Disguised Love
Disguised Love chapter 34

As Xia Liyang sat up, a pain shot through her forehead, and she vaguely heard Lu Huaicheng let out a muffled groan.

Oh no, oh no, did she hit him somewhere?!

She held her breath, instinctively rubbing her forehead.

Then she slowly turned her head, nervously and awkwardly glancing at Lu Huaicheng behind her.

“Mr. Lu, are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.” Lu Huaicheng pressed his clearly defined fingers to his nose, his brows furrowing deeply, his expression slightly grim.

It really doesn’t look like you’re fine at all.

“Sorry! Did I hit your nose?” Xia Liyang asked nervously, biting her lip nervously.

“Mm.” Lu Huaicheng replied faintly, slightly tilting his head back, his sharp jawline tensed.

Xia Liyang suddenly felt a bad premonition. She quickly reached out and turned on the floor lamp next to the sofa.

When the bright light shone down, she indeed saw the blood seeping between his fingers.

“You’re bleeding because of me, and you’re still saying it’s fine!” Xia Liyang panicked and stood up, quickly grabbing several tissues from the box on the coffee table and moving closer to him. “Move your hand, let me help you wipe it!”

Her eyes were clear and bright, filled with fear and worry as she looked at him, and her tone carried a hint of anxious command.

He glanced at her forehead, which was also slightly red, and a complex emotion flickered in his dark eyes.

He turned his face slightly away and said calmly, “Give me the tissues. I’ll take care of it myself. You should go cool your forehead with some cold water.”

Seeing that he was still showing concern for her at this moment, Xia Liyang’s nervousness eased a bit. The corners of her eyes curved like a crescent moon as she said, “My forehead is much harder than your nose, it doesn’t need cooling, and it doesn’t hurt much either. Let me help you wipe it; otherwise, you won’t be able to see.”

“No need.” Lu Huaicheng insisted on taking the tissues from her hand, pressing them to his nose as he stood up. “I’ll go to the bathroom to take care of it.”

“…” Xia Liyang was momentarily stunned, turning to look at his tall figure as he walked away. “Call me if you need help!”

Lu Huaicheng didn’t respond and strode into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

Well, it seems he doesn’t need help.

Xia Liyang sat back down on the sofa, her feelings somewhat complicated as she completely couldn’t understand Lu Huaicheng’s attitude toward her tonight.

If he didn’t want her to be close, why did he let her rest her head on his lap while she was asleep?

Isn’t that more intimate than her leaning on his shoulder earlier?!

Of course, what hurt her the most was that she didn’t even have time to experience what it felt like to lie on his leg.

What ambiguous atmosphere, what tender affection.

All shattered by her bumping her head to his nose.

The rare date she managed to trick him into ended so abruptly.

Xia Liyang sighed and stared at the darkened movie screen, lost in thought.

In the adjacent bathroom.

Lu Huaicheng wiped for a long time with tissues before finally stopping the blood that was continually flowing from his nose.

He raised his head and glanced at his somewhat disheveled reflection in the mirror.

After a moment of silence, he lowered his gaze and sneered.

He threw all the blood-stained tissues into the toilet and pressed the flush.

There weren’t many embarrassing moments in his life.

Almost all were contributed by her.

He didn’t even want to think too deeply about why he was still willing to keep her around.

Lu Huaicheng turned on the faucet, washed his face with cold water, and then stepped out of the bathroom.

He glanced at Xia Liyang, who was dazed on the sofa. Her hair was loosely tied up in a bun on top of her head, and the warm light fell on her fair little face, highlighting her delicate features and making her eyes look even more clear and extraordinary.

There was also a hint of endearing sadness mixed in.

He didn’t know if it was because of the not-so-successful date tonight.

Emotions surged momentarily in Lu Huaicheng’s eyes, but they quickly returned to calm. He spoke softly, “Get some rest early. I’m leaving.”

Xia Liyang suddenly came to her senses, standing up a bit awkwardly and glancing at his nose. “Is your nose okay?”

“Mm.” Lu Huaicheng’s hands casually slipped into his pockets, and the hair on his forehead was damp from the water, drooping softly over his brow, making his expression a little softer.

“That’s good, I’m really sorry.” Xia Liyang bit her lip, unsure of what else to say. Her hands, which hung in front of her, unconsciously clenched the hem of her pajamas.

“It’s fine.” Lu Huaicheng lightly closed his eyes, took two steps before suddenly turning back, raising an eyebrow.

His tone was playful yet reproachful. “Aren’t you going to see me off?”

Xia Liyang was slightly stunned, then hurriedly rushed around the sofa to his side.

“I’ll see you downstairs.” She smiled sheepishly, her tone obedient and pleasing.

