Don’t Ignite It chapter 30

Fortune Telling

That afternoon, a driver sent by Lu Zhao arrived outside Xia Yu’s home to pick him up. Xu Jan had already left in the morning, so Xia Yu got into the car and noticed that the driver was the same one who had picked them up at the bar last time.

He wasn’t familiar with this driver and they didn’t exchange many words during the ride. Xia Yu just listened to music in his own world.

When they arrived downstairs at Lu Zhao’s company, the driver politely said, “Mr. Xia, President Lu is still in a meeting. You can go up and wait for him.”

Xia Yu had been to Lu Zhao’s company before, but it had been in the evening. This time, in broad daylight, he wasn’t very enthusiastic about going inside.

“Never mind, I’ll wait for him in the car.”

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Lu Zhao to come down. When he got into the car, Xia Yu glanced at him casually.

Lu Zhao had a faint scent of cologne, with his handsome and slender figure, dressed in a well-fitted suit. He was still on the phone as he entered the car, his expression calm. His sharply defined face resembled the work of an artist, and he looked especially dignified when he was working, like a silhouette from an old magazine.

Xia Yu admired him for a moment, then turned his gaze forward.

The driver focused on driving, so Xia Yu pondered for a few seconds and followed his instincts. He reached out, turned Lu Zhao’s face towards him, and planted a kiss on his lips before Lu Zhao could react.

Lu Zhao fell silent.

On the other end of the phone, the person asked again, “President Lu, I just sent you the quotation. Did you receive it… President Lu?”

Xia Yu had already returned to his seat, looking at his phone with a calm expression.

After a few seconds, Lu Zhao finally responded, “Yes, I received it. Can you repeat what you said earlier?”

The curve of Xia Yu’s lips grew even wider.

Lu Zhao’s call ended, and he raised the partition in the car. He held Xia Yu’s fingers and asked in a low voice, “Why did you kiss me?”

Xia Yu looked at him coldly. “I kissed you because I felt like it. You’re quite good-looking, and I’m not a saint.”

Lu Zhao chuckled lightly and pulled Xia Yu onto his lap.

The windows were tightly closed, yet they could still hear some of the bustling sounds outside. It was daytime, but the car’s interior was dimly lit.

While Lu Zhao continued to kiss Xia Yu, he paused to ask. “The weather in Yundu is quite hot. Did you bring summer clothes?”

Xia Yu, who was getting dizzy from the kisses, tried to maintain some semblance of rationality. “Yes, I brought them. Xu Zhan checked for me.”

At times like this, Lu Zhao didn’t like hearing Xu Zhan’s name. It brought out the pettiness in him, which he could hardly contain.

He wasn’t completely unaware of Xu Zhan’s actions, such as taking time off to go on a trip with his lover. However, he wasn’t sure if Xia Yu was aware of it as well. 

He went on kissing Xia Yu again but didn’t ask any more distracting questions.

Xia Yu and Lu Zhao’s flight to Cloud City arrived in the evening, and they parted ways with Lu Zhao’s staff.

Because of Xia Yu, Lu Zhao had specifically booked a villa in a resort, which was not particularly close to the location of his meetings, taking about an hour’s drive back and forth.

The secretary booking the rooms couldn’t help but be astonished in her mind, unable to understand why someone like Lu Zhao would get caught up in love. In the past, Lu Zhao would never have wasted these two hours.

She had been by Lu Zhao’s side for years, so she knew all about Lu Zhao’s entanglement with Xia Yu.

She had always found it difficult to imagine someone like Lu Zhao falling in love. Lu Zhao seemed so cold, as if he were naturally devoid of the warmth of love. She had followed Lu Zhao for years and had never seen him show any interest in anyone.

But now, it turned out that Lu Zhao could fall in love, and he could even make plans for trips with his lover as seriously as he did with his company’s quarterly plans.

The secretary couldn’t help but marvel at this, but she couldn’t share this gossip with anyone else, so she kept it to herself, feeling a bit stifled.

Xia Yu had no idea that he had added some troubles to an excellent and experienced secretary. He was quite satisfied with the resort.

The resort had a private beach area, and the temperature in Cloud City was higher than in other cities. Even though it was already November, it wasn’t cold, and walking by the sea was very comfortable.

Each room was equipped with a dedicated butler who could also act as a guide and accompany guests on outings if needed.

When Lu Zhao booked this resort, he had considered this aspect. He had been busy with work, inspections, and meetings for the past few days and wouldn’t have much time to spend with Xia Yu until later.

