Chapter 51
Zhuohua nodded to her without saying anything.
Stepping out of the photography studio, a cold wind swept over them. Lu Xiao naturally took Zhuo Hua's slightly cool hand and tucked it into his warm pocket. He turned his head to look at her cool profile, the streetlight casting small shadows on her long eyelashes.
"Hua Hua," he called softly, his voice carrying a smile and a hint of barely perceptible tenderness, "thank you."
He knew she wasn't doing this to vent her anger, but to maintain order on set, for the staff and extras waiting in the cold wind, and also for... him.
Zhuohua didn't stop walking, but the fingers he was holding, nestled in his warm pocket, curled up slightly and gripped his fingers back. A silent response.
"The money spent on bubble tea wasn't wasted." She looked straight ahead and said casually.
Lu Xiao was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and couldn't help but chuckle softly. His celestial master was acknowledging his act of buying milk tea! He gripped the slightly cool but incredibly precious hand in his pocket, feeling as warm as spring even in the cold winter night.
Back in the warm suite of the hotel, Lu Xiao went to take a shower. Zhuo Hua stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the city lights outside, her mind sinking into her spiritual space.
The space, which was recovering, was filled with warmth. Although the divine power consumed by punishing a mortal actor was negligible, the act of maintaining order and protecting "their own people" (including Lu Xiao and the ordinary staff whose time had been wasted) seemed to conform to some kind of law of protection, and the silvery-white halo at the edge of the space seemed to brighten a little more.
Deep within her divine bones, melting snow flowed gently, carrying an even more surging warmth. The mundane world, this clumsy love, this small act of protection and punishment... all made her long-dormant soul feel an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and... belonging.
The midday sun was blindingly white, as if it had melted the entire sky into liquid gold and then generously poured down, covering the temporary outdoor shooting area outside the studio. The air seemed to have lost its flow, pressing heavily on the skin, with only a few drooping camphor trees in the distance casting small, thin shadows.
Zhuohua wore a sharp white haute couture suit, the clean lines of which accentuated her aloof figure.
She stood quietly in the position designated by the director, her expensive dress gleaming coldly under the bright light, a stark contrast to the bustling set crew and humming equipment around her. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze seemingly piercing through the swaying figures before her, fixed on a distant and ethereal point, like a deity forcibly brought into the mortal world, yet still remaining aloof and independent.
"Professor Zhuohua, Professor Lu Xiao, please come a little closer!"
The staff member holding the reflector spoke with a slightly weak voice from the heat, "Yes, could Professor Zhuohua's hand gently rest on Professor Lu Xiao's shoulder? Eye contact, it should be that... um... evenly matched yet slightly ambiguous, flirtatious feeling! Yes, that would be perfect!"
Zhuohua raised her hand as instructed, her fingertips carrying a barely perceptible coolness, and gently placed them on the dark gray suit fabric that Lu Xiao wore neatly pressed against his shoulder. Through the thin fabric, she could clearly feel the taut lines of his shoulder blades, the powerful and vibrant contours of a young man.
Lu Xiao tensed up almost instantly, as if a tiny electric current had shot out from where she touched her fingertips, spreading rapidly along her spine to her entire body.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he forced himself to remain calm, preventing himself from losing his composure in front of the camera. He focused his gaze on Zhuohua's face, meeting her calm eyes that seemed to hold the vastness of the starry sky.
Her eyes did indeed possess the unique focus the director had requested. But Lu Xiao knew that there was no hint of the "ambiguous flirtation" the director was hoping for.
It was more like an exploration, an observation tinged with novelty, like a deity in the clouds lowering their gaze, observing with interest a flower struggling to bloom in the dust. This realization stirred a slight bitterness in his heart, yet strangely, it was also covered by a more surging warmth—to be watched by such a gaze was already a luxury in itself.
"Very good! Mr. Lu Xiao, make your eyes a little more... a little more affectionate! Mr. Zhuo Hua, could you turn up the corners of your mouth a little bit? Just a little bit!" The director's voice sounded somewhat distorted through the loudspeaker in the sweltering air.
Lu Xiao adjusted his state as instructed, trying to transform the accelerated heartbeat caused by Zhuo Hua's approach into a deeper focus in his eyes.
Zhuohua subtly twitched the corner of her lips, a curve so delicate it was almost imperceptible, yet like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, it instantly rippled across her perfect yet aloof face, melting away ice and revealing a glimmer of spring. The photographer captured this fleeting moment and excitedly pressed the burst button.
