CHAPTER 539: CHAPTER 539: MO CHUXI, I LIKE YOU! [1]

Lu Chenxue hurriedly stood up, trying to take back Yan Xinxin’s draft.

"Why the rush? I’m looking at it now as a favor to Yan Xinxin. If you don’t understand, don’t cause trouble."

Jian Ziqing donned an expert’s demeanor, scrutinizing Yan Xinxin’s draft with practiced seriousness.

"Since you’re a judge for this competition, don’t you know that you need to avoid conflicts of interest? I think you understand even less than I do."

Lu Chenxue retorted, snatching the draft back from Jian Ziqing’s hand, quickly sorting her belongings, and turning to leave.

"You seem to... like that boy named Xu Nuo, don’t you?"

Lu Chenxue froze in her tracks upon hearing this.

"You obviously have the skills to participate in the competition yourself—why lower yourself to trailing behind someone else?"

Jian Ziqing slowly strode toward Lu Chenxue, her high heels clicking, and tossed a business card in her direction.

"Here’s my card. I think you might need it."

With that, she flung the card down, turned, and leisurely walked toward the door.

Lu Chenxue glanced at the golden card lying atop the draft, her gaze darkening.

☆

Yan Xinxin carried the cake box and rushed back to her hotel room immediately.

However, the sense of emptiness in the room instantly calmed her heart, which had been bouncing with excitement.

Mo Chuxi wouldn’t be here anyway.

Even if he wasn’t out attending to something, he’d probably be in the room next door, wouldn’t he?

Yan Xinxin mused as a chill suddenly swept through her.

She swung the salted caramel cake box in her hand lightly and walked into the bedroom with a hint of dejection.

The afternoon sunlight slanted quietly through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

But her mood now mirrored the coolness of the room’s air conditioning—cold.

Yan Xinxin set down the cake, grabbed some drawing tools from the desk, and sat cross-legged on the carpet beside the coffee table.

She gazed out at the sky through the window, lost in thought for a long while, then closed her eyes.

The contours of someone’s face, that perpetually icy expression, vividly etched itself into her mind.

At this moment, everything else seemed fleeting to her—the only thing she couldn’t forget was his sharp brows, starry eyes, strong nose, and thin lips.

Yan Xinxin lowered her head, picked up a pencil, and started sketching on the crisp white paper with clean, decisive strokes...

"Ding."

The door unlocked with a subtle sound as someone pushed it open.

A tall, elegant figure stepped forward steadily, heading for the bedroom.

Mo Chuxi placed the folder in his hand down, removed his slippers, then picked up a light blanket, walking quietly toward the coffee table.

Yan Xinxin was sprawled over the coffee table, clutching a pencil, eyes closed in sleep. The fading sunlight fell on her delicate face, softening her features with a golden glow, dreamlike and serene.

Mo Chuxi’s brows furrowed slightly, then he gently draped the blanket over her.

Kneeling down, he reached out with his distinctly jointed fingers, carefully brushing aside the strands of hair covering her profile, revealing her serene oval face.

As he gazed at her, it became evident to him that she seemed to have grown more haggard.

"Xinxin."

He whispered her name softly, the sharpness of his usual features melting into tenderness.

"Yuan."

"Brother Xi..."

Just as Mo Chuxi was about to pull his hand back, Yan Xinxin murmured something in her sleep.

He paused, a trace of surprise flashing across his face, followed by a subtle sense of joy and sweetness.

"You say you don’t want to see me, but even in your dreams you think about me?"

Mo Chuxi muttered to himself, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Silly girl."

Standing upright, his gaze landed on a salted caramel cake resting on the coffee table.

His heart stirred, filled with an inexplicable emotion.

His instincts strongly told him that this cake was meant for him.

But why would she buy him dessert when she was clearly upset with him?

Mo Chuxi felt puzzled, his gaze lowering to Yan Xinxin. Following her pencil, his attention shifted to the sketch partially covered beneath her cheek.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned closer for a better look. In the next instant, his expression froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.