However, when he finally saw the so-called dedicated butler, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

The reason was that this butler was quite young, probably around the same age as Xia Yu. He had a sunny and cheerful appearance with puppy-dog eyes and a cute smile.

He was just a bit too… likable.

Lu Zhao almost wanted to request a replacement immediately, but Xia Yu smiled and said, “Let’s go with this one.”

Feeling Lu Zhao’s gaze, Xia Yu shrugged and added, “I like good-looking people, and you know that.”

In the end, Li Pan was not replaced.

The next day, Lu Zhao took an hour-long drive with his secretary and subordinates to attend a meeting.

Meanwhile, Xia Yu explored the streets and alleys of Cloud City with Li Pan as his guide.

Li Pan was a diligent guide who inquired about Xia Yu’s preferences and tailored the tour route accordingly.

Xia Yu wasn’t a fan of strenuous activities like hiking, and he had a restless personality. Although he enjoyed sightseeing, he preferred a leisurely pace. So, Li Pan had only arranged two attractions for him that day.

In the morning, they visited a mansion from the Republican era. The mansion had a gray brick and red window style, and since it was autumn, the courtyard was adorned with golden ginkgo leaves, making it a picturesque scene. Even though it wasn’t the peak tourist season, many visitors were taking photos. The young ladies passing by all seemed to be stunning, wearing cheongsams and long dresses. They looked like living paintings when they stood beneath the windows.

Xia Yu glanced at their bare legs and was once again plagued by the question that had been bothering him for a while. “Aren’t these girls afraid of the cold?”

He muttered to himself.

Li Pan, standing nearby, chuckled and said, “My sister is the same way.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yeah.”

Li Pan thought for a moment and showed his phone to Xia Yu. His wallpaper was a family photo, and he pointed to the leftmost person. “That’s my sister.”

After spending some time with Xia Yu, Li Pan had figured out his client’s personality. Xia Yu was a very easygoing customer, and being too formal would be counterproductive.

Xia Yu took a look at the photo. It showed a girl who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen, wearing a white top and jeans, with a sweet smile.

“Your sister is adorable,” Xia Yu said with a hint of envy. “I don’t have a sister, just an older brother.”

Li Pan smiled in response. He liked his sister, but he couldn’t help but offer a few comforting words to Xia Yu. “Sisters can be mischievous too. Mine would sneakily take my comics.”

Xia Yu didn’t say anything more and went to watch the girls taking photos again.

In fact, compared to others, he himself looked like a scenic spot. He had very fair skin, with faint blue veins visible on his eyelids. Standing under the gray brick and red windows, wearing a black windbreaker and sporting delicate facial features, he attracted the attention of many passersby.

But he didn’t seem to notice it himself.

Li Pan asked, “Would you like me to take a few photos for you? I’m pretty good with a camera.”

Xia Yu shook his head. “I’m not interested.”

After visiting a few places, it was time for lunch. Xia Yu had chosen a Turkish restaurant nearby for their meal.

While they were eating, Lu Zhao called.

Xia Yu had initially considered avoiding the call, but Li Pan shook his head, indicating that it wasn’t necessary. Xia Yu turned slightly to the side, speaking softly, and most of the conversation was inaudible to Li Pan.

Lu Zhao simply inquired if Xia Yu was having a good time and asked what they had for lunch.

Xia Yu replied, “We visited the Liugong Mansion in the morning. We’re having lunch now, and we plan to go to Qingyun Temple later.”

Lu Zhao asked detailed questions about what was inside the mansion, a level of detail unusual for him.

Li Pan, while eating rice pudding, observed Xia Yu with a pensive expression. Throughout the morning, his employer seemed somewhat lacking in enthusiasm. Although Xia Yu had been smiling and was easygoing, even taking photos for passing girls, Li Pan, who had been in the service industry for several years, was sensitive to these things. He couldn’t help but think that Xia Yu might not be as happy as he appeared.

However, now, after receiving a phone call, Xia Yu seemed rather disinterested and even a bit perfunctory, but Li Pan felt that Xia Yu’s mood had improved compared to the morning.

As their exclusive butler, Li Pan couldn’t casually pry into their relationship.

However, while biting his spoon, he couldn’t help but think that these two were indeed a couple.

After lunch, Xia Yu and Li Pan went to Qingyun Temple in Yundu.

This temple was known for its fortune-telling, and it appeared to be quite effective among the locals. Li Pan explained that this temple didn’t have as much fame as others but was still frequented by locals.

He asked Xia Yu if he wanted to give it a try.

