Jiang Hezhou must have been exhausted from work these past few days.
Chu Luyu glanced toward the entrance and saw him change into his slippers, then walk toward the living room while still on the phone. Even with his deliberate restraint, the fatigue radiating from him was hard to miss.
“Sorry, I’m afraid I can’t make it today. I just got back from the neighboring province and I’ve been up for about seventy-something hours straight. I really don’t have the energy to join your group activity.”
Chu Luyu heard his voice on the phone right away. She’d been thinking just a moment ago that this mission the system had given her didn’t seem too difficult.
But after hearing Jiang Hezhou’s conversation, she instantly understood.
Chu Luyu: [So the ridiculous part of this mission is that the female supporting character, after the male lead has been working continuously for over 70 hours, won’t let him rest and insists on pestering him to watch a short CEO drama with her?]
System Cuihua: [Yep. The female supporting character feels like he’s ignored her for three days already, so since he’s back, she has to make him spend time with her right away.]
Chu Luyu couldn’t comprehend it at all: [But he’s been working for three days and three nights! Can’t she just wait until he’s had some sleep?]
No wonder in the main plot later on, other characters found the female supporting character so absurd. This character was seriously messed up—she didn’t even have basic empathy.
System Cuihua: [She got called off the engagement precisely because she’s so difficult and unreasonable. Anyway, hurry up and get started. This mission only gives you one hour. If you don’t complete it within the hour, the punishment mechanism will be triggered. A few days ago, I saw in the backend that another system’s host ended up in the ICU because a crappy old biscuit tin smacked them for failing a mission.]
Chu Luyu: …
After Jiang Hezhou hung up, he looked up and happened to meet Chu Luyu’s gaze.
The woman was wearing a light sleep dress, her hair loosely bundled up into a bun on top of her head. Her face was still make-up free, with stray strands of hair falling across her forehead, and her almond-shaped eyes were bright and dewy.
He gave her a faint nod as a greeting, then spoke with a slightly apologetic tone.
“Sorry, the team temporarily seconded me to assist the neighboring province with an autopsy consultation. I left rather suddenly that night and didn’t have a chance to say goodbye in person. Have you been doing alright these past few days? How’s the injury on your ankle?”
Hearing his concern, Chu Luyu immediately replied: “I’ve been great! Didn’t you hire a housekeeper for me? She makes delicious meals three times a day. My ankle has been healing well too—the swelling’s pretty much gone down.”
Jiang Hezhou nodded.
“Is there any food in the kitchen?”
“There is, but it’s all leftovers…”
Jiang Hezhou didn’t seem to mind at all. He took off his white lab coat and replied casually: “That’s fine.”
With that, he started to head straight to his room, but after taking two steps, he paused hesitantly.
“I’ll go take a shower first, then come out to eat.”
It sounded like he was letting her know.
Chu Luyu nodded quickly.
Jiang Hezhou’s shower was brief.
He was utterly exhausted—he’d been working non-stop with the neighboring province’s officers for three straight days, barely taking off his lab coat the entire time.
Right now, all he wanted was to get cleaned up, eat something, and then rest immediately.
When he came out, he was surprised to find that Chu Luyu had actually reheated the food for him.
He truly hadn’t expected that. His usually calm, expressionless face showed a rare flicker of surprise.
Truth be told, when he’d first come back, Jiang Hezhou had been a little worried.
He’d had a taste of his fiancée’s personality a few times before.
These past few days had been so intense that aside from thinking about the victims’ causes of death, time of death, and the weapons used, he’d barely had room in his head for anything else.
So when he returned home, opened the door, and belatedly remembered that there was a fiancée waiting for him at home, aside from a brief pang of guilt, his main concern was whether she’d make a scene over his absence over the past few days.
After all, he hadn’t called her once in those three days—hadn’t even thought of her, honestly.
He’d braced himself for her complaints and venting. He hadn’t expected her to act so normal, and even reheat his meal while he was showering.
Perhaps he had indeed formed a rigid impression of her before. It was impossible to fully judge a person’s true character and nature through just a few brief meetings.
He quietly said “thank you” to Chu Luyu, and the woman immediately shook her head, replying “it’s nothing.”
