"Great, moving to a new place is definitely worth celebrating. I’ll get you a housewarming gift when the time comes."
"By the way, there’s one more thing—if Xie Ya comes looking for me, please let me know."
Zhou Zhuofei hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
That day when she visited the Xie household, she hadn’t run into Xie Ya. Rumor had it he’d gone back to his hometown to handle some business.
The Xie family hadn’t deliberately kept Xie Ya from appearing, which meant it was only a matter of time before he and Cen Huan crossed paths.
After a brief internal struggle, she decided not to say anything. Everyone had their own fate to follow.
Cen Huan was destined to fall in love with Ling Yu. No matter how much Xie Ya liked her, it wouldn’t matter—he couldn’t even stand up to Xie Huai, let alone fight for love. At best, he’d end up as a side character, just like her.
And she shouldn’t meddle in their affairs either. An extra should know their place.
"Got it. If I see him, I’ll tell you."
"It’s just a shame about all those appliances he bought—I won’t be able to take them with me." Cen Huan sighed regretfully. She was frugal by nature, and the thought of leaving behind perfectly good items pained her.
"True, they’ve only been used for a few months, right?" Xie Ya hadn’t skimped on those purchases either—they were all top-tier brands.
"Zhuofei, do you want them?"
Zhou Zhuofei shook her head vigorously. "No, no, all my stuff is still in good condition. Even if you gave them to me, I couldn’t just throw out the old ones, could I?"
She had no interest in taking those things. Who knew if Xie Ya would use it as an excuse to cause trouble for her later?
"That’s fair." Cen Huan sighed again, disappointed. "Oh, are you free tonight? I’d like to treat you to dinner."
"Tonight? Probably not." Zhou Zhuofei answered earnestly. "I’ve had an exhausting week at work, so I just want to rest at home."
"Ah, I see. Another time, then. Get some proper rest." As a fellow office worker, Cen Huan completely understood Zhou Zhuofei’s exhaustion—there were days when she, too, wanted nothing more than to stay home and shut out the world.
"I won’t bother you anymore. Take it easy."
"Sounds good. Let’s plan for another day."
After seeing Cen Huan off, Zhou Zhuofei returned to her room.
Director, her cat, lay sprawled belly-up in the exact center of the bed, deep in slumber. Not wanting to disturb the feline’s peaceful nap, she contorted herself like a Tetris block, squeezing into the remaining sliver of space in an awkward position.
Despite having just chatted animatedly with Cen Huan, the moment she lay down, closed her eyes, and listened to Director’s motorcycle-like purring, she drifted off almost instantly.
She woke up to the buzzing of her phone.
On weekends, she always kept her phone on vibrate—enough to notice messages without the jarring noise. But being jolted awake by it was still irritating.
Eyes still shut, she fumbled blindly until her fingers closed around the device. Forcing one eye open, she squinted at the screen.
The name [Xiao Wang] flashed prominently.
Without a second thought, she answered the call, her eyes already closing again.
"Hello…?"
Her voice was thick with sleep, slow and drawn-out, the tail end of her greeting lingering lazily.
Even without context, her tone said it all.
Xiao Wang’s warm voice, mingled with the clamor of a bustling background, reached her ears. "Did I wake you?"
"Mmm… no." The familiar voice finally nudged her foggy brain into semi-awareness.
Was that Xiao Wang?
Hearing her contradictory response, Xiao Wang couldn’t help but chuckle on the other end.
He could easily picture Zhou Zhuofei right now—drowsy, probably still horizontal, eyes stubbornly shut against the world.
"Do you know who you’re talking to right now?" His tone was light, the end of his sentence lilting upward as he stepped into a quieter corner, unwilling to let the noise interfere.
He wanted to hear her answer clearly, undisturbed.
Then came Zhou Zhuofei’s sleep-laden yet unmistakably clear reply: "Of course. Xiao Wang, right?"
Xiao Wang’s grip on the phone tightened instinctively, his pulse quickening.
At that moment, he stood in the middle of a bustling market street. The summer heat rolled in oppressive waves, vendors’ shouts overlapping in a cacophony, the air thick with sweltering discomfort.
But Zhou Zhuofei’s voice was like a cool, refreshing spring—cutting through the noise, reaching straight into his chest, soothing the restlessness that had clung to him for days. The weariness and frustration from his business trip seemed to melt away, replaced by a steady, fluttering heartbeat.
Business trips were always a grind—endless work, obligatory socializing. He should’ve been used to the routine by now, cycling through the same motions hundreds of times.
