What happened next was somewhat within Zhou Zhuofei's expectations, yet still carried an element of surprise. But as she leaned into Xiao Wang's embrace, she couldn’t spare much thought for anything else.
Especially when she realized it was Xiao Wang’s hands—those well-defined, elegantly jointed fingers—moving with purpose. The sheer exhilaration heightened her sensitivity.
She hadn’t exerted any effort, yet exhaustion weighed heavily on her. Her mind had long stopped functioning, her body and spirit in perfect sync. Eventually, she collapsed against Xiao Wang’s chest and fell into a deep sleep.
She woke abruptly after what felt like an eternity, with no warning.
Opening her eyes to complete darkness, Zhou Zhuofei considered going back to sleep, but memories came flooding back like a relentless tide.
Before she could process them, she noticed the figure lying beside her. The dull ache in her head sharpened her awareness instantly.
This wasn’t a dream! Why was he still here?
Logically, after something like this, shouldn’t the man have discreetly left?
Zhou Zhuofei bolted upright, only then realizing she was still wearing her shirt. Vaguely, she recalled Xiao Wang asking if she wanted to change, but she’d been too drowsy to respond.
What happened after that was a blank.
One thing was certain, though: once they both woke up, they’d have to face each other—after everything that had transpired.
The mere thought was enough to suffocate her.
She stole a cautious glance at Xiao Wang. Though she couldn’t make out his features in the dark, his steady breathing confirmed he was sound asleep—unlikely to wake anytime soon.
Maybe… she should leave now?
The room was booked under the company’s name, with no deposit involved. The front desk only cared about the key card; everything else was irrelevant.
She weighed her options. Leaving now meant packing her things—not much, but enough noise to risk waking Xiao Wang. Which was worse: the awkwardness of being caught sneaking out at night, or the inevitable discomfort of facing him in daylight?
After some deliberation, Zhou Zhuofei decided the midnight escape was the lesser evil.
Nighttime embarrassment was fleeting. She could go home, sleep it off, and spend the next two days processing it all. Daylight awkwardness, on the other hand, would only grow more unbearable the longer she dwelled on it.
With her mind made up, she flipped off the bed, ready to bolt.
The moment her feet touched the carpet, a tingling sensation shot up from between her legs, spreading like an electric current. Her knees buckled, and she barely caught herself on the edge of the bed before collapsing.
Holding her breath, Zhou Zhuofei felt cold sweat trickle down her back, terrified she’d disturbed Xiao Wang. After a tense pause, reassured by his undisturbed breathing, she slowly straightened up.
But even the slightest movement in her hips or waist triggered a reaction.
She grabbed her phone first, using its dim light to haphazardly gather her belongings. Thankfully, she hadn’t brought anything valuable—just some makeup and a handheld console. Even if she lost them, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
Stuffing everything into her suitcase, she threw on her clothes and tiptoed out of the room.
The hallway lights blinded her the second she opened the door, forcing her to shield her eyes.
For a fleeting moment, she felt like a criminal caught in the act.
Not daring to hesitate, Zhou Zhuofei hurriedly dragged her suitcase out of the hotel. With the doorman’s help, she hailed a cab and finally made it home after a chaotic ordeal.
Exhausted and drained, she couldn’t bring herself to think about anything else. After a cursory pat for her eagerly greeting cat, she abandoned her suitcase, took a rushed shower, and barely toweled off before pulling on pajamas and collapsing into bed.
Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
She slept straight through until noon. When she woke, her head throbbed, and her throat burned as if scorched by fire.
Was this what a hangover felt like?
Zhou Zhuofei had heard Du Yu describe hangovers—headaches, chest tightness—but what about the fever, fatigue, and cold sweats?
A cough wracked her body, sending a sharp pain through her skull, and it dawned on her: she was sick.
Her poor sleep these past few days had weakened her immunity. Coming home last night, showering without drying off properly, and blasting the AC had practically invited this.
It felt like karma.
Struggling out of bed, she dug out the first-aid kit from underneath. Inside was a chaotic mess of medications. She found cold medicine easily enough, but when she reached for painkillers, the box was empty.
Damn it. She’d forgotten to restock.
With no other options, she took the cold medicine, hoping it would at least take the edge off.
Just that small effort left her utterly spent. Curling into a ball, she bundled herself tightly in the blankets, praying she’d sweat it out.
In the face of physical misery, all other worries seemed trivial.
