"What's going on with you? Why suddenly make things so formal..." Zhou Zhuofei felt her eyes grow hot and quickly lowered her head, pretending to rub them casually to suppress the urge to cry.
What was wrong with her? Was she getting sentimental with age?
"...I’m actually a little touched."
Du Yu chuckled, pulling a tissue from the dining table and waving it at Zhou Zhuofei. "Go ahead and cry. It’s not embarrassing."
"Cut it out. There’s nothing to cry about." Zhou Zhuofei rubbed her face and looked up again, flashing a bright smile. "This is a good thing—I should be happy!"
It seemed her intuition was sharp. The expression on the other person’s face was unmistakably that of someone head over heels in love.
"That’s wonderful." Du Yu sighed with envy. "Love really does make life more interesting, huh..."
Zhou Zhuofei thought about her recent experiences and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it really is."
"No wonder you’ve been ignoring me lately. You weren’t sulking—you were busy falling in love! Well, in that case, I’m treating myself to something nice today."
"Eat whatever you want. Tonight’s dinner is on me." Zhou Zhuofei might hesitate to splurge on luxury items, but when it came to food, she was always generous.
Du Yu pretended to be annoyed. "You’re only saying this halfway through the meal!"
"Then we’ll have two meals—I’ll cover late-night snacks too!" That had been Zhou Zhuofei’s plan all along. Now that she had money, why not share the joy with her best friend?
"If you’re spending the whole day with me, what about your boyfriend?" Du Yu teased, her tone dripping with mock jealousy. "Isn’t it bad to neglect him so soon after getting together?"
Zhou Zhuofei responded with a playful wink. "I can’t just abandon you because I’m in a relationship, sweetheart."
"Ew… that’s way too cheesy~"
Their schedule was packed—they spent the entire day having fun, followed by dinner and karaoke.
During the outing, Zhou Zhuofei exchanged a few messages with Xiao Wang. When he learned they were planning to grab late-night snacks, he asked for the address so he could pick her up later.
At first, Zhou Zhuofei wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but then it occurred to her—Xiao Wang wasn’t offering because she needed a driver. He simply wanted to see her after a day apart.
Things she once couldn’t understand now made perfect sense.
Du Yu seemed even happier than she was. What was supposed to be a simple late-night snack turned into a barbecue feast, complete with beer. Zhou Zhuofei joined her for a drink.
As they ate, Du Yu bombarded Zhou Zhuofei with questions, determined to extract every detail about her relationship with Xiao Wang.
When she heard that Xiao Wang had gone to Zhou Zhuofei’s place the next day to take care of her, Du Yu gasped. "Wow, what a keeper."
And when she learned he made her breakfast, she exclaimed, "That’s so thoughtful! Why can’t I meet a guy like that?"
"Just find someone who likes cooking."
"Is this about cooking?" Du Yu rolled her eyes. "It’s about putting in the effort. These days, if money can solve a problem, who bothers going the extra mile?"
"Fair point."
"Guess I was wrong about something."
"What?"
"I used to say you had to date around to understand love. But now I see—quantity doesn’t matter. It’s all about finding someone high-quality."
Du Yu rarely reflected on her past, but now, as she mentally reviewed her exes, she realized many were willing to spend money on her, but few had truly put in the effort.
What was the point of all those relationships, then?
The more she thought about it, the more she felt shortchanged. She downed the rest of her beer in one gulp.
"Hey, hey, slow down!" Zhou Zhuofei quickly intervened. "Don’t get drunk again. You can’t keep meeting Xiao Wang while tipsy!"
"It’s fine. I’m only having this one bottle today." Du Yu knew her limits. No matter how she felt, today was about Zhou Zhuofei.
Noticing Zhou Zhuofei sipping slowly, she added, "You’re the one who should be careful. You’re such a lightweight."
"I know..." Zhou Zhuofei replied lazily but kept drinking anyway.
When Du Yu gave her a questioning look, she just grinned and handed her a few skewers.
"Eat up, eat up."
After leaving the barbecue place, Du Yu asked, "Where’s he waiting?"
She’d seen Zhou Zhuofei checking her phone multiple times during dinner. No explanation was needed—newly in love couples were always like this.
Zhou Zhuofei checked her messages. "He said he parked at the nearby outdoor lot..."
She looked up and immediately spotted Xiao Wang standing under a streetlamp across the road. Pointing, she said, "There he is."
The lamplight cascaded like a waterfall over his shoulders, accentuating his tall, striking figure.
Du Yu couldn’t help but whistle, nudging Zhou Zhuofei with her elbow. "Damn, he’s hot."
