It fell from his fingertips

For Tang Luoqing, Zhou Yanchen's pursuit was passionate and flamboyant; he seemed to want the whole world to know that he was pursuing her.

But Zhou Jinbai's actions were subtle and gradual, known only to the two of them.

For example, at this moment, Zhou Jinbai and Tang Luoqing were eating at a restaurant. He was wearing gloves and peeling shrimp. He was about to put the peeled shrimp into Tang Luoqing's bowl when someone patted his shoulder.

"Jin Bai, Luo Qing, you two are eating here too? What a coincidence."

Hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Jinbai's hand hovered in mid-air. He turned his head and saw Lu Yu standing beside him with a smile. He looked at Lu Yu curiously, then at Tang Luoqing. Before either of them could respond, he asked Tang Luoqing as if he had just realized something, "Has someone recently asked Jinbai for help again, so... you invited him to dinner?"

Tang Luoqing was embarrassed to run into an acquaintance and hesitated about how to explain, or perhaps she wanted to see what Zhou Jinbai would say. But then she saw Zhou Jinbai casually put the shrimp in his hand into his bowl, calmly take off his gloves, and say, "You're very smart, that's right."

Lu Yu was suddenly praised by Zhou Jinbai, and excitedly plopped down in the seat next to him, casually replying, "That's right, I've always been very smart," before calling the waiter to add another set of bowls and chopsticks.

He then launched into a chatterbox: "By the way, Luo Qing, how's your painting lately? I'm not trying to pressure you, I'm just asking, but with Jin Bai giving you guidance, I'm sure there won't be any problems."

Tang Luoqing smiled politely and said, "The latest batch of five paintings is almost finished. I just need to finish the last few steps before I can send them to you."

Lu Yu: "You're so fast! By the way, the deadline for submissions to the cultural and creative exhibition is approaching, around the 1st to the 3rd of next month. Do you have enough time?"

The cultural and creative exhibition is not held every year, and each time the participants are mostly well-known painters and illustrators, making it a large-scale event. Naturally, the government is also paying close attention to this year's exhibition.

Tang Luoqing often went to exhibitions when she was in college. At that time, she thought that it would be great if her own works could be exhibited one day.

Now that this opportunity has finally come, Tang Luoqing naturally wants to give it her all.

However, she felt something was off about the paintings she had painted recently; she was experiencing a creative block and was quite distressed.

Especially with the deadline fast approaching, it would be a lie to say I wasn't anxious.

"There should be enough time."

Not wanting her work to interfere with her meal, Tang Luoqing briefly skipped the question and asked Lu Yu, "By the way, Mr. Lu, did you come here... with someone? Or...?"

Mentioning this, Lu Yu shrugged: "Don't mention it. I recently fell for a girl, but unfortunately I only caught a glimpse of her at a bar. My friend told me he thought he saw her at this place, so I thought I'd try my luck here, but it was all for nothing."

Upon hearing this, Tang Luoqing became curious about what kind of girl could make Lu Yu, the owner of a cultural and creative company and the only grandson of Old Master Lu, so obsessed.

At this moment, Zhou Jinbai, who had been silent until now, picked up his drink, took a sip, and said calmly, "Since we didn't run into him, aren't we going back?"

Lu Yu didn't understand the implication of being kicked out. Instead, he shrugged, picked up his chopsticks and started eating nonchalantly, saying, "Well, we have to eat first. We can't be disappointed and then go hungry, can we?"

During the next meal, Tang Luoqing vaguely noticed that Zhou Jinbai didn't talk much. He would only chime in or change the subject when Lu Yu talked to him more.

At that moment, something seemed to bump into her shoes under the table, and then someone used their shoes to block Tang Luoqing's shoes.

Tang Luoqing was taken aback, raised his eyes, and unconsciously looked at Zhou Jinbai sitting opposite him.

Zhou Jinbai was eating his food slowly and deliberately, without even glancing at Tang Luoqing.

Tang Luoqing couldn't help but wonder if she had made a mistake?

Just as he was wondering about this, Lu Yu received a phone call and then said that he had to leave because something came up.

As Lu Yu stood up and left the table, the force pressing against Tang Luoqing's shoes was still there. Tang Luoqing looked at Zhou Jinbai again.

Zhou Jinbai then raised his eyes and met her gaze.

Why weren't you looking at me just now?

Tang Luoqing didn't quite understand. If Zhou Jinbai touched her shoes and didn't leave, shouldn't he have something to say to her? But he didn't even look at her.

Zhou Jinbai picked up his gloves and continued peeling shrimp, but stared straight at Tang Luoqing and said, "Because I am now your secret suitor, and I don't want to cause you any unnecessary trouble."

Tang Luoqing was taken aback: "Then...you touched me..."

"I want to get in touch with you, this is the fastest way."

Tang Luoqing was speechless for a moment, and felt sorry for Zhou Jinbai.

"I don't need a secret lover, nor do I need secret suitors, Zhou Jinbai. Let's... start as ordinary friends, okay?"

Zhou Jinbai paused in his shrimp-peeling motion: "Of course."

The meal was quickly finished. After the meal, Zhou Jinbai first took Tang Luoqing home before heading to the company.

Back home, Tang Luoqing went to her study, took out the paintings she had prepared for the cultural and creative exhibition, and looked at them one by one, getting more and more of a headache as she looked.

The theme of this cultural and creative exhibition is "Urban Temperature", which coincides with Tang Luoqing's expertise in the healing style. However, perhaps due to being too nervous about this exhibition, she was never quite satisfied with the original inspirations she drew, always feeling that something was missing.

Tang Luoqing stared at the paintings in her hands and decided to go out to find some inspiration.

It wasn't far from the cultural and creative park. Tang Luoqing took a taxi and arrived in about ten minutes. Once there, she walked through every scenic spot, but still couldn't find any inspiration. Just as she was about to leave disappointed, a phone call came in. It was Zhou Jinbai, who said he wanted to take her somewhere.

A dozen minutes later, after getting into Zhou Jinbai's car, Tang Luoqing looked at the man in the driver's seat and asked curiously again, "Where are you taking me? Don't you... have to go to work today?"

It's Friday, and she was already surprised that Zhou Jinbai could take time out of his busy schedule to have lunch with her. But she didn't expect that he would appear in front of her again before 5 p.m.

Zhou Jinbai focused on the road ahead, holding the steering wheel with one hand and Tang Luoqing's hand with the other.

"I'm skipping work early so I can take you somewhere when I get back."

Tang Luoqing glanced at the hand that Zhou Jinbai was holding, wanted to break free, but felt it was pretentious, so she let him hold it and turned to look at the scenery passing by outside the right car window.

Zhou Jinbai also glanced at the spot where he was holding Tang Luoqing's hand. Tang Luoqing's hand was slender, soft, and small. His hand could almost completely envelop her hand, and holding it made him feel very safe.

Most importantly, Tang Luoqing did not reject him.

This is enough.