Be Passionately In Love

After finishing their meal and returning to the car, Xu Zhi couldn’t wait to pull out her phone to scan Chen Luzhou’s WeChat QR code. Chen Luzhou, thinking to himself, Look at how eager you are , casually pulled up his QR code and tossed it onto the storage compartment. Then, glancing at the large cinema sign in the underground parking lot, he nearly blurted out something reckless like, Well, since we’re already here, why not catch a movie first?

“Just to confirm,” Xu Zhi said while sending him a friend request, “all three characters are part of your surname, right?”

Zhu Yangqi had introduced him the same way—saying all three characters were his surname. Hearing his affirmative hum, Xu Zhi instinctively typed Chen Lu Zhou without giving it much thought, then sighed, “Adding your WeChat is such a hassle.”

Chen Luzhou turned his gaze back from the car window, leaning against the driver’s seat with one hand on the steering wheel and the other grabbing the phone she’d just used to scan his code. He accepted her friend request, swiftly typed out Xu Zhi with one hand, then tossed the phone aside and started the car—all in one smooth motion, without pause. “Yeah, yeah, don’t act all innocent after getting what you wanted.”

Xu Zhi nodded. “I did score big, but you really were the hardest one.”

Chen Luzhou’s hand paused slightly on the gearshift as he turned to glance at her. “What do you mean, the hardest one ?”

“Last time I went to Africa for a conference with my dad, seriously, even communicating with the locals was easier than dealing with you. They handed over all their social media accounts right away—even their short video accounts—and told me to like and follow them a lot.”

“…Africa for a conference?” Chen Luzhou finally drove out of the underground garage. “What does your dad do?”

Xu Zhi hesitated, then changed the subject. “Just a regular job. By the way, your brother pays you 800 a day? What exactly does he make you do?”

Chen Luzhou felt her train of thought was impossible for normal people to follow. “Eat, drink, and sleep with him. Why, interested?”

Xu Zhi’s phone buzzed just then—Cai Yingying was asking if she was back yet. While replying, she said, “If your brother’s willing, I wouldn’t mind either, as long as the pay’s good.”

“Dream on,” Chen Luzhou scoffed, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You’ve got some nerve.” As the car turned out of the garage, his gaze landed on a long line outside a trendy milk tea shop. He glanced down at her. “Want some?”

Xu Zhi followed his line of sight—the queue was ridiculously long. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head. She wanted to, but she was too full. Sighing dramatically, she said, “I really need to make some money. Got any leads?”

“No leads, but funny enough, I’ve been thinking about a way to earn some cash too.”

Chen Luzhou pulled the car over, grabbed his phone, and—instead of showing her his grand money-making plan—ordered two cups of milk tea.

“You’re still hungry?” Xu Zhi asked.

Chen Luzhou thought, Yeah, I’m so full I’m practically bursting—and you’re still playing dumb after practically tearing down the wall between us.

Leaning lazily against the driver’s seat with one elbow propped on the window ledge, he shot her a deadpan look. “…I bought two. You drinking or not?”

“I’ll drink,” Xu Zhi said, mostly just curious about his money-making idea and not wanting to argue further. “So, what’s your plan?”

Chen Luzhou arched a brow slightly. “You interested?”You’ve got ulterior motives, huh? Trying to meddle in my career so soon?

"Of course," Xu Zhi replied immediately. "We’re about to start college—can’t always rely on our families, right? I know this amazing senior who started her own business right after high school graduation. In just two months over the summer, she earned her first pot of gold. While others were still begging their parents for extra allowance, she was already paying salaries."

"That’s pretty impressive."

Chen Luzhou might be arrogant, but he never hesitated to acknowledge others’ excellence.

Xu Zhi hummed in agreement, then suddenly sighed. "But it’s a shame—later on, because she made so much money, she thought school was pointless and dropped out in her sophomore year. Then she met her current husband, and now her marriage is falling apart, and her career’s in shambles. Men are terrifying."

Chen Luzhou shot her a look that clearly said, You’ve got some nerve saying that.

Coming from someone who jumps from one relationship to another without a break, that’s rich.

"You probably can’t join this project of mine," he said.

If I let you into my career this early, where does that leave me?

"What project?" Xu Zhi asked.

