Chapter 25

His voice was low and lazy. "How long has it been since you went to see Xiao Diu?"

Lin Yu blinked, gripping her phone tightly as she realized what he meant. "A few days."

He gave a quiet hum.

He was at the office, and Lin Yu could sense him typing and the large display cabinet behind him. Chen Lüli lifted his phone and looked at her again. "When are you going to see Xiao Diu?"

Lin Yu fell silent for a few seconds. "Did you feed Xiao Diu tonight?"

Chen Lüli's voice was low. "I did. It's cold outside now, so take Xiao Diu down for a walk earlier tomorrow evening."

"Sure," Lin Yu readily agreed.

Chen Lüli glanced at her again.

"Finished your shower?"

Lin Yu was taken aback. She nodded.

"Washed your hair too?"

"Mm."

"What time are you planning to sleep?" he asked.

Without realizing it, Lin Yu answered him. "I'll go to bed in a little while."

"What were you just doing?"

"Spacing out."

"Spacing out?" Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow.

Lin Yu didn't know why, but his casual question made her cheeks feel a little hot. She said softly, "Yes, spacing out. Can't I do that?"

Chen Lüli's lips curved slightly. "You can. I want to know what you were thinking about while you were spacing out."

Lin Yu shook her head. "Nothing."

Chen Lüli was typing on his end. From Lin Yu's angle, she could see his profile, his jawline, his Adam's apple, and his collar. His unhurried voice came through the phone. "Then I'll tell you what I'm thinking about."

Lin Yu asked softly, "What?"

"When you can give me an answer."

This carnivore wanted to take things in a steamier direction, so I got a little stuck writing.

I'll take a break and post more tomorrow. There are another 100 red packets for this chapter. See you tomorrow.

Chapter 25

Caught off guard, Lin Yu replied instinctively, "I haven't thought about it yet."

Chen Lüli said, "Mm, I was rushing you."

Now even the tips of Lin Yu's ears were red. Just then, Jiang Yingshan pushed open the door, came over to Chen Lüli's side in a flash, and set down a tablet. Chen Lüli turned to look as Jiang Yingshan talked about the problems that had recently cropped up in Dream Fiend and the New Year plaza the planning team had created. They wanted to add a space-time portal that would transport players to battlefields in different dynasties.

But they hadn't decided what to use as the reward yet. As Chen Lüli listened, he thought of Lin Yu carrying a hammer and smashing boxes to get the Snow Queen outfit. He said, "Stick with skins."

"Okay. There's another issue..." Jiang Yingshan continued.

As Jiang Yingshan spoke, Chen Lüli slid his fingertips across the tablet, looking at the data with a measure of concentration. Lin Yu watched him quietly for a few seconds, then took the opportunity to say softly, "I'm hanging up."

At the sound of her voice, Jiang Yingshan looked over in surprise, searching for its source.

Chen Lüli turned his eyes back to her. "Okay. Get some sleep early."

Lin Yu met his gaze through the camera, nodded quickly, and pressed the hang-up button. After ending the video call, she flopped back onto the sofa and touched her slightly warm ears. She blinked. When someone who had walked in darkness for years was about to come into the light, they would shrink from it. What she was feeling now was the first sign of that aversion to the light. It wasn't that she lacked the courage to accept a new change in her feelings; she was also reluctant to let go and uneasy about the changes that might come.

Once, she had thought it was already wonderful that she could be friends with him.

In the future, she might watch him marry and have children, while she offered her blessings from a corner. She had never imagined being the one holding the bouquet.

She closed her eyes.

The tone of his voice during their conversation that night replayed in her mind.

The room was warm, and she was growing drowsy when her phone rang. Lin Yu opened her eyes and picked it up to find a photo from Jiang Zao. Jiang Zao wrote: Yuyu, do you remember this photo?

Lin Yu opened it.

She remembered when it had been taken and what had happened.

The photo had been taken in the winter of their freshman year, when it snowed in Jing City. It had snowed for days, piling up in a thick layer. The little southern fairies visiting the north for the first time had been tremendously excited, and the atmosphere of a snowy night was beyond words. Lin Yu, Jiang Zao, and the other girls in their dorm were all southerners, so they had gone downstairs together for a snowball fight. They packed snowballs and threw them back and forth, having the time of their lives. Everyone wore a long down coat, making them look like a bunch of little dumplings.

To get from the boys' dorm to the convenience store by the basketball court, you had to pass the girls' dorm. Chen Lüli and Jiang Yan'an had been on their way to the store together and passed in front of the girls' building. Under the streetlights, they watched the girls chasing one another around, and Jiang Yan'an even laughed and took photos. Just as Lin Yu was packing a snowball, she looked up and saw Chen Lüli.

There had been a hint of a smile in his eyes too.

Click. Jiang Yan'an took that photo of Lin Yu, and then the two of them walked together under the streetlights toward the little convenience store.

That should have been the end of it, but when you were having too much fun, it was easy to get carried away. As Lin Yu dodged one of Jiang Zao's snowballs, her foot slipped and she fell, landing facedown in the snow and twisting her ankle. The girls all pitched in to help her up, snow fluttering off her clothes. They were all bundled up, which made it difficult to drag her along, so they were still limping and shuffling their way forward when Jiang Yan'an and Chen Lüli came back.

