Seeing that the meal was over, Qi Xuecheng finally found a chance to get closer to Chu Luyu and talk to her.
The little young master trotted over to her on his short legs, grabbed her hand, and looked up at her.
“Big sister, I’m sorry—my family still won’t let me come to your art class. The class times conflict with my equestrian lessons and English tutoring.”
Qi Mubai followed behind him, looking as languid and aristocratic as ever. Chu Luyu instinctively glanced over at him, and he immediately explained.
“This time it’s not me keeping him from coming—it really is his mother who won’t allow it.”
Qi Mubai was terrified that this girl would start snapping at him again like before. Their relationship was already at rock bottom—he couldn’t let her misunderstand anything else.
Though he didn’t know why he cared so much about her opinion now. Call him pathetic, but just a few months ago, he’d been avoiding her like the plague…
Chu Luyu thought to herself that this male lead number two really knew how to create drama. She was actually relieved that his little nephew couldn’t attend her class.
She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him or anyone associated with him anymore. Besides, she honestly didn’t think she was qualified to teach this precious little young master.
With that in mind, she said flatly to Qi Mubai: “You’re overthinking it. I wasn’t misunderstanding anything.”
Then she reached out and ruffled Qi Xuecheng’s little head.
“It’s okay. Big sister’s art class can only teach basic drawing skills anyway. But your level is clearly beyond that—coming to my class would really just be a waste of time.”
Qi Xuecheng looked a bit disappointed, pouting. “But I really like you. I think you’re so pretty—I want to see you more.”
He looked up at her, and after a moment’s thought, blinked his grape-like, bright black eyes.
“Big sister, can I add you on WeChat? If I have free time later, I can come find you to play!”
Hearing this, Qi Mubai suddenly perked up for some reason.
He casually reached for his phone.
If the kid managed to get her WeChat, he’d just add her too. In front of a child, she probably wouldn’t refuse, right?
Chu Luyu didn’t think much of it. She smiled and said “Sure,” then reached for her phone to pull up her QR code.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside her.
Jiang Hezhou stopped her from handing her phone over. His large, pale, well-defined hand wrapped around hers, almost completely covering her small hand holding the phone.
“Too many people came for the trial class this afternoon. Her WeChat friend limit is full. You can add me for now—I’ll help her clean up her contacts when we get back, and then find a chance for her to add you.”
Chu Luyu blinked and looked at the man beside her silently.
“My WeChat friend limit… is full?”
Jiang Hezhou turned his head calmly. Behind his glasses, his dark, deep eyes were placid and unruffled—yet somehow like a bottomless abyss. When he looked at her, she felt an invisible, clammy chill enveloping her from head to toe.
She couldn’t escape it. She couldn’t shake it off.
“Full.” Jiang Hezhou’s tone was perfectly natural and composed, showing not a hint of lying. “Don’t you remember? Two of the parents who signed up later also added me on WeChat.”
After he said that, Chu Luyu felt her hand being slowly squeezed by the large palm above it.
She didn’t feel pain, but a solid, airtight pressure slowly crept over her.
Just like the feeling Jiang Hezhou was giving her at this very moment.
She finally realized that this man was acting strange again.
Chu Luyu didn’t want to fight him over such a trivial matter. Besides, she really didn’t want any more contact with that male lead number two or anyone connected to him. So after only two seconds of hesitation, she nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I added too many new friends this afternoon—my friend limit is full. You can add my fiancé’s WeChat first. I’ll clear out my contacts later and find a chance to add you then.”
Little Qi Xuecheng’s face was full of regret. Qi Mubai, on the other hand, glanced over at them but said nothing.
Afterward, Jiang Hezhou led Chu Luyu out of the restaurant first. Chen Zhou strolled over unhurriedly and saw only Qi Mubai standing there with the child.
“Still not gone?” Chen Zhou asked.
Qi Mubai shot him a glance. “Was waiting for you.”
Then he couldn’t help but recount what had just happened to Chen Zhou.
“Don’t you think this Second Jiang is being way too overprotective of your stepsister? It’s just a WeChat contact—does he have to be so petty about it?”
Hearing this, Chen Zhou’s eyelids lowered slightly, the warmth in his eyes dimming.
“If it’s ‘just a WeChat contact,’ why did you want to add her?”
Qi Mubai was momentarily stunned. He looked at Chen Zhou but ultimately said nothing more, took his nephew, and left first.
…
As they left, Jiang Hezhou’s pace was noticeably faster than usual. With his long legs, Chu Luyu struggled to keep up.
He still held her hand firmly, squeezing it just as tightly—leaving no room for her to pull away.
Chu Luyu was utterly baffled. She didn’t understand how going to the restroom could make him come back so upset.
Chu Luyu: [Cuihua, what’s wrong with the male lead? Why does he seem angry again?]
