Chapter 5

Part of her face was buried in her scarf, and her features were stunningly beautiful. Li Yin blushed again when he glanced at her. He smiled and said, "That's good."

Soon enough.

They reached the coconut chicken restaurant before the heavy traffic set in. Having a warm bowl of sweet, fragrant coconut chicken soup in winter was a real comfort.

During the meal, Li Yin was very considerate, serving Lin Yu soup, putting food on her plate, and preparing her dipping sauce.

Lin Yu drank her soup, her face flushed red from the steam. She rested her cheek on her hand as she listened to Li Yin talk, but he was still busy with work, and his phone rang many times.

Each time, he apologized before replying to the messages.

Lin Yu didn't mind.

Jiang Zao tagged Lin Yu in the group chat: Not at the shop?

Lin Yu took a photo and sent it to her.

Jiang Zao: Out on a date?

Lin Yu: Yeah.

Jiang Zao: Tsk, tsk.

Jiang Zao: When are you going to introduce him to us?

Lin Yu: Whenever.

Jiang Zao: Then let's see when Jiang Yan'an gets back, and we can all get together.

Lin Yu: Okay.

She had replied to Jiang Zao in a private chat rather than the group, afraid that Ming Yu would pull her into another round of questions, not to mention that guy Jiang Yan'an.

But Jiang Zao still excitedly announced it in the five-person group chat.

Jiang Zao: Today is Lin Yu's first date with her boyfriend. Applause.

Ming Yu: Oh!

Jiang Yan'an: My heart is dead.

Jiang Zao: Hahahaha.

While they chatted in the group, Li Yin finished replying to his messages. He put down his phone and served Lin Yu more soup, saying apologetically, "The project is over, but there are still a few loose ends to tie up."

Lin Yu nodded. "I understand."

Li Yin looked a little helpless. "We finally get a chance to see each other..."

Lin Yu smiled again. "It's okay. We have plenty more time."

Li Yin pulled himself together. "Right."

But just after he sat down, his phone rang again. He picked it up. Someone whose profile picture showed red-painted lips had sent him two files. Li Yin had no choice but to open them and deal with them.

Lin Yu picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks, dipped it in the sauce, and ate slowly.

Just as they finished eating, Li Yin received a call and had no choice but to hurry back to the office. His face was full of frustration, and Lin Yu comforted him. "Don't worry. Work is important."

Li Yin looked at her dejectedly. "I'll definitely make time tomorrow. We'll go see a movie."

"Sure."

Lin Yu's eyes curved in a smile.

Seeing her smile made Li Yin even more reluctant to leave, but messages kept coming in one after another. He held his frustration in, swallowed it down, and took Lin Yu back first.

Lin Yu had already completed the handover with the store manager that day. Besides, they knew she was out on a date and hadn't dared disturb her all evening. If she went back to the shop now, they would surely worry or ask about how things were progressing with Li Yin. So she asked Li Yin to take her back to her residential complex. In weather this cold, resting at home was best.

Li Yin got a hand warmer for her from the car and took her to the complex's underground garage.

Lin Yu said goodbye to him and went upstairs. But she headed to building sixteen: she had promised Chen Lüli that morning that she would help him feed Xiao Diu.

As soon as she opened the door, Xiao Diu raised his front paws and planted them on Lin Yu's leg, gazing up at her with his yellow eyes from his furry face. Her heart melted completely.

She rubbed him. "Hungry again, aren't you?"

"Meow, meow~~" Xiao Diu called twice. Holding him, Lin Yu squatted down in the entryway, pulled out his food bowl, found the cat food, and poured some in. Both the food and water had been touched, so it seemed Chen Lüli had found time to come back. Xiao Diu was too energetic, and Chen Lüli was somewhat of a clean freak, so he generally didn't give him too much food or water at once, lest he finish eating and trample the rest out of the bowls. That meant the cat food needed to be replenished promptly.

Lin Yu stroked Xiao Diu's fur and, while he ate, lifted a paw to look. His claws had grown out again.

Lin Yu said softly, "Time to clean them up again."

"Meow~"

After stubbing out his cigarette in the underground garage, Chen Lüli got into his car. It was pitch-black and named the Brute. He started it and drove toward the exit. Just then, a white BMW came toward him and brushed past the Brute. Resting his chin on his hand, Chen Lüli glanced over casually and saw Li Yin in the driver's seat through the BMW's window.

On the phone Chen Lüli had tossed onto the passenger seat, messages in the five-person group chat kept flashing.

They were no longer talking about Lin Yu's date with her boyfriend, but the conversation had only ended five minutes ago.

Yet Lin Yu's boyfriend was returning to the office now.

Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow slightly. He closed the window, and the black Brute drove out of the garage and headed home.

The elevator dinged.

It reached the twenty-eighth floor, and Chen Lüli stepped out, his gaze falling on the entryway, where a woman and a cat were. Lin Yu wore a long beige coat and a pink scarf around her neck, the same one from that morning. As usual, her face was buried in it, leaving only its upper half visible. Her eyelashes were long, and her fair skin was tinged with red.

She held Xiao Diu in her arms, gripping his paw as she trimmed his claws.

Xiao Diu's paws wouldn't stay still and kept snagging her scarf. Lin Yu moved it aside with an "Oh!" Her voice was soft and pleasant. "Stop snagging it. Put your little cat paw down."

