Chapter 19: Are the pectoral muscles hard or soft?
Su Cheng picked up a freshly rinsed spoon handle, blew on it gently, and placed it in Jiang Muzhou's bowl. "Be careful, it's hot."
The steam from the hot pot wafted between the two of them.
Jiang Muzhou awkwardly held the chopsticks with his left hand, and tried several times but failed to pick up the meat.
Jiang Muzhou should have been happy to have his wish fulfilled, but seeing the worry in Su Cheng's eyes, he wondered if he had overacted.
He was about to explain when he saw Su Cheng sitting down next to him with her bowl and chopsticks.
The small table is spacious enough for two people to sit facing each other, but it gets a bit cramped if two people insist on squeezing onto the same side.
She was very close to him, and with a slight tilt of his head, he could see her earlobes, faintly tinged with pink, peeking through her hair.
Jiang Muzhou fell silent, swallowing back the words of explanation he was about to say.
Su Cheng felt a little awkward. The tall boy next to her had long arms and legs, and her legs could easily touch his if she didn't mean to.
Even through his clothes, she could clearly feel the temperature of his skin.
She felt her ear tips burning, so she casually brushed a few strands of loose hair aside to cover her ears, and then quietly moved away a little to create some distance.
Su Cheng remained calm and composed, picked up the piece of meat again with his chopsticks, and gave a gentle smile. "Open your mouth."
Jiang Muzhou obediently did as instructed.
The slices of meat were coated in a rich sesame sauce, and the temperature was just right.
He looked up and stared at her profile as she focused on picking up food, his gaze moving from top to bottom, finally settling on her tightly pursed lips.
He suddenly felt that being injured was a wonderful thing.
Su Cheng stirred the ingredients in the pot. "The beef tendon balls are ready. Would you like to try some?"
"Mmm." Jiang Muzhou nodded, obediently waiting for her to feed him.
"Lin Yang just messaged me saying that the blond guy has been detained. He's just a hoodlum pretending to be a rich second-generation to pick up girls. He slipped up when they asked him to provide adoption information. The girl found out his phone was full of debt collection text messages from loan sharks and dumped him. That bastard came to us to take his anger out on you, causing you to get hurt." Su Cheng handed the cooled beef tendon ball to Jiang Muzhou's lips. "These scumbags are getting more and more unscrupulous in their pursuit of girls these days."
Jiang Muzhou took a small bite, and the beef tendon ball burst open between his teeth, the scalding juice burning his tongue.
He picked up the chilled plum juice beside him and took a small sip.
Feeling guilty, he always sensed that Su Cheng's words had a hidden meaning.
It has a feeling of indirectly criticizing something.
Su Cheng placed the freshly fried tofu skin rolls into the dipping sauce dish, coated them with sauce, and then handed them to Jiang Muzhou's mouth.
She stole a glance at Jiang Muzhou, and his usually calm eyes unexpectedly revealed a vulnerability and helplessness that seemed out of place with him.
Is this what a broken-hearted puppy is like?
She seemed to understand the feeling Xu Zhisui was describing. Seeing someone let their guard down really could soften your heart. When you start to feel sorry for someone, it's often too late.
Su Cheng's gaze fell on the pink lunch bag across from her. She cleared her throat, turned her head, and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Did you bring me lunch today on purpose?"
Jiang Muzhou chewed on the tofu skin roll, recalling her earlier words about "using any means necessary," and then vaguely replied, "There just happened to be a topic selection meeting near the mall, so I brought it along on the way."
It turns out we were just going that way.
Su Cheng lowered her eyes, silently withdrawing her expectant gaze. She realized she had misunderstood again.
However, she quickly composed herself, blinked her lustrous dark eyes, and cast a shadow with her long eyelashes. "Your hand is injured, so it's inconvenient for you to cook. How about I take care of your meals for the next few days?"
She was so attentive because she felt guilty that he had been injured while protecting her, and she was also annoyed that she had been so preoccupied with her own thoughts a few days ago that she had broken off their agreement to team up.
But the main reason was that she needed his help with something.
Jiang Muzhou readily agreed: "Sure."
As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's money is bound to him, and he who eats another man's food is bound to him."
Su Cheng's eyes lit up, and she seized the opportunity, asking with a smile, "Then could you teach me how to shoot videos?"
Jiang Muzhou's heart, which had just warmed up, cooled down again.
But then I thought that it was better to have her ask me for a favor than to be deliberately distanced from her like before.
He not only stole dating secrets from Chen Siqi, but also stayed up all night memorizing jokes and cramming a bunch of them. But what he learned from books was ultimately superficial. A few days ago, he couldn't even see her, so all his tricks were useless.
Times have changed, and he can finally legitimately spend more time with her.
Su Cheng explained to him in detail her idea with Wendy: they wanted to use the popularity of Decepticons to increase the exposure of the rescue station, so that more kind-hearted people would pay attention to these furry children waiting for adoption and help them find a home as soon as possible.
Jiang Muzhou raised his eyebrows, seemingly lost in thought. "The pet industry is very competitive right now, with most users focusing their attention on a small number of top KOLs. New accounts will find it hard to break through if they lack differentiated content and viral moments. We have to find another way."
Su Cheng was sipping her plum juice through a straw, completely bewildered by his technical jargon, only understanding the word "explosive point".
The video that went viral in my girlfriends' group chat last night suddenly popped into my head. Under the reddish lights, a handsome young man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist was wearing a semi-transparent sheer shirt. His long legs swept in front of the camera, and his abs were faintly visible...