Chen Luzhou checked his phone—there were still 10 people ahead in the milk tea queue—then locked the screen. The midday sun was harsh, so he reclined slightly in the driver’s seat, tilting his head back. His throat looked clean and restrained, but his words were anything but: "Chat-for-hire."

Xu Zhi stared at him in shock. "N-nude chat?" Her gaze slowly raked over him from head to toe, scrutinizing. "Can I try a five-dollar preview first?"

Chen Luzhou turned to look at her: "..."

With an imagination like yours, even a passing frog would have to clarify, I’m not a toad.

Xu Zhi was still curious. "Can you really make money from this?"

"You’d do it for money?" Chen Luzhou spun his phone idly, his tone indifferent.

"If it’s just chatting, sure—talking’s easy. If it’s nude chat, I’d have to think about it."

"You’d actually consider that?"

Xu Zhi couldn’t tell if his tone meant she had to do it or must not do it. She really wanted to make money with him—he seemed like the type who could, given how resourceful he was.

"For now… no," Xu Zhi said firmly. "Yeah, no."

Chen Luzhou: "..."

When the milk tea arrived, Chen Luzhou rolled down the window to take it and handed a cup to Xu Zhi. She accepted it without looking up, eyes glued to her phone as she played Fight the Landlord with Cai Yingying. Leaning back in the driver’s seat, Chen Luzhou shot her a cold glance. Couldn’t you have said whatever you wanted to say now instead of waiting to text it later?

The rest of the ride passed in silence.

Chen Luzhou drove at a leisurely pace, passing vibrant green mountains, the mesmerizing expanse of the sea, and clusters of soft, cotton-candy clouds. He’d never found these views particularly lush before, but Xu Zhi didn’t even glance at the scenery, too absorbed in strategizing how to save her King Bomb for the final play.

"Seriously, nothing to say?"

Xu Zhi finally looked up from her phone. "Huh? What?"

"You said you had something to tell me earlier, didn’t you?"Xu Zhi let out an "oh" and tossed out a three, giving him a suspicious glance. "Didn’t Zhu Yangqi tell you? Cai Yingying made plans with him for a late-night snack. Maybe we can all talk together later."

You really aren’t afraid of people finding out, huh!

Chen Luzhou parked the car in Fu Yuqing’s backyard, wondering if he should ask Fu Yuqing to persuade her to tone it down a little. Just then, he happened to see Fu Yuqing emerge from the tea room, leading his inseparable beloved dog, while angrily shouting into the phone: "Then tell him, I run a guesthouse, not a police station! If his wife and her lover come to check in, am I supposed to fucking stop them?"

Chen Luzhou: "..."

**

When Chen Luzhou went upstairs, Zhu Yangqi was discussing the late-night snack location with Cai Yingying. Though the mountain villa wasn’t large, it had every type of cuisine imaginable. It had to be said—Fu Yuqing was someone who knew how to enjoy life. Sichuan, Huaiyang, Hangzhou-style, even Northeastern stew—the restaurant rotated dishes daily based on available ingredients.

Unfortunately, today’s menu was Sichuan cuisine, and none of the four could handle much spice.

Chen Luzhou was fine, but the other three would practically stick out their tongues at the mere sight of chili peppers. So Cai Yingying suggested a change of plans: "How about we just go to the bar downstairs for drinks later?"

Zhu Yangqi raised both hands and feet in agreement.

Xu Zhi, lazily playing Landlords on the phone, said, "Whatever."

At some point, the three had created a group chat for meal plans and had added Chen Luzhou. His phone lay on the bedside table, buzzing incessantly, but he didn’t even glance at it—too lazy to lift an eyelid, as if he were truly asleep. Shirtless, his broad, well-defined back exposed, he lay motionless on the bed.

But Zhu Yangqi knew he wasn’t asleep.

The three were still in the voice chat when Zhu Yangqi asked Xu Zhi, "Did you make him plow a field or something? He came back looking as exhausted as an old ox."

"Shut up, Zhu Yangqi," came the muffled voice of the man lying face-down, half-buried in his pillow.

On her end, Xu Zhi kept triggering explosions in Landlords and said, "I don’t know. He seemed to be having a pretty good time with that little girl, though."

Chen Luzhou, still sprawled on the bed, rolled his eyes in exasperation. You still have the energy to be jealous?

Lazily, he reached out, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and wordlessly tossed it to Zhu Yangqi.

"Charge it for me. The outlet’s on your side." His voice was thick with sleep.

