Xia Liyang blinked, lifting her gaze in confusion. “Then what was?”

Lu Huaicheng didn’t answer, but his eyes held a profound warmth, watching her intently.

His dark eyes seemed to carry glimmers of light, like melting spring water.

Understanding his hint, Xia Liyang’s heartbeat quickened, her ears grew warm, and she turned away, pushing the cart and muttering, “Nonsense.”

Lu Huaicheng just chuckled lightly and pushed his own cart, following her to the freezer section.

Xia Liyang steadied her racing heart, ignoring Lu Huaicheng behind her, and opened the freezer, browsing the ice cream price list.

But when she glanced sideways and saw him loading ice creams into his cart like he was at a wholesale market—without even looking at the prices—she couldn’t help but lift her head, kindly reminding him, “Mr. Lu, you should check the price list to avoid any ‘ice cream trap.’”

Lu Huaicheng paused, puzzled, and asked, “What’s an ‘ice cream trap’?”

“It’s when an ice cream looks ordinary but costs an outrageous amount. If you’re not careful, you end up overpaying,” Xia Liyang explained seriously.

But as soon as she finished, she realized her advice was probably unnecessary.

After all, he was the type to casually gift her tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry and spend hundreds of thousands on a pet turtle.

This warning would probably mean nothing to him; he might even use it as another excuse to show off his wealth.

She could almost picture him laughing it off with a snide comment and then adding, “Is your Mr. Xu so frugal he’d even count pennies on your ice cream?”

Thinking this, Xia Liyang had the sudden urge to bite her tongue.

Why did she have to speak out when it’s none of her business?

However, Lu Huaicheng merely remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded humbly and, with a gentle smile, said, “I see, I’ve learned something new.”

Then, looking down, he compared the price of the ice cream in his hand, as if trying to apply what he’d learned to gain her approval. He said, “This seems to be one of those ‘ice cream traps’ — it looks like an ordinary popsicle but sells for 40 yuan a stick.”

Xia Liyang blinked slightly, casting him a somewhat incredulous glance.

“What? Did I misjudge it?” Lu Huaicheng looked up, his deep black eyes seeking her opinion.

“…No, you’re right.” Xia Liyang pressed her lips together nervously, quickly looking away and pretending to casually continue selecting ice creams.

She felt that Lu Huaicheng seemed a bit strange today.

To be precise, it seemed like ever since they had watched Before Midnight together that night, his behavior had started to change subtly.

But his strange behavior now wasn’t something she found unpleasant, nor was there anything she could actually say about it.

If he were still unreasonable and sarcastic like last year, she could confidently turn a cold shoulder to him, telling him to stop bothering her.

But now, she couldn’t find any reason to push him away.

And she couldn’t go out of her way to avoid him, either; otherwise, it would make her look like she had a guilty conscience.

After thinking it over, Xia Liyang let him continue shopping with her.

They chatted here and there, always keeping a comfortable social distance.

The atmosphere was light and pleasant.

When Xia Liyang stretched up on her toes to reach the top shelf for a bag of chips, Lu Huaicheng elegantly extended his long arm, reaching over her head to help her get it.

“…Thanks.” Xia Liyang felt a bit shy and pressed her lips together.

“No problem. Just let me know if you need anything else.” Lu Huaicheng gave a slight smile, his demeanor refined and polite, like a true gentleman.

She had to admit that when he hid that edge of his personality, he was quite charming and hard to criticize.

If she hadn’t known him so well, she might find it hard to imagine how frustrating he could be when he wanted to.

“By the way, aren’t you going back home for summer break?” Lu Huaicheng asked casually, putting the chips in her cart.

“Well… my mom has recovered, so they don’t really need my help this year.” Xia Liyang shifted her gaze uncomfortably and added softly, “Plus, I want to go to a book fair next week.”

“The one near your school?” Lu Huaicheng raised his brows slightly.