System Cuihua: [Well… the male lead is indeed angry. Your stepbrother said some things to him earlier, and he probably felt provoked.]
Chu Luyu: [What kind of things? What did that man say to him?]
System Cuihua: [He mentioned that the original owner used to chase after that male lead number two, and that her personality was a bit fickle—she’d be head over heels for someone one moment, then lose interest not long after. But honestly, I think he was trying to prepare the male lead on your behalf. The original owner really was like that before, and he was afraid that if you got along well with the male lead for a while and then suddenly changed your mind again, wanting to break off the engagement, the male lead might get angry and do something harsh to you.]
Chu Luyu was beyond speechless: [But from our interactions so far, I never felt like I was that close to this stepbrother of mine! What right does he have to talk nonsense in front of my fiancé! That’s so strange!]
System Cuihua: [Oh, don’t overthink it. It’s not a big deal anyway. Besides, his little “preparation” wasn’t entirely wrong—you will need to break off the engagement with the male lead later. And according to the original plot, the ending is destined to be messy and unpleasant.]
Chu Luyu understood all that, but she still found it incredibly frustrating.
Jiang Hezhou held her hand tightly all the way out of the restaurant.
It had started drizzling outside. With autumn rain, temperatures dropped day by day. The cool evening wind carried the dampness, chilling one to the bone.
The road below the restaurant steps was wet with rain, and the neon lights reflected off it, casting a wet, shimmering brilliance.
As if waiting for the others to come out before leaving, Jiang Hezhou stopped after pulling her outside.
Although Chu Luyu felt she’d done absolutely nothing wrong, she still felt a strange sense of guilt.
“Jiang Hezhou, what’s wrong with you?”
Even though the system had explained the backstory, she thought about it and realized the male lead shouldn’t be angry that she’d once chased after the male lead number two—that wasn’t his character.
Could it be, as the system had said before, that his male pride had been provoked? Was that why he was angry?
Jiang Hezhou didn’t answer, still holding her tightly.
After a few seconds, he turned to look at her.
“I turned down their WeChat request for you just now. Are you upset?”
“Huh?” Chu Luyu paused. “Not really. It’s just that you suddenly saying my friend limit was full was a bit fake… Next time something like this happens, give me a heads-up first.”
Jiang Hezhou stared straight at her, as if trying to bore through her pretty little face.
After another long pause, he suddenly asked: “Did you want to add that Mr. Qi’s WeChat?”
Chu Luyu’s hand was squeezed even tighter. Jiang Hezhou’s eyes were dark and heavy, bottomless in their depth: “I heard from your stepbrother that you used to pursue him.”
The system suddenly screamed in Chu Luyu’s head: [Holy crap! Holy crap! Baby! The male lead’s aversion value is skyrocketing! Oh my god—he’s not about to bring up breaking off the engagement right now, is he, after being triggered by your stepbrother’s words?!]
Chu Luyu looked up at the monitoring data for the male lead. It had indeed soared to -80—a jump of nearly ten points!
So men really couldn’t handle having their pride challenged? Even someone as restrained and composed as the male lead could lose control when provoked?
Chu Luyu was at a loss. She asked the system: [If the male lead brings up breaking off the engagement now, can the mission count as completed early?]
System Cuihua: [Of course not! The male lead hasn’t even gone through any major trauma yet! He doesn’t have gynophobia either! If the engagement breaks now, the plot will almost certainly collapse! Then we’re both done for!]
Chu Luyu was on the verge of tears: [Then what do I do? It’s not even my fault—I didn’t provoke him! What can I possibly do?]
System Cuihua: [Comfort him! Comfort him right now! Make him happy, get that aversion value down a bit, and hopefully he’ll shelve the idea of breaking off the engagement for now!]
Chu Luyu didn’t really know how to comfort someone. Her methods were pretty much the same as before.
So she thought for a moment, turned around, and tugged at Jiang Hezhou’s sleeve with her other hand.
“Jiang Hezhou, please don’t be mad, okay? I don’t have any feelings for that… I mean, for Qi Mubai—none at all anymore. I don’t like him even a little bit; I actually really dislike him.” She looked up at him pitifully, tugging his sleeve back and forth. “Please don’t be mad at me because of the past, okay? And please don’t hate me because of it.”
Hate her? How could he?
Jiang Hezhou only resented that she’d once given her heart so completely to another man.
He only resented that he hadn’t met her earlier, that he hadn’t claimed every part of her sooner.
She should belong only to him—only to him!
Jiang Hezhou’s grip on her hand tightened involuntarily. The little girl’s brow furrowed noticeably, but he pretended not to see, his eyes fixed deeply on her.
“So you’re trying to comfort me right now, is that it?”
Chu Luyu nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, yes! I’m comforting you!”
Then she bit her lip, her eyes brighter and more pleading as she looked at him: “Please don’t be mad. I’m begging you.”
The little girl really had a unique kind of magic.
