Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Later, as the details slowly sank in, I realized that our second encounter looked exactly like a long-con I had meticulously planned.

Whether it was ignoring his calls to force him to search for my WeChat, or “accidentally” leaving my belongings in his car, it all carried the suspicious scent of a deliberate honey trap.

But back then, I was just a bookworm. Where would I have learned such schemes?

I can only say that the gears of fate began to turn the moment I hailed that car.

At the time, it immediately occurred to me that he must be the owner of the Maybach. It seemed the driver’s side hustle had been exposed after all.

However, I didn’t remember leaving anything behind.

After accepting his contact request, I told him truthfully that I hadn’t lost anything.

A moment later, he sent over a picture.

It was my lip balm.

The autumn and winter weather was dry, and my lips were always cracking, so I kept a tube in my pocket to carry with me. It must have slipped out while I was in the car.

It was just a cheap little thing, and I didn’t feel like making the trip to get it, so I replied:

[It’s fine, I don’t want it anymore. You can just throw it away.]

He didn’t reply after that.

I figured as much. Someone who could afford a Maybach was bound to be busy; it was already decent of him to even ask about such a trivial matter.

To my surprise, less than a week later, I received another WeChat message from him:

[Lao Li mentioned you’re a student at this university. I happened to be here on business today. If you’re free, come and pick it up.]

It was already seven or eight in the evening. I had just finished showering and was rubbing my hair dry while staring at the message in disbelief.

Suspicion began to brew in my mind.

It was just a worthless lip balm. Was it really worth all this trouble for him to reach out to me again and again?

I knew some rich men liked to cruise around university gates in luxury cars. The nearby media and arts colleges, in particular, were hotbeds for constant gossip.

But he hadn’t even seen me last time. Besides, at most, I could be called “decent-looking”; I was nowhere near the level of a true beauty.

Or was it the driver pretending to be him? Was he afraid I’d talk and wanted to warn me?

All sorts of conjectures flooded my mind. For safety’s sake, I suggested meeting at the fountain square near my dormitory.

There were plenty of lights there, and the later it got, the more people there were. It was a safe place to meet.

My hair was still wet, and there definitely wasn’t enough time to blow-dry it. But it was cold outside, and I was afraid of catching a cold. So, I decided to go all out: I wrapped a white cloak around my neck to keep my wet hair off my clothes, threw on a black down jacket over that, pulled up the hood, and let a pair of pink coral fleece pajama pants peek out from the bottom.

I looked as eccentric as eccentric gets.

When I reached the fountain square, I truly understood the meaning of shooting oneself in the foot.

The square was illuminated by soft yellow and white lights, and students passing by were all stealing glances at my bizarre outfit.

I was filled with a thousand regrets. Why hadn’t I at least worn a mask?

The moment I saw Xiang Liangzhi, my regret intensified.

He was wearing a suit today-a well-tailored, high-end custom piece. He had a sturdy, upright physique, and though he was bundled up tightly, he exuded an air that invited endless imagination.

As the saying goes, a woman’s beauty is in her bones, not just her skin.

For a man, beauty lies in his aura.

His aura was steady and composed, standing out like a crane among a flock of chickens compared to the students who had yet to enter society. The difference was stark.

In my twenty-some years of life, this was the first time I had met a handsome, wealthy man in the real world.

It’s a universal consensus among girls to want to leave a good impression on a handsome guy.

And then there was me-

I looked down at myself: a white cloak around my neck, a plain black down jacket in the middle, and pink pajama pants at the bottom.

Just let the world end.

Right now.

If I hadn’t failed to see his face clearly last time, how could I have been so reckless?

Since I was already here, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over.

He was clearly startled by my attire, but his poise and upbringing kept him from laughing on the spot.

Long afterward, when Xiang Liangzhi and I reminisced about this moment, he told me that he had also initially thought I left the lip balm on purpose to seduce him.

But the moment he saw me in person, he was certain it had been an accident.

…Fine.

He didn’t say much. He opened his hand, and the lip balm lay in his palm.

His broad palm and slender fingers made the lip balm look tiny and delicate.

I took it from him; the casing still held the warmth of his hand.

My face began to heat up as well.

I thanked him, thought for a moment, and added, “It’s really not worth anything. I’m sorry for making you go through all this trouble again.”

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

His voice was clear and refreshing. Judging by the sound, he probably wasn’t that old.

“There are no markings on this lip balm. I was worried it might be a custom-made item, so I thought it best to return it.”

I only learned later that besides guarding against the overt and covert attacks in the business world, Xiang Liangzhi also had to deal with the endless schemes of various women.

They would break or lose something they claimed held sentimental value, using it as an excuse to at least secure a dinner or some form of compensation. One thing would lead to another, and they’d establish a connection.

But his concern was clearly unnecessary in my case.

Upon hearing his words, I laughed.

“You’ve enjoyed wealth for so long that you probably don’t realize that when something has no markings, it might not be custom-made-it might just be a generic, off-brand product.”

He froze.

I said with a smile, “I bought this at a small shop across from a school when I was away on a volunteer teaching trip. It cost one yuan and sixty cents, and it works great.”

He laughed too.

The lights of the fountain square seemed to bloom behind his smile, momentarily dazzling my eyes.

It was a re-encounter that was both awkward and beautiful.