Lu Yanzhou immediately spotted Shi Liaoliao standing outside, dressed in a light blue pajama set with her hair softly hanging down.
Unlike her usual formal attire, Shi Liaoliao appeared even thinner in her pajamas. She seemed surprised by his sudden opening of the door, her eyes widening slightly, looking somewhat flustered and revealing a hint of vulnerability that was usually hard to detect.
“What are you doing here?”
Lu Yanzhou’s tea-brown eyes carried a chill, reminding Shi Liaoliao of the scrutinizing gaze he had used when they first met.
Shi Liaoliao pointed downward.
“I… came to deliver this.”
Lu Yanzhou followed her finger and looked down.
A bundle of glow sticks wrapped in tape lay on the floor. Since the hallway lights were on, their glow wasn’t very noticeable.
Lu Yanzhou’s expression showed a slight moment of surprise.
Shi Liaoliao seized the opportunity to explain: “I was worried about another unexpected power outage. If you can’t light candles in time, you can place these by your bedside.”
Lu Yanzhou slowly bent down, picked up the bundle of colorful glow sticks, and rubbed his thumb over the uneven folds of the tape. His voice was low: “Just to deliver this?”
Shi Liaoliao nodded.
【Of course, if you’d return the original bundle to me, that would be even better】
Oh heavens, she hadn’t felt comfortable asking for it back at the time, and this little young master truly hadn’t actively returned it to her. Shi Liaoliao even wondered if he had casually tossed it into that old room.
Thinking of the bundle of glow sticks he had placed in his bedside drawer with unclear intentions, Lu Yanzhou tightened his grip on this new bundle.
“Thank you, I’ll be careful.”
His smile was appropriate, and his face under the light was simply… well… dazzlingly handsome.
Then he closed the door again.
Shi Liaoliao stood there staring at the wooden door, then made a face like she’d seen a ghost, turned around, and ran back to her room.
The first thing she did upon returning was to lock the door with a “click,” then rushed to her mirror to examine her face.
“Oh my goodness, with such a pretty face, won’t Lu Yanzhou one day lose control and add me to his collection too!”
Shi Liaoliao fearfully covered her chest.
The few words she had just heard had scared her so much her brain stopped working.
【No, I can’t stay here for even a second! Who is the female lead?! Can Gu Xuezhao reveal her gender tomorrow so I can see Lu Yanzhou’s reaction!!】
Wanwan: 【】
What are you afraid of? I think Lu Yanzhou should be afraid of your talent for awkward phrasing!
【If you really want to know… maybe you could play the role of a helpful matchmaker and bring the two together?】
Wanwan whispered temptingly.
Shi Liaoliao rolled her eyes.
Blindly arranging marriages brings divine punishment.”
Maybe tonight I’ll sneak into Lu Yanzhou’s room and whisper ‘Gu Xuezhao is a woman’ a hundred times in his ear.
Wanwan: Just shut up
Meanwhile, Lu Yanzhou—
“No inner thoughts heard…”
Meaning Shi Liaoliao really just came to deliver this item.
Looking at the glow sticks in his hand and thinking of the bundle he had taken from the drawer, he picked up his phone. Ignoring Yang Qingzhou’s frantic messages asking why he suddenly hung up and if there was another dog involved, he opened Shi Liaoliao’s chat window.
Seeing that message, the coldness in Lu Yanzhou’s eyes completely dissipated, and he inexplicably thought of the pair of feet he had unintentionally glimpsed earlier when picking up the glow stick.
Very small, at most size 37, with plump toes and nails tinged pink—unlike a man’s.
Realizing what he was thinking, Lu Yanzhou stiffened.
“What am I thinking…”
That was a man.
He raised a hand to brush back the hair falling over his forehead, a flicker of annoyance passing through his tea-brown eyes.
Then, typing with one hand, he replied to Shi Liaoliao’s message.
Lu: Doesn’t matter
Lu: Even if it wasn’t you, someone else would have told him
He then transferred a thousand yuan over.
The transfer message was specifically labeled “Glow Stick Compensation Fee.”
Originally still scheming how to make a quick exit within a week, Shi Liaoliao sprang up from the bed like a carp leaping out of water upon hearing the transfer notification.
Seeing the phrase “Glow Stick Compensation Fee,” she instantly brightened up, her smile showing none of the earlier worry.
