Chapter 5: Tasty, and the Person Too

Li Qingqing also noticed Lu Yan at that moment. Her foot caught on the floor, and she nearly spilled the shrimp dumplings right onto Lu Yan’s head.

So the Young Master of the Lu family… was him?!

She instantly felt exposed, like there was nowhere to hide.

She was just about to flee back into the kitchen when Song Jihe called her back.

“Hey, Qingqing, come here for a moment.” Song Jihe pointed at Lu Yan and introduced them. “This is my son, Lu Yan. Just call him Young Master Lu. He doesn’t come around often, but you should recognize him, understand?”

Li Qingqing silently nodded.

Song Jihe continued eating.

Li Qingqing stood stiffly at the side of the table, unsure if she should leave.

Lu Yan gave her a glance, finding the whole situation quite amusing.

A university girl he’d spent a hundred thousand yuan to sleep with had somehow ended up as a maid in his house? This was beyond absurd.

Qingqing? So that was her name? Kinda cute, actually.

The corner of Lu Yan’s mouth curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“Here, son, try this shrimp dumpling. It just came out of the pot—so fresh and tender.”

Song Jihe placed a dumpling into Lu Yan’s bowl. He picked it up with his chopsticks, placed it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, savoring the taste. Then, with exaggerated flair, he deliberately raised his voice and said, “Mmm—white and pink, smooth and tender. Truly delicious~”

Standing nearby, Li Qingqing blushed crimson. One moment her face was red, the next it turned pale. Was he… reviewing the dish?

Why did it sound like he was implying something?

Seeing her son eating so happily, Song Jihe also praised, “I didn’t expect Qingqing to be so young and already so skilled at cooking. Tasty, isn’t it?”

Lu Yan responded, “Mmm~ Very tasty. The person’s tasty too~”

Li Qingqing: “…”

What kind of nonsense was this man spouting?! Was that even something he could say out loud?! Li Qingqing stood off to the side, clutching the corner of her apron tightly. She couldn’t decide whether to walk away or stay put.

Even Song Jihe was dumbfounded. “Wh—what do you mean, ‘the person is tasty’?”

Lu Yan’s lips curled slightly as he slyly explained, “I meant the shrimp dumplings are delicious. You misheard me.”

“Oh… ohhh, well then, eat more if you like them.” Song Jihe quickly started piling food into Lu Yan’s bowl.

Li Qingqing couldn’t stand there any longer. “Um… Madam, I think the kitchen still needs help…”

Only then did Song Jihe realize Li Qingqing was still standing there.

She waved her off. “Go on. You all should eat too.”

Li Qingqing scurried away like a guilty little rabbit.

Lu Yan watched her retreating figure and was reminded of how disheveled she’d looked that night.

A college student, and she wasn’t even going to class—now working as a maid in someone else’s house? Was she short on money again?

•  

That night, Lu Yan stayed home. His bedroom was on the third floor—right beneath the attic. Knowing Li Qingqing was sleeping just above him, his body felt hot and restless.

He couldn’t stop thinking about the way she’d looked that night—messy, pleading, helpless. It made his heart itch uncontrollably.

That had been the first time in his 27 years that he’d slept with a woman—and he hadn’t expected it to be so addictive.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had opportunities before. Plenty of women had thrown themselves at him, but he never felt anything for them. In fact, he even resisted their touch. He’d once thought something was wrong with him.

He’d gone boxing, rock climbing, wilderness survival training—even joined a scientific expedition to Antarctica.

Again and again, he tested the limits of his willpower, convinced he’d never feel desire for any woman in this lifetime.

But Li Qingqing had been like a key, flipping a hidden switch in his body completely open…

•  

Meanwhile, Li Qingqing lay awake in the attic as well. She couldn’t believe she’d somehow ended up working as a maid in Lu Yan’s house.

Thankfully, Lu Yan didn’t seem to be home often, so she wouldn’t have to face him every day. Once she saved up the remaining fifty thousand yuan, she’d resign and stay far, far away from him.

Just as she was thinking that, there was a knock on her door.

“Who is it?”
Li Qingqing jumped at the sound. After all, this was her first night staying here—who would be knocking on her door this late?

“Open up.”

The person outside didn’t say who they were, only issued a curt, commanding order. The knocking grew louder and more urgent.

From the voice, it sounded like Lu Yan.

Li Qingqing’s face was full of confusion. What did Lu Yan want with her at this hour?

She hesitated, unsure whether she should open the door. But Lu Yan’s knocking only intensified, the sound of his fist pounding the wood becoming louder and louder. Worried about disturbing the others so late at night, she finally got up and opened the door.

She cracked the door open just slightly—enough to see that familiar, handsome face through the gap. The moment she saw Lu Yan, her mind instantly conjured up memories of that night they’d spent together.

“Um… It’s late, Young Master Lu. Is something the matter?”

Lu Yan was wearing black silk pajamas. The loose, draping fabric outlined his firm chest and defined abs.

Li Qingqing couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.

“You’re going to keep a guest standing at the door to talk?” Lu Yan asked coldly.

“It’s just… it’s not appropriate this late…”

Before she could finish, Lu Yan had already stepped inside and shut the door behind him—such “politeness.”

The room was tiny, and with him stepping in, the two of them were practically face to face.

Instantly, the air between them thickened with a tense, ambiguous energy.

Li Qingqing felt her breath catch. She edged sideways and sat down on the edge of the bed, head bowed, not daring to look at him.

“No classes to attend? And you’re here playing maid?” Lu Yan mocked, amusement clear in his tone.

“I need the money,” Li Qingqing said awkwardly.

Lu Yan stared at her small figure curled up on the edge of the bed, and suddenly, the image of her that night resurfaced in his mind—her delicate frame, her flushed skin, the little mole nestled between her collarbone and chest, enticing in the dim light.

He forced himself to look away, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Then he spoke again:

“How much do you need? I’ll give it to you.”

“…Huh?”
Li Qingqing was caught off guard. This man had already given her 100,000 yuan, and now he wanted to give her more?

“That’s… unnecessary. I can earn it myself—”

Before she could finish her sentence, her words were swallowed.

Lu Yan’s long fingers, strong and cool, cupped her face, and he kissed her without warning, urgency blazing in his movements.

His familiar, cold scent filled her nose.

Li Qingqing instinctively tried to push him away, but he held the back of her head and deepened the kiss.

Last time, she had been too nervous, her body completely tense. She didn’t even know how to kiss properly. But this time… it felt so different.

Afraid the noise might alert Butler Liang, she didn’t dare struggle too much. Her half-hearted resistance only fueled the beast lurking in Lu Yan even more.

He suddenly pulled her up and pressed her against the door.

Her slender wrists were soft and delicate, easily pinned above her head with one of his large hands against the doorframe.

In the thick tension between their breaths, Li Qingqing’s ear pressed against the door—and then she heard it: footsteps approaching.

Her eyes widened. She instinctively reached out and covered Lu Yan’s mouth, making a “shh” gesture.

Lu Yan stared at her quietly, a mischievous glint in his eyes he couldn’t hide.

The footsteps came closer and closer. Li Qingqing’s heart leapt into her throat.

“Qingqing, is everything alright in there?”

It was Butler Liang’s voice, right outside the door.

Only a thin door separated them, and it felt like even their breathing could be heard through it.

Li Qingqing had never been this nervous in her life. The sweat she’d just broken into from the heat had now turned cold.