Chapter 21: I’m so smart!

After Yan Qingxin sat down, the atmosphere among the three seemed to shift in some way.

She, who was usually cheerful and talkative, became somewhat silent.
Instead, it was Yun Shuiyao, still wearing her usual expressionless face, who started talking more.

Lu Zhao, with his keen perception, naturally noticed this.

“What’s wrong, Qingxin? You seem a bit unhappy. Did something happen during that phone call earlier?”

Lu Zhao didn’t plan to ask who she called, but seeing her like this, he felt it necessary to check.

After all, the issue here was settled, but there was still a bigger one in E City—one that could truly be deadly.

Last night, he admitted he acted impulsively when he saw Yan Ruyue injured.

Lu Zhao’s heart inexplicably tightened at that moment.
The question Yan Ruyue asked was the same one he was asking himself.

Was it heartache?

Maybe, but he shouldn’t have felt that way.
Her words, “What right do you have to control me?” fully ignited that feeling, along with his anger.

Some of it was directed at Yan Ruyue, but more was aimed at himself.

He had finally hardened his heart to make things clear with her, severing their ties.

But acting like that—didn’t it just pull him back to square one, entangling him with her again?

That wouldn’t do.
What would that make him?
And where would that leave Yan Qingxin?

That wouldn’t be fair to her.

Yan Qingxin absentmindedly poked at the ice in her cup.
Hearing Lu Zhao speak, she paused before answering:

“Nothing, just confirming something.”

“What is it?”

Yan Qingxin turned her head, her brows furrowing.
“Don’t ask. It’s not important.”

How could she admit she was asking Mei Zi about Yun Shuiyao?

Her rare reaction left Lu Zhao at a loss for words.

In all their time together, they’d never fought, and even disagreements were rare.

Of course, most of the time, Lu Zhao accommodated her since they were never about anything significant.

“Oh, I see.”

Yan Qingxin seemed to realize her unusual behavior.
She turned to Lu Zhao, wanting to explain, but seeing Yun Shuiyao watching her, she held back.

The subtle tension between them didn’t escape Yun Shuiyao’s notice.

She wasn’t oblivious to the mood and knew she was the cause.
She spoke up immediately:

“Well then, Junior Lu, I have some things to do, so I’ll head out. See you when school starts.”

Lu Zhao gave her a slightly grateful look.
“Yeah, take care, Senior. See you then.”

Ding-ling-ling—

The wind chimes on the door let out a pleasant sound.

Their silence didn’t last long.
Yan Qingxin stole a glance at the thoughtful Lu Zhao, assuming her earlier attitude had upset him.

“Baby, are you mad?”

Lu Zhao smiled.
“No, why would I be mad? You probably had an unpleasant call, right? That’s normal.”

Hearing her boyfriend’s consistently gentle and understanding words, Yan Qingxin felt her heart melt.

Love at first sight might stem from attraction, but lasting love comes from the connection of hearts.

Perhaps it was Lu Zhao’s unwavering, inclusive gentleness that made her fall deeper and deeper.

So much so that even the slightest change in Yun Shuiyao sparked a huge sense of crisis in her.

Even though Mei Zi had confirmed Yun Shuiyao had a boyfriend, Yan Qingxin still wasn’t at ease.
Deep down, her wariness toward her hadn’t faded.

“Ah! Baby, how are you so perfect? I really, really love you!”

“Huh? What?”

Before Lu Zhao could react, Yan Qingxin pulled him into a bear hug, pressing his head into her embrace.

This time, though, she wasn’t sniffing him but listening with her ear, so it was safe.

“Qingxin? What’s gotten into you?”

Truth be told, Lu Zhao had a tiny complaint about Yan Qingxin.
She always took advantage of her strength, squishing and squeezing him without giving him a chance to resist.

Just like her mom!

Yan Qingxin’s cheerful voice came from above his ear.

“Nothing, I just love you more and more. Baby, what would I do if you ever left me?”

Her sudden heartfelt confession left Lu Zhao both amused and exasperated, unsure which of his words had triggered her emotional side.

“What are you thinking? Why would I leave you?”

It should’ve been an easy question to answer, but Lu Zhao didn’t hear a response for a while.

Yan Qingxin’s inexplicable silence made his heart sink.
He looked up at her expression.

Thankfully, she didn’t show anything strange, just a slightly downcast look.

“What’s wrong, Qingxin? You’ve been acting off since earlier. If something’s up, tell me. Don’t keep it bottled up.”

Who was she talking to on the phone earlier?
Lu Zhao was a bit curious.

Yan Qingxin reached out to touch his cheek, speaking with some hesitation:

“Actually, I had a dream last night.”

“A dream?”

This twist caught Lu Zhao off guard.
He hadn’t expected it to be about a dream.

“Yeah, I dreamed that the person by your side in the hospital last night wasn’t me.”

Her words sent a chill down Lu Zhao’s spine.
Did this girl see something?
But no, based on what he knew of her, her reaction wouldn’t be this calm if she had.

“Ahem, uh… who was it then?”
Lu Zhao feigned surprise.

Yan Qingxin thought for a moment.
“My mom.”

“???”

“Ridiculous, right? I thought so too. Why would I have a dream like that?”

Was this a woman’s sixth sense?

The process was wrong, the result was wrong, but somehow it indirectly touched on the truth.

That was terrifying.

Lu Zhao’s eyelid twitched.
“That’s beyond ridiculous, okay? You didn’t even tell Aunt Yan. How would she know?”

Yan Qingxin pouted.
“Yeah, that’s why I found it so weird. My mom taking care of you? Like something out of a fairy tale.”

“Ha… haha… yeah.”

Lu Zhao quietly sipped his drink.

“Baby.”

“Uh, what?”

Honestly, Lu Zhao didn’t dare say much now, afraid one wrong word would trigger her sixth sense again.

“I’m hungry.”

“Pfft…”
Her words broke his guard, and he even found his earlier thoughts a bit laughable.

This little foodie, thinking about that?

He shook his head helplessly.

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you to that place I used to eat at.”

“Great, great!”
Yan Qingxin’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Is there something cheap, tasty, and filling?”

“There is. It’s mainly for students, so it hits all three. But you’ve never cared about prices when you eat, have you?”

Lu Zhao still vividly remembered how she devoured eight steaks at a fancy restaurant.

Yan Qingxin gave him a strange look.
“I’m rich, not stupid.”

“Fair point.”

Realizing she’d successfully distracted her boyfriend, Yan Qingxin breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn’t want to tell Lu Zhao about her call with Mei Zi—it’d make her seem petty.

Besides, she did have a dream last night, but it wasn’t Yan Ruyue by his side—it was Ling Chenxi.

That was even more absurd, completely illogical, so she swapped the person.

But it didn’t matter who it was.
What mattered was that Lu Zhao didn’t ask about the call anymore.

I’m so clever!
A smug smile spread across Yan Qingxin’s face.