Speaking of which, Xu Qingqiu paused for a moment.

"So, you still don't want to admit it?"

As Chu Tian placed the grill on the stove, he sat on a nearby chair, looked at Xu Qingqiu's expectant gaze, and chuckled bitterly.

"Alright, no more pretending, I'll lay my cards on the table. I'm your 'Song Daddy'!"

"Speak properly. Whose daddy are you?"

"Don't hit me, don't hit me! I'm Youmeng. I'm Youmeng, alright?"

After their playful scuffle, Xu Qingqiu, huffing, straightened her clothes, while Chu Tian sat on the chair, wincing as he looked at his arm.

"Was that really necessary? Don't they say all composers are called 'Song Daddy'? Weren't the songs I gave you good enough?"

He had never imagined that this girl, usually so gentle with him, could have such a fiery temper and be so heavy-handed. Could this be her true nature revealing itself?

"Others may be called 'Song Daddy', but you can't!"

"Why not?"

"No reason. You just can't!"

"If I can't, I can't. So I was showing off a bit. Was there any need to be so brutal? Look, my arm is all bruised!"

Looking at the bruises on his arm where she had pinched him, Chu Tian was speechless.

"It's really that red? I didn't use that much strength."

Xu Qingqiu hurried over to check and saw that she might indeed have been a bit rough. Her face reddened, and her voice dropped considerably, her words much softer now.

Seeing her head suddenly so close, and smelling the fragrance of her hair, Chu Tian was momentarily stunned.

Pity him. A man in his forties, he had worked with countless beautiful female stars before and had his share of close contact. But most of the time it was in public, surrounded by people, leaving him with hardly any real thoughts about it. Moreover, many of the people he collaborated with were from within the industry. Everybody knew each other, more or less. Some he found disdainful, leaving no room for other thoughts.

This industry was a mess. People did all sorts of things to get ahead—drinking urine, acting like a dog, and various other acts that broke all moral bottom lines, enough to shatter a normal person's worldview. So Chu Tian had never felt anything special. It was all just playing a part, a necessity of his work, nothing more.

But now it was different. For some reason, when Xu Qingqiu leaned in, his breathing nearly stopped. Especially when he smelled the scent of her hair and felt that subtle warmth, Chu Tian gradually became lost in a daze.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?"

"Ah? Nothing, wasn't thinking about anything..."

Startled, he flushed, feeling a bit embarrassed and somewhat guilty.

Xu Qingqiu didn't notice any of this. She glanced at Chu Tian's arm and saw that, aside from some redness and bruising, there was no serious issue. So, while gently rubbing the area, hoping to help the bruise fade faster, she asked, "I've always had a question, how did you know the password to my office?"

This question had lingered in her mind for a long time. Before, she didn't know who Youmeng really was, so she couldn't ask. She'd found out some time ago, but one thing after another had come up, and she simply hadn't had the chance to ask. Now, she finally voiced it.

"That? I just guessed it."

"You just guessed it? Can it be that easy to guess?"

Talking about it made Chu Tian chuckle.

"Yeah, isn't it simple? Passwords are either birthdays or anniversaries, isn't that what most people think?"

Seeing Xu Qingqiu nod in agreement, he continued, "So, I first thought of your birthday, but that wasn't it. Then I wondered if you had any anniversaries, but nothing special came to mind. Later, thinking about our relationship, I tried my birthday on a whim, and wouldn't you know it, it worked!"

"Just... just like that? You're saying you got it right on the second try?"

"Yeah, probably the second try. I can't remember clearly. It's simple, isn't it?"

Seeing that he didn't seem to be making it up, Xu Qingqiu was somewhat at a loss for words. She recalled what Chu Tian had just said, and her cheeks suddenly turned red as she asked, "What did you mean just now, about our relationship? What exactly is our relationship?"

"Huh?"

Chu Tian hadn't anticipated she would come out with this question. How was he supposed to answer? He couldn't possibly explain!

"It's... it's just that relationship."

"What relationship is that?"

Xu Qingqiu looked at Chu Tian expectantly, waiting for the answer she had long hoped for.

Watching him stammer without being able to spit it out, she grew impatient inside.

How can this blockhead be so dense? What a perfect opportunity. Is confessing that hard?

Why hasn't he said anything? I'm so anxious...

How could Chu Tian know what she was thinking? He had said what he did based entirely on his predecessor's memories. He couldn't just reveal that Xu Qingqiu had always liked the previous Chu Tian, and that he, as an observer of those memories, had noticed it long ago, could he? But now, he was the one using this body, and the key problem was that he seemed to have no real relationship with Xu Qingqiu. Even though he truly had grown fond of this girl, they hadn't established any relationship yet. What if he spoke out and caused Xu Qingqiu to misunderstand and become angry, ending their friendship for good?

Because of these worries, he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

So there they were, one too worried to speak for fear of angering the other, and the other eagerly waiting for him to speak. The two emotional novices just froze. As they remained deadlocked, their gazes gradually met, and they silently looked at each other, as if each was trying to find the answers they sought in the other's eyes.

The atmosphere slowly became more delicate.

"Brother Tian, how's the barbecue doing? I've got the vegetables ready here. We can start cooking as soon as you're set!"

Yiyi's voice could be heard from afar as she ran towards them, shouting.

The two of them instantly separated. One hurriedly tended to the stove while the other quickly smoothed her hair, trying to act nonchalant.

Yiyi soon appeared in the yard, spatula in hand.

She had expected to come out to some sizzling barbecue, but instead, she saw that the charcoal had burned down to white ash and nothing had been cooked at all.

"No way, you haven't cooked a single thing after all this time? The charcoal is nearly out! What have you two been doing?"

Her words immediately made both of them blush, leaving them momentarily flustered.

Fortunately, Chu Tian reacted quickly and took over the conversation.

"Ahem... uh... the thing is, this charcoal isn't very good, there's a bit of a problem with it. I'll add some more and try again."

"Ah? Really? Should we switch to another kind then? Don't we have any other charcoal?"

"No need to worry, Yiyi. You rest for a bit. It won't take long on my end; I'll be done soon."

"Really? Are you sure we don't need to change the charcoal?"

"Yeah, really. Trust me, I've got this."

"Okay then. I'll go tidy up a bit. I'll come back to start cooking later."

After finally ushering Yiyi away, Chu Tian turned and his gaze met Xu Qingqiu's.

They looked at each other and couldn't help but burst into laughter together.

Perhaps the little interruption had considerably lightened the awkward mood, and the two of them grew increasingly comfortable with each other.

One busied himself getting the fire going for the skewers, while the other helped by passing him things. Their coordination became more and more in sync.

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