Chapter 11 Chapter 11

The moment she finished speaking, she shuddered, as Lu Ye's deep, unfathomable gaze suddenly shone with icy anger. The man's good temper, which had lasted most of the day, suddenly vanished without a trace, and his twisted, thin lips moved, as if he was about to start a murderous act in the next second.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Ling asked in confusion, feeling a sudden stiffness behind her. An Jiyue froze for a few seconds, then, as if struck by lightning, she let go of Lu Ye's arm and fled in dismay.

"It's okay, keep filming." A deep, suppressed voice came from above. The man's breathing seemed to be trying hard to hide his surging emotions. The rise and fall of his chest kept a deliberate distance from her back, but there was still an uncontrollable touch. Zhu Ling looked down at the large hand at her waist, seeing the pale knuckles trembling slightly. Behind the camera, An Jiyue lowered the brim of her hat, completely obscuring her face.

——

At night, the river warms in spring, tourists flock in, and the carved and jade-lined pleasure boats make the Pingjiang River a vibrant and bustling place. The main channel is brightly lit, while the tributaries have gone dark and slumbered. The occasional wave pushes a few black-sailed boats to and fro, playing an irregular lullaby.

An Jiyue huddled in one of the boat tents, an unopened bottle of sake at her side. She was reviewing the daytime footage, following Tang's suggestions. The post-production team back in P City was already ready, waiting for her to send back the footage before they could begin work. They also had to record the observer segment tomorrow.

She quickly skipped over the final scene, noting: "The male guest is in a bad mood here, so cut is recommended." Then she quickly pressed send and closed her computer.

The boat's master dozed off the stern. An Jiyue parted the dark blue boat curtain and peered out. Tonight was cloudless, and the moonlight shimmered across the river, shattering and reappearing with the ripples, sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Ultimately, it would be a perfect jade plate, sinking steadily beneath the nearby stone bridge.

But she and Lu Ye didn't seem to be like that. Even if they were once a perfect match, they had grown too many edges and corners over the years, and it was impossible to put them back together. That's why the slightest touch hurts.

An Jiyue clenched her fists. She returned to the awning to open the bottle of wine that had been sitting there for a long time. Before the glass even touched her lips, a sudden wave hit, causing the boat to tilt violently, and the fragrant aroma of the wine filled the cabin.

The waves woke the boat owner, who knocked on the oars and said, "Sir, your time has come. Let me take you back."

She returned to the hotel and had just closed the door when the receptionist rang the doorbell and brought a handbag filled with clothes. An Jiyue opened it and saw the lotus-white cheongsam lying quietly inside.

"It was sent by a gentleman. He didn't know your room number and just waited in the lobby for a long time until you came back."

Really? She hadn't noticed him.

The next day, An Jiyue changed into her new cheongsam, found a long shirt to wear over it, and went to Donglin Temple on the outskirts of the city before catching her flight.

Donglin Temple was a small temple she had often visited. Its Zen monastery was nestled among dense pine trees, its low, emerald walls brimming with cracks. Most notably, it housed a dozen cats. Most of these cats were good-tempered. An Jiyue remembered once encountering a tortoiseshell tabby cat, so aloof it wouldn't even be tempted by canned cat food. Yet, she delighted in teasing it, crouching down and meowing at it, repeatedly trying to get close.

There were now nearly a hundred cats here, all of them acting like spoiled brats and flipping their bellies. The few cats she'd brought with her were already distributed before she even crossed the first threshold. An Jiyue apologetically stroked the last ginger cat, who had stubbornly refused to leave, and spread her hands.

A large hand suddenly reached out from behind her, a few pieces of cat food in its palm. The orange cat hurried forward, purring with satisfaction. An Jiyue didn't turn around; she recognized the hand. After the orange cat stalked away with a swift gait, the hand reached out to her and stopped at the tip of her nose.

"Get up. Are your legs numb?"

An Jiyue propped herself up on her knees and stood up, facing Lu Ye against the morning light. She wasn't surprised at all, as if she'd subconsciously known Lu Ye would come, just as naturally as she would. His black shirt must have been ironed that morning; the hem still had traces of moisture from drying. His slim-fitting trousers perfectly fitted his long legs, and his leather shoes were spotless. He looked like another elite, ready to go on a mission, she thought. In fact, Lu Ye had a small suitcase next to him.

"It looks great," he complimented unexpectedly. An Jiyue was stunned for a few seconds before she remembered that she was wearing the cheongsam dress he had just given her last night. She blushed slightly and hurriedly said thank you.

"You're welcome."

The lotus-white color demands a very high level of skin tone, and it also needs to be paired with a gentle, non-aggressive quality, which is why it looks best on her. Lu Ye could barely hide the partiality in his eyes. She was a true princess raised in wealth, and she didn't need dark colors to set off her. Now, she had a bit more toughness, and the cool and elegant ink patterns were perfectly suited to her.

"I promised you this, even though it's a little late."

Yes, I promised. She recalled how Lu Ye comforted her when she was about to go crazy from the internship, "When I get my salary, I will take you out to play and give you the most beautiful cheongsam. We will walk along the Pingjiang River for a day, and when we get tired, I will carry you back."

