Chapter 158: Thirteen Yuan’s Worth of Malatang

“You two look so familiar~”
“Have I seen you somewhere before?”

Several young women glanced sideways, scrutinizing for a while before suddenly exclaiming excitedly,
“Are you Lin Yu and Miss Ji?!”
“Oh my god, to actually meet you here having supper is amazing!”
“I can die in peace now! Can you sign an autograph for us?”
“Can we take a photo together?!”

Unable to resist the fans’ enthusiasm, Lin Yu and Ji Ya each signed autographs and posed for pictures with them.

The owner of the stall brought over a bowl of thirteen-yuan spicy hotpot, the aroma instantly filling the air, making mouths water. Ji Ya was completely captivated, even beginning to drool, while Lin Yu looked apologetically at the group.
“Sorry, we’re going to eat now.”

The fans reluctantly returned to their seats but kept snapping photos, forgetting to turn off their flash, which dazzled Lin Yu’s eyes. Yet he wasn’t angry; instead, he smiled and said it was alright.

Such a generous celebrity increased their fondness for him greatly. They decided to boast online about this experience once they got home.

After finishing the spicy hotpot, the snack street had grown crowded. The thronging crowd nearly separated Lin Yu and Ji Ya several times, but fortunately, the regulatory authorities arrived promptly to maintain order, preventing any stampede hazards.

With the officials managing the crowd, passage became slightly easier as people gradually dispersed toward the exits.

Watching the two depart, the hotpot owner, having learned from the excited fans that two big names had just dined at her stall, quickly grabbed a megaphone and shouted loudly,
“Folks, Lin Yu and Miss Ji just ate here! Don’t miss out as you pass by—the thirteen-yuan spicy hotpot loved by celebrities is our signature dish!”
“Everyone who’s tried it says it’s great, and they say it brings good luck with love!”

Following this promotion, more people crowded around eagerly. What? The spicy hotpot favored by big stars? They simply had to try it!
“Thirteen yuan each, no more, no less!”

...

After escorting Ji Ya back to her villa, which was fit for a palace, Lin Yu parked in the underground garage and retrieved a pre-prepared pink bag from the trunk.

Ji Ya looked at the bag in his hand, a little bewildered.
“Huh?”

When did that brat sneak something into her trunk right under her nose?

“Boss~ ready to receive your gift?”

...

Back in the room, after a shower and enjoying the spicy hotpot, both were drenched in sweat.

Lin Yu finished first and heard the sound of running water from the adjacent room. He found it odd—ten minutes had passed; was she really showering or shedding skin?

He opened his short video app and sat down on the living room sofa, surprised to see over ninety-nine notifications. The music video he had posted just after midnight had already garnered hundreds of thousands of likes.

Moreover, his fan count had skyrocketed by tens of thousands.

Wow... the internet moves fast; overnight fame!

Confident, Lin Yu opened the comments, expecting praise, but instead found a flood of mixed reactions:

“Hey, are you even human?! You made me so emo in the middle of the night. It’s 4 a.m., and I’m still crying. Can you even sleep?”
“Anyone understand? I shouldn’t have opened the app at midnight, just looking for trouble. Now I can’t sleep! Tears keep falling. What did I do wrong to see this video?”
“I’ve never done any evil in my life; why punish me like this?!”
“Who’s having this sweet, sweet romance? Who?”
“Some watch the MV, some look in the mirror, laughing out loud—just a bunch of delusional people talking.”
“A-Yu, can you be normal? I was about to do some work after turning off the music app, but you went and posted this video. Damn!! What a blessing!! Not human, huh!? Fine, fine!! I’m calling the cops!!”
“Waaah, who have I risked my life for all this time? Sorry, wrong scene...”
“Tonight, the tobacco factory boss got rich overnight, hahaha!”
“...”

Lin Yu scrolled through the comments, grinning broadly.

Sorry, guys, you can’t sleep, but I’m sleeping soundly, even dreaming of teasing the CEO dressed as a maid.

You’re mad, but I’m having a blast! Plus, in a while, I’ll see the CEO in a maid outfit in real life—double the fun.

You can’t envy that~

“Why are you laughing so happily?”

Ji Ya stepped out wrapped in a towel, her hair damp and loosely draped over her shoulders, adding a bewitching and intoxicating charm.

Perhaps from the shower, her usually porcelain skin was flushed with a rosy glow, smooth and delicate as a freshly peeled egg.

“Boss, your hair’s still wet.”

Lin Yu stepped forward, grabbed the hairdryer, and gently switched to his ‘Tony teacher mode.’

He couldn’t wait to see Ji Ya in the maid outfit. If he waited any longer, the fire inside him would burn out!

Ji Ya obediently sat on the sofa, letting him work, feeling his fingers weave through her hair, accidentally brushing her skin like a spark igniting her heart.

Seeing her blush deeply, Lin Yu couldn’t help but smile wryly. The usually aloof, commanding CEO looked irresistibly charming when shy.

“The scariest thing is sudden care…”

Ji Ya pondered for a moment. “You don’t have some other intention, do you?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu looked up and pointed to the pink bag on the table, a mischievous smile curling his lips.

Ji Ya reached out and took it, revealing its contents, her face instantly turning red...

He had really prepared a maid outfit for her!

Yet she secretly rejoiced—it wasn’t the emperor’s new clothes. If he had given her nothing to wear, standing before him alone, it would have sparked some uneasy thoughts, considering their situation.

He... really is something...

“Are you not afraid I’ll fire you for teasing the boss like this?”
“Like maybe I’ll get canned for not spending enough time with you tonight?”

Lin Yu kept working on her hair, casually teasing her with flirtatious banter.

Ji Ya’s face reddened further, her heartbeat quickening. She glanced at him coyly.
“You have no sense of decency!”

“When did you prepare this?”

“Yesterday,” Lin Yu feigned innocence. “I already knew you’d lose to me, so I got ready in advance.”

Who would believe that!

...

...