Qin Jia returned to the villa just in time for lunch. She washed her hands and sat down, and soon Qin Mo joined her. As she picked up a soup spoon, he asked, "Sister, didn't you sleep well last night?"
She smiled faintly: "How did you know?"
"Shiwu was worried and asked me to call you. Lu Tingzhou answered—he said you fell asleep in his car parked outside," Qin Mo explained, tapping his wristwatch. "I called at 7:15, and you just got back. It's safe to assume you had insomnia." He sighed earnestly, "Mom isn't home. If something's wrong, tell me directly—don't bottle it up."
Qin Jia took a sip of fish ball soup: "Xiao Mo, have you ever been in a relationship?"
Caught off guard, he scratched his head: "Sort of? In my sophomore year, I joined a seven-day dating experiment to fill a spot. We simulated a relationship, but neither of us had feelings afterward."
"And then?" she pressed.
"Ten couples became five, then four broke up—only one got married, but they divorced earlier this year." He peeled shrimp calmly. "Love is just a part of life, not a guarantee. Enjoy the experience, don't get attached."
Qin Jia pondered his words. In the original storyline, the original owner had left abroad pregnant, and Lu Tingzhou hadn't even known her name. They'd only bonded five years later over their child. She recalled Grandma Locust Tree's stories of unshakable love—and her warning that such men were rare outside of tales.
"Xiao Mo, thank you," she said suddenly, smiling.
He looked flattered, pushing a bowl of peeled shrimp toward her: "What for?"
Qin Jia didn't answer, just picked up a shrimp and dipped it in sauce. "The shrimp is good—you should eat some too."
Focusing on Work & Investment Talks
Instead of disturbing Lu Tingzhou's business trip, Qin Jia threw herself into work. After finishing filming, she joined Luo Shiqing for a spa. "Come to my place tonight!" Luo Shiqing invited. "Your variety show is airing—I'll buy snacks, and we can watch it together."
Qin Jia called Shen Yushu for permission, then the two headed to the mall. Using a leftover 170-yuan voucher and Luo Shiqing's discounts, they bought over 400 yuan of items for just 50 yuan. "Remember when we couldn't get into that movie theater?" Luo Shiqing suddenly said. "Turns out this mall was acquired by the Lu Group last year."
Qin Jia froze. She'd planned to meet Lu Tingzhou at 3:20, but the mall had closed at 3:15—had he booked the entire place just to watch a movie with her?
"Lingzhou likes you," Luo Shiqing said bluntly. "He's been pursuing you silently. That 90% discount on the robot? He never does business at a loss—let alone friend discounts."
Qin Jia's mind raced. She'd thought his feelings were recent, but Luo Shiqing's words suggested otherwise. As they drove to Luo Shiqing's apartment, she worried: "What if he asks for the money back one day? I'll go bankrupt." She'd lent Qin Mo 20 million, with only 15 million left in savings—nowhere near enough to repay the 27 million robot discount.
Luo Shiqing laughed: "He's not that kind of person. Even if you broke up, he wouldn't make you pay back."
Still uneasy, Qin Jia asked: "How much have I earned from filming?"
"86,000—paid tomorrow," Luo Shiqing replied. "Why?"
"I want to invest in your studio," Qin Jia said seriously. She believed in Luo Shiqing's abilities—far more than just a cannon fodder character, she'd been a top project manager at the Luo Group.
Luo Shiqing hesitated. Her family and friends had doubted her fashion studio dream, fearing the competitive industry. "I'm afraid you'll lose money," she said sincerely. "And you're only investing because you're worried about Lu Tingzhou—I don't want to ruin our friendship."
"I accept the risk," Qin Jia insisted. "It's my choice."
After a long silence, Luo Shiqing smiled: "Two million for 40% of the shares. No takebacks."
"Deal."
Watching the Variety Show
That night, they gathered on Luo Shiqing's sofa to watch the edited "Life Elsewhere." Snacks and fruit beer covered the coffee table. Qin Jia avoided the spicy strips, choosing candy instead. "Does your mom forbid snacks?" Luo Shiqing asked.
"No—my dad's stricter with my brother," Qin Jia replied, handing her half the candy.
As the show aired, they laughed at Rou Rou's fruit-picking antics and Lu Tingzhou's return with buckets of fish—his fresh lemon scent suddenly came to mind, recalling netizens' speculation that he'd showered to avoid bothering her.
When the scene of Lu Tingzhou "exhaustedly" asking Qin Jia for help aired, Luo Shiqing giggled: "He's so obvious about being jealous! Too bad you're too pure to notice." She offered Qin Jia fruit beer, but she refused: "I act crazy when drunk—I once hugged a tree for an hour."
By 11:30 p.m., the show ended. While Luo Shiqing showered, Qin Jia scrolled through her phone and stumbled on a Berlin news story: a zoo tiger had escaped, leaving its tracking chip behind. Netizens speculated about alternate dimensions, but most thought it was just hype.
She yawned and exited the video—accidentally sharing it to WeChat Moments. After deleting it, she saw two messages from Lu Tingzhou:Still not asleep?Having trouble sleeping?
Qin Jia replied: "I'm at Shiqing's house—going to bed later. Are you busy?"
He sent a photo of a sunlit blue lake with pigeons, then another of a strawberry cake and coffee at a lakeside cafe.Just finished a client meeting. Going back to the office to work on the project plan.
Qin Jia typed: [I ate strawberries today too.]What a coincidence.Qin Jia Luna: Do you really like strawberry cake? I remember the first time we met, you had one.Want to know?Qin Jia Luna: Hmm.Can you take a call?
She clicked "Accept" and put on headphones. His deep voice came through, warm as spring: "Qin Jia, can you hear me?"
"Yes," she said softly.
"When I was little, I hated strawberry flavor—hated it like it was in my genes," he began. "At 14, my parents divorced. I was so sad I couldn't eat. One day, starving, I stumbled into a cake shop and bought a strawberry cake. To my surprise, it wasn't bad. Over time, I grew to like it."
Qin Jia fell silent. "Do you still think about that painful memory when you eat it?"
He chuckled: "Is that you worrying about me?"
"I guess so," she admitted.
"I let go of the past long ago," he said. "But lately, strawberry cake reminds me of you."
Her cheeks flushed. "Why?"
"When we first met on the cruise, you said you'd be my wife in five years and asked for a strawberry cake as a reward."
Qin Jia ignored the "wife" part: "Are you still hung up on me eating your cake?"
"No," he said firmly. "If a stranger ate my cake now, I wouldn't fall for her. But it's different with you—I wouldn't be offended by anything you do."
Qin Jia's drowsiness hit: "Lu Tingzhou, I'm sleepy."
"Goodnight," he said gently.
She hung up, her face burning. Not sick, not drunk—just shy. A ridiculous thought popped into her head: Could she have fallen for Lu Tingzhou too?
"Impossible," she muttered. "I'm not as bored as humans. It's just an illusion."
But as she lay down later, Lu Tingzhou's voice echoed in her ears, and her heart raced—for the first time in centuries, she wasn't sure if she was lying to herself.