Go downstairs.

It's currently the coldest period of winter in Hangzhou, and Chen Lu feels like shrinking into himself whenever he goes outside, not even daring to show his hands.

The two walked side by side on the road. He pulled Liang Zhirou's hand into his pocket and squeezed it. "But why were you just standing there without any reaction? Did you realize I was acting?"

Liang Zhirou nodded almost imperceptibly. Chen Lu had never lost his temper with her, so she had never seen him angry. But she could still sense whether Chen Lu was in a good mood or not.

She was indeed startled at first, but she could tell the difference the moment she saw Chen Lu's expression.

"Then why didn't you cooperate?"

"I... my acting skills aren't as good as yours."

Liang Zhirou lowered her head and muttered softly, then asked curiously, "Will they stop arguing in the future?"

"How could that be? They just didn't argue this time."

Chen Lu said firmly, "People don't change overnight; it takes time. Just like you, you didn't suddenly become more talkative."

It's normal for couples to argue and bicker, but this silly guy doesn't seem to realize that they're the odd ones out.

"If things go well, this might be the beginning of their mutual understanding. That's how relationships are; it's never just one person giving. Everyone contributes and enjoys, and in the end, the scales must remain balanced for it to last."

"Then you can't be this nice to me anymore." Liang Zhirou held Chen Lu's hand back, interlocking their fingers, and said very seriously. The scales between them didn't seem very balanced.

She always felt that Chen Lu usually spoiled her a bit too much.

"You can't be so good to me anymore," Chen Lu corrected her.

The two of them could never convince each other on this topic, so they simply stopped bringing it up.

"Their TV is so big!" Liang Zhirou gestured with her hands, exhaling a few puffs of white breath as she spoke.

Sometimes she would suddenly share her observations and experiences with Chen Lu like a child, which was quite endearing.

Chen Lu thought about it carefully and it seemed to be true. "Do you want one? But it seems like we can't fit it in our rented apartment. We could buy one from your place."

"I don't want it. I've never seen one that big before. We can watch movies on computers and phones. There's no need for us to waste money."

"They really know how to manage their money."

As they chatted, the topic turned to Liu Yan saying she wanted to call her.

Upon hearing this, Chen Lu froze on the spot.

He started to get scared.

Lin Miaomiao was already teaching Liang Zhirou self-defense techniques every day, and then Liu Yan would teach her some of her black belt skills...

Will he even be able to live anymore?

How are you even supposed to cook this frog?!

Liang Zhirou, of course, couldn't guess why Chen Lu was standing there. She paused, staring at his dazed profile, and couldn't help but exclaim, "You're really amazing! I've thought so ever since we first met. You always seem to understand everyone's thoughts so well. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to get rid of the people who bullied me and that landlord..."

She felt that Chen Lu shouldn't be making games; he should become a negotiation expert like in the movies. Chen Lu must be very talented, after all, he manages to fool her every day.

Anyway, if she were the criminal, Chen Lu would definitely coax her into turning herself in.

She might even agree to marry him after she gets out of prison.

Liang Zhirou suddenly shook her head.

...I'm getting carried away. What a load of nonsense this is.

Chen Lu shrugged, neither confirming nor denying, "Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to a simpleton like you. You have no idea how much effort I put into making you like me."

Liang Zhirou has a unique way of thinking and doesn't fall for this kind of thing. She's also particularly good at being direct.

He couldn't even count how many times Liang Zhirou had outmaneuvered him with her direct approach since they first met.

This silly thing deals true damage with every critical hit; no matter how thick your health bar is, it's useless.

"Chen Lu..." the girl called softly, snapping out of her reverie.

"Hmm?" Following Liang Zhirou's gesture of waving her hand downwards, Chen Lu lowered his head and brought his ear close to her mouth.

Liang Zhirou put her hands to her mouth and whispered as if she were telling a secret:

"Have you ever considered the possibility that while you're trying so hard to make me like you, I already really like you a long time ago?"

After the girl finished speaking, she pressed the tip of her index finger against his cheek to prevent him from turning around to look at her.

She was too embarrassed to let Chen Lu see her pathetic smile.

There were many things she didn't realize at first. Looking back now, both of them were guilty of using the guise of being good friends to do things that only boyfriends and girlfriends would do.

After all, even the most innocent friends wouldn't spend 520 together, let alone hold hands and take photos just to gain a little advantage. And if it were anyone other than Chen Lu, she wouldn't agree no matter how good the reason was.

It seems she fell for Chen Lu earlier than she had imagined.

At that time, she would always blush and feel her heart pounding, wishing she could jump off the roof on the spot, while at the same time she would secretly hope that Chen Lu would lie to her again.

Then, gradually, the two of them got together.

"So if I had been trying to take advantage of you under various pretexts, wouldn't I have just been unfairly accused of deceiving you? Anyway, since you like me, you'll definitely agree to anything."

Chen Lu couldn't help but complain, he found it strange that he couldn't sense it at the time.

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