Chapter 51

The umbrella in Lan Xi's hand had already started falling apart in the heavy wind and rain, but as Xie Cheng approached, the rain above her suddenly seemed to stop.

Lan Xi looked up and discovered that the umbrella, which originally belonged to Xie Cheng, was now firmly held above her head. However, half of his body was exposed to the pouring rain.

Xie Cheng's tall figure stood in front of Lan Xi, creating a temporary shelter from the wind and rain. Even though the rain and thunder were still loud around them, Lan Xi felt as if she was floating into a dream. Her feet felt as though they were stepping on soft marshmallows.

Being a Mu Yi Star person, Lan Xi was far stronger than Earthlings and not afraid of storms or harsh living conditions. So, despite the inconvenience of being in the rain earlier, she didn't feel sorry for herself or miserable. But what she couldn't understand was why, now that she saw Xie Cheng, who was providing her with shelter and even brought an umbrella, she started to feel a strange emotion — her nose became slightly sour, and her eyes began to moisten.

She actually felt like crying.

In the heavy rain, Xie Cheng remained silent. He protected Lan Xi with a serious expression, like a gentleman, and opened the car door for her. He only returned to the driver's seat after ensuring that Lan Xi was seated.

As the closed car door finally blocked out the tremendous sound of rain outside, Xie Cheng turned on the car's heating. Before Lan Xi could react, a fluffy blanket was thrown into her lap.

"Wipe yourself dry," Xie Cheng said.

Holding the small blanket, Lan Xi looked at Xie Cheng and asked, "What about you?"

Xie Cheng waved his hand dismissively. "I don't need it. I'm not delicate."

Lan Xi pouted. "I'm not delicate either."

"You wouldn't have almost cried if you weren't delicate," Xie Cheng glanced at her, "Do you know what you looked like just now? Like a little pig being rescued from a flood, with an excited and aggrieved expression, as if you were accusing me of 'Why did you take so long?'"

"..." That's not...

Lan Xi tried to defend herself. "I didn't cry. It's just that the rain was heavy, and the broken umbrella let the rain hit my eyes. The pollution on Earth is severe, and that rain was acid rain."

"Ah, acid rain," Xie Cheng started the car. After a moment, he couldn't help but glance at Lan Xi. "Although the weather forecast didn't predict rain, you brought an umbrella in advance, which means you expected it to rain. So why didn't you bring a better umbrella? Or you could have directly applied for a company car from the administrative department. It's a normal requirement for work."

"But the company's official cars can only be requested if there's a presence of middle and senior management... It's a policy you set..."

Lan Xi dried her hair. The heating made her feel warm all over, but for some reason, even though the temperature was just right, she now felt slightly overheated. She had ridden in Xie Cheng's car before, so being alone with him should have been comfortable, but at this moment, she felt somewhat constrained and nervous, and her face felt as if it were on fire.

"I set that rule?" Xie Cheng paused for a moment, as if he couldn't remember ever making such a rule. He rubbed his temples and glanced at his drenched and disheveled appearance in the rearview mirror. His tone was decisive, "Then we'll change it when we get back."

"It's not necessary," Lan Xi tilted her head and pondered. "I think it's reasonable. Otherwise, if there's widespread misuse of the company vehicle, it wouldn't be conducive to management."

"It's still better than the boss misusing it."

"Huh?"

Xie Cheng focused on the road ahead, his expression calm and composed, but his ears turned slightly red. He explained seriously, "If the business vehicle is not available to you, then in the end, I'll have to personally pick you up and drop you off. So, technically, there's no misuse of the business vehicle, but the boss is misusing me."

As soon as the word "boss" was mentioned, Xie Cheng seemed to recall something, and his tone became stern. "You should inform me more about your schedule during work. Delivering documents wasn't originally your job, so why did you take over Wan Yan's task?"

"I had some free time in the afternoon, and I saw that Wan Yan was really busy, so I thought I could help..."

Lan Xi felt wronged. Wasn't she doing her best for the company? Yet, Xie Cheng criticized her!

"Next time, tell me privately. It'll be easier for me to arrange work," Xie Cheng's voice sounded somewhat unnatural. He cleared his throat. "Besides, if Liang Di hadn't mentioned it to me after I returned to the company today, I wouldn't have known that you had gone so far alone to deliver the documents."

