Chapter 33: No Casualness.

The morning sun, accompanied by the chirping of insects and birds, woke Lu Zhao.

Actually, it was the phone alarm by his pillow. Bleary-eyed, he grabbed it, turned off the alarm, and checked the time: August 31, 6:30 AM.

Setting the phone down, he closed his eyes again.

Wishful thinking. Forcing himself up, he shuffled to the bathroom to wash up.

Normally, for school, he’d rise at seven. But since taking Yu Baowei’s job, he had to get up half an hour earlier to make her breakfast.

Of course, she bought the ingredients, and he got to eat for free—perfect.

Dressed, he went next door, unlocking it with the spare key she gave him.

The place wasn’t as messy as yesterday. She must’ve tidied up, knowing he was coming.

He didn’t call for her, heading straight to the kitchen to start breakfast.

By 6:50, two simple breakfasts were ready. Only then did he go to wake Yu Baowei.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Miss Yu, you up? Breakfast’s ready.”

No response after a moment. He could eat his share and leave, but responsibility nagged him to wake her.

Opening the door, a night’s worth of air hit him.

Not unpleasant—a mix of slightly heavy sweat and her natural scent.

Glancing at the closed window, he noted he preferred sleeping with it open in this heat. She, likely wary of catching a chill from her frequent drinking, kept it shut.

At her bedside, Lu Zhao’s lips curved.

This woman really had no sense of security.

Her blanket was more a body pillow now. Clad in a loose robe, her long, fair legs were nearly fully exposed.

Curled up on her side, Yu Baowei’s lips twitched, as if dreaming of eating.

“Miss Yu? Miss Yu?” He called twice, no reaction.

Sighing, he shook her shoulder.

It worked. She opened her eyes, turning to him in confusion.

“Why’re you here?” Her bewilderment seemed genuine.

“…” Does this woman have a fish’s memory?

“Did you forget what we talked about yesterday? Get up, wash up, eat. I’ve got class soon.”

“Hm? Oh… okay~”

Her mouth agreed, but her body didn’t budge, even scooting further into the bed.

Lu Zhao’s mouth twitched. This woman was… something else.

Fine, maybe hitting the snooze button was human nature.

He returned to the kitchen, grabbing a pot and spoon.

“Miss Yu, if you don’t get up, I’m using extreme measures.”

“Mmm~ Okay~”

“You agreed, so here goes!”

CLANG!

The deafening noise jolted her awake. Gone was her lazy demeanor—she sprang up on the bed.

“What’s that?! What’re you doing?”

Her good dream interrupted, she glared at him.

He smiled calmly. “Miss Yu, time to get up, wash, and eat.”

“Huh? …Oh, right.”

Clear-headed now, she recalled yesterday, scratching her head sheepishly.

“Hehe, I’ve got… uh, bed-leaving syndrome, you know.”

“I get it. Hurry up, I’ve got class.”

He put the pot and spoon back, sat at the table, and started on his breakfast.

Yu Baowei, brushing her teeth in the bathroom, stole glances at him.

This guy didn’t seem shy at all… same as yesterday.

After he left last night, she’d thought about how he saw her disheveled state without a hint of discomfort.

Am I really that old and charmless?

Pinching her still-pretty face in the mirror, her gaze dropped to the curves her loose robe couldn’t hide.

Tilting her head to eye her long, snowy legs—how was this not a bombshell?

Weird guy, she thought.

Women here loved beauty and craved handsome, fit men. But reactions differed: men got shy seeing women’s bodies; women admired men’s—or whistled.

By the time Yu Baowei finished washing up, Lu Zhao was nearly done eating.

“You’re having a class meeting today, right?” she asked, popping a piece of bacon into her mouth.

“Yeah, just the meeting, no classes.”

“Oh.” A faint smile played on her lips.

Her reaction felt off, but he couldn’t place why.

“By the way, any requests for dinner?”

She tapped her lips with chopsticks. “Nothing specific. Whatever.”

Her casual words made his eyes flash with… ferocity?

What did I say? I said nothing! She blinked, innocent.

She didn’t know the word “whatever” was a dagger to a man’s heart.

Realizing he might’ve overreacted, he said, “There’s no ‘whatever’ on my menu. Tell me what you want, I’ll cook it.”

“Oh… okay.” She pursed her lips, agreeing.

I’m the boss, so why’s he got more presence than me?

After breakfast, Lu Zhao left first. Yu Baowei prepped work clothes and onboarding documents.

Thinking of what was coming, her lips curled uncontrollably.

“Little Lu, can’t wait to see your reaction, hehe~”

*

At the department building, Yan Qingxin waited with two bags of breakfast, wearing a light pink dress, the necklace Lu Zhao gave her gleaming on her smooth neck.

Ling Cang stood beside her, in men’s clothes today—likely not ready for skirts at school.

Weird phrasing, but accurate.

Spotting Lu Zhao, Yan Qingxin waved with a bright smile, drawing envious glances from nearby girls as she approached.

The trio settled in a nearby pavilion.

“Baby, eaten yet?”

“A little.”

“Want more?”

“Just a bun. You take the rest.”

“Okay!”

Knowing her well, Lu Zhao saw she was starving but had waited for him.

“By the way, Qingxin, no need to bring me breakfast anymore. I’ll make something at home.”

“Huh? Why?” Her cheeks bulged with food, eyes puzzled.

He couldn’t say he was eating at her “Auntie Yu’s” place.

After a pause, he said, “I’m experimenting with breakfast recipes. I’ll cook for you.”

“Oh… really? Hehe, alright then.”

His words sweetened her mood, making the bun taste better.

Ling Cang, sulking nearby, hadn’t expected this dog-food breakfast.

She should’ve skipped coming with Qingxin. Lu Zhao wasn’t usually like this—what was up today?

After Yan Qingxin finished, they headed to class.

They took seats in the mid-back row: Lu Zhao inside, Yan Qingxin in the middle, Ling Cang on the end.

It was just a class meeting, no lessons, so the vibe was relaxed.

Their class had 59 students, 16 boys including Lu Zhao—a high number for a humanities major. In STEM, boys were rare.

Two guys in front were chatting.

“Heard Old Liu’s on leave for something.”

“Oh? Who’s our new counselor?”

“Rumor is, a total babe.”

“Psh, how hot could she be?”

“Dunno, just heard.”

Lu Zhao glanced at Yan Qingxin. She’d mentioned this, and it seemed true.

“What’s up, Baby?”

“Nothing. Do you know who the new counselor is?”

“How would I—huh?”

Her expression turned vivid. Following her gaze, Lu Zhao’s face mirrored hers in shock.