Chapter 140: I Want to Know You Better

Sang Yijia watched as Lu Wenchuan calmly finished the pastry. A faint smile touched the corner of her lips; after all, hadn't she used the serving chopsticks to separate it precisely for him to eat?

Now that he had eaten it, there was nothing to dwell on.

With that settled, Sang Yijia put down her chopsticks nonchalantly. "I'm finished."

"Mm." Lu Wenchuan’s heart was hammering against his ribs. If not for the soft background music in the restaurant, he feared Sang Yijia might have heard the thunderous rhythm of his pulse.

The rest of the morning passed without further incident.

Since not all the guests had arrived yet, the production team simply followed them around to film. While there were no major mission requirements, there was one small task: to foster closer bonds by the seaside.

This was the task assigned to Sang Yijia and Lu Wenchuan. Yan Ningsi’s partner, Bian He, was still on a flight, so she had a different task, though she kept the details to herself.

Sang Yijia wasn’t particularly curious, but on the way to the beach, she ran into Xu Wei, who was staying in the room opposite theirs.

She was Shen Jin’s partner.

"Miss Sang, Mr. Lu, hello." After being warned by Uncle Chen and Auntie Zhang yesterday, Xu Wei had stopped bothering Sang Yijia. She was worried that if the big boss found out, she wouldn't be able to keep her job, and she also feared the Sang family might take measures against her career.

Xu Wei offered a polite greeting and made to leave.

"Mm, hello, Miss Xu," Sang Yijia nodded slightly.

"You two go ahead, I'm heading over there," Xu Wei said, gesturing toward a nearby shop under the gaze of several onlookers. "I'm working on my mission too."

"Alright, goodbye." Sang Yijia watched Xu Wei depart, then turned back to meet Lu Wenchuan’s dark eyes, a flicker of confusion in her own.

"What is it?"

"Are you very interested in her?"

Sang Yijia wasn't sure why, but she detected a hint of jealousy in his tone. She paused, then smiled. "When I first arrived yesterday, her attitude toward me was very enthusiastic."

"It's different now."

"You don't like that?" A hint of inquisitiveness entered Lu Wenchuan’s eyes. "Perhaps you could have a talk with her."

"No need." Sang Yijia raised a hand to stop him. "Things are fine as they are."

Lu Wenchuan hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on Sang Yijia’s hand. Her skin appeared exceptionally fair in the sunlight, as white as winter snowflakes, almost reflecting the light.

Suddenly, Lu Wenchuan recalled holding Sang Yijia’s hand previously—soft and boneless. A ripple of desire stirred in his heart, and he found himself wanting to hold it again.

Just then, sensing something, Sang Yijia arched a brow at his dark eyes and reached out. "Do you want to hold my hand?"

"..." That was too direct.

It was something Lu Wenchuan couldn't bring himself to do.

"Mm." Lu Wenchuan took her hand, then cleared his throat and explained coolly, "This can help strengthen our relationship."

As he spoke, their casual grip shifted into an interlocking of fingers.

The sensation made Sang Yijia’s fingers tingle. Seeing the tips of Lu Wenchuan’s ears flush red, she narrowed her eyes and smiled, choosing to say nothing.

The segment director followed behind them, recording. To any observer, the two looked like a couple, yet upon closer inspection, they didn't quite seem like one.

"Are they really holding hands just because of the show?" the director asked, puzzled.

The cameraman pondered for a moment. "It looks a bit like it, but also not entirely."

"But come to think of it, what exactly is Lu Wenchuan’s background?" The cameraman had assumed that with the show's remake, Lu Wenchuan’s side would have sent a team to shadow him, but due to the nature of his work, they could only record small snippets of his daily life.

The cameraman knew a girl in the editing department who had mentioned that Lu Wenchuan’s life snippets were so mundane they didn't know how to edit them. Originally slated for five minutes, they had been cut down to two after multiple revisions.

Moreover, the footage that appeared most often featured his cat and dog; it was simply absurd.

The director rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Who knows?"

"Let's just do our jobs." Seeing the pair walking further away, he realized it was a good opportunity for a long shot. "Keep filming well; don't miss any good moments."

Meanwhile, Lu Wenchuan’s palms were sweating. He felt nervous and wanted to pull away to wipe them, but he was reluctant to let go.

"Would you like some milk tea?" Sang Yijia felt his tension. At first, she wondered if she was the one too nervous, causing her own palms to sweat, but her heart felt quite calm—that shouldn't be the case.

She tilted her head to look at Lu Wenchuan. The man’s ears were still bright red; he wasn't as calm and composed as he appeared on the surface.

Sang Yijia felt a mischievous urge. She twitched her thumb, gently scratching his palm.

Lu Wenchuan seemed startled, his entire body stiffening.

"What are you doing?" Sang Yijia couldn't help but laugh. "Am I that terrifying?"

"No," Lu Wenchuan shook his head helplessly. "Not at all, but you should know that I like you very much."

Every move you make stirs my heart.

This time, it was Sang Yijia’s turn for her smile to stiffen. She coughed and regained her composure. "So, didn't I give you a chance yesterday?"

"But I want to be promoted to official status." Lu Wenchuan’s voice was low, as if he were whispering right against her ear.

Sang Yijia’s cheeks flushed with uncontrollable color. Her ears felt itchy, as if brushed by a feather, and her heart was rippling with waves she couldn't settle.

When she finally regained her senses and turned to look at him, she realized Lu Wenchuan had truly leaned in to whisper by her ear. Realizing he had cheated, her eyes widened. "You!"

"What would you like to drink?" Lu Wenchuan chuckled, leading her to the milk tea shop. "Would you like boba milk tea?"

"No, I want green tea with pearls." Sang Yijia looked at the menu, noticed passion fruit tea, and changed her mind. "The green tea is for you."

"I’ll have the passion fruit tea."

Lu Wenchuan had no objections, but as he looked at her, a glimmer of tenderness appeared in his brow. "You really like sour things?"

"Mm, it’s sweet and sour." Sang Yijia seemed to think of something. "Did you know?"

"Fruit is also delicious when prepared sour; it's even better if you sprinkle chili powder or other spices on it."

Lu Wenchuan frowned upon hearing this. "Sour, sweet, and spicy?"

"What does that taste like?"

"If there’s an opportunity, I’ll make it for you." Sang Yijia, rarely seeing Lu Wenchuan look so incredulous, covered her mouth and laughed. "There’s also herbal jelly; I think you’d like that too."

Lu Wenchuan didn't understand, so he searched for an explanation on his phone. He fell silent as he stared at the pitch-black substance in the pictures. "Are you sure this is good?"

"It is, especially with coconut milk and sago," Sang Yijia said with a smile. She hadn't expected that he would look up an explanation for her casual comment—he truly wanted to understand her.