And whenever the fatigue crept in, he’d find a quiet spot, light a cigarette, and recalibrate alone before diving back into the loop.
But this time was different. Solitude and smoke weren’t enough.
His thoughts kept drifting to Zhou Zhuofei, wondering if she’d feel the same way in his shoes.
He’d pondered it for a while and concluded—probably not.
Zhou Zhuofei would’ve found ways to entertain herself, not resigned herself to the monotony like he had.
Just being near her would’ve given him the energy to keep going, stockpiling little bursts of joy to fuel him through the drudgery.
It hit him then—he no longer wanted to just be the reliable senior in her eyes. He wanted to share in her happiness, maybe even be the reason for it.
"Sorry, I didn’t catch that." Xiao Wang took a deep breath, keeping his tone deliberately harmless, coaxing her to repeat the words he longed to hear. "Could you say it again?"
"Huh?" Still oblivious to his unusual behavior, Zhou Zhuofei pulled the phone away to double-check the screen, confirming she hadn’t misread the caller ID.
"You’re Xiao Wang. Did you dial the wrong number?"
"No, I meant to call you. I’m at a local specialty market right now, and there’s so much here. I wanted to ask what you’d like me to bring back."
"You don’t have to go through the trouble. I’ll be happy with anything."
"But since I promised to bring you something, I’d rather it be what you actually enjoy."
By now, Zhou Zhuofei was fully awake. Staring at the ceiling, she processed the situation rapidly.
So Xiao Wang was calling specifically to let her pick her own souvenir.
Even the most oblivious person would realize colleagues didn’t usually go this far.
"You’re being so thoughtful…" Even with the clarity, her mind was still a tangled mess.
Expecting someone who’d just woken up to navigate such a complicated scenario was downright cruel. So after two seconds of deliberation, Zhou Zhuofei gave up.
In the end, she chose to be honest: "I really might push my luck, you know."
A low chuckle came through the phone, like a gentle breeze traveling along the line and burrowing deep into Zhou Zhuofei's ears, sending a tingling sensation down her spine and making her toes curl involuntarily.
"Honestly, I don’t mind. And I’m curious—how exactly do you plan to push your luck?"
"I never expected you to like this kind of style. I misjudged you." Zhou Zhuofei had meant it as a teasing remark, but the moment the words left her mouth, she realized something felt off. She wanted to backtrack but didn’t know where to start.
Xiao Wang, however, acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything amiss and patiently asked, "Then how about I describe the options to you, and you can pick?"
"Go ahead."
For the next few minutes, Xiao Wang walked while sharing everything he saw and heard with Zhou Zhuofei.
He described the storefront decorations, the souvenirs carried by passersby—what was once a chaotic, overwhelming marketplace had now become just another scene in his narration, the noise no longer registering in his awareness.
After picking two items, Zhou Zhuofei decided to call it quits.
"That’s enough."
Xiao Wang’s footsteps paused. "You sure you don’t want to look around more?"
"No need, we’ve already got plenty. It’d be too much trouble for you to bring back."
"It’s fine. I didn’t pack much luggage anyway."
"But you can’t just bring things back for me, right? There are others too. A little for me, a little for them—it’ll add up."
Zhou Zhuofei believed in not being too greedy. Just because the other person didn’t refuse didn’t mean she should keep asking for more.
She had helped others bring back things before and knew that while it might sound easy, the actual process was a hassle.
"Don’t worry, I’ll manage."
"Still, this is enough." From the background noise she’d been hearing, Zhou Zhuofei could easily imagine Xiao Wang’s situation—shopping in this heat while talking on the phone sounded downright miserable.
So she said firmly, "What you need to do now is find some shade and enjoy the air conditioning!"
Xiao Wang was happy to hear her concern, but he still double-checked, "Really don’t want anything else?"
"Really, it’s fine." Zhou Zhuofei’s tone was decisive at first, then softened as she explained, "Local specialties might just be a gimmick anyway. What if we don’t even like them? This is plenty!"
Without realizing it, she had slipped into a different tone when speaking to Xiao Wang—soothing, but also bordering on coquettish.
The unintentional warmth in her voice filled Xiao Wang with an indescribable joy, like melted chocolate spreading through his chest, rich and addictive.
Right now, the urge to see Zhou Zhuofei had reached its peak.
Suppressing the restless impulse, he kept his voice steady and replied, "Alright, then it’s settled. I’ll bring these to you when I get back."
