Lu Qianzhou let out a brief chuckle. Looking at her, he said, "She's my sister. Who else should I protect if not her?"
It wasn't hot inside the venue, yet somehow, sweat broke out on her palms and the tip of her nose.
The spot where Lu Qianzhou's palm had touched her just now was still a bit numb, as if an electric current had passed through.
The group chatted for a while. During this process, Yan Xia hardly said a word, trying her best to keep a low profile.
Finally, the crowd dispersed. Mu Rui gave Yan Xia a few extra glances, then punched Lu Qianzhou in the chest.
"I'll head back first," he said, turning to Yan Xia with a smile. "I've heard that Miss Cheng is an excellent cook. I hope I'll have the chance to taste your dishes someday."
Yan Xia curved her lips. "You definitely will."
She watched Mu Rui leave. This man knew her real identity and could freely enter and exit Lu Qianzhou's villa, which proved that he had a special relationship with Lu Qianzhou. Lu Qianzhou was a very vigilant person, and there were not many people he could fully trust.
Mu Rui wore black - rimmed glasses and was a bit thin. He had the face of a top student, which made people think he was extremely intelligent and reserved, and very good at hiding his emotions.
Yan Xia said, "Then I'll go back too."
Lu Qianzhou stretched his arms. "Are you in such a hurry to go back?"
Yan Xia raised her eyebrows. "No. It's just that everyone has left. You probably don't need me here anymore."
"Do you want to make some late - night snacks with me?" Lu Qianzhou suddenly said. "I've exercised a lot. I'm hungry."
He always seemed to come up with reasons that were hard to refuse.
For Yan Xia, it was a fresh experience that someone gave her so much face and wanted to eat the food she cooked, especially when that someone was Lu Qianzhou. It inevitably made her feel a sense of being a caregiver.
The car drove on the avenue, kicking up the fallen leaves on the ground. In late autumn, the capital city was getting colder, with a damp frostiness in the air.
She was busy in the large kitchen while Lu Qianzhou leaned against the doorframe, watching her bustling figure.
He especially liked this kind of homely atmosphere. Every time he waited to be fed, he always felt that this atmosphere had a magical power that could drive away the loneliness and chill in his heart.
Due to the limited time, Yan Xia cooked two bowls of noodles, fried an egg in the shape of a heart for him, and sprinkled some sesame seeds on it.
Since it was very late and Lu Qianzhou didn't like bright lights as they were too harsh on his eyes, she found some candles in the kitchen and lit two of them on the table.
The two of them sat opposite each other. Knowing that he was infatuated with this kind of atmosphere, Yan Xia took the initiative to say, "The ingredients are limited. Try it first."
The candlelight flickered, and his face looked a bit unreal in the candlelight, like a character in an oil painting.
Yan Xia's attention was all on Lu Qianzhou. A man like him, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, lacked nothing but love. She guessed that Lu Qianzhou had been frequently inviting her to meet because of that unexpected dinner, which had made him feel the warmth of a family.
For these reasons, Lu Qianzhou was now very interested in her.
It could be simple curiosity or infatuation.
As for herself, she could only be her true self, Cheng Yan Xia, when she was with Lu Qianzhou. This man gave her a sense of security and healed the wounds in her heart.
After Yan Xia had tidied up the kitchen properly, she said again, "I'm really going back this time."
Lu Qianzhou said, "Why don't you stay tonight?"
"What?" Yan Xia was shocked.
This sentence always made people misunderstand.
Lu Qianzhou didn't notice that she had misunderstood his meaning. He explained, "It's too late. I'll ask Wen Liang to pick you up early tomorrow. Just stay here tonight."
Yan Xia went straight to the room she had stayed in before.
The first thing Lu Qianzhou did when he got back to his room was to take a shower.
He lay in bed and scrolled through his phone for a while. Just as he was about to go to sleep, he sent a message to Yan Xia and asked, "Cheng Yan Xia, do you play games?"
Yan Xia was a bit surprised. "It's so late. You still want to play?"
She had always been a good girl with a regular schedule, while Lu Qianzhou was obviously an old hand at staying up late. It was common for him to go to bed in the early morning.
Lu Qianzhou replied, "I can't fall asleep."
"What should we do then? Should I sing you a lullaby?"
It was originally a joking remark, but Lu Qianzhou said, "Sure. Come on."
He really wanted her to sing...
Yan Xia rolled over in the quilt. After thinking for a while, she replied, "Like a star."
She cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and pressed the voice - recording button.
She sang, "Just like a star across my sky
Just like an angel off the page
You have appeared to my life
Feel like I'll never be the same
Just like a song in my heart
Just like oil on my hands
Oh... I do love you
..."
Her clear voice came out of the phone. As Yan Xia sang to the end, she suddenly thought that she and Lu Qianzhou had done so many things together. They could be considered good friends with a deep revolutionary friendship. Her tone unconsciously became more cheerful.
After Lu Qianzhou listened to the whole voice message, imagining her smiling on the other end, a hint of a smile welled up in his eyes.
It seemed that the more they chatted, the more energetic they became. He simply made a phone call. Yan Xia answered it immediately.
"We're in the same house. Why are you still calling?" Was this the privilege of the rich?
Lu Qianzhou asked, "Why are you laughing?"
He had noticed it. Yan Xia thought for a while before saying, "I just think life is really amazing. Mr. Lu and I have been through so many things together. We've even slept in the same bed. We can be considered to have established a deep revolutionary friendship, right?"
Lu Qianzhou asked again, "Why did you choose that song?"
Yan Xia could tell that he was in a good mood.
Did Lu Qianzhou want to hear some nice cheesy lines?
"Because the general meaning of the lyrics is what I want to express. You're just like a shooting star. You saved me when I needed help the most. You're also as bright and eye - catching as a shooting star. I'm really honored to have met you and experienced everything that happened before."
She was really good at talking. Cheesy lines or flattering words just rolled off her tongue.
She didn't know if this speech would appeal to Lu Qianzhou.
Lu Qianzhou chuckled. "Cheng Yan Xia."
She summoned up her courage. "What?"
It would be so spineless if she got timid after flirting.
He said, "You're really full of surprises."
In every aspect.
That night, Lu Qianzhou dragged Yan Xia into a long conversation. He was in high spirits and had endless things to say.
They didn't hang up the phone until 4 a.m. Yan Xia fell asleep in a daze. Naturally, she got up late the next day, but Lu Qianzhou was still energetic. He even asked Wen Liang to ask for a leave for Yan Xia.
Speaking of which, she had been quite busy recently. There were a bunch of company matters waiting for her to handle.
Fortunately, Fang Jiangyi had an appointment today and wasn't in the company. Besides him, no one else dared to do anything to Yan Xia.
Today's appointment was with Wang Keding.
Since the last dinner at the hotel, Wang Keding had disappeared for a while. Fang Jiangyi thought that it would be inconvenient for Lu Sheng to come and ask Wang Keding for the reclamation approval again. So he had to handle it himself.
Peng Shiyi accompanied him. It was his mother's idea. She wanted him to spend more time with Peng Shiyi and not neglect her.
This time, Peng Shiyi had really become smarter. She didn't cry or make a fuss. She just behaved herself and accompanied Fang Jiangyi's mother, chatting about their daily lives, trying to achieve her goal through Fang Jiangyi's mother.