Chapter 21: Haven't Seen You in a Few Days; Have You Missed Me?

By the time Tang Yu finished her news draft and uploaded it to the internet, it was already 6:30 PM, and her colleagues had all long since gone home.

Looking at Yu Shuang’s piece, the data had skyrocketed, leaving all other feature reports in the dust. The result was obvious: in the coverage of the International Equestrian Culture Week opening ceremony, Tianxia Finance had triumphed over the Beichen Business Daily.

For the first time, Yu Shuang had beaten Tang Yu.

Tang Yu expressionlessly closed the interface, her mind retracing every detail of her day at the Xiqing Equestrian Club. There was still nothing suspicious to be found. Yet, how did that draft end up in Yu Shuang's hands? The report Yu Shuang had published today displayed a blend of two distinct styles; at a glance, it looked like her own, but upon closer inspection, it hid traces of Tang Yu’s signature touch. She had, in fact, tried quite hard to conceal it.

Exhaling deeply, Tang Yu shut down her computer, gathered her belongings, and left the office.

As she stepped into the elevator, she unexpectedly received a call from Lou Xizhou. Tang Yu felt her heart rate accelerate for no reason. Seeing his name on the screen felt as though he were standing right in front of her, and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. This was entirely abnormal. Hadn't it only been a few days since they last met? She should have felt indifferent, so why was her heart fluttering like a nervous schoolgirl?

Tang Yu reached to decline the call, but as if possessed, her finger swiped to answer instead. In that instant, she wanted to kick herself for acting against her own will. This was impossible.

"Tang Yu?" Lou Xizhou’s voice sounded through the phone when he heard no response.

"I’m... I’m here!" Tang Yu replied hesitantly.

Lou Xizhou gave a low, mocking chuckle. "What are you nervous about? I’m not even in front of you."

It was as if he were watching her and could see right through her thoughts. Tang Yu’s pretty face flushed, and she muttered, "I’m not nervous at all, Mr. Lou, please don't talk nonsense." This was what she found most irritating about him; it was one thing that his eyes seemed to pierce through her when they were face-to-face, but he could even read her mind over the phone. How annoying.

"Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, Tang Yu, you know it in your heart," Lou Xizhou said quietly. "Let’s have dinner together. I have something to tell you."

Tang Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately assumed he was going to bring up their relationship again and tried to evade the topic. "I still have work to finish..."

"It is related to your work."

Tang Yu paused. "Oh, is that so?"

"Why do you sound so disappointed?" Lou Xizhou asked, his tone teasing. "Haven't seen me in a few days—did you miss me?"

"I did not! Stop talking nonsense!" Tang Yu retorted immediately, though her face grew even hotter.

Lou Xizhou laughed again. "That’s more like it. I’ll be waiting for you at home."

"Aren't you... quite busy?" Tang Yu tried to refuse internally. "You can just tell me over the phone. I won't go to your place."

Lou Xizhou’s voice suddenly deepened. "If I were standing at your door waiting for you, would you not come home for the night? If you keep hiding like this, I might just have to go to your family and propose marriage."

Then they would see where she could hide.

"Lou Xizhou, did you investigate me?!" Tang Yu shouted in a panic, unsure if he had actually dug into her background. It would be effortless for him to check up on someone.

"In your heart, am I that kind of person?" Lou Xizhou asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I..." Tang Yu was speechless. She was truly afraid of him investigating her; if he discovered her real identity, he would surely contact her family. Given his background and status, a marriage alliance would be considered highly appropriate, and her family would be very pleased. However, she simply did not want a marriage based on a business alliance. Furthermore, she was the most ordinary member of her family, with no standout achievements compared to her older siblings. She had often envied them, yet she wasn't insecure, because her family loved her and her siblings adored her. Compared to them, she possessed the most freedom, and she was very content with her current life.

Seeing that she had no response, Lou Xizhou’s heart was genuinely stung by her silence. He sighed softly. "Tang Yu, I haven't investigated you. I don't know if you're hiding from me because of family issues or personal ones, but I am here for you as a person, without any added factors. However, I know you are an amateur race car driver and have a passion for horseback riding. Your family background must be far beyond that of many others, so that clearly isn't the main reason for your concern. Therefore, it must be something about yourself."

"Stop," Tang Yu interrupted. "I don't think you're the type to investigate people behind their backs. I was just nervous when you mentioned proposing, so I said that in a moment of panic. Please don't take it to heart. I apologize for my slip of the tongue. I’m sorry, Mr. Lou."

Lou Xizhou chuckled softly on the other end of the line. "Then come back, and we’ll have dinner together, okay?"

"...Alright." It took a long moment for Tang Yu to agree. She felt as though he had already completely won her over.

Driving back to the residential complex, Tang Yu saw Lou Xizhou’s tall, upright figure standing at his door from a distance. He looked through the windshield, watching her as she drove up. Tang Yu felt a surge of energy spreading through her limbs, though she fought to maintain her composure.

As soon as she got out of the car and closed the door, she was pulled into a familiar embrace. Tang Yu froze, not daring to move.

"Tang Yu, it’s been a while," Lou Xizhou whispered as he held her. Since the day she had dragged him to get their marriage certificate only to run away afterward, he had been tasting the bitterness of every day feeling like three autumns. He wondered when she would finally taste it too. This woman, who had teased him and then taken no responsibility—oh, well.

Tang Yu snapped out of it at his words and tried to push him away. Fortunately, he didn't make it difficult for her and let her go.

"It hasn't been that long, just a few days!" she said, hurrying past him into his house just to hide her blushing face.

Lou Xizhou turned and watched her ostrich-like behavior, feeling helpless.

Tang Yu went to the bathroom for a while, splashing cold water on her face to cool down before coming out.

"Miss Tang is out. Come to the dining room and sit down. I’ve made the dishes that both you and Mr. Lou love," said Auntie Liu.

"Is Lou Huainan not home?" Tang Yu asked subconsciously.

Auntie Liu replied, "He called to say he’s at a classmate’s birthday party."

In the dining room, Lou Xizhou was already sitting at the head of the table. Seeing her enter, his deep gaze swept over her flushed face, and he understood everything. He gestured to the seat nearest to him. "Sit."

"What did you want to tell me, Mr. Lou?" Tang Yu asked as she sat down, taking the soup Auntie Liu handed her. "Thank you, Auntie Liu."

Lou Xizhou looked at her and said, "The traffic accident you had in Haicheng last time wasn't an accident. But they didn't intend to hurt you; they just wanted to stall you."

Tang Yu, who was drinking her soup, looked up in surprise and frowned. "You mean someone is targeting me?"

Lou Xizhou nodded slightly. "Yes, and no. The report on the opening ceremony was what truly targeted you. Someone tampered with your news draft. Whoever was closest to you at the scene—that's who it was. You’re smart enough to have figured that out."

His reminder brought one name to Tang Yu’s mind: Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu?"