The exhaustion from the long journey was now rewarded in the best way possible.
A smile had already crept onto her face without her realizing it.
Xiao Wang stepped into the entryway, closed the door behind him, and absentmindedly stroked the black cat perched on the shoe rack.
Winning over this little creature hadn’t been easy—he’d put in considerable effort.
Now, the cat was happily rubbing against his palm.
Zhou Zhuofei pouted at the sight. Sure, the cat was adorable, but wasn’t she just as cute?
She protested immediately, "Why are you ignoring me?"
Xiao Wang chuckled and withdrew his hand, then pulled out a bouquet of flowers he’d been hiding behind his back, presenting it to her.
"Don’t be mad. I’m back."
Zhou Zhuofei was genuinely taken aback. "What made you think of buying flowers all of a sudden?"
"I passed by a florist earlier. The staff was arranging blooms outside, and the display looked so beautiful I asked her to put together a bouquet for me. Don’t worry—I made sure these flowers are safe for cats."
Xiao Wang hadn’t known whether Zhou Zhuofei liked flowers, but he figured there was no harm in trying.
Judging by her reaction, it had been a success. She clutched the bouquet and dashed into the living room, spinning around in delight by the time he’d changed his shoes and followed her in.
Zhou Zhuofei looked like a squirrel who’d stumbled upon a nut and didn’t know where to hide it—glancing here and there, utterly absorbed.
"What are you looking for?"
"I’m trying to decide where to put these." She frowned, surveying the room. "The coffee table is out—the cat will knock them over. The TV stand isn’t ideal either; the angle’s bad, and they won’t be visible enough."
She gestured, unsatisfied with every spot.
"What about the bedroom?"
"If I put them there, I won’t see them often."
Xiao Wang laughed. "Why make it so complicated? I’ll just buy more and put a bouquet in every room."
"That’s unnecessary."
This was the first time he’d given her flowers, so of course she was excited. But whether the novelty would last was another matter.
She finally placed the bouquet in the bedroom and returned to find Xiao Wang emerging from the bathroom, his face still damp, water droplets trailing down the bridge of his nose.
"Was it hot outside? Do you want ice cream?" she asked.
"Sure."
Zhou Zhuofei rummaged through the freezer. She always stocked up on cold treats in summer, and with Xiao Wang bringing over groceries lately, the fridge was packed to the brim.
"What flavor do you want? Fruity or chocolate-coated? Did you like the one from last time?"
"That one was good."
"Then this it is." She picked one for herself too, and they settled on the couch, enjoying the cool air and their ice cream.
Zhou Zhuofei soon grew lazy, slumping against the armrest and draping her legs over Xiao Wang’s lap.
If she’d done this at home, her mother would’ve scolded her for poor posture. But Xiao Wang simply adjusted to make her more comfortable, even smoothing out her clothes for her.
"You really pay attention to these little things, huh?" she remarked.
Xiao Wang finished tidying her sleeve before replying, "Do you think that’s good or bad?"
"I don’t mind."
She hated unsolicited advice from others, but she didn’t mind when Xiao Wang encouraged her to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Others just talked, but Xiao Wang acted—buying the fruit himself or turning vegetables into delicious dishes.
Zhou Zhuofei never felt forced because she always had choices.
"And you’re kind of cute when you’re like this…"
Xiao Wang turned to look at her, finding her muttering to herself utterly endearing.
"Is your ice cream good?"
Without hesitation, she offered him a bite. "It’s nice. Try it."
He leaned in and took a bite from where she’d already eaten.
Before the sweetness even melted on his tongue, she asked eagerly, "Well? Good?"
"Very sweet." His gaze drifted to the corner of her lips, where a bit of ice cream lingered.
That part must be even sweeter.
His thoughts wandered, the heat he’d subdued last night threatening to reignite.
He hadn’t dared to go too far then, afraid of overwhelming her—or himself. So when she said she was tired, he’d stopped.
Now, he noticed how effortlessly she let her guard down around him—and how easily she stirred his desires.
Whether this was a good thing or not, he wasn’t sure.
"Oh, I met our new neighbor. Guess who?"
Xiao Wang focused, considering her question. If she was asking, it must be someone they both knew—someone who’d choose to live here…
"Someone from Huanyu?"
"Nope." Zhou Zhuofei knew he’d spend all day guessing if she let him, so she revealed the answer quickly. "It’s Xie Ya."
"Xie Ya?" That was unexpected. "Is he moving out of the Xie family?"
"No idea."
She’d meant it as casual gossip, but Xiao Wang seemed genuinely concerned, lost in thought.
"What’s on your mind?"
"Nothing, just thinking." Whatever Xie Ya’s reason for moving, it couldn’t be good for Zhou Zhuofei.
