Chapter 32

Staying on set for too long had completely messed up Lin Si’s routine. When he opened his eyes, he glanced at the time.

It was only 5:17.

The blanket had been kicked off by his legs, letting the warmth dissipate. He turned over, grabbed the blanket, pressed against its cooler side, and curled up, burying his face into it.

The memories of last night slowly returned, and the faint haze around the bed completely disappeared.

“Baby.”

That was how Y addressed him. The voice was soft, tinged with a bit of awkwardness, like a strict, rigid old scholar bashfully saying “I love you” to his wife.

Under the blanket, Lin Si curled his lips into a smile, then flipped over and lay flat again. In his half-asleep state, he wondered, If I confessed to Y… would Y accept it?

But the very next second, he frowned, turned over again, and immediately dismissed the idea as unfeasible.

Just the fact that he couldn’t reveal his real identity to Y was enough to stop him from confessing.

Lin Si tossed and turned, caught in his dilemma. Before long, he seemed to have fallen asleep, but his mind kept drifting back to Y.

After struggling in this half-awake, half-asleep state for a while, he scratched his neck, shut his eyes, and crawled out of bed. Opening the door, he groped along the wall as he walked out, looking as disheveled as a stray who couldn’t find breakfast in the trash heap that morning.

For every three steps he took in the foggy haze, he sighed once in confusion.

“Si, what a miserable life,” he muttered to himself, sounding as resentful as any overworked corporate drone in the world. “Why’d I have to become a celebrity? Isn’t food good enough? Isn’t cake delicious? Aren’t chubby people adorable? Isn’t sweet romance worth pursuing?”

When he neared the bathroom door, he braced himself against the wall, finally managing to stand upright, and glanced up.

“…”

Lu Wei was standing less than a meter diagonally in front of him, holding an electric razor. His hair was damp, brushed back by someone’s hand.

He looked amazing.

Second only to the time he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Moreover, compared to Lin Si’s early-morning haggardness and exhaustion, Lu Wei was impossibly polished, impossibly handsome.

Lin Si froze on the spot, not moving an inch. Still half-asleep and getting up too early, his brain wasn’t quite online yet. So, he just stood there and stared at Lu Wei.

“You’re awake.” Lu Wei’s Adam’s apple shifted slightly as he looked at Lin Si’s messy hair and the oversized neckline slipping down his right shoulder.

Lin Si nodded. “Mm, morning.” He floated closer like a ghost and pointed at the bathroom door. “Still using it?”

“No,” Lu Wei replied, stepping aside to let him through.

Lin Si nodded again and trudged toward the bathroom with heavy steps.

“Breakfast before going back to sleep?” Lu Wei suddenly asked.

Lin Si, holding onto the doorframe, turned back. “Are you making it?” He answered his own question. “Then forget it.”

“…” Lu Wei said, “I’ll have someone bring it over.”

“Forget it… I won’t eat… just want to sleep…” Lin Si mumbled as he slipped into the bathroom.

He slowly went about his business, and when he reached the sink, a faint yet captivating scent of pheromones filled the air, causing every pore on his body to relax as if they had just stretched.

It was likely Lu Wei’s pheromones.

Lin Si closed the toilet lid and sat on it, fully immersing himself in the comforting scent. The enclosed space warmed the usually cool aroma, and Lin Si felt as if he were floating on a hot air balloon, drifting weightlessly through the sky. He rested his arms on the edge, feeling utterly at ease.

By the time breakfast was delivered, Lu Wei was sitting on the sofa, reviewing some documents from the previous night that he hadn’t had time to address because he’d been with Lin Si. After reading a section, he habitually glanced toward the tightly shut door at the end of the hallway.

The doorbell rang. The building’s delivery robot had placed the breakfast on the shelf by the door. Lu Wei retrieved it, then checked the time.

Lin Si had been in the bathroom for 36 minutes.

Lu Wei picked up his phone and sent Lin Si a message: [Good morning.]

There was no reply.

He walked over and knocked on the door, calling softly, “Lin Si?”

There was no response.

“Lin Si?” he asked again.

Still, no response.

The door was locked.

“Lin Si?” Remembering the last time Lin Si had experienced a pseudo-heat episode, Lu Wei grew worried that something might have happened. He knocked on the door again, this time harder. “Lin Si?”

Not recalling where the spare key was kept, Lu Wei pressed the emergency call button by the door and contacted the property management center. They informed him where the spare key was usually stored. Finally, he found it in a hidden compartment in the entryway shoe cabinet.

The door opened, and Lu Wei saw Lin Si slumped over the sink.

His fair, delicate arms poked out from the wide sleeves of his shirt, resting on the edge of the counter. His face lay turned to the side, sleeping peacefully.

