It was a long time before everything returned to peace.
Lu Qingxu hadn't eaten anything all day and couldn't hold back today. After showering, he felt his chest sticking to his back.
Melody was sitting on the sofa blow-drying her hair. He walked over and glanced at his phone.
It was already past midnight.
By estimation, Melody was over 1.7 meters tall, with slender arms and legs, and they were particularly long.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her unprocessed long black hair clung to her delicate face. Her lips were red and teeth white, so beautiful it was unreal.
Every time Lu Qingxu looked at her face more, he felt more satisfied.
He was very grateful that he hadn't broken off contact with her.
A woman this beautiful, and crucially, a woman this beautiful with a personality that suited his taste, was probably impossible to find a second one in this world besides her.
Melody's eyelids drooped, her movements casual yet elegant.
A protective instinct, never before felt, swirled in Lu Qingxu's heart. He couldn't help but sit down next to her and gently take the towel.
For the first time in his life, he was helping a woman dry her hair.
"Are you tired?"
Melody remained in the same position, her voice soft but pleasant. She answered with two words.
"I'm okay."
She never answered like other girls.
Either tired or not tired, what did "okay" mean? It sounded like she wanted more.
It made Lu Qingxu always feel insecure around her.
But it was good that he didn't have to leave tonight.
At worst, he would eat his fill and then continue to perform.
"You look so thin. How much do you weigh?"
Melody knew Lu Qingxu wasn't older than her.
Seeing him speak to her in such a brotherly tone, she felt a bit uncomfortable.
She slowly raised her beautiful eyes and looked at him.
"How old are you this year?"
She wasn't talking normally again.
He asked if she was hungry, and she asked him his age.
Lu Qingxu: "What's wrong? Do you care a lot about age?"
Melody pulled the towel from his hand and said casually.
"I don't care. But I care a lot about the tone of voice men use when they talk to me."
"A younger brother is a younger brother. He should be obedient and well-behaved in front of his older sister."
Lu Qingxu: "..."
He thought, wasn't he obedient and well-behaved enough? Had he offended her somewhere unintentionally?
"So, may I ask how old you are this year, sister?"
"Thirty," Melody didn't mind answering that.
She tossed her dried hair behind her head and looked at him again.
"What? Are you hungry?"
Lu Qingxu didn't pretend anymore and rubbed his stomach.
"Indeed, I haven't eaten anything all day."
"Are you indirectly showing off how fit you are?"
"..."
But he was indeed quite fit.
Melody reached out and patted his firm, muscular arm.
"If you're hungry, eat. I'll order takeout for you. What do you want to eat?"
Lu Qingxu didn't really want to eat in the room.
It wasn't that he disliked takeout, but he wasn't sleepy at all right now.
His job didn't require him to travel for business, nor did it require him to constantly be on the move.
Unless it was a planned trip, he wouldn't come to North City.
It was a rare visit, and it would be a shame to just fall asleep.
Besides, didn't she say she was socially anxious?
He had a bit of a mischievous thought, wanting to know what someone with social anxiety like her would be like in a crowded place.
"Let's not order takeout. It's so late, let the delivery drivers rest too. Let's go out to eat."
"Go out to eat?"
Melody continued to look at him with her casual gaze.
"Do you have a place you want to go?"
Lu Qingxu had been to North City before and had a deep impression of the night view of a certain snack street.
It was a paradise for young people, a gathering place for handsome men and beautiful women.
Since he was here, he wanted to feast his eyes.
"Mainly, I think the night view is nice, and I want to go for a walk with you, sister. Are you willing to accompany me?"
Such sweet talk.
Just after saying he should be obedient and well-behaved in front of his older sister, he was calling her sister one after another.
He knew how to play the game.
This was Melody's first time in North City, and Zhan Beijue didn't allow her to go out unless it was necessary.
She thought she wouldn't have a chance to go out and sightsee, but now it was nice to have someone to accompany her.
There wasn't a woman who didn't like to go shopping, and she was no exception.
Since the "younger brother" had given her such a clear opening, she smiled and patted his face.
"Go change, let's go."
Zhan Beijue had booked a five-star hotel in the most prosperous city center, which was not far from where Lu Qingxu wanted to go.
The two of them decided not to take a taxi and just walked there.
A loose, knee-length dress, a pair of slippers, and half-dry wet hair.
For some reason, Melody was made to look like the heroine in an art film.
They walked slowly, side by side, their arms occasionally brushing against each other.
Waves of electricity struck Lu Qingxu's heart.
He was like a young boy experiencing first love, looking at her stunning profile, longing to hold her hand.
But he dared not. During intimacy, it was his role, and anything was acceptable.
Once it was over, he wasn't sure if Melody would be willing.
They walked down a street, and as they crossed the road amidst the crowd, he grabbed her hand.
"Be careful."
Lu Qingxu was quite tall, and Melody estimated him to be over 1.85 meters.
Young and handsome, with sharp and resolute facial features, and long, soft fingers.
Walking beside him, being held by him, Melody honestly felt a sense of pride.
Although she didn't intend to get too involved with him emotionally, they did have a close relationship during this period.
So she didn't pull her hand away.
Then, like a couple, they walked hand in hand, slowly, all the way to the bustling pedestrian street.
Various aromas wafted from the shops lining the street.
Groups of fashionably dressed young men and women weaved through the street.
Even though it was late at night, stepping into this place felt like peak dining hours.
"I used to come here often!" Melody couldn't help but say to him.
Lu Qingxu confessed, "No. I've only been here once or twice."
"Did you come with a girlfriend?"
Lu Qingxu turned to look at her. She was smiling, a rare sight, with a playful look in her eyes.
It felt as if their relationship had progressed a little.
He was delighted, "The first time, yes. The second time, no."
Melody didn't press further. She gently pulled her hand out of his.
"Alright, you go ahead. Will half an hour be enough for you? I'll wait for you here."
What was wrong? She said she wouldn't leave, but now she was. Lu Qingxu thought he had upset her with his previous answer.
"Did I say something that upset you?"
Melody looked up at him, confused, "What did you say?"
"I said I used to come with my girlfriend..."
She answered him with a very frank smile.
"I just don't want to go to places like that. Hurry up. Time is running out. If I don't get enough sleep, I'll get angry."
Saying that, she turned and walked to the side, squatting down by the roadside where no one was around.
Lu Qingxu chose a few foods he remembered well, ordered two portions of each, and urged the owner to make them quickly.
After all, Melody was too beautiful. Just standing there casually made her look like a supermodel.
He was afraid that if he took too long, other men might approach her.