Chapter 66 "Do you want to try it now?"
The phone screen suddenly vibrated. It was Lu Yu's video request.
Lin Che snapped back to his senses as if he had been burned, the cigarette ash falling from his fingertips.
He almost hurriedly put out the cigarette butt in the old flowerpot on the windowsill, and wiped his face with his sleeve, trying to wipe off the messy traces.
Lin Che took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the sob in his throat, and then he clicked the answer button with trembling fingers.
The screen lit up, and Lu Yu's handsome face appeared on the other end. He seemed to have just finished a meeting. Behind him was a familiar, spacious and bright corner of the office. His suit jacket was casually draped over the back of his chair, and his tie was loosened a little, revealing a sexy Adam's apple.
His deep gaze pierced through the screen, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue. However, the moment he saw Lin Che, a gentle warmth spread across his eyes.
"Are you busy?" Lu Yu's voice was low and pleasant, like the sound of a cello string, easily plucking Lin Che's tense nerves.
Lin Che subconsciously shifted the camera lens to the side a little, allowing only her chin and neck to appear in the frame, avoiding her possibly red eyes and overly clear expression.
"No... I just finished." Lin Che's voice was a little hoarse. He cleared his throat before continuing, deliberately maintaining a calm tone. "How about you? Have you eaten?"
The offset angle of the camera allowed Lu Yu to only see Lin Che's taut jawline, a small patch of cold white skin above the collar of his sweater, and... the faintly visible teeth marks he left last night.
Lu Yu's gaze lingered on the ambiguous red mark for half a second, then swept across his shifted lens, his eyes darkening slightly.
"Not yet," Lu Yu's voice remained steady, his emotions undetectable. "I'm just about to ask Cheng Yi to order food. What about you?"
“Neither have I.” Lin Che responded vaguely, his gaze somewhat wandering, not daring to look directly at the pair of eyes on the screen that seemed to be able to see through everything.
The lingering smell of cigarette smoke in the office seemed particularly pungent, and he shifted his body guiltily.
A brief silence passed between the two ends of the video.
Lu Yu quietly looked at the corner of the face that was deliberately avoided on the screen, and looked at Lin Che's slightly tense Adam's apple.
"I have a meeting at four in the afternoon. I'll ask Cheng Yi to pick you up."
Lin Che re-adjusted the camera, revealing his face completely this time, and said calmly, "No need. If I get off work early, I'll take a taxi and come to see you."
Lu Yu's gaze lingered on the red corners of Lin Che's eyes for a moment before naturally moving away. "Then you should be careful and wear your scarf and hat."
Lin Che listened to Lu Yu patiently admonishing him like a child, and a smile filled his eyes. "I'm not a child."
As soon as Lin Che finished speaking, the nurse Xiaoyu poked her head in, her tone full of joy, "Teacher Lin...Teacher Lin, we have your takeaway!"
"I haven't ordered takeout..." Lin Che replied subconsciously with a frown. Before he could finish his words, his eyes subconsciously glanced at Lu Yu on the phone screen, "Did you order it?"
Lu Yu, standing in front of the screen, was concentrating on signing a document handed to him by Cheng Yi. Hearing Lin Che's question, he paused with his pen and replied, "I asked Cheng Yi to order something, but I'm not sure if it suits your taste. I don't know how many people are in your department, so I just ordered according to the quantity."
Lu Yu's voice on the other end paused for a moment, probably because he had something to do. "Then you eat first. I have something to do here."
Xiaoyu and several nurses outside the door have actively brought in all the takeaways sent by Lu Yu, including more than a dozen cups of Starbucks with different flavors, new desserts from various brands, and even thoughtfully ordered lunch from Juquanlou, the most famous private restaurant in City A.
"Wow! Starbucks!" Xiaoyu's eyes lit up in astonishment. She exclaimed as she helped carry out the drinks. "Teacher Lin! Your friend is so thoughtful! There are more than a dozen cups! Wow, all kinds of flavors! Caramel macchiato, vanilla latte, matcha frappuccino, flat white... and several iced Americanos! Oh my god, did they order the entire menu?"
Lin Che looked at the coffee cups that instantly filled the corner of the table, and was then struck by the huge word "whatever" and felt a bit amused.