"Luckily, I'm observant."

Xie Cheng's voice was steady, but his words made Lan Xi's heart race faster.

"Liang Di casually mentioned that you even brought an umbrella when there wasn't much sun, so I guessed it would rain today."

Lan Xi didn't dare to look at Xie Cheng. She sat up straight, but couldn't help stealing a glance at him through the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, the other passenger in the car seemed to have the same idea. In the end, Lan Xi and Xie Cheng's gazes unexpectedly met in the mirror, catching each other in the act.

Lan Xi immediately averted her eyes as if shocked by an electric shock. She felt flustered and instinctively tried to change the topic. "Why did you also think it would rain? According to the company's weather app and the forecast, there was no rain today."

"Because I have a lot of experience getting caught in the rain." Xie Cheng's voice was muffled, as if he was recalling an unpleasant experience, showing a hint of helplessness. "Last time, you thought it would rain, but I didn't listen, and in the end, I learned my lesson."

"But aren't you afraid that last time I was just guessing, and the forecast was actually wrong?"

"I'd rather believe it's true."

Xie Cheng paused for a moment, then added somewhat awkwardly, "Because you went all the way out there alone, I'd rather believe it's true than leave you alone in the rain."

"Well, for me, it's just a drive over. Even if it didn't pour like this, you've already returned to Chengxin and become an employee again. The boss occasionally gives returning employees a welcome gift and some small perks. Personally coming to pick you up is not unreasonable."

At this moment, the traffic light was red. Xie Cheng parked the car and seemed restless. He tugged at his tie, the redness on his ears had faded, but his cheeks had turned slightly red. Unable to resist, he glanced at Lan Xi, who was in the passenger seat, and said, "Besides being an employee, your boss also expects you to take on other responsibilities."

His gaze made Xie Cheng pause. "Lan Xi, why is your face so red? Did you catch a cold from getting soaked in the rain? Are you already running a fever?"

As he spoke, he quickly reached out and touched Lan Xi's forehead. Lan Xi couldn't react in time but felt the warmth and sensation from Xie Cheng's palm.

Who said she had a fever? She was perfectly fine. It was Xie Cheng whose palm felt so hot, as though he had a fever!

Despite knowing she should calm down, Lan Xi couldn't. Xie Cheng was so close, in this confined space, filled with his masculine cologne that infiltrated every pore of her body. It felt like diligent guards surrounding her, making her limbs weak, her nose sweaty, and she wanted nothing more than to surrender.

She really should update the "Earthlings' Guide to Conquest." The version from twenty years ago was truly outdated. There was a species on Earth more dangerous than cats, and that was cunning Earthlings. They would lure you with an image of kindness, gentleness, and being a gentleman, and then... and then...

Lan Xi suddenly stumbled over her words.

What would Xie Cheng do next? She realized she had no idea.

"Xie Cheng, if... I mean, if, if I were to conquer you, what would you do?"

Xie Cheng stared at Lan Xi in disbelief, his expression unfathomable, until the honking sound of the car behind them reached their ears. It was only then that he snapped out of it. The traffic light had already turned green.

Although he was a skilled and experienced driver, Xie Cheng became flustered in that moment. He even stalled the engine once before restarting it amidst the honking, and they proceeded through the intersection.

However, the smooth ride didn't last long. Before reaching the second intersection, Xie Cheng deviated from the navigation and drove into a small alley, parking by the side and turning on the hazard lights.

He loosened his tie, appearing somewhat nervous. This time, his gaze didn't turn to Lan Xi. Instead, he stared at the empty road ahead and said, "If you were to conquer me right now, I wouldn't resist at all. I would let myself be conquered."

Just like that?

That couldn't be true.

Lan Xi mustered up her inquisitive spirit and asked, "What happens after that? What would you do afterward? If two people conquer each other, it means they establish a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. So, what comes next?"

"After becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, it's a romantic relationship. We would date and do everything that couples do."

"So, what do couples do?"

"Couples spend time together, share with each other, and think of each other as a priority."

"Couples hold hands."

As Xie Cheng said this, he reached out and held Lan Xi's hand, interlocking their fingers.

"They gaze deeply into each other's eyes."

