Huh?
What’s going on!
Zhou Zhuofei watched as Xiao Wang walked up to her, took her phone, and held her hand.
He first touched her fingertips, relieved to find they weren’t too cold, then gently squeezed her palm.
"Are you cold?"
"Not really."
Zhou Zhuofei answered instinctively before snapping back to reality. "Wait, how did you know?"
"Know what?"
Was he playing word games with her?
"How did you know I was here? No—why did you even come down?" She was so flustered she nearly tripped over her words.
Only she and Du Yu knew about this, and Du Yu would never betray her. So how did Xiao Wang figure it out?
"Because I thought you’ve been acting a little strange lately."
"Strange how?" Zhou Zhuofei was sure she’d been perfectly normal. Where had she slipped up?
Xiao Wang led her into the elevator, swiped his card, and pressed the button. Zhou Zhuofei stared resentfully at the room key in his hand—her flawless plan had been ruined by that little card.
If only she’d been two minutes earlier, Xiao Wang wouldn’t have had the chance to leave his room.
In her original script, she was supposed to knock on his door the moment their call connected!
"Because you’ve seemed much happier this week compared to last."
"Have I?"
Zhou Zhuofei tried to recall how she’d been last week and what had changed. Now that she thought about it, she had complained a lot less this week.
"And you kept unconsciously saying 'we.' At first, I didn’t connect the dots, but then today, you mentioned going to a movie and never replied afterward."
"I could’ve just forgotten! I told you later that I was out with Du Yu, so it slipped my mind."
"When you texted me, you’d just gotten off the plane, right? The flight from City K takes about that long. Plus, I heard an elevator in the background of your call—it didn’t sound like the one in your apartment."
Zhou Zhuofei smacked her forehead in frustration. She’d underestimated him.
Before she knew it, the elevator reached the 21st floor. Xiao Wang led her into his room, closed the door, and turned to find Zhou Zhuofei still standing there dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but smile, warmth spreading through his chest.
It all felt surreal, like a dream.
From his initial suspicions to the joy of seeing them confirmed—everything had happened so fast he could hardly believe it was real.
Zhou Zhuofei was really here, standing in front of him.
He walked over and asked softly, "Do you want to take off your coat?"
When she nodded slowly, Xiao Wang helped her out of it, then hung it up neatly.
By the time he turned back, Zhou Zhuofei was still rooted in place.
Only then did Xiao Wang feel everything settle into reality, the truth undeniable.
Zhou Zhuofei still couldn’t wrap her head around it. "Even if all that makes sense, it still doesn’t prove I was here, does it?"
"Not definitively, no. So I just came down to check."
Though he hadn’t expected much, Xiao Wang had felt an inexplicable certainty that something had shifted between them.
And he’d been right—this unspoken understanding between him and Zhou Zhuofei was real.
He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace, unable to wait a second longer.
"Good thing I came down."
"Silly, even if you hadn’t, I would’ve gone up."
Zhou Zhuofei tightened her arms around him, breathing in his familiar scent. After all this effort, just one hug made it all worth it.
Not just for him, but for herself too.
"I missed you so much I had to come. Oh, and I saw the photo album on your computer."
"What?" Xiao Wang thought for a moment before remembering his phone and computer were synced. "You mean my phone photos?"
"Yeah." Zhou Zhuofei looked up at him. "Since when did you take so many pictures of me?"
"Maybe because you’re always so focused on whatever you’re doing?"
"Fine. But next time, give me a heads-up so I can pose properly."
Xiao Wang chuckled, kissed her lips, and murmured, "Okay."
"Do you want to shower first? We can talk more after."
"Yeah! I’m exhausted!"
"I’ll run the water for you."
As Zhou Zhuofei moved to follow, she suddenly remembered she hadn’t updated Du Yu. From Du Yu’s perspective, she’d just vanished mid-conversation.
"Hold on, I need to text Du Yu."
She turned to grab her phone and found multiple messages waiting.
[So what’s your plan now?]
[Where’d you go?]
[Don’t tell me you actually climbed 21 floors. Are you alive?]
Zhou Zhuofei quickly replied with an explanation before finally heading to the bathroom, relieved.
The showerhead hissed like pouring rain, steam fogging up the mirror. Xiao Wang set out towels and a robe within easy reach, then showed Zhou Zhuofei how to adjust the water.
"Turn this for the temperature..."
