Shang Xinglu didn’t even have time to blush before Lin Heng returned to his seat.

She was puzzled.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure if he really didn’t hear her clearly or if he was just pretending not to.

Either way, Shang Xinglu couldn’t sit still any longer.

She quickly finished the rest of her ice cream in one big bite… only to be hit with an instant brain freeze. Her face scrunched up like a steamed bun—completely ungraceful.

Lin Heng took the empty ice cream cup from her hand.

The movement was so natural it seemed like second nature to him.

“Slow down,” he said.

Shang Xinglu almost choked.

Who’s to blame for this?

Who?!

Wouldn’t it be someone who couldn’t hear clearly, had to make her repeat herself, and even had to lean in so close?!

Today, poor Lulu was simply a victim.

But thankfully, Lin Heng hadn’t actually kissed her.

Otherwise, instead of “Lulu who finished her ice cream in one second,” she would’ve been “Lulu who vanished into thin air.”

Lin Heng went to throw away the ice cream cup.

Shang Xinglu stole a glance at him.

Then another.

Her heart… was all over the place.

That face—absolutely stunning. Those legs—ridiculously long. That dress shirt and suit—he wore them with so much class.

To be fair, she had acted before. She had been in the highest circles of entertainment, surrounded by the most breathtaking beauties, both men and women—people who could make your heart race with just a glance.

Lin Heng was no less captivating.

If anything, his unique aura—elegant and poised—only amplified his already impeccable looks.

Then, in the next second, Shang Xinglu snapped back to reality.

A man like that…

Whether he truly didn’t hear her or pretended not to, it made no difference to her.

If he didn’t hear, she had already repeated herself.

If he did hear but acted otherwise, then they were merely acquaintances who had met twice. He was probably just enjoying a fleeting moment of playful ambiguity.

Either way, it wasn’t worth overthinking.

Shang Xinglu stood up, dusting off imaginary wrinkles from her clothes.

She dangled her work badge in front of him and said, “Come on, I’ll take you to see the parts of the museum that you normally wouldn’t have access to.”

Lin Heng agreed.

They spent most of the day at the planetarium. By the time they left, the sun had set.

On the way back, they ran into traffic.

When Shang Xinglu finally dropped Lin Heng off, it was already dark.

Lin Heng had put his phone on silent inside the planetarium and hadn’t taken a single call the entire time.

But once he stepped out, his phone started ringing nonstop.

As the driver, Shang Xinglu naturally overheard.

There were calls in Chinese, English, and even other languages. The English ones were the fastest, filled with technical terms she didn’t fully understand.

Even without these calls, Shang Xinglu could tell—this man was someone in power.

The expensive handkerchiefs, the perfectly tailored suit, the handmade leather shoes, the gemstone cufflinks of exceptional quality—none of these were things an ordinary person could afford.

But she wasn’t interested in his status or his wealth.

What caught her attention was how, after handling call after call, Lin Heng finally had a brief moment to rest.

He leaned back against the seat, massaged his temples, and let out a soft sigh.

Shang Xinglu raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“I thought people like you didn’t have worries,” she said.

Lin Heng turned to her. “People like me?”

What did she mean by that?

Shang Xinglu kept her eyes on the road as she explained, “A golden boy. Highly disciplined, incredibly capable. I figured there wasn’t any problem you couldn’t solve.”

Lin Heng’s voice was calm, polite. “I don’t recall us ever introducing ourselves to each other.”

“No need for introductions,” Shang Xinglu said. “Haven’t you ever looked in the mirror?”

Lin Heng glanced sideways at her.

Shang Xinglu smirked. “Everything about you screams ‘elite.’”

Lin Heng looked a little troubled at that.

His voice softened. “Am I that overbearing?”

Shang Xinglu stole a quick look at him. “Not overbearing. I wasn’t trying to insult you—if anything, it was a compliment. What I meant was… You and I are very different. You have qualities I don’t, things that make people envious.”

Logically speaking, they were still just acquaintances.

Yet somehow, they had ended up discussing something so deep and serious.

Shang Xinglu wasn’t the type to have these conversations with others.

She especially didn’t like analyzing herself in front of people.

The fact that she was doing it so naturally now—without feeling awkward—was surprising even to her.

But this was enough.

Any more, and it would be crossing a line.

Just as she was about to ease the mood by saying, “We’re here,” Lin Heng spoke first.

“The labels you just put on me—I won’t deny them,” he said. “But emotionally, I’m just an ordinary person. I have my own joys and sorrows. If I meet someone I dislike, of course, I’ll feel annoyed. And if I meet someone I like…”

He paused slightly.

“…naturally, I’ll feel happy.”

Shang Xinglu’s “We’re here” got stuck in her throat.

Why did “meeting someone I like” have to be placed at the end of that sentence, making it sound way too much like an emphasis?

She slowly pulled up to the entrance and parked the car.

Without saying a word.

Lin Heng continued, “I thought someone like Miss Shang wouldn’t have any worries.”

