After sending Xiao Lin the list of suitable pharmacies, Lu Yunze walked straight out of the classroom.
The next class was still Yin Yu Old Man’s lecture. Rather than wasting time in class for self-study, he might as well do something important—like waiting for an important person.
When he arrived at the agreed location, Lu Yunze discovered that she hadn’t arrived yet. He wondered, “Is Luo Yao not out of class yet?”
Not seeing anyone, Chen Yunze simply stood there, waiting while playing on his phone.
Just as he was absorbed in a movie review, someone suddenly knocked on his left shoulder.
Lu Yunze was startled, then lazily turned his head and said, “Are you a little rascal, pulling off this kind of prank?”
Because of his movement, his cheek happened to press against the girl’s outstretched index finger, looking just like a deflated balloon.
Standing behind him, Jiang Sui couldn’t help but snicker at the scene.
He hadn’t expected a second trick, but hearing the girl’s silvery laughter, Chen Yunze found he couldn’t even muster his anger. He simply brushed her finger away.
Now that everyone was here, they set off together, chatting as they walked.
“I waited for fifteen minutes. Did something happen?” Chen Yunze asked.
“No, it’s just that I saw Young Master arrived so early, I felt a bit embarrassed to show up,” Jiang Sui replied.
“So, you’re saying you meant to leave me hanging on purpose?”
“If that’s true, do you want to scold me, Young Master?” Jiang Sui asked with a brazen expression, saying such cheeky words.
“You’re already putting it that way—then it must be a lie.”
Lu Yunze pondered; Jiang Sui wasn’t the type to be a shut-in like Bai Bi. How could she possibly feel embarrassed just because someone else arrived before her?
Unless she really did intend to leave him hanging on purpose, but for what reason?
Just as Lu Yunze was speculating, Jiang Sui was sneaking a glance at her phone, scrolling through one photo after another—each one was of Lu Yunze.
As for why, it was simply because she thought they might come in handy someday.
She’d helped him so much during the Anniversary Celebration, and Jiang Sui didn’t even ask for compensation herself. Taking a few candid photos wasn’t too much, right?
“About that friend of yours… she’s called the Hermit, right?” Chen Yunze spoke up again.
“Young Master has met Xiaoyan already?” Jiang Sui pretended to act surprised.
“Yes, though it was unexpected,” Chen Yunze nodded.
“So, does Xiaoyan have some kind of problem?”
“No, she’s nice. She took the money and handled things seriously,” Lu Yunze scratched his head. “She doesn’t seem like someone who’d cause trouble, either.”
Jiang Sui listened, the corners of her mouth lifting into a mysterious arc:
“Does Young Master feel Xiaoyan suits his tastes? Compared to me, how does she fare?”
Why did she suddenly ask that?
For a moment, Lu Yunze didn’t know how to answer. Jiang Sui and the Hermit were almost polar opposites—the former lively, the latter reserved. Yet both had dazzling beauty and an air of independence that set them apart.
If he really had to distinguish, Chen Yunze truly didn’t know who came out on top.
But with Jiang Sui beside him, he still knew what answer would be most appropriate:
“Of course, it’s you.”
“Young Master, so sly. If Xiaoyan asked the same question, you’d say her, wouldn’t you?”
Busted instantly, Lu Yunze could only force a laugh.
“She took the money—she won’t do anything wrong, will she?”
“If Young Master is worried, I can remind her in person.”
“Alright, please do.”
If the Hermit used Chen Yunze’s money for anything wicked, hurting innocent people, he’d rather not proceed with the transaction at all.
What Lu Yunze wondered about even more was the little maid who acted as the go-between. Not only was she responsible for connecting the two of them, she could even provide after-sales service.
But she was the only one of the three who didn’t get any benefit.
Is that really okay?
When going upstairs, Chen Yunze looked up at the girl walking ahead of him.
Her ash-grey long hair swayed, the ample curves of her hips were wrapped tightly in a short skirt, and the long, shapely legs twisted elegantly as she moved. She truly possessed an extraordinary allure.
“Young Master is sneaking a peek at me, huh?”
“…Huh?”
Lu Yunze was taken aback—Jiang Sui hadn’t even turned her head. How did she know?
“I just know.”
Damn, she even read what he was thinking.
Lu Yunze averted his gaze.
“If you want to look, you’d better do it now. Once you get home, you won’t get to see anymore.”
After all, she had to wear a maid outfit at home.
But Lu Yunze felt that the work uniform she wore was pretty appealing too—especially a beautiful girl like Jiang Sui, her back exposed with that fair skin. It even gave him a sudden urge to take a bite.
If anyone heard him say that, he’d definitely be called a pervert—unless that person was Jiang Sui.
Awkwardly coughing once, Chen Yunze changed the subject:
“So you brought me to the Rooftop?”
“You really are clever, Young Master.”
“What exactly is so important that we have to go to the Rooftop?”
After all, it wasn’t something that had to be done in a private place.
Feeling guilty, Chen Yunze took the initiative to bring up compensation. He didn’t know what she wanted, so he simply left the choice to Jiang Sui.
