Zhou Zhuofei didn’t dare to apply any real pressure, her hand merely resting lightly on his chest. Yet Xiao Wang kept increasing his grip, pressing her palm more firmly against him. The solid muscle beneath her fingers felt as if it might spill through the gaps between them, while the tremors of his heartbeat—like a volcanic eruption—spread through her palm, making her fingertips quiver.
She held her breath until her head spun, only realizing she’d forgotten to exhale when Xiao Wang reminded her. Gulping down air, she thought to herself—so much for assuming the scenes in romance novels were all made up.
Xiao Wang patted her back gently until her breathing steadied, then asked with concern, "You okay?"
Zhou Zhuofei looked up. At first glance, Xiao Wang seemed no different than usual, but upon closer inspection, his breaths were slightly heavier, his lips unusually red—as if stained by her lipstick. Without hesitation, she reached up and wiped the color away with her thumb.
Xiao Wang stayed still, his gaze fixed on her, letting her do as she pleased.
As she cleaned, Zhou Zhuofei suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu and paused.
Right. This was how it had started that day at the hotel too.
If Xiao Wang hadn’t taken that extra step forward, she might have backed out.
After a moment of silence, Xiao Wang asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing." She snapped back to reality and quickly finished wiping, though her own thumb was now faintly tinted with the soft pink shade.
The traces seemed to mock her—proof of just how intensely they’d been kissing.
Xiao Wang always mixed a hint of dominance into his tenderness, yet she found she didn’t dislike it at all.
Oh no. Could it be that she…
Before she could finish the thought, her earlobe warmed—Xiao Wang had pinched it lightly, teasing, "You’re so easy to fluster."
She reflexively argued, "Who’s flustered?"
He didn’t explain, just kept laughing. The sound made her embarrassment flare, and she snapped, "Stop laughing!"
Only then did his laughter fade. "Alright, alright. I’ll stop."
"Don’t mock people for their flaws," she muttered. She knew this quirk of hers too well—her ears turned red at the slightest emotional spike.
Back in school, she’d often bickered with friends until her face burned, though actual shyness was rare. Mostly because few situations—or people—could make her feel that way.
Xiao Wang looked at her seriously. "It’s not a flaw. Just a trait."
"But traits like this are a disadvantage at work."
Imagine arguing with a colleague, only for your face to flush while they remain perfectly composed. The contrast alone would make you look weaker.
That’s why she envied people like Xiao Wang, who could keep their emotions and expressions in check no matter what.
"Why don’t you ever blush?" She studied him. His control over his reactions was beyond her—whether angry or excited, the most he’d do was frown.
There was nothing sharp or aggressive about him.
"It’s just how I am. Honestly, I envy you—being able to express every emotion so freely."
"Bottling things up is awful. Just say what you feel."
"Maybe I’m used to it. Besides…"
"Besides what?"
Seeing her curious gaze, Xiao Wang shook his head with a smile. "Nothing. Just my personality. I’m not the outgoing type."
"That’s fine. One of us being outgoing is enough."
They stayed close until dusk, when Xiao Wang finally left.
Zhou Zhuofei nearly blurted out a plea for him to stay—but then remembered they’d only been dating for a few days. Wouldn’t that be too rash?
They were both adults. They knew what an overnight stay implied.
As she reheated her dinner, she shook her head, trying to dispel the reckless thoughts.
Stop it, Zhou Zhuofei!
The settlement agreement went smoothly. Lv Lawyer handled the signing on her behalf, officially closing the chapter on her conflict with Xie Huai—and depositing a hefty sum into her account.
She was at work when the compensation arrived. The bank notification made her briefly wonder if payroll had added a few extra zeros.
Only after Lv Lawyer’s follow-up message did she realize it was the settlement money.
Though the sight of it inevitably brought Xie Huai’s smug face to mind, the balance still warmed her heart. For a wild moment, she almost shouted—I’m rich!
Then Zhan Zilang walked past, snapping her back to reality. She swallowed the impulse.
Better stay low-key. Besides, this money wasn’t exactly something to flaunt.
She had no plans to splurge. Blowing it all in one day like some novel protagonist? What about tomorrow?
So she treated it like any paycheck—setting aside a small portion for spending, saving the rest. As for what to do with it, she hadn’t decided.
Her only real hobbies were good food and gaming, neither of which demanded much. Clothes and accessories? As long as they served their purpose.
If she had to spend it, maybe on a house.