How could this be called "order whatever you want"? This was clearly... Lu's style of "order whatever you want"—precisely covering every possible need, ensuring nothing goes wrong.
"Teacher Lin, this...this is too expensive, isn't it?" Another nurse asked sheepishly, looking at the dazzling array of cups and the table filled with desserts and food. "Which friend is this? So thoughtful!"
While distributing coffee, Xiaoyu winked at Lin Che mischievously, her eyes quickly scanning the lit screen of his phone. Although she still couldn't see the details clearly, the calm and powerful aura and the fact that he could casually order so many coffees were very indicative.
She lowered her voice and said with a little excitement: "Need I ask? It must be the mysterious 'Mr. Snail' from Teacher Lin's house!" She deliberately emphasized the four words "Mr. Snail" with a bit of girlish romantic fantasy.
"Stop being so naive!" Lin Che took the coffee and couldn't help but retort to Xiaoyu, "Ask Gu Yaoxi and the others to come and eat with us. This is too much for us to finish."
The people in Gu Yaoxi's department were next to the pediatric department, and they were called over just when they said they were going to the cafeteria to eat.
"Damn, is it Chinese New Year?" Gu Yaoxi looked at the packaging box and saw three big "Juquanlou" words on it.
A month's salary is spent on one meal, who is so generous! ?
"Your department is not going to get rich without our knowledge, is it?!" Zhou Yun who was standing behind Gu Yaoxi exclaimed, her jaw dropping as she looked at the table full of food.
Although they usually order afternoon tea in the afternoon, this is too much of a deal.
"Eat it while it's hot, eat it while it's hot." Lin Che blushed as he casually picked up a drink and took a sip, then told everyone to eat quickly.
"Teacher Lin, please don't forget me when you become rich!" Zhou Yun was enjoying his meal but still couldn't stop talking nonsense, teasing Lin Che.
Lin Che pushed the box in front of him towards Zhou Yun, "Eat quickly, Teacher Zhou. Even eating won't stop you from eating."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Che casually took a photo of the grand scene on the table and sent it to Lu Yu, along with an emoji that said "Kitty pat on the head, thank you." Lu Yu didn't reply, presumably because he was busy.
Lin Che was just about to put his phone away when Zhou Yun and Gu Yaoxi leaned over, their heads poking out their curiosity. "Junior Brother Lin, can you show us the true face of 'Mr. Snail'?"
"Oh my god, this is so easy!" Xiaoyu, who was standing next to him, was extremely excited and couldn't wait to join in. She was typing on her phone. "Look, just go to Lu's official website and search and it's done!"
On Xiaoyu's mobile phone screen, the official website of Lu Group is concise and authoritative.
In the "Group President" column, Lu Yu's name was listed first.
Clicking on the details page, a standard business ID photo comes into view - the man in the photo is wearing a neatly ironed dark suit, with the collar of his white shirt buttoned meticulously. His handsome and almost sharp facial features appear more three-dimensional and profound under the professional lighting.
His eyes looked straight into the camera, calm and sharp, with a sense of alienation from being in a high position for a long time and a powerful aura, which was extremely oppressive even through the screen.
After a brief silence, the crowd of onlookers burst into suppressed amazement.
"Holy crap!" Gu Yaoxi was the first to cry out, his eyes wide. "Even this ID photo is this handsome?! Wouldn't the real him be so handsome that it would make my legs go weak?! Junior Brother Lin, are you sure this hasn't been photoshopped? Does this make sense?!"
"That's not reasonable at all!" Zhou Yun followed closely behind, patting Gu Yaoxi's arm vigorously. She turned to Lin Che with an incredulous look on her face, "Teacher Lin! Tell the truth! Mr. Tianluo of this caliber...how can you let him show up in public every day?! Wouldn't he be constantly on people's minds? You're so careless!"
"That's right!" Xiaoyu blushed with excitement, holding her phone like a sacred object. "Such beauty! Such aura! Teacher Lin, whenever Mr. Lu stands there, he's like a walking hormone transmitter! Aren't you really afraid of being seduced by some fool?"
Her words drew the other nurses' nods of agreement, and their eyes, filled with envy of "How could you have deserved this?" and teasing of "You're so gutless," looked at Lin Che.
