No one had ever been jealous because of him, and Xiao Wang didn’t consider it a problem at all.
If Zhou Zhuofei was prone to jealousy, then so be it—as long as it was about him, he was willing to accept it all.
"Then keep being jealous, just make sure to tell me. Don’t bear it alone."
This… this can’t be real, can it?
Zhou Zhuofei wondered how anyone could possibly not mind such things.
But Xiao Wang had truly said it, and she really wanted to believe him one more time.
Perhaps she still couldn’t resign herself to fate and wanted to fight for herself once more.
After all, if it was Xiao Wang, trying again didn’t seem so bad. How much worse could things get anyway?
She leaned down, hooked her arms around Xiao Wang’s neck, and whispered into his ear, "It’s fine. If I just focus on liking you a little more, I probably won’t have time to be jealous."
She knew full well that jealousy wasn’t an emotion easily dispelled. Rather than wasting energy figuring out how to resolve it, she’d rather divert her attention elsewhere.
If she liked Xiao Wang enough, maybe these issues wouldn’t matter anymore.
Zhou Zhuofei didn’t know the answer, but she was willing to try.
"So you’d better cooperate with me…"
"Okay."
"I haven’t even said how yet."
"It doesn’t matter. Anything is fine."
Xiao Wang wrapped his arms around Zhou Zhuofei and slowly stood up, effortlessly lifting her into his embrace before settling back onto the couch, cradling her against his chest.
He seemed to have grown fond of holding her like this—it allowed them to press closer together, where he could feel her warmth, her breath, even the rhythm of her heartbeat.
As if, given enough time, their lives might meld into one.
"You sound like you’re just humoring me," Zhou Zhuofei mumbled against his shoulder.
Xiao Wang answered with utter sincerity, "I’m not humoring you. There’s just nothing to hesitate over."
Because he liked her, he wanted to give her everything. Hesitation and restraint were nothing more than signs of insufficient affection.
"Fine, you win," Zhou Zhuofei conceded, realizing how easily she was swayed. A single sentence from Xiao Wang could turn her mood from cloudy to clear in an instant.
Or was it that only Xiao Wang’s words had this effect on her?
The thought made her whisper to him again, "I think I like you a tiny bit more now."
He rubbed his chin against the top of her head, the rustling sound like the echo of a heartbeat.
"Just a tiny bit?"
"Don’t underestimate it! Little by little adds up. My salary doesn’t even rise this fast!"
Zhou Zhuofei burst into laughter at her own words. How had she ended up comparing affection to a pay raise?
But on second thought, it didn’t seem so strange.
Love and livelihood were both important, and if she equated her relationship with Xiao Wang to money, it only proved how much he meant to her.
Besides, she’d already weathered the test of "money." Now, she could proudly declare herself someone who valued emotions over wealth.
She shared these thoughts with Xiao Wang, then looked at him with proud anticipation. "Don’t you think I’m right?"
Xiao Wang couldn’t resist kissing her cheek, murmuring in agreement, "Absolutely. Now it’s my turn to like you a little more."
There probably wasn’t a soul in this world who wouldn’t fall for Zhou Zhuofei.
He was just the luckiest one—the one who’d found a way into her heart.
Unconsciously, Xiao Wang tightened his arms, pulling her even closer, craving more of her presence.
It wasn’t so much that he was holding Zhou Zhuofei as it was her warmth seeping into him, bit by bit.
Gradually, mere embraces weren’t enough. Taking advantage of their position, he began stealing kisses. When she didn’t resist, his movements grew bolder.
He noticed it then—Zhou Zhuofei didn’t shy away from their closeness. If anything, she was eager.
Xiao Wang wasn’t one to cling to conventions. Now that he knew her feelings, of course he’d want more.
He shifted angles, pausing just before their lips met, forcing himself to rein in the haze of desire and gauge her reaction.
Zhou Zhuofei’s eyes were closed, but her flushed ears betrayed her. She seemed nervous, yet her hands rested lightly on his arms, fingers occasionally twitching.
It was all the encouragement Xiao Wang needed.
He leaned in, the usual calm in his eyes replaced by a turbulent undercurrent. He fought to hold back, but the whirlpool only spun faster, desperate to shatter the surface of restraint.
Zhou Zhuofei seemed to sense it—her breath hitched, her lips parting slightly. A faint, sweet fragrance drifted into his senses, the final push he hadn’t known he needed.
"Fei Bao…" Xiao Wang murmured the endearment, inching closer to his beloved.
For the first time, happiness felt within reach.
Then, with mere millimeters between them, Zhou Zhuofei’s phone rang, shattering the moment.
Her eyes flew open, and she scrambled to answer, heedless of how close they’d been. Still nestled in Xiao Wang’s arms with her legs draped over the couch, she floundered until he reached over and grabbed her handbag.
"Don’t rush," he soothed, helping her search for the phone. After some fumbling, Zhou Zhuofei finally retrieved it—the caller ID displayed "Lv Lawyer."