Zhu Yangqi casually asked, "Didn’t you bring a power bank?"

"Lost it ages ago," he replied.

Zhu Yangqi made a noise of realization. "Didn’t you lend it to Xu Zhi the other day?" Then, in the group chat, he called out, "Hey, Xu Zhi, did you return Chen Luzhou’s power bank?"

Xu Zhi was also a little confused—how was she supposed to remember? "That night... I think I did...?"

Eyes still closed, Chen Luzhou lazily interjected, his voice clear. "No—"

Xu Zhi thought carefully. She had followed Chen Luzhou to settle the bill, unplugged the power bank, and after paying, she hadn’t gone back. Then she’d gone to his place to roast sweet potatoes. Cai Yingying and Zhu Yangqi had been the ones to close up, but neither recalled taking it.

"Then it must still be at the shop. Sorry, I’ll buy you a new one," Xu Zhi said.

"Don’t bother. No matter how many power banks he buys, they all disappear within days. Anyway, it’s fine—he’s got money. So we’re set for tonight, right? See you later."Zhu Yangqi hastily said a few words before exiting the voice group chat. After hanging up, he climbed down from the bed to use the bathroom. As he lifted the toilet lid, he loudly proclaimed to Chen Luzhou, who was lounging outside, "Don’t you think this approach is exactly the same as that girl who used to chase you? Borrowing your power bank and pretending to forget it—now she has a reason to see you again, right?"

Chen Luzhou: "..."

After flushing, Zhu Yangqi came out and, seeing him unresponsive, threw a pillow at him. "Stop pretending. I know you never sleep during the day."

Chen Luzhou finally deigned to roll over. He tossed the pillow aside, lazily sat up against the headboard, and glanced around. "Got a cigarette?"

Zhu Yangqi pulled out a treasured pack of double-bead menthols from the drawer and tossed it to him, looking utterly surprised. "You never smoke, though?"

Chen Luzhou leisurely tore open the pack, pulled out a cigarette, and held it between his lips. He rummaged through the drawers for a lighter but couldn’t find one, so he grabbed a matchbox from the nightstand, struck one, and lit it with deliberate slowness. "Never tried. Thought I’d give it a shot."

At this point, he might as well become the other man. What was there left to hold back?

Zhu Yangqi clicked his tongue.

"She broke up with Tan Xu," Chen Luzhou added as he leaned in to light the cigarette.

Zhu Yangqi was stunned. He dragged a chair over, his face tense. "No fucking way. Did you actually steal someone’s girl?"

Chen Luzhou was irritated too. He shot him a glance and flicked the matchstick out. "No. But I almost said something. I don’t know why—I just can’t seem to refuse her."

"What do you mean, 'can’t refuse'?"

"Hard to explain—" Chen Luzhou, completely inexperienced with smoking, took a couple of puffs and immediately choked, as if inhaling cat hair. His chest itched, and he coughed again. "If I fucking knew, would I be this annoyed with her? She had a boyfriend."

Zhu Yangqi: "You’re not annoyed with her! You’re annoyed that she had a boyfriend!"

Chen Luzhou didn’t respond. He stubbed out the cigarette, swearing never to smoke again—it tasted awful. Zhu Yangqi snatched it away just in time. "You’re so damn wasteful! This is my last pack, and I still have two paintings due!"

"You’re disgusting," Chen Luzhou muttered.

Zhu Yangqi took a drag and calmed down. "Look, Xu Zhi is undeniably pretty—especially because she comes off as clean and sharp."

The current trend called it the "pure yet seductive" look—yeah, that was the term Zhu Yangqi remembered.

"But there have been girls who chased you who were even prettier. You turned down Gu Yan without a second thought," Zhu Yangqi analyzed methodically. "What’s different about her compared to other girls? Only one thing: she had a boyfriend."

Chen Luzhou looked up. "And?"

Zhu Yangqi sighed, convinced he was right. "So what you can’t resist isn’t her—it’s this feeling. The thrill, the taboo, the secrecy. Chen Luzhou, you’re sick! You need help!"

"...Get lost."The bar at Fu Yu Mountain Villa was sparsely populated, a place purely for relaxation with its mellow music and an impressive array of wines. However, there were no resident singers—after all, the villa was too remote, and with Fu Yuqing's temperament, no one was willing to travel that far just to work for him. So occasionally, when Fu Yuqing was in the mood, he would take the stage and sing a couple of songs himself.