"Yeah, not bad." Zhou Zhuofei agreed, but her gaze never left Xiao Wang.
Like a main character stepping into the spotlight, his entrance always commanded her attention.
As they approached, Xiao Wang instantly noticed Zhou Zhuofei’s state. "You’ve been drinking?"
She hummed in confirmation, holding up her thumb and forefinger with a tipsy grin. "Just a little."
"I can vouch for that," Du Yu chimed in. "Just one small beer. A tiny glass."
Xiao Wang finally greeted Du Yu, who grinned ear-to-ear before promptly shutting up, signaling she wouldn’t intrude.
With a soft smile, Xiao Wang gently brushed Zhou Zhuofei’s cheek. "Feeling dizzy?"
"It’s just beer—not that strong." Though Zhou Zhuofei was used to their closeness, doing this in front of her best friend still felt awkward.
Her eyes flicked toward Du Yu, who had already tactfully turned away, pretending to admire the scenery.
"Let’s get you both home."
"Okay~"
Zhou Zhuofei motioned for Du Yu to get in the back seat. As she moved to open the passenger door, Xiao Wang said, "Sit in the back. You two can chat."
"Sure."
She’d grown so accustomed to the front seat lately that she’d nearly forgotten the back was an option.
After Du Yu’s relentless questioning all day, Zhou Zhuofei expected her to grill Xiao Wang too.
But to her surprise, Du Yu kept the conversation light, only discussing casual topics.
It wasn’t until they reached her apartment complex that Du Yu finally offered her blessing before stepping out:
"Don’t have much to say except—hope you two last."
"Thanks."
At this point, Zhou Zhuofei had already moved to the passenger seat. Seeing the two of them smile in unison, Du Yu felt a wave of emotion, her countless thoughts ultimately condensed into a light tap on the car window.
"Go on, enjoy your romance."
With that, she walked away without a second glance.
But after a few steps, she couldn’t help turning back for one last look.
The car hadn’t left yet, and through the still-open window, she could clearly see the two leaning close, whispering to each other.
How wonderful—whether it was seeing Zhou Zhuofei in love or witnessing how smoothly things were going between her and Xiao Wang.
Earlier in the car, though Du Yu hadn’t actively engaged Xiao Wang in conversation, she had been observing their interactions. Xiao Wang wasn’t much of a talker, but every word he spoke revolved around Zhou Zhuofei. Their exchanges felt effortless, with Zhou Zhuofei glancing at Xiao Wang every few sentences and breaking into spontaneous smiles.
Happiness really was contagious. Seeing Zhou Zhuofei so content, Du Yu felt a renewed confidence to face tomorrow.
As long as you keep living, you’ll witness more happiness, won’t you?
"Is the AC not cold enough?" Xiao Wang noticed Zhou Zhuofei’s face had been flushed since they met and couldn’t tell if it was from the drinks or the heat.
Zhou Zhuofei replied, "It’s fine. I’m just a little warm after eating. The temperature now feels just right."
"Then why is your face still so red?"
"Maybe it’s just..." She cupped her cheeks with both hands and rubbed them lightly. "The alcohol kicking in?"
"Didn’t notice it the last couple of times."
"Probably because my foundation had better coverage, so it wasn’t as obvious."
Since she was only meeting Du Yu for a casual meal today, she hadn’t bothered with much makeup. Five days a week of full-face makeup for work was already hard enough on her skin—it deserved a chance to breathe.
"Oh, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy." Noticing Xiao Wang’s concerned gaze, Zhou Zhuofei felt a playful impulse. Mumbling the words, she leaned toward him.
She wasn’t even sure where she’d end up resting—all she had to do was let herself fall, while Xiao Wang would have to figure out the rest.
So she deliberately slowed her movement, giving him ample time to react.
As she tilted gradually, she eventually landed against what felt like his arm?
Straining to look sideways, she noticed his posture seemed awkward—likely because he’d quickly shifted his shoulder toward her the moment she leaned in.
The position looked uncomfortable, and she immediately tried to sit back up, but Xiao Wang pressed a hand to her shoulder, stopping her.
She couldn’t see his expression, only heard his gentle voice: "Didn’t you say you were dizzy?"
"It’s fine. I can just recline the seat if I need to lie down."
"Then stay like this, leaning on me."
Xiao Wang’s voice grew closer, his breath brushing against her hair, sending a faint shiver through her.
"But won’t you be uncomfortable?"
"It’s alright. More importantly, it makes me happy."
"Who taught you to say things like that?" Zhou Zhuofei muttered. Could someone who’d never been in love really speak this way?
"Does liking someone require teaching?"
"Alright, you’ve got a point."