“Yes.” Xia Liyang nodded, explaining, “I always find some great books at good prices there each year, and I can also listen to some author talks.”

“Sounds interesting.” Lu Huaicheng paused slightly, then asked, “When are you planning to go?”

Xia Liyang hesitated, unsure if he intended to go with her, so she vaguely replied, “I haven’t decided yet, maybe one evening. I’ve been busy with my PhD proposal recently.”

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng nodded thoughtfully and didn’t ask further.

When they reached the checkout, Lu Huaicheng, standing in front of her, patted his pocket with a frown and said, troubled, “I seem to have lost my phone.”

“Huh?” Xia Liyang paused. “Could it have fallen in the store? Do you want to go look for it?”

“Probably not, otherwise I would’ve heard it.” Lu Huaicheng thought for a few seconds and said, “It might be in the car.”

“That’s good then; at least it’s not lost.” Xia Liyang breathed a sigh of relief for him.

“Yes.” Lu Huaicheng glanced out the window, then turned to her apologetically, “The parking lot is a bit of a walk. Could you help me pay first? I’ll transfer you the money later on WeChat.”

“…” Xia Liyang hesitated. She wasn’t keen on adding him back on WeChat, but it seemed unkind to refuse.

Not wanting to seem unfriendly, she eventually nodded and paid for him.

As he picked up the shopping bags, he cheerfully gave her his WeChat ID. “Please send me a friend request.”

“Alright…” Xia Liyang looked down, sending him a friend request. When she looked up, she saw he had picked up her bags as well.

“Mr. Lu, I can carry them myself…” Xia Liyang quickly put her phone away and reached for the bags.

“It’s okay. You’ve done me a big favor; at least let me carry them to your car.” Lu Huaicheng turned slightly, avoiding her hand.

“…Thank you then.” Xia Liyang bit her lip shyly, her hands empty as she followed his tall figure out of the store.

His Rolls-Royce was parked not far from her Porsche.

Seeing him carrying so many bags, his driver quickly got out to help.

But Lu Huaicheng gave him a signal to return, then carried the bags to her Porsche himself, tucking his hands into his pockets to hide the red marks left on his palms.

After watching her drive away, he returned to his Rolls-Royce, relaxing back into the seat and pulling his phone from his pocket.

Looking at the WeChat friend request she had sent, Lu Huaicheng couldn’t help but smile.

In fact, he had spent the entire weekend sitting by the window of the cafe opposite the supermarket, hoping he might see her come to buy groceries.

So when he saw her red Porsche pull into the parking lot, he immediately closed his laptop and hurriedly asked the driver to pull over.

To create the impression of a chance encounter, he wandered around the supermarket, dodging in and out, until he finally spotted her in the vegetable section. Only then did he casually toss some random items into his cart and line up at the check out just ahead of her, timing it so she was nearly done with her selection.

But she still seemed a bit suspicious, and she looked at the items in his cart with a puzzled expression. Although he managed to cover up, her attitude toward him remained subtly cold and distant.

At least, he’d managed to re-add her on WeChat.

To him, this was already a considerable step forward.

 …..

Back at home, Xia Liyang received his payment transfer along with a polite “Thank you” message.

Honestly, she didn’t need to add him back; she could have just taken the money and removed him. But as on New Year’s Eve, when she’d hesitated about deleting his phone number, she found herself lacking a strong enough reason to cut him off.

Since she rarely posted on her moments, there was no real risk of revealing anything.

After a brief moment of indecision, she replied with a simple “You’re welcome” and put her phone aside.

After that, Lu Huaicheng didn’t send any more messages. Xia Liyang pushed their renewed WeChat connection out of her mind.

Then, as she was turning off the living room light to go to bed, her phone suddenly buzzed in her hand.

She glanced down and saw a message on her screen.

“Good night, Miss Xia.”

Slightly startled, Xia Liyang walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and drew back the curtains.

