A few days later, Chu Luyu finally found a suitable space for her art interest class.
On the day she signed the lease, she brought Chu Fanyin and Chen Mian along to take another look at the place. She happily told them about her plans—which room would be a private studio for one-on-one sessions, which room would be a lounge area…
Chu Fanyin was as usual—everything her precious daughter did was wonderful. Even though the class hadn’t even opened yet, she was already beaming with pride and praising Chu Luyu endlessly.
Chen Mian, on the other hand, looked around and scoffed: “You’re serious about this?”
“Of course! Didn’t I tell you the other day? I’m going to find something I actually want to do! No more being a freeloader!”
Chen Mian seemed to be thinking about something. He glanced at Chu Luyu, then scratched his head. “Honestly, if you don’t want to do it, you can go back to how things were… If you’re worried about it affecting Dad and Mom’s relationship, then just don’t ask Mom for money anymore. I’ll give you all my allowance instead.”
Chu Luyu was genuinely moved by this cheap little brother.
She threw her arm around his neck and ruffled his ash-gray hair vigorously.
“I don’t need your charity. Your big sister is truly turning over a new leaf! What I’m doing now is exactly what I want to do!”
Hearing that, Chen Mian finally relaxed, and his expression brightened.
Over the next month or so, Chu Luyu spent almost all her time on the renovation of her art class. At one point, she asked Chen Mian to pass word to Chen Huanian that she was starting this business, hoping her stepfather would see her changed attitude.
But when Chen Mian got back to her, he was evasive and didn’t say whether Chen Huanian had any message for her. When she asked if he’d moved back home, Chen Mian said no.
What more was there to understand?
Chu Luyu sighed to herself. She figured the original owner’s credibility with her stepfather had probably been driven into the negatives long ago. It would take time to rebuild that trust.
·
One day, around quitting time, Chu Luyu went downstairs as usual and spotted Jiang Hezhou’s car by the curb.
Over the past month, he’d made a habit of finishing his work early, carving out two hours to go home and cook, then driving out to pick her up.
Day after day, he never seemed to tire of it.
Chu Luyu occasionally felt a little guilty and had subtly suggested that it was easy enough for her to take a taxi, so he didn’t need to keep going out of his way.
But he’d only responded with a quiet “Mm, I know,” and the next day, everything continued as before.
Later, Chu Luyu brought this up with the system again, marveling at what a good man the male lead was.
Even though he didn’t like her and was only living with her out of obligation, as a fiancé, he did everything—and more—that was expected of him.
Now, as dusk fell, the distant sky looked like a palette of ink and deep blue. The streetlights cast a low glow that happened to illuminate the entire roof of Jiang Hezhou’s car.
The driver’s window was fully rolled down. From a distance, Chu Luyu could already see an impossibly handsome profile sitting there.
The man seemed to be dozing.
His arms were crossed over his chest, his head tilted slightly forward. His gold-rimmed glasses were still properly perched on his nose, and his jawline was sharp as if carved by a blade, his skin cold and pale like snow.
Chu Luyu: 【Cuihua, does the male lead seem a little thinner lately to you?】
System Cuihua: 【Well, he’s been working like a mule day in and day out just to take care of you. Sometimes he’s so busy at noon he doesn’t even have time to eat at the cafeteria. Of course he’s lost weight!】
Chu Luyu really did feel a bit sorry for him.
Chu Luyu: 【What can I do to make him let go of some of those overly demanding traits the scriptwriter gave him? If a person has to be perfect in every way and good to everyone all the time, they’re bound to burn out eventually…】
In the character profile, the male lead had clear personality traits: calm and self-possessed, restrained and courteous, with an exceptionally strong sense of responsibility and social awareness.
These traits all sounded wonderful on paper, but when you thought about it, they were actually stringent demands he placed on himself.
She felt that lately, Jiang Hezhou had been compressing his work hours to fit in caring for her—most likely because that “strong sense of responsibility” built into his character was driving him to do it.