Fortunately, he wasn’t in the mood today.

Xu Zhi and her friends arrived early. The bar had only a few scattered patrons, with just a handful of dim, swaying ambient lights lingering in the corners. The soft music drifted into glasses of various hues, and in an instant, everyone melted into the atmosphere.

Before coming, Cai Yingying had blocked Zhai Xiao. After that night, the two hadn’t been in touch for a long time. Zhai Xiao had pressed for answers for two days, but nothing came of it. Today, he suddenly posted a photo of Chai Jingjing on his social media. Cai Yingying had initially wanted to ask him why, but after endlessly zooming in on Chai Jingjing’s photo and even hiring a professional to remove the filters, she suddenly fell silent. She didn’t even have the courage to confront him. Though Cai Yingying knew it was shallow, at her age, it stung deeply. Chai Jingjing was so beautiful and even got into the same university as him—this blow hit Cai Yingying hard.

“I’m going to retake the exams,” Cai Yingying said, ordering a mojito and staring at the fluorescent green mint leaves floating on the water. “I’ll get into Zhai Xiao and Chai Jingjing’s university. I’ll make him see that I’m not worse than her.”

“Yingying, I fully support you if you want to study hard,” Xu Zhi sighed, knowing all too well how impulsive Cai Yingying could be. “But I think it’d be faster and more satisfying if you just found someone to beat him up.”

“Beat who up?” Zhu Yangqi’s voice came from behind.

“A scumbag,” Cai Yingying replied without turning around, downing the mojito in one go. Noticing he was alone, she asked, “Where’s Chen Luzhou?”

“At Boss Fu’s, discussing the tea mountain shoot,” Zhu Yangqi said, pulling out the chair opposite them and sitting down with a grin. “Long time no see, Parrot Sister.”

Already on the verge of tears, Cai Yingying’s eyes welled up at the nickname. “Xu Zhi!”

Xu Zhi was still playing poker, having won back all the game coins her grandmother had lost. Without looking up, she mechanically threatened Zhu Yangqi like an emotionless gaming machine, “Don’t provoke her, or I’ll ask Uncle Fu to come sing a couple of songs.”

Zhu Yangqi: “...”

“Exactly,” Cai Yingying retorted sarcastically. “Zhu Yangqi, do you have a crush on me? Otherwise, why didn’t you greet Xu Zhi first?”

Zhu Yangqi: “I did. You’re the parrot, she’s the sister.”

Cai Yingying: “Zhu Yangqi, you’re asking for it.”

Zhu Yangqi dropped the teasing. “Alright, don’t cry over some guy. Once you get into a good university, you’ll realize an even harsher truth: those better than you won’t give you the time of day, and you won’t settle for those worse than you. So you’ll be single forever. The best solution is to skip university altogether—stay ignorant, and you won’t get hurt by the world’s cruelty.”

“Pfft. Then why don’t you burn your art certification first?”Zhu Yangqi grinned shamelessly and glanced back at the menu, just in time to see a tall, familiar figure walk in through the door. To be honest, even for someone like Zhu Yangqi—who spent every day by Chen Luzhou's side and should have long been desensitized to his looks—there were still moments when Chen Luzhou managed to take his breath away. Like today.

Nothing was particularly different, yet his features seemed sharper, his facial contours more defined, his hair smoother—everything about him was just more pleasing to the eye than usual.

Clearly, he had scrubbed himself clean and arrived fresh as a daisy.

Truth be told, Chen Luzhou hadn’t gone out of his way to groom himself. He’d only gone back to shower after getting his pants dirty while helping Chen Xingqi pack up his art supplies. That was it—just a shower. He hadn’t even bothered to blow-dry his hair, so he figured he’d shown some restraint. He hadn’t gone all out to impress her.

But Xu Zhi wasn’t giving him the time of day at all.

From the moment he sat down, she hadn’t even glanced his way, completely absorbed in playing Dou Dizhu on her phone. She’d been at it all day, her playstyle aggressive—downright ruthless, even. If her cards were good, she’d max out the round in one go, wiping out the other players’ Happy Beans instantly. If her hand was bad, she’d half-heartedly go through the motions. Ah, so she was just farming Happy Beans for someone else. He used to do the same for Chen Xingqi—clear a round in one shot.

