A girl’s soft, gentle voice came from the doorway.
Jiang Zongyan’s body stiffened abruptly.
Even the fingers holding his cigarette paused.
The ash fell onto his trousers.
He slowly turned his head.
In the dim light, his face was frighteningly pale. His eyes were lined with red veins, and he looked utterly haggard and forlorn.
When he saw the girl standing in the doorway, a noticeable flicker of panic passed through his usually calm black eyes. He instinctively tried to stub out the cigarette in his hand and toss it into the ashtray beside him.
“What brings you here?”
He had smoked too quickly just moments ago, leaving his voice terribly hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment.
“...”
Zhou Suisui said nothing. She walked over and pulled open the curtains.
The sunlight that had been kept out instantly streamed into the room.
The sudden brightness stung Jiang Zongyan’s eyes, and he narrowed them uncomfortably.
He lifted his gaze, letting it fall on the girl’s fair, tender cheek.
For some reason, his heart suddenly clenched.
She seemed angry.
Without saying a word, Zhou Suisui went to open the window. But the alloy-steel handle was stuck fast, and even after pressing it twice, she couldn’t get it open.
As though her suppressed emotions had just been lit like a fuse, she huffed angrily, “What a lousy window!”
“I’ll do it.”
Jiang Zongyan hurriedly got up from the floor and moved behind her. He raised his hand and gripped the handle.
With one press, he opened it easily.
A cool breeze from the lake rushed in through the window, dispersing the smell of smoke that had filled the room.
Zhou Suisui felt the warmth of his broad chest behind her.
The fabric of his shirt brushed against her back, seemingly both intentionally and unintentionally.
Neither of them moved.
Zhou Suisui took a deep breath and turned around.
The two of them faced each other, the girl’s heaving chest nearly pressed against the white shirt over the man’s chest.
The faint friction of the fabric made a soft sound.
Jiang Zongyan lowered his eyes and took a quick glance.
The tips of his ears grew hot, and he instinctively took half a step back to put some distance between them.
“...”
Zhou Suisui had originally come with something to say to him.
But when she saw his guarded reaction, the words immediately caught in her throat.
Why did it look as though she were the one being forward and shameless?
The choking smell of smoke had already faded from the room, leaving behind nothing but awkwardness.
After a long while, Zhou Suisui finally spoke.
“You should try to cut back in the future. Smoking too much is bad for your health.”
Jiang Zongyan gazed at her face, so close that he could see the unmistakable concern in her eyes. The hard barrier around his heart quietly cracked open, allowing the sunlight outside to shine in and drive away the darkness.
“Mm. If you don’t like it, I won’t smoke anymore.”
Zhou Suisui truly hated the smell of cigarettes.
Hearing how readily he agreed, she couldn’t help laughing.
“My brother says that when a man claims he can quit smoking, you can’t believe a single word he says. It’s not that easy to quit.”
“...”
Jiang Zongyan’s expression stiffened, as if an arrow had struck him straight through the heart.
The little one listened to everything her brother said, treating his words like imperial decrees.
When would he ever be able to reveal his true identity openly and honorably?
“I mean it! I swear!”
Afraid that Zhou Suisui wouldn’t believe him, Jiang Zongyan’s face turned rigid and awkward as he raised three fingers.
“Uh...”
Zhou Suisui was left speechless.
He was being so serious that she didn’t know how to respond.
She had only mentioned it out of concern for his health. She hadn’t intended to interrogate him about it.
Whether he smoked was his personal freedom, as long as it didn’t affect anyone else.
Besides, she wasn’t anything to him. She had no right to control him.
If she were his girlfriend—or his wife—she would confiscate every lighter he owned!
He still wanted to smoke?
Sorry, but he’d have to wait until they broke up or she became a widow.
But the reality was that they had no relationship at all.
She still understood the importance of boundaries.
Yet the look in his eyes somehow reminded her of the short videos she had seen online about henpecked husbands. That was what you called a man who was afraid of his wife, right?
“What are you laughing at?”
Jiang Zongyan gazed at her anxiously, the tension in his sharply defined jaw betraying his nervousness.
“I’m not laughing.”
Zhou Suisui hurriedly wiped the smile from her face.
To her, he was truly incredibly tall.
At six foot two, he towered over her, forcing her to tilt her head up whenever she spoke to him.
“Brother Yan, I know everything now.”
“...”
Jiang Zongyan’s expression stiffened again. Feeling guilty, he turned his head to look out the window.
He wasn’t used to having his thoughts seen through. It made him feel as though he were running naked through the streets, overwhelmed by shame.
Especially in front of the girl he cared about...
He wanted to be omnipotent in her eyes, forever tall and strong, someone she could rely on.
Zhou Suisui knew he cared about his pride and didn’t want to bring the matter up with her.
She rose onto her tiptoes, cupped his face in both hands, and forcibly turned it back toward her so their eyes met.
“Brother Yan, I know you’re hurting inside. If you don’t want to talk, I can stay here with you for a while. And if you do want to talk, I’ll be here to listen.”
Jiang Zongyan was forced to turn his gaze back to her. He simply lowered his head stiffly.
A gentle breeze lifted her hair, and the ends brushed against his cheek, carrying a faint fragrance of gardenias.
“Suisui.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke, his voice tinged with something difficult to say.
“Am I a terrible person?”
Zhou Suisui shook her head firmly.
“Of course not. You’re the best Jiang Zongyan there is.”
Looking into his eyes, she said earnestly, “No matter what happened, I believe you.”
Jiang Zongyan looked into her clear eyes, and an indescribable emotion surged through his heart.
He could no longer hold himself back. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. His chin rested against the crown of her head, while his chest burned with warmth.
“Suisui.”
“Let me hold you for a while. Just for a while.”
His arms tightened with such force that it seemed he wanted to press her entire body into his own, leaving her unable to breathe.
“Mm.”
Zhou Suisui let out a soft hum and instinctively tried to push him away.
But the moment she raised her hands, her heart suddenly softened.
Instead of pushing him away, she placed her hands on his back and gently patted him.
“Let the past stay in the past. Don’t keep punishing yourself for mistakes you made back then.”
Outside the window, the breeze was gentle.
The room was quiet—so quiet that they could hear each other’s racing heartbeats.
Outside the door, Lin Zhou pricked up his ears, listening to the sounds inside.
Why had it suddenly gone quiet?
Curious, he poked half his head into the room to take a look.
When he saw the two of them hugging tightly, he covered his mouth and snickered.
Tsk, tsk. Even a man as powerful as the CEO couldn’t escape Miss Zhou’s grasp!
He had looked as though he were on the verge of dying just moments ago, yet a few words from Miss Zhou had instantly soothed him. He was obedient as could be.
With such a sweet, soft beauty in his arms, Jiang Zongyan discovered, shamefully, that he was reluctant to let go.
“B-Brother Yan, could you let go first...?” Zhou Suisui pushed lightly against his shoulder, her little face flushed bright red. “I can’t breathe.”
“...”
Jiang Zongyan froze. He hurriedly loosened his hold, but he didn’t release her completely.
Instead, he held her face in both hands, his thumbs gently stroking her delicate cheeks.
His gaze burned with heat.
Even the air around them seemed to bubble with a rosy haze.
Zhou Suisui met his eyes, and her breath caught.
H-Help.
What was he trying to do?