She felt exhausted for him just thinking about it.
System Cuihua: 【Don’t feel sorry for a man—it’ll bring you misfortune.】
Chu Luyu: 【……】
Whether it was because she’d been standing there staring for too long, Jiang Hezhou seemed to sense her gaze. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her.
Behind his glasses, his peach-blossom eyes were warm yet carried a hint of cool detachment—but the moment he saw her, it was as if the early snow had melted, replaced by a soft warmth.
“How long have you been standing there?”
Hearing his question, she walked toward the car as she replied: “Not long. You looked like you were asleep, so I didn’t want to bother you.”
“I wasn’t asleep. Just had my eyes closed for a bit.”
Chu Luyu opened the passenger door.
The first thing she saw was a medium-sized Hello Kitty throw pillow on the seat. The cushion beneath it was also pink, and on the windshield in the same direction was a sticker that read: 【Lulu’s Exclusive Seat—Girls Stay Away.】
Chu Luyu: …
This was from a task half a month ago.
The system had required her to forcibly remodel the male lead’s passenger seat, leaving her pink mark everywhere to ward off any possibility of other women getting close.
When the task first came up, both she and Cuihua thought it would never work—because in the original plot, the original owner hadn’t succeeded either. The male lead had given her the cold shoulder for nearly half a month after hearing her unreasonable demand, refusing to give in no matter how much she cried or threw tantrums.
So when the male lead had calmly and naturally asked her how she wanted to remodel it, both Chu Luyu and the system had been dumbfounded.
They’d talked about it for a long time afterward and ultimately concluded that the male lead must have just cracked a big case and was in a good mood, which was why he’d agreed.
Now, half a month after the remodel, seeing this scene in the passenger seat again still made Chu Luyu inwardly cringe.
Poor male lead—having to drive around every day with all this stuff that completely undermines his image.
Just hang in there a little longer. There were only a little over three months left until the half-year mark!
Once the time was up and all the tasks were done, they could finally go their separate ways!
And then Hello Kitty and Lulu and all of it would just be tiny specks of dust in the plotline!
With that thought, Chu Luyu felt a little more at ease. She naturally settled into the passenger seat and placed the giant pink cat head pillow on her lap.
Jiang Hezhou had been watching her the whole time, the warmth in his eyes never fading.
Once she was seated, he reached over and handed her a lunchbox from the back seat.
“Have a little snack to tide you over. We’re going to the hot spring resort for grilled fish later.”
Chu Luyu was a bit surprised. “Hot spring resort?”
“Yeah.” Jiang Hezhou restarted the car, glancing at the side mirror on the driver’s side as he gently turned the wheel. “A friend’s hot spring resort on the outskirts just opened, and he invited us to come check it out.”
Actually, Jiang Hezhou had told a small white lie.
Zhang Jiting’s resort had been open for two months now and had been inviting him over the whole time, but he kept declining.
But yesterday, the girl had been running around all day with the renovation and came back complaining that her arms and legs were sore. He’d looked it up online and found that soaking in hot spring water could help relieve fatigue-induced muscle soreness, so after some thought, he decided to take her there today.
Chu Luyu was even more surprised after hearing that. She quickly called out to the system.
Chu Luyu: 【Cuihua! Can I go? Is this in the plot?】
System Cuihua: 【You can go, you can go. Not only is it in the plot, but there’s also a task waiting for you on that resort map!】
In the original plot, after the pink passenger seat remodel task, the male lead had avoided the original owner for over half a month, which meant she didn’t get a chance to cause trouble during that time—giving Chu Luyu a bit of a breather.
Now, suddenly hearing that another task was on its way, an all-too-familiar sense of dread crept through Chu Luyu’s heart.