Shang Xinglu blurted out, “Huh? But you literally saw me crying like a mess at that banquet!”

Thinking about how miserably Shang Xinglu had cried, Lin Heng couldn’t help but laugh.

He said, “But you recovered pretty quickly.”

Shang Xinglu replied, “What else could I do? I was just cutting my losses in time. Mr. Lin, you should understand this better than I do.”

Lin Heng didn’t respond.

He understood—knowing was one thing, but making a choice was another.

People were too easily swayed by emotions. Making a decision wasn’t always so straightforward and decisive.

More often than not, one had to weigh all the options, think carefully, and consider the bigger picture.

He chuckled lightly, somewhat self-mockingly.

It seemed that some things had to be let go.

Lin Heng took the initiative and said, “We’re here. Thanks for giving me a ride today… and for the ice cream.”

Shang Xinglu was stunned for a moment, then quickly tried to convince herself:

That was just a phrase, just a phrase, just a phrase!

Lin Heng opened the car door and got out. Before closing the door, he bent down slightly and said, “See you next time, Louise.”

Shang Xinglu was stunned again.

As the door closed and she slowly drove away, her face belatedly turned red.

Her English name had become more commonly used after studying abroad.

It was just a name, nothing special. But when he said it… why did it sound so… so…

Intimate and lingering?!

They had only met three times in total.

Shang Xinglu thought she was definitely overthinking it—probably even going crazy.

…Yes! It must be because Mr. Lin’s voice was too good! That had to be it!

Shang Xinglu quickly put the “stranger” Lin Heng out of her mind.

---

A week later, Shang Xinglu was at her part-time job at the planetarium when she received a package.

Since she had been giving a presentation when it was delivered, a colleague signed for it.

After finishing work, she opened the package.

Inside were two beautifully wrapped boxes—white, smooth to the touch, tied with red ribbons, and faintly scented with a woody fragrance.

…Had she smelled this before?

She opened the first, slender box. Inside was a single white rose, seemingly a variety called “Gabriel”—its pure white petals had a few irregular serrated edges, blooming delicately.

The second box was square. Inside, there was another glass box, revealing a black velvet base. But instead of jewelry or expensive gemstones, there was a dull gray, unremarkable rock.

Shang Xinglu’s pupils contracted sharply.

Even without looking at the certification paper beside it, she knew—this was a piece of lunar meteorite.

As of 2018, only 165 lunar meteorites had been discovered on Earth. A piece found in 2017 had sold for over three million!

This one wasn’t as big, but judging by its value, it was still worth a fortune!

Yet… the package had no shipping label.

She couldn’t even return it if she wanted to.

Many people knew she worked part-time at the planetarium, but very few knew about her passion for astronomy. Those who didn’t—like her best friends—would just joke, “You? Teaching others? You’d mislead them!”

So rude!

Shang Xinglu mentally went through a list of people who might have sent this. Suddenly, Lin Heng’s figure flashed in her mind.

No way…

But it was possible.

She only knew his name and where he lived—nothing else. Was she supposed to just show up and ask, “I suspect you sent this. If so, please take it back.”

If it was him, fine. But if not… that would be so awkward.

Just then, her colleagues at the planetarium noticed the meteorite and gasped.

“Holy crap?!”

“Is this real?!”

“Who’s the rich guy that sent this?! Such good taste!!!”

Someone grabbed Shang Xinglu’s arm, shaking her excitedly. “Lulu! If you meet a man who gives you a meteorite, just marry him! I’m ordering you to get married!”

Shang Xinglu was overwhelmed by the commotion. Since she was off work anyway, she quickly left.

That evening, she had plans with her best friends. Since her purse was too small, she put the boxes in a bag. The gifts were too valuable to leave in the car, so she carried them with her.

At first, her friends paid no attention to the bag. But at some point, it fell to the ground, causing the slender box to pop open and reveal the white rose inside.

As soon as they saw the rose—and the elegant gift box combination—her friends freaked out.

But after opening the other box and seeing what was inside… they instantly calmed down.

“A broken rock…?”

“I know meteorites are expensive, but…”

“Even if it’s expensive, it’s still ugly.”

Shang Xinglu: “…”

Hey!!

Her friends continued criticizing the gift, saying the sender had money but no effort.

Shang Xinglu couldn’t help but argue, “How is a meteorite ugly? You guys don’t understand its value at all!”

Xue Shaoying looked at her suspiciously. “Hey, be honest—what’s going on?”

They kept pressing her, so Shang Xinglu had no choice but to tell them everything—except for the sender’s name.

She might not recognize him, but someone in this group might. And even if they didn’t, they might know someone who did.

Better safe than sorry.

But Shi Rui wasn’t letting it go. She said, “Based on your taste, the only person you’d call attractive is someone on Shen Wang’s level. That means… there aren’t many possibilities. So…”

Shang Xinglu suddenly felt nervous.

Shi Rui smirked. “…So, I’ll go do some digging, then come back and interrogate you properly.”

Shang Xinglu: “…………”

MDZZ! (WTF?!)