First Encounter

Near noon, Lacey finally woke up, not by the glaring sunlight, but by the sound of opening doors and conversation downstairs.

Blinking her eyes, she guessed it was probably her brother returning home.

So, she got up from the bed, slipped into her bunny-eared slippers, and headed downstairs.

It wasn't just one person entering the house, but two – apart from Rick, there was also a handsome man.

"Brother, you're back," Lacey greeted, rubbing her sleepy eyes, without even lifting her head.

The handsome man downstairs looked up, seeing the girl coming down the stairs with her unaware laziness. Her somewhat messy, long hair partially covered her naturally beautiful face. Her bear pyjamas and bunny slippers made this 1.62-meter-tall girl look extremely adorable.

He guessed that this must be Director Luo's sister whom he mentioned earlier!

"Jax, sorry to embarrass you. This is my sister, Lacey, who loves to sleep in during holidays," Rick explained to the visitor with a smile.

Ah! Do we have guests at home?

Lacey's feet halted in their descent down the stairs, and with a glance, she thought, 'He’s handsome!'

No! That shouldn't be my focus. Ah! Social suicide! This is terrible...

Blushing, Lacey hurriedly turned around and ran back upstairs.

Laughter from two men echoed from downstairs.

Ah! There goes my image. Lacey lamented while quickly changing her clothes.

While washing up, she couldn't help but recall the handsome face – the well-defined features, thick maroon hair, shiny black eyes, straight nose, and thin lips. He seemed familiar.

Familiar? A broadcaster? Lacey stopped brushing her teeth and widened her eyes in the mirror.

Oh my! Not only is my image ruined, but it’s also ruined in front of the man I adore. What do I do... Her heart pounded heavily, almost bringing her to tears.

Dropping everything in her hands, she rushed back to her room, grabbed her phone, and sent out an SOS on WeChat.

Lacey: I’ve socially died! Ah, ah, ah...

A string of "ahs" showed her immense agitation.

Carol: What's the situation? I'm completely lost here.

Lacey: It's him! It's him! It's him!

Carol: Our friend, Little Nezha?

Lacey: ...No! It’s Jax! He’s at my house! My house!

Important things must be said three times!

Carol: Ah? At your house!

Lacey: Yes, what do I do?

Carol: Great opportunity! You must seize it, go for it, warrior princess!

Lacey: But he saw me looking dishevelled.

A brief pause, followed by another message notification.

Carol: Remember to take a photo of me.

...

All set, Lacey checked her makeup in the mirror again, satisfied with the results.

Heading downstairs again, she was now a vision of beauty.

Too shy to look directly, she scanned his handsome face with sidelong glances. Every detail confirmed he was the one she liked.

"Come here, Lacey, let me introduce you to Jax," Rick said while pouring tea for the man beside him.

Lacey approached gingerly, her heart pounding wildly.

Rick looked at his sister oddly. When did she become so gentle in her walk, and why the makeup? She seemed like a different person.

"Hello! I am Jax." Jax stood up like a gentleman, extending his long right hand for a greeting.

Lacey timidly reached out her hand, which Jax gently grasped.

Jax’s hand is so warm!

The girl's hand was so soft!

Their eyes met, and both felt a bit shy.

"Sit down, let's talk. Don't keep the guest standing," Rick’s voice brought them back to reality.

"Jax, my sister also really enjoys live streaming and even donates to broadcasters!"

"Brother!" Lacey bashfully stopped Rick from continuing.

Jax, of course, understood. A girl named Lulu always donated three planes to him daily – typical fan behaviour.

"Just call me Jax," he said modestly.

"Okay, okay!" Rick appreciated Jax’s humble attitude. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had such a good talk at the company and invited him home.

He turned to Lacey, "Jax is only three years older than you and is already a famous broadcaster. He came to our company to discuss a collaboration and has signed a one-year contract. You will see each other often since you’re of similar age and will have more in common. Have a chat; I'm going to cook, let's have a family meal together."

Jax stood up to help, but Rick pushed him back into his seat.

Seeing Jax, who was so free and easy in front of the camera, being so reserved with her, Lacey's confidence surged.

"Um, Jax, you're so handsome. You must have a lot of girls confessing their love during your live streams, right?" Lacey almost let slip a sweet nickname, quickly covering her wildly beating heart.

"It's all in fun, not to be taken seriously. What kind of live streams do you like?" Jax asked suddenly.

Do I dare say I only like watching yours?

"I just watch randomly when I'm bored, nothing special. What's your live stream room called? I'll follow it." She had followed long ago but kept it a secret, laughing inwardly.

"Don't call me 'you,' just call me Jax. My KuaiShi account is my name, and the live room is called 'Love at First Sight.'"

Ah! He’s bridging the gap, just what I wanted!

"Okay, Jax, let’s add each other on WeChat. I can ask you about short video tips," Lacey boldly said, her cheeks not even blushing.

"Sure, I'll scan you," Jax took out his phone, and the moment the screen lit up, Lacey saw her dance photo as his screensaver.

He used a photo of her dancing as his screensaver!

Lacey's heart raced even faster. If he saw her on stage, he probably wouldn't recognize her – that makeup was a bit exaggerated and seductive, quite different from her current look.

Jax was ready to scan the QR code, and she quickly lit up her phone screen.

Oops, my screensaver is also his photo from a livestream. The moment the screen lit up, she quickly tucked her phone against her chest, relieved at her quick reaction.

Lacey laughed off the awkwardness, opened WeChat, and pushed the QR code toward him.

They added each other on WeChat, nicknames Jax and Lacey.

No slip-ups this time! Lacey felt more relaxed.

"Lacey, come help with the dishes. It’s time to eat," Rick, who always enjoyed cooking, called from the kitchen, the aroma shifting their focus.

"Coming!"

Lacey cheerfully ran to the kitchen, followed by Jax.

After setting the table, Rick opened a bottle of strong liquor and poured a glass for himself and Jax.

"To a successful collaboration!" he raised his glass, sincerely looking at Jax.

"To success!" Jax's dark eyes sparkled.

At this moment, Lacey sneakily took a photo, not of the two toasting, but a solo shot of her beloved Jax.

His serious look was so handsome!

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