When the parachute descended into the sea, dusk had already fallen.

Taking the opportunity to unbuckle her seatbelt, Xia Liyang casually let go of Lu Huaicheng’s hand.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at her and subtly withdrew his hand, lowering his head to unbuckle his seatbelt.

Afterward, they both wetly boarded the speedboat and sat side by side at the back of the boat.

The sea breeze after sunset had a bit of chill to it, and Xia Liyang, with her long hair damp against her shoulders, couldn’t help but sneeze.

Lu Huaicheng paused for a few seconds, took off his shirt, wrung it out, and handed it to her, saying, “Though it’s still a bit damp, wearing it will help block the wind.”

Xia Liyang was taken aback and hurriedly waved her hands, “No, no, you’ll have no clothes left…”

“I’m not afraid of the cold,” Lu Huaicheng said nonchalantly, placing the shirt on her neatly arranged knees. “Put it on. Otherwise, if you catch a cold, I would feel bad.”

“…”

Xia Liyang felt her ears warm slightly at his straightforward words. She bit her lip, feeling a bit shy, and with her gaze lowered, she said, “Thank you, Mr. Lu.”

“You’re welcome.” Lu Huaicheng smiled lightly, watching her carefully put on his shirt over her shoulders.

In the gentle dusk, the moon gradually rose.

The hazy moonlight cast down, illuminating her delicate features, her long, thick eyelashes, and her almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with moisture. She had a serene expression, embodying an otherworldly beauty.

He couldn’t help but stare at her.

Noticing that Lu Huaicheng’s gaze was fixed on her, Xia Liyang didn’t dare to turn her head.

She delicately tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pretended to look calmly at the lights on the shore.

Once they reached the shore, they planned to head back to the villa to change into dry clothes.

Walking under the bright streetlights, Xia Liyang felt even less inclined to look at the man beside her.

Since he had given her his shirt, his upper body was completely exposed, revealing well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. His broad shoulders and narrow waist were even more pronounced, making him irresistibly sexy.

The last time she saw him like this was during their intimate moment in bed together.

At other times, he always preferred to cover himself up completely, maintaining an air of cold restraint.

But honestly, the roguish charm he exuded now seemed to fit his demeanor in bed even more.

She remembered how his powerful arms lifted her, hanging her on his waist.

She also recalled the way his dark, deep eyes fixed on her, filled with a burning desire.

Those images played in her mind like a film montage.

Her cheeks flushed, and she felt a bit dazed.

“Be careful.” Lu Huaicheng suddenly wrapped his strong arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

Xia Liyang was startled and didn’t react in time as a speeding bicycle brushed past her.

The wind from it lifted her damp hair.

Her unsteady shoulder bumped against Lu Huaicheng’s solid chest, and her bare arm pressed against his warm body.

The slight electric sensation between their skin spread through her veins.

Xia Liyang’s heart raced.

It was hard to tell whether it was from the sudden passing bicycle or from their unexpected intimacy.

“Riding that fast on the sidewalk…”

Lu Huaicheng frowned slightly, glancing at the disappearing bicycle before looking down at the person who was still a bit stunned in his arms.

Her mouth was slightly open, her expression resembling that of a startled rabbit. The parts of her exposed by her swimsuit rose and fell enticingly, fair and creamy.

He couldn’t help but swallow, his gaze restrained as he averted his eyes.

He lifted his hand resting on her shoulder, took a long step, and switched positions with her, shielding her from the road.

“That was scary,” Xia Liyang said, following up with a remark, her brows slightly furrowed as she tried to mask her chaotic heartbeat.

Even though his hand had already left her shoulder, she felt like she could still sense the warmth of his palm.

The heat on her cheeks lingered, refusing to dissipate.

….

After changing clothes in the villa, Lu Huaicheng wore a linen shirt and casual pants, looking effortlessly simple and unpretentious once again.

Sitting gracefully on the sofa, he looked up as Xia Liyang came down from upstairs and gently asked, “Miss Xia, do you want to revisit the French restaurant from last year, or would you prefer to try a new one?”

Xia Liyang held onto the staircase and hesitated for a moment before saying, “Let’s try a new restaurant.”

