Chapter 10: You have grown taller

Just as Yi Dian Dian’s words fell, a sharp force yanked her high ponytail.
Her mind lagged, body already pulled forward before she could react.
She stumbled, crashing onto a broad, firm cushion.

Her scalp prickled as she looked up, dazed.
Not high enough—she tilted her head further, meeting Lin Lu’s eyes.
Her cheeks burned red instantly.

Moments before, she’d asked what he wanted to say after years apart.
Now, he’d dragged her into his arms without a word, as if his actions spoke for him.

“Lin Lu, you…”

Her heart raced.
Was he trying to rekindle something?

“Your head’s useless? Donate it to someone who needs it.”

Her pulse froze.
She blinked, bewildered, until he pointed at a nearby pole.

“You still haven’t kicked that bad habit.
Watch the road, don’t stare at dog sh*t.”

He recalled her old social anxiety, always head-down to avoid gazes.
Even on forced dates, she’d cling to his sleeve like a guide dog, oblivious to dark alleys.

Yi Dian Dian glanced at the cement pole, thicker than her waist.
Without Lin Lu’s quick pull, she’d have smashed into it, concussed, out cold.

The thought sent a chill through her.

“I’ve changed! I was just distracted talking…”

Now, she was vigilant, greeting friends and teachers warmly, no longer the silent classroom shadow.

Honestly, Lin Lu’s presence had thrown her off.

She bit her hair tie, retying her ponytail.

“You could’ve grabbed my hand—pulling my hair hurt…”

Lin Lu glanced at her small, pale hand, then looked away, silent.
She caught his drift.

Not lovers—why hold hands?

Again, Yi Dian Dian felt unsettled.
Since when was Lin Lu so… restrained?

Back then, hand-holding was nothing—he’d pin her against trees for messy kisses.

Blushing at the memory, she pressed on.
“It was urgent, no time for niceties…
We’re exes, so holding hands isn’t a big deal, right?
I don’t mind…”

“I do,” Lin Lu said flatly.
He’d sworn off women long ago.

“?”

Rage flared, her chest trembling with frustration.

She’d almost forgotten not to be soft on this jerk!

“You haven’t answered!
Years apart, nothing to say?”

Shouldn’t he apologize for his past wrongs?
At least, as ex-lovers reunited, he acted like their history was erased.

He hadn’t asked her a single question, indifferent to her growth.

Lin Lu seemed deaf, pointing to a seafood buffet restaurant.
His stomach growled, eager for a free feast.

“You’re dodging on purpose!
Keep this up, and I won’t go in!”
Yi Dian Dian huffed, turning her head.

The doorman shot them a “lovers’ spat” glance.

Exes—yet bickering like a couple?
Lin Lu dreaded revisiting old wounds; it’d unearth endless grudges.

If not for the 150-yuan-per-head buffet…

He scanned Yi Dian Dian, gesturing at her head, nodding seriously.
“You’re two centimeters taller, probably over 1.5 meters now.”

She measured herself against his arm—shorter than before, but only because he’d grown.
He was right; she’d gained two centimeters.

His eyes dipped.
“Chest size up one too…”

She clutched her chest, red as an apple.

“Most importantly, you’re way more outgoing.
Congrats on beating your social anxiety.”

That was genuine.
Her success underscored his struggles, making his past self a joke.
Still, her transformation from timid to lively warmed him.

Plus, flattery might soothe old grudges.

Sure enough, Yi Dian Dian’s heart fluttered, but his gaze made her shy.
She pulled a white camera from her bag.

“First meal together in three years—let’s vlog it.”

“Meeting an ex is worth recording?”
Lin Lu didn’t get it; most shunned exes.

She didn’t explain, just started filming, capturing them outside the restaurant.
Her head tilted toward him, cozy, unlike exes.

“Hey, squat a bit…”

Lin Lu complied like a prop, dreaming of eating his fill.

After her camera chatter, she paid for both.
Starving, Lin Lu rushed inside.
Skipping lunch, eating twice daily, he was ravenous by dinner.
If she delayed, he’d have devoured her.

Inside, the northwest corner stood out, cordoned with cameras rolling.

Nearby diners’ chatter revealed actors filming there.

Neither chased stars, and it didn’t block their table, so they shrugged it off.

But gossip mentioned a familiar name.

“When Miss Keke wraps, I’m getting her autograph!”

“If I could shake Miss Keke’s hand, I’d never wash it!”

Miss Keke?

Lin Lu squinted at the corner.
The actress in a JK uniform was Su Keke!

Like a spider’s sense, her woman’s intuition flared.
Su Keke’s eyes swept over, spotting her “current boyfriend” dining with her best friend!