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Sunday night, Lu Xing returned to Haicheng by car.
Everything returned to normal.
A new week began.
Monday, the senior sister cosplayed as Sakurajima Mai. Pretty.
Tuesday, the senior sister cosplayed as Shiina Mahiru. Pretty.
Wednesday, the senior sister cosplayed as Kitagawa Marin. Pretty.
Thursday: "Lu Xing, oh Lu Xing, how can you be so depraved? You can't just spend all your time looking at cosplay!"
Friday, the senior sister cosplayed as Elysia. Pretty.
Looking back at his week, Lu Xing was heartbroken, feeling deeply that he had wasted his precious time.
Meow~~~
Seeing Lu Xing paralyzed on the sofa, Xiaobai lightly jumped onto his stomach, circling a few times before nestling down.
Heh.
A cat offering itself up for pets. You’d be a bastard not to take advantage of that.
Hehe.
Kitty, kitty~~~
After Liu Qingqing finished washing the fruit in the kitchen, she walked out with a plate and immediately saw Lu Xing in this state.
She was still wearing Elysia’s outfit. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing her cute dimples. Holding a grape, she stood at the head of the sofa, leaned over him, and asked.
"Want a grape?"
"No."
"I'll peel it for you."
"Then Yes."
Liu Qingqing smiled.
After spending this time together, she had come to understand that Lu Xing had a personality that particularly despised trouble.
This trait even extended to his diet, he wouldn't eat shrimp or crabs, refused fruits that needed peeling, and so on.
It wasn't that he didn't like them; he was simply too lazy to do the work.
Just like a child.
Liu Qingqing peeled a plump grape and held it to Lu Xing's lips.
(TL: Who peels grapes? Like what even...)
"Open up."
Lu Xing opened his mouth, and the sweet juice flooded his tongue.
"Spit out the seed."
Liu Qingqing took out a tissue and held it near his mouth.
Lu Xing didn't speak. He lay on the sofa, quietly staring at the girl in front of him.
He was feeling anxious.
Ever since the construction of the orphanage no longer required his constant worry, his entire being seemed to have lost its direction and its emotional spark.
Lu Xing was horrified to realize that he was even "acting" while around his grandparents.
What was real? What was fake?
He couldn't tell anymore.
An isolated system inevitably moves from order to disorder.
Just as a house left vacant for too long falls into disrepair, or a phone lags after years of use, or a person eventually dies, even the boundless universe moves toward destruction, eventually turning into a silent, dead void.
Lu Xing was no fool.
He realized his mental state was on the verge of collapse. He wanted to save himself.
And so.
Lu Xing was desperate to find someone who could help him regain his ability to feel.
Perhaps it was despicable, but he was indeed using his senior sister to recover his perception.
Lu Xing could tell that she liked him.
All her flirtatious little tricks only worked because he was indulging her.
But he decided that if he truly felt an emotional spark for her, he would take responsibility.
Lu Xing thought to himself.
Perhaps overcoming the fear of feelings wasn't so difficult after all?
He continued to pet the cat.
"Thanks."
Liu Qingqing shook her head.
"It’s a small thing."
She found the smooth progress of her "star-chasing" plan almost incredible.
The Lu Xing she had met over the phone had been so difficult to handle.
At the same time.
Liu Qingqing felt a "Sword of Damocles" hanging over her head.
Back then.
When she first met Lu Xing, they had introduced themselves.
She had been so shocked by his name and so scared in the moment that, without thinking, she had given him a fake name.
If they were just passing strangers, a fake name wouldn't matter.
But now.
She had fallen for him.
The thought of this made her feel like she was reaping what she had sown.
Their atmosphere was so harmonious, their relationship so congenial.
But Liu Qingqing knew.
The secret of her name was a bomb hidden between them.
She couldn't control it.
After much thought, she could only come up with one solution.
Start the relationship first, then deal with the confession later.
In the "Star Chasing Guide" Lu Xing had written back then, he had advised her not to use her body in exchange for feelings, but that was because he feared the man might be a scumbag.
But this man was Lu Xing.
