Ореning thе саr door, gеtting in, sitting dоwn, fаstеning thе seatbelt—еvеrything was рerfeсtlу nоrmаl, уеt so unnervinglу normal.
Ruan Sixian slowlу sеttled intо her sеаt, hеr рosturе аs рrорer аs if she were in а рosturе class.
She stоle a glаnce аt Fu Мingуu bеsidе hеr.
Fu Мingyu had gоttеn into thе саr a mоment lаtеr than her. Не tilted his hеad slightly, onе hand resting on thе stееring wheеl while the othеr fаstеned thе sеаtbеlt with а sоft cliсk, just аs the сar stаrted.
Hе turned tо lооk at Ruаn Siхiаn. "Whаt are yоu looking at?"
"..."
Ruan Sixiаn stiffly avertеd her gazе and саlmly sаid, "There seems to be something on your face."
Fu Mingyu raised his hand to touch his cheek, then glanced at his palm—nothing.
He simply smiled, not calling her out.
The car slowly drove out of the parking lot and onto the street.
Ruan Sixian could see many colleagues rushing toward the exit after work. One person stood on the steps of the greenbelt opposite the security booth, noticed the sports car, and pretended to casually glance toward the passenger seat.
That glance happened to meet Ruan Sixian's gaze.
The other person didn’t seem to show any particular expression, very naturally shifting their gaze away.
Ruan Sixian, as if analyzing a reading comprehension passage, gleaned some meaning from the man’s look.
—"Oh, President Fu is driving his girlfriend home again."
The ungrounded, floating feeling in Ruan Sixian’s heart grew heavier once more.
It felt too unreal, as if she were imagining it all.
Just earlier this year, she had seen this man bristling with irritation every day, practically carving "I don’t want to see you" on his face.
And now, her life seemed to have been forcibly dragged alongside Fu Mingyu by fate, with a red thread tied between them without even asking if the parties involved agreed.
It was hard to believe that the person beside her was now her boyfriend.
The word "boyfriend" meant a lot—it bound two people together, entangling every aspect of their lives.
Sharing meals, going for walks, or strolling together was one thing, but the most intimate acts, reserved only for couples—like kissing, or even more intimate actions—had suddenly become something taken for granted.
At this thought, Ruan Sixian felt a faint tightness in her scalp. Her heart seemed to rise to her throat, and the area from her neck to her chest felt swollen and sour, leaving her somewhat disoriented.
In late autumn, darkness fell early. Before seven o’clock, night had already completely descended.
This wasn’t the road back to Mingchen Apartments.
Ruan Sixian turned to look at the driver. "Where are you going?"
Fu Mingyu stepped on the brake unhurriedly, stopping at a red light. "What do you want to eat?"
Ruan Sixian: "Huh?"
Fu Mingyu turned to look at her. "Shouldn’t I take my girlfriend out for dinner?"
"Oh..."
Ruan Sixian still wasn’t quite used to the term "girlfriend," especially when she met his eyes—it still felt a bit surreal.
After their relationship changed, Ruan Sixian felt his gaze seemed different.
More direct, and a little captivating.
She opened her mouth, originally intending to suggest clam vermicelli soup, but the words that came out were, "What do you want to eat?"
Fu Mingyu didn’t say anything, just looked at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Ruan Sixian felt a bit embarrassed under her boyfriend’s gaze and turned away, looking at the traffic light ahead. "Xixiang Feast?"
He seemed to like that place—
Ten minutes later, Ruan Sixian realized something was off about the route.This was the direction toward the pedestrian street next to the famous Chen Apartments.
She glanced at Fu Mingyu. "Aren't we going to Xixiang Banquet?"
Fu Mingyu looked in the rearview mirror and smoothly parked the car in a roadside spot. "Don't you like this place?"
"Oh." Ruan Sixian began unbuckling her seatbelt. "It's alright, I guess."
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she opened the car door and stepped out.
The car was parked on the right side, so Ruan Sixian’s door faced the clam noodle shop. She and Fu Mingyu got out at the same time, though he had to walk a few steps around to reach her side.
Under the bright streetlights, she saw Fu Mingyu take out his phone to answer a call, his brows slightly furrowed. As he walked over to her, he naturally took her hand, as if they had been a couple for years.
Even though they had only confirmed their relationship less than an hour ago.
—Thump, thump.
When the warmth of his palm touched hers, Ruan Sixian’s heart skipped two beats.
Fu Mingyu spoke softly into the phone, giving instructions to the person on the other end. Feeling the hand he was holding grow slightly warm, he turned to look at Ruan Sixian.
Meeting his gaze, Ruan Sixian felt flustered but still shot back a "what are you looking at?" expression.
Fu Mingyu smiled and led her inside.
"Mm, have Engineering provide you with the aircraft’s fault retention information and maintenance operational restrictions. You’ll take the lead on this…"
Fu Mingyu’s voice drifted into the distance as Ruan Sixian’s attention remained fixed on the hand holding hers.
His palm was large and slightly rough. The distinct, masculine feel of his hand enveloped her sensitive skin, making her mind wander.
She realized that once she started thinking of him as her boyfriend, everything around her grew unusually quiet, making her breathing and heartbeat seem much louder.
