Chapter 26: Lu Ming

“Aren’t you going to explain your relationship with Quan Qing’er to me?” Qu Wuyan’s words were calm, but the seething anger beneath was unmistakable. “When did you two get together? When did she get pregnant?”

“…”

“Say something! Cat got your tongue? Just how many mistresses do you have out there? How many illegitimate children? You sanctimonious fraud, you hypocrite—how could you do this to me!”

“Qu Wuyan, watch your mouth.” A flush of anger crept onto Fan Chi’s face, his brows knotting with displeasure. “Don’t forget, you were one of those mistresses yourself. Don’t think that just because you’re Mrs. Fan now, you’re something special.”

At this, Qu Wuyan exploded, shouting, “Say that again, I dare you! I’ll tear your mouth apart, and that woman’s too—”

Before Qu Wuyan could finish, Fan Chi hung up.

Terry asked cautiously, “Director Fan, how should we handle this now?”

“Do as you see fit.” Fan Chi was already exhausted, body and soul.

He simply couldn’t understand—what on earth had gotten into Quan Qing’er?

…

“All right, I’ll think it over… Mm, yes, thank you. Goodbye.”

After finishing her third call with a talent scout, Lian Youyou realized it was already past nine in the evening.

Ever since she’d filmed the commercial for “Tales of the Martial World,” talent scouts and agents had been calling her nonstop, all eager to sign her.

But she still didn’t know enough about the inner workings of the entertainment industry, and signing with just any company seemed far too risky.

Lian Youyou drew aside her bed curtain, descended the ladder, and went to fetch a pot of hot water to make some milk powder before washing up and going to bed.

Young people these days all seem to love staying up late, refusing to sleep until the dead of night.

But she preferred going to bed early—staying up late was far too damaging to the body, and only hastened aging.

Once she officially signed with an agency, she’d surely get busy and have no time for early nights and mornings. She needed to treasure her peaceful life while it lasted.

Carrying her thermos out to the corridor, a gust of cold wind made Lian Youyou shiver. Binhai University’s heating system was excellent, and the dorms had their own bathrooms and balconies; except for classes, club activities, or meals in the cafeteria, there was little need to leave, and she’d almost forgotten how cold it could get outside.

But tonight seemed especially frigid.

Lian Youyou glanced back toward the window at the end of the corridor—it was snowing.

With a gentle breeze, fine snow drifted through the pitch-black sky, swirling and floating down like strands of cotton, like tiny shards of silver from the heavens, even like silver stars tumbling from outer space.

It was as if the snow fell straight from the stars, landing on the ground, sparkling like stars themselves under the lamplight.

Lian Youyou returned to the dorm to fetch her coat.

While waiting in line for water at the heater, she overheard two girls in front of her talking.

“Did you see? Professor Lu Ming is standing downstairs by our dorm!”

“What? No way. It’s freezing—who goes to the balcony to look downstairs in this weather? Why would Professor Lu be there?”

“One of the girls from our room just got back and said he’s been down there for at least two hours. When classmates walk by and greet him, he just nods. If someone asks what he’s doing, he doesn’t answer. He just stands there, totally still, practically turning into a lamppost.”

What?

Lian Youyou forgot all about the hot water, grabbed her thermos, and dashed back to the room.

As soon as she opened the balcony door, a blast of icy wind filled with snowflakes swept in, freezing to the bone.

Liu Xiao’ai, Wen Qingqing, and Xiong Qian all yanked open their bed curtains in unison.

“Lian Youyou, are you crazy? Why are you opening the balcony door? We’ll freeze to death!”

The gentle snow had turned into a blizzard without anyone noticing, and the dark night was now a sea of white, illuminated by the snow. The wind howled, carrying the snow so fiercely it was impossible to keep your eyes open.

Shielding her eyes with her hand, Lian Youyou peered downward and finally spotted Lu Ming right below their dorm, his body covered in snow.

A teacher walked by and greeted him. “Good evening, Professor Lu.”

“Good evening, Professor Zhang.”

“How long have you been standing here? You’re covered in snow. Are you waiting for someone? Why are you downstairs by the girls’ dorm?”

“…”

“It’s too cold, I’m heading back in. You should go home early too, Professor Lu.” Professor Zhang pulled his coat tight and left.

Fewer and fewer people passed by, but Lu Ming remained steadfast, standing in place, his head tilted slightly upward, gazing at Lian Youyou on the second floor.

“Are you insane?” Lian Youyou shouted down. “Professor, what are you doing out here?”

It was impossible to tell if Lu Ming had heard her; he stood there, stubborn as ever, not moving an inch.

The snow was so heavy, Lian Youyou couldn’t see his expression, but the sight of him standing alone in the storm stirred an inexplicable ache in her heart.

Should she go down and see him?

But she was torn—her feelings a tangled mess she couldn’t explain, not even to herself.

She didn’t know how to explain that impulsive night, so she’d been avoiding him.

It was undeniable—Lu Ming, in every way, from his looks and figure to his taste and demeanor, was her ideal type. In her girlhood, Lian Meng had pictured her Prince Charming in her mind, using that image as a standard, but no one had ever truly fit.

Lu Zhijun had matched the image halfway—appearance, yes, but not personality, which she found too stiff.

No one else ever came close, and in the end, she’d given up, settling for Fan Chi, who was nothing like her dream at all.

She’d thought her life would go on that way forever, but she never expected that, after her rebirth, she would meet Lu Ming—someone so perfect he seemed to have stepped out of her dreams.

But Lu Ming was in love with her daughter, Youyou. How could she take her daughter’s place?

If she really accepted Lu Ming, she’d not only be deceiving him, but betraying her own daughter as well.

Forget it. Let him stand there. He’d go back once he’d had enough.

…

Two minutes later, Lian Youyou’s heart had already surrendered to her emotions.

She threw on a few layers haphazardly, not bothering with makeup, grabbed her phone, and hurried downstairs.

“Professor, what are you doing out here so late? Please, go home,” she said, running up to him.

Lu Ming’s expression was unreadable. He stood there, silent for a long time.

Finally, he stepped forward and pulled Lian Youyou into a tight embrace, as if afraid she’d run away again.

“You finally agreed to see me.”