"I won't run away," Xiao Wang declared firmly, "Absolutely not."
Yet he knew this promise held no weight—even he didn’t believe in promises. This was just raw sincerity, devoid of any binding guarantee. Call it sweet talk or empty words, it amounted to the same thing.
But what else could he do but repeat his assurances? How else could he make Zhou Zhuofei see his sincerity?
Xiao Wang couldn’t imagine a solution. People don’t instinctively know how to handle situations they’ve never experienced.
He had never truly been part of a complete family, so he had no idea how to navigate one. His understanding of family was pieced together from fragmented experiences and secondhand observations.
It was something everyone had, but not everyone desired.
Xiao Wang was acutely aware of his own emotional baggage. Zhou Zhuofei’s willingness to tolerate it was his good fortune, but that didn’t mean he could rest easy.
This time, Zhou Zhuofei had refused for his sake—but what about next time? Would she have to keep coming up with excuses to placate her parents?
This was his responsibility, not something Zhou Zhuofei should have to shoulder.
"I’m sorry," Xiao Wang murmured, gripping her hand, his eyes downcast with poorly concealed guilt. "I’ve put you in an awkward position."
"I’m not awkward about it. Besides, relationships should be between two people. Why involve others so soon?"
Zhou Zhuofei interlaced her fingers with his and said softly, "Don’t overthink it. My mom just likes to nag. Once she goes on that trip with her friends, she’ll forget all about it."
But Xiao Wang remained mired in guilt. "Give me some time. I’ll handle it."
He wanted to push himself—for his own sake, for Zhou Zhuofei’s, for their relationship. He needed to step up, not retreat.
"How exactly are you going to ‘handle’ it?" Zhou Zhuofei laughed. "Older generations are never satisfied. If you’re single, they push you to date. Once you’re dating, they push marriage. After marriage, it’s kids. You think following their script will make them happy? Not a chance. They’ll always want more."
"Is that how it is?"
"Clearly, you’ve never dealt with this before." Zhou Zhuofei sighed. "I’m actually lucky—my parents just nag. Du Yu’s parents once pressured her to go home for blind dates."
"What happened?"
"She obviously refused," Zhou Zhuofei said, her tone bright with pride. "This is Du Yu we’re talking about! She had a huge fight with her parents, and they never brought it up again. Though they still worry about her job—they think it’s unstable and want her to switch. Honestly, I get both sides. People just see things differently."
"True, her career prospects aren’t the best."
"I agree, but I respect her choices. We’re all going to die someday—does that mean we shouldn’t value the process of living? If anything, we should focus on enjoying life while we can. Don’t overthink it. Right now, I’m happy, you’re happy—that’s all that matters."
"So…" Zhou Zhuofei lowered her voice, deliberately exhaling toward Xiao Wang, "Are we really spending our time discussing this?"
Feeling her breath, Xiao Wang instinctively leaned closer. "Feibao…"
"Hmm?"
"Just wanted to say your name."
Calling her by that private nickname forged an irreplaceable bond between them.
"Just my name?"
Of course that wasn’t enough. He wanted this moment to last forever.
But stopping here would mean missing out on the future.
He’d imagined so many things to do with Zhou Zhuofei—small plans like buying a new car, big ones like traveling together. How could they stop now?
"Of course… not."
Later, Zhou Zhuofei’s only thought was: You get what you pay for. This sofa was definitely worth it. The one in her rented apartment would’ve collapsed by now.
Hours later, Director, now acclimated to the new environment, emerged from the cat tree to survey his domain.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zhuofei was too exhausted to move.
The new setting had been thrilling, but mostly, she’d been weak-willed.
She had zero resistance to Xiao Wang in the throes of passion—every word, every move unbearably sexy.
Even when she was spent and boneless, the moment he called her name in that rough, husky voice, she’d lose all sense and agree to anything.
And he wasn’t exactly innocent either. Zhou Zhuofei suspected he’d been deliberately flaunting his workout results.
Because her skin marked easily, he’d conveniently positioned her on top—giving himself a clearer view.
With every breath, those defined lines seemed to pulse with life, compelling her to explore them with her hands.
A scheme! This was absolutely a scheme!
It wasn’t until the next morning that Zhou Zhuofei realized something.
Hadn’t the guest room been meant for her? She’d even left her luggage there. So why had she ended up in Xiao Wang’s bed?
Not that she minded sharing a bed—she slept soundly and drifted off easily. Du Yu used to stay over on weekends, and they’d always shared a bed.
"Awake?"