Since it wasn’t yet dinnertime—not even close to the usual end of work hours—the shop was surprisingly free of queues, with only a handful of scattered customers inside.
Ruan Sixian genuinely wanted clam noodles tonight.
On a cold late-autumn evening, what could be more enticing than a steaming bowl of clam noodles?
The shop owner actually remembered Fu Mingyu and Ruan Sixian. When the two walked in, his eyes held a look of confusion, as if wondering, "How delicious is my food to attract someone who looks like a domineering CEO for a second visit?"
"You two are back! What would you like today?"
While wiping the stool, Ruan Sixian asked, "Boss, you remember us?"
"Of course I remember," the owner replied. With few customers, he was in the mood for a chat, wiping his hands on his apron. "How could I forget two people as stunning as celestial beings?"
Pleased by the compliment, Ruan Sixian smiled and ordered a spicy and sour clam noodle bowl, specifically asking the owner to add extra clams, even offering to pay more.
"No need, I’ll just add a little extra for you. Come back again next time." The owner then turned to Fu Mingyu. "And you, sir? What would you like?"
Bai Yang had just sent over several pending MEL/CDL project forms that were quite important, so Fu Mingyu had to take a moment to check his phone. Without looking up, he said, "Same as her."
From his tone, the owner sensed a hint of indifference and suddenly understood—it wasn’t that his food was exceptionally good. The man was simply accompanying his girlfriend on a humble outing.The owner acknowledged and walked away. Ruan Sixian sat down opposite Fu Mingyu, only to see him staring at his phone, unsure of what he was doing. She gently nudged him with her foot.
"What are you up to?"
Fu Mingyu glanced up at her, his tone carrying a hint of reassurance. "The maintenance department’s quarterly report needs my attention. Wait for me a moment."
Why should I wait for you?
Ruan Sixian propped her chin in her hand and looked up at the TV in the shop.
When they had first entered, the girls at the table behind them had already noticed them. Now, having overheard some of their conversation, one of them poked her boyfriend with her chopsticks.
"Look at that guy. He’s clearly an elite, yet he’s willing to come to a small place like this to eat with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, I have to throw a tantrum just to get you to come out with me."
The conversation drifted softly into Ruan Sixian’s ears. She glanced over discreetly and saw the boy shaking his head while playing a game, casually remarking, "Well, you should also take a look at what his girlfriend looks like."
The girl angrily pinched him.
While Fu Mingyu was looking down at his phone, Ruan Sixian’s gaze slowly settled on his profile.
She repeated to herself over and over in her mind.
This is your boyfriend, the boyfriend you personally acknowledged.
He’s quite good-looking, not a bad deal.
Thinking this, she looked back at the TV, but the corners of her lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
After replying to his messages, Fu Mingyu looked up to see Ruan Sixian smiling.
"What’s so funny?"
Ruan Sixian glanced down at him. "Nothing."
He added, "You seem quite happy today."
Do I?
Ruan Sixian pursed her lips and continued watching the TV on the wall.
"You must be mistaken."
Fu Mingyu put down his phone and didn’t say anything. Following Ruan Sixian’s gaze, he glanced back at what was on the TV, frowned slightly, and then looked away.
"Is the TV really that interesting?"
Not even sparing a glance for your newly appointed boyfriend.
Ruan Sixian rested her chin in her hand, her attention no longer on the TV, but she forced herself to act nonchalant and make small talk.
"It’s alright. This actress suddenly became popular this year. It feels like she’s in a lot of movies and shows now, but I’d never heard of her before. I couldn’t even remember her name earlier—what was it again? Li something…"
Fu Mingyu: "Li Zhihuai."
Fu Mingyu’s unexpected addition made Ruan Sixian pause for a moment.
She lowered her eyes and teased him, "You’re quite interested in these actresses, huh."
Fu Mingyu wore an expression that seemed to say, "Think whatever you want."
"So, what do you think of her looks?"
"Not bad."
Not bad?
Ruan Sixian felt that Fu Mingyu truly had no sense of self-preservation.
How could he praise another woman in front of his girlfriend?
"Oh, is she your type?"
Fu Mingyu looked up at her, his gaze calm. "Don’t you know what my type is?"
Had he just indirectly confessed to her?
She had been wondering if something was missing between her and Fu Mingyu. It seemed like Fu Mingyu had never directly confessed his feelings or asked if she liked him. They had simply skipped that step, shared a kiss, and established their relationship.
Hearing this ambiguous yet pointed remark, Ruan Sixian realized she felt quite happy inside.
Just then, two bowls of clams with vermicelli were served, and a tangy, spicy aroma instantly filled the space between them.She picked up her chopsticks and said, "Let me pick out the clams for you."
Fu Mingyu stared at the bowl from a distance. "No need."
Ruan Sixian began picking out the clams on her own. "Since my boyfriend has condescended to descend from the heavens to accompany me, let me serve you."
"Then you might as well feed me directly."
"..."
"What, is my girlfriend feeling shy?"
Ruan Sixian paused her movements, slowly tightened her grip on the chopsticks, and narrowed her eyes at him.
Sometimes, it was best not to treat Fu Mingyu like a human being.
"I could even take charge of feeding you three meals a day with my own hands, and help you turn over every two hours. Would you like to try this heartwarming love?"
"Turn over? I can help you with that."
"..."
OpenNovel