Lu Yan let out a breath of relief and approached quietly, his steps light. He bent down to take a closer look.

Lin Si’s cheek was pressed against his arm, slightly puffing out his lips. Against his smooth, pale skin, his lips were as red as a strawberry nestled in cream.

It suddenly occurred to Lu Wei—Lin Si was only 19 years old.

For most people, 19 might mean just finishing their college entrance exams and entering university. He might have been bright-eyed and carefree, slinging an arm around a classmate’s shoulder. Or he might have been cramming for finals, falling asleep in the library.

And, perhaps, because of his stunningly serene sleeping face, he might have caught the attention of a passing Alpha and woken up to a confession.

Lin Si’s bangs were sticking up from sleep. Lu Wei raised his arm, hesitating midair for a moment. As he drew closer, feeling Lin Si’s steady breathing, he extended a finger and gently pressed down the most rebellious strand of hair.

His warm breath nearly brushed against the back of Lin Si’s neck.

Stirred by the scent in the air, Lin Si shifted his chin and slowly opened his eyes.

He saw Lu Wei standing nearby, his movements awkwardly frozen as their gazes met.

“Hmm?” Lin Si blinked, momentarily unsure of what time it was. He vaguely remembered seeing Lu Wei in the hallway earlier but wondered if it had been a dream.

After rubbing his eyes, he pushed himself up on his arms. “What are you doing here?”

“You fell asleep,” Lu Wei said.

Lin Si turned his head, scratching his ear, and realized he really had dozed off on the toilet.

As they left the bathroom together, Lin Si suddenly remembered—he had fallen asleep because he was captivated by Lu Wei’s pheromones…

He drew in a sharp breath and stared at Lu Wei’s back. A realization hit him—pheromones were truly a terrifying thing, especially those from an Alpha with an exceptionally high compatibility rate.

Before Lin Si returned to his room, Lu Wei called out to him, “There’s breakfast on the table.”

Lin Si hesitated, debating whether to eat or not. But as the aroma of custard buns wafted to his nose, his legs moved on their own. He quickly made his way to the dining table, eyes lighting up the moment he saw the spread.

Custard buns, sweet soy milk, multigrain porridge, and a slightly melted strawberry smoothie…

He headed to the kitchen, grabbed a tray and a glass, sat down, and divided the food, giving Lu Wei a portion. Then, he started eating, naturally beginning with the largest portions.

If Lu Wei didn’t eat the strawberry smoothie by the end, it would be his.

Lu Wei took a serving of egg crepes, toast, two of the five custard buns, and a bowl of multigrain porridge.

Lin Si poured himself a generous amount of soy milk, grabbed two more custard buns, and polished off his bowl of porridge. Just as he finished, Lu Wei wiped his mouth and stood up.

“You’re not eating the rest?” Lin Si asked.

“I’m full.” Lu Wei rolled down the sleeves of his shirt and mentally noted which breakfast items Lin Si had favored.

Lin Si tugged at the coaster under the smoothie. “Then I’ll have this.”

“Go ahead.” Lu Wei, trying to appear nonchalant, headed back to his room.

When it was time for work, Lu Wei came out with his briefcase. His suit was crisp, exuding a restrained elegance. As he glanced down, he saw Lin Si pacing back and forth in the living room, clearly stuffed.

Their eyes met briefly. Lu Wei walked past him, bent down at the entryway, and put on his shoes.

“What about the rest of the breakfast?” Lin Si asked from the side of a pillar.

“The housekeeper will clean up. Anything untouched, she’ll take away,” Lu Wei replied.

“Oh.” Lin Si nodded but felt a bit guilty about eating breakfast for free. After a pause, he said, “I’ll be staying in Beicheng for a while. If you ever want a late-night snack, I can make it for you.”

Lu Wei visibly paused mid-motion, his back stiffening. After pressing down on the back of his shoe, he straightened up and replied, “Alright.”

The door clicked shut, leaving only a sliver of Lu Wei’s departing figure visible.

Feeling too full to be sleepy anymore, Lin Si replied to Y’s earlier message before wandering off to the dance studio next door. After spending some time there, he returned to catch up on his sleep.

By noon, Liao Ji came by with lunch to feed him. In the afternoon, they had to head to a shoot for a brand endorsement. Before long, they were on their way.

Lin Si felt a rush of excitement and almost couldn’t wait to tell Y that he was about to visit Bubble Company. Holding back for a moment, he sent a message: [Are you busy tonight?]

Y: [Free after 8 p.m.]

Lin Si: [Did your glasses arrive?]

Y: [They did.]

Lin Si: [Let’s meet in the virtual world tonight!]

