MLROCSHR Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Love Primacy Effect

A night of indulgence.

…………

The next morning, Lian Xun, fearing that Qi Luzhi would leave him behind again, woke up extra early and thoughtfully prepared a loving breakfast.

He called it repaying Qi Luzhi’s kindness for taking him in.

After breakfast, Lian Xun hitched a ride to the company with Qi Luzhi because he hadn’t driven his own car over yesterday.

When Li Yang saw Qi Luzhi and Lian Xun getting out of the same car in the parking garage, he couldn’t believe his eyes and checked several times, thinking he was seeing things.

He asked Qi Luzhi, “How did you come to work together? Don’t tell me last night…”

“He’s staying at my place now,” Qi Luzhi said casually.

“That’s right, not just today, but we’ll be going to and from work together every day from now on,” Lian Xun said smugly.

He was still brooding over Li Yang’s provocation from a while ago.

Li Yang snorted. “Don’t tell me you’re going to use Mr. Qi as your driver every day?”

“I’m not,” Lian Xun said, glancing at Qi Luzhi’s handsome profile, and weakly asked, “Qi… Mr. Qi, do you mind giving me a ride every day? …Two rides!”

One ride to work, one ride back from work.

Two rides.

When he needed something from Qi Luzhi, Lian Xun subconsciously wanted to call him “Qi-gege,” but he changed his mind at the last minute.

That term was only for Qi Luzhi’s ears.

Qi Luzhi glanced at Lian Xun, still expressionless, but his tone was gentle. “Whatever you want.”

Anyway, it was on the way, so giving him a ride wouldn’t cost him anything.

Lian Xun’s tail wagged again, and he triumphantly showed off to Li Yang, “See, he’s happy to be my driver, no way around it.”

Li Yang looked at Qi Luzhi, then at Lian Xun, thoughtfully.

When had the aloof and distant Qi Luzhi, who always kept people at arm’s length, ever indulged anyone like this?

Letting someone live in his house and even acting as their driver.

He, as Qi Luzhi’s best friend, had never received this treatment.

Li Yang thought that Qi Luzhi had, after all, hopelessly reconciled with the Scumbag ex-boyfriend Lian Xun, and looked at him with a “I can’t believe you’re so hopeless” expression. “Don’t tell me, brother, it’s not what I think it is, you and him really…”

Qi Luzhi calmly brushed off Li Yang’s hand that had landed on his shoulder and explained, “His water pipe broke, and his house was flooded. I’m just kindly taking him in for a while.”

“It better be!”

Li Yang had a strong feeling that things were not that simple.

How long would it take to fix a water pipe? Even if it took a few days, he could stay in a hotel. Lian Xun couldn’t possibly not be able to afford a hotel, right?

There was no need for Qi Luzhi to go to the trouble of taking him in.

“Our business is none of Li’s concern,” Lian Xun said unhappily, squeezing between Qi Luzhi and Li Yang, forcibly separating the two.

Although Qi Luzhi had explained that he and Li Yang had no romantic feelings for each other, Lian Xun was still very unhappy with Li Yang.

Li Yang was caught off guard and squeezed to the side, speechless for two seconds, then frowned and complained to Qi Luzhi, “It’s ‘you two’ already? I’ve become an outsider?”

Qi Luzhi: “Aren’t you bored, nitpicking at words like that?”

After a pause, he continued, “He’s right, you have this free time, you should pay more attention to the progress of the project. All you do all day is gossip here with me.”

Li Yang’s voice rose. “You’re taking his side?”

Qi Luzhi: “Just stating the facts!”

“Sigh–” Li Yang sighed.

Could this be the legendary “love primacy effect”?

The so-called “love primacy effect” is when people in love tend to neglect their friends, reducing their care and maintenance for them, due to their emotional emphasis on their loved ones.

Qi Luzhi’s subconscious actions clearly showed that he was biased towards Lian Xun and ignoring his feelings, his best friend.

