Lou Qingshuang held the dish of tender stir fried beef, watching Liu Yu wave her hand with lazy nonchalance before stepping back into her own home.
Carrying the mouthwatering, fragrant beef back inside her own apartment, Lou Qingshuang felt a wave of gloom. Liu Yu was pursuing her far too aggressively.
Had that talisman run out of power after severing just one bad relationship? Should I go ask for a new one?
Lou Qingshuang walked over to the table and set the beef down. Shen Qiao looked up at her daughter, who was lost in deep thought, and asked with mild curiosity, “Shuangshuang, where did this tender stir-fried beef come from? It smells amazing, really authentic.”
Lou Qingshuang placed the dish right in front of her mother. “It’s a housewarming gift from the next-door neighbor.”
“Someone’s already moved in next door?” Shen Qiao remarked wistfully. “I used to see people going in and out all the time, but I didn’t expect someone to move in so quickly.”
She picked up a slice of the tender, spicy beef with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. The silky texture, rich juices, and vibrant spice instantly set her tastebuds ablaze.
“This tastes so authentic! You two need to try it.” Having eaten something she genuinely loved, the quiet stillness left behind by Shen Qiao’s long illness vanished, replaced by an unmistakable liveliness.
Aunt Wu, delighted to see Shen Qiao so happy, picked up her own chopsticks to take a bite. Her eyes widened slightly in pure satisfaction. “Ma’am, it really is delicious!”
“Right? Come on, Shuangshuang, have some too.” Shen Qiao placed a piece in Lou Qingshuang’s bowl. Thanks to a single dish of stir fried beef, the entire household buzzed with newfound warmth.
Meanwhile, having delivered the dish, Liu Yu sat at her dining table enjoying a four-course meal and soup all by herself.
Only she and a single glass of red wine occupied the vast dining table, a scene of quiet solitude.
Liu Yu ate her dinner with graceful elegance. The dining room remained impeccably silent, free from the clatter of utensils. She sampled every dish to gauge Lou Qingshuang’s taste. Sipping her wine, her eyes burned with absolute determination.
Once Lou Qingshuang gets used to my presence, I can move things forward by a couple of steps.
After finishing her wine, Liu Yu went to draw a bath. On the other side of the wall, Lou Qingshuang was also taking a bath.
With her self-formulated facial mask on her face, Lou Qingshuang leaned back in the tub, pondering Liu Yu’s recent actions.
“She’s crossing the line,” Lou Qingshuang murmured with her eyes closed. What’s her next step? Is she going to introduce herself to my mother?
At that thought, Lou Qingshuang sat bolt upright. Water splashed over the rim of the bathtub with a loud slosh.
“This won’t do.”
Lou Qingshuang quickly rinsed off, threw on her nightgown, threw a bathrobe over it, stepped into a pair of fluffy slippers, and headed straight out the door.
Liu Yu, who had just changed into her robe and was preparing for bed, suddenly heard a firm knock at her front door.
“Chairman, it’s Miss Lou,” her bodyguard’s voice chimed in from the bedside interphone.
“Understood.”
Liu Yu raised an eyebrow and checked the clock. 10:30 PM. A smile touched her lips, genuine curiosity washing over her as to why Lou Qingshuang was knocking on her door at this hour.
When Liu Yu pulled the door open, she was greeted by the sight of Lou Qingshuang with her hair casually pinned up. She wore a white lace bathrobe adorned with exquisite embroidered patterns.
Liu Yu’s gaze drifted downward, taking in the faint outline of her legs swaying beneath the robe. Her tongue pressed lightly against the roof of her mouth before she raised her eyes to look at Lou Qingshuang, who stood with her arms crossed.
“You came over dressed like this?”
Hearing this, Lou Qingshuang instinctively glanced down at her clothes. It looks completely fine! She held up a finger, cutting off whatever Liu Yu was about to say next. “You are not allowed to meet my mother. Her health isn’t good.”
Liu Yu arched her eyebrows at Lou Qingshuang’s words. Extending her arm, she pulled Lou Qingshuang directly into her embrace.
Two silhouettes, one dressed in black, the other in white, instantly pressed close together.
Lou Qingshuang’s eyes widened, her body stiffening for a fraction of a second before she was drawn entirely into Liu Yu’s arms. The overwhelming scent of chilly, crisp rose perfume sent her mind spinning momentarily. With a heavy thud, the front door of Liu Yu’s apartment swung shut behind them.
Liu Yu held Lou Qingshuang close right near the entryway, pinning her gently against the door.
“What do you think you’re doing? I’ll have you know we live in a lawful society!” Lou Qingshuang pressed herself back against the door, her hand frantically feeling around behind her to find the handle and open it.
Suddenly, a warm hand reached over and covered the back of hers.
The scorching heat of Liu Yu’s palm wrapped around Lou Qingshuang’s cool hand. “I’m not doing anything. It’s just cold outside, so I brought you in to escape the chill.” Liu Yu leaned closer, her stray hair brushing lightly against Lou Qingshuang.
With her hand firmly covered, Lou Qingshuang’s breath hitched. She raised her free hand to press her index finger against Liu Yu’s chest. “We can just talk normally. You don’t need to stand so close.”
