Her gaze lingered on those words for three seconds before Chu Liangxia turned off her phone.
After setting the time on the bedside alarm clock, Chu Liangxia drew the curtains closed and rolled back into bed, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.
At eleven o'clock, Chu Liangxia was woken up by her alarm clock. She got out of bed, picked out a white t-shirt and denim shorts from the wardrobe, tied her hair into a ponytail, and got ready to step out for some grocery shopping in a simple and fresh manner.
But as soon as she stepped downstairs, she was intercepted by a BMW.
Chu Liangxia glanced at the familiar BMW, attempting to walk around it to leave, but the BMW's owner had gotten out of the car an preemptively blocked her path.
"What a coincidence."
Feng Zichen stood in front of her, greeting her with a smile.
"Quite the coincidence," Chu Liangxia said through a forced smile.
"Where are you headed?" Feng Zichen asked amicably, as if he couldn't detect the subtext in Chu Liangxia's words.
"Out."
"Let me give you a ride," Feng Zichen offered with apparent sincerity.
"No need, I enjoy walking," Chu Liangxia politely declined.
"Take your time then."
Feng Zichen's eyes narrowed, his smile inscrutable.
Chu Liangxia cast him a suspicious look, but seeing that he was willing to let her go, she shook off the thought and walked around him to leave.
Under the scorching sun, Chu Liangxia didn't bother with sunscreen or an umbrella, relying on her genetically gifted complexion to stride confidently into the blazing sun.
Leaning against his car, Feng Zichen touched his chin, observing Chu Liangxia's long legs with a slight smile.
He'd wait for half an hour... possibly.
*
Chu Liangxia had a fairly lax daily routine, but with Lang Lin living at her place, she planned to stick to school meal times and prepare lunch between 12 and 1 o'clock. Therefore, she didn't linger in the supermarket, picking up just a few common ingredients before heading back home.
Unexpectedly, the BMW was still parked outside, blocking her way.
"We meet again." From afar, Feng Zichen greeted her with a smile.
As Chu Liangxia approached, before she had a chance to speak, she saw Feng Zichen eying the groceries in her hand and he said as a matter of fact, "You owe me a meal."
Chu Liangxia thought it over carefully and realized that she indeed owed him a favor.
The kindness both brothers had shown her by offering her a ride seemed about equal.
After contemplating, Chu Liangxia said, "Park your car properly and come with me."
"Agreed."
The triumphant Feng Zichen nodded in satisfaction.
After watching Feng Zichen park his car, Chu Liangxia lead him upstairs.
By chance, just as they entered, they saw Lang Lin coming out to get water during a study break.
On seeing the two of them, Lang Lin stopped in his tracks.
"And who is this?" With raised eyebrows and a hint of curiosity, Feng Zichen asked with a smile.
"My brother, Lang Lin," Chu Liangxia explained casually.
"Hello," Feng Zichen greeted Lang Lin offhandedly.
Lang Lin glanced at him but didn't engage.
Feng Zichen didn't mind, but his puzzlement only grew stronger.
When the Feng Family planned to break off the engagement with the Chu Family, they had thoroughly investigated both the Feng Family and the Lang Family. The Lang Family had already cut ties with Lang Xiyuan, with Lang Xiyuan living with Lang Lin, who usually ignored Chu Liangxia, only seeking her out when in need.
It was unclear what had happened at Lang Xiyuan's to make this brother and sister end up living together.
Lang Lin returned to his room after getting his water, and Chu Liangxia gave Feng Zichen a pair of slippers before heading to the kitchen. Feng Zichen, having changed his shoes, sat on the couch like a lord of the manor and, finding it boring, started walking around the living room.
However, this strolling turned out to be more revealing than expected.
The ashtray on the coffee table could be forced into an argument as decoration, but men's cigarettes, designer lighters, a few ties and suits hanging on the balcony, and even the worn large-sized men's slippers near the entrance shoe cabinet...
Once suspicion had taken root, Feng Zichen, like a detective, started to spot traces of an adult man's presence everywhere.
Could it be—
Chu Liangxia was truly being taken care of?
This speculation surfaced in his mind, and Feng Zichen's expression turned sour.
Given Chu Liangxia's economic condition and Lang Lin's age, so many expensive male products have absolutely nothing to do with them.
The only explanation could be that a wealthy tycoon frequently stayed over.
Aside from Chu Liangxia being kept, Feng Zichen could think of no other explanation.
Moreover, if he remembered correctly, Chu Liangxia had admitted it herself.
"Dinner's ready."
As she put the dishes on the table, Chu Liangxia called out while untying her apron.
Her voice was not loud, but the two people inside and outside the door could both hear her clearly.
The dishes were simple, three dishes and one soup: braised pork, stir-fried cabbage, braised fish, plus a potato and spare ribs soup.
When Chu Liangxia brought the three bowls of rice to the table, she noticed an odd atmosphere between the two diners.
