Chapter 20: Collision

As the door closed with a heavy thud, Lu Qingzhuo felt her heart sink just as heavily. She leaned against the door, facing Lin Zhiyu, who stood with her arms crossed, staring at her in confusion.

"Something feels off. Who exactly is this President Fu to you? What's your relationship? Tell me the truth."

"She's my boss. Isn't it natural for an employee to be afraid of their boss?" Lu Qingzhuo rubbed her temples, unable to understand Lin Zhiyu's curiosity. "Now you understand why I was so nervous just now, right?"

Lin Zhiyu wasn’t convinced by this explanation, but she wasn’t the type to press too hard. If Lu Qingzhuo didn’t want to talk about it, there had to be a reason. Everyone had their own secrets, and forcing the issue would only strain their friendship.

Meanwhile, Xie Yun placed the insulated bag filled with crayfish on the dining table in Lu Qingzhuo's room and pulled out two bottles of ice-cold beer.

"Lu Lu, I'm taking the rest of the crayfish with me. Are you really not saving any for President Fu?"

"Do you think she’d eat it?" In Lu Qingzhuo's mind, Fu Yumian was the type of person who lived above the mundane world—someone far too refined to sit down and eat street food that cost only a few dozen yuan per pound. She’d rather avoid the embarrassment.

Hearing this, Xie Yun’s eyes sparkled. The rich aroma of the crayfish was making her mouth water. "Alright then, I'll take the rest with me!"

Humming a tune, Xie Yun skipped out of Lu Qingzhuo’s room, feeling grateful for her incredibly generous boss. No matter what she ate, she always made sure to bring some for her. What kind of angelic boss was this? She was determined to work for Lu Qingzhuo until the day she dropped!

---

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Fu Yumian sat on the sofa with her arms crossed, completely still. Han Tian had rushed over after getting a call from her, her hair still damp as she hurriedly wiped water off her face.

"What can I do for you, President Fu?"

"I want to eat crayfish."

As soon as the words left Fu Yumian’s mouth, Han Tian’s hand froze mid-motion as she dried her hair. She thought she had misheard. Did Fu Yumian just say she wanted to eat crayfish?

"Crayfish?"

Had she really been called over in the middle of the night just for that? Han Tian had assumed something dramatic had happened with Lu Qingzhuo again.

But that wasn’t even the strangest part. The real shock was—why would Fu Yumian suddenly crave something as down-to-earth as crayfish? Even she found it hard to believe.

"President Fu, you could just order takeout yourself."

Fu Yumian curled up on the sofa matter-of-factly. "I don’t know how."

Resigned, Han Tian pulled out her phone and ordered two pounds of crayfish for delivery, totaling sixty yuan. She took a screenshot of the order and sent it to Fu Yumian, requesting reimbursement.

By the time the food delivery arrived, it was already 11:30 at night.

Fu Yumian carried the takeout box in one hand and placed it on the dining table. As soon as she opened the plastic bag, a strong, savory aroma wafted out.

It took Fu Yumian a full ten minutes just to remove the plastic lid from the takeout container.

She put on all the plastic gloves she had, frowning as she thought to herself that this was hardly fit for human consumption. But in a moment of carelessness, some oil splattered onto her clothes.

“…”

Fu Yumian took off her gloves and sniffed her fair fingertips—her fingers now carried the scent of crayfish.

She was used to eating Australian lobster, so this was her first time trying these tiny crayfish, barely larger than a finger. Normally, when she ate shrimp, the servants would peel the shells for her.

She hesitantly extended a finger toward the box of crayfish, but before even touching the claws, she instinctively pulled her hand back.

---

Meanwhile, Lu Qingzhuo was engrossed in gossip, chatting enthusiastically with her friend.

“Did you hear? That omega, Jiang Yanwei—the one who stole several lead roles from you—just shot a new drama and got scolded to tears on set.”

“She cried? Who’s the director? Aren’t they afraid her fans will flood Weibo and shut down their account?”

“I also heard she’s caught the eye of the assistant director’s husband. That alpha is actually pretty handsome.”

Lin Zhiyu pulled out her phone, opened a gossip group chat, scrolled through the chat history, and clicked on a video. “Look, look! Who knows what’s really going on between those two?”