Just as he was lost in thought, Lu Ye had already pulled up his suitcase and said, "How about I treat you to a bowl of vegetarian noodles? Now is the best time, as it will be crowded later."

Pingjiang had many delicious dishes, but the only thing they'd eaten the most back then was the vegetarian noodles from Donglin Temple. Lu Ye ordered one of each flavor, as usual, and then took two separate small bowls. He first filled her with the sweet Ruyi noodle soup, then added bamboo shoots and mushrooms from the Guanyin noodles, and finally, two chopstick-sized thin noodles. He pushed them in front of her and placed the chopsticks and spoon on them.

Seeing An Jiyue was hesitant to move, Lu Ye smiled gently and asked, "What's wrong?"

She felt like she had something stuck in her throat, and she didn't know where to start. Lu Ye lowered his head and ate a mouthful of noodles, then deliberately provoked her to ask, "Why don't you ask me if I'm still angry about yesterday?"

An Jiyue relaxed a little and finally started to eat. With a half-smile on her face, she answered seriously, "Male guest number 3, we signed a contract. You had no right to be angry yesterday."

"But I am angry." Lu Ye said word by word, emphasizing in her eyes, "Director An, please take care of the guests' emotions, otherwise I might go on strike."

"You won't." An Jiuyue snorted lightly, completely ignoring his hidden threat. She knew too well what kind of person Lu Ye was.

The two bowls of plain noodles were quickly empty when Lu Ye's phone suddenly rang. He fished his wireless earphones out of his pocket and gestured to head outside. An Jiyue, carrying a bowl in each hand, passed them to the volunteer who collected the food and followed him out.

Lu Ye stood not far away, his earphones on as he flipped through the materials on his phone, his voice unhurried as he slowly deconstructed the logic. Between them, worshippers and tourists bustled by, pointing and photographing the charming temple. He seemed the only one standing quietly and calmly in his own corner, and she seemed the only one gazing at him with such attentive concern.

Lu Ye suddenly raised his eyes and met her panicked and gentle gaze. He was stunned for half a second, but he couldn't help but gave her a comforting smile, and then continued to talk to the other end of the phone.

Just like the first time. Just like the many times afterward. She used the crowd as cover, staring at him defenselessly, but he always noticed. Or perhaps, he was always secretly keeping an eye on her?

An Jiyue stepped forward and slipped into a secluded courtyard. Lu Ye, who had just finished his call, quickly came in and said, "Sorry, a boss suddenly asked me to help look at some tickets."

He apologized as a matter of course, just like when he rushed to comfort her after their date was interrupted, even though he didn't owe her anything now. An Jiyue shook her head distantly, handed over the suitcase handle, and suddenly spoke without thinking.

"The cat I used to play with for a long time used to play around here. After all these years, I don't know if it's doing well."

"I remember it, that little tabby cat. Cats in Donglin Temple are all blessed. They must be well protected. You don't have to worry too much."

"Yes. I also pray that it will have a good life. It would be even better if it were adopted by a good family. That way, they wouldn't need me anymore."

An Jiyue withdrew her gaze and looked straight at Lu Ye. Although it was a sunny day, her heart was wet.

"Look, Lu Ye, it's been five years, and the kitten won't wait for me to come back. Even if I come back now, I haven't even prepared a cat strip for it."

She had clearly been here six years ago. Lu Ye's calm expression suddenly darkened. He had deliberately misinterpreted the time as a way of conveying his message. She was finally ready to speak frankly. Even if he had endured for so long without making a move, she would not give him a chance. Instead, she was determined to ruthlessly sever the thin thread of entanglement.

An Jiyue watched his expression change suddenly in silence, knowing her hidden message had been understood. She turned to leave, but the next second, she was grabbed by the arm. Lu Ye, bracing himself against the banyan tree with one hand, had cornered her. His heavy breathing seemed to burn with rage. His towering figure completely blocked out the sun. Responding, An Jiyue did her utmost to avoid his skin, fearing a recurrence of yesterday's encounter. She didn't want to experience his searing wrath again.

"Here."

He suddenly pulled away, throwing his suit jacket into her arms. The oppressive feeling around her briefly dissipated. She squinted in the glaring sunlight, startled to see the man in trousers take a few steps back, then suddenly break into a run, grabbing a thick branch with both hands. His leather shoes pressed against the trunk, and as he gathered strength for a pull-up, he strode forward and reached the branch on the other side. The tight trousers seemed to severely restrict his performance, but Lu Ye's movements were still agile. As soon as he had a firm footing, he lunged forward, then grabbed something in his hand and leaped down the tree, colliding heavily with her.

"Ouch!"

An Jiyue covered her head with her hands, seeing stars from the collision. Lu Ye rubbed his chest, not forgetting to put a lazy tortoiseshell cat in his hand in front of her.

“It’s still here.”

He looked at her stubbornly while meowing, showing no intention of giving in.

"It's not following anyone else, and you don't need to prepare cat strips. It's right here."