Thinking of this, Li Yang closed his mouth and stopped trying to make a fool of himself.

In the office, Ling Yu stood in front of Lian Xun for a long time, hesitating whether to come back later.

He had a very urgent matter to discuss with his boss, but after speaking for a long time, he looked up and found that his boss wasn’t listening to him at all.

One moment he was staring at the computer in a daze, the next he was smiling with infatuation, as if he were possessed.

At this moment, Lian Xun was reliving the events of just now. Qi Luzhi was protecting him, and in front of Li Yang.

Didn’t this mean that in Qi Luzhi’s heart, he was a more special existence than his best friend?

Lian Xun belatedly realized that Qi Luzhi seemed to have been treating him very well recently. Whatever he wanted to do, Qi Luzhi agreed.

So good!

The feeling of being indulged by someone you like, so good!

But the only thing Qi Luzhi wouldn’t agree to was getting back together with him. Why was that?

Was his sincerity not enough?

Lian Xun was immersed in his thoughts, completely forgetting the little assistant who was reporting his work in front of him.

“Boss–”

Ling Yu couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted, finally bringing Lian Xun back to his senses.

“Why are you shouting so loudly? You want to scare someone to death? I’m not deaf!” Lian Xun said unhappily, picking at his ear.

Ling Yu was aggrieved. If he didn’t shout loudly, the boss wouldn’t pay attention to him at all.

“I’ve been standing here talking for a long time.”

“Really? I was distracted, sorry.”

“Boss, are you in love?” Ling Yu guessed.

Looking at his face full of spring, he must be in love.

Lian Xun thought for a moment and opened his mouth. “I have a friend…”

Three black lines instantly appeared on Ling Yu’s forehead. Stories that started with “I have a friend” were often fabricated.

Seeing through it but not saying it, Ling Yu continued to listen.

“I have a friend, the person he likes doesn’t reject his advances, nor does he agree to his pursuit. Does this mean they like him, or don’t they like him?”

“Is there even a question? Of course they don’t like you, they’re just playing with you,” Ling Yu blurted out.

“It’s my friend!” Lian Xun emphasized.

“Okay, okay, your friend.” Ling Yu continued, “This kind of behavior clearly means they don’t want to take responsibility. When they’re done playing, they can just walk away.”

“Is that really the case?” Lian Xun was unwilling to believe that Qi Luzhi was just playing with him.

But even Ling Yu could see it. Was it really because he was blinded by love, deceiving himself?

“Boss, you actually like an irresponsible bastard. There are plenty of fish in the sea, why don’t we change to someone else!” Ling Yu earnestly advised.

After saying this, why did he suddenly feel a chill down his spine?

Ling Yu turned his head and saw Qi Luzhi standing at the door, his cold eyes fixed on him.

“Mr., Mr. Qi, hello.” He didn’t remember offending Mr. Qi, why was he looking at him like that?

“You must have something to say to Mr. Lian, so I’ll go out first.”

Ling Yu nodded politely and quickly left the office under Qi Luzhi’s sharp gaze, forgetting to tell Lian Xun about the important matter.

Forget it, he’d wait until that iceberg left.

After Ling Yu left, Qi Luzhi said, “Did you bring the USB flash drive I lent you yesterday? I need to use it now.”

After searching on the desk and in his pockets, Lian Xun said apologetically, “I think… I forgot it in the study.”

“Then forget it.” Qi Luzhi turned to leave.

Lian Xun quickly got up. “I’ll go back and get it right away, wait for me, I’ll be quick.”

He was especially diligent about Qi Luzhi’s affairs, even if they were very small.

Back at the villa, Lian Xun went straight to the study, rummaged around on the desk, but it wasn’t there. He looked back at the bookshelf, still not there.

“It was clearly here?”

Could it have fallen on the ground?

He bent down, kneeling on one knee and groping under the table, not noticing at all that a figure was quietly circling behind him, a broom raised high in their hands.

“Thief, thief, I’ll beat you to death!”