On the way back, Zhou Zhuofei received a message from Xie Lan.
[Zhou Zhou jiejie, I’m leaving tomorrow.]
Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help but let out a soft “ah” when she read the message. Just a couple of days ago, Xie Lan had been complaining to her about how difficult her oral English class was—how could she be leaving so suddenly?
Xiao Wang, hearing the noise, asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’ll tell you in a bit.” Zhou Zhuofei turned her attention back to her conversation with Xie Lan.
[I thought you weren’t leaving until next month? Why tomorrow? Did your university start early?]
[Not exactly. My family just wants me to go earlier to get used to the environment there.]
The explanation made sense, but Zhou Zhuofei still found it abrupt.
[What time is your flight tomorrow? Should I come to see you off?]
As soon as she sent the message, she realized something—Xie Huai would definitely be there too. But since Xie Lan wouldn’t be back for who knows how long, seeing her off was more important.
As for awkwardness, if she didn’t feel awkward, then the awkwardness would be someone else’s problem.
After confirming the time, Zhou Zhuofei agreed to see Xie Lan off the next day.
She put down her phone and recounted the situation to Xiao Wang.
His first reaction was also to ask about the time. After hearing the answer, he thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll take you there tomorrow.”
“You’re free tomorrow?”
“Yeah, nothing urgent. I can handle work from home.”
“You’re the best.” Zhou Zhuofei gave him a thumbs-up. “Meanwhile, I can’t even think about work on weekends.”
Though Xiao Wang often claimed he worked all the time because he had nothing better to do, the truth was he was the kind of person who could pour his entire being into work without ever feeling exhausted.
It was almost unbelievable—she and Xiao Wang had completely opposite attitudes toward work, yet they still made it work.
When the car stopped at the entrance of their neighborhood, Zhou Zhuofei suddenly asked, “Do you think I lack ambition?”
Xiao Wang countered, “Do you think I only know how to work and don’t know how to live?”
“Not at all. I don’t care about things like that.”
She had imagined romantic gestures and longed for them, but she never forced them.
Just managing work every day and keeping her emotions in check to face another person was already impressive enough. So Zhou Zhuofei didn’t believe in demanding elaborate efforts from others.
No wonder romance novels always featured CEOs—they had abundant resources and free time.
Ordinary office workers had to finish their work tasks before even thinking about arguing.
Xiao Wang responded in the same lighthearted tone, “Same here. Even if you lack ambition, so what? You don’t judge me for having no sense of fun.”
“Fair point.” Zhou Zhuofei nodded, completely missing the probing look in Xiao Wang’s eyes.
“So then…”
“Hmm?”
Xiao Wang watched her reaction closely, his voice gentle but slightly tense. “You do think I have no sense of fun?”
Zhou Zhuofei quickly backtracked. “Don’t twist my words. I was agreeing with the first half. If you have no sense of fun, then what does that make me? A walking corpse?”
Xiao Wang immediately laughed at her exaggerated tone, suddenly overcome with the urge to hug her.
Truthfully, he’d wanted to do so since the moment they met. But with Du Yu around and Zhou Zhuofei clearly feeling shy, he had restrained himself.
Now, sitting in the car, movement was inconvenient—making his desire for a different car stronger than ever.
“I’ll walk you in.”
Zhou Zhuofei blinked in confusion. “You never walk me in. What’s different today?”
Xiao Wang answered vaguely, “We barely got to talk today.”
“Oh~ So you just wanted more time with me. You could’ve just said so.”
How could she forget? Dogs needed companionship the most.
She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, waving at Xiao Wang before stepping out. “Come on.”
Xiao Wang turned off the engine, got out, and circled around to her. “Let’s go.”
He naturally took her hand as they strolled slowly into the neighborhood.
“Should I come pick you up early tomorrow?”
“Hmm… depends. Do you have plans?”
“I need to stop by home first. My brother’s back for break.”
“Oh? Then you still want to take me tomorrow?”
“It’s fine. I’ll just say hello. They’ll probably have other plans in the afternoon.”
Xiao Wang’s tone was casual, but Zhou Zhuofei detected a faint trace of loneliness in it.
She had always wanted to ask about Xiao Wang’s family situation but never dared.
She hoped he would open up on his own, but waiting was agonizing—especially when you cared about someone.
“Then you should definitely come get me.” Zhou Zhuofei tightened her grip on his hand, trying to pull his attention back. “We barely saw each other this weekend.”
“Weren’t you busy with your friend?”
“That’s over now.” She interlaced their fingers. “Don’t be so passive. You’ve got to speak up if you want something. How else would I know?”
Would speaking up really get him what he wanted?
