Chapter 46. Secretly... Could you let me stay for a while tonight...?

After finishing work that night, Chenzhoudu felt uneasy and sat at his desk, hesitating over a chat box on his WeChat.

In fact, they hadn't seen or contacted each other since they parted ways at Taoyuan Lane subway station.

They were supposed to be living under the same roof, but he always felt as if they were separated by a vast distance.

He was afraid she would resist or be disgusted, so he never dared to contact her rashly. His WeChat screen was still showing the last voice call he made to her.

"You and Guan Bohan..."

He typed a few words very slowly on the keyboard, then deleted them very quickly.

"Are you home yet?"

He changed the text, but hesitated when he was about to press send, and finally deleted it.

He rolled over onto the bed, pressed the back of his hand to his eyes, and sighed.

The next day at noon, during the crew's lunch break, director Wang Yue and his team gave everyone a meal voucher to dine at the hotel's buffet restaurant, so they wouldn't have to eat boxed lunches anymore.

Chen Zhoudu took some bread and salad, found a corner table for two and ate alone, but suddenly someone sat down lazily opposite him.

Upon seeing Guan Bohan, Chenzhou Ferry seemed to have seen a ghost.

He glanced around instinctively to make sure he was alone, then demanded, "What are you doing here?"

Guan Bohan simply forked the avocado off his plate without any hesitation, saying, "Thanks!"

"No, is your crew very free?" Chen Zhoudu put down his fork and frowned. "You come here every day when you're not filming."

"I was just shooting an ad nearby, it was just a side project." Guan Bohan dipped an avocado in sauce and pointed in one direction as she ate. "Artistry's new on-the-ground promotion is over here. It just finished and it's close to your house, so they gave you some meal vouchers. You don't believe me? Look."

Artistry is a high-end cosmetics brand in China. A few years ago, they approached Shen Zhoudu to be their spokesperson, but he declined both offers.

However, the brand's managers all knew each other. Chen Zhoudu looked in the direction he pointed and saw several familiar faces walking in from outside. They seemed a little surprised to see him and Guan Bohan from afar and waved to greet them with smiles.

However, during their private rest time, they wisely refrained from disturbing them, politely greeting them before going to eat on the side.

Chen Zhoudu's expression softened slightly, but he remained silent, though his face still looked somewhat uneasy. He tentatively asked, "Are you sure... it's not because of some girl you're interested in?"

Guan Bohan smiled subtly at this remark, his expression conveying a profound meaning despite his silence.

Chen Zhoudu felt even more annoyed. He took a deep breath, snatched back the avocado he had half-eaten, wrapped it in a tissue, and threw it aside.

"Hey—" Guan Bohan exclaimed in surprise, "What's wrong? I haven't finished eating yet!"

"Eat so much, be careful you don't look like a pig's head on camera!" Chen Zhoudu said indifferently.

"You..." Guan Bohan hesitated and stepped forward to snatch his bread, but Chen Zhoudu nimbly dodged and blocked him completely.

He gritted his teeth and gave up, but then suddenly remembered something and leaned closer to ask with great interest:

"But bro, what do you think of her...?"

"..." Chen Zhoudu was annoyed but deliberately pretended to be stupid. "Who?"

"Manager Xia!" Guan Bohan slapped his thigh, then quickly lowered his voice and looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before laughing again, "Don't you think... she's quite pretty? And her personality is really unique. I feel like I've never met a girl like her before. What if I were to pursue her..."

Shen Zhoudu looked up and stared at him with a look that seemed to want to kill. Guan Bohan was surprised to meet his gaze, but before he could ask, Shen Zhoudu said in a low voice, "Can't you just shut up? It's not enough to have scandals with girls in the industry, you have to go and ruin people outside the industry too?"

Guan Bohan protested, "Most of what I said was fake, just for promoting the drama and creating a CP (couple pairing) or something. Besides, I genuinely think she's quite interesting; I can't help but laugh whenever I see her. I also wanted to learn more about her..."

"..." Shen Zhoudu's knuckles were white from gripping the fork, and his lips were slightly pursed as if he was brewing something. Suddenly, he said in a low voice, "Not very good."

Xia Chan paused slightly behind the marble pillar beside the two-person table.

Xia Chan was at the restaurant for a routine inspection during the mealtime when she happened to hear "Manager Xia!" as she entered. She looked over in surprise and saw two familiar faces at the table next to the marble pillar.

She quietly walked over and eavesdropped. A restaurant staff member walked by and tried to greet her, but she quietly gestured with her lips to walk away.

Not far away, Guan Bohan was heard muttering again: "What's wrong with her? Do you even have any taste? Don't you think she's very pretty? Although she hasn't been styled by a makeup studio... she's very pretty, it's a kind of... indescribable beauty! And she has a certain energy, a very unique personality! Don't you think so?"