Though the French restaurant had good food and a nice view, she didn’t want to revisit past memories just yet.

She needed to calm the wave of emotions he had stirred within her on the way back.

So Lu Huaicheng got up, grabbed the car keys, and drove the Bentley parked at the entrance, heading to a seafood restaurant located at the top of a small hill south of the city.

The restaurant owner, Chen Rui, was a friend Lu Huaicheng had known from his basketball days.

He had a buzz cut, wore a floral shirt and beach shorts, and had a silver chain around his neck. With thick brows and a prominent nose, he looked like a carefree, charming young man.

Upon seeing Lu Huaicheng, he raised an eyebrow and teased, “No wonder you asked me to reserve the best table; you’re bringing a beautiful woman to eat! Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Lu Huaicheng curled his lips slightly and said, “This is my friend, Miss Xia.”

“Friend, huh…” He dragged out the word, squinting his eyes as he continued to tease, “I haven’t seen you bring any female friends around before; she’s really not your girlfriend?”

Lu Huaicheng smiled noncommittally, glanced at the side of Xia Liyang, and then lowered his gaze slightly, saying, “I also wish so.”

“I understand,” Chen Rui nodded knowingly.

Xia Liyang felt her heart heat up slightly and shyly lowered her long eyelashes.

After being led to their seats by Chen Rui, Xia Liyang found that the so-called best spot lived up to its reputation.

Above them was a natural screen supported by vines, adorned with warm orange fairy lights, creating a cozy and romantic atmosphere.

With a slight turn of her head, she could overlook the neon-lit night scene of Lianzhou Island and the boundless, deep sea.

It was dreamy and beautiful.

Unable to resist, Xia Liyang took out her phone and began snapping photos of the view beyond the railing.

“Do you need me to help you take a tourist souvenir photo?” Lu Huaicheng asked with a smile, glancing at Xia Liyang, who was busy with her phone.

“Uh… sorry to trouble you, Mr. Lu,” Xia Liyang replied shyly, handing her phone towards him.

Lu Huaicheng glanced at the model of her phone and said, “My phone might take better night shots. How about I take the photos and send them to you?”

“Sure,” Xia Liyang nodded, only then realizing she had blocked and deleted him on WeChat.

She immediately felt a bit awkward, wanting to brush it off, but Lu Huaicheng had already raised her phone, pointing the camera at her.

“Are you ready?” he asked softly.

“… Yeah.” Xia Liyang could only smile awkwardly, revealing a somewhat stiff smile and making a clumsy peace sign.

Chen Rui, who came to serve tea, glanced at Lu Huaicheng taking pictures of Xia Liyang and joked, “Do you want me to take a group photo of you two?”

Lu Huaicheng glanced at Xia Liyang, who was still holding the peace sign, and seeing no objections, he turned to Chen Rui, “Sure, thanks, Boss Chen.”

“Hey, no need to be polite with me,” Chen Rui said, taking Lu Huaicheng’s phone and looking at the two people separated by a dining table. “You two should lean in a bit closer; otherwise, I feel like I’m photographing two leaders meeting.”

“…” Xia Liyang’s body stiffened slightly, and she glanced at Lu Huaicheng beside her.

He obediently leaned slightly towards her.

Seeing this, Xia Liyang felt she couldn’t act too aloof. Pressing down her inexplicably quickening heartbeat, she symbolically leaned her head toward him.

“Okay, three, two, one.” Chen Rui’s fingers lightly tapped as he took several shots.

Then he handed the phone back to Lu Huaicheng. “Alright, I won’t disturb your date any longer. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.” Lu Huaicheng lowered his gaze at the photos in the album, and the smile at the corner of his lips widened.

“What are you smiling at? Did I make some weird expressions in the photos…” Xia Liyang nervously peeked at him.

She had nearly stiffened her face to appear calm.

“Not at all, they’re all great. I just think it’s really nice to take a photo with you, Miss Xia,” Lu Huaicheng said, his eyes gentle.

“…” Xia Liyang felt her face heat up from his words, quickly looking down to take a sip of tea as a cover.

