Chapter 221 The Little Secret That Makes My Heart Flutter

He spoke naturally, without any hint of deliberate flattery, as if he were simply mentioning something perfectly ordinary.

Huang Jiayi looked at his profile; the light and shadows of the streetlamps flickered across his face.

With his high bridge of the nose and clear jawline, her heart inexplicably skipped a few beats.

"Then... then thank you."

Her voice was soft and a bit embarrassed.

In all her years, no one besides her family had ever been so thoughtful and considerate toward her.

The colleagues who pursued her only knew how to send flowers or treat her to dinner; no one had ever noticed that her wrists would get chafed from practicing Sanda.

Lin Chen smiled, the corners of his eyes curving into a handsome arc.

"Why be so polite with me?"

"Aren't we going to practice Sanda together?"

"I can't let you get injured, or there'll be no one to spar with me when the time comes."

He deliberately found an excuse that kept him from appearing too aggressive while giving them a reason to meet again next time.

How could Huang Jiayi not hear the subtext? Her cheeks grew even redder as she lowered her head to fiddle with the hem of her clothes, though the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn upward.

The car soon arrived at the entrance of her neighborhood.

This was also an upscale community; the front buildings were high-rises, while the dozens of buildings further in were villas.

One look at the courtyard design and the grandeur of the gates made it clear that property prices here were certainly not low.

Ordinary citizens could not afford to live here.

Lin Chen got out first, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door for her.

He handed her the gym bag and even reached out to smooth her hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

His fingertips inadvertently brushed against her cheek; at the sensation of warm contact, both of them paused for a moment.

Huang Jiayi looked up sharply, meeting Lin Chen's deep gaze, which seemed to hold starlight within it.

Seeing this made her heart race; she quickly looked away and stammered,

"Then... then I'm going up. Let's get in touch for the next practice."

Lin Chen suddenly thought of something.

"Wait."

Huang Jiayi blanked for a moment, her mind filling in the blanks.

"Does he want to kiss me?... I'm not ready yet!"

Instead, Lin Chen walked to the back seat of the car and pulled out a gift box.

"This is an LV bag I specifically bought for you in Hong Kong during National Day."

"I thought it would suit your style."

He then opened the gift box on the spot to reveal the bag.

Huang Jiayi looked at the exquisite bag.

"Ah! This style is really nice. It won't be too conspicuous to carry to work; it's perfect for my job."

"Lin Chen, I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful even when buying a bag."

[System detects Huang Jiayi's favorability +5, currently 85 points.]

Lin Chen smiled inwardly.

"Not bad, just five points away from winning her over."

"Next time I'll take her home. Hehe, she definitely won't get away."

Lin Chen continued, "Go on home. I expect your family is waiting for you!"

Huang Jiayi looked up toward her building in the complex.

"Go ahead. Send me a message when you're home so I don't worry."

Huang Jiayi nodded and almost fled through the neighborhood gates. After running a few steps,

She couldn't help but look back.

Lin Chen was still standing by the mclaren, waving at her.

She leaned against the wall of the complex, hand over her chest, clearly hearing the 'thump-thump' of her own heartbeat.

Her heart was a mess of sweetness, and she couldn't help but scold herself.

"Huang Jiayi, you have no spine!"

"He's just a handsome, rich, and considerate college student, isn't he?"

"Is it worth being this flustered?"

But on second thought, she couldn't stop remembering how he shielded her head, carried her bag, and noticed her swollen wrists, and the corners of her mouth refused to stay down.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen watched her figure disappear into the courtyard entrance.

Only then did he withdraw his gaze, lean against the car, and take out his phone to send a message.

A confident smile played on his lips.

"Halfway done."

He muttered to himself and started the car to leave.

He had calculated correctly; a girl like Huang Jiayi had seen plenty of deliberate flattery.

Instead, this kind of unintentional thoughtfulness and display of capability was what would move her most.

Moreover, he had plenty of patience. By slowly wearing her down, he would eventually win her over.

When Huang Jiayi got home, she leaned against the door as soon as she entered. She took out her phone and, after hesitating for a long time, sent Lin Chen a message:

"I'm home. Thank you for driving me back."

The moment the message was sent, she received Lin Chen's reply. The speed was too fast to be a coincidence:

"Good to hear you're home. Get some rest early and don't stay up late. I'll call you in advance for the next practice."

Huang Jiayi looked at the phone screen, her lips curling up uncontrollably.

Her fingers tapped on the screen for a long time before she replied: "Okay~"

She added a small smiley face at the end.

Inwardly, she was secretly looking forward to the next Sanda practice.

"Maybe being three years younger than me isn't that important after all?"

Huang Jiayi's heart felt like it had a restless little rabbit inside, thumping hard. At the thought, her cheeks flushed red.

The heat spread from the tips of her ears down to her neck, making even her earlobes feel hot.

When he handed her the bag earlier, his fingertips had accidentally touched her hand. That slight cool sensation still lingered on her skin.

"Would he like me?"

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum, carrying a bit of uncertain trepidation and a trace of expectation she hadn't even noticed herself.

She had just finished changing her shoes and entered the house, not yet having time to hide the bag,

When she was caught red-handed by her mother, Chu Hong.

"Oh..."

Chu Hong drew out the sound, her eyes instantly glued to the bag in her daughter's hand.

She wiped the water droplets off her hands and leaned in.

"You bought a new bag? It looks like it wasn't cheap!"

Before Jiayi could speak, Chu Hong frowned, her tone taking a sudden turn.

"Wait a minute, didn't you say you were going to practice Sanda when you left this morning?"

"You bring a new bag to Sanda practice?"

"Child, who are you trying to fool!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Hong seemed to have a sudden realization. Her eyes lit up, and her mouth instantly spread into a grin.

She leaned even closer, her tone softening with a hint of playfulness.

"Oh—I get it. You didn't buy this; it was a gift from a friend, right?"

"Hahaha, tell me, tell me quickly, who gave it to you?"

Chu Hong took her daughter's arm without allowing for an argument. Her grip wasn't strong, but it carried an irresistible curiosity.

Her fingertips poked Jiayi's arm lightly. "Don't hide it, Mom can tell!"

While dragging Jiayi toward the living room, she shouted toward the man sitting on the sofa:

"Old Huang! Old Huang, come look, our daughter has received a gift from someone!"

"Which Handsome Guy gave this?"

Chu Hong's eyes were shining as she pulled Jiayi to sit by the sofa, questioning her incessantly.

"Tell me, is he from your Public Security System?"

"Which station is this Handsome Guy from?"

"When the time comes, I'll have your father step in to transfer him to a more relaxed position. He shouldn't be like you, so busy every day that he's never home!"

Chu Hong became more excited as she spoke, already treating the person who gave the bag as her daughter's suitor.

She was busy making plans for her daughter, completely failing to notice Jiayi's increasingly red face and the panic in her eyes.

She truly believed that since her daughter worked in the Public Security System, finding someone from the same system—someone they knew well and who could look out for each other—would be for the best.