"But you have that strategy summit on the day you return, right? Everyone’s going to be busy. Maybe we can meet later—no rush."
"Got it. I won’t disturb your rest any longer. Talk soon."
"Mhm, you should head back now."
Zhou Zhuofei hung up and lay back down, closing her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep again.
But within minutes, she opened them once more.
How could she possibly sleep at a time like this?
Tossing and turning, she finally gave up and grabbed her phone, scrolling through her contacts until she found Du Yu’s name.
Staring at the chat window, she hesitated, unsure what to say. She could already imagine Du Yu scolding her no matter what she wrote.
After some deliberation, Zhou Zhuofei decided to test the waters with a sticker, gauging Du Yu’s mood first.
But after several minutes with no response, she was fully awake and about to start on chores when Du Yu finally replied.
[Out right now. What’s up?]
This was expected. Du Yu had probably just gotten paid—after behaving herself for weeks, she was likely out enjoying herself with friends.
[It’s nothing. We can talk when you’re back.]
But these thoughts were something Zhou Zhuofei could only share with Du Yu.
Scrolling through her contacts, the list seemed extensive at first glance, but after a while, she realized there were barely any she could truly confide in.
In the end, she swallowed down the urge to vent.
Rather than dwell on the loneliness of adult social life, she might as well clean up the apartment and focus on the immediate surroundings.
By the time Du Yu reached out that evening, Zhou Zhuofei had mostly processed her emotions.
When her friend asked what was on her mind, she brushed it off lightly. "Just wanted to chat."
[Then let’s chat! I went rafting with coworkers today. One of them brought her little brother—super handsome, and so polite, calling me ‘sis’ this and ‘sis’ that. Ugh, now I’m kinda tempted to try dating a younger guy.]
[?? Wasn’t it you who swore off dating for at least a year?]
[Eh, take those vows with a grain of salt. Work’s exhausting—if I don’t spice things up with some romance, what’s the point?]
[Fair enough.]
Zhou Zhuofei had figured Du Yu’s earlier declaration was just a passing remark. To Du Yu, dating was as natural as eating or drinking—and it wasn’t just her. Most people were like that.
Take Jiang Shen, for example. He could casually toss around flirtation like it was nothing.
So the odd one out was Zhou Zhuofei herself, constantly building walls and pretending nothing was changing between her and Xiao Wang.
But after that phone call earlier, could she really say nothing had changed?
It was clear Xiao Wang was actively moving their relationship forward. She even had a feeling that the next time they met, things might progress further.
And now, she couldn’t tell whether she was resisting or anticipating it—as long as it was Xiao Wang.
Before she knew it, Monday arrived. With the strategy summit just two days away, the administrative office at Huanyu had been in constant chaos since morning, and Zhou Zhuofei was no exception.
After wrapping up urgent tasks at the office on Monday, she checked into the hotel with her luggage on Tuesday, just like the rest of the team.
For the event, Huanyu had booked several floors of the New World Hotel, including executive suites reserved for top management. Zhou Zhuofei, however, was assigned a standard room.
Still, the New World was a five-star hotel—even the standard rooms were more than comfortable. Besides, she was here to work, not vacation.
To facilitate future work, the administrative staff were dispersed to live on different floors, with Zhou Zhuofei, Zhan Zilang, and Ye Ru assigned to the same level.
She had just collected her room key and returned to her room, only to drop her luggage and head straight back out to work. After a busy day, everyone gathered for dinner at the restaurant in the evening.
Before the meal, the event coordinator gave an encouraging pep talk to the group. Once finished, they all returned to their rooms to rest and recharge for the next day’s tasks.
However, Zhan Zilang privately approached Zhou Zhuofei and asked if she wanted to go out for some fun, only to be firmly rejected.
Zhou Zhuofei immediately scolded him, "Playing games in your room is enough, isn’t it? What if you oversleep tomorrow?"
Zhan Zilang chuckled awkwardly, "Well, I forgot to bring my console."
"You can borrow mine."
"Then what will you play?"
"Underestimating me, are you?" Zhou Zhuofei snorted lightly. "I brought two!"
Zhan Zilang raised a thumbs-up in admiration. "Zhou Zhuofei, you’re truly unmatched!"
"Just being prepared, that’s all," she replied modestly.
"How about we play a co-op game together then?"
Zhou Zhuofei decisively declined. "No way. Whether you’re in my room or I’m in yours, it’s not appropriate. Go play by yourself."
"Being this cautious?"
"Of course," Zhou Zhuofei shot him a glare. "This level of caution is necessary!"