She just tugged at his sleeve like that, acted a little coquettish, and the dark, heavy emotions in his heart had already calmed by more than half.
But it still wasn’t enough. Jiang Hezhou felt that this wasn’t enough.
Just then, the group inside came out together.
Jiang Hezhou’s peripheral vision swept through the clean glass window toward the interior. Aside from that man surnamed Qi and Chu Luyu’s stepbrother, her mother and younger brother were also there.
He lowered his gaze back to the little girl, paused for a moment, and said in a low, cold voice: “Kiss me.”
Chu Luyu froze, thinking she’d misheard.
“What did you say?”
“If you’re going to comfort me, then kiss me right now.”
The system immediately shouted at Chu Luyu: [Agree to it! Agree to it! Say yes right now!]
Chu Luyu: [But this is so weird! Doesn’t he already hate me? Even if he’s angry, why would he make a demand like this?!]
System Cuihua: [What do you know! Didn’t you see those people about to come out? This is obviously the male lead trying to save face in front of that male lead number two and your family! Just kiss him! Once he feels his pride is restored, he probably won’t bring up breaking the engagement!]
Chu Luyu also glanced inside and indeed saw Chu Fanyin with the two Chen brothers and the male lead number two all coming over together.
She decided to trust the system’s words for now and looked at Jiang Hezhou.
The man stood there quietly, unmoving, his head slightly bowed, his gaze fixed on her.
He was too tall. Standing face to face, even with her head tilted back, she still fell far short of him.
“Jiang Hezhou, could you lower your head a little? The way you are now, I… can’t reach you.”
The male lead still didn’t move, only looking at her and saying: “You can stand on your tiptoes. Wrap your arms around me.”
System Cuihua: [Holy crap! The male lead is so scheming! He wants them all to see that you’re the one making the first move! Oh my god, hahaha—angry men really are so childish!]
Is that really it…
Chu Luyu hesitated only a moment before doing as he said, gently rising onto her tiptoes.
Perhaps to make it easier for her to wrap her arms around him, Jiang Hezhou finally let go of her hand briefly.
The girl leaned forward obediently. Standing on her toes brought them slightly closer.
But it still wasn’t enough.
She thought for a moment, bit her lip, and raised her arms to slowly circle his neck.
The cool autumn wind carried raindrops against her. The hem of her dress swayed gently in the breeze, and a sliver of her ankle, wrapped in white cotton socks, was exposed—an innocent yet forbidden kind of beauty.
Just like her bold actions at this very moment.
The group inside the restaurant had clearly seen the girl’s movements through the window. Chen Mian noticed first, letting out an astonished “Wow” or two, drawing the others’ attention—
Outside, the two figures were pressed close together, looking intimate and inseparable.
From the posture, the girl appeared to be the one initiating. She was on her tiptoes, struggling a bit due to the height difference, yet she was kissing the man before her with great earnestness.
Qi Mubai scoffed in irritation at the sight, rolled his eyes, and looked away.
Chen Zhou, however, stared fixedly at them, his gaze no longer carrying its usual warmth—cold and damp, like a venomous snake slithering through the grass.
Neither of the two outside noticed what was happening inside.
The moment Chu Luyu’s lips touched his, Jiang Hezhou finally moved.
His arms tightened fiercely around her slender waist. Chu Luyu felt herself being lifted up slightly, barely touching the ground, only the tips of her toes managing to stay in contact with it.
Jiang Hezhou seemed oblivious.
Having trapped her securely in his embrace, he began to plunder freely.
This wasn’t their first kiss. Back in the dormitory, she had kissed him first for the mission, and afterward, he’d held her for so long that her lips had gone numb and swollen from his relentless kisses inside and out.
But even at his most unrestrained that night, there was still a sense of restraint.
Nothing like now.
This time, the man was more like a fierce beast awakened by possessiveness. The moment she drew close, he counterattacked, leaving her no room to retreat. Every breath was laced with dominance and a refusal to take no for an answer.
Chu Luyu felt him holding her as he kissed her. Before long, he grew unsatisfied, pulling back just an inch and murmuring against her lips: “Open your mouth.”
Mindful of the aversion values in his heart, afraid of doing anything to displease him, she did whatever he said.
Her lips, already kissed to a cherry red, parted slightly, glistening wetly. He gave her a light peck, then decided it still wasn’t enough, and said in a low, husky voice: “Tongue.”
Chu Luyu no longer dared to open her eyes.
She only felt herself being tossed and turned in a searing chaos for the next few minutes.
Her body grew hotter and hotter, their breaths mingling thickly. She felt as though she was being wrapped tightly in his scent. For every inch she retreated, he advanced ten. Until she was backed into a corner with nowhere left to go—then he ravaged even more freely, leaving her not a single chance to resist.
“Chu Luyu.”
“Mm… huh?”
“Let’s get married.”
“Mm… huh?????”
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