She finished her ice cream and noticed Xiao Wang’s treat was melting in his hand, unnoticed.
Instead of reminding him, she quietly leaned over and took a bite of the dripping portion.
Xiao Wang felt the weight shift and looked down, catching her in the act.
Zhou Zhuofei showed no guilt. "Waste not! It was about to melt."
Amused, he handed her the rest.
"So, what were you thinking about?"
"Just wondering if Xie Ya moving here might cause trouble for you."
"Probably not…" she said hesitantly.
Aside from Cen Huan, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t think of any reason Xie Ya would interact with her.
But even that was troublesome. Who knew what might happen next?
The novel hadn’t covered it, but that didn’t mean reality wouldn’t. The story followed the main characters—no one cared about side characters like them.
What if Xie Ya found out about Ling Yu and Cen Huan’s marriage? Would he blame her?
Any sane person would know it wasn’t her fault. A glance at the invitation would’ve revealed the truth.
But who said Xie Ya was sane?
The thought made Zhou Zhuofei uneasy, her appetite for the ice cream fading.
"Guess we really should buy a new place?"
Xiao Wang heard her words and asked, "You want to buy a house?"
"Occasionally, I've thought about it, but I haven’t made up my mind yet."
Once she bought a place in City K, it would feel like she was putting down roots there for the rest of her life—a future Zhou Zhuofei had never seriously considered.
Right now, the furthest she’d planned ahead was an overseas trip during next year’s vacation.
"And moving is such a hassle." Just thinking about packing up all those little things made Zhou Zhuofei’s head spin. "So it’s always just been a passing thought."
Xiao Wang tentatively suggested, "How about staying at my place for a while? I have a spare room."
"Wouldn’t moving in with you be too fast?"
This was something Zhou Zhuofei had already pondered. They were in the honeymoon phase now, where everything felt perfect, but that intensity wouldn’t last forever. Eventually, reality would settle in.
Wouldn’t it be better to make such decisions then?
"If you want to save money and trouble, moving in with me is the easiest option. But if you prefer your own space, we can find you a new place—I’ll help you move."
"You changed your mind so quickly? Why didn’t you insist a little more?"
If Xiao Wang had pushed just a bit harder, she might’ve caved.
"Of course I wanted to insist, but I also don’t want you to resent me."
Xiao Wang knew he had an unusually strong urge to take care of Zhou Zhuofei, which was why he happily devoted so much time and energy to her.
But he also understood clearly—Zhou Zhuofei was an adult. No matter how much he wanted to look after her, he couldn’t override her wishes.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the ice cream in Zhou Zhuofei’s hand had nearly melted into a dripping mess, so he took it from her and tossed it into the trash.
"Don’t get your hands dirty."
Zhou Zhuofei let out a deep sigh. "This is so annoying."
"What’s annoying?"
"I want to be with you, but I’m also scared..."
"Don’t be scared." Before she could finish, Xiao Wang grasped her wrist and said, "No matter what happens, don’t be afraid. Believe that we have the resolve to handle it."
"What if we fight?"
"Arguments happen because of conflicting views. We should focus on solving the problem, figuring out where the disagreement lies—not dwell on the fight itself."
"What if I’m being unreasonable in the heat of the moment?"
"Would you really do that?" Xiao Wang softened his voice. "In all the time I’ve known you, no matter how angry or impulsive you’ve been, you’ve never been unreasonable. But even if you did lose control..."
He held Zhou Zhuofei’s hand firmly and said, "I’d hug you first, because a dog never abandons its owner."
Zhou Zhuofei froze for a few seconds before letting out a loud "Wow!" and throwing herself into Xiao Wang’s arms. "I like you so much, so much."
It seemed she couldn’t think of a single reason to refuse him anymore.
Xiao Wang asked knowingly, "Like what?"
"You, of course. Honestly, instead of worrying about all that, I’d rather spend more time with you—I don’t want to miss a single second."
Xiao Wang affectionately stroked her hair. "If you’re worried, you don’t have to give up your current place right away. You can leave your things here too."
Keeping a psychological safe haven for the transition might help.
From the crook of his arm, Zhou Zhuofei’s muffled voice protested, "But you threw away my ice cream."
Xiao Wang laughed helplessly. "That one was about to melt. Want me to get you another?"
"Any more and I’ll get diarrhea." Zhou Zhuofei tilted her head up, pouting slightly. "Besides, it didn’t taste good."
"I thought it was fine. You can leave the rest to me."
As he spoke, Xiao Wang leaned closer to Zhou Zhuofei and finally got his wish—a taste of the ice cream, sweeter than he’d imagined.
No longer holding back, he sought more from her.
What did it matter whether they were clear-headed or lost in the moment?
