Chapter 72 has a strong sense of immersion.

What exactly is going on in the mind of a genius?

Qiao Wu's tone was complex: "Do you know it's still nursing?"

"Hmm." As if he felt that the statement was a bit too absurd, even Lu Jinzhi couldn't help but chuckle softly. "So it's my excuse."

"childish."

Although that's what she said, it would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it. Once it was mentioned, she couldn't help but want to see it, so she still got out of the elevator.

Lu Jinzhi, standing behind him, raised his voice slightly: "As long as it works."

As the two were talking, a door not far away suddenly opened.

Lu Ning stayed in the room with Wuwu all night. After feeding her for the last time, she reluctantly went back to her room to sleep. Unexpectedly, she ran into two people as soon as she came out.

Her gaze darted back and forth between Qiao Wu and her second uncle: "Qiao Wu, why are you wearing your second uncle's clothes?"

She remembered that her second uncle wore this when he went out to exorcise demons.

"It's cold outside." Qiao Wu glared at Lu Jinzhi. "Unbutton it."

The latter chuckled and reached out to untie the sleeves tied behind her back.

Qiao Wu threw the clothes at him and went to push the other door.

Lu Ning blurted out, "Are you guys sleeping together tonight too?"

Qiao Wu almost tripped over herself. She took a deep breath, turned around, and grabbed the little girl's ear: "I'm here to see Wuwu."

Also, what does "也" mean?

"I've never slept with him either, so don't talk nonsense."

"oh."

Lu Ning rubbed her ears.

If you don't want to sleep, then don't sleep. Why are you so agitated?

"I'm going to sleep now," she said. "I just fed Wuwu, so I don't need to feed her anymore. Goodnight!"

Qiao Wu walked into the house naturally: "Good night."

Worried that her ears would suffer another cruel blow from her second uncle, Lu Ning slowly moved away, hugging the wall.

Fortunately, she made it to the elevator without her uncle having to discipline her.

She couldn't help but turn around and saw her second uncle standing at the door, straightening the coat that Qiao Wu had thrown on him, then slowly lifting it up as if to sniff it.

oh!

Like her, her second uncle also liked Qiao Wu and loved the smell of him!

Lu Ning felt a sense of recognition, and in her excitement, she accidentally kicked the trash can next to her, making her wince in pain with a loud thud.

Then she saw her second uncle, who was not far away, turn his head when he heard the noise, but quickly looked away after a few seconds because Qiao Wu was calling him from inside the house.

The door slammed shut, and Lu Ning, who was standing at the elevator entrance, finally snapped out of her daze.

My second uncle used to either always have a smile that hides a knife, or he was cold and indifferent with little emotional fluctuation.

But just now, from that distance, the glance her second uncle gave her sent a chill down her spine. She had never seen such a deep and unfathomable emotion in her second uncle's eyes.

Lu Ning felt very safe, satisfied, and happy when she smelled Qiao Wu's scent.

But my second uncle didn't seem happy; he seemed more dissatisfied, and his expression was so heavy it was frightening.

That's weird.

Inside the room, Lu Jinzhi put the coat on the bed after entering, then turned around and asked, "Why aren't you sitting down?"

“It’s asleep,” Qiao Wu said. “I’ll be leaving right away.”

Knowing that Lu Jinzhi had been drinking tonight, she said, "I'll come and feed him later."

Ever since Wuwu was taken to Lu Jinzhi's room, Lu Jinzhi has been feeding her during the morning hours she wakes up, so she doesn't have to wake up in the middle of the day to feed her.

Lu Jinzhi said he's been working overtime lately, so he fed him while he was at it.

"Didn't you go to the company today? You shouldn't have to work overtime tonight."

Lu Jinzhi's answer was concise and to the point: "Yes."

If there was any urgent work to be done at the company, Xu Chao would send Qiao Wu a backup so she could remind and assist Lu Jinzhi, but she hadn't received one recently.

She frowned: "What kind of work is so urgent? I can help with some of it."