Her phone buzzed several times. A glance confirmed it was all messages from Xiao Wang. She skimmed them but didn’t respond.
First, he asked if she’d gotten home safely. Then, whether she was free to meet today.
In her current state, even getting out of bed was a struggle, let alone going outside. And even if she were fine, she probably wouldn’t have agreed to see him today.
Hadn’t she gone to all that trouble last night just to avoid a daytime confrontation?
Hadn’t she embarrassed herself enough yesterday?
If anything, she ought to be grateful Xiao Wang had shown restraint. Initially, she’d only considered him as a candidate for her first kiss. Instead, they’d nearly crossed a line.
He’d been right about one thing: if he’d pushed further, she wouldn’t have stopped him. She might not even have wanted to.
Reason rarely won against desire, especially for someone like her—driven by emotion and appetite, far from disciplined.
If he hadn’t held back, her situation today might’ve been even worse…
Lost in thought, her phone vibrated again. This time, it was a call from Xiao Wang.
Probably worried since she hadn’t replied.
Ignoring him entirely felt rude. Zhou Zhuofei meant to decline the call and send a text instead, but her trembling fingers accidentally hit answer.
Before she could react, Xiao Wang’s voice came through.
Maybe it was the fever distorting her hearing, but he sounded unusually gentle. "Just woke up?"
She gave a soft hum, keeping her response minimal to hide her condition. "Mhm."
"Did you check your messages?"
"No."
"I wanted to ask…" Xiao Wang, seated in his car, paused and straightened unconsciously, his tone firming. "Are you free to meet today? Or should I bring your things to you?"
His gaze flicked to the passenger seat, where a bag of local snacks sat alongside a hairbrush—one he’d found in the bathroom this morning.
She must’ve left it behind in her hurry.
He didn’t know when she’d slipped out, but he could guess it had been in a rush.
Since the toothbrush and towel showed no signs of being used, it was highly unlikely that Zhou Zhuofei had left after daybreak. If she had brought her own toiletries, it would have been even less plausible for her to forget her comb while packing.
Realizing this, Xiao Wang’s heart grew restless.
Though Zhou Zhuofei had responded passionately the night before, that had been under the influence of alcohol. Now, discovering her hasty departure made it hard not to overthink.
To make matters worse, he had sent multiple messages without receiving a single reply.
Xiao Wang waited until noon before finally calling her.
"Just leave it for now. We’ll talk on Monday," Zhou Zhuofei said, but the moment she spoke a few more words, her hoarse voice betrayed her. She immediately fell silent upon noticing.
Yet her throat was unbearably irritated, and she couldn’t suppress a cough.
"You’re coughing?" Phone calls could distort voices, so Xiao Wang hadn’t noticed at first. But hearing the cough, his concern flared. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"...A little. That’s why I wanted to rest today."
"Have you taken any medicine? How are you feeling? Is there anything you’d like to eat?"
Zhou Zhuofei was about to say she was fine when another tickle in her throat sent her into another coughing fit.
Covering her mouth, she sighed inwardly. Why was she lying? She clearly wasn’t fine at all.
"I took some, but it hasn’t kicked in yet. My head still hurts, and so does my throat."
"Do you have enough medicine at home? Should I bring you some more?" Xiao Wang’s tone was unmistakably sincere, laced with gentle worry.
The words "no need" lingered on Zhou Zhuofei’s tongue, unspoken. She knew rejecting him would only push him away, so she shut her eyes in frustration.
She didn’t want to refuse—in fact, she wanted him by her side.
But the words wouldn’t come. Years of living alone had conditioned her to handle everything herself, and she was too ashamed to show weakness.
No one had taught her this, yet life had ingrained in her the habit of never revealing vulnerability to anyone.
"Zhuofei." Xiao Wang’s voice was low and tender, just as it had been the night before when he’d called her name. "Let me come see you, okay? I’m worried if I don’t."
Once her resolve wavered, it was hard to hold firm. Zhou Zhuofei relented. "Then… could you bring me some painkillers?"
"Of course. What else would you like? Some pear and rock sugar soup? Or red date tea?"
"I don’t feel like drinking anything."
"Then give me your exact address. I’ll get the medicine and come right over."
Zhou Zhuofei recited her address, and the call ended shortly after. Surprisingly, she found herself accepting Xiao Wang’s visit more easily than she’d expected.
With something to look forward to, her headache didn’t feel as unbearable anymore.