After all, Lu Yunze wasn’t stingy. As long as she didn’t ask for something over-the-top, he could fulfill it.
But what exactly did she want that made her act so mysterious?
When they reached the Rooftop, the answer finally appeared before Lu Yunze.
The first thing he saw made Chen Yunze widen his eyes.
“It’s actually an electric keyboard?”
And it looked brand new.
“You didn’t get this from our club, did you?”
“Young Master is really sharp.”
“If you just borrowed it, that’s fine. Just make sure to return it soon.”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Did you really borrow it from the club?”
Jiang Sui rubbed her temples with a finger, tilted her head and stuck out her tongue, trying to play cute and get away with it.
“It’s true, Young Master. You’re too easy to trick—it just makes people want to tease you.”
Lu Yunze let out a long sigh, then took the initiative to step into the sunlight, where the electric keyboard was nearly about to melt under the bright rays.
“So, the compensation you wanted is related to this?”
“Of course. Right now, right here—let’s have a performance.”
I thought you were going to ask me to start a band for life.
Lu Yunze laughed to himself, but if it was just a performance, why pick such a place?
Whether it was in the club classroom or the dorm lounge, as long as Jiang Sui asked, Chen Yunze would play for her.
While he was puzzling over her intent, Jiang Sui had already plugged in the keyboard.
Just as Lu Yunze was about to start playing, she suddenly leaned in from the side, standing in front of him, her back pressed closely against his chest.
Jiang Sui looked back, saw his current expression, and smiled mischievously:
“Play with me. That’s the compensation I want.”
Alright, so it really wasn’t going to be that simple.
If Jiang Sui was joining in, then picking this place made sense. In fact, Chen Yunze even felt a little relieved—if they did it in the club room, the other members would be the ones suffering.
Playing while enveloped in her fragrance—it wasn’t all torture, was it?
But once the performance started, Lu Yunze quickly realized things were different.
The song Jiang Sui chose was one they’d played together before—back then, she was just so-so at it.
But now, Lu Yunze could clearly sense her playing skill had completely changed.
From the very first note, he could feel her familiarity with the piece had improved tremendously.
Even when Lu Yunze didn’t deliberately match her rhythm, she was able to adjust at the right moments and kept up the entire time.
Mistakes still happened, but far fewer than before.
Lu Yunze tilted his head slightly, glancing at Jiang Sui’s profile.
Those pale purple eyes were focused on the keys of the electric keyboard, her face showing rare seriousness. She looked calm, but her forehead was already slick with sweat.
She wasn’t just fooling around—she was determined to play this piece well, genuinely enjoying the process of performing with Lu Yunze. That’s what Jiang Sui wanted.
While Chen Yunze was busy helping the police catch donation fraudsters, Jiang Sui wasn’t idle either.
She practiced, improved herself—all just for today’s performance.
Even if Lu Yunze didn’t bring it up, Jiang Sui would have found a way to nudge him, bringing him here.
Of course, no matter how prepared you are, playing for real is still nerve-wracking.
But as long as she remembered this was a crucial step in pursuing Chen Yunze, Jiang Sui wouldn’t back down—she’d play through, no matter what.
What was Lu Yunze thinking now?
She had no spare energy to guess—just focusing on playing well was already taking all she had.
If Luo Yao could win you over, I can win you too.
What Luo Yao can’t give you, I still can.
So, give all your heart to me, Chen Yunze!
This was her decision—Jiang Sui’s resolve!
As the little maid’s veins pulsed violently with emotion, Lu Yunze took a deep breath, then lifted his nose to catch her scent.
His playing grew stronger and stronger, abandoning his usual gentle style, instead moving even closer to Jiang Sui.
Hearing the keyboard stand creak, feeling the heat from each other’s bodies—wouldn’t the electric keyboard fall apart under their onslaught at any moment?
Who cared? For now, they were both immersed in the world of music, feeling only each other’s heartbeat and the intertwined rhythms.
When the final note faded, Jiang Sui and Lu Yunze both exhaled, releasing the keys as they collapsed backward onto the ground.
The floor was hard and cold, but neither of them bothered to get up.
Both were drenched in sweat, and because of her playing position, Jiang Sui ended up using one of Lu Yunze’s legs as a pillow.
“So Young Master can be this intense, too.”
“Don’t underestimate my skills. I have some training, after all.”
“Really? It felt just like a couple working out on the bed, nearly shaking the whole thing apart.”
“Don’t use such terrifying analogies.”
The two glanced at each other and burst into relaxed laughter.
“Young Master, are you satisfied?”
“Satisfied. I’m exhausted.”
Such a man is easy to handle.
But I still want more.
Earlier, during the performance—was Lu Yunze looking at the keyboard, or at me?
Don’t look at the keys. Look at me. Just look at me. Best if you look at me like you want to possess me.
Just like last time, leave an indelible mark with your hands, mess me up completely!
Let there be even more, more chances to monopolize Chen Yunze—
Until he is wholly and completely mine.
The closer she drew to that day, Jiang Sui stuck out her tongue and gently licked her lips, her cheeks tinged a vibrant red.