"Have you thought it through?" Lu Jinzhi asked with a smile.

"What have you decided?"

"When are you free to have dinner with me?"

Qiao Wu was stunned for three seconds before he reacted.

That day, Lu Jinzhi said that as long as she had free time, the rest was his own business.

"Did you make time to wait for me?"

Lu Jinzhi did not deny it.

Showing weakness appropriately is a powerful weapon.

"You really are..."

Qiao Wu wanted to say that he didn't know what was important.

But she couldn't bring herself to say it. She had never imagined what it would be like for someone like Lu Jinzhi to like someone.

But now, with a slight flush from the alcohol in his eyes, he leaned against the table, quietly watching her, as if he had been waiting for her answer.

The psychology teacher said that people like Lu Jinzhi need to be guided to gradually perceive their emotions.

But Qiao Wu realized that Lu Jinzhi was already showing her his emotions clearly and explicitly.

He is putting his words into action.

She sighed silently.

“Lu Jinzhi”.

"Um?"

Qiao Wu smiled and said, "I'll be free tomorrow."

A moment later, a smile appeared on Lu Jinzhi's lips as he stood not far from her: "It's my pleasure."

-

Although Qiao Wu had promised Lu Jinzhi the night before that they would have dinner together, he still felt a little uncomfortable when he woke up the next day.

This was the first time she had ever had such an ambiguous relationship with someone, something she had never experienced before in her life. She made a special trip back to her own villa and stood in her walk-in closet, lost in thought.

What should I wear for this occasion?

It seems it can't be too formal, nor too casual.

She forgot to ask yesterday, and she doesn't know where Lu Jinzhi is taking her to eat.

After searching for a long time, she suddenly realized that this should be Lu Jinzhi's concern, shouldn't it? What she wears is her own business.

Thinking this, she picked out a light blue coat and put on a scarf, worried that Lu Jinzhi would tie her up like a dumpling with his sleeves again.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a car parked in front of her house, with Lu Jinzhi standing outside, looking at her.

He wasn't dressed as formally as he usually is for work today; he wore a black sweater with a khaki casual collared coat, making him look less mature.

Qiao Wu breathed a sigh of relief almost imperceptibly.

If he dresses too formally, she might consider changing her mind.

Because she believes that comfort should be the priority when two people are together, rather than complicated and unnecessary rituals.

Today, Lu Jinzhi drove himself; he was much more stable driving than driving a boat.

A light mist hung over the road in the early winter morning. Qiao Wu still couldn't understand why someone would invite her to dinner and make her leave at seven in the morning, when she hadn't even had time for breakfast.

She asked, "Are we going to a very far place?"

“A little,” Lu Jinzhi said.

Okay.

He can arrange it.

Soon, the car drove into an upscale residential area.

Lu Jinzhi parked the car in the parking lot and unbuckled his seatbelt: "We're here."

Qiao Wu got out of the car with him: "Where is this?"

"Another home."

"Um?"

She turned around, puzzled.

“I lived here when I was in college.”

Qiao Wu: ?

She was even more confused.

Following Lu Jin upstairs, he unlocked the door and entered.

It was a house of about 200 square meters, with simple decoration and furnishings, which suited Lu Jinzhi's style quite well.

There were people inside. When they saw Lu Jinzhi arrive, they asked, "Second Young Master, would you like breakfast now?"

"Um."

Qiao Wu followed him in, bewildered. Seeing this, she asked in confusion, "So you brought me to another house just to have breakfast?"

"more than."

Qiao Wu racked his brains for a long time but still couldn't figure it out: "Can I have an explanation?"

Lu Jinzhi took off his coat and raised an eyebrow slightly: "If you were eighteen years old and by my side, this would probably be the day."

Qiao Wu suddenly stopped moving and stared blankly at him.

Although she drank a bit too much last night, she didn't black out. She still clearly remembered Lu Jinzhi saying that there were things he couldn't do.

