with his ex. He’d probably said that they had broken up amicably, and now he was reuniting with his first love.

It was likely that the gossip about the comic had added fuel to the fire.

Yu Xia stole a glance at Lu Yanzhou.

He leaned back in his chair with his arm resting on the table. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, and his long fingers rhythmically tapped the table. His eyes were fixed on her, and Yu Xia felt a pang of guilt under his intense gaze. She was squirming in her seat, eager for this pointless conversation to end.

But if she hung up now, they’d just call again later. It was better to clear everything up once and for all and then come clean to Lu Yanzhou.

She lowered her eyes, staring at the bowl of white rice in front of her, and spoke. “It’s just a cheating plot, a cliché and common trope in comics and novels. You don’t have to take it personally.”

“No, you have to delete it.”

“Even if I delete it now, it won’t help. It’s already trending…” Yu Xia rarely faced such a strong attitude, and she was clearly displeased. The words “trending” almost slipped out, but she held them back. She didn’t dare look up and took a deep breath, preparing to drop a few harsh words and end the call. Just then, a long, clean finger appeared in front of her, tapping the table twice.

She looked up in a panic.

“Can you put it on speaker?” Lu Yanzhou asked softly, looking at her.

Yu Xia’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked at him nervously. Did he know? Or was he just sensing something was off and wanted to help her argue?

She wasn’t sure if they could hear his voice on the other end.

The two on the other side were still arguing quietly, maybe they didn’t hear him.

Lu Yanzhou saw her hesitation and asked again in a soft voice, “Is it okay?”

The phone call suddenly went quiet.

Yu Xia met Lu Yanzhou’s calm gaze, her heart racing. After a second of hesitation, she switched the phone to speaker and placed it on the table.

She became more restless, afraid that Lu Yanzhou might get angry or question her.

But she also couldn’t help but feel a vague anticipation, wondering what Lu Yanzhou would say.

Zhou Yu thought it was a misunderstanding. After a brief silence, he spoke. “Just delete it, Yu Xia. We don’t need to make this ugly.”

Yu Xia opened her mouth to respond.

“Whether she deletes it or not is her business.”

Lu Yanzhou, arms crossed and leaning back in his chair, interrupted her nonchalantly. His gaze drifted lazily from the phone on the table to her face.

Yu Xia sat up straight and obediently closed her mouth.

Lu Yanzhou continued, his tone casual, “As another party involved, I don’t mind if she makes a fan creation out of this.”

Yu Xia’s eyes went wide in shock.

He knew! The truth was out without warning. Yu Xia’s eyes widened, and if her ankle hadn’t been hurt, she would’ve jumped up and run away. But there was more to come…

It seemed Lu Yanzhou didn’t want to give Zhou Yu a chance to speak. He continued, “And it’s obvious that you only appear in the initial few panels, and the rest of the comic has nothing to do with you. Her fans and the public haven’t linked this comic to real life. You’re an adult man who can’t manage your personal affairs, and you have no right to question her after cheating.”

Without waiting for Zhou Yu’s reaction, he hung up the phone.

The world went silent.

Lu Yanzhou set the phone aside and looked at the stunned Yu Xia, raising an eyebrow. “So, what now? Should we talk, or eat first?”

Yu Xia was stunned by his words. She wanted to look at him but didn’t dare to meet his gaze. Her eyes darted around in search of a place to settle, and after a deep breath, she finally gathered the courage to look up at him. “When did you find out?”

“When I got off work. I overheard some people at the company talking about the trending topic,” Lu Yanzhou replied casually as he took a bowl of soup and slowly served her some. “So, you’ve been hesitating and avoiding me because you were afraid I’d find out?”

Yu Xia nodded.

About the comic.

Yu Xia carefully asked, “You… you’ve read it, haven’t you? The comic?”

Lu Yanzhou nodded. “I’ve read it.”

Yu Xia blinked, feeling the need to explain. “I really didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t mean to mix things up or target you. The blogger trending was just a coincidence. It wasn’t something I planned.”

She had been so nervous earlier that her mouth was dry. After speaking, she lowered her head and took a sip of soup.

Lu Yanzhou watched her. “It doesn’t matter if it was on purpose.”

“Huh?” Yu Xia nearly choked.

“I mean, even if you did it on purpose, it doesn’t matter.” The man chuckled lightly, his tone somewhat indulgent. “Whether I fall for it or not, that’s my choice.”

Yu Xia had already sat down, but her legs still felt weak. It must be from her heartbeat racing and lack of oxygen to her brain. Her face turned red, and she couldn’t help but raise a hand to cover half of her face, pleading, “Please stop talking. If you keep going like this… I’ll easily be tricked into giving you money and affection.”

Lu Yanzhou laughed softly, defending himself. “I’m not trying to trick you out of money.”

So, he’s trying to trick her into affection?

Yu Xia covered her face, too shy to meet his gaze.

This was bad…

She hadn’t even had two bites of her meal, but she was already feeling the effects of being love-struck. What should she do?