Chu Luyu: 【It’s been so long since the last one—I have a feeling the original owner is going to pull something huge this time…】
System Cuihua: 【Big or small, who cares? Just go along with it!】
Chu Luyu was still a bit conflicted.
These past few days, she’d been running around with the contractor handling the renovations, wearing almost nothing but old, beat-up clothes. Now, after a full day of dust, there were even a few drops of paint on her skirt.
Dressed like this… was it really appropriate to go meet the male lead’s friends?
“My clothes are a bit dirty. Would it be inappropriate to meet your friends like this?”
“Don’t worry. I already brought a change of clothes for you.”
A little while later, he pulled over to a spot where he could stop, hit the brakes, and reached into the back seat to retrieve a large white paper bag.
“There’s a new dress in here.” He handed the bag to Chu Luyu, then unbuckled his seatbelt. “Go change in the back. We’ll head out once you’re ready.”
After saying that, Jiang Hezhou rolled up all the car windows. The glass had privacy film, so from the outside, no light could be seen inside.
While waiting, he stood by the roadside, scrolling through messages on his phone.
The childhood friends’ group chat had been buzzing with activity since last night. His friends knew he was bringing his fiancée to the resort, and everyone was excited. Zhang Jiting, as the resort owner, had even volunteered to bring his girlfriend along to keep Chu Luyu company, worried that she might feel out of place surrounded by a bunch of guys.
To Jiang Hezhou, however, his friend’s gesture was entirely unnecessary.
He didn’t think Chu Luyu would need another “companion” in his presence—nor did he want anyone else dividing her attention.
But Zhang Jiting meant well, and out of friendship and courtesy, Jiang Hezhou ultimately replied with just a single word: “Okay.”
He was considering whether to let the group know roughly when they’d arrive when he suddenly heard someone call his name from behind—
“Jiang Hezhou.”
It was Chu Luyu’s voice—softer than usual, carrying a hesitant, weak tone.
He turned around and saw the back window lowered halfway, with a cute little head sticking out, both small hands gripping the edge of the window frame on either side of her cheeks.
“Jiang Hezhou, this dress has a full zipper, and the pull is in the back. I can’t… reach it myself.”
The girl was clearly embarrassed. After speaking, her pink lips pressed together gently as she looked at him with soft, uncertain eyes.
Jiang Hezhou’s gaze deepened. After a brief pause, his voice came out slightly hoarse: “Turn back around.”
A few seconds later, the back door slowly opened. The dim yellow light from the streetlamp spilled into the car inch by inch.
He saw the girl obediently facing away, her upper body leaning slightly forward. Two panels of fabric covered the sides of her back, leaving a large expanse of fair skin exposed in the middle.
As she’d said, the dress had a full-length zipper. The clasp was about two inches below her waist. He caught a glimpse of a small piece of white fabric curving over her silhouette, and above it, a slender waist that could easily be encircled by two hands.
He’d already mentally measured that waist several times—under the showerhead, and behind the steering wheel that night.
Now that he was seeing it with his own eyes, the heat behind his gaze deepened by another degree.
After a moment, he leaned in and began to move the zipper.
The clasp slid upward inch by inch between his fingers, and that expanse of snowy white back disappeared bit by bit beneath the fabric.
Once it was done, he dropped the word “Done” from behind her and straightened up, stepping back outside the car.
The system was screeching dramatically in Chu Luyu’s head: 【Ahhh, my precious baby! If I didn’t know you were just a vicious side character and that the male lead could never actually develop feelings for you, I’d almost ship you two! The whole zipper moment—the atmosphere was so beautiful and intimate!】
Chu Luyu: 【Shipping everything randomly will only hurt you!】
Though she said that, her cheeks were still warm with leftover embarrassment from the moment.
But she forced herself to snap out of it.
The task timeline was already more than halfway through. In just over three months, she’d be able to say goodbye to the male lead for good.
At this critical juncture, she absolutely couldn’t let any messy thoughts creep in!
Absolutely not!
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