Noticing her state, Lu Jinzhi hung up her clothes and took off her scarf: "Regrets can't be made up for, but you can have a little more."

"Come on, Wuwu." He hung up his scarf. "If you don't eat breakfast soon, you'll miss the lecture."

Qiao Wu finally realized what Lu Jinzhi was about to do.

Should we make up for her regret of never having attended university before?

She couldn't quite describe how she felt; she thought it was a bit childish and a bit funny.

But I'm also a little happy.

It's not like she didn't go to university, it's just that she didn't go like this.

But she was indeed unfamiliar with the eighteen-year-old Lu Jinzhi. At that time, Lu Jinzhi did not often come home and did not allow "her" to get close.

"You lived here back then?"

"Um."

The maid brought in breakfast, and Lu Jinzhi pulled out a chair for her to sit down, explaining simply, "It's noisy at home."

His alma mater is University A, which is far from Lu's residence. He had to study at the school and go to the company. He didn't want to spend so much time on the road every day, so he bought a house between the two lines.

Moreover, at that time, the Lu family members basically did not eat at the same table, so there was no point in going back.

He didn't really want to see "her" from that time either.

Qiao Wu sat down and saw the breakfast for two, knowing that he had asked the chef to come and make it in advance, since he hadn't been here for a long time.

Given Lu Jinzhi's personality of planning everything in advance, did he already think it through last night?

“I’m different from you,” Qiao Wu said while eating breakfast. “I won’t buy a house here, it would be a huge loss.”

He spent money to buy a house just to stay for four years. If she had grown up normally, she would probably have lived at school and gone back to visit her father on weekends.

"It's worth it, it's mine."

"Um?"

Lu Jinzhi looked up: "I'm willing to let you, at eighteen, move in."

What's the meaning?

He stayed there, then let her stay?

That's true, Lu Jinzhi was several years ahead of her.

Qiao Wu thought for a moment and realized that if it were him back then, he and Lu Jinzhi might have been good friends when he was eighteen, so that was a possibility.

She joked, "So generous."

"Eighteen years old." Lu Jinzhi chuckled. "It's not about being generous; perhaps I was just like I am now back then."

"Now?"

"Yeah, I'm still pursuing you, just like I am now."

"..."

It is everywhere and catches you off guard.

Lu Jinzhi gave her no chance to breathe.

She said coolly, "I'm only eighteen."

"What?" Lu Jinzhi asked with great interest, "You weren't yourself at eighteen?"

As he thought about this, he couldn't help but imagine what Qiao Wu would be like at eighteen.

They were much more naive than they are now, without so much work pressure, and without the worries about household chores.

She will be more free and bold in pursuing what she wants to do, and her eyes will definitely shine.

Emotionally, we will be more distant than we are now.

Qiao Wu sat opposite him and saw his gaze growing deeper as he stared at him, and he had a bad feeling: "Put away your wild imagination."

"I couldn't stop it." Lu Jinzhi sighed softly. "I'm also very regretful now."

"What's there to regret?"

"If I had pursued you four years earlier, we could be getting our marriage certificate now."

Qiao Wu was so startled by his blunt words that he choked and coughed incessantly, patting his chest.

Lu Jinzhi stepped over the platform and gently patted her on the back: "Did I scare you?"

Once he caught his breath, Qiao Wu waved his hand away: "Can you stop talking nonsense?"

“I’m not talking nonsense.” Lu Jinzhi sat back down, looking at her ears, which were red from coughing or blushing, and smiled, “I’ve thought about it, and I like you very much at eighteen.”

Perhaps he won't even be eighteen yet.

As long as she remains herself, and as long as they grow up together, on the day he becomes aware of emotions and desires, the first person he will see will be her.

So he would keep her close to him early on, like now, having breakfast with her and then taking her to school.

In the past, Lu Jinzhi felt that as long as he could get her back, there was no need to delve into the past.

But now that he thinks about it, he feels really regretful.

After finishing their meal, Qiao Wu and Lu Jinzhi went to University A together.

