012, Li Zichen, keep your distance_1

After a two-second reaction, Chu Liangxia's thoughts snapped back to reality.

She didn't have much cash on her, or rather, her total funds weren't substantial. Taking a cab home would cost a pretty penny, so after some consideration and before the benevolent driver could change his mind, she wisely opened the rear car door and pushed the oblivious Lang Lin inside first.

Afterward, she got into the backseat herself.

"Shuiyunjian, Building C," Chu Liangxia announced her address.

The car immediately started and drove onto the highway.

Sitting behind the front passenger seat, Chu Liangxia had a clear view of Feng Ziheng's profile.

Guessing that Feng Ziheng didn't like her talking, Chu Liangxia remained silent throughout the ride, sitting there obediently, although her gaze occasionally fell on Feng Ziheng at an angle.

Perhaps due to his profession, he sat motionless while driving, like a statue, no matter how many times she looked, there was no change.

At one in the morning, the car arrived at Shuiyunjian.

Lang Lin got out first, and when Chu Liangxia came out, she opened the door to the front passenger side and, sure enough, saw her backpack placed on the driver's seat.

"Thank you." Bending down to grab the backpack strap, Chu Liangxia smiled at Feng Ziheng and asked, "Is there anything with which I can repay you?"

Feng Ziheng turned his head and frowned, looking her up and down.

After a moment, he said, "Stay away from Li Zichen."

The motion of grabbing her backpack halted abruptly.

So this was the reason behind his kindness?

But it was normal.

Who could blame him when her reputation was flirtatious and her conduct improper?

Chu Liangxia's face stiffened slightly, and then, narrowing her eyes with a smile, she nodded decisively, "Okay."

Catching that hint of embarrassment in her expression, Feng Ziheng was slightly taken aback, realizing that she might have misunderstood something but seeing that less friendly and warm smile, he ultimately didn't offer any explanation.

"Bye."

Picking up her backpack, Chu Liangxia politely bid farewell, then closed the door.

Chu Liangxia wasn't overly sensitive, but as she watched the car drive away, her heart felt an unexpectedly sharp sting for a moment.

Tsk, with such a gap between people, it's tough to be on equal terms in anything.

Lang Lin stood to the side, not having heard the exchange between the two, but he noticed the odd look on Chu Liangxia's face as she came out with her backpack.

"Let's go."

Carrying a backpack that was almost half her size, Chu Liangxia said to Lang Lin and then entered the building.

Lang Lin had intended to help her with the baggage, but seeing her carry it with ease, he swallowed the offer.

Chu Liangxia's apartment was on the 23rd floor.

"The code is my birthday."

As she pressed the code to unlock the door, Chu Liangxia mentioned it to Lang Lin, but after pushing in two digits, she noticed his stiff expression and instantly realized something.

So she repeated the code to him.

"You go take a shower first; I'll tidy up the guest room."

After entering, Chu Liangxia fetched him a pair of clean slippers and instructed him.

Lang Lin silently put on the slippers and went in.

Chu Liangxia found a loose T-shirt in the wardrobe of the guest room and handed it to him, then went into the guest room to clean, air the room, and make the bed.

The apartment had three bedrooms and two living rooms: a master bedroom, a guest room, and a study. Chu Liangxia usually only used the master bedroom and study. The guest room was for occasional freeloading visitors like Mr. Ling and generally required airing out once a week; it barely needed tidying.

The guest room had Mr. Ling's personal items, and the T-shirt she gave Lang Lin belonged to Mr. Ling as well.

After tidying up the room, Chu Liangxia dashed out again to buy daily necessities for Lang Lin, along with some fruits.

At three in the morning, when Chu Liangxia returned, most of the nine hundred yuan she had on her had been spent.

Lang Lin was sitting on the sofa waiting for her.

"Do you still have any money?"

As soon as he heard the sound at the entrance, Lang Lin lifted his head and looked over.

After a slight pause, Chu Liangxia approached, carrying two bags and asked, "Do you need living expenses?"

"No, I don't," Lang Lin said with a slightly stiff expression, pausing between each word.

Chu Liangxia's curiosity was piqued, just about to ask why when she saw her cellphone on the coffee table.

She immediately understood something.

Probably the bank's message had been seen by Lang Lin.

After thinking it over, Chu Liangxia said, "I can ask my family for it."

"You just broke off your engagement with the Feng Family. Chu Yunxiao won't care about you," Lang Lin said bluntly.

"So?"

Chu Liangxia placed the bags with living essentials next to him, then turned around and walked towards the refrigerator near the kitchen.

Just as she opened the refrigerator door, she heard Lang Lin's decisive voice, "I will give you living expenses."

"What do you want to eat, apples or grapes?"

Chu Liangxia asked Lang Lin as if she hadn't heard him, in a languid tone.

Lang Lin looked at her and then stood up, heading towards the side bedroom.

Hearing the sound of the door closing, Chu Liangxia shrugged her shoulders, put the fruit into the refrigerator, and then picked up her phone from beside the coffee table.

It was a message from Gan Mulan, saying that her editing of the "Happy Journey" promo had been highly praised. It was originally an informal promo, but after being seen by the producer, they decided to have Gan Mulan's studio make a new promo featuring the leads. Gan Mulan's studio couldn't produce one of such high quality, so they had to ask Chu Liangxia for help again.

Chu Liangxia desperately needed the money, so naturally, she agreed without hesitation.

Before a series starts broadcasting, the existence of a promo is essential, needing wave after wave to attract attention. To capture the audience's curiosity, the promo's quality had to be elevated.

That this task fell to Chu Liangxia was quite a sign of respect for her.

After putting down her phone, Chu Liangxia took a bath, washed a bunch of grapes, and then went to the study to pull an all-nighter.

Having already fast-forward watched the entire "Happy Journey," Chu Liangxia marked down the plot gist, the relationship between the leads, and the highlights of the whole series. She first organized the promo production plan into a document, printed it out to check it three times, and then started editing based on the tumultuous relationship of the leads.

With previous experience, Chu Liangxia was slightly taxed editing this time, but by seven in the morning the next day, she had finished editing the promo.

Without sleeping, she freshened up and then went to the kitchen to cook two bowls of noodles.

Hearing the movement in the kitchen, Lang Lin, without needing Chu Liangxia to call him, got up on his own initiative.

"You don't have class today, right? It's Saturday," Chu Liangxia asked Lang Lin, who was just done freshening up.

"No, I don't."

"Go home and bring back your revision materials."

"Okay," Lang Lin nodded somewhat indifferently.

Chu Liangxia didn't press him, instead, she ate her noodles with dark circles under her eyes.

"Didn't you sleep?" Lang Lin asked tentatively, examining her.

"I'm a bit busy, will catch up on sleep later," Chu Liangxia forced herself to sound energetic.

Lang Lin withdrew his gaze and did not speak again.

After eating, Chu Liangxia threw the bowls into the kitchen without washing them, and went to her room to catch up on sleep.

But just as she closed the bedroom door, her cellphone in her sweatpants buzzed.

Chu Liangxia fished it out, and it was a text message.

Li Zichen: Liangxia, are you free?