Xiao Wang’s thoughts drifted for just a second before Zhou Zhuofei’s warm body pressed against him, slipping effortlessly into his arms.
Instinctively, he tightened his hold, embracing this rare happiness as if it might slip away.
In his life, there were few examples of success gained simply by asking. So he had learned early on to rely on effort to achieve his goals.
Whether it was studying or working, progress came through accumulation—put in the work, and results would follow.
But asking was different. Asking meant the possibility of rejection, failure, being the one left behind.
He suddenly remembered a few days ago, when he had gone home at his mom’s request.
At first, their conversation revolved around his daily life. Then, without warning, his mom shifted the topic to his younger brother, who was about to start his senior year of college.
Xiao Wang sensed there was more to her words. After a few questions, he quickly understood her intention.
She had recently discussed career prospects with relatives and grown worried about his brother’s future. She had called Xiao Wang over to ask for his advice.
“I’ll talk to Chenchen when he’s back.”
“That’s perfect. With an older brother like you, I don’t have to worry.”
His mom went on at length, even asking how difficult it would be to get his brother an internship at Huanyu. It wasn’t until Xiao Wang answered all her questions that he finally left.
Logically, he should have been used to it by now. But hearing Zhou Zhuofei’s words, he felt an overwhelming urge to confide in her.
Before he could even think, the words spilled out.
“A few days ago…”
The moment Xiao Wang started speaking seriously, Zhou Zhuofei immediately focused, ready to listen.
Xiao Wang seemed to have opened the floodgates of conversation, pouring out everything without reservation once he started.
Zhou Zhuofei listened, growing increasingly uneasy—why did it feel like Xiao Wang’s Mom was a bit biased?
She used "a bit" out of respect for elders; otherwise, her wording might have been much harsher.
As an only child, she struggled to understand the dynamics of multi-child families, let alone a blended one like Xiao Wang’s. It wasn’t hard to imagine how awkward his position must have been.
Was it because he was overlooked at home, always expected to take care of his younger brother, that he developed such an observant nature?
Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t bear to dwell on it any longer. She tightened her embrace around Xiao Wang and said in a playful, lilting tone, "Don’t think about those unhappy things. When you’re with me, you should be happy, okay?"
Xiao Wang looked down at Zhou Zhuofei. The soft moonlight bathed her face, like gardenias blooming in the night, their cool, enchanting fragrance drifting on the breeze.
And now, she was right there in his arms.
"Can I kiss you?" he murmured.
The closer he got, the more he wanted. No matter what he did, it never felt like enough. At first, he’d only wanted to hold her, but now he was pushing his luck.
Zhou Zhuofei raised an eyebrow, the moonlight gliding from the arch of her brow to the slight curve of her lips.
She rose onto her toes, pressing her mouth to his and mumbling, "You don’t need to ask for something like this…"
"Silly puppy."
Xiao Wang froze for just a few seconds before seizing control.
He kissed her back with fervor, responding to her words with action.
"Is this okay?" he asked seriously, pulling back to look at Zhou Zhuofei, whose face was flushed from forgetting to breathe.
She was too busy gasping for air to answer.
Xiao Wang felt the knots in his heart begin to loosen, making space to store away every little thing about her—so he could revisit her sweetness anytime, anywhere.
Even by the time Zhou Zhuofei got home, her head was still spinning. Turns out, kissing doesn’t make you dizzy—but forgetting to breathe definitely does.
She smacked her forehead in frustration. When would she ever remember to breathe?!
Her original intention had been to cheer Xiao Wang up, but getting reminded to breathe every time was just embarrassing!
The question nagged at her until she fell asleep.
Her final conclusion? There was no real solution except practice. Repetition makes perfect.
The next day, Zhou Zhuofei went to the airport to see Xie Lan off.
Xiao Wang dropped her at the entrance and waited outside while she met up with Xie Lan as instructed.
Along the way, she’d prepared countless reactions in case she ran into Xie Huai. But to her surprise, Xie Huai wasn’t at the airport—neither was Xie Lan’s father.
The only person by Xie Lan’s side was a young man who looked slightly older, with jet-black hair, lips red as rouge, and teeth white as porcelain. His outfit screamed wealthy heir.
But the most striking thing was the inexplicable sense of familiarity Zhou Zhuofei felt around him.
While chatting with Xie Lan, she discreetly studied the man, racking her brain for where she might have seen him before.
His demeanor was equally puzzling. He listened to their conversation in silence, offering Zhou Zhuofei a faint, knowing smirk.
Just as she gave up and was about to ask, he suddenly spoke: "Don’t recognize me?"
The moment Zhou Zhuofei heard his voice, she nearly gasped aloud in her mind:
The red-haired kid went dark!
