Chapter 30: Nearly Lost to Temptation

Lu Zhou returned to the main villa. The living room was empty, but voices drifted from the direction of the first-floor gym. Curious, he followed the sound and found Wen Yiming, Li Jiayan, and Qi Jiajia inside.

The three of them had changed into workout clothes and were exercising late into the evening. Qi Jiajia, wearing headphones, was briskly walking on the treadmill, not interacting with the others; Li Jiayan was gripping a barbell, doing deadlifts. She wore a sports top that bared her back and navel, her long black hair tied in a high ponytail. The barbell seemed a bit too heavy for her—she grit her teeth, straining, sweat dampening the hair at her forehead.

Wen Yiming wasn’t working out himself; instead, he stood by Li Jiayan like a coach, correcting her form. When her legs wobbled, he would occasionally steady her by placing a hand on her back, reminding her, “Engage your core.”

Well, that’s certainly hands-on...

Luckily, Lu Zhou had no intention of getting back together with Li Jiayan, or he’d be driven to a fit of rage by this show eventually.

He quietly withdrew from the space without a word.

Upstairs, the second-floor living room was dimly lit, a foreign film playing on the TV. Chu Yao and Xu Junze sat on the sofa, leaving a seat between them, neither speaking to the other. Chu Yao munched on a bag of chips, her eyes never leaving the screen. Xu Junze alternated between watching the movie and sneaking glances at Chu Yao, looking as if he wanted to say something but held back, searching for an opportunity.

Why did the atmosphere feel so strange?

Sensing someone’s presence, Chu Yao turned to see Lu Zhou and greeted him with a smile, “Want to join us for the movie?”

Lu Zhou smiled back and shook his head. “No, you two go ahead.”

After finishing his personal interview, Lu Zhou found he wasn’t sleepy at all. Still, he had no intention of joining the others’ social activities. Instead, he returned to his bedroom, grabbed his laptop, and headed for the second-floor terrace.

Near the pool was a secluded leisure nook—a rocking chair paired with a round wooden table. Lu Zhou settled into this corner with his laptop and headphones, ready to organize the tracks he’d recorded that afternoon.

He opened the project file, planning to mix a version himself. He’d done this in his previous life—not exactly professional or high-end, but good enough to ensure the basic quality.

Immersed in the music, Lu Zhou was oblivious to everything outside his headphones. The terrace lighting was already dim, and with his focus so intense, he didn’t notice anyone by the pool.

Not until he finished the final mix, satisfied with the result, stretching and yawning, did he turn—and suddenly saw a shapely woman emerging from the pool nearby!

For a moment, Lu Zhou was stunned.

Porcelain skin! Delicate features!

So graceful...

The beauty lifted her hand, brushing water from her face, and then, taking her time, ascended the steps from the pool.

With nothing left to shield the view, the entire scene was laid bare.

What—?

Lu Zhou felt his face grow hot. He wasn’t exactly inexperienced, but… never had he seen such a sight at such close range.

Realizing his expression might have betrayed him to the cameras, he quickly averted his gaze.

But the woman seemed to have noticed him. She turned her head and looked his way.

Their eyes met in the air.

Lu Zhou: “…”

Ye Fangfei: “…”

Silence hung for several seconds.

“How long have you been here?” Ye Fangfei, now ashore, pulled a white towel from a lounge chair to dry her dripping hair, her eyes fixed on Lu Zhou in the shadowed corner. Her tone was cool.

“Um… about an hour ago? When I got here, the pool was empty. I’ve had headphones on, listening to music—I didn’t notice what was going on over here,” Lu Zhou explained instinctively, not wanting her to get the wrong idea that he’d been hiding there on purpose.

Then again… if Ye Fangfei was bold enough to wear such a striking swimsuit for a nighttime swim in a villa brimming with cameras, she probably wasn’t worried about anyone seeing her figure.

“Oh.” Ye Fangfei clearly didn’t care much about his answer. She merely responded softly, “The lighting here is poor; I didn’t notice you, either.”

Lu Zhou smiled and casually found a topic. “Swimming this late?”

“Wanted a bit of exercise, but the gym was too crowded, so I decided to swim instead.” Ye Fangfei finished drying her hair, pulled a long shawl around herself—just enough to cover her striking figure—and walked toward him.

Those perfectly slender, long legs swung elegantly with each step, drawing the eye. With nowhere else to look, Lu Zhou fixed his gaze on her face.

She had removed her makeup, but her features remained strikingly beautiful, and with her just-out-of-the-water look, she was even more alluring.

Lu Zhou suddenly understood why Young Master Zhang was so obsessed with Ye Fangfei, even after being coldly rejected.

With that face… that figure… what man wouldn’t be tempted?

Could he resist?

It seemed unlikely...

“So, what are you doing here all alone?” Ye Fangfei approached, glancing at the laptop on the wooden table.

The screen glowed with a music software interface, and her brows arched in surprise.

“Composing a song,” he said.

Lu Zhou sat back down in his chair.

“Oh? You can write songs?” Ye Fangfei was genuinely surprised. She bent forward slightly, leaning in for a closer look at his screen, curious to see the score.

But as she leaned in, Lu Zhou caught another glimpse of something he shouldn’t.

His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

Heavens, why did he have to be assaulted with such a blood-stirring sight in the middle of the night?

“Just a little,” he replied.

Ye Fangfei raised her brows. “You seem rather talented.”

Lu Zhou couldn’t tell if she was being sincere or just polite.

“No choice—had to pick up a bit of everything to make a living,” he replied lightly, following her lead.

Ye Fangfei straightened, considered, and said, “In this industry, sometimes depth is more valuable than breadth. Find your own unique strengths and strive to excel at what you do best—there’s surprise to be found in that.”

Lu Zhou understood what she meant.

She was reminding him: rather than dabbling in too many things, it’s better to focus deeply on what you’re good at. If you’re only mediocre at something, don’t waste too much time on it—leave it to the professionals, and the results will be much better.

Though only twenty-one—four years younger than Lu Zhou—Ye Fangfei’s achievements in the entertainment industry made her a true senior to someone like him, who was barely scraping by. Her casual advice tonight was a gesture of mentorship.

He found her words quite useful. She wasn’t wrong.

But Lu Zhou wanted to say: songwriting was actually one of his strengths!

Still, her remark did make him realize he should delegate the miscellaneous tasks to professionals—perhaps Pan Chengyi?

“Thank you for your guidance, Miss Fangfei,” Lu Zhou said with a smile.

She let out a soft laugh, lips curving in a charming, dismissive smile. “Don’t mention it. I wouldn’t call it guidance.”

A night breeze swept through, tossing her shawl and revealing her slender waist.

For a moment, Lu Zhou was distracted.

Ye Fangfei had no intention of lingering; she turned to head back to her room.

But just then, an angry male voice erupted behind them:

“What are you two doing?”