There were a few times when Lu Qing thought that Tang Hua could actually be quite interesting—
For example, today, her state of mind seemed to be invaded by something, completely deviating from the normal range of human behavior.
In fact, he had seriously considered it: if Tang Hua were written into a novel as the female lead, would the story turn out more captivating than if Bai Xing were the female lead?
The answer was obvious—it wouldn’t work.
Not because it wouldn’t be interesting, but because it couldn’t be written.
Not to mention that her behavior defied the logic of ordinary people’s understanding, making it almost impossible to comprehend with conventional values and perspectives;
Even if her personality traits were faithfully written into the story, even if only roughly sketched, it would likely fail to pass censorship and get banned, let alone weave any elaborate plotlines on top of such a precarious foundation.
It wasn’t that it couldn’t be done, but that it wasn’t allowed.
Another issue was the source material.
In terms of proximity, Bai Xing lived right next door to him, so they saw each other all the time, and occasionally even walked to and from school together.
Tang Hua, on the other hand, lived farther away, and if he were to venture into her territory and spend long periods of time in close contact with her…
Even if she did nothing, the outcome was predictable—
[Do not expect a hot-blooded male college student to resist the temptation of a succubus face-to-face.]
It was like that one Japanese live show where all the contestants, unknowingly forced to challenge their "human nature," almost universally failed.
Therefore, this wasn’t a fair test, and he absolutely couldn’t write Tang Hua as the main female lead in his novel. It would be too risky.
But.
Tang Hua didn’t see it that way.
Tang Hua believed that no one could provide the boss with "true happiness" better than she could.
In this world, Tang Hua didn’t think anyone was more suited to be with the boss, to stay by his side, than herself.
Most women couldn’t offer what she could.
And they weren’t pure, unlike her, who could ignore everything and let go of the past.
On days when the boss was around, she felt like a piece of driftwood following a beam of light, able to "go with the flow" even without any inherent energy.
The "flow" was the boss,
The boss was the force pushing her forward.
—The only force.
Without this force, she would drown in the dark storm.
Now, the destination was within reach. If she didn’t seize this opportunity, it might slip away forever.
Tang Hua’s heart was clear, and her resolve was firm.
"Boss, there’s something I’ve been holding back for a long time. I’m not sure if I should tell you…"
"What is it? Go ahead."
He glanced at her, waiting for her important revelation.
By now, the dishes had arrived—
Seven or eight plates of premium meat were laid out on the table, along with a few side dishes, vegetables, and snacks. For drinks, Lu Qing had ordered a liter of freshly squeezed juice for Tang Hua, while he opted for red wine.
At one point, the waiter asked if they needed help grilling the meat, but Lu Qing politely declined, saying they’d handle it themselves.
After all, Tang Hua was a classic introvert. If someone were watching, she wouldn’t be able to speak her mind.
So, Lu Qing picked up the tongs himself, grilling the meat and cutting it into bite-sized pieces with scissors before placing them into her dipping bowl.
"Um… it’s just…"
Tang Hua hesitated for a long time, mumbling between bites.
Although she had long since decided what her ultimate goal was, when it came to actually saying it out loud, she struggled to find the right words, appearing slightly flustered.
"It’s just, I, um, boss, I have a question!"
"Sure, go ahead."
Lu Qing noticed that Tang Hua’s behavior today was unusual.
Whatever she wanted to convey must be something extremely important, and it was something he might not be able to fulfill easily.
If it were simple, she wouldn’t have hesitated for so long.
Sure enough, after beating around the bush, she finally asked, "Boss, um, where do you want to go after dinner?"
"Oh, I haven’t decided yet. Do you have somewhere you’d like me to go with you?"
Lu Qing couldn’t say that he had originally planned to go to her place to help her tidy up, because if he did, she might change what she wanted to express, and he wouldn’t be able to figure out what was really on her mind.
Seeing the opportunity handed to her, Tang Hua quickly swallowed the meat in her mouth and made her formal invitation:
"I want the boss to come to my place!"
"..."
Hearing this, Lu Qing was both amused and exasperated.
"I thought it was something serious. This works out perfectly. I can check on you and see if you’ve been living properly lately."
He felt relieved.
"!"
Tang Hua, however, widened her beautiful eyes, almost standing up from her seat in response.
What was this? The issue she had been so worried about turned out to be not that complicated once she said it out loud!
It seemed so simple!
Did this mean… even if she boldly made a slightly inappropriate request like "I want to sleep with you," the boss would seriously consider it and give her an answer?
If the boss refused, it would be within her expectations, so no loss;
If the boss agreed, it would be a stroke of incredible luck, a massive win.
Even if the boss rejected her, she could still take "a bit more forceful" measures afterward to change the outcome.
—Either way, victory was assured. The path was clear and unobstructed!
"Yes, the heavens have shown me the way, so I must seize this opportunity to win over the boss. But I can’t rush it. This has to wait until the boss is inside my place. Otherwise, if I scare him off… it’ll be over."
Tang Hua thought to herself, doing her best to suppress the overwhelming desire she felt for him.
For some reason, at critical moments, she always exercised extreme caution.
This level of caution never appeared in her daily life; it was entirely reserved for Lu Qing, centered around him.
She didn’t realize why this was the case, but it didn’t matter, because…
[Isn’t living about following your heart?]
Lu Qing continued grilling meat for her, steering the conversation elsewhere:
"By the way, I also have something important I’d like to assign to you. I’m not sure if you’d be willing to take it on."
"! A new task?! Yes, boss, I’ll take it!"
Tang Hua didn’t even need to hear the details before nodding eagerly, as if afraid that delaying her response by even a second would result in the task being given to someone else.
"Don’t rush. Chew properly and listen to me first."
Lu Qing was a bit helpless.
But he could understand—Tang Hua’s livelihood currently depended entirely on him.
So, it was necessary to fully involve her in V’s affairs and create more opportunities for her to earn—
With this in mind, he said, "Bai Xing will be accompanying her grandmother to the hospital this weekend. As a result, there will be at least three live-streaming sessions over seven days that need to be covered. I need you to handle them."
He kept it concise.
"?!"
Tang Hua was stunned, then shocked!
"What?!"
She never expected the boss’s promise to materialize so quickly!
She had thought that the things he said at her place last time were just words of comfort, or that it would take a long, long time before they came to fruition!
After all, Bai Xing was a professional. How could she possibly give up her position as the centerpiece of the project so easily?
But if she really had something unavoidable come up, then the idea of "taking over the streams" could actually become a reality.
Judging by the boss’s demeanor, he didn’t seem to be joking.
He was genuinely asking her, handing the decision over to her!
"But… I…"
"Don’t worry. As for live-streaming experience, I haven’t asked Bai Xing if she can share some tips with you, but if you’re willing, I can study the relevant knowledge with you. If needed, I’ll even come to your place on streaming days to help you out. Hmm… the next session is on…"
"I’ll do it!!!"
Before Lu Qing could finish, Tang Hua had already made up her mind.
"Huh…?"
She put down her chopsticks, turned around, and grabbed his wrist, her eyes filled with longing.
"I know nothing. Zero experience."
"Boss, you must come to my place and help me."
……
……