The next day, Saturday.

It was another sudden rainy day.

Xia Liyang put on strappy sandals, slipped on a raincoat, grabbed her umbrella, and left the house.

When she arrived at the riverside villa, she politely greeted Lu Huaicheng, who opened the door for her, maintaining a calm and distant demeanor.

She carefully put away her wet umbrella, wiped the rain off her feet with a tissue, and changed into her indoor slippers.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her raincoat, which had only a few raindrops on it, and said in a light tone, “How did you know to bring an umbrella today?”

Xia Liyang’s movements paused for a moment before she looked up and plainly replied, “Live and learn. Now, I always check the weather forecast before going out.”

Lu Huaicheng’s deep, unreadable gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he let out a faint, inexplicable chuckle and turned to go back inside.

Xia Liyang pressed her lips together and glanced at his tall, straight back, feeling as though his words held a hidden meaning. But she couldn’t figure out what he was thinking, so she quietly resumed her “do nothing unless the other acts” strategy and began cleaning in silence.

As night fell, the rain continued outside.

Lu Huaicheng seemed to be busy with work that night, sitting in his study in front of the computer, staring at the screen filled with data.

Although he had changed into a cotton-linen house shirt, the warm yellow light from the desk lamp softened the outlines of his figure, but the pressure around him was strangely heavy, making people hesitant to approach.

Maybe something at his company was troubling him.

Xia Liyang guessed to herself and dared not linger around him.

After quickly cleaning and organizing his bookshelf, she quietly planned to leave his stifling study.

But just as she stepped out of the room, his low, raspy voice called out to her from behind.

Xia Liyang’s nerves tightened as she slowly turned around and met Lu Huaicheng’s gaze.

His dark eyes were cold and sharp, giving off a sense of calm, yet they held an overwhelming pressure.

She swallowed lightly and kept her voice steady, “Mr. Lu, is there something you need?”

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her lowered lashes and deliberately averted gaze before speaking calmly, “Make me a cup of coffee.”

“… Okay.” Xia Liyang breathed a sigh of relief.

She had almost thought that she had made some noise while cleaning that annoyed him, and he was about to take it out on her.

Xia Liyang quickly walked to the coffee machine and hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should take the opportunity to make some latte art for him. But remembering that she was still following the “play hard to get” strategy, she decided against it.

She simply frothed the milk and poured it over the coffee before bringing it to his study.

“Mr. Lu, your coffee,” Xia Liyang said respectfully, keeping her eyes lowered as she placed the coffee on his desk.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at the simple cup of coffee and let out a barely audible scoff.

Lifting his gaze slightly, he looked at her with deep, dark eyes and said, “So half-hearted?”

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat. She pursed her lips and replied softly, “You didn’t ask me to make any latte art.”

“You don’t do anything unless I ask now?” Lu Huaicheng’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice low and cold.

“…” Xia Liyang instinctively avoided his penetrating gaze, unsure how to respond.

Thunder rumbled outside, and the tension in the room seemed to deepen.

Suddenly, Lu Huaicheng closed his laptop and stood up, his tall figure towering over her as he scrutinized her trembling eyelashes.

“It seems you’re planning to find another path?” Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes narrowed slightly, a faint hint of anger hidden in his otherwise calm voice.

“No!” Xia Liyang’s heart tightened, and she quickly shook her head.

“You’ve been so cold to me lately, anyone would think I owe you money,” Lu Huaicheng sneered.

“…” Xia Liyang froze, hastily explaining, “You misunderstood. I wasn’t giving you the cold shoulder, I just heard that men prefer women who are more reserved…”

“Reserved? Only in front of me, right?” Lu Huaicheng raised his thick eyebrows slightly, his tone subtle.

It always made people feel like there was more behind his words.

But Xia Liyang couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind his remark. Her mouth hesitated to form a response, but after a long time, she still couldn’t come up with a suitable answer.

Seeing her confused expression, Lu Huaicheng scoffed softly, his voice leisurely as he asked nonchalantly, “That nearby barbecue place—was it good?”

“…” Xia Liyang was stunned for a moment, taking a second to realize what he was asking.