“No need to go downstairs.” Lu Huaicheng reached the entrance and bent down to change into his leather shoes.

“Then I’ll see you to the elevator!” Xia Liyang followed him eagerly, trying to make up for the date she messed up tonight.

Lu Huaicheng straightened up and glanced at her sparkling eyes, tacitly allowing her to follow him out the door.

The corridor, with one unit per floor, was quiet.

The warm yellow corridor lights elongated their shadows.

When the elevator door opened, Xia Liyang helped him press the downward button on the side, her eyes curved as she wished him goodnight.

Lu Huaicheng stood tall and straight in the elevator, his dark eyes gazing at her for a moment.

Then he smiled slightly, his voice gentle as he said, “Goodnight.”

Looking at his clear and gentle face, Xia Liyang suddenly felt that she could still make one last attempt tonight.

So she released her hand from the elevator button, stood on tiptoe, and quickly planted a kiss near his lips.

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Lu.”

Her voice was sweet and soft, and after kissing him, she took two steps back, her eyes shimmering.

Within her slyness was a hint of nervousness.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, she saw Lu Huaicheng’s expression freeze for a moment, a flicker of surprise flashing in his dark eyes.

His thin lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

But the elevator had already closed in front of him.

Lu Huaicheng stood silently for a moment, his long fingers unconsciously brushing against the corner of his lips where she had just kissed him.

Though it was just a brief touch.

He seemed to still feel her lingering breath, warmth, and touch.

It was hard to brush aside, yet it provoked a whirlwind of thoughts.

It wasn’t until the elevator door opened that Lu Huaicheng finally put his long, slender fingers back into his suit pants pocket.

A smile lingered on his lips as he stepped into the gradually darkening night.

After the elevator door closed, Xia Liyang’s heart continued to pound.

She had no idea what Lu Huaicheng would think of the sudden kiss she had planted on the corner of his lips.

But at least she had made some progress tonight.

Moreover, after this intimate contact, the unknown feelings brought her new inspiration.

As the elevator reached the underground garage, she quickly pressed the button again and rushed home to start typing.

She paid no attention to the wall clock, which had already passed midnight.

Xia Liyang, who had been writing fervently all night, slept until noon the next day before waking up.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she rolled over and glanced at her phone screen.

She saw that Lu Huaicheng had sent her a WeChat message two hours ago, and her mind cleared up a bit as she hurried to unlock the screen.

Lu: “Let’s have lunch together at noon. I’ll pick you up at 11.”

Xia Liyang froze for a moment, glancing at the time in the top right corner of her phone: 10:55.

Crap!!!

She sprang up from her bed, her fingers flying as she replied, “Sorry, I just woke up. You might need to wait a bit longer,” and she hurriedly slipped on her slippers and dashed to the entrance.

As she bent down to change her shoes, Lu Huaicheng replied in her phone: “No problem. I’m already waiting for the elevator. I’ll wait for you in the living room.”

???

Did he really have to be so punctual?!

Xia Liyang’s breath tightened, and not daring to take the elevator, she turned and rushed into the stairwell, sprinting up to the rooftop.

When she pushed open the door to the rooftop stairwell, the elevator display showed it was already on her floor.

Unbelievable.

Xia Liyang’s heart raced as she reached her door, her hands trembling as she entered the unlock code.

She finally managed to rush into the room just before the elevator doors opened.

However, there was little time for her to catch her breath. As soon as she slipped on her slippers, she heard the sound of the code lock being pressed.

Her nerves tensed up, and she practically sprinted into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Then she took out her phone and replied to Lu Huaicheng on WeChat: “I was just changing clothes. Did you come in?”

Lu: “Mm.”

Xia Liyang: “Could you please wait a moment? My hair is a bit messy from sleep and needs some fixing.”

Lu: “No rush, take your time.”

Seeing his message, the tension in Xia Liyang’s body instantly relaxed.

She walked slowly to the front of the bed and sat down for a moment before opening the wardrobe and changing into the tailored, form-fitting shirt dress he had prepared for her.

After combing her messy long hair into a loose low ponytail and doing a light, natural makeup, she calmly walked out of the bedroom.

“Sorry, Mr. Lu, for keeping you waiting,” Xia Liyang said with an awkward smile at the man on the sofa.

“You really can sleep in, Miss Xia,” Lu Huaicheng replied, lifting his eyelids slightly. His handsome face remained gentle and refined, but his deep voice carried a hint of teasing.

“Um… mainly because I had some trouble sleeping last night and only fell asleep around dawn, so I woke up a bit late,” Xia Liyang said, her lips pressed together nervously.

Upon hearing this, Lu Huaicheng raised an eyebrow and casually asked, “What was the reason?”

“Maybe it’s because I changed places; I’m a bit sensitive to new beds,” Xia Liyang said, forcing a reason.

