Chapter 123: Chapter 119 Private Room Chapter 123: Chapter 119 Private Room Song Xian was completely startled awake from her sleepiness.

Song Xian: “I… fuck?”

Song Xian: “Are you serious?”

Song Xian: “You really want to get into a relationship?”

Song Xian: “Who do you want to get into a relationship with?”

Song Xian threw out a string of questions before finally quieting down.

Lu Jingyan was about to reply to her message when another new message popped up on the screen.

Song Xian: “Chen Kai’s cousin?”

Lu Jingyan didn’t think about hiding it, knowing that Song Xian and Chen Kai would find out sooner or later, she promptly typed “Yep” and sent it over.

Song Xian: “Fuck, it’s really him?”

Song Xian: “Wait, Yan Bao, you aren’t in a relationship yet, how could you know that you’re going to be this afternoon at three-thirty?”

Lu Jingyan recounted to Song Xian the events of the recent period: “No matter how I tried to flirt with him before, it didn’t work. Ever since I stayed at his place for one night for the second time, he changed. I got tricked into attending a class reunion by one of his friends, and he didn’t explain even though everyone misunderstood our relationship. Then he kept calling me ‘big brother’ this and ‘big brother’ that. He even asked me if I wanted to go see him in court.”

While telling the story, Lu Jingyan didn’t forget to add her thoughts: “When I went to see him in court, his assistant was there and told me a bunch of his stuff. I suspect he hinted to his assistant to tell it to me, so I would think highly of him.”

“And that’s not all. The night before you went home, we were having dinner, and I left halfway through, right? I went to find him. I saw him coming out of his community with a girl, and since I misunderstood the situation, I didn’t pay much attention to him. But then, he took the initiative to ask me out for New Year’s Eve, brought the girl to clear things up extensively, and asked me what kind of person I liked. I said I liked Mu Chuci, and then he wore the same style as Mu the actor.”

“Do you remember when I told you that when I borrowed his phone for a hotspot, the Wi-Fi password was my birthday? Besides that, there’s something else I haven’t told you. Chen Kai’s cousin knew me a long time ago, way back to when I estimate I must have been in junior high.”

“With all this in mind… Song Xian, do you think he’s pursuing me?”

Under Lu Jingyan’s relentless analysis, Song Xian was successfully brainwashed: “Hearing you say all this, Chen Kai’s cousin is indeed pursuing you. It’s just like those novels where the male lead has secretly loved the female lead for many years, then at a friends gathering, he coincidentally meets her and starts employing all kinds of subtle tactics to chase her.”

“Right?” Lu Jingyan, upon receiving Song Xian’s affirmation, was even more convinced: “Today is Valentine’s Day. He has asked me to meet at a coffee shop at three-thirty in the afternoon. So, you think, is he going to confess to me?”

Song Xian didn’t hesitate and immediately sent over a voice message: “Yes, absolutely!”

“So, I’m going to be in a relationship.” Lu Jingyan checked the time, one-thirty in the morning: “In just 14 hours, I’ll be someone with a boyfriend.”

Song Xian: “Wait, something feels off to me?”

Lu Jingyan frowned: “What feels off?”

“Let me think…” After about ten seconds, Song Xian sent another voice message: “Xiaoyan, when did you start liking Chen Kai’s cousin?”

Lu Jingyan hesitated for a few seconds and typed a line: “Just found out a few days ago.”

Song Xian: “What do you mean you found out a few days ago?”

Even though she was communicating with Song Xian through a phone, Lu Jingyan was still somewhat embarrassed as she cleared her throat and typed with ears reddening: “As for when I started liking him, I don’t know. By the time I knew, I already really liked him.”

Without waiting for Song Xian to reply, Lu Jingyan quickly typed another line: “Remember to help me choose an outfit. It’s late, I need to go to sleep. I can’t go out with dark circles under my eyes this afternoon.”

Putting down her phone, Lu Jingyan lay on the bed, going over Song Xian’s question in her mind again.

When had she fallen for Sheng Xian?

Perhaps it was the day she was slapped by Lu Hongcheng and had nowhere to go. She drove to his apartment complex and, in her worst moment, received a call from him. He said, “Ayan, don’t hide from me, at least not tonight,” and that moved her.

Maybe it was even earlier, as early as New Year’s Day, when she knew he spent the holidays alone and saw her own reflection in him.

Perhaps even earlier, back to when she went to him for help on behalf of Aunt Sun but found herself unable to speak, and he left her with the words, “I won’t turn off my phone tonight.”

Maybe still earlier, to when he knelt to tie her shoelaces, the first time he took her home, or when she was feeling down and waited for him at the school gate late into the night. After she drove him home, he had gotten out of the car but then turned to ask her if she was hungry.

Or perhaps it was on Chen Kai’s birthday, when she came home and saw the bag of medicine he had sent.

She really didn’t know when she began to like him.

But by the time she realized it, she was already very, very fond of him.

So fond that she wanted to like only this person for her whole life.

…

Lu Jingyan often ran late for dates with men, but today was the only time she had arrived early in the afternoon.

She got there just past three o’clock, half an hour early. She didn’t understand where this shyness came from, feeling a bit embarrassed to enter so soon, so she played with her phone in the car. At twenty-five past three, she finally got out and walked toward the café.

On the way, she texted Sheng Xian as if she had just arrived: “I’m here.”

Soon after, Sheng Xian replied: “I’ll come out to meet you.”

Lu Jingyan felt a bit embarrassed again.

The extremely shy kind of embarrassed.

Blushing, she responded with an “Mm” and then stuffed her phone into her pocket. She smacked her face forcefully, then hesitated as she was about to do it again, remembering her carefully applied makeup. She hastily pulled out a compact mirror from her bag, checked her reflection to ensure her makeup looked good, and then continued to the entrance of the café.

Approaching the glass door of the café, Lu Jingyan hadn’t even reached out when Sheng Xian pulled it open.

He stood to the side, waiting for her to enter the café, then closed the door and asked, “What would you like to drink?”

Lu Jingyan didn’t dare look directly at Sheng Xian and let her gaze drift aimlessly: “Anything is fine.”

Sheng Xian ordered her a latte and then led her toward an inner private room.

He had actually reserved a private room.

Lu Jingyan’s thoughts suddenly spun out of control.

She imagined the romantic scenes she had read in novels: uncontrollably thinking about whether there would be flowers waiting behind that door for her, whether there would be cake, whether there would be gifts… and if the waiter came to deliver the coffee just as Sheng Xian was confessing to her, would it be too awkward.

She wondered how those heroines in novels could handle the gazes of others without embarrassment and still be moved to tears.

In the midst of Lu Jingyan’s wild fantasies, Sheng Xian opened the door.

Lu Jingyan looked up and peered inside.