Xiao Wang’s emotions tangled. This friend was someone he’d introduced to Zhou Zhuofei, yet this was the second time he’d interrupted them.
As he lamented his own "self-inflicted" misfortune, Zhou Zhuofei answered.
"Hello, Lv Lawyer?"
"..."
"Really?!"
The shift in her tone made Xiao Wang look over.
Shock was written all over Zhou Zhuofei’s face—Lv Lawyer had brought astonishing news.
"The settlement agreement is finalized. The other party has dropped the clause restricting your contact with the Xie Family. They just want the paperwork signed within the week. Ms. Zhou, I can send you the draft to review. If everything’s in order, I’ll finalize it the day after tomorrow."
"But yesterday, they said negotiations were on hold. How did this happen so suddenly?"
"I’m not entirely sure. There may have been internal adjustments on their end."
Lv Lawyer wasn’t concerned with the details. As long as his client’s interests were protected, the agreement signed, and compensation secured, the rest wasn’t his business.
Even after hanging up, Zhou Zhuofei was dazed.
It’s… settled?
How was it this smooth? It felt almost unreal.
At first, Zhou Zhuofei hadn’t expected to gain anything from the settlement—she simply wanted to vent her frustration. When Lv Lawyer mentioned a pause yesterday, she had already prepared herself to let the matter fade away.
Who could have predicted such a dramatic twist? The agreement was already negotiated, and Xie Huai had actually conceded?
Zhou Zhuofei glanced at her phone, then at Xiao Wang, who still wore a puzzled expression, clearly unrelated to this sudden development.
For some reason, she suddenly felt as if her luck was turning around.
First, she started dating Xiao Wang, and now she had successfully made Xie Huai back down and admit fault. Could an ordinary person like her really hit rock bottom only to bounce back?
Noticing Zhou Zhuofei’s prolonged silence, Xiao Wang couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on? Still about the settlement?”
“Yes,” she replied, updating him. “It’s all settled. The agreement can be signed soon.”
“That fast?” Xiao Wang was equally surprised. “Didn’t they say it was on hold yesterday?”
“Exactly! I’m baffled too. But signing it sooner is better—gets it over with.”
“True. Once it’s done, you won’t have to dwell on it anymore.”
“More than just not dwelling on it,” Zhou Zhuofei suddenly perked up. “There’s money involved!” Though the amount wouldn’t fully extinguish her anger toward Xie Huai, who would say no to extra cash?
Excitedly, she told Xiao Wang, “I’ll treat you to a fancy dinner when it’s done!”
Xiao Wang smiled faintly. “We don’t have to wait for that. If you want a fancy dinner, we can go tomorrow.”
“Is the dinner the point here?” Zhou Zhuofei playfully rolled her eyes. “I’m the one treating you. Wait, didn’t I promise to take you out before?”
Xiao Wang’s expression turned serious as he looked at her. “Isn’t it only natural for me to treat my girlfriend to something nice?”
As for the compensation, he had no desire to dwell on it. Even though Zhou Zhuofei could discuss its use so casually, he couldn’t forget how she had trembled in his arms.
For now, there was little he could do to Xie Huai, but one thing was certain—this wasn’t over.
Still, he hoped Zhou Zhuofei could move past it quickly, so he played along with her lighthearted mood, steering the conversation away from the compensation.
Soon, Lv Lawyer sent over the electronic version of the agreement. Dozens of pages were stamped with confidentiality watermarks. Though Zhou Zhuofei wanted to review it with Xiao Wang, she followed the lawyer’s instructions and sat alone to read through it.
Just moments ago, she had been comfortably nestled in Xiao Wang’s arms. Now, sitting on the sofa, she suddenly felt oddly out of place.
As she reviewed the terms and exchanged messages with Lv Lawyer, she found the conditions even more favorable than before. The compensation amount far exceeded her expectations.
It wasn’t enough to secure her for life, but it was sufficient to buy an apartment in City K—maybe even one near Xiao Wang’s place.
[This much?]
[Yes, honestly, I’m shocked too. It’s way beyond what I anticipated.]
[How did this happen?]
Xie Huai wasn’t short on money, but he wasn’t the type to hand it out willingly.
[Actually, something strange did happen. Before, I only dealt with Lawyer Tang, but today it was Lawyer Wang. They’re from the same firm, but Lawyer Wang is a senior figure in the field—far more experienced and reputable. Maybe the firm switched to a high-profile lawyer because of the earlier leak.]
[I see. I’ve gone through the agreement and have no objections.]
[Great, I’ll proceed then.]
Zhou Zhuofei set her phone down, about to speak to Xiao Wang, only to find the opposite sofa empty. Turning her head, she spotted him crouched in a corner of the living room, doing who-knows-what.
Approaching, she realized he was playing with Director using his tie.
The sapphire-blue silk tie swayed in the air, and Director, thoroughly engrossed, pounced and chased after it, completely indifferent to whether his playmate was a stranger or not.
Xiao Wang was equally absorbed, his gaze soft and serene, radiating tranquility.
Zhou Zhuofei teased, “Dogs really do love playing with cats, huh?”
