Lin Xuechun felt a bit discouraged. “Looks like it froze. Let me restart it.”
She pressed the power button.
The screen went black.
White garbled text scrolled rapidly across the screen, but the desktop still didn’t appear.
“Still not working?” Xi Chenzhou asked, noticing her biting her lip.
Lin Xuechun nodded slightly. “Yeah, it was fine yesterday. Maybe the VPN installer I downloaded earlier carried a virus.”
“Let me take a look.” Xi Chenzhou stood up and walked around to behind her.
Lin Xuechun instinctively shifted to the side to make room for him to see the computer, but before she could move, Xi Chenzhou loosely enclosed her from behind—one hand braced on the desk, the other naturally resting on her laptop’s trackpad.
A faint, cool, crisp fragrance lingered around her nose.
She knew it was the scent of laundry detergent left on his clothes. She’d smelled it on the subway too.
A steady warmth radiated from behind her. If she leaned back even slightly, she’d press against his broad chest.
“It’s definitely a virus.”
His low, deep voice sounded from above her head.
She could almost feel the subtle vibrations of his voice through her hair.
“Then what do I do?” Lin Xuechun was at a loss, tilting her head slightly to look at him. Her eyes were veiled with a faint sheen of moisture, like a lost fawn in the woods.
Her hair strands brushed against his jaw, stirring a ticklish sensation. Xi Chenzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly. Meeting her wet, slightly bewildered gaze, his heart went numb for a moment.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Xi Chenzhou looked at the screen, his slender fingers flying across the keyboard. A few veins faintly bulged beneath the cold-pale skin of the back of his hand, like streams winding under thin snow.
The black watch on his wrist—its rugged dial catching the light from time to time, reflecting a sliver of cold gleam—made his hands look both cool and powerful.
Her gaze traveled upward to his sharp, hard jawline.
Higher still, his thin lips were slightly pressed together, his nose bridge straight and prominent, his lashes long and slightly lowered. His dark pupils stared at the screen with cold, sharp focus, radiating a bold confidence, as if everything was under control.
“Done.” He stopped his movements and straightened up. The computer screen had settled on the boot screen.
Lin Xuechun placed her fingers on the trackpad. The cursor moved normally, and she could open files again.
She looked at him, a glimmer of light rippling in her eyes. “Thank you, Xi Chenzhou! You’re really amazing!”
Xi Chenzhou straightened up, his gaze dropping slightly to land on her excited little face. “Your computer’s memory is a bit overloaded. Want me to help you clean it up?”
“Sure! Then you take my seat.” Lin Xuechun was about to get up and give him her spot, but Xi Chenzhou again loosely enclosed her from behind, saying in a low voice, “No need.”
He arched his back, leaning closer to her.
Feeling the heat source at her back, Lin Xuechun instantly dared not move. The warmth spread from her cheeks all the way down her body.
She tilted her head slightly to give him a better view of the screen.
“Which drive should these files go to?”
“Put them on the D drive.”
“What about these? Still needed?”
“No… no.”
Every time he spoke, his low voice sounded right by her ear. His breath tickled her eardrum, and she unconsciously bit her lip, feeling both uneasy and flustered.
When people are nervous, they always find something to do with their hands.
Lin Xuechun’s hand moved faster than her brain, reaching for the coffee on the desk. She brought it to her lips, her lips wrapping around the straw, and took a sip. Just as she was about to put it down—
“The one you’re drinking… that should be mine.”
“Huh?” Lin Xuechun’s almond-shaped eyes went wide and round. She looked at the coffee in her hand. The label printed on the cup clearly read Iced Americano. She really had grabbed the wrong one.
“I’m… I’m so sorry. Let me buy you another one.”
Her face flushed crimson as she fumbled to put the coffee back on the desk.
“No need. Check your computer first—I’m done organizing.” Xi Chenzhou said casually, straightening up and returning to his own seat.
Then Lin Xuechun watched as he picked up that same cup of coffee and took a sip.
His thin lips covered the exact spot her lips had just touched.
At the thought, Lin Xuechun’s face instantly burned as if it were on fire.
And to make it worse, Xi Chenzhou kept the straw between his lips while lifting his gaze to look at her.
His eyes were cold and languid, yet somehow carried a hint of allure.
Unable to bear it, Lin Xuechun quickly averted her gaze and stared at her own computer screen.
Her fingers moved randomly across the trackpad, clicking here and there. She looked like she was looking at the computer, but in reality, the cursor was flying wildly all over the screen.
Her mind was a whirlwind of wild thoughts.
What does he even mean by that?
She’d already drunk from that straw, and he didn’t mind at all—he just put his lips right on it.
And why did he have to look at her like that?
He’s like a male fox spirit trying to seduce someone!
No, this won’t do. The more she thought about it, the hotter her body felt. Calm down, calm down.
He’s definitely a player. From bringing her breakfast to carrying her bag, downloading papers for her, and deliberately leaning in from behind when fixing her computer—one smooth move after another, all aimed at someone like her who’s never even been in a relationship.
Lin Xuechun, get a grip.
All those handsome guys I scroll through online every day aren’t for nothing—think of ksmk123, that body, that fair cool-toned skin, no worse than Xi Chenzhou!
Yeah! That’s right!
Xi Chenzhou watched her face flush one moment and then bite her lip as if lost in thought, and the corner of his mouth tugged up slightly.
She talks big online, but in real life, two glances and she’s this shy.
Utterly adorable.
Just as the two were lost in their own thoughts, the ringtone of a WeChat video call request suddenly cut through the air.
Lin Xuechun jolted, instantly snapping back to full alertness.
The ringtone seemed to come from her phone.
She’d forgotten to turn off silent mode!
As the people around her frowned and glanced her way, she quickly grabbed her phone and declined the video call.
Then she switched her phone to silent mode.
She opened WeChat.