After exam week, Xia Liyang finally had time to think of a reason to resign from her job with Lu Huaicheng.

At first, she tentatively told him that her mother was recovering well from surgery and had been discharged, so she didn’t need to work so many jobs for money.

But Lu Huaicheng simply canceled her hospital shifts.

Feeling stuck, she considered other reasonable excuses.

Eventually, she remembered the excuse she’d used before about helping with her family’s farm work.

It should be the wheat harvest season now!

She checked online and found that since her fictional hometown was in the northeast, wheat harvest wouldn’t start until late July, still over half a month away.

With no better excuse, she decided to delay her resignation a bit longer.

After all, she only saw him three times a week for cleaning, and if he worked late, they might not meet at all.

The rest of the time, she could stick to her plan of going home to write every morning, aiming to complete one or two chapters daily and finish her first romance novel manuscript before school resumed.

But unexpectedly, Lu Huaicheng started visiting her more often, almost every night after work.

With him there, she couldn’t focus on her writing.

Even though he often just sat on her couch reading, she couldn’t always use “writing a paper” as an excuse to avoid him. So, she would sit with him, reading or chatting.

Without needing to gather inspiration anymore, she wasn’t as eager to get close to him and was less careful with him.

When he asked her to make coffee, she couldn’t be bothered to make it look fancy.

When he questioned her, she replied bluntly, “Last time I put in so much effort to make a rose, and you called it a radish. I’m not going to embarrass myself in front of you again.”

Regarding her reluctance to serve him any longer, Lu Huaicheng was not angry; it seemed he simply regarded her attitude as a way of complaining playfully.

He lifted his eyelids slightly, his dark eyes deep and warm, teasingly asked, “Still holding a grudge against me?”

“How could I dare to hold a grudge against you?” She pouted, her tone cold and her expression delicate.

“Hmm, so now you can still be sarcastic with me.” Lu Huaicheng smiled, closed the book in his hands, and gently grasped her slender wrist, pulling her into his embrace.

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily lowered her eyelids to avoid his slightly hot gaze.

Although it had been over two weeks since their last kiss and the wound on his lips had long since healed, she still couldn’t shake off the awkwardness she felt.

When she was too close to him or held his gaze for too long, she would feel an uncontrollable tension, her heartbeat racing.

She just wanted to escape from him as quickly as possible.

But Lu Huaicheng had no intention of letting her go; his warm palm slowly caressed her lower back, his dark eyes reflecting her fair and slightly flushed face, patiently waiting for her response.

Xia Liyang could only tense her back, suppressing her unsteady heartbeat, and said softly, “I’m just stating an objective fact. If you insist on misinterpreting my words, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Feeling wronged?” He raised an eyebrow slightly, his deep voice low and teasing.

“Not at all.” She fluttered her long eyelashes, forcing herself to look at him.

His gaze was bright, dark, and warm.

With a high nose and slightly upturned lips, he gazed at her without blinking.

Xia Liyang felt her breath quicken and suddenly recalled some desensitization training she had read about in psychology.

As long as she faced what made her anxious and awkward, and tried to stay relaxed while repeating it several times, she could gradually free herself from its impact.

So she swallowed, took a deep breath, and gently wrapped her hand around his neck.

Then she leaned in and kissed his lips.

Lu Huaicheng was slightly taken aback, looking down at her thick lashes brushing against the sides of his nose.

He slowly closed his eyes, his long fingers sinking into her cascading hair, pressing her back, causing her to lean into him.

This time, she still lacked experience, her kiss was stiff and awkward.

But men seem to have an innate ability to become proficient without any training; he clearly became much more skilled.

His gentle movements coaxed her lips apart, guiding her tongue to entwine with his at a leisurely pace.

The soft, lingering sounds of their kisses were vibrant and lively.

Their breaths intertwined, growing increasingly urgent.

Xia Liyang felt her mind becoming hazy, her hand around his neck growing softer and weaker.

She didn’t even notice his hand sliding down her back, disappearing under the hem of her nightgown.

“Mr. Lu…”

Xia Liyang’s body trembled, and she let out a sound that felt foreign to her, slowly lifting her dazed face.

“Hmm?” Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes were deep, shrouded in a thin mist that concealed a hidden fire. His voice was slightly hoarse, “Don’t you like it?”

It couldn’t be said that she didn’t like it.

It was just that this feeling was too unfamiliar, causing her to feel a bit scared.

Her long lashes trembled as she looked at him with slightly red eyes, filled with shimmering moisture.

Her slightly parted lips were breathing softly, her expression cute and alluring.

She was both endearing and made one want to cherish her.

Lu Huaicheng’s ink-like eyes narrowed slightly as he kissed her lips again, silencing any words she might have wanted to say.

The wall clock ticked past 10 o’clock.

Lu Huaicheng washed his hands, buttoned his collar, smoothed the wrinkles in his shirt, and casually returned to the living room.

He glanced at Xia Liyang, who was sitting upright on the sofa. Her face still flushed, her hair a bit messy, with her hands resting on her thighs, pressing down her nightgown.

Her water-like eyes shimmered as she shot him a glare, filled with embarrassment and annoyance, as he walked by.

“Don’t look at me like that; I asked for your opinion, and you didn’t object.” Lu Huaicheng smiled slightly, his voice filled with delight.

“……” Xia Liyang bit her lip lightly, unable to refute his words.

She had only wanted to give herself a desensitization training by kissing him.

Unexpectedly, she ended up with an experience more suitable for writing a novel.

Her feelings had become a bit complicated.

But perhaps because she had shared more intimate contact with him, she no longer felt as awkward looking at him as before.

