"Why aren't you answering?"
Zhou Zhuofei climbed onto the bed, straddling Xiao Wang face-to-face, cupping his cheeks with both hands to deny him any chance of escape.
"Say something."
Trapped, Xiao Wang could only lower his gaze, evading Zhou Zhuofei’s scorching stare.
Unrelenting, she tilted her head, finding another angle to meet his eyes, while pecking at his lips lightly, one kiss after another, like a chick nibbling grains.
"Come on, tell me~"
"Just admit it—was I right?"
The more he resisted, the more convinced Zhou Zhuofei became, fueling her desire to hear the confession from his own lips.
Xiao Wang had nowhere to hide. His once steady breaths grew increasingly ragged under her relentless kisses.
He’d meant to push her away, but the moment his hands settled on her soft waist, he couldn’t bring himself to let go. Instead, she turned the tables, pinning him between herself and the headboard, leaving him no way out.
This was harder than confessing his past.
The past, though it still left a faint sting, was something he’d mostly come to terms with—enough to recount calmly to Zhou Zhuofei.
But these little insecurities? They belonged to the present. Proof that he wasn’t as perfect as Zhou Zhuofei claimed—not truly gentle, patient, or magnanimous.
If he lost those qualities, would she still love him?
Yet now, retreating wasn’t an option. All he could do was cling to her, just like that blue tie he’d held onto so tightly.
"Fine, I did it on purpose," Xiao Wang finally admitted, meeting her eyes. "I didn’t want to see you playing games with them. But I couldn’t stop you from doing what you wanted, so I just… tried to keep you here."
"You idiot." Zhou Zhuofei wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Well, you’ve got me now, don’t you?"
Relief washed over Xiao Wang, and he pulled her close, all worries cast aside.
The night might be long, but holding the one he loved was enough.
---
Today marked the first time Xiao Wang had stayed overnight, yet Zhou Zhuofei still slept until noon.
In the morning, she’d hazily felt herself being carried to the sofa, only to be moved back to bed shortly after.
Too drowsy to care about any changes to the sheets, she’d just bundled herself in the comforter, rolled over, and drifted off again.
Somewhere in her half-conscious state, she’d sensed someone adjusting the hem of her dress.
But before she could dwell on it, sleep claimed her once more.
When she finally woke, the room was empty. Stepping out, she found breakfast on the dining table—but no Xiao Wang.
It wasn’t until she retrieved her phone that she saw his message: he’d gone to the office and planned to swing by his place before returning in the afternoon.
Last night had been unplanned, so of course he needed fresh clothes.
Still, all this back-and-forth seemed tedious. Zhou Zhuofei wondered if she should just ask him to leave some outfits here.
But wouldn’t that mean they were practically living together?
They’d barely been dating a month. Wasn’t that too fast?
Then again, if it were her younger, more innocent self, even kissing after a month would’ve felt unimaginable.
As she sat at the table, replying to Xiao Wang between bites, her thoughts spiraled.
Honestly, given how often he was already here, the only difference between now and cohabitation was the lack of overnight stays.
That train of thought led her to another realization: she’d never even been to Xiao Wang’s place.
If they were to live together, shouldn’t it be at his apartment? It was closer to work, the area was nice, and the night views were supposedly stunning…
Wait—where was her mind going?
Zhou Zhuofei smacked her forehead. He hadn’t said a word about any of this, and here she was, spinning entire scenarios. How ridiculous!
Just as she picked up her chopsticks to eat, footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Was Xiao Wang back already?
She stilled, listening closely.
No, the rhythm didn’t match. Xiao Wang’s steps were quicker, sharper.
But the sound definitely stopped on her floor, followed by the jingle of keys.
A new neighbor, perhaps?
Curious, Zhou Zhuofei set down her chopsticks, eager to sneak a peek before they disappeared inside.
Peering through the peephole, she froze.
Standing outside was someone she knew—Xie Ya.
Him again?
Without hesitation, she yanked the door open, startling Xie Ya mid-key search. His tense expression softened slightly upon seeing her.
"Oh. It’s you."
"That’s my line," Zhou Zhuofei shot back, eyeing the keys in his hand. "New tenant?"
"New landlord, actually," he corrected, fiddling with the keyring.
Of course. The rich boy had probably thrown money at some sentimental property to preserve his precious memories.
Why had she even asked?
Her dislike for Xie Ya hadn’t faded. Sure, his tragic backstory was real, but so was his general unpleasantness.
Though, compared to Xie Huai, Xie Ya seemed almost refreshingly blunt.
"So you’re moving in? Your family’s okay with that?"