They weren't speaking, expressions cold, and although the lack of interaction could at most create an awkward and stiff atmosphere, unjustifiably, it felt as though swords were drawn and bows were tense.
"Let's eat."
Handing them the rice, Chu Liangxia took her own seat, picked up her chopsticks and prompted.
Without waiting for them, Chu Liangxia started eating right away.
Lang Lin hunched over his meal, treating the two as if they were air.
But Feng Zichen ate tastelessly, unable to enjoy the food. Chu Liangxia's cooking was excellent, and even he, accustomed to gourmet chefs, could find no fault, but the thought of Chu Liangxia being kept made him unable to feel happy.
His brother's green hat was firmly in place…
The thought alone was bitterly sad.
And Chu Liangxia was still so nonchalant, not denying the fact that she was kept, reaching an unparalleled level of shamelessness; he couldn't even think of a way to express his brother's indignation.
After the meal, Feng Zichen left with a gloomy look on his face; Lang Lin handed Chu Liangxia a stack of money.
"Where did this money come from?"
Chu Liangxia didn't take it, asking coldly.
"Borrowed," Lang Lin said, frowning slightly, not really wanting to dive into that topic.
After a moment's thought, Chu Liangxia explained, "Lang Lin, I asked you to stay of my own free will, not because your mother forced it."
Lang Lin's frown deepened.
Ever since he was sensible, he had been prejudiced against this sister, mostly because of what his mother said.
The Lang Family had labeled her as ignorant, uncultured, capricious, malicious, selfish; they said her character was poor, which is why she wasn't favored in the Chu Family.
Lang Lin hadn't completely believed it, but these assessments had more or less affected his opinion of Chu Liangxia.
But now—
Things felt entirely different.
She was confident and composed, her actions orderly; thinking about it, no matter how many times she was summoned over issues with the Lang Family, she never seemed to panic, always handling matters with a cool head.
"If you want something in particular for dinner, let me know in advance."
Chu Liangxia stood up to clear the tableware.
Lang Lin stood still, watching her tidy the table before she moved to the kitchen to wash dishes. Her figure lacked the hectic pace he had seen with his mother, possessing only a peaceful and unhurried calm.
*
No sooner had he stepped downstairs than Feng Zichen made a phone call to Feng Ziheng.
"Brother, Chu Liangxia is really being kept," Feng Zichen said, a trace of anger rising between his brows.
"Oh."
A single indifferent word, as if he didn't really care about the matter.
"Bro, about your green hat..."
"How did you find out?" Feng Ziheng interrupted the bizarre assertion.
"I took her home the day before yesterday, she admitted it herself. Just now at her place, I found a lot of male products, all pretty high-end," Feng Zichen analyzed.
"She let you in?" Feng Ziheng asked calmly.
"Yeah—"
"Next time you go out, remember to take your brain with you." With a cold reminder, Feng Ziheng hung up the phone.
The weekend passed smoothly, and aside from visiting Lang Xiyuan, Chu Liangxia picked up a few video editing tasks through different channels. She stayed up for two nights to complete them, finally scraping together enough to cover her recent living expenses.
Lang Lin wasn't one to make fuss. He spent the weekend quietly studying in his room, only leaving the house to visit the hospital with Chu Liangxia, and even then, he would notify her whenever he stepped out.
All Chu Liangxia needed to do was prepare three meals on time, which didn't interfere with her daily habits.
Monday, morning.
Chu Liangxia served breakfast and asked Lang Lin, "What time does the exam start?"
"Nine o'clock," Lang Lin replied.
"How many subjects?"
"Just one."
"I won't be back for lunch, you'll have to take care of it yourself."
"Mm," Lang Lin nodded slightly, not too bothered by it.
Chu Liangxia was used to this question-and-answer routine. After asking what she wanted to know, she got ready to eat.
After the meal, Chu Liangxia gave Lang Lin some living expenses before they both left the house one after the other.
The drive from Shuiyunjian to the TV station took ten minutes. If she still had time to spare, Chu Liangxia preferred to walk to work.
Clearly, she had overslept today. It wasn't very early, so Chu Liangxia took the bus to the TV station.
She arrived right at nine o'clock.
"Liangxia, good morning."
As soon as she entered the editing room, Lun Yi, who was carrying documents and walking out, greeted Chu Liangxia with a radiant smile on her round face.
"Good morning," Chu Liangxia nodded slightly and returned a faint smile.
"I need to deliver these documents first; I'll talk to you about something later." As soon as she finished speaking, Lun Yi hurried off.
Chu Liangxia shook her head slightly and then walked to her own desk.
Her desk was next to Lun Yi's. Both were interns who started at the same time. Lun Yi was naïve and straightforward, and they got along quite well.
"Liangxia," just as she turned on the computer, Director Zhu came over and asked kindly, "How's everything at home?"
Chu Liangxia paused for a moment and after a while, her lips curled into a stiff smile, "It's fine."
"Good," Director Zhu nodded with a hint of concern.
"…"
Chu Liangxia felt a bit ashamed.