Chen Zhoudu clenched his fists tightly, as if forcibly suppressing something, and said in a low voice, "I don't think so."

Xia Chan smiled silently.

His words were also a little hesitant, "It's not as good as the CP you had in the last group."

"...Zhang Lulu?" Guan Bohan recalled, then exclaimed in surprise, "No way, bro! Zhang Lulu isn't as pretty as Xia Chan? Are you serious—"

But in an instant, he suddenly realized something, and his eyes turned into a gossipy and playful look as he looked at him.

"Wait a minute, Chen Zhoudu, you think Zhang Lulu is pretty? Do you like Zhang Lulu's type? Oh~~ No wonder you agreed to all the matchmaking attempts between you and An Yiran! So you like this kind of pure and innocent type! You should have said so earlier, Zhang Lulu is actually quite rare in the industry, should I just give you her WeChat!"

Chen Zhoudu took a deep breath, realizing he was really arguing with a brick wall. Just as he was about to speak again, a voice suddenly came from afar: "Manager Xia!"

Xia Chan's heart skipped a beat.

Chen Zhoudu and Guan Bohan's hearts skipped a beat as they saw Du Na approaching from the direction of the dining table in the distance, heading straight for the pillar beside her, saying, "Everything over there at the dining table has been checked and is fine. You'll need to go over and sign off..."

Then, a figure slowly emerged from behind the marble pillar.

He was dressed in a neat suit and uniform, with a pale and striking face. He maintained a polite and official smile as he looked at the two of them.

The two were stunned and their minds went blank.

Xia Chan maintained her smile throughout. "Mr. Guan, Mr. Chen, I apologize for interrupting your meal. You are our VIP clients, so I would like to ask if you have any valuable feedback on our catering?"

The two of them stared at her in astonishment, speechless. Xia Chan waited for a while without a reply, then quickly said, "If there is no reply, then I will not disturb your meal any longer. I wish you a pleasant meal."

"Manager Xia!"

She nodded and turned to leave. Chen Zhoudu suddenly stood up and called out to her.

Xia Chan paused and looked back.

Chen Zhoudu looked at her with a complex expression, then pursed his lips. Even if he wanted to explain something, it wasn't appropriate to say anything in the current situation. He could only hesitate and gaze at her for a while before saying in a hoarse voice, "The cheese sauce could be a little saltier..."

Xia Chan nodded and smiled, saying she would report it to the kitchen staff, then turned and pulled Du Na away.

Even as she turned around, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

When Guan Bohan sat back down in a daze, he finally let out a soft sigh of relief, clutching his chest, and asked cautiously, "Hey... did she hear what we were saying? You were the one who said all the bad things about her, I didn't say anything. I don't want my pursuit of love to end halfway through..."

Chen Zhoudu kept her eyes lowered and remained silent. After a moment's thought, she finally stood up resolutely and said, "I'm going to the restroom!"

Run out.

"Hey—" Guan Bohan looked at his back, still pressing her hand to her chest as she let out a long sigh, "Why does he act like a headmaster..."

-

The hotel's buffet restaurant and kitchen are connected by a staff room where customers are not allowed. It is a long warehouse corridor. After Xia Chan finished her inventory, she signed the documents as she walked out of the corridor.

Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps behind her, followed by a hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her in a certain direction.

Before Xia Chan could react, she was dragged into a warehouse and the door was locked behind her.

Bang—click.

The latch clicked shut with a soft, crisp sound.

She looked up in surprise, and suddenly saw Shen Zhoudu's face reflected in her eyes.

He stood close to her, looking down at her with deep, intense eyes.

"You..." Xia Chan was slightly startled, her brows quickly furrowing in annoyance. She walked around him, about to leave, "What are you doing? Get out!"

Shen Zhoudu stopped her hand as she reached for the door lock and said in a low voice, "I have something to tell you, just for a moment."

"No time, get out!"

“Five minutes.” He stubbornly stood between her and the door, vaguely guessing what she was worried about, and said, “There are no security cameras here.”

"I need to work."

"It won't make a difference if we wait a little longer."

"This is a warehouse, non-employees are not allowed in. If you keep doing this, believe me, I'll call someone over to see if you can save face." Xia Chan glared at him.

"Have you forgotten?" He smiled instead, his eyes gentle and clear, reflecting her slightly teasing smile. "Yahai is my family's."

"..."

Xia Chan was completely stunned by his words. She took a deep breath and finally sighed in defeat, rubbing her forehead, and said in a less than friendly tone, "What?"

Chen Zhoudu subtly curled the corners of his lips again.