In the distance, the lights in a riverside villa were still on. At the second-floor window, she could vaguely see a tall figure standing quietly, as if looking in her direction.

Her heart fluttered slightly as she closed the curtain.

So he’d seen her turn off the light and then sent a goodnight message?

Feeling conflicted, Xia Liyang looked at their chat for a moment. She recalled last year when she’d secretly watched him through her window to maneuver a chance at a date.

Now, it seemed, their roles had subtly shifted.

She stood there for a moment, initially intending not to reply to avoid sending any ambiguous signals.

But before putting her phone down, she suddenly remembered that evening after the movie, when he had taken her home.

He had stood under the dark night sky, his gaze deeply melancholic as he looked at her, his low voice tinged with a touch of pleading.

“Can you say goodnight to me?”

Her heart fluttered again. After a moment’s hesitation, her fingers typed:

“Good night, Mr. Lu.”

_

Actually, It wasn’t just her doctoral thesis keeping her busy over the summer. She’d also recently gotten approval for a book number, which meant she needed to organize some special reader benefits.

After some delays, it wasn’t until Friday night that she managed to make it to the book fair.

With the fair ending the next day, the place was particularly crowded that evening.

Xia Liyang waited in line outside the exhibition hall for quite a while before finally getting inside.

The fair spanned five floors, each dedicated to different themes.

The moment she stepped inside, she headed straight to the fifth floor, which featured her favorite genre, suspense and mystery novels.

Unexpectedly, yet unsurprisingly, she saw Lu Huaicheng leaning against a bookshelf, reading with his eyes lowered.

He had probably come straight from work, still dressed in his usual business attire, complete with a tie, and with his jacket draped over his arm.

His broad shoulders made his shirt look crisp and neat, and his high-quality suit pants accentuated his long legs.

He stood casually, his legs crossed, wearing spotless brown Oxford shoes.

Sensing her approach, he lifted his dark, calm gaze slightly and smiled. “What a coincidence to see you here again, Miss Xia.”

“…What a coincidence,” Xia Liyang replied with a nod, though she internally questioned whether this meeting was truly by chance.

There was a hint of deliberateness in his presence here, almost as if he’d anticipated her arrival.

But she hadn’t told him last weekend which day she’d be coming. He wouldn’t have come every night just to wait for her, would he?

So, likely, there was some genuine coincidence involved.

In truth, she no longer minded interacting with him. She just worried about accidentally revealing her identity.

But in a setting like a book fair, there wasn’t much to fear.

At most, he might ask why her “Mr. Xu” hadn’t accompanied her.

With that thought, her slightly tense nerves relaxed. She glanced at the book in his hand.

She realized he was holding one of her earliest published mystery novels, and her feelings grew somewhat complicated.

After a brief silence, she couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Lu, what are you reading?”

“Oh, an early novel by Wujin Xia.” Lu Huaicheng held up the book to show her the cover.

“Is it good?” she asked casually.

“Not bad,” he replied after a pause. “In fact, I think it’s even more intriguing than the author’s most popular work.”

“Really?” Xia Liyang blinked in surprise.

She actually preferred the book he held now; she’d poured a lot of effort into it when she wrote it. But perhaps due to its niche setting, it hadn’t sold very well.

“Yes, that’s my personal opinion.” Lu Huaicheng nodded, placing the book in his shopping basket. Then he added the remaining volumes from the series as well.

“…Are you planning to buy them all?” Xia Liyang asked, her emotions growing even more complex as she looked at him.

“Yes, I just thought it would be nice to get some new books for my mother as well,” Lu Huaicheng said warmly.

“That makes sense,” Xia Liyang replied, pressing her lips together before changing the topic naturally. “How has your mother been lately?”

“She’s made remarkable progress. She’s now able to respond to simple commands, like moving her fingers and blinking,” Lu Huaicheng said with a light tone and a bright expression. “We were lucky that she was selected for that clinical project last year.”