No one spoke. Xu Zhi was busy farming beans, Cai Yingying was drowning in post-breakup misery, and Chen Luzhou stayed silent. Zhu Yangqi pulled out his phone and started furiously texting Chen Luzhou.

Dad: Why does this vibe feel off to me?

Cr: Since when did you change your WeChat name?

Dad: "Why do you care when I changed it? Right now, I'm just curious about what she actually wants to say to you. Is it 'I broke up with Tan Xu, can I pursue you now?' or 'Do you have money? Lend me some.' I strongly suspect it's the latter."

Cr: "Change the name back, or I’ll block you."

After sending the Douyin account back to the old lady, Xu Zhi finally put down her phone and noticed someone sitting across from her, blocking her view. "Oh, you're here."

She casually glanced over. The person was dressed in all black—shirt and pants—clean, sharp, and effortlessly stylish. A black baseball cap sat atop his head, accentuating his sharp jawline. With his eyes partially shaded, they seemed unusually deep, not as cold as usual. Just leaning there, his broad chest exuded a sense of security. He was lean, undeniably handsome. Suddenly, she could understand Chen Luzhou’s occasional narcissism. A guy like this would definitely be popular in school—if not swarmed, at least with a long line of girls chasing after him.

Chen Luzhou tossed his phone onto the table. "...Been sitting here for ten minutes."

Xu Zhi let out an "Oh." "Want something to drink? I just ordered a Long Island Iced Tea, but it’s not good at all."

Chen Luzhou couldn’t be bothered to explain that a Long Island Iced Tea wasn’t tea—it was alcohol.

Xu Zhi had been racking her brain about how to explain things in a way that would sound convincing to Chen Luzhou. But sometimes, no matter how many times you rehearse a scene in your head, reality plays out completely differently. Still, she at least needed to put Chen Luzhou in a good mood—it’d make telling the story easier.

"What kind of music do you like?" Xu Zhi asked.

"Whatever."

"Then you should probably drink something. I don’t think you’ll be able to sit through this sober."

"Just say it."

"Alright, here goes." Xu Zhi glanced at Cai Yingying beside her.

"Mm."

Chen Luzhou leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable as he watched Xu Zhi. Meanwhile, Zhu Yangqi’s heart was pounding like crazy, as if he could see Cupid slowly drawing back a trembling arrow, unsure where it would land. Strangely, he was even more nervous than Chen Luzhou.

If the damn arrow hit the heart, fine—he’d just bless them. But if it went anywhere else, he decided he’d punch Xu Zhi. His buddy had already started smoking because of this mess.

"Hold on." Zhu Yangqi suddenly spoke up.

All three turned to look at him, even Xu Zhi in confusion. Chen Luzhou, arms crossed, tilted his head impatiently, thinking, What’s your problem? Why are you butting in?

"My shoelace is loose. Let me tie it first." Zhu Yangqi settled in like he was preparing for some juicy gossip.

"...You’re insane," Cai Yingying ignored him entirely. Before Zhu Yangqi could even bend down to touch his shoelace, she blurted out, "Xu Zhi just wants to meet your mom, no matter what it takes."

So, she still wanted to be his girlfriend.

Chen Luzhou shifted uncomfortably, nudging up his cap brim. He coughed lightly, then, as if the first cough wasn’t hesitant enough, coughed again more forcefully. "What do you mean, 'no matter what it takes'?"

"As in, if you said she had to be your girlfriend to meet your mom, Xu Zhi would agree," Cai Yingying said.Chen Luzhou: "...Xu Zhi, do you think I'm interested in you?"

How the hell did you figure that out.

Xu Zhi quickly replied, "No, there are some things I can explain to you later. The only reason I tried to add you on WeChat was simply because I wanted to meet your mom. If you think it's inconvenient, that's fine, but I'm definitely not so narcissistic as to believe you'd be interested in me."

As she spoke, Xu Zhi pushed her phone toward him, showing him her WeChat. "See? Even after adding you, I never bothered you. I really don't have any other intentions—I haven't even opened any of your profile pictures."

Because they took forever to load, with that little spinning circle—proof she genuinely had zero interest in him.

But Chen Luzhou only noticed the name she had saved for him—Chen Lu Zhou.

He tossed the phone back to her. "It's 'Lu' as in 'the road takes a turn,' thank you very much."