He looked deeply into Lan Xi's eyes, cradling her face, making it impossible for her gaze to evade his.

"There's also kissing."

As his words fell, Xie Cheng unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned forward, planting a kiss on Lan Xi's nose.

"Just like this."

Although he seemed prepared and knowledgeable about the process, Xie Cheng appeared uneasy after the actual kiss. His gaze started to wander, avoiding direct eye contact with Lan Xi.

Fortunately, this action relieved Lan Xi's tension because her heart was pounding in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to look directly at Xie Cheng, but her mouth acted against her will, blurting out a question.

"Why do other couples kiss on the lips, and you kiss on the nose?"

Xie Cheng lowered his head, his voice deep and low. "Because I need your consent and confirmation of our relationship. After all, you haven't officially agreed to be with me. You said 'if'."

Lan Xi nodded. Then she suddenly thought of a question. "So, once we become a couple, will you sleep with me? Is sleeping together beneficial for you? Does it help solidify our conquering relationship?"

This was indeed a topic that intrigued Lan Xi. According to the "Earthling Conquest Guide," Earth men enjoyed sleeping together, and they would even take responsibility for you afterward! However, this knowledge seemed ineffective when it came to Xie Cheng. He had even sternly lectured Lan Xi about it, but with Xie Yunfei, it appeared to be quite effective. So, whether sleeping together was useful or not, Lan Xi was very puzzled.

However, it seemed that this was a difficult question to answer, as Xie Cheng was clearly stumped.

He looked extremely embarrassed.

Lan Xi tried to be considerate. "You don't want to sleep together, right?"

But this time, Xie Cheng quickly interrupted her words.

"No." His correction was firm and resolute. However, after uttering those two words, he pursed his lips as if finding it difficult to speak any further, as if he didn't want to let a single word slip from his lips.

"Then..."

"I'm a normal man, so of course, I have desires. I really like you, so sleeping together is naturally beneficial for me and helps strengthen our relationship."

Xie Cheng stiffened his neck, appearing reluctant to broach this subject. But he also seemed compelled to face it. "I understand that sexual intimacy is important for both love and marriage. It's natural for progressive women to address this topic. However, I hope you can rest assured that I do want to sleep with you."

Sexual intimacy??? Wasn't that just a passing mention of human reproductive methods in the guide?

Sleeping was just sleeping. How did it suddenly become connected to reproduction?

Lan Xi was utterly puzzled. "Do you want to have children?"

Lan Xi thought it was perfectly natural to follow the topic mentioned by Xie Cheng. However, Xie Cheng looked at her in shock, as if she had just uttered something outrageous.

He even stammered nervously, "Wh-what?" Xie Cheng's face turned red for some reason. "I haven't thought that far ahead. I think we're still young. Even if we get married in the future, we can talk about having children later... I haven't thought that far. If you're worried that having children will affect your career or anything else, I can assure you that if something happens between us, I will take proper contraceptive measures..." Lan Xi was already puzzled, and now she became even more confused. Xie Cheng, who had been quite composed, seemed a bit hesitant and nervous.

But this wasn't a major disagreement.

Lan Xi felt that the biggest difference between her and Xie Cheng was...

They belonged to different species.

However, it was difficult to express this directly. After all, Lan Xi didn't want to be sent to a research institute for dissection. She thought for a moment and found a more subtle way to phrase it.

"Putting aside the future for now, don't you think that we are completely different in terms of personality, habits, upbringing, and dietary preferences? Don't you... see me as if I'm from another planet? We have so many differences. After I conquer you, won't you rebel and try to overthrow my rule?"

Lan Xi was very nervous, to the point that she forgot to hide some expressions in her wording. However, as she looked into Xie Cheng's eyes, she felt a dangerous impulse that was somewhat provocative. "I mean... what I'm trying to say is, I might... want to be... um, a princess in our relationship... I would want to rule over you..."

"No, I won't."

Xie Cheng's answer was without any hesitation or concern. He just looked deeply into Lan Xi's eyes. "You are my princess."

...

How could this be?

Xie Cheng only said a few words, yet Lan Xi felt as if her entire being was floating in the air. She felt like she had a mouthful of Earth's popping candy, and not only her mouth but her whole soul was jumping and resonating.

The linguistic power of Earthlings was truly astonishing!