Lin Che's ears turned red from their constant barrage of words, and she almost buried her head in the exquisite Juquanlou meal in front of her.
His hand holding the chopsticks paused, trying to use food to block out his embarrassment, but he felt the temperature on his cheeks getting higher and higher.
"Stop talking nonsense..." He muttered vaguely, his voice muffled and lacking confidence.
What could he say? That the way Lu Yu looked at others was no different from the way he looked at documents?
Is it said that the aura of keeping strangers away is enough to freeze away all malicious gazes?
Or... he has never actually been worried, because the sense of security that Lu Yu gives him has long surpassed the superficial attraction?
Zhou Yun was even more excited when she saw his "quail" look. She put down her chopsticks with a snap.
Zhou Yun leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Lin Che's face, which was still elegant and refined despite the embarrassment, and said loudly:
"Hey! You're only talking about Mr. Lu, look at our Teacher Lin! That look, that aura! Sitting here, she's like a painting! What does it mean to be 'stunningly beautiful'? Teacher Lin is a living example, okay?" Her words were so powerful that they instantly drew the attention back to Lin Che.
"Yes, yes!" Xiaoyu responded immediately, watching Lin Che's eyelashes drooping in embarrassment, casting a small shadow under his eyes, making his complexion look even colder and paler. "Teacher Lin looks incredible even when she wears a mask with only her eyes showing! This meal was worth it to see Teacher Lin's full face! Mr. Lu is handsome, but our Teacher Lin is also a god-like figure on the level of "Dean's Prince"!"
"That's right! Gods match gods, a perfect match!"
"That's right! Teacher Lin, the two of you standing together will be such a pleasing sight!"
"No wonder Mr. Lu is so nervous about you. Who wouldn't be nervous?"
The colleagues were all talking about them, praising them both to the skies. The atmosphere in the office was boiling with enthusiasm.
Lin Che felt her face burning with anger, and she was practically smoking from the praise.
He was usually used to keeping a low profile and keeping quiet, so he couldn't stand this kind of concentrated teasing. He picked up the iced Americano and took a big gulp. The cold liquid slid down his throat, trying to cool his burning cheeks, but the effect was minimal.
"Eat your meal!" He put down the cup, his voice filled with a hint of humiliation. The blush at the corners of his eyes, due to excitement and shyness, was more obvious than before, like a thin layer of rouge. "If you don't eat now, the food will get cold!"
He tried to divert everyone's attention with food, reaching out and pushing a few boxes of barely touched vegetables toward the center of the crowd, his movements somewhat "roughly" in a rare way.
Seeing that he was about to be overwhelmed, everyone laughed and called it a day, turning their attention back to the table full of delicious food. However, the glances that occasionally drifted towards Lin Che were still full of good-natured teasing and amazement.
Lin Che secretly breathed a sigh of relief, lowering his head to pick at the food in his bowl, but he felt a little lost in the taste. He quietly took out his phone, the screen still frozen on the "Kitten Pat on the Head, Thank You" emoji he had sent to Lu Yu. There was still no reply from the other end.
His fingertips unconsciously brushed across the cold screen, and yet, unobserved, the corners of Lin Che's mouth curved upwards subtly. To his surprise, no one mentioned the conflict that had occurred at noon, helping Lin Che conceal his emotions.
———
After finishing the outpatient clinic work in the afternoon, Lin Che put on a thick coat, picked up the cashmere scarf that Lu Yu had specifically asked him to wear, and carefully wrapped it around his neck, almost covering his chin and the traces of ambiguity left from last night, leaving only a pair of clear eyes exposed.
He took a taxi to a boutique supermarket not far from the Lu Group building. Lin Che pushed his shopping cart through the dazzling aisles, carefully selecting ingredients he liked—fresh asparagus, beautifully textured marbled beef, a small box of plump cherries. After selecting his ingredients, Lin Che went to the living area to see if he needed anything. He actually found something he liked.
A pair of dog-head slippers, their black heads drooping, their tongues sticking out. Lin Che had no resistance to such frivolous things and immediately prepared to buy them. After choosing his own size, he noticed another pair of dog-head slippers next to him that matched Lu Yu's shoe size. The style was the same as his, but the color was khaki.