Moreover, she seemed to understand what Song Jinhe meant when she said, “Once you experience it, you’ll understand.”

She even started to think that it wouldn’t be so bad to actually do something with him.

That feeling was indeed somewhat addictive.

“Get some sleep; I’ll head back now.” Lu Huaicheng averted his gaze, picking up the suit jacket from the hanger.

“Mm…” Xia Liyang stood up a bit unsteadily and walked him to the door. “Goodbye, Mr. Lu.”

“Are we skipping the goodbye kiss today?” Lu Huaicheng changed into his leather shoes, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Didn’t I just kiss you?” Xia Liyang said, feeling a bit shy as she pressed her lips together.

“True.” Lu Huaicheng paused slightly, smiling warmly, “Then tonight, I’ll take the lead.”

Xia Liyang was taken aback, not immediately grasping the meaning behind his words.

He leaned down, his warm lips landing gently on her forehead.

“Goodbye, Yang Yang.”

For the first time, he called her by a nickname.

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, surprised, she lifted her gaze to see Lu Huaicheng, who had straightened up, elegant and handsome.

A deep smile floated in his eyes, and without saying more, he turned and left.

After that day, Lu Huaicheng seemed to suddenly become very busy with work.

For many consecutive days, he did not come to see her again.

Although this was a good thing for Xia Liyang, as she could finally focus on her writing without interruptions, sometimes when she stepped out of her study and saw the empty sofa, she felt inexplicably hollow inside.

As the day she planned to resign approached, she started to feel a sense of reluctance.

This feeling was akin to writing a novel; at first, she was eager to finish the story so she could enjoy herself, but when it came time to conclude, she felt a reluctance to say goodbye to the characters.

However, every book ultimately has to reach its conclusion.

And she would ultimately resign from her position.

Lu Huaicheng had been busy and had disappeared for almost two weeks.

During that time, she hadn’t actively messaged him on WeChat and hadn’t received any messages from him either.

But she heard from Lin Shen that he had gone on a business trip to Beicheng, and the return date was uncertain.

She couldn’t help but start thinking that she might as well resign over WeChat.

But thinking about that night, when they last saw each other, made her feel it was too rushed.

It was like finishing a book without properly writing the ending.

Time dragged on until the end of July.

That evening, as Xia Liyang was writing at home, she suddenly received a WeChat message from Lu Huaicheng asking why she wasn’t at the apartment.

Xia Liyang was taken aback, hurriedly stood up, and while changing her clothes, rushed to reply, “I had a heavy dinner and am taking a walk by the river. Are you back?”

Lu Huaicheng: “Mm.”

Xia Liyang: “Wait a moment; I’ll head back right away.”

Lu Huaicheng: “No problem, send me your location, and I’ll come downstairs to walk with you.”

Xia Liyang felt a surge of anxiety and quickly typed, “No need; I’m a bit tired from walking. You can just wait for me at home.”

Lu Huaicheng: “Okay.”

Xia Liyang sighed in relief, quickly estimated the time it would take to return from the river, and decided to walk around downstairs for a bit before heading to the top floor.

Although she could time her departure to be a little later, she chose the safest option to avoid any trace of her actions.

As she walked halfway to the river and began to turn back, she vaguely saw a familiar figure approaching under the night sky.

He was tall and upright, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, wearing a simple white shirt and gray casual pants.

His demeanor was extraordinary, exuding charm and grace.

As the dim streetlight illuminated his deep, handsome features, Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a beat, and her steps faltered.

She didn’t know if it was because she was relieved she had chosen the safest option or simply because she had seen him.

“Mr. Lu, why are you down here?” Xia Liyang lightly bit her lip, her clear eyes gazing at him.

“Perhaps I wanted to see you a bit earlier,” Lu Huaicheng said with a warm smile, his tone playful yet sincere.

“Oh.” Xia Liyang shyly lowered her eyelashes and slowly walked up to him.

Lu Huaicheng naturally reached out and gently wrapped his arm around her slender shoulders, softly asking, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to see me?”

The familiar warmth and presence made her heart race; she softly replied, “No, I missed you very much too.”

“You haven’t sent me a single message in the last two weeks,” he said, his brows slightly furrowing as he glanced at her, his tone laced with subtle dissatisfaction.

“I heard from Lin Shen that you went on a business trip to Beicheng and seemed very busy, so I didn’t want to disturb your work,” Xia Liyang explained, lifting her thick lashes to reveal her glimmering eyes. “Besides, didn’t you say that my messages sounded like those from a chatbot, or that I always stirred up trouble?”

“Hmm, it’s all my fault again,” Lu Huaicheng said with a noncommittal smile.

His large hand slipped from her shoulder and gently grasped her slightly sweaty hand as he started leading her back.

The warm summer night breeze carried a hint of humidity, rustling the osmanthus trees lining the roadside.

Their sweaty palms were slippery and warm, yet he showed no intention of letting go.

As they were almost at the entrance of her building, Xia Liyang felt her phone vibrate several times in her pocket.

However, since her right hand was being held by him and they were walking, it was inconvenient to check, so she ignored it.

It wasn’t until they waited for the elevator that she finally took out her phone with her left hand to take a glance.

Seeing that the notifications were all from Xu Songnian, her nerves tightened slightly.

Subconsciously glancing at Lu Huaicheng beside her, she didn’t dare to unlock her phone to see what he had sent. Instead, she turned off the screen and put it back in her pocket.

Just then, the elevator door opened.

She saw Xu Songnian, who had his head slightly lowered, his thick eyebrows furrowed as he tapped away at his phone screen.