Outside the window, the torrential downpour had softened into a steady drizzle, tapping rhythmically against the glass—a monotonous yet comforting sound. In the soft glow of the floor lamp, Su Xiaolan had cocooned herself within a thin blanket, leaving only her eyes exposed. From this hiding place, she watched the man in the armchair with complicated, furtive glances.
Li Chenyuan sat with his eyes closed. His soaked white shirt clung to the powerful contours of his chest and defined abdomen, outlining his formidable physique. Droplets trailed from his disheveled hair, down his tense jawline, and onto his equally wet dark trousers, leaving small, dark patches. Exhaustion carved deep lines between his brows, his thin lips pressed tight. Even at rest, an aura of icy detachment surrounded him. Yet here he was, incongruously settled in her cramped, shabby, slightly messy living room—like a stern deity drenched by the storm, misplaced in the mortal world yet undeniably real.
He was actually here… guarding her?
The thought made Su Xiaolan's heart feel like it was soaking in lukewarm water—aching, swollen, bubbling with emotions she couldn't name. Fear and anger, smoldering in the aftermath of her fever and this strange peace, quietly faded, replaced by a more agonizing confusion and… a damnable spark of curiosity?
Just as her thoughts spiraled, wondering if the torrential rain had short-circuited this deep-sea leviathan's brain—
Thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!
Steady, forceful knocks (or rather, knocks against the ruined door frame) shattered the quiet. A booming, professional, utterly emotionless male voice cut through the rain:
"Mr. Li! 'Golden Shield Security' engineering team reporting as scheduled! Awaiting repair target instructions!"
Su Xiaolan startled so violently she nearly tumbled off the sofa! They're here! Already?!
Li Chenyuan's eyes snapped open on the armchair. Sharp as an eagle's, any trace of fatigue instantly replaced by cool authority. He stood, his imposing frame casting a long shadow in the small room. Instead of answering the door immediately, he first strode to Su Xiaolan's sofa.
Instinctively, Su Xiaolan yanked the blanket higher, covering half her face, only her wide, panicked eyes visible.
"Stay down. Don't come out." His voice was low, commanding, leaving no room for argument. His gaze swept over her still-flushed face, checking she hadn't worsened from the fright. He looked at her like a fragile artifact needing protection.
Su Xiaolan could only nod frantically from within her blanket cocoon, like a terrified quail.
Only then did Li Chenyuan turn and stride towards the tragic remains of the doorway. He didn't open the door (it couldn't be opened), addressing the space directly: "Target: Main entrance security door. Requirements: Restored to original state within one hour. Maximum security upgrade. Silent operation."
"Acknowledged! Mission guaranteed!" came the robotic, unison reply. Immediately, the faint, efficient sounds of moving tools and materials began, accompanied by hushed, highly technical exchanges.
"Hydraulic spreader prepped."
"Type-B alloy reinforcement brackets."
"Acoustic dampening filler."
"Move fast. Boss demands silence."
Hiding under her blanket, Su Xiaolan listened, dumbfounded. Repairing a door or a covert ops mission?! Even "silent operation"?! She pictured burly men in black suits and sunglasses wielding high-tech tools, performing Mission: Impossible – Door Lock Repair Edition on her doorstep.
The world beyond her blanket became Li Chenyuan's silent battlefield. He stood like a general beside the gaping hole, issuing curt commands.
"Reinforce here."
"Highest-grade lock core."
"Seal the gap cleanly."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried absolute authority. The highly trained engineers worked with clockwork precision before him, barely daring to breathe. The entire process, save for the necessary soft clinks of tools and muted instructions, was eerily silent. The efficiency was terrifying!
Curled up on the sofa like a peeking hamster, Su Xiaolan watched Li Chenyuan's tall, stern figure command the scene through a gap in the blanket. She saw the powerful lines of his wet shirt stretch across his back as he occasionally leaned to inspect. She saw the focused, hard-edged profile of his face in the dim light.
This man… when he's serious (even about a door), is damnably… handsome?
The thought startled her so much she buried her face back in the blanket, her cheeks hot enough to fry an egg. Su Xiaolan! Are you still delirious?! He's the brute who smashed your door! The culprit behind your fever! The deep-sea leviathan ruining your carefree life!
Just as her mind waged war against itself, condemning her wavering resolve, the "battle" at the door seemed to be ending.