“What group is this? Why am I not in it?” Lu Qingzhuo snatched Lin Zhiyu’s phone.

“The group isn’t full yet—hurry and add me!”

“You’ll need a side account. The group owner specifically blocked your fans from joining. They really can’t stand you.”

Lu Qingzhuo paused for a moment, then smirked confidently. “That’s even better. So, who’s their main idol?”

“There’s no main idol, just a bunch of nobodies who love gossip but don’t actually stan anyone in the industry.”

Lu Qingzhuo clicked on the group’s entry request and saw the announcement message:

[Lu Qingzhuo’s fans are not allowed to join.]

“Oh, so I get special treatment? See? No one else is mentioned. This just proves how important I am in the group owner’s heart.”

Lin Zhiyu sighed. “Unlike me, a totally irrelevant minor celebrity. People don’t even bother to hate me. You should count yourself lucky.”

“Jiang Yanwei may have questionable morals, but her acting is decent, and she’s got the looks—she’s the perfect ‘ethereal beauty’ type.” Lu Qingzhuo touched her own face, opened her red carpet photos, and pointed at her makeup and gown. “The company wants me to ride on her fame. I can’t fight against the system, so what else can I do but go along with it?”

She was already thinking about how these kinds of situations would soon be a thing of the past. After all, she had just acquired shares in one of the most prestigious entertainment companies—she was now a major shareholder.

If she left now, she’d have to pay a whopping one-billion-yuan breach-of-contract fee. Lu Qingzhuo would never make such a losing deal. Besides, in just two years, her contract would expire on its own, so there was no rush.

Just as the image of Fu Yumian’s face popped into her mind, her phone chimed with a WeChat notification. She opened it and saw a message from Fu Yumian.

[Come over.]

Lu Qingzhuo’s scalp tingled. She took a deep breath and glanced at Lin Zhiyu, who was playing a game.

“Zhiyu, it’s really late, and I have a few scenes to shoot tomorrow. Maybe you should head back first.”

“Why can’t we just sleep together? We used to when we were kids.” Lin Zhiyu sprawled on the bed, refusing to leave.

“We haven’t seen each other in two years, and you’re already so eager to kick me out?”

“But my sleeping posture is terrible. I might end up talking in my sleep or even sleepwalking—and what if I accidentally hit you?”

Lu Qingzhuo didn’t even care if her excuse was convincing. She just watched as Lin Zhiyu sighed, closed her game, and shook her head. “Fine, fine. I get it. We’ve grown apart. I’m leaving. Don’t miss me too much.”

Lu Qingzhuo walked her to the door and only breathed a sigh of relief once Lin Zhiyu disappeared around the corner. Then, she silently made her way to Fu Yumian’s room and knocked lightly.

The door opened, and Lu Qingzhuo quickly slipped inside. In her hurry, she accidentally bumped into Fu Yumian’s slender back.

A dramatic scene unfolded—she lost her balance, and just as she was about to fall onto Fu Yumian, one thought flashed through her mind: I’m dead.

But before disaster struck, Fu Yumian’s slender yet strong arms wrapped around her waist, barely steadying her.

The two of them stumbled onto the sofa together. In the rush, Lu Qingzhuo’s panicked fingers nearly tugged open the neckline of Fu Yumian’s freshly changed nightgown.

“President Fu! I’m sorry!”

The moment Lu Qingzhuo realized her hand had landed on something soft, she shot up as if she had touched a venomous snake. Her legs nearly gave out beneath her.

Fu Yumian, looking rather disheveled, propped herself up on the sofa. Her glasses had slipped off her nose, and she clenched her fists tightly, staring at the flustered alpha in front of her.

Her breathing was uneven. Seeing Lu Qingzhuo standing there, too guilty to even look her in the eye, something unreadable flickered in her expression.

“What did you do wrong?”

Her voice was cold and terrifying.

Lu Qingzhuo shuddered and bit her lip, not daring to breathe too loudly. “I shouldn’t have recklessly bumped into you like that.”

---

Meanwhile, Lin Zhiyu, who was supposed to have gone back to her room, had secretly returned. She had spotted Lu Qingzhuo sneaking around, nervously knocking on Fu Yumian’s door.

After more than twenty years of friendship, she now realized something—she had been completely wrong about Lu Qingzhuo.

There was definitely something going on here.  

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