151: Chapter 151 It really can't be any slower.

The elevator reached the eleventh floor. Li Bingyue stepped out first, swiped the door open, and quickly turned back to glance at Zhang Qi.

"Brother Qi, wait for me a moment. Please, don't laugh at me."

Zhang Qi carried the two helmets into the room, his nose catching a faint scent of laundry detergent mixed with a hint of motor oil.

The living room wasn't exactly messy, but it certainly couldn't be called tidy either; protective gear was tossed on the sofa, and half a bottle of sports drink sat on the coffee table.

Li Bingyue's face turned red instantly. She rushed over to scoop up the protective gear and kicked a few delivery boxes toward the wall.

Her movements were too hurried, and she almost tripped over the rug, looking both cool and flustered at the same time.

Zhang Qi felt a bit amused, but he didn't say anything to embarrass her.

He just felt that Li Bingyue was quite authentic; she didn't put on airs or act pretentious.

Li Bingyue tidied up for two minutes before clearing a spot on the sofa.

"Brother Qi, you sit first. I'm going to take a quick shower, it won't take long."

Zhang Qi placed the helmets on the entryway cabinet and sat down casually on the edge of the sofa.

"Take your time, no need to rush."

Upon hearing this, Li Bingyue felt even more anxious.

She was afraid that if she was too slow, Zhang Qi would get bored, but she was also worried about being too casual and lacking femininity.

Before entering the bathroom, she glanced back again and saw Zhang Qi looking at his phone, which calmed her down a little.

After the bathroom door closed, the sound of water soon followed.

Zhang Qi looked down at his phone for a while; in the group chat, Manager Chen Danni was still sending updates on the company's progress.

Su Ran had also sent over the Gym handover form, and Sun Yiyao was asking about the decoration style for the coffee shop.

Looking at these messages, Zhang Qi was in a pretty good mood.

Having a lot of women around was indeed troublesome, but if they could all get things done, that was a different story.

This was called resource integration; it sounded very professional.

A dozen minutes later, the bathroom door was pushed open.

Li Bingyue had changed into a light gray cropped top and black athletic shorts, revealing a pair of straight, toned legs.

She had just finished her shower, her skin flushed red from the hot water, and her wet hair draped over her shoulders, water still dripping from the ends.

The fresh scent of shower gel drifted over, mingling with the warmth radiating from the young woman, feeling incredibly real.

Zhang Qi looked up, his gaze visibly pausing for a moment.

Li Bingyue caught his reaction, and her heart felt incredibly sweet.

She didn't act coy, just wiped her hair with a towel and walked to the living room with a light, brisk step.

"How is it? Will I embarrass you if we go out to eat like this?"

Zhang Qi looked at her radiant face and nodded with a smile.

"Very pretty. It has more of a sense of everyday life than the cycling gear."

Li Bingyue's ears burned, but she pretended to be calm.

"That's good. I was worried you preferred someone who was particularly polished."

Zhang Qi leaned back on the sofa, his expression very natural.

"Polished has its charms, and natural has its own as well."

Li Bingyue couldn't help but mutter to herself that this man really knew how to flirt.

She sat on the nearby armchair, continuing to wipe her hair while her mind began to race.

Lin Yuxi's face put too much pressure on her.

If she continued to eat and chat at such a slow pace, she would probably be overtaken by someone else.

Although she had never been in a relationship, her friends had shared plenty of experience with her.

If a man and a woman want to heat things up, just making awkward small talk definitely won't work.

You need physical contact, you need ambiguity, and you have to make the other person remember you.

Thinking of this, Li Bingyue's heart rate quickened again.

She glanced at Zhang Qi and noticed his shirt collar was still a bit damp with sweat, finally finding a somewhat natural excuse.

"Brother Qi, you sweated quite a bit today too. Why don't you take a shower here?"

Zhang Qi looked up and paused for a second.

Coming from Li Bingyue, these words were indeed a bit suggestive.