“Miss Xia, turn on your phone’s Bluetooth; I’ll send you the photos,” Lu Huaicheng said.

“… Oh, okay.” Xia Liyang was taken aback, not expecting he wouldn’t use this opportunity to get her to add him back on WeChat.

She wondered if he was intentionally helping her avoid the awkwardness of having blocked and deleted him.

With a somewhat complex mood, Xia Liyang picked up her phone, turned on Bluetooth, and looked at the photos he had sent.

Her expressions were indeed relatively natural, and her smile wasn’t as stiff as she had imagined.

As her fingertips swiped through the photos, she suddenly found one where they had taken a selfie together in the past.

The background was in his villa’s kitchen, with a birthday cake themed around the midsummer night sea on the island counter.

In the photo, her eyes were wide open, looking somewhat dazed, as if she hadn’t expected a photo to be taken.

But beside her, Lu Huaicheng wasn’t looking at the camera.

Instead, his eyes were lowered, a smile at the corner of his lips as he looked at her.

His gaze was direct yet seemingly affectionate.

Xia Liyang paused her fingers, suddenly remembering the moment this photo was taken when he had adamantly refused to let her see it.

She had silently criticized him for being stingy, guessing he wanted to keep her looking bad.

Little did she know, what he had wanted to hide back then was the feelings he had accidentally revealed.

He had already started to like her long before.

Xia Liyang stared at the photo until Lu Huaicheng reminded her that their food would get cold if she didn’t eat.

Only then did she come back to her senses and turn off her phone.

After she picked up her chopsticks, Lu Huaicheng subtly put his phone back into his pocket.

In fact, he had kept one photo for himself, not sending it to her.

Not because it wasn’t good, but because in that photo, she was secretly glancing at him.

Although he didn’t know why she was looking at him.

As long as he didn’t send it to her, and as long as he didn’t hear a clear explanation from her, he could treasure that ambiguous sweetness among the many possibilities.

After dinner, they returned to the villa, and it was already quite late.

Xia Liyang first went to the bathroom to take a shower, dried her hair, and changed into a comfortable cotton nightgown.

When she came out and saw that Lu Huaicheng was not in the living room, she hesitated slightly.

Still, she couldn’t help but walk to the entrance, push open the door, and look at the courtyard.

Under the bright moonlight, Lu Huaicheng stood tall and straight, his long legs crossed, elegantly leaning against the railing, gazing at the sky.

But he wasn’t on the phone; he just stood there aimlessly, seemingly waiting for her arrival.

Xia Liyang’s heart skipped a couple of beats, and she felt a bit shy as she tightened her grip on the doorknob, entertaining the thought of retreating back into her room.

But Lu Huaicheng had already turned his head, his deep gaze looking at her, and he asked gently, “Miss Xia, are you also out to enjoy the moon?”

“……” Xia Liyang paused for a moment, only able to nod in agreement with him. She lightly squeezed the hem of her nightgown, awkwardly released the doorknob, and walked to his side, pretending to calmly gaze at the bright moon in the night sky.

Lu Huaicheng’s dark eyes lingered on her clear face for a moment before he looked back at the night sky and said, “But tonight’s moonlight is indeed not inferior.”

Although he didn’t specify which night’s moonlight he was comparing it to, they both understood very well.

Xia Liyang felt her heart flutter slightly and remained silent for a moment before softly agreeing with him, “Indeed.”

Lu Huaicheng paused for a moment, then turned to look at her.

His gaze deepened, the dark depths of his eyes seeming to glow with a dim fire, intense and warm.

Feeling his gaze, Xia Liyang’s ears grew warm, and suppressing her increasingly unstable heartbeat, she lifted her eyelids and asked, “What is it, Mr. Lu?”

Her bright eyes reflected the flowing moonlight, and her long lashes gently fluttered.

Lu Huaicheng swallowed, suddenly raised his hand, and leaned slightly closer to her.

“Don’t move.” His voice was low and husky, his hot breath fanning against her forehead.

Xia Liyang’s breath hitched, her hand nervously grasping her nightgown, instinctively closing her eyes.

His large hand brushed through her smooth, silky hair, and the crisp, pleasant scent on him nearly enveloped her completely.