Zhuohua's gaze, however, quietly slid over the back of Lu Xiao's neck. To match the sharp look of his bespoke suit, the back of his neck was taut and straight, with several glaring red marks chafed from the edge of his shirt collar, standing out starkly against his fair skin.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. She knew that Lu Xiao had been strictly managing his diet and working out for two weeks in advance for this business shoot, being almost harsh on himself.
She saw this almost obsessive seriousness, and a corner of her heart softened quietly. Her fingertips twitched slightly, and a soft, imperceptible golden light, like the gentlest breath, lightly brushed over the red marks. The subtle warmth seeped into her skin, and the glaring marks faded visibly, eventually disappearing without a trace.
Lu Xiao felt the burning pain on the back of his neck suddenly ease, as if a cool and comfortable breeze had swept over him. He subconsciously moved his neck, and the movement was noticeably easier.
He tilted his head slightly in confusion, just in time to meet Zhuohua's gaze, which she quickly averted. Her face remained expressionless, her eyes calm and still, as if the gentle warmth she had just felt was merely his imagination. But Lu Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and an indescribable warmth quietly surged through his body—it was her. It must be her.
During a short break between takes, Zhuohua sat under a parasol, her posture still exuding an elegance ingrained in her very being. She watched Lu Xiao walk towards his assistant, take a bottle of water, tilt his head back, and drink a few gulps. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down with each swallow, and beads of sweat slid down his defined jawline, disappearing into his slightly open collar.
The sunlight outlined his tall and straight profile, and that vibrant life force, so full of life, carrying the scent of sweat and dust, strangely gave her a sense of peace.
She recalled the cold palaces of the long divine realm, piled high with endless splendor and laws. The vastness of divine power and the majesty of the Heavenly Dao were accompanied by eternal solitude.
The young man before her, his efforts, his sweat, the sudden brightness in his eyes because of her small gesture, even the red marks on the back of his neck from the fabric... all carried a rough yet incredibly vibrant warmth, a feeling of "being alive" that she had never truly experienced before.
"That's a wrap! Thank you both for your hard work!" The director's voice finally rang out, loud and relieved.
Zhuohua stood up and stretched her slightly stiff shoulders and neck, which had become a little stiff from maintaining the same posture for so long. Lu Xiao quickly walked to her side, naturally took the other bottle of water from his assistant, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her. His movements were natural and fluid, carrying an unspoken familiarity.
"Are you tired?" he asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible concern.
Zhuohua took the water, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against his fingers, feeling the lingering warmth of the sunlight on them.
"It's acceptable."
Her voice was calm, but her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, taking in the faint bluish tinge under his eyes caused by the intense work. Her fingertips curled almost imperceptibly, and a wisp of divine power, as thin as a hair, quietly emerged and silently merged into his weary meridians.
Lu Xiao felt a gentle warmth flow from where his fingertips touched, quickly dispelling the heaviness in his limbs and invigorating his spirit. He looked at Zhuo Hua in surprise, but she had already casually looked away and begun to remove the exaggerated earrings she had worn for the photoshoot.
Surrounded by assistants and security personnel, the two walked towards the van parked not far away. Zhuo Hua walked with composure, her invisible aura of authority causing those around her to subconsciously maintain a respectful distance. Lu Xiao, on the other hand, habitually lagged half a step behind her, his gaze always gently fixed on her back, as if guarding a unique treasure.
However, this brief tranquility was abruptly shattered as they approached the nanny van.
"Zhuohua! Goddess Zhuohua! Ahhh—look at me! Look at me!"
A piercing scream, almost shrill, tore through the sweltering afternoon air without warning. Then, a young girl wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a large poster of Zhuohua burst forth from behind the roadside greenery like a cannonball released from its restraints! Her speed was incredible, her movements reckless and frantic, instantly piercing through the hastily extended arms of the two security guards on the perimeter!
"Zhuohua! I love you! I love you! I want to have your babies! Look at me! Please look at me!"
The girl's cheeks were contorted and flushed with extreme excitement, her eyes wide open and bloodshot, staring intently at Zhuohua, an irrational, fanatical flame flickering deep within her pupils. She opened her arms and charged forward recklessly, her target singular—Zhuohua.
The assistants and security personnel around were stunned by the sudden turn of events, and for a moment they were caught off guard. Chaos erupted instantly! Screams, shouts from security personnel, and commotion from the scattered fans were all mixed together.
Almost instinctively, Lu Xiao stepped forward, shielding Zhuo Hua behind him without hesitation. He spread his arms, forming a barrier with his body, his young face tense, his eyes sharp as unsheathed blades, staring intently at the girl charging towards him, his muscles poised to withstand any impact.
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