Renting meant this wasn’t truly her home. Whenever she considered buying something, the thought of moving hassle stopped her.
Hadn’t Cen Huan regretted leaving so many appliances behind?
But buying property was its own headache—location hunting, renovations, endless logistics. Just thinking about it made her head throb.
So maybe she wasn’t as decisive as Xiao Wang claimed. After an afternoon of deliberation, her conclusion was: This setup works for now. No rush.
Thus, the plan was shelved.
Still, she wasn’t entirely aimless. That weekend, she invited Du Yu out for a meal—their first meetup in a while.
The moment she sat down, Du Yu teased, "Oh, so you’ve finally emerged from your hermit phase?"
She knew Zhou Zhuofei too well. When upset, she’d retreat into solitude, cutting off all social ties, cycling between work and home until her mood lifted—then resurface.
This time, the phase had been shorter than Du Yu expected.
Zhou Zhuofei laughed awkwardly. Truth was, she hadn’t even had time to brood—just a few gloomy days after the summit, then everything else took over.
"It wasn’t that bad," she replied, masking her guilt. "I just caught a cold a couple of days ago, so I rested at home for a bit."
Du Yu didn’t overthink it and continued the conversation.
"You’re so young, yet your immune system is this weak? You really should start exercising."
"I do exercise! I play motion-sensing games at home—doesn’t that count?"
"Enough already. Can’t you just go outside for once?"
Halfway through their meal, noticing Zhou Zhuofei’s calm demeanor, Du Yu cautiously asked, "So… have you moved on, then?"
"What do you mean? If you’re talking about Wang Zicheng, then yeah, I’m completely over it."
Now, Zhou Zhuofei could mention his name without a hint of bitterness.
She suddenly realized that her relationship with Wang Zicheng wasn’t worth dwelling on.
Every second spent with Xiao Wang had already given her more happiness than her entire past relationship combined.
In fact, looking back, she wasn’t even sure what she had with Wang Zicheng could be called a real romance. It felt more like having a fixed dining companion—someone to chat with over meals. Sure, there were fleeting moments of joy, but nothing lasting.
But with Xiao Wang, it was entirely different.
She could be her true self around him—no need to maintain an image, no filters. She could even act playful or willful, yet still feel his affection and understand her own emotions clearly.
Just being together made everything feel blissful. A simple hug, a shared glance—even the moment they parted, she’d already be longing for their next meeting…
Du Yu noticed Zhou Zhuofei suddenly break into an odd smile.
Odd, because there was no way she’d be smiling while discussing Wang Zicheng.
Yet the smile was undeniably there, and unlike any expression Du Yu had seen before. It was sweet, radiant—something entirely new.
"What’s going on with you?" Du Yu’s curiosity spiked. Her instincts screamed that something was up.
Had something happened recently that she didn’t know about?
She mentally replayed their recent conversations. Workdays seemed normal, but after hours, Zhou Zhuofei had become increasingly scarce.
But given Zhou Zhuofei’s homebody nature—no social updates, no outings—she must’ve just been holed up at home, binge-watching anime or gaming. What else could it be?
Unless… Secretary Xiao?
The more Du Yu thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Seizing the moment while Zhou Zhuofei checked her phone, she blurted, "Message from Secretary Xiao?"
"Yeah."
Bingo! Du Yu cheered internally.
Zhou Zhuofei, realizing her slip-up, hesitated—should she come clean or deflect? But Du Yu’s rapid-fire questions left no room for evasion.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
"Did you two get together?"
"No wonder you’ve been vanishing after work all week! What’s going on? How could you not tell me?"
"Hey—wait, wait!" Zhou Zhuofei barely processed the questions before cutting in. "You’re throwing too much at me! At least let me speak!"
Du Yu leaned forward, scrutinizing Zhou Zhuofei’s face, then leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "You’re definitely together."
Zhou Zhuofei shrugged. "I’m not denying it."
"Seriously?!" Even though Du Yu had already pieced it together, hearing the confirmation from Zhou Zhuofei’s lips sent her heart racing.
"This is amazing!" Du Yu clapped her hands so loudly nearby diners turned to look.
"Is this really that big a deal?"
Zhou Zhuofei, unfazed, calmly apologized to the startled patrons.
"Of course it is! This is a huge moment for you."
Du Yu’s eyes gleamed with sincerity as she locked gazes with Zhou Zhuofei.
"So… congratulations, babe!"