Although Xie Yunfei seemed to have a larger company under his future management, and Wang Zhiqiang said he had more prospects, but... Xie Cheng also mentioned that the company left for Xie Yunfei was in severe losses, while Chengxin's future was bright.

Moreover, although Xie Yunfei spoke far more than Xie Cheng, he didn't possess the same linguistic power as Xie Cheng. After all, Lan Xi's heart remained unaffected by Xie Yunfei's sweet words, but even a casual remark from Xie Cheng would make her blush, her heart race, and her hands weak...

If she could learn this aspect from Earthlings, the Mu Yi Star People could conquer the universe with words alone.

And so far, Xie Cheng was outstanding in the art of language and influence.

If she wanted to learn, she naturally had to learn from the strongest.

Lan Xi felt it was her duty to update the "Guide to Conquering Earthlings" and to stay by the side of the Earthling with the strongest linguistic prowess. Besides, he clearly acknowledged her position as a princess...

So...

It seemed possible to change the mission a bit and directly conquer Xie Cheng.

But...

Lan Xi still had one question: "Why did we stop the car on the side of the road to talk about this? Couldn't we talk while driving and save some time to go back and have dinner?"

Speaking of dinner, she was indeed getting a bit hungry...

Xie Cheng took a moment before responding.

His voice was deep, tinged with a restrained helplessness.

"Because I can't guarantee that I'll be in the right state of mind to ensure safe driving while saying those words just now."

"I love algorithms, I excel in algorithms, and I'm obsessed with algorithms. Even my job revolves around studying algorithms. But you, you have nothing to do with any set elements. You don't play by the rules, you're not 'ordinary,' you're not 'in usual circumstances.' You have no connection to 'convention,' and you're definitely not 'mediocre.' You truly seem like you're from another planet. But no one said that different people can't be together. Everyone has their own compatible partner or friend, even if they come from another planet."

"You leave me unable to predict. Algorithms crumble in your presence. Yet, this makes me even more eager to spend the future with you because you bring an entirely unpredictable and new life to me. It's not a smooth path, nor is it a step-by-step journey. Though departing from plans and algorithms carries risks, I now realize that the adventure itself is intriguing."

"I always thought of myself as a strategist who could handle everything with composure. I prepared these words for a long time, thinking that I wouldn't be as nervous as a grade-schooler when confessing my feelings to you. But the reality proves otherwise. No matter how well-prepared I am, no matter how many times I rehearse, when I'm in front of you, I'm still at a loss."

"So, that's why I have to park the car."

"I can't guarantee safe driving in such a tense situation. Even now, after saying these words, I still need to spend ten minutes here to calm my excited emotions."

Xie Cheng's light-colored eyes were profound and sincere, filled with both pride and humility. He looked at Lan Xi and said, "So, Lan Xi, can you? Can you be with me?"

"When should we have dinner?"

Xie Cheng froze for a moment, then a tinge of disappointment crossed his face. Nonetheless, he forced a calm smile and said to Lan Xi, "I had originally made plans with Wan Yan to discuss a data issue at work. If you don't mind, we can all go together. It's a well-reputed Western restaurant."

As he spoke, he lowered his head, seemingly concealing his emotions. After a moment, he looked up again. "Of course, if you feel uncomfortable and don't want to have dinner with me, I can simply take you back to your dormitory."

"It's okay if you don't want to answer right away. Although I naturally hope to get an answer as soon as possible, I'll wait."

"I don't want to avoid answering," Lan Xi interrupted Xie Cheng. She glanced at him and noticed that as soon as her words fell, Xie Cheng's eyes lit up with anticipation, like a large dog attentively staring at its owner.

Such a gaze was captivating, but it also made Lan Xi nervous. She cleared her throat slightly. "I accept your challenge, so we are now a couple," she said, somewhat awkwardly. But she added an explanation, "I'm not changing the subject; I just believe that couples should have dinner together."

It was a magical moment.

The instant her words fell, Xie Cheng's eyes sparkled like stars in the sky, illuminating everything for Lan Xi.

The man in the driver's seat spoke with a trembling voice, a mix of laughter and nervous tension. In the end, countless words condensed into a single sentence—

"I request another ten minutes, or maybe fifteen, to take a break."

Xie Cheng smiled, "I'm so glad."