Xiao Diu kicked and kicked, clearly paying her no heed.

The corners of Chen Lüli's lips lifted slightly. He came to the doorway and watched with his arms folded.

He was tall. Lin Yu hadn't noticed the sound of the elevator, but when his figure drew closer, she spotted him. She turned and saw the man looking down at her from above.

Hehe.

CLL, what are you thinking?

One hundred red packets for this chapter. See you tomorrow.

Chapter 5

Lin Yu's chin and mouth were hidden in her scarf. Between squatting there and struggling with Xiao Diu, she was already hot, and when she turned and saw the man's eyes, she grew hotter still. But she knew it was because she had been squatting too long, and because Xiao Diu was so disobedient: his paw was still tucked into her scarf.

When she spoke, her voice still held some of the softness she used with Xiao Diu. "Aren't you working overtime?"

Chen Lüli looked at her. "Didn't I hear you were on a date and no one was feeding Xiao Diu? I hurried back to give him a couple of bites."

Lin Yu's ears grew a little hot. "I'm back from my date."

Chen Lüli said, "Mm."

"Why didn't you go inside to trim them?" he asked.

"I thought I'd be done in no time." Lin Yu stood up, holding Xiao Diu. He nestled warmly in her arms, looking ready to fall asleep at any moment. It was clear he knew how to enjoy himself. Chen Lüli glanced at him, and Lin Yu said, "But I didn't expect him to be so restless. He keeps snagging my scarf and won't let go."

The corners of Chen Lüli's lips lifted slightly.

"That's because you look so warm and cozy today."

Lin Yu's ears grew even hotter. She stepped forward and placed Xiao Diu in his arms. "I'm almost done trimming them. Hold him for now."

Caught off guard and dropped into the man's chilly embrace, Xiao Diu's tail immediately went stiff. Chen Lüli raised a hand and pressed down on his body, keeping him from moving.

Xiao Diu immediately settled down.

His male owner wasn't easy to get along with. He would stroke Xiao Diu's fur, but if he got angry, he would also stare straight at him. Xiao Diu's little cat life was scary.

Seeing that he had settled down, Lin Yu took his paw and continued trimming.

She had taken all the trimming tools from the cabinet in the entryway. It wasn't her first time trimming his claws, and she knew her way around. She focused on her task, her long eyelashes fluttering occasionally. From this close, the fine down on her skin was visible. She had only drawn in her eyebrows, which were slender, and she carried a faint, familiar fragrance.

Half leaning against the door, Chen Lüli watched her. "Your boyfriend is Li Yin from Yousitu?"

Lin Yu paused. She looked up and met his eyes, then lowered her head again after a second. "Yeah. He's right across from your newly expanded office."

Chen Lüli said, "I've met him."

Lin Yu said, "Oh."

Chen Lüli heard her soft "oh," a little sound she often used. The fragrance from her drifted into his nose, making him a little sleepy.

He half closed his eyes.

He didn't clearly remember when he had met Lin Yu. Ming Yu and Jiang Zao had become friends, and Lin Yu had naturally entered their circle.

In high school.

With Jiang Yan'an as well, the group often spent time together. Lin Yu was quieter than both Ming Yu and Jiang Zao.

Jiang Yingshan had said Lin Yu was beautiful.

Chen Lüli opened his eyes and looked at her.

Without anyone noticing, she had indeed gradually grown stunningly beautiful.

She was also the first in their group to stop being single.

Just then, the elevator doors opened, breaking the silence in the hallway. Jiang Yingshan stepped out and called, "Chen Lüli, I heard you came-"

The word "home" caught in his throat the instant he saw Lin Yu standing in front of Chen Lüli.

His gaze snapped to Chen Lüli, his face saying, You actually know her? "You actually know her."

Startled by the man who had suddenly appeared, Lin Yu glanced at Jiang Yingshan, then finished up Xiao Diu's claws. She picked up a cleaning cloth and wiped his paws. Once they were clean, she looked up and said, "All done."

Chen Lüli looked at her. "Come in for a cup of tea."

"No, it's a little late." Lin Yu generally didn't set foot in his home unless she had a reason. She closed the box, opened the cabinet with practiced ease, and put it inside.

Seeing this, Jiang Yingshan grew even more curious.

Lin Yu adjusted her scarf and said to Chen Lüli, "I'm off. Good night."

"Good night."

As she passed Jiang Yingshan, Lin Yu nodded politely to him. She knew Chen Lüli had a business partner who had been abroad and had recently returned to the country. This was probably him.

Jiang Yingshan watched her figure enter the elevator and still hadn't quite come back to his senses. Xiao Diu was very unhappy that Lin Yu hadn't given him a final cuddle, and he kicked hard in Chen Lüli's arms. Chen Lüli held his body down. Jiang Yingshan followed Chen Lüli and asked, "Who is she?"

"A classmate and a friend."

They went into the entryway. Lin Yu hadn't quite closed the door earlier, leaving a small gap, so Chen Lüli shut it. A faint fragrance drifted through the entryway, all of it from Lin Yu, lingering in the air around them.

Jiang Yingshan followed him in and said, "Introduce me to her."

Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow. "And then?"