About ten minutes later, a knock sounded at the door. Zhou Zhuofei slowly dragged herself out of bed, while the director (note: unclear reference, possibly a pet or metaphor) dashed toward the bedroom at the first sound.
By the time she reached the door, she was already exhausted, leaning against the frame before even opening it.
She mustered the energy to greet Xiao Wang. "You’re here."
Before she could finish, his hand was already pressed against her forehead. "Have you taken your temperature?"
"Not yet."
"Go rest. I’ve got the medicine."
"Let me get you slippers."
"Don’t worry about it. Just tell me where they are."
Too weak to bend down, Zhou Zhuofei pointed to the shoe cabinet. Xiao Wang swiftly changed into the slippers, then supported her with one hand while carrying the bag in the other.
"Take the medicine first, then check your temperature. Do you have a thermometer at home?"
He guided her back to bed, poured her water for the medicine, and rummaged through the disorganized first-aid kit to find the thermometer—all with gentle patience.
This felt even more surreal than the night before.
No one had ever taken care of her like this. Du Yu meant well, but their personalities were too different for her to be this attentive. Xiao Wang, however, noticed every detail and constantly checked on her comfort.
"37.5°C. A slight fever." Xiao Wang frowned at Zhou Zhuofei, who looked completely different from the night before.
Thank goodness he’d insisted on coming. What would she have done alone?
He pulled out a cooling patch from the bag and warned, "This might feel cold," before gently applying it to her forehead.
The instant relief drew a sigh from Zhou Zhuofei.
"Get some more sleep. You look like you need it."
She shook her head, claiming she wasn’t tired—though the truth was, if she slept now, wouldn’t he leave?
His tone softened further, almost coaxing. "Then just close your eyes. It’ll help you recover faster."
With no excuse left, Zhou Zhuofei reluctantly shut her eyes.
Xiao Wang fell silent, and the room grew still.
But the quiet unnerved her, as if he’d vanished without a trace.
She lasted less than a minute before peeking through her lashes.
Xiao Wang was still there, scrolling through his phone with a quiet intensity that exuded steadiness.
He noticed her gaze immediately. "What’s wrong?" He set his phone aside. "Still feeling bad?"
Not knowing how to explain, she simply nodded.
"The painkillers take time to work. Try lying on your right side."
She turned as suggested, now facing him fully.
"Rest," he murmured, smoothing the cooling patch before tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
His hand hovered for a moment before finally settling atop her head in a light, reassuring pat.
"Sleep well."
Those words were all the reassurance she needed. Zhou Zhuofei closed her eyes, finally at ease as the painkillers took effect.
With the pain gone, only comfort and drowsiness remained.
She slept deeply, waking much later to find herself significantly improved—her throat no longer raw.
But the room was empty.
The only sign of Xiao Wang’s presence was a full glass of water on the nightstand.
Had he left?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she realized the cooling patch on her forehead was still icy. Peeling it off, she saw it was freshly applied.
So he couldn’t have gone far.
Zhou Zhuofei hadn’t finished analyzing the situation when she heard some noise from outside the tightly shut door. She distinctly remembered the door being open when she first entered.
It seemed the person really hadn’t left, and the commotion outside continued without pause. Curiosity gnawed at Zhou Zhuofei, and feeling somewhat better, she decided to step out and investigate.
Pushing the door open, she immediately noticed the kitchen light was on—the source of the sounds she’d heard.
The living room also looked different.
Her coffee table and TV stand, usually cluttered, were now neatly arranged. Game discs and comic books stood in orderly rows.
Director, her cat, was crouched over the food bowl, devouring kibble in big mouthfuls, while the nearby litter box was spotless—clearly freshly cleaned.
There was no need to guess who had done all this. But… was it really necessary to go this far?
Zhou Zhuofei slowly approached the kitchen door, peering through the glass at Xiao Wang’s busy figure.
If relying on others was a sin, then she was already beyond redemption.
“Awake?” Xiao Wang turned and spotted her. He pushed the door open, studying her face carefully. “You look much better. Are you hungry? I steamed some egg custard.”
Zhou Zhuofei didn’t answer. Instead, she took another step forward and pressed her forehead against Xiao Wang’s chest. The soft yet firm warmth felt more comforting than any bed.
Surprised but quick to react, he freed one hand to pat her back gently, murmuring in a soothing voice, “No more pain, no more pain.”
