“That’s right. Because I want to optimize the last few backgrounds. If you’re here, I can change them based on your suggestions.” An Xin tilted her head slightly and looked at Lin Chen.
“Is that so? I thought…”
“Thought what?” An Xin blinked, putting on a bewildered expression.
“Nothing, nothing. Go ahead and change them. I’ll go clean up the dishes.” The Lin Chen who had just been thinking wrong quickly tried to change the subject and escape the battlefield.
When An Xin had gone into the restroom earlier, he had already adjusted his trajectory and was no longer affected.
“So cute~” An Xin squinted slightly, watching Lin Chen, then carried the dishes into the kitchen.
Once inside the kitchen, Lin Chen looked frustrated. ‘Why am I so impatient today? An Xin seems especially cute today…’
Meanwhile, An Xin unhurriedly turned on the computer. She had already finished changing those backgrounds long ago—she deliberately kept the old versions just to show Lin Chen.
“A Chen, come look at this night market background. I added some blurry human figures.” As soon as Lin Chen came out of the kitchen, An Xin called him over.
“You changed it so fast. At this rate, you can finish the rest by nine tonight. Then I can add them straight into the game and submit for review together.” Lin Chen couldn’t help but be pleasantly surprised.
“So… how much are all the backgrounds worth as payment?” An Xin’s eyes sparkled, full of anticipation as she looked at Lin Chen.
“Worth seven times.” Lin Chen hesitated briefly, then gave his answer.
“You can send me the ones you’ve already changed. For the remaining backgrounds, add more human shadows and buildings. I’ll insert them into the game and run another test.” Lin Chen also made a small request.
“Okay~”
And so, while An Xin quickly “changed” them, Lin Chen added the updated backgrounds to the version about to be submitted for review. Most of the changes fit Lin Chen’s wishes perfectly, so he had no comments for a while.
An Xin sent Lin Chen a background about every ten minutes. The rest of the time, her gaze was fixed on Lin Chen. Watching him work so seriously was utterly adorable.
It reminded her of the first time she saw Lin Chen developing a game. That focused expression made An Xin feel she had found a kindred spirit—she was exactly the same when drawing her comics. In that calm concentration lay the most intense passion. From that moment on, An Xin had started to care about Lin Chen.
“Finally done!” After shutting down the computer, An Xin stretched lazily. “A Chen, keep it up~ I’m going to take a shower first.”
“Go ahead, go ahead. I need to prepare the submission.” Lin Chen winced as he paid the publishing fee, his living expenses drastically reduced.
“Ah!? Shower?” Lin Chen reacted belatedly, still lost in the pain of losing his allowance.
“Don’t peek~” An Xin showed a rare playful expression.
“As if I would. I’m not the kind of pervert who enjoys listening to a girl shower while eating.”
“But… didn’t you say before, ‘What’s wrong with a man being perverted?’”
“That…” At a loss for words, Lin Chen quickly turned his head and pretended to continue uploading the game.
Seeing this, An Xin let him off the hook.
As Lin Chen heard the shower gradually start in the bathroom, his mind began to wander. He had to stop working temporarily and read a novel instead.
“A Chen!” A panicked cry came from the bathroom.
Lin Chen immediately got up and rushed over. Stopping at the bathroom door, he asked with concern, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Um… there’s no shampoo.” From behind the wall, An Xin’s voice was soft and shy.
“There should be some in the express box under the TV. Please get it for me. I’m all wet now…”
Her voice sounded like she was about to cry, pitiful and endearing.
“How could you be so careless? Be more careful next time.” Lin Chen swallowed hard, his breathing rhythm completely disrupted.
Especially when he saw the basin outside the bathroom door containing An Xin’s underwear…
“I know… It’s just that I usually live alone. If I were by myself, I could come out to get the shampoo without any clothes on…”
An Xin’s voice grew quieter, but Lin Chen’s heartbeat grew louder.
“Got it. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Lin Chen turned and hurriedly searched for the shampoo, not daring to stay by the door any longer.
He quickly found the package under the TV and tore it open. After taking several deep breaths, he knocked on the bathroom door. “I’ll leave it by the door. Remember to grab it yourself.”
Then he turned and left, feeling like he needed to splash cold water on his face again.
“Thanks, A Chen.” After he left, An Xin picked up the shampoo and, while washing her hair, schemed. She had thought about giving Lin Chen a glimpse of her in the bathroom, but that might have been too rushed. For now, she needed to eliminate that thieving cat Chu Xiaoxiao and drive her completely away from Lin Chen.
After a while, Lin Chen finally calmed down completely. ‘An Xin is way too naive. She doesn’t guard against me at all.’
…
Before long, An Xin came out of the bathroom.
“I’m done, A Chen. Did your game upload successfully?”
An Xin was wrapped in a white bath towel that barely covered her chest, but couldn’t hide the enticing view. Her skin, not covered by the towel, was fair with a rosy glow, very tempting. The lingering steam around her created a soft, hazy light under the lamp, making her look exceptionally seductive.
Seeing this, how could Lin Chen dare to look at An Xin? He focused entirely on the computer. “It uploaded successfully. Go dry your hair.”
“What’s wrong? Your voice is so cold, and you won’t even turn around.” Before she finished speaking, Lin Chen felt a softness behind him, carrying the unique warmth after a bath.
‘So An Xin’s figure was always this good?’ he thought subconsciously.
No, that wasn’t the thing to think about now. If he kept going, he wouldn’t be able to keep his composure.
“You’re too defenseless. How can you act like this in front of a guy?” Having never experienced such a situation, Lin Chen’s face was bright red, and his voice carried a hint of panic.
“Because A Chen is A Chen.” An Xin said something that left Lin Chen puzzled, then smiled as she went to find a hairdryer to blow-dry her hair.
“It’s getting late. You should take a shower too.” An Xin dried her hair until it was slightly damp, preferring to let the last bit air-dry naturally.
“Alright.” Feeling his face still burning, Lin Chen also felt the urgent need for a good shower.
As soon as Lin Chen entered the bathroom and turned on the shower, his phone, which was lying in front of his laptop, suddenly lit up.
A WeChat message from Chu Xiaoxiao popped up.
The content was displayed clearly on the screen, and An Xin read every single word without missing a beat.
Her originally bright smile vanished instantly. She stared coldly at the contact name—Chu Xiaoxiao.