Chapter 68 Chapter 68

Although he didn't know how things had turned out this way, the original three-man-four-woman social had suddenly become four-on-four. Xia Qing haltingly introduced the newcomers, and Yu Chenghao, smiling and cooperating, greeted everyone.

Then he naturally sat down across from Jin Zhao. "Long time no see." He looked at Lia. Despite her initial surprise, Lia's expression remained normal, and she smiled in response. Xia Qing, standing beside him, had a strange look on her face.

If she hadn't understood the relationship between the two, she would have thought this was just a casual exchange between classmates. Apparently, she was the only one of the three who wasn't calm enough. She pouted, then tried to straighten her expression.

With the exception of Qi Yue and Jin Zhao, who were quite surprised by Yu Chenghao's appearance, the other boys had their own thoughts. Zhao Mingzhe observed for a while without making a sound. Although he was sitting opposite Jin Zhao, it was obvious that

The visitor's attention fell on Xia Qing's friend. It wasn't obvious on the surface, but as a man, he was particularly sensitive to this kind of attention. Looking at Xia Qing again, although his expression was strange, it was clear that he wasn't interested. So he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Sitting aside and watching the show, Choi Hyun-woo and Seo Ji-won felt a subtle hostility towards this boy who suddenly appeared. On the one hand, it was because the attention of the girls present was suddenly focused on this man; on the other hand -

Xu Zhiyuan's eyes fell on Lia, who seemed a little different since Yu Chenghao appeared. He had a good impression of her.

This liking for her was partly due to his brief impression of her appearance, education, and family background; but part of it, which he himself couldn't explain, came from her ambiguous attitude.

He knew what girls liked and disliked. He kept his attention on Lia that night, so she should have a good impression of him. She was polite and responded appropriately.

The conversation between them never stopped. He originally thought that she was interested in him, but they had only known each other for a short time, so there was a sense of distance. But when Yu Chenghao appeared,

He then realized that the subtle sense of distance wasn't just directed at him. She wasn't interested in anyone present.

At this moment, even though she still smiled and occasionally joined in the conversation, he could clearly feel that her attention was no longer on the conversation at hand. Xu Zhiyuan couldn't put his finger on what this feeling was.

It was like a perfectly functioning robot whose shell suddenly cracked, revealing a glimmer of genuine human energy. He had always been adept at reading people's expressions, but the contrast made him feel uncomfortable.

Lia had no idea that the boy she'd only just met had already been going through a series of shifts in his mind. She simply kept picking up and putting down the coffee cup on the table, taking small sips from time to time, as if she'd feel awkward if she didn't find something to do.

As if noticing her actions, Yu Chenghao put down the menu and suddenly pointed at her cup. "Is this good?" Lia's heart trembled. This was just an ordinary iced Americano. There was no way to say whether it tasted good or not.

She didn't know why, but she felt a strange sense of guilt rising up in her heart, as if his words were meant to imply something. "...It doesn't taste good." She suddenly changed her tone and shook her head.

—As if she had completely forgotten that she had been praising the flavor of the beans in this shop just an hour ago. Xia Qing, who was listening, couldn't help but cover her face. She said, Lia, how could she have improved so much in just a few days?

"I'll order this, the same one." Yu Seung-ho nodded, seemingly unconcerned, and whispered a few words to the waiter waiting beside him. The waiter nodded slightly, turned around and left. A brief silence fell on the table.

Qi Yue spoke first, trying to liven up the atmosphere: "So... are you all high school classmates?" she asked, pointing at Xia Qing and Lia.

"Yes, classmates." Yu Chenghao replied with a smile, "I've been filming and haven't seen each other for a long time. I saw Xia Qing just now and thought of coming over to say hello. I'm really sorry if I disturbed everyone."

After he said that, everyone of course waved their hands and said "no bother" repeatedly.

Qi Yue and Jin Zhao were somewhat curious about the artist, having previously held back their curiosity. But now that he was finally ready to talk, they couldn't help but pepper him with questions, which Yu Chenghao patiently answered. Lia sat nearby, listening, her mind drifting away.

At school, he never socialized much. Even when he got to know her and Xia Qing, she was the one who took the initiative to approach and talk to him. So she always thought he was introverted, even a little lonely.

But now it seemed that he had easily become familiar with Qi Yue and Jin Zhao with just a few words. Clearly, the distance wasn't because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little strange. The waiter quickly brought the food.

Not only coffee, but also an exquisite dessert set is served on a long wooden tray.

Several pieces of lemon tart, chestnut Mont Blanc and berry cheese tart were arranged in a staggered pattern according to color, with two puddings and halved scones on the side, and jam and cream on a small porcelain plate.

"This shop's desserts are quite famous. I didn't know if you guys had dinner there, so I ordered some for everyone to try," Yu Seung-ho introduced with a smile. The girls cheered and took out their phones to take pictures.