Jiang Hezhou didn’t dwell on it too much. He pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table.
The food showed no signs of having been touched—it had probably been prepared by the housekeeper in advance for the woman to have as a late-night snack.
Jiang Hezhou was actually very hungry right now, but he still maintained good table manners while eating.
From Chu Luyu’s perspective, his movements were leisurely and measured. His hand holding the chopsticks was steady, with long, pale, slender fingers and well-defined knuckles.
She’d seen plenty of handsome hands like this on the internet before—pale, clean, like works of art.
Jiang Hezhou noticed she hadn’t sat down and didn’t seem to be leaving either. A hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
“What’s wrong? Is there something you need?”
Chu Luyu wasn’t good at hiding her emotions.
She’d been feeling extremely conflicted all along, and now that Jiang Hezhou had taken the initiative to speak to her, she unconsciously pressed her cherry-pink lips together. When she looked up at him, her expression carried a hint of soft timidity.
She looked very embarrassed, and her voice sounded utterly lacking in confidence: “Um… um… would you be able to rest on the living room sofa when you’re done?”
Jiang Hezhou paused, his dark, deep-set eyes reflecting confusion.
“Why?”
The system chimed in with its own confusion at this point: [Yeah, why? Didn’t I tell you to get him to watch a short CEO drama with you? Why are you letting him rest instead?]
Chu Luyu ignored the system’s question and focused solely on responding to Jiang Hezhou.
“It’s just that I’ve recently gotten really interested in some documentaries related to your profession. But as you know, forensic documentaries tend to have a pretty creepy atmosphere. I don’t dare watch them alone at home. Now that you’re back, could you keep me company?”
As if afraid he’d refuse, Chu Luyu quickly added a couple more lines: “Don’t worry, I don’t need you to watch with me the whole time. Just being nearby is enough—even if you’re sleeping or resting. As long as there’s someone next to me, I’ll feel much braver.”
She looked at him with pleading eyes, unconsciously wearing a soft, coquettish expression, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, her lips slightly puckered.
“Please, just say yes. Please, please.”
Looking at her like this, Jiang Hezhou was inexplicably reminded of a Ragdoll cat he’d kept as a child.
It was adorable, soft, and delicate. When it rubbed against his palm, the touch was so gentle it was mesmerizing.
He spaced out for a moment, his gaze lingering on Chu Luyu’s cheeks. They were soft and full, looking like they’d feel nice to the touch. He wondered if rubbing them against his palm would feel the same as that Ragdoll cat…
Chu Luyu waited a couple of seconds. When he didn’t respond, she thought he was going to refuse and grew anxious.
“Jiang Hezhou, just say yes, alright? Please, please, please.”
Her tone was dripping with coquettishness—especially when she said his name. If those words were written on paper, the punctuation at the end would probably be a string of wavy tildes.
Jiang Hezhou hesitated slightly before replying: “Actually, if you’re not in a hurry, I can watch with you after I’ve slept. I’ll have two days off afterward. Unless something unexpected comes up, I’ll be staying home.”
But she was in a hurry! Of course she was! The mission only gave her one hour!
“I am in a hurry, I really am. I’ve actually been holding back for days. I really want to watch it and don’t want to put it off any longer.”
Chu Luyu was terrified he’d refuse. She put even more effort into her pleading gestures, her clasped hands swinging back and forth, her almond-shaped eyes filled with earnest entreaty.
Jiang Hezhou was silent for a moment. He should have refused, but in the end, he inexplicably nodded.
Later, after Jiang Hezhou finished eating and cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen, he came out to find that Chu Luyu had actually made a little nest for him on the living room sofa.
The blanket was a soft white cashmere throw, its smooth fabric gleaming with a delicate, warm sheen under the light. Besides that, a glass of warm milk and his usual calming sleep incense box sat on the coffee table.
When Chu Luyu saw him approaching, she padded over, grabbed his hand, and tugged him toward the little nest.
The system couldn’t hold back any longer and asked her: [What exactly are you trying to do? Did you forget what this mission is? Why are you getting him to watch some forensic documentary and letting him rest?]
