Zhou Zhuofei froze, her fingers clutching the makeup mirror curling involuntarily.
This was way too cheesy!
Though she had imagined having a boyfriend before, thinking about it and actually hearing it said aloud were two entirely different experiences.
Xiao Wang, noticing Zhou Zhuofei’s dazed expression, felt his mood lift instantly. "Still not used to it?" he asked.
Zhou Zhuofei shook her head honestly, causing the mirror in her hand to sway slightly.
"It just feels weird. Who actually calls their girlfriend 'girlfriend'?" she muttered.
Du Yu’s boyfriends were mostly from the same industry, so their terms of endearment could get pretty unconventional—hardly a useful reference. But "girlfriend" just didn’t sit right with her.
"Then what should I call you?" Xiao Wang leaned slightly closer.
Though his movement seemed casual, the confined space of the car amplified every gesture.
A strong yet not overwhelming scent drifted toward Zhou Zhuofei. Before she could even identify it, her body had already reacted.
"Call me…" She paused, warmth creeping up from her ears to her cheeks in a slow, burning flush. Despite her flustered state, she forced herself to appear composed.
She decided to toss the question back at him—a tactic she rarely used, but one she’d discovered worked surprisingly well on Xiao Wang.
"How should I know? Isn’t that your job to figure out?"
After speaking, she couldn’t help but press her lips together. Even though she’d drunk plenty of water today, her mouth felt dry and tight, as if no amount of moisture could soothe it.
"Let me think. You mentioned your colleagues call you Zhouzhou or Zhuofei, and Du Yu calls you Mumu…" Xiao Wang methodically listed the facts, his gaze fixed on Zhou Zhuofei’s ears.
He’d noticed this little secret of hers long ago—whenever she was nervous or shy, her ears would turn red, even quivering slightly as blood rushed to her earlobes. The effect was like cherries steeped in honey, irresistibly tempting.
"So, what’s your childhood name?"
"It’s just Xiaofei, but hardly anyone uses it anymore. Even my parents don’t call me that now."
"Then I’ll call you—"
Before Xiao Wang could finish, Zhou Zhuofei’s phone rang. She glanced down and immediately showed the screen to him—it was Lv Lawyer calling.
Xiao Wang’s smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "You should answer it," he urged.
Zhou Zhuofei nodded and lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello, Lv Lawyer."
"Miss Zhou," Lv Lawyer’s tone was heavier than usual, lacking its usual professional calm. "There’s something I need to inform you about. There’s been a complication in the negotiations."
"What happened? Did the other side back out of the settlement?"
"Not exactly. Their lawyer notified me that the settlement talks are on hold. I did some digging today, and it seems word about the private settlement has leaked."
Lv Lawyer’s voice grew stern. "So I need to confirm something with you—aside from me, who else knew about this?"
"Only us and Xiao Wang," Zhou Zhuofei said firmly. From the start, Lv Lawyer had emphasized the importance of confidentiality, and she’d kept it strictly to herself.
Even Xiao Wang only knew about the settlement in general terms—she hadn’t shared any specifics.
Hearing his name, Xiao Wang shot her a questioning look. Zhou Zhuofei shrugged at him, signaling she was just as clueless.
"That’s a relief," Lv Lawyer said.
"But how did the news get out?"
"Rumors are circulating that a high-ranking executive at Shirui is accused of sexually harassing a female employee and is trying to settle privately. My guess is the leak came from the other side’s legal team, but only those directly involved would know for sure."
"It’s blown up that much?" Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t hide her surprise. A troubling thought crossed her mind—what if the other side blamed her for the leak?
But then she reconsidered. There was no way this could be pinned on her. Spreading such rumors wouldn’t benefit her at all, and Xie Huai, if he had any sense, would realize that. Her worries eased instantly.
"At any rate, this is the situation now. The matter will have to be put on hold for a while."
"Understood."
After a few more words of advice, Lv Lawyer ended the call.
Zhou Zhuofei lowered her phone and met Xiao Wang’s concerned gaze. "What’s wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing that affects me directly…" She summarized the situation briefly, then asked, "Have you heard anything about this?"
"Not at all, but…" Xiao Wang frowned, the more he thought about it, the more suspicious the whole thing seemed.
The rumors were wildly inconsistent with the facts. So who was spreading them, and what did they stand to gain?
He turned it over in his mind but couldn’t piece it together. Just as he was lost in thought, he noticed Zhou Zhuofei watching him with amused curiosity, completely unbothered by the situation.
"Aren’t you curious?" he asked.
"I am," Zhou Zhuofei replied. "If someone told me the truth, I’d listen. But I wouldn’t waste energy trying to figure it out myself—it’s got nothing to do with us."
The rumors were so far removed from her reality that she had no reason to worry about exposure. Besides, wasn’t Xie Huai the one who should be sweating over this?
The thought actually pleased her.
With a hint of schadenfreude, she said, "The one with the biggest headache right now must be Xie Huai, right?"
Now that she mentioned it…
Xiao Wang realized he’d fallen into his usual habit of overcomplicating things—a professional reflex. When reporting progress to Ling Yu, he had to track not just the work itself but also related details and long-term implications.