Liu Qingqing’s gaze deepened, but her lips curled into a sweet smile.
'I won't let you go.'
And so.
With both Lu Xing and Liu Qingqing intentionally pushing forward, their relationship developed by leaps and bounds.
...
Sunday.
Lu Xing received an invitation from Gong Zhenbao, the head of operations at the Haicheng History Museum, inviting him for a visit.
The proposal Lu Xing had submitted back then hadn't just won the cultural competition prize...
The products the museum created based on his ideas had completely sold out!
Countless visitors flocked in, and influencers of all sizes arrived in a steady stream.
The Haicheng History Museum was quite loyal.
They didn't hide his contribution, stating directly that the product line was planned by the "Super Invincible Cosmic Berserk Cool and Dazzling Little Prince of Wood Carving."
Because of this, Lu Xing’s wood-carving account gained a massive wave of new fans. His private messages were flooded with other museums seeking cooperation.
Taking this opportunity, Lu Xing immediately registered a studio.
Even though the studio only consisted of him... the name was there, making it look formal.
Since he didn't have much free time, he was picky. Aside from the Haicheng History Museum, he chose only one other museum from another province to work with.
Unexpectedly.
His selective approach was interpreted as him "cherishing his feathers." Consequently, his studio’s reputation in the industry became even more prestigious.
Alright.
Lu Xing felt that life was strange. It was a classic case of "an unintentional willow growing into a shade."
(TL: An unintentional willow grows into a shade (无心插柳柳成荫): A Chinese proverb meaning that sometimes things you do without much expectation end up being wildly successful.)
"Senior sister, are you ready?"
Lu Xing was cuddling Xiaobai in his arms.
He was headed to the museum today. When she heard about it, she raised her hand, insisting on coming along.
"I'm ready!"
Liu Qingqing pushed open the bedroom door and stepped out, twirling lightly.
"Do I look beautiful?"
Lu Xing looked at her seriously.
Her pink hair had slowly faded to a pinkish-white, so she had straightened it.
The blush on her cheeks was just right, sweet and alluring. The most beautiful confession in the world is nothing more than a girl’s blushing face.
Today, she wore a white slip dress. Her shoulder-length hair made her collarbones look even whiter and more delicate.
"You look beautiful."
Lu Xing gave a sincere evaluation.
"Objectively beautiful."
Liu Qingqing’s eyes curved into a smile. "Objectively beautiful? What kind of evaluation is that?"
Lu Xing spread his hands as he changed his shoes. "It means that even if a person doesn't fit my specific aesthetic taste, their beauty is an objective fact. Even if I don't personally like it, I have to admit they are beautiful."
"Then what type is your aesthetic taste?"
Liu Qingqing picked up Xiaobai and kissed the cat.
Hehe.
Lu Xing had kissed Xiaobai.
Now she had kissed Xiaobai.
So.
Lu Xing had indirectly kissed her.
According to the formula it’s a win!
Confronted with her question, Lu Xing thought back. Most women he had dealt with were clients. He said:
"If I like her, she fits my aesthetic. If I don't, she doesn't."
Liu Qingqing gave him a sideways glance. "Are you just messing with me?"
Lu Xing noticed the ID card in her hand and waved her off.
"No need for that. Uncle Gong said admission is free, and anyone I bring gets in for free too."
If he had to pay for a visit, he wouldn't even go!
Liu Qingqing froze, a cold sweat breaking out. She quickly glanced at the ID card in her hand.
Seeing that Lu Xing had only seen the back of it, she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Okay! Thank you, the great Mr. Lu, for taking me out to play!"
Lu Xing smiled, but then he recalled the back of the ID card. It looked different from his own.
"Are you from Taiwan?"
"That's right." Liu Qingqing said with a smile, "So the back of my ID card says 'Taiwan Resident Residence Permit'."
She changed her shoes, looked at Lu Xing, who was lost in thought, and said with a soft smile.
"Yay, thank you, the great Mr. Lu, for taking me out to play!"
"Does my accent have the right 'flavor' now?"
(TL: I guess she is speaking using her Taiwanese accent here.)
...
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