The man’s large hand patted her back with measured force, and Huo Zhi Chuan’s eyes were filled with obvious concern.
He had no idea why she looked like she had seen a ghost just from glancing at him, choking so badly that her little face had turned red.
Without hesitation, Huo Zhi Chuan scooped her up again and sat down in her chair, holding her sideways on his lap.
He gently gripped her delicate pale chin to inspect her condition.
In truth, Chu Ningwu had only looked up after swallowing a mouthful of food.
She had not choked on anything foreign.
At most, she had inhaled some cold air too quickly.
After coughing a few harsh times, she had already caught her breath.
Her little face was flushed an unnatural pink.
Even her nose was red like a small cherry.
Because she had been caught in such an embarrassing state, she lowered her eyes shyly.
Physiological tears dampened her lashes, and her fluttering eyelashes fanned softly like tiny brushes, scratching at Huo Zhi Chuan’s heart.
Stretching out one long arm, he grabbed several napkins from the table and pressed them lightly over her nose.
Chu Ningwu’s watery almond eyes widened instantly.
What was he doing?
“Doesn’t your nose feel uncomfortable?”
The man deliberately softened his tone, speaking to her as gently as possible.
This little cat was far too timid.
She seemed frightened every time she saw him.
He barely even dared raise his voice.
…?
Was the male lead trying to wipe her nose for her?
Chu Ningwu found it hard to believe.
Surely she had misunderstood.
Maybe he simply thought she looked ugly like this and wanted to cover her face.
Perhaps because every time they met, they seemed to stick together like magnets, she subconsciously ignored the fact that she was once again sitting on his lap.
She was getting used to it.
She raised her little hand, pressed it against the tissue, and turned her head to wipe herself.
In fact, she had not even been crying or sniffling…
Huo Zhi Chuan glanced over the table.
Nearly every dish had been eaten halfway.
He frowned slightly before speaking.
“Don’t eat too much at night. It’s hard to digest and will affect your sleep.”
Chu Ningwu nodded obediently, though somewhat regretfully.
She actually still wanted to eat.
This had been her only meal all day.
Still, she felt Huo Zhi Chuan made sense.
Eating too much really could affect sleep…
Wait.
Why was he even concerned about her sleep tonight?
Wasn’t he here to punish her?
Chu Ningwu secretly peeked at Huo Zhi Chuan’s expression, trying to decipher his intentions.
The man’s thin lips curved slightly upward.
Maybe by about ten pixels.
His narrow eyes were warmed by the golden light overhead, and within them was reflected one tiny version of herself.
For some reason, Chu Ningwu felt he seemed rather gentle right now.
He looked surprisingly approachable.
Gathering her courage, she softly asked,
“Mister Huo… may I ask you something?”
Huo Zhi Chuan’s heart skipped slightly.
For her to sound this serious, it must be something important.
Could it be that after seeing Yun Bang Shui Wan’s luxury and eating his food, she now wanted to cling to him?
Earlier, when he invited her here, she had resisted so much that he had personally gone to fetch her.
This time, he decided he needed to hold his ground and win back some control.
But then he heard her ask:
“Mister Huo… do you… maybe hate me a little?”
In truth, Chu Ningwu knew it was probably more than just “a little.”
The moment she had transmigrated, she had already caused trouble.
She was troublesome, cried easily, could never understand his thoughts, and often accidentally defied him.
But if she directly asked whether he hated her very much, and he answered yes…
That would be too cruel.
She did not want to hear that.
In her own world, Chu Ningwu had always been an invisible little nobody.
A people pleaser.
She was afraid of being disliked.
If ordinary people disliked her, that was one thing.
But being hated by the male lead?
That was practically living on a tightrope every day.
After asking, Chu Ningwu did not dare look into Huo Zhi Chuan’s eyes again.
She lowered her head and waited for judgment.
Hearing her timid but painfully clear question, Huo Zhi Chuan almost laughed from sheer disbelief.
This time, however, he could not even force out a smile.
How exactly had her little brain arrived at the conclusion that he hated her?
Or was this innocent act simply her method of stirring his heart?
After years of navigating fame and power, Huo Zhi Chuan had encountered countless types of people.
Yet this was the first person who left him utterly helpless.
“…”
“If that’s how you think, there’s nothing I can do.”
Chu Ningwu immediately felt a little unhappy.
Why was he suddenly using such classic scumbag dialogue?
So did he hate her or not?
This male lead was always speaking in riddles.
How awful!
Still, his tone had clearly turned colder.
He no longer seemed as pleased as before.
That made Chu Ningwu’s heart tighten slightly.
There was even a dull ache she herself did not quite notice.
Her small hand hanging at her side gently tugged at Huo Zhi Chuan’s sleeve.
The fabric of his suit cuff was stiff and formal, just like him, making him seem cold and difficult to approach.
That tiny tug softened Huo Zhi Chuan’s heart instantly.
He was just about to answer her properly.
Then he heard her ask:
“So… when can I leave?”
That settled it.
This time, he was determined not to give in.
She could figure things out herself.
“Is it uncomfortable for you to stay here?”
Chu Ningwu blinked.
When had she ever said she planned to stay here?
“My apartment rent is paid monthly. Wouldn’t that just waste my rent money?”
Another completely unexpected answer.
A row of metaphorical black lines fell over Huo Zhi Chuan’s forehead.
He suddenly felt that trying to play emotional games with this little woman was utterly pointless.
She simply did not understand when he was flirting with her.
“Is your rent expensive?”
“Seventeen hundred a month. One month deposit, three months rent. Utilities are separate. The landlord covers internet.”
“Then just consider that your seventeen hundred is renting one room from me. Starting now, I’m your landlord.”
“Ah? Is this still even Chinese? Are you drunk?”
In a location like Yun Bang Shui Wan, even an ordinary house would triple in value.
Not to mention the male lead’s top tier luxury bachelor villa, which was priceless and nearly impossible to obtain even with money alone.
You had to win a lottery just to purchase property there.
Chu Ningwu leaned closer to inspect his face.
He did not seem drunk at all.
There was no smell of alcohol on him either.
So why was he acting like he was drunkenly rambling?
“Muah.”
A crisp, clear sound rang out.
Chu Ningwu’s entire face exploded red.
The male lead really had gone insane!
Why had he suddenly kissed her?!
Even though it had only been a brief peck, the shock was no less powerful than a magnitude ten earthquake.
Huo Zhi Chuan watched as the blush on her pale little face spread visibly from her cheeks to her neck and behind her ears.
She bit her lips, looking so embarrassed she seemed on the verge of tears.
She practically looked like steam might start rising from her head.
A nearly imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.
Oh.
So this kind of thing, she understood.
The man extended one finger and lightly scratched beneath her chin.
“Move in tomorrow. I’ll have Xiao Liu drive over to pick you up. Hmm?”
Seeing the little woman sitting there in stunned silence, the man simply stood up on his own, set her properly back in the chair, and strode upstairs.
Chu Ningwu remained trapped in profound self doubt.
She seriously suspected she had hallucinated.
Though it probably was not a dream.
Pinching her palm still hurt quite a lot.
Unfortunately, she completely missed the unmistakably smug posture Huo Zhi Chuan carried as he went upstairs.