Zhou Zhuofei, on the other hand, cut straight to the heart of the matter: first, she wasn’t involved, and second, Xie Huai was in trouble.
So she was happy.
Her eyes curved into crescents, brimming with playful mischief, like a smug little fox.
"You’re right," Xiao Wang exhaled, as if tossing his earlier thoughts aside. "It’s none of our concern."
"Exactly! Let the big shots deal with their mess. After work, we should just live our lives. Come on, let’s go—I want to get home and see my cat!"
Listening to her eager urging, Xiao Wang’s eyes softened with tenderness and indulgence. "Of course," he agreed readily.
How could he refuse such a request? If Zhou Zhuofei wanted it, he’d agree to anything.
When they reached the neighborhood entrance, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t rush to get out. Instead, she slowly unbuckled her seatbelt while eyeing Xiao Wang. "Did you forget something?"
Xiao Wang thought for a moment before remembering their earlier conversation. "Ah, right. We didn’t finish."
"See? Your memory!" Zhou Zhuofei grumbled lightly. She’d waited the entire ride for him to bring it up again, but he’d been too focused on driving—she’d had to remind him herself.
“So, what are you going to call me?”
Zhou Zhuofei was burning with curiosity—what kind of name would Xiao Wang come up with?
After over twenty years of life, she thought all possible nicknames for her had already been exhausted. There were only so many variations, right? Surely he wouldn’t call her “baby” or something?
So cheesy… though she wouldn’t exactly mind.
Xiao Wang smiled faintly, his thin lips curving slightly as his eyes softened with an irresistible tenderness. “How about ‘Fei Bao’?”
Clearly, Zhou Zhuofei had underestimated Xiao Wang’s creativity—and overestimated her own composure.
The moment those two syllables left his lips, dripping with honeyed affection, she could only stand there, utterly dumbstruck.
Outwardly, she might have looked calm, but inside, her mind was screaming.
This is lethal! How can his voice be so mesmerizing? How can he say it so tenderly?!
When she didn’t respond, Xiao Wang waited a beat before asking, “What do you think?”
“I think…” Zhou Zhuofei cleared her throat, struggling to keep her voice steady. “It’s… nice?”
Nice? It was beyond nice!
All she wanted now was for Xiao Wang to say it again and again while she pressed against his chest, feeling the vibrations of his voice resonate deep within him, the sensation traveling through his skin to hers…
Just imagining it made her scalp tingle. Wasn’t this way more thrilling than any game?
Lost in her thoughts, Zhou Zhuofei zoned out completely.
Her emotions played out transparently across her face, and Xiao Wang couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind.
Maybe it was only with Zhou Zhuofei that he felt this insatiable curiosity, this need to unravel every one of her thoughts.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing.” She snapped back to reality, biting her lower lip as the boldness of her earlier fantasy left her restless.
She had a vague sense that their relationship was progressing differently than most couples’, but was hugging really such a big deal?
Du Yu had taken just over a month of flirting to officially get together with someone. She and Xiao Wang had known each other for four years—surely that wasn’t too rushed? They’d built up their feelings for a long time.
Zhou Zhuofei kept rationalizing, scrambling for excuses to justify her impulsive desires.
For some reason, every time she saw Xiao Wang now, she had this overwhelming urge to touch him.
It was the same instinct that made her link arms or sling a casual arm around Du Yu’s shoulders—just a natural reflex.
“Actually, there’s something I want to do…”
After their confession, Zhou Zhuofei had learned the perks of taking initiative. This time, she didn’t hesitate for long.
In one swift motion, she unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned toward Xiao Wang, arms already outstretched. If he reacted, she’d just go for it.
Xiao Wang, who had been watching her closely, not only responded but even shielded her from the gearstick with his hand.
“Careful.”
Zhou Zhuofei successfully nestled into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder while her hands sought out his.
She loved the feeling of their fingers intertwining—it gave her a sense of possession, of belonging.
“I think the name is perfect,” she murmured, tilting her head to whisper by his ear. “My boyfriend is a genius.”
Not just a genius, but also a master at making delicious sandwiches. Why had she hesitated for so long before agreeing to date him? She’d been such an idiot.
The compliment sent Xiao Wang’s heart soaring. He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer.
The sweet scent clinging to her made his breath hitch.
“Now I need to think of what to call you. What do your friends usually call you?”
Xiao Wang forced himself to focus. “Friends around my age call me ‘A-Wang.’ Older ones call me ‘Xiao Xiao.’”
“And your family?”
The moment she asked, Zhou Zhuofei regretted it. Family was clearly a sore subject—he never brought it up himself. Why had she gone there?
Just as she was scrambling for a way to change the topic, he answered calmly, “They just use my full name.”
“Oh… well, let me think.” She hurried to steer the conversation elsewhere. “I need to come up with something good… ‘Little Wang’ is out, but ‘Wang Wang’ sounds like I’m calling a puppy.”
She tested it out, instinctively adding two more playful syllables.
“Wang Wang, here boy.”
Xiao Wang chuckled, as if agreeing with her assessment.
Zhou Zhuofei groaned dramatically, then propped herself up, looping her arms around his neck. The soft press of her chest against his felt like an electrified cloud.
Tilting her head up, her lashes fluttering, she teased, “So… will you be my puppy?”