Although it was Sunday, there were still many people at school who would occasionally glance at the two of them.

Qiao Wu looked down at himself: "Do I look like a college student?"

Since she asked him to look, Lu Jinzhi didn't stand on ceremony.

He openly and thoroughly examined her from head to toe, and only when he saw that her eyes had turned dangerous did he raise his hand and gently pat her head: "Junior."

"What are you shouting about? I'm not even sure I'll pass the exam."

Lu Jinzhi said with certainty, "If it's you, you definitely can."

The two arrived at the school auditorium, where the names of some honorary alumni were posted outside. Lu Jinzhi's name was prominently listed. Qiao Wu turned around and compared the photo with the real person. The photo showed him to be more youthful than he is now, and his gaze at the camera was not the same as it is now. Instead, it was somewhat indifferent and looked cold.

Just as Lu Yingchi and the others said, he looked down on everyone equally.

Before she could get her fill of looking, a hand blocked her view.

"What, you won't let me see?"

“We should donate again.” Lu Jinzhi still blocked her view. “Change the photo.”

Qiao Wu laughed: "It's not ugly."

She moved Lu Jinzhi's hand away and thought the young man above her was extremely handsome and very young. He was much better than the middle-aged men around her. Who else would donate a building to the school in their graduation year? Only Lu Jinzhi.

"ugly."

Lu Jinzhi insisted, even pressing her shoulder and turning her around: "Let's go, we're going to be late."

There's a lecture at school today, and Lu Jinzhi plans to take her in to listen.

The two sat at the very back. Qiao Wu noticed that Lu Jinzhi was more silent than before, so he turned around and glanced at him.

This person's unhappiness is very obvious; their expression will be very indifferent.

Just because of a photo?

That can't be right.

Does Lu Jinzhi also have concerns about his appearance?

Noticing her gaze, Lu Jinzhi turned his head: "Hmm?"

Qiao Wu gave a thumbs up: "Appraisal complete, very handsome."

Lu Jinzhi, whose eyes were somewhat indifferent, was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then lowered his eyes and chuckled a few times.

"Then hurry up and like me," he said gently.

How come you become so enthusiastic after just a little bit of kindness? Qiao Wu sat back down: "...I was just trying to comfort you, don't repay kindness with enmity."

Lu Jinzhi's smile deepened.

The lecture had begun, and the hall gradually quieted down.

Just as Qiao Wu was about to listen attentively, he felt the person next to him move.

She turned her head to the side, just as Lu Jinzhi was also approaching her, and their eyes met at close range at that moment.

Too close.

She was so close that she felt she could almost feel Lu Jinzhi's breath in her daze.

She suddenly understood what Lu Jinzhi meant when he said, "It's hard to hide what you like."

The young man with the cold gaze in the photo was now standing in front of her, his eyes filled with warm and intense emotions, which she could clearly see at a glance.

Qiao Wu blinked subconsciously.

The next second, she saw Lu Jinzhi raise his hand. She subconsciously wanted to dodge, but Lu Jinzhi simply turned her head to the other side, avoiding their gazes.

What Qiao Wu saw was a long row of seats in front of him, where a teacher was speaking eloquently on stage.

But the sound I heard was different.

Lu Jinzhi's voice was very soft, and it sounded in sync with the sound of the venue's speakers, yet it was very clear.

“If you were eighteen, I wouldn’t be like that,” he whispered in her ear.

Someone will tell him to express his emotions.

He won't become that cold-hearted, selfish bastard.

Qiao Wu's heart trembled slightly with the vibration of the speaker.

She suddenly wanted to see what Lu Jinzhi's expression was like, but Lu Jinzhi's hand was still pressing slightly on the back of her head, so she didn't turn around.

"Are you going to compete with Lu Xuan for a job too?" she asked with a smile. Sensing that she had no intention of leaving, Lu Jinzhi gradually loosened his grip, but his hand was already covering the back of her head, then gently slid down, hovering over the back of her neck.