"Mr. Li, repair complete. Awaiting inspection." The same emotionless mechanical voice.
Li Chenyuan stepped forward. His large, well-defined hand grasped the brand new, thick, coldly gleaming metal handle. He tested it, opening and closing the door a few times. The action was smooth, steady, utterly silent. He pushed firmly against the door frame. It didn't budge—solid as a fortress.
"Hm." A single grunt of approval.
"Security system upgraded. Biometric data for fingerprint and code lock has been registered. Here are the spare keys and manual." The crew leader respectfully handed over a small metal box and a thin booklet.
Fingerprint lock?! And they registered HIS biometrics?!
Su Xiaolan bristled under her blanket! What's the difference between changing the lock and handing the burglar the keys?!
Li Chenyuan took the items, casually placing them on the hallway console, clearly seeing no issue. "Bill my secretary, Wang. Dismissed."
"Yes, Sir!" The crew vanished as quickly and silently as they'd arrived, leaving no trace.
Silence reclaimed the space, filled only by the steady patter of rain.
Li Chenyuan closed the brand new, thick, overwhelmingly secure (yet blatantly signifying his successful "invasion") security door. The crisp, cold click of the lock echoed. He turned, his gaze landing once more on the suspiciously large "cocoon" on the sofa.
Su Xiaolan felt his stare pierce the blanket. She held her breath, frozen, her mind screaming: Can't see me, can't see me, can't see me…
Footsteps approached. Li Chenyuan stopped beside the sofa. After a few seconds of silence, Su Xiaolan felt the edge of the blanket lightly touched by a cool fingertip.
"Come out." His voice was low, carrying a barely perceptible note of… awkwardness? "Don't suffocate."
Su Xiaolan played dead.
Li Chenyuan seemed to sigh (Su Xiaolan suspected she'd imagined it). Then, a large hand decisively, yet gently, pulled the blanket down from her head.
Fresh air rushed in, mingling with his crisp scent. Su Xiaolan was forced to reveal her flushed face and messy hair, her eyes darting away, refusing to meet his.
"Hungry?" Li Chenyuan asked, his tone as casual as inquiring about the weather. Yet his gaze roamed her face, scrutinizing her pallor.
Su Xiaolan was about to shake her head and refuse, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud, unmistakable gurgle—.
The air instantly froze.
Su Xiaolan's face flamed crimson. She wished she could vanish on the spot! Damnable digestive tract! Why betray me at the worst moments?!
A soft, short sound escaped—like… a forcibly suppressed laugh?
Su Xiaolan's head snapped up, meeting Li Chenyuan's deep eyes. She caught the barest hint of an incredibly rare, fleeting curve at the corner of his lips—like a shooting star—before it was swiftly covered by his usual icy mask. It happened so fast she almost doubted it. But his eyes seemed to hold a lingering trace of… undispersed… amusement?
"Wait." Li Chenyuan tossed out the word and turned towards the kitchen, which looked laughably small against his frame.
Su Xiaolan stared, dumbfounded, as the man in the soaked, expensive shirt, with shoulders broad enough to command a room and an aura stretching eight feet tall, squeezed into her narrow kitchen. He opened the fridge, his movements radiating a kind of awkwardness and… solemnity? Like he was handling a major corporate merger.
The fridge held only a few eggs, a wilted bunch of greens, and half a packet of dried noodles. Its meagerness made Su Xiaolan want to bury her face in her hands.
Li Chenyuan frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the meager offerings. He picked up the eggs, eyed the noodles, seemingly conducting a complex strategic assessment. Then, he started boiling water. His movements were efficient, clean, but the intensity suggested he wasn't boiling water, but igniting a rocket engine.
The water boiled. He picked up the noodle packet, hesitated for a moment—likely estimating portion size. Then, decisively… he dumped the entire half-packet into the pot!
Su Xiaolan: "…" That's enough for two people!
Next, he cracked the eggs. Those hands, accustomed to signing billion-dollar contracts and steering the fate of a commercial empire, fumbled clumsily with a simple egg. His brow furrowed, tense as if facing a mortal enemy. He tapped it carefully against the pot's rim—tink. No crack. Another tap—tink. A hairline fracture. He tried to pry it open, but applied too much force—
Splat!