Lin Che hesitated between the slippers in his hand and the khaki slippers, and finally threw both pairs of slippers into the shopping cart with a smirk. He had already imagined Lu Yu in a suit and tie with a pair of khaki dog slippers.
Seeing that it was still early, Lin Che pushed the shopping cart and slowly picked and chose. The result was really surprising.
Lin Che picked up some random things, including scented candles, dog slippers, oddly shaped toothpaste cups, and a pair of ceramic water cups. The entire shopping cart was filled to the brim.
Just as he was pushing his cart to the end of the fresh produce section and preparing to check out, a child pushing a shopping cart accidentally bumped into Lin Che's cart. When Lin Che leaned sideways to steady the cart, one side of the scarf around his neck fell off.
"Are you okay?" Lin Che steadied the shopping cart with one hand and helped the child who had fallen to the ground up with the other, lowering her head and asking softly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, handsome boy, I'm so sorry." The other parent quickly apologized, pulled the child and pushed the shopping cart to continue to the checkout area.
Lin Che checked the items in the shopping cart and noticed that a section of his scarf on the left side had fallen off and was almost dragging on the ground. When he leaned slightly to grab the scarf, a slender hand suddenly reached out from behind and gently pressed the edge of his scarf that was about to slip off.
The knuckles of his fingers were distinct as he gathered the scarf back around Lin Che's neck.
"The scarf is coming off."
A deep and magnetic voice sounded in my ears, with a familiar cold tone.
Lin Che froze and turned back suddenly—
Zhou Xuran had unknowingly stood half a step behind him, the collar of his dark grey coat slightly open, revealing the outline of a black turtleneck sweater underneath. His eyelashes drooped slightly, his gaze fixed on the small patch of skin on Lin Che's neck, where a few faint, ambiguous, red marks could be seen.
Their eyes suddenly met under the bright lights of the supermarket.
Zhou Xuran's pupils constricted ever so slightly before returning to their usual indifference. He slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips barely grazing the edge of Lin Che's scarf.
"What a coincidence," he said.
Lin Che subconsciously took a half step back, his back resting against the shopping cart handle. He quickly rewrapped his scarf and replied indifferently, "What a coincidence."
After saying that, Lin Che continued to push the shopping cart and prepared to move forward. Zhou Xuran suddenly reached out and pressed the edge of the shopping cart.
"You won't thank me?" His voice was low, with a hint of amusement in it.
Lin Che tightened her fingers slightly and looked up at him. "Thank you."
Zhou Xuran's eyes swept over the items in the shopping cart, and when he saw the pair of khaki dog slippers, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
"Did you buy it for Lu Yu?" he asked.
Lin Che didn't answer, but just pushed the cart to avoid him.
Zhou Xuran suddenly stepped sideways, standing directly in front of him. The light from the supermarket fell on his sharply defined profile, making his eyes appear even deeper.
"He likes this?" He lowered his eyes to look at the slippers, his tone calm, yet inexplicably with a hint of provocation, "I thought Mr. Lu's taste would be more..."
"Zhou Xuran." Lin Che interrupted him, her voice a little colder. "Get out of the way."
Zhou Xuran didn't move, but leaned forward slightly, so close that Lin Che could smell the faint scent of fir on him.
"What are you afraid of?" he asked in a low voice, his eyes fixed on Lin Che's slightly tense jawline. "Are you afraid that Lu Yu will know we met?"
Lin Che curled her lips, almost rolling her eyes, and replied coldly, "If you don't do anything wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking on your door."
Zhou Xuran chuckled, then suddenly reached out and picked up the pair of black dog slippers from the shopping cart.
"Very cute." He casually played with the slippers, his eyes fixed on Lin Che. "They suit you very well."
Lin Che reached out to take it back, but Zhou Xuran raised his arm slightly, making his reach empty.
"Give it back to me." Lin Che frowned.
Zhou Xuran didn't move, but lowered his head slightly, and said in a very low voice: "Did he cause the wound on the corner of your mouth?"
Lin Che's breathing stagnated, and he took a step back suddenly, but the shopping cart hit his legs, leaving him with nowhere to retreat.
"It has nothing to do with you." His voice was cold and hard.