He now finds it quite amusing to show weakness in front of Qiao Wu.

This person is easily swayed by gentleness but not by force. Their heart is like a ball of cotton; once touched, one will be drawn in and slowly enveloped until it is completely sealed.

He chuckled almost imperceptibly: "Hmm?"

"Have you forgotten those common flaws of traditional domineering CEOs?" Qiao Wu said in a relaxed tone. "No one is perfect. It's normal to coexist with your little shortcomings. Don't be so obsessive."

"So don't have thoughts like 'I'm strange, I'm different from the rest of the world.'" Qiao Wu thought for a moment, "Have you seen the domineering CEO dramas starring Lu Xuan? You don't want to become like that, do you?"

Lu Jinzhi was surprised by her words. After his initial stunned silence, he couldn't help but lower his head and laugh.

He was already close to Qiao Wu, and now his forehead gently rested on her shoulder. As he laughed, the two of them occasionally touched through their clothes.

Qiao Wu was a little stiff.

But considering the man's emotions just now, he held back.

She stiffened her shoulders and let him lean on them.

Then she felt someone gently press the back of her neck.

Lu Jinzhi's hand, which was about to fall, finally landed, covering the warmth he had long coveted. He smiled and said, "Wow, so cute."

"..." Qiao Wu turned around, grabbed Lu Jinzhi's head which was resting on his shoulder with both hands, and pushed him away by pressing his forehead against Lu Jinzhi's. "Lu Jinzhi, you are the epitome of taking an inch and then a mile."

Lu Jinzhi readily agreed: "That's how businessmen are; once they grasp onto something, they probably won't let go."

As for those that cannot be caught.

They will also try every means to seize the opportunity and make it their own.

Qiao Wu slapped him hard on the forehead, and then noticed a flash of light.

She turned around and saw someone holding a camera pointed directly at her and Lu Jinzhi.

At the same time, the teacher's voice came from the speakers: "Lu Jinzhi, the president of Lu's Group, was also my student in the past. He is here today, and we will invite him to share some of his experience with everyone."

Qiao Wu: "..."

She abruptly withdrew her hand, staring at Lu Jinzhi in shock.

Why is there this part?!

"I told the teacher yesterday that we'd be adding two more people, so I need to make an appearance." Lu Jinzhi straightened his clothes and stood up. "Wait for me."

People with cameras were snapping photos frantically, but Qiao Wu's face remained frozen.

She has never made such a fool of herself in public before!

She sat back down, and as Lu Jinzhi passed by, she lowered her voice and said, "Lu Jinzhi, you're down a hundred today."

Lu Jinzhi looked down at her flushed face and couldn't help but chuckle: "I understand, I will continue to work hard."

Qiao Wu was furious when he saw the man walk onto the stage looking all respectable.

Who is this person?!

If you work your way up to -1000, then kick him off your list of suitors!

No one could have predicted that Lu Jinzhi would appear at the lecture at University A. He has always been a legend at University A, but unfortunately, he has rarely appeared since his debut, and even his magazine interviews are from a long time ago.

So his sudden appearance on stage shocked many students in the audience.

Everyone took out their phones to take pictures.

University A wouldn't let this opportunity pass by either. As soon as they learned from their teachers that Lu Jinzhi would be attending, they arranged for someone to come and take photos, just to write a report.

The lecture had barely ended when photos and reports were released simultaneously.

Qiao Wu, who appeared along with them but did not go on stage, was also included.

On the way back, Guo Liyan sent the relevant reports to Qiao Wu's phone.

Because many students also posted about it on social media, it even became a trending topic.

When Qiao Wu clicked on it, the official photos were all very formal. They were photos of her and Lu Jinzhi sitting together and talking. Apart from being a little close, there was nothing else. The title was "Lu Jinzhi, President of Lu Corporation, and Qiao Wu, Chairman of Lu Corporation Charity Foundation, visited A University today to exchange ideas with students."

