Xi Liye’s footsteps paused slightly.
His gaze lingered for a moment on the couple who had parted on bad terms before returning to Wen Chu’s focused profile.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
He walked over, sat down beside her, and spoke calmly.
“What are you looking at?”
“Ah!”
Wen Chu jumped in surprise and immediately snapped back to reality.
Meeting Xi Liye’s deep gaze, she quickly looked away guiltily.
“N-Nothing… just looking around.”
Xi Liye said nothing.
He simply picked up a napkin and leisurely wiped his hands.
Then, once again, he draped his arm across the back of Wen Chu’s chair.
His fingertips brushed lightly against the slender back of her exposed neck.
So thin…
One hand would be enough to hold it completely.
Xi Liye lowered his hand and rubbed his fingertips together, recalling the warmth that had lingered there.
The cool touch made Wen Chu shiver violently.
She nearly jumped out of her chair.
“Finished eating?”
He asked as if that small action had been completely accidental.
“Y-Yes…”
“Then let’s go.”
Xi Liye stood up and picked up the coat she had left on the chair.
Naturally, he handed it to her.
Half-guided by the hand resting near her shoulder, Wen Chu followed him out of the restaurant.
Only after she settled into the car and the heater surrounded her did she finally react.
“Oh, right.”
“This is your scarf from last time.”
“I’m returning it.”
She handed him the paper bag from her purse.
Xi Liye accepted it but didn’t check inside.
He casually placed it in the back seat.
“You washed it?”
His tone remained calm.
“Mm.”
“I washed it and even ironed it.”
Xi Liye nodded.
“Mm.”
The silence afterward felt awkward.
Unfortunately, Wen Chu had spent her entire life being socially anxious.
Starting conversations was not her specialty.
So she could only force herself to find a topic.
“By the way, Xi Liye…”
“Have you announced our relationship on your social media?”
She deliberately asked because she already knew the answer.
The male lead definitely wasn’t the type to post things like that.
“No.”
His answer was immediate.
Exactly as expected.
The male lead clearly wasn’t taking this relationship seriously!
A perfect opportunity.
Wen Chu immediately adjusted her expression.
Her brows furrowed.
Her voice became appropriately aggrieved.
“Why not?”
“Do you think I’m embarrassing?”
“Are you ashamed to let your friends know about me?”
Xi Liye was silent for a moment.
Then he looked at her injured expression.
“No.”
He denied it calmly.
“It’s just that I think relationships are between two people.”
“There’s no need to specifically display them for others.”
Wen Chu knew this fit his personality perfectly.
The male lead never cared about other people’s opinions.
But a girlfriend wouldn’t let such an opportunity for an argument pass by.
She pouted.
“But everyone posts relationship announcements.”
“Ceremony and symbolism are important.”
“You care that much?”
He asked.
“Of course!”
Wen Chu immediately nodded.
“It’s a matter of attitude!”
“Okay.”
Xi Liye nodded.
And said nothing else.
Wen Chu assumed he wanted to end the discussion.
So she quietly shrank into her seat and ignored him.
She hadn’t truly intended to make a big issue out of it anyway.
When the car finally stopped at the university gate, Wen Chu was about to get out.
But Xi Liye stopped her.
The man pulled out his phone.
Then he grabbed her hand.
The pose looked exactly like a formal business handshake between two corporate partners.
Apparently, he intended to take a photo and use it to announce their relationship.
Wen Chu almost laughed herself to death.
“Who announces a relationship with a picture like this?”
It suddenly occurred to her that Xi Liye was probably announcing a relationship for the first time.
For some reason, she felt as though she was teaching him a skill he could later use when dating the heroine.
Was this what people meant by:
Planting trees for future generations to enjoy the shade?
Xi Liye’s finger paused before pressing the shutter button.
He raised his eyes and looked at her.
Then lowered his phone.
Still holding her hand, he asked with complete sincerity:
“Then…”
“What kind of picture should we take?”
Wen Chu froze.
Right.
What kind of photo should they take?
She had been single her entire life.
Before transmigrating, she had never even held a boy’s hand.
How would she know the correct way for couples to announce relationships?
Her criticism had been purely instinctive.
After all—
Even if she had never eaten pork, she had at least seen pigs run.
Surely relationship announcement photos weren’t supposed to look like business negotiations.
But now Xi Liye was looking at her.
Attentively.
Seriously.
As if genuinely waiting for her guidance.
She was trapped.
She couldn’t exactly say:
I don’t know either.
That would immediately expose her.
Wen Chu’s brain spun rapidly.
She tried to remember photos she had seen before.
Then realized her previous-life social circle had been painfully barren.
And she rarely even browsed social media.
She genuinely had no idea.
“Wait a second.”
Her fingers hurriedly opened a search engine.
She typed:
“How do couples announce their relationship on social media?”
And hit search.
Xi Liye continued holding her hand.
He didn’t rush her.
He simply watched her increasingly frantic actions.
Soon the results appeared.
Countless examples flooded the screen.
Girls kissing boys on the cheek.
Couples hugging.
Marriage certificates.
Various poses involving physical intimacy.
And all sorts of strange staged photos.
What is all this?!
None of these suited their bizarre relationship at all.
Wen Chu’s face began turning red.
Especially because Xi Liye had leaned closer and was curiously examining the results too.
“This one…”
“This one seems okay…”
Eventually, she found a relatively simple example.
Two hands.
Fingers intertwined.
The background was softly blurred.
The lighting was warm.
No faces.
No unnecessary decorations.
Yet the intimacy conveyed by their interlocked fingers was infinitely stronger than Xi Liye’s earlier business-partner handshake.
She tilted her phone toward him and pointed at the image.
“Like… this…”
“Interlocking fingers…”
“It just looks… better.”
Xi Liye looked at the photo.
Then lowered his gaze toward the hand he was already holding.
Wen Chu felt him gently adjust their position.
His fingers slowly separated.
Then, carrying an unquestionable firmness, they slid into the spaces between hers.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Steady.
Finally, his hand tightened around hers.
Their fingers intertwined.
Ten fingers locked together.