Xia Yu thought for a moment and asked, “What’s the most effective here?”

Li Pan pondered for a moment, “Probably career and marriage.”

Xia Yu, not caring much, said, “There’s no need to ask about my financial luck. My parents and my brother and his wife are all good at making money, so even if I’m a bit of a hindrance, it won’t matter.”

Li Pan exclaimed with a touch of envy for Xia Yu’s carefree attitude.

Xia Yu decided to give marriage fortune-telling a try, mostly just for fun.

However, when the old Taoist priest interpreted his fortune, he frowned and exclaimed while stroking his goat-like beard, “Your marriage will face changes this year.”

Xia Yu asked nonchalantly, “What kind of changes?”

He thought, I have an alliance with Xu Zhan. What could possibly go wrong?

The old Taoist priest continued to stroke his beard and said, “Your marriage will encounter a crisis this year, but it won’t be a complete downfall. Instead, it will be like a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Sometimes, letting go of a marriage is not a bad thing.”

For a moment, Xia Yu suspected that this old Taoist priest was an undercover agent hired by Lu Zhao. After all, looking around, it seemed that Lu Zhao was the one who wanted him to divorce Xu Zhan the most.

He silently put the fortune-telling slip away, without asking further questions, and stood there with an expressionless face, not blocking Li Pan behind him.

Li Pan’s fortune-telling was much more positive, predicting that his career would take off soon.

After leaving the fortune-telling booth, Li Pan and Xia Yu walked down a path bordered by inscribed tablets. It was peaceful and serene.

Li Pan noticed that Xia Yu didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

Thinking of the old Taoist priest’s prediction, he hesitated before trying to provide reassurance, “Actually, this place isn’t always accurate. Fortune-telling is just a way to comfort oneself.”

This time, Xia Yu laughed. He turned to look at Li Pan, saying, “Didn’t you say this place was accurate?”

Li Pan responded, “I was just bluffing.”

Xia Yu’s smile deepened, and he touched the fortune-telling slip in his pocket. He wasn’t particularly superstitious about these things.

As they walked along the mountain path, Xia Yu engaged in conversation with Li Pan, asking, “Have you been in love before?”

Li Pan, who felt like they had a lot in common, answered, “Of course.”

Xia Yu felt like Li Pan was someone he could relate to and casually asked, “With men or women?”

After asking, he felt a bit impulsive, but before he could clarify, Li Pan replied with a smile, “Men.”

He turned to see Li Pan smiling with his warm, friendly, and bright dog-like eyes. Xia Yu realized that Li Pan didn’t mind at all.

Since they were just walking along the mountain path, Li Pan shared some of his past relationships with Xia Yu.

His first love was when he was sixteen and still in high school. It was with his class monitor, a tall and quiet guy. Unfortunately, they broke up after entering university.

Both his exes, and the one before that, were people he met through work. One was the owner of a bakery he frequented, and the other was a regular office worker. However, both relationships lasted only a few months before ending.

Li Pan spoke about these past experiences casually, with an air of indifference. He also discussed the pros and cons of his previous partners, but without much emotional attachment.

For some reason, Xia Yu felt a bit envious.

As they continued their conversation, they were almost at the foot of the mountain. Li Pan finished sharing his relationship history and then gathered the courage to ask, “Mr. Xia, do you have many people pursuing you?”

Li Pan could tell that Xia Yu was easy to get along with, and if Xia Yu didn’t already have a partner and wasn’t his client, he might have considered asking for his phone number.

But he phrased his question delicately.

Xia Yu smirked, knowing that Li Pan was actually interested in hearing about his own romantic history.

Taking the last few steps down the stone stairs, Xia Yu responded, “There’s not much to say about my romantic life. I’ve only had one experience, and the other person was a jerk who made me really angry.”

Strictly speaking, it couldn’t even be considered a romantic relationship; it was more of a hopeless, desperate, one-sided crush.

However, this complex and twisted connection had extended into the present.

After a few more steps, Xia Yu thought of Li Pan’s earlier discussion about his ex, and he suddenly turned back to ask, “Has your ex ever tried to reconcile with you?”

Li Pan honestly nodded.

“Seeking a reunion?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you agree?”

Li Pan shook his head, “I don’t even like him anymore. Why would I agree?”

“What if you still loved him?”

Li Pan furrowed his brow, not having encountered such a situation before.

He paused for a moment, standing still in thought. Then he smiled and said, “That would be a bit tricky. I would probably agree because feelings can’t be controlled.”