Y: [Okay.]

Feeling elated, Lin Si hummed a tune all the way to LeYou Studios.

They were greeted by someone introduced as a general manager with the last name Zhao. Lin Si didn’t catch his full name. Since the shoot wasn’t urgent, Zhao took Lin Si and Liao Ji on a brief tour of the company.

“Our current online dating system is still a prototype,” Manager Zhao explained, “and there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

Lin Si nodded. “Yeah, I’ve felt that some games are too simple.”

Manager Zhao asked, “Have you tried our dating system before, Mr. Lin?”

“…!” Lin Si scrambled to come up with an answer and explained, “Before signing the contract, I did some research online.”

Manager Zhao didn’t seem suspicious. “Actually, the matchmaking system and virtual world are Bubble’s most attractive features,” he said with pride. “The core code for both was written by our boss himself.”

Lin Si listened and gave a reserved compliment. “That’s really impressive.”

Bubble user ‘Forget Love’ thinks: Your boss is amazing!

“Our research lab is usually closed to outsiders. We’ve rejected requests from many universities and research institutes. But yesterday, our boss specifically said to invite you here,” Zhao explained, leading them into the research department.

The room was filled with robots and simulation pods, immediately catching Lin Si’s attention.

Restraining himself to maintain the persona of “Lin Si, the celebrity,” he stood next to a small robot and commented, “I’ve seen something similar in a supermarket in Xijiang.”

“Ha, ha, ha! How could that low-level idiot be me?” The robot suddenly spoke up.

Lin Si: “…”

But you don’t seem particularly smart either.

Manager Zhao introduced, “This is one of our robots developed in collaboration with Shangpin. It’s a new version delivered just yesterday and still undergoing testing. The one in Xijiang is seven levels below this one.”

Lin Si processed this for a moment. Shangpin… that seemed to be the company where Zhang Tingxi used to work. He glanced at Liao Ji and whispered, “Isn’t this that guy’s company?”

“Should be,” Liao Ji replied.

Manager Zhao led Lin Si through another room and gestured toward a pod resembling a space capsule. “Virtual reality glasses can’t provide physical sensations to Bubble’s users,” he said, pointing to the pod. “This is a gaming pod currently under development. It doesn’t have a name yet, but to put it simply, once users enter the pod, they can experience real tactile sensations in the virtual world.”

Lin Si’s heart skipped a beat. If both he and Y used this to enter the virtual world, wouldn’t that mean they could touch each other?

“Is this functional yet?” Lin Si asked, trying to sound casual.

Manager Zhao replied, “Not yet. It’s still in the research phase. This is just the first prototype.”

Lin Si nodded, a little disappointed but still said, “If this becomes a reality, it would be very marketable.”

Manager Zhao smiled. “It was our boss’s idea to develop this.”

Lin Si tilted his head slightly. Manager Zhao seemed like a diehard fan of his boss. Using Lu Nan’s words, Lin Si thought, Manager Zhao was practically “cheering for his boss every chance he got.”

When it was about time, they left the research department. Passing through the front hall, a metallic accessory on Lin Si’s outfit fell to the floor. A small robot rolled over, picked it up with its mechanical arm, and let out a chirpy “Ah!” before saying, “Mr. Lin, you dropped this.”

Lin Si turned back, surprised. “It knows my name?”

Manager Zhao seemed puzzled too, but a staff member quickly explained, “Unit 204 has been equipped with new data capture and input parsing functions. It likely gathered the information automatically during your conversation.”

“204?” Lin Si raised an eyebrow. What a coincidental name.

He crouched down, accepted the accessory from the robot, and asked, “Do you know how much money to bring when going out during a typhoon?”

The robot’s eyes transformed from circular shapes into three horizontal lines. After two seconds, it replied, “I suspect you’re an idiot. You shouldn’t go out during a typhoon!”

Lin Si chuckled and patted the robot’s smooth head. “It’s cute.”

After leaving the research lab, they headed to the photo studio.

Manager Zhao watched Lin Si’s departing figure, clenched his palms tightly, then pressed a hand against his back, using his shirt to absorb the cold sweat gathered there.

Right on time, the CEO called. His low, indifferent voice came through the phone: “What did he say?”

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Author’s Note:
CEO Lu, scheming to impress his beloved in real life: Have my subordinates shower me with compliments, then show my research achievements to my wife. Let him know how amazing I am. (Clever.jpg)

Unit 204: Everyone’s an idiot! Total idiots!

P.S. “204” has a special meaning—it’s the fan name for “44”!

T/n: Mr. Lu has really started trying hard to conquer his wife😏 if you want to support me you can buy me a Ko-Fi or go to my paypal page. Happy Reading 🎊😄