Lu Chen felt his body tense up as Liu Jie approached. His mind raced, wondering if she was going to kick him or punch him.
But then, Lu Chen's body suddenly froze. He clearly felt Liu Jie gently wrapping her hand around his arm. The light, fragrant scent of her perfume filled his senses, and the soft touch on his arm made Lu Chen question whether he was dreaming.
It had been nearly four years, and this was perhaps the closest he and Liu Jie had ever been in—yesterday's accidental encounter didn't count. They had never even held hands before.
It was completely natural for Lu Chen to be at a loss in response to Liu Jie's sudden display of intimacy. If he hadn't been stunned, it would have been unusual!
Although Lu Chen wouldn't admit it, he knew deep down that he had strong feelings for Liu Jie. As a man, he didn't lack courage, but whenever he saw Liu Jie's delicate, flawless face—capable of dispelling any stray thoughts—his courage would deflate like a punctured balloon.
It was precisely because of his unyielding feelings for Liu Jie that Lu Chen had resisted the urge to date randomly like his friends do. This steadfastness had earned him the collective scorn of his peers for still being a virgin.
Perhaps Liu Jie was aware of Lu Chen's unspoken feelings for her. Although Initially, she had interacted with him because of the miraculous pills he possessed, but over time, she wasn't sure if she was more drawn to the pills or to the person who made them.
However, after yesterday, when Lu Chen had accidentally touched her very private area—though it was unintentional—it left Liu Jie flustered. She spent a sleepless night thinking about it and came to school early in the morning to wait for Lu Chen.
She wasn't sure why, but she suddenly found herself holding onto Lu Chen's arm. Was it just to ensure that he agree to her next request? It didn't seem like it, but she couldn't focus on figuring it out because Lu Chen was already coming back to his senses.
As Lu Chen's stiff body gradually relaxed, he turned his head to look at Liu Jie's exquisite face, which was now so close that he could almost kiss it.
Suppressing the excitement and nervousness within him, he tried to maintain his composure and asked, "Miss Jie, is there something you need?"
Noticing the fleeting glance Lu Chen gave her lips, Liu Jie couldn't help but feel a bit pleased, though she was slightly annoyed by his calm tone. "What, can't I stop you without having a reason? You really are a busy person—are you rushing off to sell your Vigorous Pills?"
Lu Chen's face flushed instantly. He instinctively glanced at Liu Jie, wondering how did she know about the Vigorous Pills. Fortunately, when he named the pills, he had chosen something poetic and elegant. If someone wasn't aware of their specific effects, even a sage wouldn't guess that the ethereal name "Vigorous Pills" belonged to such a perverse product: an aphrodisiac.
Although he wasn't sure how Liu Jie had found out about the Vigorous Pills, Lu Chen could only hope she knew the name without understanding its true purpose; otherwise, he'd be deeply embarrassed!
Taking a deep breath, Lu Chen asked, "Miss Jie, how did you hear about the Vigorous Pills?"
Liu Jie's face also turned red, though she didn't realize how alluring she looked in her bashfulness, making Lu Chen momentarily dazed.
Hearing Lu Chen's question, Liu Jie felt like biting this troublesome guy. She had always assumed Lu Chen made pills solely for beauty purposes, and until recently, she believed the Vigorous Pills were another type of beauty-enhancing medicine. It wasn't until she asked one of her close friends about them that she learned the truth.
Just hearing the name "Vigorous Pills," which sounded even more elegant than the beauty pills, made Liu Jie assume they must be equally precious. Remembering the miraculous effects of the beauty pills, she became eager to get her hands on the Vigorous Pills.
Her second thought, however, was one of indignation: 'how dare that scoundrel keep the Vigorous Pills a secret from me? Unforgivable!' She was determined to get the pills from him and leave a lasting impression.
But when she asked her friend about the effects of the Vigorous Pills, the friend blushed and acted mysteriously, which only piqued Liu Jie's curiosity further.
After some persistent questioning, her friend, who had experienced the effects of the Vigorous Pills firsthand, reluctantly explained their true nature.
Liu Jie was mortified—her face was burning with embarrassment. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She never imagined that the Vigorous Pills would turn out to be a aphrodisiacs for me. And to make matters worse, Lu Chen was the one selling them. This knowledge left her feeling deeply uncomfortable.
Sensing Lu Chen's gaze on her, Liu Jie felt her confidence waver. She had come to confront him, but now she found herself unable to endure his scrutiny.
With a swift motion, she pinched Lu Chen's waist and scolded playfully, "You should have known better! I can't believe you sell that kind of thing!"
Lu Chen never expected the usually composed and elegant Liu Jie to act so womanly, nor did he anticipate that such an intelligent woman could be so unreasonable at times. The sharp pain in his waist almost made him cry out.
Although he managed to stop himself from yelping, the pain caused his brows to furrow. Despite this, he forced a smile and teased, "I didn't expect Miss Jie to know about it. Are you planning to buy some Vigorous Pills for yourself?"
Seeing Lu Chen wince in pain brought a sense of satisfaction to Liu Jie, but when she heard his sudden quip, her face turned crimson. She quickly let go of his arm and shot him an angry glare. "Why would I buy that for you?"
She hadn't realized the innuendo in her words, but Lu Chen certainly did.
Glancing around, Lu Chen noticed some people beginning to pay attention to them. He breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Liu Jie had just been holding his arm in a way that only couples would. Although Lu Chen would love for Liu Jie to stay close to him like that forever, he didn't want to become the center of attention in such a public place.
Feeling a twinge of disappointment as Liu Jie let go of his arm, Lu Chen joked, "If Miss Jie is willing to buy Vigorous Pills for me, I'd be more than happy. But it seems like I don't really need them, right? Or do you doubt my abilities...?"
"You... you... you rogue!"
Liu Jie, being clever, quickly realized that Lu Chen was taking advantage of her with his words. However, with her upbringing, she struggled to find the right words to scold him, and after a brief pause, she could only manage to call him a rogue, her cheeks flushing even more.
Lu Chen noticed that their little exchange had attracted quite a bit of attention. Liu Jie's bashful expression only made her more captivating.
Summoning a burst of courage from who knows where, Lu Chen suddenly grabbed Liu Jie's delicate hand and hurriedly led her out of the school gates.
It was the first time Liu Jie had ever been held by Lu Chen like this. When his hand clasped hers, she instinctively tried to pull away, but how could Lu Chen let go after finally capturing such a soft, delicate hand? He tightened his grip slightly, holding her hand firmly in his.