Jiang Yan'an hurried over to ask what had happened.

Before he had finished asking, Chen Lüli glanced at Lin Yu's foot and stepped forward, motioning for the girls to move aside a little. He scooped Lin Yu up in his arms, bulky white down coat and all, without the slightest effort. After a moment's thought, he headed for the infirmary. Jiang Zao and Jiang Yan'an hurried after them. Snowflakes were still drifting beneath the streetlights, and Jiang Zao thought the scene looked nice, so she took out her phone and snapped this photo.

Jiang Zao: Looking at it now, this photo is quite beautiful. They helped us a lot during college, didn't they, Yuyu?

Lin Yu's gaze rested on the photo for a while. She had to say, Jiang Zao's composition was amazing; she had taken an especially good shot.

She replied: Yes, they helped us a lot.

In an unfamiliar city and an unfamiliar school, amid the differences in northern and southern habits, climate, and temperature, it really was lucky to have at least two familiar male friends and classmates they could talk things over with and help one another.

Jiang Zao chuckled and continued admiring the photo.

How had she not noticed back then how well matched they were?

Lin Yu realized she hadn't saved the photo, so she quietly saved it. But she happened to tap into her Qzone album and inadvertently opened some photos from high school.

The image quality had already been pretty good back then. In one photo, Ming Yu sat at her desk with her hair in a princess style, her cheek propped on her hand. Behind her, Chen Lüli was asleep at his desk.

In another, Ming Yu had pulled her into a photo together. At one corner of the picture, a boy's hand rested casually nearby, a black watch on his wrist. His wrist had happened to make it into the shot.

There was also one of them climbing the stairs. Jiang Yan'an had photographed the four of them from behind. Chen Lüli was in front, Ming Yu a step behind him, while she and Jiang Zao held hands, their shadows stretching out long.

Lin Yu flipped through the photos, lingering over the one of Ming Yu in particular. She remembered that it was part of a set, and Ming Yu had the rest.

Jiang Zao probably had copies too. In one, Chen Lüli had woken up and was leaning against the back of his chair, languid with sleep, his face covered and his expression utterly cold, while the collar of his school uniform was open. Back then, he had looked displeased with everyone he saw. Jiang Yan'an had that photo and said it was so murderous it could ward off evil in a house.

After exiting Qzone, Lin Yu yawned. The warmth of the room was making her sleepy. She got up to wash up, then returned to her room and went to bed.

The next day.

The weather was nice, and the shop's New Year decorations were nearly finished. With Xiao Diu on her mind, Lin Yu picked up the New Year clothes she had bought online after dinner and headed to the twenty-eighth floor of Building Sixteen. Since Jiang Zao's last visit, Chen Lüli had changed the password twice more and sent it to her phone.

Lin Yu entered it.

After two beeps, a shadow came rushing at her, paws grabbing the hem of her pants. Xiao Diu lifted a feline face and, on seeing Lin Yu, lowered the volume of the meowing. Two plaintive meows followed, and Lin Yu could see reproach in those golden eyes.

How long has it been since you came to see me!

Lin Yu felt their minds connect, and her heart melted. She bent down and picked Xiao Diu straight up. Xiao Diu hooked a paw into her hair in protest.

"Meow, meow, meow."

You heartless thing.

Lin Yu saw that Xiao Diu's fur had grown out a little and looked much better than it had just after being cut short. Xiao Diu smelled nice too. She buried her face in the fur and nuzzled it. "I've been really busy lately. It's not that I meant to stay away. Look what I bought you."

Lin Yu lifted the other bag in her hand.

Xiao Diu stared at the bag and meowed.

What clothes? I don't want black ones.

Only then did Lin Yu remember that the sweater Chen Lüli had put on Xiao Diu last time was black. She took out the outfits inside: one beige and one light brown, both colors Xiao Diu liked. Xiao Diu touched the beige one with a paw, and Lin Yu smiled. "You like it, don't you? I'll put it on you. It's your New Year outfit."

Lin Yu crouched down and put the beige sweater and hat on Xiao Diu.

Tray stood plumply beside them, head tilted, not knowing what she was doing. Once Lin Yu had dressed Xiao Diu, she thought the fluffy little creature looked especially cute.

She took out a leash and put it on Xiao Diu. "Shall we go for a walk?"

Xiao Diu meowed and immediately ran for the door. Fortunately, Lin Yu held the leash tight. Before leaving, she patted Tray on the head and said, "We'll be back in a little while."

Tray tilted their head at her and blinked their big round eyes.

Lin Yu carefully closed the door, then took Xiao Diu downstairs. Seeing how cute Xiao Diu looked, she felt some of her troubles disappear completely. The residential complex where Lin Yu lived had excellent landscaping, sufficient lighting at night, and a property management team famous for its professionalism. It was a very pleasant place to live.

It was quiet and comfortable in this part of the city, and even the flagstone paths were laid very evenly. During the day, children would ride scooters or bicycles here.

At night, there were also people jogging, strolling, and walking dogs or cats.

But perhaps because it was a little cold tonight, there were far fewer people than usual, and it was much quieter. Xiao Diu probably hadn't been outside for about half a month and started running around joyfully as soon as they reached the ground floor.