The excuse for taking time off was made up on a whim to vent her frustration; she hadn't intended it to affect others.
Upon reflection, she really felt quite childish.
Having dealt with Director Zhu, Chu Liangxia was just about to organize her own video editing work when someone else approached her.
"Liangxia," a nearly ingratiating voice.
Minimizing the open folder, Chu Liangxia looked up at the visitor and asked with a smile, "What can I do for you, Yingying?"
Lou Yingying, 24 years old, had been at the TV station for two years, a year longer than Chu Liangxia. Her work ability was mediocre, but she was pretty; she was not focused on her job, but rather on networking and resources at the TV station, aiming to secure a good script and make an early breakthrough.
"Yingying, could you do me a favor?" Lou Yingying smiled sweetly, without a trace of caution one would expect when asking for help.
Chu Liangxia's gaze shifted as she slightly raised her eyelids and replied with a smile, "I'm a bit busy right now."
"It's fine; you can help when you're done," Lou Yingying said amiably.
"But..."
A flicker of annoyance flashed in her eyes as Lou Yingying cut her off, "It's just a small video, it shouldn't take you more than half an hour."
Chu Liangxia offered a gentle smile, a very amiable expression, "Sister Ying, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. If you really can't do the task, perhaps you could explain the situation to the director and let him assign it to someone else."
Her words successfully left Lou Yingying speechless.
Lou Yingying's work capability was subpar, and her mind was not on her work; she was always asking others for help, and over time this had caused annoyance among the people in their department.
Unlike her, Chu Liangxia was competent, easy to get along with, and although she hadn't been there for long, she wasn't the type to be pushed around easily; she had also helped others quite a bit and was more popular than Lou Yingying.
In the workplace, everyone prefers someone who is capable, intelligent, and reasonable.
However, Chu Liangxia's very existence became a thorn in Lou Yingying's side, a constant irritation.
Chu Liangxia had long anticipated that Lou Yingying would come to her, and of course, it wasn't just a simple "visit"—it was deliberately throwing the task her way with the ulterior motive that if it was well done, Lou Yingying would benefit, but if not, Chu Liangxia would bear the brunt of the failure.
She was content with her current life and had no intention of jumping into a pit.
"Xiaxia, how can you be like this!"
Lou Yingying's voice rose slightly, a whining tone with a hint of reproach, reaching the ears of several people around.
Everyone looked over but said nothing.
It's none of their business; they stayed out of it.
Chu Liangxia's eyes lifted slightly, and just as she was about to speak, Lun Yi suddenly appeared behind her and interrupted, "Sister Ying, our Xiaxia just lost her father; could you please let her have some peace?"
As the words fell, the surrounding looks immediately became strange.
Judging by Lun Yi's explanation, Lou Yingying truly seemed to be inconsiderate.
Thus, with her face turning red and then white, Lou Yingying was completely unable to continue speaking.
"I'm sorry, it was my oversight."
Managing to squeeze out those words, Lou Yingying turned and left quickly.
Chu Liangxia looked up and saw Lun Yi's sly smile, "We take care of our own things; don't mind her."
Knowing that Lun Yi was trying to comfort her, Chu Liangxia smiled and didn't say any more.
"By the way, Qin Yajun is coming to record a show later, to promote her new movie 'Eclipse of the Heart.' I'm planning to get her autograph during lunch. I remember you also like her movies, do you want to come along?" Lun Yi pulled up a chair next to Chu Liangxia, asked as soon as he sat down.
Qin Yajun, 30 years old, caught the eye of a well-known director at 18 due to her fresh appearance and temperament, rocketed into fame with a leading movie role, and had been popular ever since with a continuous stream of excellent work.
Chu Liangxia did indeed quite like her work.
But—
She had a mother who was even more famous than Qin Yajun.
Entertainment industry matters can't always be taken at face value, and Qin Yajun's character was nothing like her amiable on-screen persona.
Chu Liangxia appreciated her high-quality work but that did not mean she liked someone whom she had never even met.
"No need, I expect to be quite busy today," Chu Liangxia politely declined.
Their editing room was responsible for cutting "Goddess's Secret," and with a new episode taped over the weekend, the editing room was once again in a state of frenzy, busily watching videos on the computer, looking for parts to edit.
These one or two days each week were the busiest, with overtime being inevitable, and staying until one or two in the morning was the norm.
Chu Liangxia was in charge of editing Gongsun Shiqi's footage, a significant task ensuring she often worked overtime. Unlike Lun Yi and Lou Yingying, whose assigned tasks were much lighter.
"That makes sense..." Coming to a realization, Lun Yi then asked, "Do you want me to bring lunch for you?"
"It's fine," Chu Liangxia smiled, "that's the only time I have to walk around."
Seeing her response, Lun Yi nodded in understanding.
However, what Chu Liangxia did not know was that it wasn't just Qin Yajun coming this time, but also two other acquaintances.
Lou Yingying was like a bad omen, destined to ensure that Chu Liangxia wouldn't encounter anything good all day long.
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