Her nerves jumped, and she thought to herself, could he have seen her having barbecue with Xu Songnian last night?

But she hadn’t even seen him there!

Could it be that he saw her while they was waiting for a table outside?

Damn it! What a cursed coincidence.

He must be upset that she was hanging out with Xu Songnian again.

Even though his attitude toward her was always ambiguous.

But he clearly didn’t like her showing interest in other men.

Xia Liyang’s breath quickened, and she quickly thought of a response. “Actually, I didn’t eat much. I mainly treated my friend.”

“You can afford to treat friends to meals now?” Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes gazed at her deeply, subtly emphasizing the word “friend.”

“Thanks to you!” Xia Liyang swallowed hard, her eyes darting as she continued her fabrication. “Besides, I owed him a favor. After all, it was because of him that I got the gym part-time job. Even though I’m not doing it anymore, I still had to repay that favor…”

“I introduced you to a part-time job too, but I didn’t see you treating me to a meal.” Lu Huaicheng’s deep voice lingered.

“Because…” Xia Liyang choked a little, her long lashes fluttering pitifully as she said in a soft voice, “Once the favor is repaid, there’s no need to keep in touch. But I don’t want to cut ties with you…”

“Is that so?” Lu Huaicheng’s brow lowered, casting a shadow as he glanced at her, his expression unreadable.

“Mm.” Xia Liyang’s heartbeat quickened a few beats as she lowered her gaze in guilt, trying to cover her lie by saying, “That’s why I’m only reserved in front of you, because I just want to win your favor.”

Lu Huaicheng let out an almost inaudible laugh, his tall figure lazily leaning against the desk without responding.

Xia Liyang’s pale fingers twisted nervously in front of her as she cautiously lifted her thick lashes, her bright eyes shimmering slightly with uncertainty. “You don’t like me being reserved?”

“No,” Lu Huaicheng replied slowly, his dark eyes fixed on her.

“…” Xia Liyang’s fingers froze, and she stiffened slightly.

No wonder being cold to him all this time didn’t work!

She should’ve never listened to Xu Songnian’s advice!!

After all, Lu Huaicheng wasn’t an ordinary man; he was more like a devil!!!

Suppressing the complex emotions in her heart, Xia Liyang lowered her gaze and put on a pitiful expression. “Then, what do you like?”

Lu Huaicheng stared at her for a few seconds before scoffing. “Figure it out yourself.”

“…”

This jerk really likes making people guess.

Xia Liyang’s lips twitched slightly, thinking that since he didn’t like her being reserved, he must prefer her being more forward.

So she blinked and tentatively asked, “Mr. Lu, can I hug you?”

Lu Huaicheng’s expression froze for a moment before his brows relaxed, and he let out a low laugh.

Xia Liyang’s ears turned a bit red, and she complained softly, “You said you didn’t like me being reserved, but now you’re laughing at me for being forward.”

“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Lu Huaicheng’s smile faded slightly, his sharp eyebrows lowering as he said slowly, “Some things don’t need to be asked.”

“Oh.” Xia Liyang nervously bit her lip, carefully pondering his words.

It seemed like he was giving her permission?

Xia Liyang took a deep breath and cautiously moved a little closer to Lu Huaicheng.

Then, she glanced at him carefully.

His face was handsome and gentle, with a faint smile at the corner of his lips, and the pressure in the room no longer felt as heavy as before.

So she lifted her slender hands and gently wrapped them around his narrow waist.

Through the thin cotton shirt, she could feel his firm muscles tense slightly with her movement.

But he neither pushed her away nor responded to her hug.

He simply stood there indifferently, as if waiting for her to perform for his amusement.

Having never hugged a man before, Xia Liyang’s body was a bit stiff, and she didn’t know what to do with her hands as they awkwardly rested on his lower back.

His faint, fresh scent quietly lingered at the tip of her nose, making her feel a bit lightheaded.

The heat from his body radiated through her skin, traveling along her arteries and spreading throughout her body, causing her cheeks to flush.

Xia Liyang couldn’t help but lower her head, shyly burying her face into his broad chest.