Zhou Zhuofei pretended to listen attentively, but her focus was entirely on Xiao Wang—his profile softened by the mist, his gentle expression making her heart settle.
Once he finished, Xiao Wang glanced around, satisfied everything was in place. "Any questions?"
"Just one last one."
Seeing his attentive look, Zhou Zhuofei bit back a laugh and asked with mock seriousness, "Do you want to join me?"
She burst into laughter the moment the words left her mouth. Xiao Wang sighed in resignation, pinching her cheek lightly before turning away.
"Just hurry up. I’ll be waiting."
Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t stop giggling but eventually started her shower.
Afterward, she roughly dried her hair, too lazy to finish properly. Figuring the room’s AC would do the rest, she set the blow-dryer down once her hair was no longer dripping and stepped out.
To her surprise, Xiao Wang was still at his computer. "I thought you were going to sleep. Why are you still working?"
"Checking my schedule to see if I can rearrange things."
Realizing her sudden visit had disrupted his plans, Zhou Zhuofei quietly reached for her phone to text Du Yu.
But Xiao Wang immediately noticed her damp hair. "Why didn’t you dry it properly?"
"It’ll dry on its own," she grumbled.
He strode over, lifting a strand to feel its lingering dampness, and frowned. "It’s too wet. You’ll catch a cold this time of year."
"But holding the dryer is tiring..." She pouted. "Let me rest first."
Without another word, Xiao Wang went into the bathroom and returned with the blow-dryer.
Zhou Zhuofei had already guessed this would happen and grinned at the sight. "Going to dry my hair for me?"
"You’ve had a long day. At least let me handle this much."
"That makes sense." Zhou Zhuofei wholeheartedly agreed, then crooked her finger at Xiao Wang. "Come here."
After blow-drying her hair, Zhou Zhuofei felt warm from head to toe, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
Xiao Wang noticed her drowsiness. "Sleep."
Zhou Zhuofei lay down, intending to say a few more words to Xiao Wang, but after a long day, she was no longer as energetic as she had been at eighteen. Exhaustion quickly overtook her, and she drifted off.
She had no idea when Xiao Wang eventually joined her in sleep.
The next morning, the room was dim, making it impossible to tell the time. The only light came from the other side of the bed.
She turned over and saw Xiao Wang propped against the headboard, working on his laptop.
"Awake? Going back to sleep?"
"No, what time is it?"
Xiao Wang glanced at his screen. "Almost eleven."
"Not bad. I thought I’d sleep straight through the afternoon." Zhou Zhuofei stretched lazily before scooting closer and leaning against him. "So, are you free today?"
"Nothing planned today. I’ve got something tomorrow morning, but I can spend the afternoon with you. When are you leaving?"
"I haven’t decided yet! Can we not talk about such depressing things right after I wake up?"
"Fine, let’s talk about something else."
Xiao Wang set his laptop aside and lay back down, propping himself on one side to face her. The collar of his robe fell open slightly, revealing the firm lines of his chest.
"What do you want to do today?"
"Anything. Or we could just stay like this."
There was nothing in the world more comfortable than lounging in bed.
"Nothing else?"
"Well… depends."
Zhou Zhuofei’s gaze flickered—now at Xiao Wang, now elsewhere. When she sensed him leaning closer, a sudden thought made her freeze.
"Wait!"
Before Xiao Wang could react, she threw off the covers and dashed to the bathroom.
If God gave her a second chance, she’d choose to brush her teeth before flirting with Xiao Wang first thing in the morning.
Being interrupted like this was a serious mood killer.
Zhou Zhuofei brushed her teeth quickly, then exhaled into her palm just to be sure. Satisfied, she hurried back to the bedroom.
She practically pounced onto the bed, straddling Xiao Wang before looping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
When they finally pulled apart, she smirked. "Minty fresh."
Xiao Wang blinked, then murmured, "Not enough," before capturing her lips again.
Lost in the kiss, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t tell what was more intoxicating—the lingering coolness of the toothpaste or the way Xiao Wang’s mouth moved against hers.
But mere kisses could never satisfy lovers who had been apart for days. Even when their lips were swollen and their tongues numb, it still wasn’t enough.
They wanted more—not just each other, but everything.
Xiao Wang’s question about their plans for the day had been unnecessary from the start.
So they went nowhere. In that curtain-drawn room, cut off from the world outside, they drowned in each other, savoring every moment of their shared indulgence.
Time didn’t matter. Nothing beyond the room did.
Here and now, it was just them—as it always had been.