Xie Ya’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. "They won’t care."
None of them were ever home anyway. Who’d notice where he lived?
"Right. Hey, have you talked to Xie Lan lately?"
"We spoke a couple days ago. She’s doing fine."
Xie Ya had always found Zhou Zhuofei baffling—yet not in an off-putting way. After hearing Xie Lan recount their history, his confusion had only deepened.
From their first meeting, she’d tried exposing him. She’d refused his transactional offers, yet chose to help when she could’ve easily kicked him while he was down.
Odd as she was, she’d been consistently straightforward, honoring every promise she made.
Xie Ya knew he had no right to judge, given his own prickly nature.
As Zhou Zhuofei started to close the door, Xie Ya suddenly spoke again.
"Thanks. For before."
For a second, she wondered if she’d imagined it. Xie Ya, thanking her?
"Were you talking to me?"
A quiet "Mn."
"Wow. Historic moment." She paused, grinning. "Say it again? I wanna record it."
That’d make two Xie family voice clips in her collection.
True to his upbringing, Xie Ya’s guard shot up instantly. "What for?"
Zhou Zhuofei burst into giggles, "Alright, alright, let’s not record it. I didn’t bring my phone anyway—too much hassle. And don’t look at me like that. If I really wanted to do something, why would I target you?"
Xie Ya thought it over and agreed, but caution had long been ingrained in him, impossible to unlearn.
"By the way, have you heard about General Manager Ling’s wedding?"
"I have." Though he stayed out of family affairs, even he had caught wind of such big news from the butler.
"Will you attend?"
Xie Ya didn’t hesitate. "I never go to those kinds of events."
Zhou Zhuofei wasn’t privy to the secrets behind high-society families, but Xie Ya had heard plenty. Most marriages were just for show, a performance for outsiders.
So there was no point in attending. Since his older brother hadn’t invited him, he was happy to stay out of it.
"...I see."
The plot was almost too cliché. Zhou Zhuofei was only in a good mood lately and had taken pity on Xie Ya, lost in his memories here, which was why she’d brought it up.
But even if Xie Ya didn’t realize it now, he would eventually. Just thinking about how the story would unfold made her sigh.
Reading about such drama in novels was entertaining, but in real life? It was pure melodrama.
Meanwhile, Xie Ya took a key from his keychain and handed it to her.
"Give this to Sister Huan for me."
"Why don’t you give it to her yourself? You could easily contact her."
This was what Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t understand the most.
Xie Ya had countless chances to come clean to Cen Huan or reach out to her. Yet he chose the most roundabout way—doing all these things for her without her knowledge.
It sounded touching at first glance, but it felt like his efforts were misplaced.
"No need to seek her out. If you happen to run into her when she comes back, just give her the key."
Zhou Zhuofei said bluntly, "You might as well toss it into the flowerbed downstairs and text her where to find it if she wants to return. If you give the key to me, there’s an 80% chance it’ll never reach her."
There was no way she’d interfere with her boss and the boss’s wife’s love story.
She wasn’t the carefree Zhou Zhuofei of the past anymore. Her sympathy for Xie Ya couldn’t outweigh her concern for Xiao Wang—she had to prioritize him.
So it was best to stay far away from anything involving Ling Yu.
Besides, Xie Ya’s actions proved one thing: even with the plot’s help, failing to seize opportunities wouldn’t lead to a happy ending.
"Let’s leave it at that. I’m heading home for dinner." She spread her hands, signaling her refusal to get involved, then bid Xie Ya goodbye and left.
As she ate lukewarm steamed dumplings, her mind wandered to the drama that might unfold in the future...
Just thinking about it was terrifying. Thank goodness she wasn’t the heroine.
But Cen Huan hadn’t chosen to be one either—none of what she’d gone through was by her own will.
Then again, if she were the heroine, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out this way. At the very least, she wouldn’t have let Xie Ya sleep on the sofa.
Halfway through her meal, she was about to put down her chopsticks when Director, the cat, suddenly appeared from nowhere. With elegant steps, it sauntered to the entryway, leaped onto the shoe cabinet, and perched there expectantly.
Zhou Zhuofei knew this routine well—Director greeted her the same way when she came home.
Was Xiao Wang back?
"Your ears are that sharp?" she muttered, just as familiar footsteps sounded outside.
The pace was steady, neither slow nor hurried, each step crisp and decisive.
"It really is him!"
Zhou Zhuofei hurried to the door just as it opened.
Xiao Wang stepped inside to find the black cat on the shoe cabinet—and a bright, beaming face.
"Welcome home~"
