"This is the first time I've seen Lu Yan have so much fun during the days she's been recording the show, like a college student."
"Putting everything else aside, these two look really good together and are a perfect match."
"Are they going to make handmade ceramics? It looks simple, but it's actually very difficult to make."
It was as if Xia Wan had cotton stuffed in her ears; she couldn't hear anything. She numbly watched Zhuang Yan and Lu Yan enter the pottery museum.
The two sat by the balcony, looking perfectly matched in the sunlight and surrounded by green leaves.
Zhuang Yan was kneading the clay, while Lu Yan sat opposite her, watching her intently, sometimes pointing at her with her finger.
Slowly, Zhuang Yan shaped the clay into the form of a doll in his hands. This ceramic doll, made entirely by feeling without any skill, was disproportionate, with an uneven face, looking like a frog. It was kind of ugly-cute, and Zhuang Yan was embarrassed to say that he had sculpted it based on Lu Yan's appearance.
Lu Yan looked at it and liked it quite a bit: "It looks a lot like the one you made before, I really like it."
"Me before?"
Zhuang Yan seemed not to remember, and Lu Yan chuckled softly, "It's nothing."
The freshly sculpted ceramic dolls need to be dried before being painted.
Zhuang Yan reached out and patted his calf, then scratched it. There were green plants around, and lots of mosquitoes. Zhuang Yan's blood type was particularly attractive to mosquitoes. He hadn't felt itchy while he was focused on sculpting the ceramics, but now he noticed that his leg had several bites.
Lu Yan, who was sitting opposite him, suddenly lifted her foot and rubbed it against his calf under the table... This action made Zhuang Yan's eyes widen, and he looked at her in disbelief.
Others would sneak around doing this under the table, but Lu Yan was bold. The small table couldn't hide her legs at all, and if she moved any bigger, she would overturn the table.
Zhuang Yan quickly dodged: "What are you doing?"
Lu Yan blinked innocently: "Aren't you being bitten by mosquitoes? I sprayed mosquito repellent on my legs, so I'll rub some on your legs and you won't be bitten by mosquitoes anymore."
This wasn't about worrying about mosquitoes biting him; it was clearly a deliberate act... For the first time in all his years, Zhuang Yan was embarrassed by someone making him blush.
What a cunning woman.
Zhuang Yan closed his legs, not daring to stretch them out again, afraid that Lu Yan would come and rub against him again.
Lu Yan ordered two drinks. When she turned around to get them, she smiled to herself and handed the drinks to Zhuang Yan.
Zhuang Yan took the card and asked, "Why did you use the exchange card yesterday?"
"If you've worked so hard to snag it, you should definitely use it in the right place. You might regret it for the rest of your life if you miss out."
"You like me?"
Lu Yan countered, "Do you believe me if I like you?"
He hadn't dared to believe it before, but now he had no choice but to. Lu Yan was good at being direct: "I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you would avoid me."
"I am Xia Wan's ex-boyfriend."
"Hmm." Lu Yan bit her straw. "So what?"
She seemed completely unconcerned, as if she had no idea where the problem lay. Zhuang Yan said in a deep voice, "Xia Wan is your niece. I used to call you 'Auntie' along with her."
Lu Yan found it amusing: "So, you treat me like an elder?"
To put it another way, Zhuang Yanming said, "It's impossible for me to be with you."
"Zhuang Yan, have you noticed something? You said you could never be with me, not that you wouldn't like me. Does that mean you were once attracted to me? But because of my relationship with the Xia family, you didn't want to cause trouble, so you rejected me."
Zhuang Yan's expression stiffened, then he frowned.
Lu Yan put down her drink, crossed her hands and rested her chin on them, and said gently in a conciliatory tone, "I am Xia Wan's aunt, not your aunt. What are you afraid of? Does my niece have the right to tell me who I'm dating? I'll openly admit that I like you, and I'll pursue you seriously. You have the right to reject me, but you have no right to stop me on this dating show."
His throat felt blocked, like a wad of cotton stuck in it, unable to go up or down. Zhuang Yan took a few big gulps of water, racking his brains but still unable to understand why Lu Yan liked him, and when she started liking him.
Lu Yan was too calm. When she talked about these things, it was as if she were stating a trivial truth like "the earth is round".
He should refute her; if he doesn't now, later on... she will face rebukes and insults.
"Is being with me a terrifying thing, Zhuang Yan?"
"Have you ever thought about what others would think of you if they found out you like me, and what they would say about you behind your back?"
“People can say whatever they want, I don’t care what they say. I only know that life is short, so seize the day and enjoy yourself. If you like something, you should go for it, grab it, and steal it… because no one will just hand it to you…” Lu Yan’s eyes flashed with desire and greed. She locked her gaze on Zhuang Yan and said, word by word, “I don’t think it’s shameful to pursue what you like. What’s truly shameful is knowing what you want but telling yourself you don’t want it, and then being jealous of other people’s success.”
Lu Yan displayed her confidence and flamboyance, and she openly revealed her heart's desire to Zhuang Yan.
If we're talking about jealousy, the person she used to be most jealous of was Xia Wan, jealous that she had the best Zhuang Yan. Now, well, she has no chance anymore.
The two turned off their microphones and spoke softly. The camera could capture the scene, but it was impossible to hear what they were saying. In the silent atmosphere, the scene appeared harmonious and beautiful to outsiders.
Zhuang Yan: "Didn't you want to keep it from me? Why are you telling me the truth now?" If she didn't explain clearly, he could still deceive himself and not take it seriously.
“If you can already sense it, how can I hide it from you? Haven’t you heard the saying that honesty is always the best weapon? Whether I tell you or not, you’ll still avoid me, so I might as well just be honest and leave you nowhere to hide.”
The Lu Yan I knew in my past life seems to be a completely different person from the one in this life. Wasn't she a staunch non-marriage advocate? Why is she fixated on him?
The two remained silent for a moment, but fortunately the shop assistant brought over the freshly made ceramic doll. Staring at the stinky thing, Lu Yan burst out laughing.
Laughter broke the awkward silence. Zhuang Yan sighed helplessly and found paint and brushes to start coloring. "Laugh now, I already told you I'm bad at handicrafts."
"I already said, I'll like whatever you make it." Lu Yan also picked up a watercolor brush and leaned over to apply the color, their heads almost touching.
The photographer seized the opportunity and gave it a close-up shot, even coming up with post-production effects to turn it into pink bubbles.
The ceramic doll was finally finished being painted, and Lu Yan wrote her and Zhuang Yan's names on the bottom of the base.
This image was magnified and appeared on the live stream screen.
Xia Wan desperately wanted to rush in and separate them, but she couldn't do anything from outside the screen; all she could do was keep a gloomy face.
The "porcelain doll" was supposed to be a memory for her and Zhuang Yan, but now it has become Lu Yan's.
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