A man and a woman alone, a girl who had just finished showering, inviting a man to use her bathroom to shower.

If this didn't imply something else, Zhang Qi would feel like he was playing dumb.

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Li Bingyue's face turned even redder, but she didn't back down.

She draped the towel over her shoulder and waved her hand, feigning nonchalance.

"What's the big deal? It's just a shower, it doesn't mean anything else."

The more she said it, the more reasonable her excuse sounded, and her courage slowly grew.

"Besides, this is your place now, Brother Qi, don't overthink it."

Zhang Qi watched her trying to act tough despite being clearly shy, and found it quite amusing.

He had originally planned to go up to the twelfth floor and find a room to wash up in later.

Since Li Bingyue was being so forthright, there was no need for him to keep playing hard to get.

"Alright, I'll take a shower."

Li Bingyue's heart gave a sudden leap when she heard him agree.

She quickly stood up and led him to the bathroom door.

"There are new towels and bath towels inside, feel free to use them."

Zhang Qi nodded and stepped into the bathroom.

The moment the door closed, Li Bingyue stood still, her face burning intensely.

She reached up to touch her ears and muttered softly.

"Li Bingyue, you really are bold."

The steam hadn't fully dissipated in the bathroom, and the mirror was covered in a layer of mist.

The air was filled with the scent Li Bingyue had just used—not cloying, but very clean, with a hint of fresh floral and fruity notes.

Zhang Qi took off his clothes and turned on the showerhead, the warm water quickly cascading down from his shoulders.

He wasn't the type to get carried away by such a minor situation.

After having many women around him, he had seen his fair share of situations.

However, this direct, straightforward initiative from Li Bingyue was indeed different from Su Ran and the others.

She wasn't bowing her head for money, nor was she being forced by life to make choices.

She simply felt an attraction, so she took a step forward.

This pure, passionate approach actually felt a bit refreshing to Zhang Qi.

In the living room, Li Bingyue listened to the sound of water in the bathroom, unable to sit or stand still.

She picked up her phone, then put it down, feeling as exhilarated as if she had just finished a race.

She didn't know if Zhang Qi would overthink it.

But she hoped he would overthink it a little.

On the other side, Lin Yuxi had already arrived at the entrance of the restaurant where they were meeting.

After throwing away the trash, she had taken a taxi over, her mind racing the entire way.

The neon lights outside the car window flickered past, but her mind was filled with the scene in the elevator.

Li Bingyue, who was by Zhang Qi's side, was so young, so bright and poised; she was clearly a formidable competitor.

The more Lin Yuxi thought about it, the more stifled she felt.

She used to think that being slow to warm up was fine, but tonight she suddenly realized that being slow to warm up sometimes equated to giving up.

Standing at the restaurant entrance, she sent a message to her best friend.

"I'm at the entrance."

Less than a minute later, a young girl with a top knot ran out from inside.

The girl was wearing a loose T-shirt and jeans, running in a bit of a rush, her chest still heaving.

As soon as she saw Lin Yuxi, her face was full of eagerness.

"Yuxi, quick, show me! What does the boy you like look like?"

Lin Yuxi's face flushed at the question, and she quickly grabbed her arm.

"Tao Xiaoman, keep your voice down, there are people at the entrance."

Tao Xiaoman caught her breath, her eyes full of gossip.

"You, a social phobic, not only have a boy you like, but you're actually asking me if you should be proactive—isn't that explosive enough? How could I possibly hold back?"

Lin Yuxi's ears burned from what she said, but she tried hard to maintain a cool expression.

"Let's go inside and talk; my head is a bit of a mess right now."

Tao Xiaoman stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled.

"It's over. You're not just a little messy—you've completely fallen for him."

Lin Yuxi pursed her lips and didn't refute it.

She looked back at the traffic on the road, and that sense of crisis welled up in her heart again.

She had to figure out a plan tonight.

Otherwise, if she kept being this slow, she wouldn't even be able to see his taillights anymore.