Jin Xi: "I saw the news online and was worried you might be upset."

"I’m not upset. We’ve been over for a long time," Lu Wen said, crossing her hands under her chin. "But you don’t seem to be in the best of moods. What’s wrong?"

Jin Xi’s gaze was serious. "Are you sure you weren’t affected by them?"

"Okay, I admit it got to me a tiny bit." Lu Wen made a pinching gesture with her fingers. "It was just seeing people say I’m single because I’m still not over Hu Yize. It was disgusting."

A smile touched the corners of Jin Xi’s lips. "Really?"

"Of course," Lu Wen smiled. "Being single is a choice. It’s because I haven’t met someone who makes me feel completely at ease, not because of anyone else."

"Besides, even if you offered someone like Hu Yize to me on a silver platter, I wouldn’t take him. I can’t accept someone who’s so morally flawed." Lu Wen shrugged as she spoke. "I know no one’s perfect, and I understand that everyone has a dark side."

"But that’s all manageable. Hu Yize was two-timing me while we were together. That’s something I cannot tolerate."

Jin Xi’s mood lifted considerably. "My heart won’t wander."

Lu Wen leaned back in her chair. "Who can say what the future holds? What if you meet a more amazing woman down the line?"

"Perhaps I will, but I know what’s more important to me." Jin Xi’s expression was very serious. "We’ll always encounter all sorts of temptations. The important thing isn’t the temptation itself, but whether we can exercise self-control and resist it."

Lu Wen: "Alright, you’ve convinced me. By the way, are all you soldiers so well-spoken?"

Jin Xi gently stroked Lu Wen’s hair. "No. Only with you. I’m usually a man of few words."

Lu Wen laughed too. Maybe it was because she was in a good mood over Hu Yize and Qi Yu’s breakup, or maybe it was because Jin Xi was here. She suddenly felt that having someone by her side was actually quite nice.

Naturally, Jin Xi hadn’t come over empty-handed. Although Lu Wen wasn’t active in front of the camera, she was still in the entertainment circle, so she rarely went out to eat on a normal day.

Because of that, when Jin Xi and Lu Wen had a meal together, it was either at a friend’s private restaurant or they ordered in. Today was no exception. Jin Xi had already ordered food while Lu Wen was busy with work, and it had just been delivered.

"Let’s eat first. After dinner, want to go for a drive? Do you have more work tonight?" Jin Xi asked after opening all the food containers and ladling a bowl of soup for Lu Wen.

"I don’t have much work today," Lu Wen said, not refusing Jin Xi’s care. "But I still have to study tonight..."

Jin Xi wasn’t disappointed. "Then can I stay here and keep you company?"

"Of course, you can," Lu Wen said with a smile. "Having someone study with me sounds great."

"Seriously, it’s really impressive that you’re still studying when you’re already so accomplished," Jin Xi remarked after taking a couple of bites of his food.

’It’s a good thing I’d already gotten past the basics by the time I met you,’ Lu Wen thought. ’The books I’m reading now are more advanced. Otherwise, I would’ve been exposed long ago. Have you ever seen a CEO poring over an introductory management textbook?’

"It never hurts to learn more," Lu Wen said with a small smile. "Maybe it’s my age, or maybe it’s my experiences. I find myself disliking noisy places more and more. I just like to be somewhere quiet."

"Being chased by entertainment reporters for photos and interviews must be pretty tough," Jin Xi agreed. After all, Lu Wen’s popularity was much higher than those popular young starlets.

"It was fine before," Lu Wen said, referring to Tan You’s past experiences. "Those investors play really dirty. To be honest, if I hadn’t gone head-to-head with them this time, I would have preferred to stay behind the scenes forever."

"But what choice did I have when they were blocking me at every turn? Blocking my resources, my schedules, and my theatrical releases. Then they tried to control public opinion. Of course I couldn’t stand for that. If they didn’t want me to have an easy time, then no one was going to."

"It was really... difficult when I was abroad."

Thinking of the difficulties Tan You had faced while rushing around and working abroad, Lu Wen couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. Tan You had never told anyone about these things, and Lu Wen hadn’t either. But in front of Jin Xi, the words just came out easily.

"If only I had met you sooner, you wouldn’t have had to struggle so much," Jin Xi said suddenly, his hand pausing for a moment.

Lu Wen let out a laugh. "Even if you had met me sooner, I wouldn’t have been interested. All my energy was focused on my work and career; I had no time to think about romance."

"Besides, I believe in solving my own problems instead of relying on a man’s help. It gives me more confidence to face the world."

Jin Xi was sharp. "Also?"

Lu Wen: "Mhm. A dear friend of mine is incredibly strong-willed. She insists on relying on herself for everything and never depends on men or family. I’ve learned a lot from her. She’s my life mentor."

’So I’m a life mentor in Lu Wen’s eyes now? Since I’m a mentor, does that mean I can set higher standards for her?’ the hidden Tan You thought, scratching her cheek.

Jin Xi lowered his gaze and smiled. "So, you’re interested now?"

"You could say that," Lu Wen admitted frankly. "Otherwise, would you be sitting here?"

Jin Xi placed some food on Lu Wen’s plate. "I’m truly honored. Would you say this is a case of perfect timing? I just happened to appear right when you were thinking about dating?"

"Otherwise, why would I have just so happened to go and help Old Du?"

Lu Wen was also in a good mood. "So it’s all fate."

Lu Wen didn’t shy away from discussing these things with Jin Xi. They were both adults; there was no need to be coy. Besides, Lu Wen was becoming more and more decisive. She disliked ambiguous push-and-pull games and preferred to be direct about everything.

And this suited Jin Xi’s personality as well. They were both very direct people. Although they weren’t officially dating yet, they were getting to know each other with that goal in mind.

Jin Xi stayed at Lu Wen’s company until nine-thirty before leaving. Naturally, he was the one to drive Lu Wen home. As luck would have it, the moment they said their goodbyes was caught on camera.

The next day, Jin Xi was a little surprised when he saw the news. "We were photographed?"

Lu Wen already knew. Whenever there was news about her, Tan You would notify her immediately.

"Mhm. They got a really nice picture of me."

Jin Xi’s heart began to beat a little faster. "You don’t mind?"

"Of course I don’t mind. This is the perfect way to let people know that I’m not still hung up on Hu Yize. Besides, you’re much more outstanding than he is—taller, more handsome, and a much better person."

Lu Wen said with a grin, "Or do *you* mind? If you think it’s inconvenient, I can have someone take it all down..."

"I don’t mind! Why would I mind?" A wide smile spread across Jin Xi’s face. "I’m very happy. Really. Not because we were photographed, but because of what you just said."