Chu Luyu: [I remember! But the plot mission is to have him watch a short CEO drama with me, with the key point being the male and female leads kissing. As long as I complete that, isn’t it fine? And as for the process—isn’t that up to me too?]
Chu Luyu simply couldn’t harden her heart. Even though she had no romantic feelings for the male lead and knew he was just her mission target, she still couldn’t bring herself to torment someone who’d been working continuously for over seventy hours—not even if he were a complete stranger.
That would be too cruel.
The system understood her meaning. After a moment of silence, it replied: [Alright, you really are my kind of kid — already figuring out how to exploit loopholes in the mission.]
The woman tugged Jiang Hezhou all the way to the sofa. Through the fabric of his sleeve, he could feel the warm temperature of her palm.
“Lie down.” After letting go of him, Chu Luyu lifted the blanket on the sofa and pressed down on his shoulders to make him sit. “Alright, from now on, you can sleep.”
She didn’t bother him further after that. She just plopped down on the carpet in front of the sofa, picked up the remote, and started searching for the documentary she wanted to watch.
The white cashmere blanket was incredibly soft. Draped over him, Jiang Hezhou could vaguely catch a faint, sweet orange scent.
It was the same fragrance the woman carried now—sweet and pleasant.
Was it because the blanket had been in her arms?
Jiang Hezhou’s thoughts grew heavier, and his consciousness gradually drifted away.
Soon, he was asleep.
Time ticked by. The system saw that Chu Luyu wasn’t making any move to complete the mission and couldn’t help feeling anxious for her.
System Cuihua: [What are you thinking? The male lead’s been asleep for over half an hour, and there’s less than five minutes left before the mission deadline. Aren’t you going to wake him up?]
Chu Luyu, however, was quite relaxed: [What’s the rush? I’ll definitely complete the mission.]
She popped a slice of cucumber-flavored Lay’s chips into her mouth and turned her attention back to the TV with great interest.
The forensic doctor in the documentary was currently assisting the officers with trace evidence examination. The camera followed his movements closely, and the atmosphere of the scene was solemn and grave.
Chu Luyu couldn’t help but wonder—was this what Jiang Hezhou’s daily work was like too? Sharp observational skills, extensive professional knowledge, and a completely rigorous attitude.
Time slipped by, minute after minute. Finally, with only two minutes left, Chu Luyu put down her snack, picked up the remote, and pulled up a short CEO-type drama.
She didn’t even need to search for a kissing scene in these kinds of shows. Almost every first episode would have the female lead walking into the wrong room, being hit by the effects of a drug, and somehow ending up kissing the male lead, who was also under the influence.
Chu Luyu’s plan was this: at the very last moment of the mission’s time limit, she’d quickly pry open Jiang Hezhou’s eyes, whisper the key line in his ear, and then immediately close his eyes again.
If she was lucky, the deeply asleep man wouldn’t be woken up by her rapid series of actions.
She’d complete the mission while he was still asleep—what a perfect arrangement!
Chu Luyu was feeling quite pleased with herself, thinking she was a real genius.
She turned around and, following her earlier plan, leaned in toward Jiang Hezhou.
The man slept in a rigid posture, his hands resting on his chest over the blanket. Chu Luyu leaned closer and raised her hand to pry open his eyelids.
But just then, his eyes opened wide—without any warning!
The next second, with an almost unconscious reflex born of high vigilance, he grabbed both of her wrists.
Jiang Hezhou’s grip was strong. The bones of Chu Luyu’s wrists ached under his hold.
She was so startled she forgot to struggle. Only one thought remained in her mind: How did he wake up? How did he wake up? How did he wake up!!!
This was nothing like what she’d planned!
The man usually wore glasses. Though his eyes were deep and dark, they were usually shielded by lenses.
Now, with nothing in the way, when Chu Luyu met his gaze, she felt as though she was drowning in a cold, dark abyss.
Jiang Hezhou probably hadn’t fully emerged from the haze of deep sleep. His actions were merely a conditioned response from years of defensive habits.
The system’s countdown echoed above her head: [10, 9, 8…]
Chu Luyu was frantic inside, her expression looking as though she was about to cry.
With no other choice, under Jiang Hezhou’s intense stare, she pointed toward the TV.
“You… look, they’re kissing.”
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