Lu Chen noticed Liu Jie's delicate face flush with a hint of anger, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Liu Jie, thinking about the embarrassing matter she had come to discuss with Lu Chen, found herself at a loss for words. Though she hesitated, she knew she couldn't avoid the issue. Swallowing her pride, she steeled herself to talk about something so personal with Lu Chen.
As he observed the changes in Liu Jie's expression, Lu Chen became increasingly puzzled. 'Could it be that Liu Jie really has something important to say? Surely, she isn't planning to confess her feelings for him, right?' The thought made him laugh inwardly at his own foolishness. 'Liu Jie is far too proud to ever do such a thing. But if it isn't a confession, then why does she seem so hesitant and embarrassed?'
"Jie, is something bothering you? Are you finding it hard to talk about?" Lu Chen asked gently.
Liu Jie gathered her courage, but still kept her head lowered as she softly spoke, "Since you have Vigorous Pills, which are made specifically for men, I was wondering... do you also have something similar for women? A pill that could... could stimulate a woman's desires? But it shouldn't be anything like an aphrodisiac."
Had Lu Chen been drinking tea, he would have surely spat it out at the moment.
He stared at Liu Jie, whose face was now beet red and lowered in embarrassment. His mind raced. 'Could she be asking it for herself? Or maybe she has discovered she has a condition that needs treatment?'
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lu Chen's gaze toward Liu Jie grew more peculiar. 'So that's why she's always so cold and distant—could it be because…'
"What… What are you thinking? Don't you dare let your mind wander!" Liu Jie, noticing Lu Chen's lack of response, looked up in a mixture of embarrassment and anger, only to catch him staring at her with that strange look in his eyes.
Realizing what he must be thinking, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
Lu Chen chuckled. "Jie, there's no need to be embarrassed. Even if you are unwell, it's nothing to be ashamed of. And you've definitely come to the right person—I do have a pill that can treat the condition you're talking about."
Liu Jie's heart leaped with joy at hearing this, but her happiness was quickly replaced by mortification when she realized Lu Chen assumed she was asking for herself. Furious and embarrassed, she snapped, "What are you thinking? I never said it was for me!"
Lu Chen finally caught on and, seeing the flustered look on Liu Jie's face, smiled, "Oh, why didn't you say so earlier? Here I was, thinking you needed the medicine yourself. But no worries, I'll give you a few extra pills just in case you need them in the future with…"
"You… you're infuriating!" Liu Suyan, both shy and angry, found herself at a complete loss with him.
In her frustration and embarrassment, she suddenly stood up, grabbed Lu Chen's head, and pressed her lips against his in a hasty kiss.
Lu Chen was utterly stunned. He felt her soft, warm lips against his, with a scent as intoxicating as orchids and musk filling his senses.
His mind went blank, with only one thought echoing through it: 'She… She actually kissed me?'
The courage that had come so suddenly to Liu Jie quickly dissipated. Before Lu Chen could fully register what was happening, she pulled away and sat back down, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.
Lu Chen slowly regained his composure, instinctively licking his lips as he looked at Liu Jie. His gaze naturally drifted to her delicate, now slightly swollen lips, as if trying to savor the lingering sensation.
Liu Jie glared at him. "Now do you believe me? I'm not sick!"
Lu Chen didn't say a word, but his face lit up with a mischievous smile.
Liu Jie huffed in frustration, her face flushed with embarrassment. She muttered under her breath, "You annoying fool! Because of you, I've lost my first kiss!"
Though she spoke quietly, Lu Chen heard her clearly, and his eyes once again settled on her lips.
Noticing where his eyes had landed, Liu Jie's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She snapped, "Lu Chen, you'd better bring those pills to school tomorrow, or else I'll make you pay!"
With that, she hurried out of the teahouse like a gust of wind.
Lu Chen, now standing up, was just about to chase after her when someone suddenly grabbed him from behind.
The waiter, who had been secretly watching Lu Chen and Liu Jie from the shadows, was captivated by Liu Jie's beauty and silently envied Lu Chen's luck. Still lost in admiration, he noticed Lu Chen trying to leave without paying. Quick to act, he reached out and stopped him.
As Lu Chen was about to follow Liu Jie to clarify their relationship, he found himself held back by someone. He turned angrily, only to see the waiter holding a bill.
Seeing that it was just the waiter, Lu Chen's anger evaporated instantly, replaced by the realization that he had forgotten to pay the bill. It would have been strange if the waiter hadn't stopped him!
"Sir, that'll be four thousand yuan!"
Lu Chen nearly jumped out of his skin. 'We had only had two cups of tea, yet the bill came to four thousand yuan? This is daylight robbery!'
With a pained expression, he handed over the four thousand yuan he had been saving for buying medicinal herbs to refine pills for He Suyan.
He hurried out of the teahouse, but Liu Jie was nowhere to be seen. After what had just happened, it would have been surprising if she had waited for him. Still, having gained Liu Jie's first kiss, Lu Chen was filled with so much joy that there was no room for disappointment.
Feeling like he was walking on air, he returned home and immediately ran into He Suyan.
He Suyan, having nothing better to do at home, was reading a book. When she saw the happy look on Lu Chen's face as he came in, she put down her book and asked, "What happened? Did something good happen? You seem so happy!"
Lu Chen chuckled, "Nothing much."
He Suyan, sensitive as ever, detected a faint fragrance lingering on him—a scent that, as a woman, she knew all too well.