Hearing movement, Xiao Wang stepped into the room. "Hungry? Want something to eat?"
"Why am I sleeping here?" The memory of last night reignited Zhou Zhuofei’s frustration—at her own lack of restraint and his obvious seduction.
No way was she letting this slide.
"Weren’t we supposed to sleep separately?"
"You said you liked the floor-to-ceiling windows here. So I gave you this room and took the other one."
That threw her. "Did… I say that?"
"You did. When I carried you in, you said the stars looked beautiful and wanted this room."
His certainty made her doubt herself. It did sound like something she’d say.
"Forgot already?" Xiao Wang sat on the bed, affectionately patting her cheek. "What about the rest? Did you forget that too?"
"What else did I say?"
"You called me ‘husband.’" His lips twitched with suppressed amusement. "Don’t remember?"
"Huh?" Two seconds of confusion later, the memory resurfaced. Zhou Zhuofei shrieked, "Ahhh!!!"
What—what had she said?!
She immediately yanked the covers over her head, adopting the "if I can’t see it, it didn’t happen" strategy.
Sure, she’d jokingly called game characters "husband" or "wife" as terms of endearment. But how had it slipped out like that?
This just goes to show that when people are head over heels, they’re truly capable of anything.
Zhou Zhuofei thought with a pained expression, summing it up in four words—men are trouble!
From outside the blanket came Xiao Wang’s voice, stifling a laugh. "Still not hungry?"
Faced with the choice between humiliation and hunger, Zhou Zhuofei resolutely chose the latter.
"Leave me alone. Let me starve!"
"Don’t bury yourself like that—it’s bad for you." Xiao Wang forcibly pulled her out from under the covers. "If you want to be alone later, fine, but skipping meals isn’t good for your stomach."
Zhou Zhuofei tried to wrestle the blanket back from him. "No! I refuse!"
"Be good. Don’t joke about your health."
After several failed attempts, Zhou Zhuofei gave up and withdrew her hands, landing them on the pillow instead.
At least she still had the pillow.
She rolled over and buried her face in it. "I hate you! Why did you have to bring all that up again?"
Didn’t Du Yu say that what happens in bed and out of bed are two different things?
So what if she’d let her guard down just a little? Xiao Wang had no right to tease her—he was the one showing off his body to tempt her in the first place!
Xiao Wang sighed softly. "Because I like it."
Yesterday, Zhou Zhuofei had been too exhausted to talk, but today he needed to make sure she understood how he felt.
He’d expected to resist this kind of thing, but when Zhou Zhuofei actually said it out loud, he realized he didn’t care about anything else—only the overwhelming satisfaction and joy flooding his heart.
So he coaxed her, wanting to hear it again. Each word added to his happiness, rippling outward like waves until they merged into an ocean, solidifying his feelings even further.
"Why be embarrassed? I really do like it."
"R-really?" Zhou Zhuofei hesitated. "I was just saying nonsense, you know. It didn’t mean anything."
"I know. Those aren’t mutually exclusive."
As if to prove his sincerity, Xiao Wang leaned down and began kissing the back of her neck.
Her loose camisole slipped easily off her shoulders, letting his lips and tongue explore more intimate territory.
Zhou Zhuofei wanted to squirm away but had nowhere to go, trembling as she yielded to his touch.
"Say it again, won’t you?"
"Are you an idiot?!" she snapped.
The moment the words left her mouth, he retaliated by nipping at the dip of her waist. Her dress had already ridden up without her noticing, rendering it useless.
"Ow… I hate you! Anyone who bites is a bad dog!"
Xiao Wang soothed the spot with his tongue, tracing slow circles, but it did little to calm her indignation.
He kept going lower, lavishing attention until her complaints dissolved into breathy gasps.
Only then did he pull back, wiping his glistening lips with a smirk. "If you don’t get up now, I’ll keep going."
"No! I want food." Zhou Zhuofei refused to give him the satisfaction. She tried to sit up, but her body was still trembling from the aftermath, leaving her weak. In the end, Xiao Wang had to help her.
Covering her face, she refused to look at him. "What kind of decent person starts the morning like this…?"
But the matter was too private—she couldn’t even bring herself to discuss it with Du Yu.
All she knew was that being with Xiao Wang made her happy, and being intimate with him made her even happier. Whether doing it too often was good or bad, she had no idea.
Desperately in need of a relationship guidebook—help!
Meanwhile, Xiao Wang calmly adjusted her camisole and kissed her cheek. "Relax. I never claimed to be a decent person."