Zhou Xuran stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly put the slippers back into the shopping cart and grabbed Lin Che's wrist.
"What if I say, I think it's okay?"
He applied a little pressure with his fingertips, and the warmth came through Lin Che's sleeves, incredibly hot.
"Whatever. If you like it, I'll give it to you." Lin Che shook off Zhou Xuran's hand that was holding his wrist, shrugged and said indifferently.
Zhou Xuran glanced at Lin Che's serious expression and suddenly smiled.
"Okay." He took a step back slowly, but added meaningfully, "But if you need help someday..."
He paused, his eyes falling on Lin Che's scarf, and said meaningfully, "Remember to look for me."
Lin Che glanced at Zhou Xuran as he put his slippers back into the cart. His desire to shop had faded. "Zhou Xuran, stop doing unnecessary things."
The phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Lu Yu.
[When you're done, where are you? I'll pick you up.]
Lin Che looked at the screen, then glanced down at the items in the shopping cart, and suddenly felt a little tired.
He replied: [I'm near your company, I'll come right over.]
Lin Che walked into the Lu Corporation lobby, carrying a large number of bags. The dog's slipper ears twitched from his shopping bags. The receptionist's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she quickly came over to greet him: "Mr. Lin, do you need any help?"
"No, thank you." Lin Che smiled and shook his head, placing the heaviest bags next to the front desk. "Could you please keep an eye on them for me? I'll go upstairs to find Lu Yu and come back later to get them."
"Okay, okay!" The receptionist nodded repeatedly, secretly glanced at the cute slippers sticking out of the shopping bag, and couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth.
The elevator went straight to the top floor. When the door opened, COCO was just coming out of the secretary's office with a stack of documents. Her eyes lit up when she saw Lin Che: "Boss lady!"
This shout made Lin Che's ears burn, and the bag in his hand almost fell to the ground.
COCO walked over quickly and suddenly lowered her voice, "Boss lady, can I gossip for a moment?"
Lin Che was stunned: "What?"
COCO leaned closer mysteriously: "Last time...how did you reconcile with Mr. Lu?" She pointed to the same spot on her neck, "Here, Mr. Lu, is this your masterpiece?"
Lin Che looked in the direction of her finger and suddenly realized what she was talking about. The tip of his ear instantly turned red as if dripping blood.
Without waiting for his reply, COCO gave him a thumbs-up: "As expected of the boss lady, you did a great job!"
Lin Che stood there, the shopping bag in his hand making a slight rustling sound. He took a deep breath and was about to walk towards Lu Yu's office when he heard a commotion behind him.
"Mr. Lu! This plan really..."
"I said I'd see tomorrow."
Lu Yu's low, cold voice made Lin Che's back stiffen. He slowly turned around and just happened to see Lu Yu coming out of the meeting room.
Lu Yu's suit was neatly trimmed, but his tie was a little loose. The moment he saw Lin Che, his sharp brows softened instantly.
"Why are you here?" Lu Yu strode over and took the bag from Lin Che's hand naturally. When he saw the pair of dog slippers, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Lin Che pursed his lips: "I bought some things." His eyes unconsciously drifted to Lu Yu's collar. The bite mark was particularly obvious under the light.
Lu Yu followed his gaze and suddenly chuckled: "What are you looking at? Isn't that the mark you left?"
Lin Che's face flushed. He then realized that everyone in the secretarial office was pretending to work, but in reality, they were eavesdropping.
"Let's talk inside." Lin Che grabbed Lu Yu's sleeve and dragged him to the office.
Lu Yu let him pull him, with a smile in his eyes.
As soon as the office door closed, Lin Che was pinned against it. Lu Yu's breath hit his ear: "Are you here specifically to check on me?"
"Who, who's checking on me!" Lin Che said stubbornly, but couldn't help but feel her heart racing. "Let's go home!"
Lu Yu chuckled and stroked his red earlobe with his fingers: "Do you want to try it now?"
"Try what..."
Before he could finish his words, Lin Che was picked up sideways. He cried out in surprise and subconsciously hugged Lu Yu's neck.
"Try the new slippers." Lu Yu whispered in his ear, "By the way..." His finger traced the bite mark, "Make the mark deeper."
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