Qiao Wu quickly pressed the button on his phone, not daring to look at the news reports about himself for the first time.

After all, these people didn't know what strange topic Lu Jinzhi was talking about with her at the time.

"I won't accept your invitation again anytime soon," she said blankly.

"It's alright." Lu Jinzhi was very flexible. "Eating at home is just as good."

"..."

At this moment, Lu Xuan, who was far away in the port area, had just finished filming a scene. Because he was a supporting actor and didn't have many scenes, he could finish filming in a few days.

He sat in the corner reading the script. While the props team was moving the set, Jiang Qi came to his side and asked, "So, did you understand the rest of the scene?"

Seeing what Lu Xuan was holding, Jiang Qi laughed heartily: "Oh, looks like you'll be acting very well. You've practically worn out those few pages of the script. All that's left are the romance scenes, right?"

Lu Xuan didn't even look up: "What right does a divorced person have to speak?"

"..."

That brat really doesn't know how to talk.

"You actually expect this script to teach you anything?" Jiang Qi retorted, "Then you might as well read a few more romance novels."

Unexpectedly, Lu Xuan actually looked up: "Useful?"

"What's the use?" Jiang Qi sneered. "You can't even understand your own feelings, yet you expect these words to help you? Remember to sit at the kids' table at the wrap party."

Sure enough, you just can't have anything in common with divorced people.

Lu Xuan tossed the script aside and took out her phone.

He subconsciously clicked on the pinned post and scrolled through the previous chat history.

He would report his filming progress to her every day, and she would mostly just give him businesslike replies.

However, there were a few exceptions. Lu Xuan reminisced about those exceptions, and Qiao Wu would occasionally tell him about his family situation.

They said there was a new cat in the house, which Lu Ning picked up and named Wuwu.

It's making a wailing sound.

He suddenly missed his own Wuwu too.

Qiao Wu told him to plan his life carefully and to clearly understand his relationship with her. He had spent so much time trying to figure it out, but it was still unclear, so he didn't dare to call her yet.

He was afraid she would think he was useless.

After he finished reading, he opened the chat editor: "I'm wrapping up filming soon, do you want to come?"

After a while, he deleted the last half of the sentence.

I sent the message "I'm about to wrap up filming".

After sending the message, he immediately exited the chat window and, in an attempt to cover it up, started browsing various apps on his phone.

Suddenly, two names on the trending topics caught his attention. He clicked on them and found they were about his work.

He glanced at it casually and was about to leave; what business was it of his whereabouts where Lu Jinzhi went or what he did?

But as I scrolled down the screen, I suddenly saw another highly-rated private Weibo post.

Lu Jinzhi and Qiao Wu were sitting in the last row, with Qiao Wu's hands on Lu Jinzhi's head.

Lu Jinzhi, who was always aloof and never bowed his head, lowered his head slightly and let her touch him.

Lu Xuan paused, his fingertips still.

My gaze fell on that picture, and an indescribable emotion suddenly welled up inside me.

Jiang Qi, who had already returned to his position in the distance, shouted through a megaphone, "Lu Xuan, take your positions!"

Lu Xuan took one last look at the picture, clicked save, then tossed the phone into his assistant's arms and walked into the venue.

Jiang Qi was really worried that this brat wouldn't be able to act out the emotional scenes well, so he repeatedly instructed him: "Try to be more immersive; you are someone who is yearning for someone you can't have."

Lu Xuan: "..."

"It's jealousy."

"..."

"It's untouchable!"

Lu Xuan, unable to bear it any longer, interrupted Jiang Qi's acting for the first time: "Can you stop talking now?"

Jiang Qi: "Aren't you a primary school kid? Let me explain in more detail so you can understand."

"No need." Lu Xuan's face was grim. "The immersion is too strong."

She's already starting to get angry.

What, does she and Lu Jinzhi not distinguish between men and women?

He was going to take that photo back, print it out, and throw it at Qiao Wu's face—no, his body!

Then make up for everything I've lost these past few days!

He wants to be touched too!