She looked down at her shapely figure, a hint of doubt creeping into her eyes. "Could it be... that I'm going to have to clean up the edges?"
Su Cheng put down her cup and made a big X with her hands in front of her chest: "Although I'm good-looking, I will never sell my looks!"
Jiang Muzhou found it absurd and couldn't help but scrutinize her with an inquisitive look. What was she thinking about all day long?
He reached out and gently flicked her forehead, his tone slightly teasing: "Forget it, you can't handle this."
To be precise, he would never let her take this job.
Su Cheng puffed out her chest defiantly, but she quickly gave in because she discovered that the man next to her seemed to have even fuller pectoral muscles than she did.
Her gaze was unconsciously drawn to the high, firm chest. Hormones took over her mind, and a strange question popped into her head: Are a man's pectoral muscles hard or soft?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, an image of her pressing her face against Jiang Muzhou's chest uncontrollably appeared in Su Cheng's mind.
Wow.
Su Cheng was startled by this sudden fantasy, and her mouth went dry. She grabbed the plum juice on the table and gulped it down.
Jiang Muzhou was looking down at his phone screen, completely unaware of Su Cheng's unusual behavior.
He pulled up a PowerPoint presentation and handed it to Su Cheng.
The operations specialists tallied the popularity of keywords in the comments within three hours of the Decepticon documentary's release, and the frequency of mentions of "Mu Yichengzhou" and "CP" reached as high as 53%.
Jiang Muzhou has always been adept at using cinematic language, but in his previous works, the figures have always been merely carriers of intangible cultural heritage, static symbols.
But this video is completely different.
Su Cheng appears vibrant and alive through the lens.
Although only her back, profile, and voice were shown on camera, he accurately captured her inner qualities: beneath her seemingly gentle and tender exterior lay a resilience as strong as a reed.
Behind those seemingly effortless actions lies her daily dedication. Her respect for pet rights and her reverence for life imbue every small gesture with warmth.
He rejected the cheap sentimentality of staged photos and used the most authentic images to silently demonstrate that pets are not merely tools for human entertainment, garnering a large number of likes and followers.
But what truly made this video go viral wasn't just its professionalism.
Under the cover of the viewfinder, he gazed at her passionately and directly, his long-held feelings becoming tangible with the change of focus, quietly hidden in every frame.
The tenderness that couldn't be hidden in the lens, the rarity of the only focus, and that meaningful comment—these details combined to instantly cause the comment section to boil over, and the onlookers went crazy.
Su Cheng's voice held a hint of hesitation as she asked, "So... are we going to be a couple?"
"Muzhou" already has over ten million fans, does it really need to rely on marketing tactics to retain them?
Su Cheng, who had just suffered a setback, was somewhat dejected. She dared not think about other possibilities and regarded the proposal as a purely business collaboration.
Jiang Muzhou nodded. "That's how the short video industry works now. We give our fans what they want to watch. Appropriately catering to the audience's preferences is the only way to improve conversion rates."
Seemingly sensing Su Cheng's hesitation, he added, "You don't need to feel pressured. I also want to try this more everyday shooting style. You help me transform my image, and I'll help you gain followers. It's a win-win situation, and we each get what we need."
Su Cheng felt like she had gotten a great deal, but his words were so impeccable that she couldn't refuse.
"What exactly should I do?" She perked up and quickly got into the zone. "Shouldn't we write a script? Should it be melodramatic or silly? 'Rebirth: I'm a Cat Language Translator'?"
She scratched her head, looking regretful. "I should have chosen a nicer online name. Now that my real name is out in the open, it's just too weird!"
Jiang Muzhou took in her every move; how could she be so adorable?
He chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on those clear eyes as he asked firmly, "Have you ever been in a relationship?"
"Hmm?" Su Cheng's eyes widened. Was this a background check before employment?
She pursed her lips and stammered out the honest answer: "No."
Jiang Muzhou gave an "I knew it" look. "Actually, creating a fan couple is similar to dating. You can't reveal everything at the beginning. You have to take it step by step and let it flow naturally, so that the audience can dig out the sweet moments that are traceable but not out in the open. That's more interesting."
Listening to his eloquent analysis, Su Cheng felt inexplicably uncomfortable. How could this person speak so fluently, like a seasoned veteran in the game of love?
The figure of that forgotten white moonlight faintly resurfaced in Su Cheng's mind.
Su Cheng had never described her specific facial features and figure, but when that blurry shadow stood side by side with Jiang Muzhou, it was as if their souls were in harmony.
Su Cheng suddenly realized that perhaps the white moonlight in his heart was not something unattainable, but more likely someone he once had but lost.
She tried to remain calm and turned to look at the view outside the window.
The backstreet was bustling with people. A couple, braving the summer heat, embraced tightly and kissed under the dim streetlights, oblivious to everyone around them.
His jawline tightened slightly, and his fingernails dug into his palm.
Do they kiss like that too?
Seeing that Su Cheng didn't speak, Jiang Muzhou followed her gaze and saw the outline of Linhai University faintly visible through the gaps in the sycamore leaves.
"Take me to Linda University for a look around?"
There will always be regrets.
He was not present during the most radiant years of her life.
Now, he wants to walk the paths she walked and see the scenery she saw, as if this would allow him to travel through time and fill the void of his absence.
A note from the author:
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