But the soft touch she had imagined did not come.

“Alright, just now a ladybug landed in your hair.”

As he spoke with his elegant and calm voice, the warm breath that had been close to her dissipated entirely.

Xia Liyang was momentarily stunned and quickly opened her eyes, meeting Lu Huaicheng’s deep and gentle gaze.

It turned out he hadn’t intended to kiss her.

What had she been expecting just now!

“Oh, thank you…” She said awkwardly and shyly, biting her lip, while also realizing that she still longed for intimacy with him.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, all the signs pointed to the fact that she liked him.

She liked watching the sunset with him, liked taking photos together, and liked walking by the sea with him…

She also liked hugging him, kissing him, and being close to him.

But what she liked was the real him.

What he liked was the version of herself that she had disguised.

If she didn’t confess everything to him, she would ultimately be unable to truly be with him.

But if she did confess everything, she might lose his affection and become the most detestable liar in his eyes.

She had been avoiding this for so long, yet here she was, placing herself in this difficult position.

Perhaps this was a punishment for her lies.

Xia Liyang couldn’t help but grip the hem of her nightgown tighter, her face darkening due to the inner turmoil.

Noticing the change in her expression, Lu Huaicheng furrowed his brow slightly and asked with concern, “Miss Xia? Are you feeling unwell? Is it that time of the month again?”

“…I’m fine, I’m just a bit tired, so I’m going to go upstairs to sleep.” Xia Liyang forced a smile, quickly turned, and strode away from him.

She hurried up the stairs, and as she closed the bedroom door, her heart was still racing, her thoughts a chaotic mess.

She turned on the light and was about to close the window when she noticed Lu Huaicheng still quietly standing in the center of the courtyard, his deep gaze fixed on her behind the window.

Xia Liyang quickly flashed him a bright smile, signaling that she was okay.

In a somewhat desperate attempt to cover up her feelings, she proactively said to him, “Good night, Mr. Lu.”

“Good night.” Lu Huaicheng’s lips parted slightly, a relaxed smile finally appearing in his eyes.

Xia Liyang hurriedly shut the window and sat on the edge of her bed, feeling unsettled.

She glanced at the birthday gift box he had given her, which was left at the head of her bed.

Deciding to read for a while to calm herself, she pulled out the book and suddenly realized that this was no ordinary Agatha Christie novel.

It was a first edition from 1939, which could only be purchased in the auction market.

No wonder she thought the cover paper was a bit yellowed when she first looked at it; she had assumed it was due to the dim light in the car.

Xia Liyang froze, her emotions becoming more complex as she opened the book.

She found a letter tucked inside, written in Lu Huaicheng’s elegant handwriting.

“Yang Yang:

I think I’ve owed you a formal apology and a less hurried confession for quite some time.

When we first met last year, I indeed held myself in high regard and looked down on you a bit. Even though I developed feelings for you, I was unwilling to face it or respond to your feelings, and I kept you by my side in the most misguided way.

Even after you left, due to my stubbornness and arrogance, I created a lot of trouble for you and your friends.

But I didn’t know how to express my feelings to you, so I hope you can forgive me for using this somewhat evasive method to convey my deepest apologies.

You were never a bird in my cage, nor do I want you to become one.

I just want to create a free sky for you, allowing you to continue being yourself.

I don’t know how to define happiness, but I hope I can bring it to you.

Because I like you. — Lu Huaicheng”

After reading the letter, Xia Liyang felt her hands beginning to tremble.

He had laid his entire heart bare before her, yet she was still thinking of hiding and concealing.

She was thinking about how she could avoid being disliked by him while continuing to enjoy his affection.

She was truly pathetic.

She didn’t deserve his affection at all.

Xia Liyang bit her lip, abruptly stood up from the bed, wanting to go next door and confess to him.

But as she opened the door, she ran right into Lu Huaicheng, who was casually wrapped in a bath towel, drying his wet hair as he ascended the stairs.

The two of them were momentarily stunned, and Xia Liyang tensed up, quickly taking a step back.

But she couldn’t stop the bath towel that hadn’t been tightly fastened from slipping down from his waist.