When he met her gaze again, he couldn't help but purse his lips and suppress his smile. His expression suddenly became a little tense as he looked at her and said in a low voice, "Just now... that's not what I meant."

"What do you mean?" Xia Chan paused for a moment, then smiled instead of taking the initiative. "Zhang Lulu...is indeed very beautiful! I've seen her act; she's very pure and pretty, and her acting is excellent. I didn't expect you to have such good taste!"

Chen Zhoudu's face paled slightly in an instant, his gaze deep and fixed on her eyes as he said firmly, "No."

Xia Chan raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Chen Zhoudu: "I don't like her, I don't think she's prettier than you, and I don't even know her. What I just said... wasn't what I meant. But I'm still sorry, I shouldn't have said those things."

Xia Chan continued to feign ignorance, "Oh, that's An Yiran?"

"..." Shen Zhoudu's breath hitched slightly. He suddenly felt speechless and helpless. He desperately wanted to drag Guan Bohan out and beat him up, then cut him into sashimi.

Xia Chan was watching his expression with an air of amusement, but at this moment she inexplicably felt a sense of amusement and burst out laughing.

"Alright, I'm not angry. I really have to work. Young Master, I'll be going now. You should go back and have your meal too."

Chen Zhoudu breathed a slight sigh of relief at her smile, but still stubbornly stood between her and the door lock, refusing to let her leave. He hesitated and asked, "You and Guan Bohan... are...?"

"Same as you, a client." Xia Chan knew what he wanted to ask, and a hint of slyness flickered in her eyes, but she answered as usual. She couldn't help but mutter, "You're such a weirdo."

Chen Zhoudu smiled at her words, the curve of his lips barely concealed, and his tone became slightly effusive, "Yeah, he's pretty sick."

She couldn't help but add, "So you don't need to pay too much attention to him, and you should stay away from him."

His smile, however, seemed strangely odd to Xia Chan. She glanced at him up and down and couldn't help but snap, "You're sick too!"

"Hmm." Shen Zhoudu readily admitted, "Lovesickness."

She hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but raise the folder in her hand to hit him. Shen Zhoudu closed his eyes slightly, but didn't dodge.

Xia Chan's folder finally stopped a few centimeters from his chest. She reluctantly lowered her hand and glared at him, "You're crazy!"

Chen Zhoudu's lips curved slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

She glanced at the time on her phone; it really was time to leave.

This time, Chen Zhoudu gently held her wrist and pleaded, "I finished work early today, could you... let me stay for a while?"

Xia Chan stared at him in astonishment, truly stunned. Just as she was about to curse, he suddenly stepped forward, covered her mouth with one hand, pinned her against the wall, and pressed his other hand to his lips, shushing her.

Xia Chan was stunned, only her eyes were wide open, staring at him in astonishment, unable to react for a moment.

Soon, the sound of knocking on doors echoed down the corridor outside. "Manager Xia? Manager Xia, which room are you in?...Manager Xia?"

Her rapid heartbeat gradually returned to normal, but her tense nerves were slow to relax.

In an instant, my eardrums were filled with a loud, clamorous sound.

Thump thump; thump thump...

He was very close to her, his slightly cool palm gently covering her face.

He was almost pressed against her body, so close that he could clearly see the beauty mark under her eye.

Like a tiny, twinkling star.

His brown eyes were as clear as amber, and her reflection was quietly mirrored within them.

A ray of light shone in through the narrow window of the warehouse, and tiny dust particles swirled around it, slightly illuminating his pupils as if lighting up a galaxy. He stared intently at the slight upturn of her lips.

The people outside searched for a while and quickly left. Chen Zhoudu listened intently to her footsteps until he was sure she was far away before he loosened his grip slightly. Before Xia Chan could glare at him and start cursing, he immediately pointed to the phone in her hand.

Xia Chan paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and quickly muted her phone. Sure enough, a phone call came in the next second.

She gave him a complicated look, covered the microphone with one hand, turned her body, and answered the call.

"Hello... um... I'm in the bathroom... wait a moment..."

After hanging up the phone, Xia Chan glared at him seriously this time and said irritably, "You're going to get me killed sooner or later!"

Chen Zhoudu smiled faintly, "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm under your protection."

She fell silent at his words, gazing into his eyes with slightly pursed lips.

I suddenly recalled that boy from the past, so distant it seemed like a dream merging with the present, becoming a phantom where reality and dreams intertwined.

"Then it's settled. I'll wait for you at the subway station." Taking advantage of her momentary daze, Chen Zhoudu made his decision and left without waiting for her response, even turning back to give her a light smile.

"Sigh..." Xia Chan chased after him but could only see his retreating figure, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

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Author's Note: Sorry I'm a little late today~ [pity]