The steady and powerful sound of his heartbeat echoed in her ears.

But she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, as his heartbeat seemed to be faster than hers.

The night deepened, the thunder faded into the distance, and the rain had stopped.

In the quiet study, all that remained was the sound of their breathing and heartbeats.

Faster and faster.

Lu Huaicheng looked down at the girl holding him, her soft body pressed against his chest, the faint scent of citrus filling his nose.

It lingered.

And with each beat of his pulse, it spread through his body, taking over all of his senses.

Her dark, shiny hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head, just at the height of his sharp jawline.

The cool, silky strands brushed lightly against his sensitive skin.

Lu Huaicheng’s prominent Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, his dark eyes swirling with emotion.

He raised his right hand and gently pressed down on the fluffy bun atop her head, his long fingers gradually slipping into her hair.

The left hand, hanging at his side, slowly began to lift, inching toward her slender waist.

Feeling his movements, Xia Liyang’s breath inexplicably tightened, and her heartbeat fluttered along with it.

Suddenly, she experienced the thrill that came with the embrace, and a flood of inspiration rushed into her mind.

She quickly let go of Lu Huaicheng, raised her flushed face, and her bright eyes sparkled with excitement and joy: “Mr. Lu, thank you!”

“?” Lu Huaicheng was slightly stunned, and his half-raised hand froze in midair.

Seeing his confused expression, Xia Liyang realized that she had gotten a little too excited.

She hurriedly adjusted her expression and explained shyly, “I thought you were mad and wouldn’t talk to me anymore, so when you let me hug you, I was really happy!”

“…” Lu Huaicheng’s thin lips moved slightly, but before he could say anything, she spoke again:

“But I have to go back quickly. Otherwise, I won’t have time to finish my paper, which is due on Monday.”

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng’s expression subtly changed, and his lowered hand slipped casually into his pocket as he responded with a calm tone, “Go ahead.”

Receiving his approval, Xia Liyang immediately packed her things and hurried home.

As soon as she entered, without even bothering to change her clothes, she opened her laptop and began typing furiously, organizing the new inspiration for the interactions between her male and female characters.

When she finally finished and looked up, the hands of the clock on the wall had already passed midnight.

Feeling the strain in her shoulders, Xia Liyang stretched her arms and reached for her phone.

She noticed that Lu Huaicheng had sent her a message an hour ago, asking if she had made it back to school.

Huh? This man actually took the initiative to check on her!

Xia Liyang was taken aback, sitting upright with delight.

It seemed he liked her being proactive after all.

She smiled slightly and, after pondering for a moment, replied: “Sorry, Mr. Lu, I’ve been rushing to finish my paper and just saw your message.”

“I got back to school a long time ago, and now I’m getting ready to wash up and go to bed.”

“Haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”

After sending several messages in a row, Xia Liyang held onto her phone, waiting for a response.

When Lu Huaicheng still didn’t reply, she guessed that he had probably already gone to bed, so she added, “Good night” and put her phone down to take a shower.

While drying her hair after changing into her pajamas, she noticed the phone screen on the table lighting up.

Her hand froze, and she quickly picked it up to check.

It was from Lu Huaicheng.

It was only two simple words: “Good night.”

But Xia Liyang felt that this was a huge breakthrough.

After all, in the past, whenever she said good night, he never replied.

With this positive signal, Xia Liyang began to greet him morning, noon, and night.

But she still didn’t know what else to talk about with him, so she stuck to sending “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” and “Good night,” always accompanied by the same cute puppy emoji.

For the first two days, Lu Huaicheng would reply with the same greetings.

By the third day, after sending her “Good afternoon,” she didn’t receive any reply from him.

Maybe he was just busy this afternoon, she comforted herself.

Before bed, she cautiously sent him another “Good night.”

But the next morning, there was still no response from him.

Xia Liyang started to feel anxious and couldn’t resist sending him a message: “Mr. Lu, why aren’t you replying to me?”

A moment later, her phone vibrated, and Lu Huaicheng’s reply popped up:

“Oh, I thought you were some kind of chatbot, sending the same message at the same time every day.”