“That’s wonderful. I hope she recovers fully soon,” Xia Liyang smiled and sincerely wished him well.

To avoid further questions from Xia Yanxu about her relationship with Lu Huaicheng, she hadn’t asked him about Chen Wanzhen’s recovery recently. However, seeing Lu Huaicheng speak about his mother without the usual weight of worry lifted her spirits as well.

After selecting their books and checking out on the fifth floor, they walked downstairs together.

In the main hall below, an author interview was taking place.

Initially, Xia Liyang couldn’t see the person on stage and wanted to check it out. But as she got closer, she realized with a jolt that the person on stage was none other than her mother, Li Qingying, whom she hadn’t seen in over two years.

Li Qingying was being interviewed as a winner of a prestigious literary award which had been held that year.

Xia Liyang froze on the spot. Li Qingying seemed to notice her too, her smiling expression faltering slightly as her gaze settled on Xia Liyang’s face.

Xia Liyang quickly averted her eyes, suppressing a surge of complicated emotions as she turned to leave.

“Aren’t you going to listen to the interview?” Lu Huaicheng asked, following behind her with a puzzled frown.

“No, I have no interest in that author,” Xia Liyang replied in a muffled voice, not looking back.

“Oh.” Lu Huaicheng glanced back at the woman on stage. Wearing heavy makeup and trendy clothes, her age and true appearance were difficult to discern. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that her gaze kept drifting in their direction.

Once they exited the main hall, Xia Liyang stopped and said to Lu Huaicheng, “Sorry, my stomach doesn’t feel well. I’d like to go to the restroom; you should head out without me.”

“…” Lu Huaicheng’s lips parted, but he didn’t get a chance to respond.

Xia Liyang, carrying her large bag of books, had already hurried toward the restroom.

Inside, she set down her books, splashed her face with cold water, and gradually felt a bit calmer.

At the same time, she found herself feeling somewhat ridiculous.

After all, when Li Qingying had come to Jiangcheng for a book signing last year without contacting her, she should have given up on her. What exactly was she still expecting or feeling disappointed about?

It would practically be a miracle for Ms. Li Qingying to reach out to her.

With a self-deprecating chuckle, Xia Liyang realized her stomach was indeed uncomfortable—it felt like the onset of her period, a dull pain.

She locked herself in a stall, sat down, and clutched her stomach until she felt a bit better. Then she washed her hands and left the restroom.

Just then, she ran into Li Qingying, who had come to touch up her makeup.

“Xiao Yang?” Li Qingying’s steps slowed as she called her daughter’s name.

Xia Liyang bit her lip and brushed past her as if she hadn’t seen her.

“Xia Liyang, I’m calling you,” Li Qingying frowned and reached out to stop her.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you.” Xia Liyang kept her voice calm, turning with an impassive expression.

“You child…” Li Qingying shook her head with a hint of helplessness and tried to get closer. “So, I see you’re dating someone?”

“What does that have to do with you?” Xia Liyang snapped.

“I am your mother, after all. Don’t you think you should let me know?” Li Qingying’s frown deepened.

Hearing this, Xia Liyang let out a sarcastic laugh. “You haven’t asked about me in over two years. And even when you were in Jiangcheng, you didn’t say a word. So why the sudden interest?”

Li Qingying’s expression changed, and she said, “I was busy with the new book release, signings, and interviews. I simply couldn’t find time to contact you. Now that I’m free, let’s sit down for coffee.”

“No need. I don’t have the time,” Xia Liyang said coldly.

“Xiao Yang…” Li Qingying’s face softened, but before she could say more, Xia Liyang turned away and walked around the dividing wall.

Only to bump into a solid chest.

“Sorry.” Lowering her head, Xia Liyang quickly apologized and stepped back. Just as she was about to sidestep him, she noticed the pair of familiar brown Oxford shoes.

Her breath caught as she slowly looked up.

And met Lu Huaicheng’s deep, intense gaze.