Eggshell and viscous egg white—half splashed into the bubbling noodle water, half… landed on the sleeve of his undoubtedly expensive, already wet shirt. A few stray drops even splattered onto his sharply defined chin!
Li Chenyuan: "..."
Su Xiaolan: "..." Pfft! She bit her lip hard, stifling the burst of laughter threatening to erupt. Her shoulders, however, shook uncontrollably.
Li Chenyuan's face remained impassive. He pulled a piece of kitchen towel and meticulously wiped the egg off his sleeve and chin. The action was elegant, composed, as if the mishap were merely a trivial footnote. But Su Xiaolan swore she saw a faint, telltale flush creep up the back of his ears?!
Li Chenyuan… blushing?!
Because he botched cracking an egg?!
This discovery felt more shocking than a comet hitting Earth! Su Xiaolan felt her worldview crumbling once more! This leviathan's persona was imploding spectacularly!
The following scene pushed Su Xiaolan's suppressed laughter to near-painful levels. Li Chenyuan wielded a spatula like a sacred sword, his expression grave as he stirred the pot of noodles swelling ominously, threatening to overflow. He attempted to add salt. His hand twitched, and half a spoonful plunged in! Frowning, seemingly seeking redemption, he picked up the soy sauce bottle, hesitated for an agonizingly long time, then poured some in… The broth instantly transformed into an unsettling murky brown.
Finally, he turned off the heat and ladled the concoction—best described as "murky soy-sauce egg sludge noodles"—into an overflowing bowl. When he carried it out, his expression remained that of the supremely confident Iceberg CEO, as if presenting not a culinary disaster, but a Michelin-starred masterpiece.
He placed the bowl on the coffee table before Su Xiaolan. One word: "Eat."
Su Xiaolan stared into the bowl at the thick, strangely colored sludge, adorned with suspicious flecks of eggshell. Her stomach churned. She looked up, meeting Li Chenyuan's deep, calm eyes, which held a flicker of something… anticipatory?
The refusal on her lips morphed into a feeble protest: "…Too much… and… it's too salty…"
Li Chenyuan's brow furrowed again. He looked at the bowl, then at her pale face, seemingly performing a complex cost-benefit analysis. Finally, he picked up the bowl and returned to the kitchen.
Su Xiaolan strained to hear. Splash! He was pouring the noodles back into the pot! Gush! He was adding more water! Trying to dilute the saltiness!
Five minutes later, a bowl of watery, mushy noodles swimming in a still-suspiciously colored "egg noodle soup" was once again placed before Su Xiaolan.
Li Chenyuan sat back down. He picked up the thick, brick-like Smart Security Door Operation Manual left by the security company and began flipping through it with a perfectly blank expression. As if the clumsy, egg-splattered, nearly-kitchen-destroying man from moments ago was merely a figment of Su Xiaolan's fevered imagination.
"Eat." He uttered the single word again, his gaze fixed intently on the manual, his profile stern. The faint flush at the tips of his ears, however, hadn't entirely faded.
Su Xiaolan looked at the bowl of ominous "love (disaster) noodles" radiating questionable aromas. Then she looked at the man beside her, sporting an icy facade, blushing ears, and pretending to be engrossed in a door lock manual…
An overwhelming wave of absurdity—ludicrous, ridiculous, yet undeniably tinged with something sweet—surged through her! Mixed with the lingering warmth of her fever, it made her head spin.
She picked up her chopsticks. With the resolve of a martyr, she lifted a few strands of soggy noodles and cautiously brought them to her mouth.
Salty!
Still incredibly salty!
And the noodles were utterly textureless!
But strangely…
It wasn't… entirely inedible?
She stole a quick, furtive glance at Li Chenyuan, sitting ramrod straight beside her, radiating an aura of "I am a professional; I did not just cook."
Hmm. Looking at this leviathan with his imploded persona, desperately pretending nothing happened…
This bowl of noodles suddenly seemed… funny (maybe even a little cute)?
Su Xiaolan lowered her head, hiding the tiny, genuine, utterly irrepressible curve of her lips. She took small bites of the awful noodles. The icy barrier around her heart, under the warmth of this dreadful (yet steaming) culinary catastrophe and the company of the persona-crumbled CEO beside her, cracked silently open. A sliver of light—something distinctly sweet—filtered through.