Lu Zhiheng was looking at Jiang Nian.
That made sense. They were the original male and female leads of the novel. No matter what happened between them, it was perfectly normal.
Su Qinghe did not dwell on it. She drew the curtains and lay back down on the bed.
Things that had nothing to do with her were not worth worrying about.
She only needed to remember to stay far away from the male and female leads.
【Post Production Captions】
The camera focused on the kitchen window. Inside, Zhou Yichen was fumbling clumsily with the dishes while Jiang Nian helped beside him with gentle patience.
Caption: 【Warmhearted Younger Brother × Gentle Older Sister Teamwork】
The scene shifted to the courtyard, where Zhao Muyan had stood for a long time before eventually returning to his room.
Caption: 【A missed opportunity. Better luck next time～】
Under the scholar tree, Lu Zhiheng stood there for a while before heading upstairs as well.
【Su Qinghe’s Room】
Lying on her bed, Su Qinghe scrolled through her phone for a while.
Her Douyin followers had reached 670,000.
The comment section was still filled with douzhi jokes, and some people were asking how she was doing in the little courtyard.
After thinking it over, she recorded a short video and posted a small update.
The camera was aimed at the ceiling, revealing only half of her face as she spoke softly.
“Day one. I had the meal Brother Muyan cooked today, and it was delicious. I also learned a useful trick for making tomato scrambled eggs. Next time I cook, I’ll share it with all of you.”
Post! She set her phone aside and rolled over.
The chirping of insects outside the window was unusually clear.
She remembered the image of Lu Zhiheng standing beneath the scholar tree earlier.
He was probably watching Jiang Nian.
After all, Jiang Nian was the person he had liked in the original novel.
Su Qinghe closed her eyes.
It had nothing to do with her.
It truly had nothing to do with her.
【End of Day One】
【Late Night Bonus Scene】
A little after eleven that night, Su Qinghe stepped out after finishing her shower. Dressed in an oversized T shirt and shorts, with damp hair hanging loose around her shoulders, she walked onto the balcony to get some fresh air.
The third floor balcony was not large, but there was a small bamboo chair placed there. Sitting down, she looked toward the distant lights flickering across Turtle Island.
The courtyard below was completely quiet, accompanied only by the sounds of insects.
Suddenly, she heard movement downstairs.
Lowering her head to look, she saw that the window on the second floor, the one facing the courtyard, had suddenly opened.
Lu Zhiheng stood by the window with his phone in hand, seemingly answering a call.
Then he looked up.
Their eyes met.
Su Qinghe froze. Her hair was still wet, she was barefaced, and she was wearing the shorts she slept in, her legs exposed without a second thought.
Lu Zhiheng was momentarily stunned as well.
Then he lowered his gaze, shut the window, and drew the curtains.
Su Qinghe: “……”
She hurried back into her room, pulled the curtains shut, and threw herself onto the bed.
What was going on?!
The window of Lu Zhiheng’s room on the second floor could actually see directly onto her balcony?!
Tomorrow, she definitely needed to study the layout of this house properly.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Lu Zhiheng stood before the closed curtains in silence for two seconds.
She had just finished showering.
Her hair had still been wet. Her face had been free of makeup.
But…
He withdrew his gaze and continued his phone call.
Yet the image remained in his mind for a long time.
This was ridiculous. Why was he thinking about that woman?
It was too strange. He never should have agreed to participate in these bizarre variety shows in the first place.
The next morning.
Su Qinghe was awakened by the sound of birdsong.
It was not the incessant chirping of city sparrows, but the crisp, melodious calls unique to the mountains, clear as droplets of water falling onto stone slabs.
Still half asleep, she opened her eyes. Daylight had already seeped in through the curtains, and a thin line of golden sunlight stretched across the floorboards.
She fumbled for her phone and checked the time.
Six twenty. Two whole hours earlier than when she usually woke up.
But once awake, she found herself unable to fall asleep again.
She rolled over, listening to the birds outside, and stayed in bed for another five minutes before finally sitting up.
Forget it! She might as well get up.
She changed into workout clothes, a loose gray T shirt paired with black leggings, and casually tied her hair into a high ponytail.