Liu Yu stood right beside her, watching the girl who kept her head turned slightly away, not daring to meet her gaze directly.
Tonight’s rose is truly shy.
Lou Qingshuang’s fingers were still trying to push down on the handle to force the door open. The black silk sleeve of Liu Yu’s robe draped over Lou Qingshuang’s hand, smooth and soft. Beneath it, she couldn’t help but glimpse Liu Yu’s long, fair legs subtly revealed under the silk.
Lou Qingshuang felt the atmosphere between them was far too ambiguous. She didn’t want to look at Liu Yu’s long, straight legs, even if they were undeniably gorgeous and gave off the effortless vibe of a supermodel.
Liu Yu stepped half an inch closer, leaving barely five centimeters between them. Just as Lou Qingshuang opened her mouth to protest, a soft click echoed, the door handle gave way.
Liu Yu leaned in right next to Lou Qingshuang’s ear. “I won’t disturb your mother without reason.”
Her warm breath fluttered directly into the shell of Lou Qingshuang’s ear, making her instinctively look up into Liu Yu’s eyes. “…Thank you.”
“You can let go of my hand now,” Lou Qingshuang added in a quiet voice, glancing down at Liu Yu’s hand still covering hers.
Seeing the faint blush creeping up Lou Qingshuang’s face, Liu Yu’s eyes filled with playful amusement. “Alright.”
The moment Liu Yu released her grip, Lou Qingshuang bolted out the door without a second thought, pulling it shut behind her in a flurry.
Watching Lou Qingshuang’s flustered, retreating figure, Liu Yu let out a soft chuckle and gently closed her door as well.
She would probably sleep very well tonight.
Having sprinted back into her own home, Lou Qingshuang stood in the foyer gasping for breath. She looked down at her bathrobe and bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth. “If I’d known, I would’ve changed first… I practically looked like a rogue coming over like that.”
Muttering under her breath, Lou Qingshuang headed back into the bathroom, stripped off her bathrobe, and changed into a pair of clean pajamas.
When she raised her wrist, she could still faint heartedly catch the subtle scent of ice bound roses lingering on her skin. Lou Qingshuang brought her wrist closer to her nose and sniffed softly, whispering, “This scent really is amazing… I wonder what perfume it is.”
This particular rose scent was completely different from her own. It felt more like a queen’s presence, dominant, sharp, and commanding. The thought that the rose perfume Liu Yu wore was so strikingly similar to her own pheromones made Lou Qingshuang’s face burn with embarrassment.
It’s practically advertising to anyone who knows my pheromones that I’ve already been marked by Liu Yu.
Lou Qingshuang’s eyelashes fluttered as her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson. Thank goodness hardly anyone knows.
After her mother passed away, Lou Qingshuang had taken pheromone suppressant shots once a year. Even Shen Yue didn’t know what her pheromones smelled like.
Lou Qingshuang had always assumed Liu Yu must have pulled up her records at the hospital to find out.
Whenever she thought about Liu Yu, Lou Qingshuang felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness. This person just won’t take no for an answer. When will that bad luck severing talisman finally take effect?
Meanwhile, Liu Yu pulled back her duvet and got into bed. Resting the hand that had held Lou Qingshuang’s on top of the blanket, she took in the lingering scent of Lou Qingshuang on her skin, her eyes dark with deep, suppressed desire.
Lou Qingshuang tossed and turned for another half hour before finally falling asleep. Hopefully, I won’t bump into Liu Yu again tomorrow morning, she prayed earnestly to herself.
Yet, first thing the next morning, she stepped out only to find Liu Yu already waiting right by the elevator.
“Come on, I’ll drive you to work.”
Hearing Liu Yu’s voice, Lou Qingshuang instinctively turned to go back inside and lock her door.
“I doubt you want me knocking on your door again,” Liu Yu said casually, her light tone leaving Lou Qingshuang with no choice but to step back out.
“You really are something,” Lou Qingshuang huffed.
With a smile playing on her lips, Liu Yu led Lou Qingshuang and her bodyguard into the elevator. The bodyguard stood behind them, eyes fixed straight ahead in dutiful protection.
Once again seated inside Liu Yu’s car, Lou Qingshuang spoke up helplessly, “I can drive myself. If you drive me every morning, I’ll have to take a taxi home every evening. It’s really inconvenient.”
Liu Yu nodded thoughtfully. “It really is inconvenient. Xiao Wang, starting today, you will go pick up Miss Lou from work every evening.”
“Understood, Chairman,” Xiao Wang replied instantly with a nod.
Lou Qingshuang felt a lump in her throat. “That’s not what I meant! I can drive myself. Thank you, but no.”
“Driving yourself wastes gas and drains your energy. You can just ride in my car,” Liu Yu teased intentionally.
“No need. I can certainly afford my own gas,” Lou Qingshuang rejected firmly.
“Alright then,” Liu Yu conceded gracefully.
Lou Qingshuang let out a subtle sigh of relief. If this kept up much longer, she was going to end up on the trending news headlines.