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng paused slightly, looking at her with a hint of meaning in his gaze, his deep voice low, “I thought there might be another reason.”

“No, there’s really no other reason,” Xia Liyang replied with a nervous smile.

Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes flickered, and his thin lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to remind her of something.

But Xia Liyang quickly changed the topic, asking, “What made you want me to join you for lunch today?”

Lu Huaicheng’s throat slightly constricted, and after a few seconds of silence, he calmly lowered his gaze and said, “There’s a lunch party where I need a female companion, and I didn’t want to look for someone else. You live nearby.”

Xia Liyang was taken aback and uncertainly asked him, “Do I need to change into a more formal dress?”

“No need, it’s just a casual business gathering,” he replied softly.

“…Then will my makeup be too simple? I can touch it up a bit,” she said, lightly pressing her lips that only had lip balm on.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her radiant face even with light makeup, then stood up leisurely, saying, “No need, we should be heading out soon.”

“Oh, then I’ll just put on some lipstick,” Xia Liyang quickly ran back to the bedroom, picking a reddish-brown shade from her new lipsticks, and carefully applied it in front of the mirror.

Lu Huaicheng stood at the bedroom door, his tall figure relaxed with his hands in his pants pockets, his deep gaze silently tracing the contours of her beautiful lips as she applied lipstick.

“Okay, let’s go!” Xia Liyang said, putting the lipstick away. As she turned her head, she accidentally met his deep and captivating gaze.

His eyes were bright and profound, like glacial blue flames flickering under the surface, mesmerizing.

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, and she averted her eyes, stuffing the lipstick into the pocket of her shirt dress.

Then she quickly walked up to him.

Lu Huaicheng looked down at the shape of the lipstick bulging from her chest pocket, nonchalantly raising his long fingers to reach into her shirt dress pocket. “This should be put away; it affects the appearance.”

His warm fingertips grazed over the thin fabric on her chest, making Xia Liyang unconsciously hold her breath, her heart racing several beats faster.

Only when his hand withdrew did she finally breathe out, nervously explaining, “I don’t have a bag with me…”

“It was my oversight; I’ll have someone send you a few later.” Lu Huaicheng said casually as he placed the lipstick he had taken out into his own suit pocket.

“…” Xia Liyang opened her mouth, wanting to clarify that she hadn’t asked him for a bag.

Lu Huaicheng had already taken long strides toward the entrance.

Forget it. Let him assume that she was by his side for the sake of money; that was better than him discovering her true intentions.

After a few seconds, Xia Liyang hurriedly followed him.

The midday banquet was held in a garden villa.

Though it was said to be a casual business gathering, Xia Liyang noticed several elegantly dressed women, and even a popular movie star was present.

Those who came to greet Lu Huaicheng introduced themselves as figures from the entertainment industry.

Previously, she only knew about Junlan Group’s hotel business and their acquisitions in the cultural industry; she didn’t realize he also had business interests in film and entertainment.

No wonder he was so busy every day; managing such a complex group was no easy task.

Xia Liyang, wearing a simple shirt dress with her hair loosely tied back and light makeup, still stood out with her beauty.

Moreover, being beside Lu Huaicheng made her presence even more noticeable.

When she went to grab a drink from the self-service bar, she overheard some people speculating whether she was a small star that Lu Huaicheng was planning to promote.

After all, he had never brought any female companions before.

Hearing this, Xia Liyang couldn’t help but smile.

She thought to herself that this man, Lu Huaicheng, had clearly been lying when he said he was too lazy to find another female companion.

Just as Lu Huaicheng, who had just finished socializing with a producer, elegantly approached her with a glass of red wine, he glanced at the corner of her lips that had almost lifted in a smile and asked in a warm voice, “What are you secretly happy about?”

“Ah, Mr. Lu.” Xia Liyang turned her head and couldn’t help but tease, “I just heard something very interesting.”

“What is it?” He raised an eyebrow slightly.

“It’s just…” Xia Liyang squinted her eyes in a smile, but before she could finish, she suddenly saw the director of “Temptation and Punishment,” Chen Zhen, walking towards the bar area.

Since she had also participated in the film’s adaptation, she had met Chen Zhen several times.

He was one of the few who knew she was “Wujin Xia.”

Xia Liyang felt her nerves tighten and wanted to pull Lu Huaicheng away to a different spot.

But as her delicate hand rested on his arm, Chen Zhen had already made eye contact with her and greeted her warmly, “Teacher Xia, you’re here too!”

“…” Xia Liyang’s breath hitched, and the hand gripping Lu Huaicheng’s arm stiffened.

Lu Huaicheng narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her with a curious gaze, and his deep voice was low, “Teacher Xia?”

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