Chapter 133: We Can Give It a Try

Knowing that Sang Yijia had something to discuss with him, Lu Wenchuan lost all interest in his meal and hurried through lunch.

Yan Ningsi seized the excuse of not having a car to hitch a ride with Bian He, while Duan Yuqing decided she wanted to take a walk nearby and left on her own.

Sang Yijia watched her friends walk away, then turned to Lu Wenchuan with a helpless shrug. With the production crew still filming behind them, Lu Wenchuan glanced back, sensing that Sang Yijia likely did not want the audience to hear what she had to say.

"I'll drive you back," Lu Wenchuan offered.

Sang Yijia nodded in agreement. She turned to the group director, just about to ask if they still needed to follow them, when the director tactfully stepped back. "We have enough footage. Thank you for your hard work, Miss Sang."

"It's no trouble," Sang Yijia replied, shaking her head as she parted ways with the crew.

"Now we have time to talk," Sang Yijia said, looking back at Lu Wenchuan.

Lu Wenchuan’s heart skipped a beat; he had a bad feeling about this.

"Here?" he asked, though he remained outwardly composed.

Sang Yijia surveyed their surroundings and let out an "mm." "This is indeed not the right place."

"Shall we find a cafe to sit down in?" she suggested.

Lu Wenchuan contemplated for half a second. "My company is nearby. If you don't mind, shall we talk in my office?" He wanted to buy himself some time.

Sang Yijia did not refuse. "That works, but..." Her gaze drifted toward the bright green Lamborghini.

Lu Wenchuan followed her line of sight. The green Lamborghini stood out among the sea of luxury cars, yet it wasn't entirely unique—parked right next to it was an incredibly ostentatious pink BMW. The color was so vivid it was almost impossible to look at directly. The two cars parked side-by-side looked like a pair of eccentric oddities.

Lu Wenchuan was uncharacteristically silent for a moment.

"My older brother gave it to me," Sang Yijia said, clearly satisfied with the color. "I’m planning to add some anime decals to it next time." She was thinking of the little black cat design she had used before; she quite liked it.

"I see." It was her car, and she could do as she pleased; Lu Wenchuan had no objections.

"I'll drive your car back," Lu Wenchuan said, quickly accepting the green Lamborghini. Yet, as he pulled out, he couldn't help but notice the pink BMW again, even stealing a glance at the license plate, curious as to who owned it.

Sang Yijia noticed his gaze. "Don't you like green? Is that pink car that good-looking?" When they had parked, there were no other cars around, and the first thing she had noticed wasn't her own vehicle, but that striking flash of pink.

Lu Wenchuan remained silent for a long time. "Not at all. I was just curious whose it was."

Sang Yijia nodded, then looked at the license plate herself. It looked somewhat familiar; it seemed Sang Qiwen had asked about license plates before. It required a lottery system to obtain, but somehow, her brother had managed to acquire one featuring her initials. Sang Yijia had been quite pleasantly surprised. Before that, he had considered a plate with a string of eights, believing it to be a lucky omen, but Sang Yijia had turned it down.

Looking at the sequential plate now, she fell into deep thought. "Maybe I can help you ask."

"???" Lu Wenchuan raised an eyebrow. "You know who it belongs to?"

"My brother should know." Sang Yijia climbed into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. Seeing that Lu Wenchuan hadn't fastened his, she pointed to it as a reminder. "Seatbelt."

"Right." Lu Wenchuan adjusted his belt and started the engine. The Lamborghini pulled away slowly.

Sang Yijia watched the road, her tone neutral. "I have a question I’ve wanted to ask for a long time."

"What is it?" Lu Wenchuan wondered why she was starting this conversation now rather than waiting until they reached the office.

"What are your feelings for me?" Sang Yijia had sensed his affection for her, but asking him directly if he liked her was something she couldn't bring herself to do.

Lu Wenchuan pondered for a moment before answering earnestly, "Very good." He continued, "You remembered what happened ten years ago. It was my fault that you were dragged into it." He bit his lip. "I wanted to apologize ten years ago, but I never had the chance. I am truly sorry."

"It's fine," Sang Yijia shook her head. "I went over there because I was curious, too."

"And on the mountain," Lu Wenchuan said, not needing to elaborate, knowing she understood. "Thank you." Back then, Sang Yijia could have escaped on her own, but she hadn't, and she had ended up caught in the mudslide with him. "And I am also very sorry." If the rescue team hadn't arrived in time, they might have both... Lu Wenchuan didn't want to think about it.

"But aren't we both fine now?" Sang Yijia paused. "What happened in the past is already over."

"Then let it stay in the past."

Just like when Sang Yijia first arrived in this world; she had spent countless moments thinking it was all a dream and that she would wake up and return. She wasn't the protagonist, and she hadn't accepted the reality of transmigrating into a book right away. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with it.

Lu Wenchuan fell silent. They hit a red light, and the car came to a stop. Sang Yijia looked out the window at the sidewalk, where two primary school girls were walking hand-in-hand, their bond clearly strong.

"Lu Wenchuan." Sang Yijia suddenly turned back, her dark eyes fixed on him. "I mean... why don't we take this chance and give it a try?" Her heart was racing; she didn't know why she had brought it up, but the words had slipped out. Perhaps once she realized he had feelings for her, she wanted to see where it could go. At the same time, she wondered: if not him, could it be anyone else?

"I don't think so," was her own conclusion.

Lu Wenchuan was stunned. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things and was afraid to ask her to repeat it. But looking at her serious expression, he couldn't find the words.

"What I mean by 'I don't think so' is that I've thought about it seriously. If it were anyone else, I don't think I would have agreed." Why exactly? She couldn't quite put it into words, but thinking back, it was likely that moment in the car when she saw him emotionlessly finish a hawthorn berry that had moved her.

"Okay." Lu Wenchuan had imagined many ways to confess, but he never expected that Sang Yijia would be the one to break the ice. "I should have been the one to say this." He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his racing heart telling him that he was far less calm than he appeared. If he could, he would have cheered out loud.

Sang Yijia hummed, tilting her head slightly. "When were you going to say it?"

"..." Lu Wenchuan was speechless.