One day after the Yun Jing incident.
Everyone’s lives seemed to have temporarily returned to normal—except for Su Li.
Because Lu Yuan got caught up in the Yun Jing incident, Headquarters specially granted her a major incident leave for one month, so she was currently on paid leave.
At this moment, Lu Yuan was holding a game controller, trying to relive the days from a month ago when she was still a male gaming otaku.
But her skills were nowhere near what they used to be; the “Lock on!” she used to shout from her mouth no longer came out.
GAME OVER.
Lu Yuan sighed, tossed the controller aside, and lay down on the floor. Her loose pajamas, due to her carefree posture, exposed her small belly.
She rubbed her stomach. Humans really don’t know what to do when they suddenly have free time.
Lian Xue had gone to buy her favorite plushie, Lin Wan had no patrol duty today but wasn’t at home either—no one knew where she was. Qing went out for her modeling shoot. The house was empty again, with only herself inside.
Oh no, besides herself, there was also that pile of cameras in the corner she didn’t know when they had been cleaned out…
Probably Qing’s doing, Lu Yuan thought.
What could Qing be doing right now?
***
Meanwhile, in Tongmen City, inside a professional photography studio.
The lighting emitted a soft, even glow, illuminating the central area of the studio as bright as daylight, with a pure white backdrop.
Qing wore a light-colored spring outfit from the current season. The soft fabric made her skin look like snow, and her pale green hair was styled meticulously by the stylist.
She stood quietly under the lights, following the photographer’s instructions, slightly turning her body and raising her chin.
Her appearance and aura were naturally suited for the camera, exuding an ethereal, detached feeling without effort.
“Very good! Miss Qing, keep that pose!”
“Make your gaze a bit more vacant, yes! Perfect!”
Click! Click! The shutter sounds came one after another.
Liu Zhe stood behind the photographer, watching the flawless face and the shots on the monitor, and smiled with relief.
Miss Qing was starting to understand what the photographer wanted to express, which was a good thing. At least it meant she could climb higher in the modeling world, and he could also benefit a little.
***
After the set, the photographer needed to adjust the lighting and backdrop, so an assistant stepped forward to tidy Qing’s clothes and hair.
Liu Zhe took the chance to bring over some water and a towel, his tone gentle: “Thank you for your hard work, Miss Qing. You’re getting better and better. Take a break and have some water.”
Qing took the bottle but didn’t drink, only holding it in her hand. She picked up her phone and her slender fingers quickly and silently tapped a few times on the screen, then lifted it to show Liu Zhe:
【Thank you. It’s okay.】
Liu Zhe smiled. “That’s good, that’s good.”
***
Suddenly, the atmosphere fell silent.
Liu Zhe began making small talk: “Speaking of which, the last job was turned down for you by Miss Lu Yuan. She really cares about you.”
At the mention of “Lu Yuan,” Qing’s eyes lit up. She instinctively glanced toward the studio entrance, as if expecting that figure to appear.
Liu Zhe keenly noticed the change.
Since he met Qing, he’d sensed she had special feelings for Lu Yuan.
A thought crossed his mind, and half-jokingly, he tested her:
“Miss Qing, do you… like Miss Lu Yuan a lot?”
The word “like” seemed to trigger Qing’s confusion. She tilted her head slightly, her pale green eyes full of puzzlement.
She looked down at her phone, her finger hovering above the screen, hesitating for a long moment as if organizing her thoughts, then finally typed a line and raised the screen:
【Like. What is it?】
Liu Zhe was stunned. He didn’t expect such a question in return.
Looking into Qing’s clear eyes, free of any impurity, and seeing the sincere question on the screen, Liu Zhe suddenly realized she really didn’t understand this emotional concept.
He never thought he’d one day end up like a character in a novel, explaining “like and love” to a naive daughter figure.
He was just a single man in his thirties, a corporate drone, and now this girl, at the peak of her youth and supposed to understand what liking someone meant, was instead asking him what love was.
Liu Zhe was a talent scout, smooth talk was his specialty. If someone else asked him, he might say it was like the “Are you okay?” that Hiroko Watanabe asked in the snow in Love Letter, or David wanting to take Lucy to the moon in Edge Runner…
But facing Qing, a girl who knew nothing, he was at a loss.
To be honest, Liu Zhe didn’t think of himself as a good person. He originally saw Qing as a way to revive his declining career, treating her as a tool for his own rise.
But that was in the past.
Now, no matter how cold-hearted he was, he couldn’t lie to such a girl.
***
Liu Zhe scratched his head and tried to explain in the simplest way:
“Like… is a feeling. For example, if you have something delicious, who’s the first person you’d want to share it with?”
As he spoke, he watched Qing’s reaction.
Qing tapped on the screen.
【Lu Yuan.】
“Mm…” Liu Zhe nodded.
But if they simply ended it there as “like,” that would be too rash; friends would share food too.
“Then, what do you think is the happiest thing in the world to have?”
Liu Zhe thought about it. Everyone had their favorite things—Lu Yuan liked cars, he liked money. Whether you liked someone was about whether you were willing to share your favorite things with her.
Qing’s eyes widened slightly as if she was trying hard to understand. She looked down and didn’t type anything for a long time.
This time was longer than any previous pause, as if she was seriously thinking and trying to organize a complicated answer.
After a while, she solemnly turned her phone screen toward Liu Zhe.
【Lu Yuan.】
Liu Zhe was stunned.
… He smiled bitterly.
Qing’s feelings were too pure.
Looking at the words 【Lu Yuan.】 on the screen, it was the purest and most straightforward confession of feelings.
He took a deep breath, nodded firmly, and his tone softened: “Yes, Miss Qing. This is liking. A very, very precious liking.”
Qing looked at Liu Zhe’s assured expression, then down at the words on her phone screen, as if she wanted to carve this concept deeply into her heart.
She understood.
That strange feeling of wanting to be close, to rely on, to protect Lu Yuan, the way her heart raced and emotions fluctuated whenever she saw her—that feeling was called 【liking】.
She picked up her phone again and carefully typed two characters, then raised it to confirm something with Liu Zhe:
【Like. Lu Yuan.】
***
Suddenly, a staff member came over and interrupted their conversation.
“Mr. Liu, we’ve finished the morning shoot. Let’s take a short break and have lunch, then continue in the afternoon, okay?”
“Alright.” Liu Zhe nodded.
Qing still stubbornly held up the phone showing 【Like. Lu Yuan.】
Liu Zhe smiled and patted Qing’s head.
“Want to see her?”
Qing nodded.
Just in time—it was lunch break. Liu Zhe took out his phone and called Lu Yuan.
“Beep beep beep—” the call connected.
“Miss Lu Yuan, didn’t you say you owe me a meal?” Liu Zhe said.
“Yes, why?” Lu Yuan’s voice sounded a little sleepy.
“Are you free this noon? How about…?” Liu Zhe tentatively asked.
“Okay, no problem.”
Lu Yuan’s decisive reply surprised Liu Zhe a little.
He turned and smiled at Qing.
“Lunch with Miss Lu Yuan today~”
Qing’s eyes instantly sparkled.
“But before that, I need to teach you something.” Liu Zhe smiled. “You’ll definitely find it useful.”
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