CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: IS LIKING ME SOMETHING TO BE ASHAMED OF?

When she arrived downstairs at the apartment building, Su Lingzhi had just gotten out of the taxi and saw someone smoking in the evening breeze.

She had called him when she left the venue to let him know that she would be leaving the banquet early to return to the apartment, but she hadn’t expected him to come back before her.

It seemed like he had just arrived not long ago.

Su Lingzhi composed herself and walked over to him, softly calling, "Yinli."

Fu Yinli looked up at her, "Why did you leave early before I could pick you up? Were you bullied?"

Su Lingzhi shook her head, lowered her eyes, stepped closer silently, and slipped through his arms, hugging his waist, her cheek resting against his neck.

Fu Yinli stubbed out his cigarette and gently kissed her forehead.

The tender touch warmed her heart, making her instinctively tighten her arms around him.

With things on her mind, she felt emotionally complex and didn’t feel like talking.

In the end, she was still thoroughly affected by that man named Jiang.

It was still early morning in the country; her family was already asleep, so it wasn’t a good time to call back and confirm.

Noticing her discomfort, Fu Yinli glanced down at her and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Su Lingzhi lifted her head, her gaze falling on his deep, handsome features, and suddenly requested, "Kiss me."

The moment the words were out, Fu Yinli’s eyes darkened a bit, mixed with a hint of disbelief.

In their silent exchange, he slowly lowered his head, gently kissing her soft pink lips.

However, in just a few seconds, a childish scream abruptly broke the tender moment.

Su Lingzhi hastily pulled away from his lips and looked at the children teasing nearby.

Embarrassed, she looked away and took Fu Yinli’s hand, leading him upstairs.

"Wait a minute." Saying that, Fu Yinli opened the car door and took out a bag of clothes.

Once upstairs, as soon as the light was on, Su Lingzhi quickly let go of his hand, swiftly tidied up the sofa, creating a clean spot for him to sit. "Have you eaten dinner?"

"No."

"Do you want to go out to eat, or order takeout and eat at home?"

"Are there any other options?"

"I don’t cook."

Although there was a kitchen here, it was only for show; she had never used it.

Hearing this, Fu Yinli said nothing more, took out his phone, and made a call to order two meals.

Su Lingzhi turned around to pour him a glass of water, then brought out her snack box, giving him a small bread to stave off hunger.

The atmosphere was quietly delicate, somewhat unfamiliar.

Compared to the manor villa, there really wasn’t much fun here.

Su Lingzhi set her sights on the TV, asking him, "Shall we watch a movie?"

Fu Yinli answered affirmatively, so Su Lingzhi turned on the TV, taking the remote and sitting beside him.

"Is there a movie you’d like to watch?"

"I’ll leave it up to you."

Su Lingzhi casually clicked on a highly-rated movie, then leaned against his arm.

At the twenty-minute mark, the passionate scene of the protagonists instantly made Su Lingzhi blush, and she hurriedly fast-forwarded to the scene with their emotional dialogue.

Seeing her shy demeanor, Fu Yinli couldn’t help but chuckle, "Why are you shy?"

If he hadn’t mentioned it, it would have been fine, but as soon as he spoke, Su Lingzhi couldn’t even look at him.

But he still gently lifted her chin, suddenly leaning in to kiss her.

As his breath, mixed with the scent of tobacco, enveloped her, Su Lingzhi felt like she was trapped in a small world, nearly drowning in his kiss.

Fu Yinli pulled away, looking at her blushing, delicate face, "Tell me what happened tonight?"

Su Lingzhi pressed her lips together, instinctively avoiding his gaze, "I don’t really like those kinds of settings, so I left early. Though I know expanding my social circle could pave the way for me, I just don’t like it."

What she said was honest, but she left out some parts.

Fu Yinli had no doubts about it, "It’s not about the quantity of connections, but the quality. There’s no need to deliberately please others; having me is enough."

"Mm." Su Lingzhi nodded earnestly, as if listening very seriously.

About half an hour into the movie, the takeout arrived.

They changed places and sat at the dining table.

Judging by the packaging, it seemed to have the logo of the club across the street.

It appears he frequents that club—funny how she never ran into him before.

"Yinli."

"Hmm?"

"That suit—did you specifically request me to design it?"

"Just realized?"

"I figured it out a while ago, just wasn’t sure." Su Lingzhi asked, "I’m curious, before that, we only met once on the street. How did you know I worked at Lyrae?"

"I know Rika."

Su Lingzhi recalled that night, suddenly understanding, "So Rika was good to me because of you."

"How she treats you has nothing to do with me."

Su Lingzhi fell silent, taking a bite of food.

Fu Yinli looked at her and said, "Don’t think about other things while eating."

...

After dinner, Fu Yinli walked to the balcony and lit a cigarette.

The night was deep, lights flickering, and the rising smoke cast a somber shadow on his face.

A glance caught his eye, landing on the easel in the corner.

The balcony wasn’t lit, so he couldn’t fully see the painting.

He adjusted the easel’s angle, and the oil painting on the watercolor paper came clearly into view.

It was a beautifully romantic portrait of a couple, set against endless fields of lavender, the protagonists in the painting...

Fu Yinli’s gaze fixed on it, the scene sparking memories, something wondrous and intricate seeping into his heart, inching toward its depths.

Su Lingzhi, standing in the living room, suddenly sensed what he was looking at, her heart tightened, and she rushed out to the balcony, blocking his view as she took the painting off the easel.

It felt extraordinarily shameful, like a secret in her heart being discovered.

She didn’t know how long he had looked or if he had realized the painting’s protagonists were them.

"Why panic?" Fu Yinli watched her intently, casually taking a drag on his cigarette.

Su Lingzhi’s eyes flickered evasively, covering up, "This is a painting I did a while ago."

"How long ago is ’a while’?"

"Last year."

Fu Yinli chuckled softly, his gaze toward her growing warm, "Zhizhi, is liking me something embarrassing?"

With her secret uncovered, Su Lingzhi’s face felt on fire, as if the "veil of shame" had been lifted, leaving her feeling utterly exposed.

It’s not about being embarrassing, it’s just...

It’s just that her way of secretly liking him was rather... childish.

Su Lingzhi steeled herself, boldly spreading the painting open, hanging it back on the easel, "If you want to look, you can, for as long as you like."

Fu Yinli captured every change in her expression, suddenly breaking into a smile.