Chapter 61: Huh? It's given just like that?

…
“If you don’t understand, just ask—has Dog Yu been sold to Miss Ji?”
“At least Miss Ji gave him the privilege of staying by her side as her dog! Dog Yu, you really don’t know how to be grateful!”
“Sis, let me be your dog! Dog Yu only deserves to scavenge the trash!”
“How could you dislike such an adorable puppy? Dog Yu, are you out of your mind?”
“Honestly, Dog Yu’s talent for painting is incredible. I wish I could have it!”
“Dog Yu’s first artwork—9, 9, jump on the ride!”
“But seriously, Sis, could you paint me as a dog so I could stay with you?”
“Wow, a genius artist! Me? I meant Miss Ji! Dog Yu, whatever.”
…
“Stop it!”
Ji Ya cupped Lin Yu’s face, her fingertips drawing a cute puppy on his cheeks.
This was a real mark—the blessing all those young men desired. Yet Lin Yu scoffed at it, even wanting to wipe away this pillar of shame immediately. Ji Ya glared at him, and he surrendered obediently.
A puppy is still a puppy, at least not one that nobody wants.
The domineering female CEO truly possessed feminine allure.
The painting continued. After finishing the coloring, Ji Ya scribbled a barely visible ‘Yu’ on the bow at the chest of her painted beauty.
Seeing this, Lin Yu knowingly wrote ‘Ji’ on the bowtie of his own painted beauty.
With a sidelong glance, he and Ji Ya exchanged smiles. To outsiders, it looked as if sweet bubbles were floating up between them. They smiled at each other and then continued to immerse themselves in coloring.
Lin Yu couldn’t help but admire her stunning beauty once more—even in profile, her straight nose stood out strikingly against her fair complexion.
The tight-fitting black dress accentuated her curves, radiating a captivating feminine charm that made it impossible to look away.
Unconsciously, the gentle blue-and-white beauty he painted became a cool, chic girl in an elegant black-and-white outfit—at a glance, she bore a real resemblance to Ji Ya.

The beautiful boss cleared her throat to steady her emotions before daring to approach and admire their paintings. She stayed silent, careful not to disturb the warm scene between the two.
When the coloring was done, a custom frame was ordered. The female CEO’s first attempt at painting turned out quite well—though the painting looked nothing like anything in particular, the rest resembled the original, and she was quite satisfied, lingering over it before reluctantly handing it to the beautiful boss to arrange the framing.
With characteristic flair, the female CEO ordered a pure gold frame. It had to be preordered from far away, and crafting the gold frame would take at least six months. In the end, she’d receive the finished piece about a year later.
After instructing that it be sent directly to Ji Fei’s company, Lin Yu was about to accompany Ji Ya when the beautiful boss stopped him, holding Lin Yu’s painting that had surpassed the original, clicking her tongue in admiration.
“Young man, you have remarkable bones and exquisite skill—how about working part-time here to earn some pocket money?”
Though it was a live broadcast, there was a few minutes’ delay. The backstage staff quickly added heart emojis to the boss lady’s words, and paired with her alluring appearance, the perfectly normal invitation now carried a hint of flirtation.
Young man, stay by my side—shall we explore the depths between men and women together?
No wonder it was a romance show.
“Whoa, the passionate invitation from the beautiful boss? Dog Yu, are you up for it? If not, let me!”
“Man, first there’s the romantic eye contact and tacit cooperation with the female CEO, then the alluring invitation from the beautiful boss? Dog Yu, your luck with women is honestly enviable!”
“I admit, this moment, I’m truly jealous!”
“What are you talking about? The boss lady is just attracted to Dog Yu’s looks, isn’t she? The real artist is Miss Ji!”
“If you all want Miss Ji, I’ll take the boss lady!”
“Dog Yu’s beauty—could it be modeled after Miss Ji’s face? Seriously, the features and outfit colors match exactly!”
“Could it be that Dog Yu secretly loves Miss Ji? The couple I ship is real? Oh my god!”
“Dog Yu, hurry and leave Miss Ji’s side! Go to the beautiful boss instead!”
“…”
Leaving the art gallery, dusk had fallen, the evening glow just beginning, and the chill of night seeping in.
Lin Yu took off his jacket and draped it over Ji Ya’s shoulders, his lingering scent enveloping her, but more than that, warmth.
Ji Ya tightened the jacket, her beautiful eyes falling on Lin Yu. Unconsciously, she began to rely on this perfect man who seemed able to do everything.
“Where shall we go next?”

The paid companion interaction for today wasn’t officially over yet; before it ended, Ji Ya still wanted to have some fun with Lin Yu.
“I just checked—there’s a night market nearby. It’s lively at night.”
The night market was full of trinkets, especially exquisite little gifts, the kind girls love most. Today, Lin Yu had intended to let Ji Ya experience ordinary life.
Ji Ya always bought expensive luxury goods and traveled by luxury car. The thought of walking to the night market made her frown, but she didn’t dampen Lin Yu’s enthusiasm.
It took about twenty minutes to reach the night market; the two walked side by side like typical lovers, chatting about random topics. Ji Ya was surprised to discover that Lin Yu, who looked like a recent graduate,
was mature beyond his years. Many of his insights were ones only her grandfather’s generation could share—few others could converse with her on that level.
This made her all the more curious: before she met him, what injustices had Lin Yu endured? Was it because he came from a poor family? She vaguely remembered hearing about his situation when he first signed on: divorced parents, a child unloved by anyone, forced to grow up early.
Yet he seemed almost too mature—compared to her, raised strictly and hardly ever experiencing ordinary life, they were evenly matched.
The night market in the small city was unexpectedly lively. After a day’s work, young people finally had a moment to themselves; couples and families came out to stroll.
Besides stalls selling beautiful, inexpensive accessories, there were vendors pushing carts loaded with snacks.
In his previous life, Lin Yu had worked as a food delivery rider; he knew every street in the city by heart. Night markets didn’t differ much from city to city—he could spot the cleanest and tastiest snack stalls at a glance.
Ji Ya’s stomach grumbled with hunger. The whole street was awash in tempting aromas, but she touched the small patch of flesh at her waist, hesitating.
“Remember to manage your figure, boss!”
Lin Yu finally found a chance to turn Ji Ya’s favorite admonition back on her. She was stunned for a moment, unable to retort, and Lin Yu had already walked up to a stall.
“How much for the stinky tofu?”
“Ten yuan for six pieces, fifteen yuan for thirteen!”
“I’ll take fifteen yuan’s worth.”
Ji Ya tugged at Lin Yu’s sleeve, whispering, “This stuff smells awful—is it really edible?”