While washing her face, she examined herself in the mirror.
Barefaced, with a healthy complexion and only faint traces of dark circles.
Youth really was wonderful. Even staying up late hardly seemed to matter.
When she went downstairs, the entire courtyard was quiet.
There were no sounds coming from the kitchen, and no one was outside.
The large scholar tree stood silently in the morning light, dew still clinging to its leaves.
Su Qinghe walked to the courtyard entrance, pushed open the wooden gate, and stretched beneath the eaves.
The mornings in Heling Village were even more beautiful than she had imagined.
In the distance, Heling Reservoir was draped in a thin veil of mist, while Turtle Island’s outline faded in and out of view.
Closer by, the bamboo groves on the mountainside swayed gently in the morning breeze.
The air carried the fresh scent of damp vegetation. One deep breath brought a cool sensation down into her lungs, leaving her completely refreshed.
As Su Qinghe stood there absentmindedly admiring the scenery and debating whether she should go for a run, she suddenly heard footsteps.
They came from the direction of the village, drawing steadily closer.
Turning her head, she saw a figure jogging along the mountain path.
A white T-shirt. Black athletic pants.
A faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Bathed in the morning light, he resembled a moving poplar tree.
Lu Zhiheng. An alarm immediately went off inside Su Qinghe’s head.
Instinctively, she stepped backward.
But she was already standing at the entrance. Retreating any further would mean going back inside the house.
The problem was that he had probably already seen her.
Wouldn’t it seem far too deliberate if she suddenly turned around and left now?
The direction he was running in led directly toward the courtyard entrance.
If he wanted to come in, he would have to pass right by her.
She hesitated. Should she greet him?
Should she say “Morning,” or “Good morning, President Lu”?
Or should she pretend not to see him?
Forget it. Pretending not to notice him would be rude. He was the original male lead, and regardless of that, he was still a fellow guest on this show. They would inevitably run into each other every day…
While she was still tangled in her thoughts, Lu Zhiheng had already reached the gate.
He glanced at her. Just one glance.
How should she describe it?
It was the look one might give a stranger blocking the way.
No disgust! No curiosity.
No unnecessary emotion whatsoever.
It was simply a look that said, You’re in my way. Then he withdrew his gaze.
Without slowing his pace, he walked straight through the courtyard entrance.
As he passed by her, his shoulder nearly brushed against her arm.
And then he was gone.
Not a single word escaped his lips.
Not even a simple “good morning.”
Su Qinghe stood rooted to the spot.
……
What was that supposed to mean?
She had not even decided whether to greet him, and he had already treated her as if she didn’t exist?
Fine!
Fine, fine, fine.
She was the “deranged villainess supporting character who had failed to drug the Crown Prince,” while he was the unattainable heir high above the masses.
It was perfectly normal for him not to speak to her. Totally normal. Absolutely normal…
Normal my foot!
Staring at his retreating figure disappearing into the courtyard, Su Qinghe felt irritation flare up inside her.
She had already gone out of her way to avoid him!
She had already kept her distance!
She had already done everything she possibly could!
What more did he want?
Who exactly was he putting on that cold expression for?
Did he think the entire world owed him millions?
Standing beneath the eaves, Su Qinghe took a deep breath.
Then another.
Forget it! She wasn’t going to argue with him.
She was an adult. She had transmigrated into this world.
She had perspective.
She wasn’t…
“Iceberg face.”
The three words slipped out before she even realized it.
Su Qinghe startled herself. She immediately covered her mouth.
But it was already too late.
The words had been spoken.
Standing perfectly still, she pricked up her ears and listened carefully for movement behind her.
No footsteps. No sounds of doors opening.
Nothing at all.
Slowly, using only the corner of her eye, she peeked behind her.
No one was there. Lu Zhiheng had already gone inside.
Su Qinghe let out a long breath of relief.
He hadn’t heard. He definitely hadn’t heard.
She had spoken so softly, and he had walked away so quickly. There was no way he could have heard it.
Patting her chest, she silently celebrated her good fortune.
Forget going for a run. She was going back to her room to lie down.
What Su Qinghe failed to notice was that…