Steal Your Underwear You Buy: Little person bowing.jpg
Later, feeling that emoji was too obsequious and didn’t quite match her aloof image, she quickly withdrew it and replied: Just doing my duty
Witnessing her entire series of actions firsthand, Lu Yanzhou curled his lips, placed his phone on the bedside table, turned off the main room light, leaving only a small bedside lamp on, then lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
…
Early the next morning, when Lu Yanzhou came downstairs, Shi Liaoliao had already prepared breakfast and was waiting for him, neatly dressed.
Looking at the steaming food on the table, he nodded. “You’ve worked hard.”
Shi Liaoliao respectfully lowered her head.
[Not hard work, just hard luck]
Lu Yanzhou: I knew it
Sitting down to eat, he first picked up a crab roe bun, pierced the skin, took a sip of the broth, and then was somewhat surprised.
The taste was unexpectedly quite good.
Meeting Shi Liaoliao’s somewhat expectant gaze beside him, Lu Yanzhou didn’t hesitate to offer praise.
“Tastes good.”
A hint of a smile appeared in Shi Liaoliao’s eyes, even curling the corners of her lips. Her smiling face bathed in the morning light slanting through the blinds was like a flower blooming at dawn.
[That’s good, not in vain that I set an alarm and specifically got up to order takeout]
[Burp…]
[Phew, almost let out a burp, hehe]
Lu Yanzhou: “”
Lu Tingfeng must have had his reasons for insisting on sending this person to his side.
Right?
…
Having an A-rank employer nearby did have its perks.
For instance, while other students got up early, hurriedly got ready, and rushed across half the campus carrying stacks of books to find their classrooms, Shi Liaoliao drove a silver supercar, chauffeuring Lu Yanzhou to class.
“Remember my class schedule?”
After getting out of the car, under the gazes of surrounding students, Lu Yanzhou looked down at Shi Liaoliao.
Shi Liaoliao nodded. “Memorized it.”
Lu Yanzhou nodded.
“After class ends, wait for me here.”
Shi Liaoliao said, “Okay.”
Satisfied, Lu Yanzhou turned and walked toward the few students wearing A-rank badges on their chests, who seemed to be waiting for him.
Shi Liaoliao also picked up her books and headed off in another direction.
She still had to cross four buildings to reach her own classroom.
Entering Class F, Shi Liaoliao noticed that the originally not-so-quiet classroom fell completely silent upon her arrival.
Shi Liaoliao joked with Wanwan: [See that? On the first day of class, I’ve already become a campus celebrity]
Wanwan paused, unable to resist reminding her: 【You should turn around and see who’s standing behind you】
Shi Liaoliao abruptly turned around.
Her gaze slowly lowered, meeting a face noticeably more delicate than that of a boy.
Shi Liaoliao’s brow twitched slightly.
She remembered that the sophomore classroom building wasn’t located here.
Gu Xuezhao lowered her eyes to conceal the resentment within, offering Shi Liaoliao a clear smile.
“I’ve been held back a year.”
She appeared quite relaxed, but the performance was too forced; anyone could see her struggle.
Shi Liaoliao nodded: “Congratulations.” Staying away from the adult world and studying for another year was a good thing.
Gu Xuezhao: “”
Shi Liaoliao shouldn’t have said that. After uttering those words, as she had just settled into a corner seat and put down her book, Gu Xuezhao squeezed over and sat beside her.
But Shi Liaoliao didn’t say much, since the seat wasn’t hers anyway.
However, clearly some people didn’t think the same way.
When a boy with dyed red hair, a lip piercing, a handsome face, and an aura of rebelliousness sauntered over, slamming his book heavily onto the table and arrogantly demanding to buy the seat, Gu Xuezhao trembled with anger.
Another person like this… someone who so easily tramples on her dignity with money!!
“I refuse, even if I die!!” Her eyes shone with fury as she glared fiercely at the boy before her, her face filled with unyielding defiance.
Yet, after being rejected, the boy didn’t say much more, nor did he spare another glance at Gu Xuezhao. Instead, he turned his gaze to Shi Liaoliao beside her.
The latter calmly returned his look: “How much are you offering?”
The boy raised an eyebrow: “Ten thousand.”
Without hesitation, Shi Liaoliao stood up, taking her book and leaving.
“Please, take the seat.”
The old servant retreated, and this retreat lasted a lifetime.