No one could resist this beautiful little dessert; even Zhao Mingxi eagerly took a piece to try. "There's a famous Chinese restaurant nearby. I heard Che Duli used to go there often," Yu Chenghao added.

"Cha Du-ri? Really?!" Zhao Mingxi quickly swallowed the lemon tart he had just put in his mouth, his tone suddenly becoming excited. Cha Du-ri was a famous football player in the circle, and the boys couldn't help but prick up their ears when he was mentioned.

"Well, I once met the director there, and the owner mentioned that he used to come here often when he was in college. Of course, he doesn't always come here now, it depends on luck." "That's so cool!" Choi Hyun-woo couldn't help but join in the conversation. "What's the name of that store?"

"There is no name," Yu Chenghao shook his head, "there is only a piece of red cloth hanging at the door as a sign. I will write the address to you later." The boys nodded excitedly.

"The food here is delicious, too. Even if you don't run into Cha Duri, it's worth a try," he added with a smile. After a few small talk, the atmosphere at the table quickly warmed up. Only Seo Ji-won remained silent.

He lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, his face expressionless. He used to look down on people in the entertainment industry, always thinking that most of them relied on their looks to make a living and had no real skills.

But the man before him simply sat down, ordered a cup of coffee, and exchanged a few words, and he quietly swayed the situation in his favor. Not only the girls, but even the boys who had initially been somewhat hostile, had unconsciously let down their guard.

He even had a vague feeling that the other party was probably already aware of his inner thoughts. With this thought, he suddenly felt that this social gathering was boring. Before long, he found an excuse to leave. ...

After dessert, the conversation had almost run out. Because one person had left, everyone started packing up when the time was almost up. Zhao Mingxi suggested rescheduling next time, and Xia Qing half-jokingly replied, "Let's see if this time yields any results."

He secretly thought to himself, "I'll have to change the group next time." Besides Yu Seung-ho and Lia, everyone else was staying at the Yonsei University dorms, so they could travel together. So, of course, Yu Seung-ho took on the task of taking Lia home.

They all walked to the entrance of the coffee shop and split into two groups at the intersection, each leaving in a different direction. The two walked at a distance, not too close, until Lia suddenly remembered that she had not been living in the company dormitory for a long time, so she stopped.

"What's wrong?" He paused, as if he had been keeping an eye on her movements. "I haven't been living in my old dorm lately," Lia said awkwardly.

She'd been so distracted the entire night that she'd completely forgotten she'd moved out a long time ago. "Moved?" "Yeah, I rented an apartment near the school. I only go back to my old dorm when I'm working too late."

Yu Chenghao nodded and lowered his head to send a message. Lia looked at him, confused. "The company has arranged a car, wait a moment," he said.

Lia nodded subconsciously, and it took her a while to realize that if the company had already sent a car, then why were the two of them walking around like this just now?

The person next to him had clearly been thinking the same thing. His face remained expressionless, but a faint blush crept into his ears. While waiting for the bus, Lia was the first to speak. "I heard...that movie is about to start filming?"

"Well, we have investors and are preparing now." He paused and added, "Thank you." Lia waved her hand: "I just mentioned it casually, it's not a big deal."

For some reason, his reaction was much colder than it had been in the store earlier. Whenever she asked, he answered. If she didn't ask, he remained silent. Lia tilted her head. The streetlight beams fell from above. His brows were calm, his lips drawn back, expressionless.

"I... came here today because I felt it was new and interesting." She couldn't help but explain for some reason.

Hearing this, Yu Chenghao was stunned for a moment, looking over with some surprise, his eyes fixed on her face, as if trying to confirm her seriousness. "...You don't have to explain to me," he said after a long moment.

There was no emotion in her voice, as if she was being sentimental. Lia suddenly felt unhappy and said "hmm" in a neither light nor heavy tone.

"That's not what I meant." Seeing that she was unhappy, he hurriedly explained, "I mean, I have no right to be angry about this." Lia was caught off guard and choked on her saliva. She coughed twice, and her eyes were filled with physiological tears.

He was about to say something else when he met her wet eyes and his expression froze. "I'm saying... I'm not asking for any position..." He added incoherently, his voice trailing off.

The more he explained, the worse it got. Lia also panicked, and for a moment, it was hard to tell who was calmer. Finally, as if giving up on himself, he whispered, "Next time... can you please not participate?"

He avoided her eyes and looked down at the stone steps beside him. They were ordinary stone steps, with a rough texture and the grayish-white edges had long been worn away by repeated footsteps. "Hmm."

Yu Chenghao turned his head and said, "It's okay, I was just saying it casually—" He stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly realized what he had heard, and his whole body and expression stiffened.

He stared at her, a little unsure, his lips moving but no words coming out. Lia sighed heavily. "I said I won't participate next time." She raised her head and looked straight into his eyes.

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