Chapter 024: A Kiss Through the Fingers

The weather was hot, and so were the people.

Lou Huainan’s competition was scheduled for a little past ten in the morning, but he had arrived early, helping Tang Yu hold her umbrella and keeping her company with light conversation. Xiao Wu, aside from the occasional interjection, mostly stayed silent, focused on watching the preliminary matches.

In the midst of their talk, Tang Yu received a message from Lou Xizhou saying he was almost there. Her mood was hard to describe; overall, it was tinged with a fair amount of anxiety.

"Sister Tang Yu, when I get out there later, remember to take plenty of photos of me," Lou Huainan requested.

Tang Yu gave an absentminded nod, her eyes wandering around the venue.

"And after it's over, take a few of me with my uncle, and then a few more of me with you."

Tang Yu nodded again, her gaze fixed on her phone.

"Finally, the three of us will take one together, with you standing in the middle holding the trophy."

Tang Yu nodded once more, her mind clearly elsewhere as she turned to look at the crowd. Noticing that she seemed to be listening but not really hearing him, Lou Huainan frowned with slight irritation. "Sister Tang Yu?"

"What?" Tang Yu glanced at him before turning back to the arena.

"Are you even listening to me?" he asked.

Tang Yu looked at him again. "Of course, you said take pictures." With that, she turned away, her eyes darting around again within seconds.

Lou Huainan followed her gaze, but saw nothing worth looking at. "Sister Tang Yu, what are you looking for?"

At his words, she finally met his eyes, stammered a bit, and said, "I want to find another spot to get some photos from different angles."

Having said that, she spoke to Xiao Wu, took the parasol back from Lou Huainan, and turned to walk away. Lou Huainan turned to follow her. Xiao Wu glanced at their retreating figures and pulled out his phone to send a few messages.

"Don't follow me; go get ready for your match," Tang Yu said, looking at Lou Huainan. "I’ll find a quiet, good spot to snap some shots of you later."

Lou Huainan was obedient enough, offering a few final reminders before he finally left. Seeing him go, Tang Yu let out a long sigh of relief and hid herself in a quiet, slightly elevated area with a good vantage point.

Just as she was taking a sip of water, a low voice came from behind her.

"Why did you run off to a place like this?"

Hearing that familiar male voice, Tang Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and she choked on her water, breaking into a fit of coughing.

Lou Xizhou appeared, dressed in an off-white summer casual outfit, wearing a sun hat and sunglasses. Seeing her choke, he took two quick steps forward to pat her back, simultaneously taking the umbrella from her hand.

Standing so close, Tang Yu could smell his distinct scent—clean and pleasant. Combined with the high-status impression she already had of him, even just the scent made him seem extraordinary.

"You really are energetic, managing to find me even when I'm hiding," Lou Xizhou teased. "The view is nice here, though the sun is quite harsh."

***

Tang Yu, having finished coughing, turned to look at him. For a moment, she subconsciously scanned him, feeling as if she were seeing a stranger. Back at the hotel in Haicheng, he had looked somewhat businesslike, but today he was truly casual—yet his air of refined elegance was as present as ever.

Tang Yu looked at herself in contrast: wrapped up tightly from head to toe, even wearing sun-protective sleeves.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't recognize me?"

Lou Xizhou chuckled, took off his sunglasses with one hand, and gently placed them on her face. Then, he took her camera and handed her the parasol. "Have you taken any photos yet?"

With the sunglasses on, Tang Yu felt much better, but she felt it was inappropriate for her to wear his things. "No." She took them off as she spoke, holding them in one hand while using the other to hold the umbrella over his head. She had intended to drink some water and then take photos, but he had followed her. She even suspected he had been tailing her, otherwise, how would he know she was hiding here?

Lou Xizhou lifted the camera, focused, and snapped a few shots before lowering it to show her. "How are they?"

Tang Yu leaned in to look. He flipped through the photos one by one, and she nodded repeatedly. "Your technique is truly excellent, Mr. Lou."

"I have excellent technique in other areas, too. Would you like to try?" Lou Xizhou turned to look at her after adjusting the camera, his eyes deep with meaning.

Tang Yu didn't catch the double entendre. She looked up at him straightforwardly, though not at his eyes. "What kind of technique?" After all, Lou Huainan had said last night that his uncle was skilled at many things; his technical expertise must be beyond question.

In the next second, Lou Xizhou freed a hand to gently stroke her cheek, his thumb pressing lightly against her slightly dry lips, before he leaned down and kissed the back of his own thumb.

Tang Yu, who had been wondering what he was about to do, was stunned. She stared at him, frozen, her face—already flushed from the heat—turning the color of a sunset.

Then she heard him say, "This kind of technique. Want to try?"

He... he... he...!

Seeing her face flush like an apple, Lou Xizhou couldn't help but laugh, but he offered a sincere apology. "My apologies. But I want to ask a question. You must answer honestly, and then you can be as angry or as abusive as you like." *Better be satisfied with this; being scolded by one’s wife is a blessing.*

Tang Yu was indeed suppressing her anger as she opened her mouth: "What is it?" *Just wait, she was going to tear him apart...*

"Just now—did you feel repulsed?" Lou Xizhou scrutinized her subtle reactions.

The words Tang Yu had been bottling up, waiting to unleash, suddenly died in her throat at his question; they even began to dissipate. She turned her head to avoid his hand, her eyes flashing with defiance. She was absolutely not going to answer his question.

"I’ll pretend it never happened! And there won't be a next time!"

*It wasn't repulsing, so what?*

Lou Xizhou let out a deep sigh, his brow tinged with a hint of regret. He reached out, took the sunglasses from her hand, and placed them back on her face.

***

"Let me take you to a shadier spot with a better view. By the time we get the shots, Huainan should be starting his match."

Tang Yu stood still and took his sunglasses off again.

Not hearing footsteps following him, Lou Xizhou turned back to see her standing there, holding the umbrella and looking toward the arena, looking adorably indignant.

*So this is what she calls 'pretending it never happened'?*

*This is what she calls 'not repulsed.'*

The corners of his mouth curled up. He walked back and gently pulled her around to face him. "If you're angry, just scold me. It's fine, I'm listening."

Tang Yu hooked the sunglasses onto the small pocket on the left side of his chest, picked up her bag from the ground, let out a cold "Hmph," and walked away. *Who wants to use his smelly sunglasses!*

Seeing this, Lou Xizhou chuckled at her back. He used two fingers to adjust his sun hat, which had been knocked crooked by the corner of her umbrella, put his sunglasses back on, and followed her.

"Tang Yu."

"A-Yu."

"Tang Tang."

Tang Yu felt embarrassed by his calling out behind her and had to stop and turn around. "Mr. Lou, stop calling me that!" He was so infuriating when he wasn't acting serious.

Lou Xizhou walked past her, continuing downward. "From now on, I'm calling you Tang Tang."

"No!"

"You can call me by my name, too. I don't mind."

"I mind!"

"Then do as you please, and I shall do as I please."

"Mr. Lou!"

"Shouting so loudly, we'll end up in the news soon. Aren't you afraid?"

"..."

Once they descended from the viewing platform, Lou Xizhou wanted to take her somewhere else, but the announcer was already calling for the youth group, where Lou Huainan was competing.

"I'm going to take pictures of Huainan!" Tang Yu said, marching off in a huff.

Lou Xizhou followed her with a light laugh.