A few days ago, Sang Lu had made plans with Yu Xiaoke to go out for a movie and dinner today.
Yesterday, during her video call with Feng Yan, she had mentioned it to him.
Now, before she could even finish typing to ask Feng Yan what time he’d be back in the city, another message popped up.
Feng: Should be back by 8:30. Where are you having dinner? I can pick you up.
Sang Lu’s eyes curved into crescents as she sent him the address of the restaurant.
Sang Lu: Should I pack some dishes for you? This place is really good.
Feng: Sure.
She replied with a sticker of a cartoon dog holding up an "Ok" sign.
……
6:40 PM.
After waiting in line for half an hour, Sang Lu and Yu Xiaoke were finally seated in the restaurant.
The server handed them the menu.
While ordering, Sang Lu went ahead and picked out the dishes she planned to pack for Feng Yan, specifically requesting that those be cooked a little later.
The restaurant was packed, and she worried that if they waited to order until after their meal, the signature dishes might be sold out.
But she also didn’t want the food to get cold.
So she settled on a compromise.
As the server walked away, Yu Xiaoke huffed playfully,
"Hmph, President Feng is so lucky to have a wife like you, Sang Sang—thoughtful and attentive. I’d marry you myself if I could~"
Sang Lu unwrapped the disposable utensils on the table and retorted,
"Please, last week you said the same thing when Sister Cai made you brown sugar water. You fickle little turnip!"
"Ha—"
The meal was enjoyable and satisfying.
After leisurely finishing the complimentary fruit dessert, she checked the time—8:20 on the dot.
Yu Xiaoke’s car was parked in the mall’s basement level, so the two said their goodbyes at the restaurant entrance.
Sang Lu took the escalator down to the first floor at a relaxed pace.
The revolving door spun, sharply dividing the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Stepping outside, the dry, warm air of early summer rushed over her.
Sang Lu loved the scent of summer. She closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply.
When she opened them again, her gaze immediately landed on the striking figure standing out in the crowd.
Feng Yan’s silhouette was unmistakable—tall, straight-shouldered, and sharply defined. He stood casually by the car, his cool, commanding presence making him look like he’d stepped out of a magazine.
Her mood light, Sang Lu walked toward him.
Before she could get close, Feng Yan seemed to recognize the sound of her footsteps and turned to look.
Their eyes met in the early summer breeze.
The sharp edges of Feng Yan’s expression softened, his gaze steady and intent as it cut through the crowd, a faint trace of amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
After a week of only seeing him through a screen, his sudden presence in front of her sent an inexplicable flutter through her chest.
By the time she reached the car, Feng Yan had already taken the takeout bag from her hand with effortless ease.
"Was the movie good?"
He opened the passenger door, tilting his head slightly as he asked.
"Amazing."
Sang Lu slid into the seat and eagerly launched into a recap of the film’s highlights.
It was strange.
After a week apart, seeing him again filled her with the joy of reunion.
Yet, within moments, their easy, everyday conversation made it feel as if no time had passed at all—relaxed and natural.
Amid their casual chatter, the black sedan merged into the flow of traffic, heading steadily toward Qinghe Bay.
As they navigated a particularly tricky stretch of road, a phone rang inside the car.
"Grab my phone for me."
Feng Yan kept his eyes on the road, glancing briefly at Sang Lu as he spoke.
She blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Her gaze instinctively darted toward the source of the ringing—his trouser pocket.
Sang Lu: "…"
After hesitating for about three seconds, she cautiously reached out.
Her hand slipped into his pocket, searching.
The pocket was deep, and because he was sitting, it had a fold. She had to tug slightly to pull the phone out.
Sang Lu’s fingers brushed against the edge of the phone and began to ease it out.
Then, accidentally, her fingertips grazed his thigh.
The soft, warm touch of her fingers seeped through the thin fabric, sending a jolt through Feng Yan. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and his brow twitched imperceptibly.
His expression darkened.
What had he been thinking?
Why had he, without a second thought, let her fetch his phone?
The road conditions were already complicated, and her actions were nothing short of a dangerous distraction.
She effortlessly stole nearly all of his focus.
He exhaled deeply, his lips pressing into a firm line, forcing himself to refocus on the road ahead.
Sang Lu glanced at the name on the screen before turning to him.
"It’s Feng Yi calling. Should I… answer it now?"
The moment she caught sight of Feng Yan’s expression, her words faltered slightly.
Why was he frowning so intensely?
Feng Yan kept his eyes fixed ahead. "You answer."
"Oh, okay."
She dismissed her confusion and tapped the answer button.
Sang Lu: "Hello—"
"Big bro… wait, sis-in-law?"
On the other end of the line, Feng Yi’s greeting took an abrupt turn the moment he heard her voice.
His brother never said "hello"—he’d just coldly command, "Speak."
And the only woman who could possibly answer his brother’s phone was his wife.
That single "hello" was enough for Feng Yi to confirm the voice belonged to Sang Lu.
"Yeah, it’s me. Your brother’s driving," Sang Lu said. "Hold on, I’ll put you on speaker—"
"No, no need!" Feng Yi cut in. "Actually, it’s nothing urgent. I’ll call him tomorrow. You two… go ahead with whatever you’re doing. Bye!"
Before Sang Lu could even say goodbye, the call ended with a sharp beep.
She stared at the phone, puzzled.
What was up with Feng Yi? "Go ahead with whatever you’re doing"?
She’d just said he was driving—what exactly did he think they were busy with?
As the call screen disappeared, the phone automatically returned to the previous page—WeChat.
Sang Lu glanced down and froze.
At the very top of Feng Yan’s chat list was a familiar avatar—the Powerpuff Girls.
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to Feng Yan. "You set my chat as a pinned contact?"
"Mhm." His gaze remained fixed ahead, but he gave a slight nod.
Sang Lu was taken aback. "I didn’t think you even knew that feature existed."
Feng Yan’s WeChat was barren—no posts, no moments, just a pitch-black profile picture that screamed "stereotypical CEO." He didn’t even have a "tap-to-react" setting.
She’d assumed he had no clue about pinning chats.
"Didn’t know before," Feng Yan admitted, his tone as calm and detached as ever. "Otherwise, I’d have done it sooner."
Outside the window, the city lights blurred past, streaks of neon and streetlamps flickering across his composed, indifferent face.
His unexpected reply sent a tremor through Sang Lu’s heart.
Her eyes rounded slightly, momentarily dazed.
Here he was, with that cold, unreadable expression, saying something that unmistakably placed importance on her.
Yet his tone was so casual, so matter-of-fact—as if stating an objective truth.
No hint of deliberate sweetness.
And once again… she found him unbearably endearing.
Finding a man handsome, cool, or capable doesn’t necessarily mean you like him.
But the moment you find him adorable—that’s definitely love.
She had known this truth for a long time.
Lately, though,
she kept catching herself thinking Feng Yan was adorable.
Could it be… without even realizing it, she had already fallen deeply, deeply for him?
