Winter had come earlier than usual to North City this year.
Ning Zhen rarely had to go out for work in the latter half of the year. But today, caught in the nasty weather, she had been busy until after nine at night. The moment she got home, she noticed she wasn’t feeling quite right—the first signs of a cold. Not daring to take it lightly, she cradled her thermos and gulped down hot water, while still remembering to remind her coworkers in the group chat to keep warm.
They had worked together long enough for several of them to see through her little scheme at once. One after another, they chimed in and tagged their boss: [Zhenzhen, drink more hot water. A few more cups tonight and you’ll be cured in no time.]
After everyone’s persistent efforts, Fang Li finally appeared: [Saw it.]
Then she messaged Ning Zhen privately: [If you wake up feeling unwell tomorrow morning, work from home.]
Ning Zhen sprang up from the couch in delight, showing not the slightest sign of someone about to fall ill. Putting on a weak voice, she replied: [Mm-hmm. If I’m able to make it to the office, I definitely will.]
In truth, she had already made up her mind: even if she felt fine tomorrow, she would have to somehow not feel fine!
Meng Xianwen had only just come home and stepped through the door when he saw this scene.
Curled up on the couch, drinking water, she had no idea what she was giggling about. She looked happier than when he gave her checks or transferred money to her account.
“What mischief have you gotten up to this time?”
He took off his overcoat and casually tossed it onto the armchair beside them. Coming over to sit next to her, he happened to be thirsty and reached for her thermos—only for her to dodge him nimbly.
Ning Zhen was in a good mood today and didn’t feel like bickering with him, but she wasn’t about to tell him the truth, either.
She admitted that being in a relationship with Meng Xianwen was joyful—blissful, even.
In daily life, there were countless little things she never had to worry about. He took care of all of them.
But every now and then, she found it a little annoying, because he had his own way of being good to her—one that carried a faintly disciplinary edge.
She could already predict that if she told him she felt a little unwell and might be coming down with a cold tomorrow, he would never simply tell her to drink more hot water. He would either take her to the hospital or summon the family doctor.
They were all small matters.
Tomorrow morning, he still had to leave early to inspect one of the branch offices.
“If you want water, use your own cup!” She turned her face away. “I put an effervescent tablet in mine. Don’t drink it and then accuse me of tricking you again.”
Sure enough, the moment she said that, Meng Xianwen lost all interest in the water in her thermos.
As usual, they sat on the couch and chatted for a while, then showered separately before meeting again in bed.
Their desires were well matched. Perhaps because everything was still new to them, they were both especially enthusiastic at the moment. Except on certain days of the month, it happened almost every day.
Meng Xianwen assumed tonight would be no exception. The moment he lifted the covers and lay down, he pulled her into his arms. His high, straight nose brushed against the delicate skin of her neck, and amid the heat of his breath, soft, lingering kisses fell there one after another.
Ning Zhen laughed and complained that it tickled, scrunching her neck as she tried to dodge him.
She dodged; he pursued.
The sheets and blankets gradually became a mess.
She pressed a hand to his chest, forcing some distance between them, and panted out a hurried refusal. “No. I’ve been running around outside all day—do you have any idea how exhausting that was? I’m so tired!”
Meng Xianwen watched her for a few seconds, kissed her forehead, then withdrew the arm braced beside her and lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling as he quietly steadied his breathing.
The master bedroom was silent for a moment. Then, no one knew who started it, but they both began to laugh—one short and restrained, the other light and bright.
Outside, the winter wind howled. Inside, the air was dry and warm.
…
The next morning.
Before Ning Zhen had even opened her eyes, she could feel the dryness and raw ache in her throat.
There it was. Just as she’d expected.
No one knew her body better than she did. Even her sense of smell had dulled considerably. It wasn’t until cool lips pressed against her cheek that she caught the faint, crisp scent of aftershave.
She didn’t want him to notice anything.
That bastard’s eyes were practically measuring tools. She yanked the covers over herself, putting on an impatient show.
Meng Xianwen patted her through the blanket. “My dinner engagement will run late tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”
Ning Zhen gave a couple of noncommittal hums.
Hidden beneath the covers, she listened for movement. The moment she heard the door close, she popped out, reached for her phone beside the pillow, and sent Fang Li a voice message. Her voice was slightly hoarse. “Boss, I’m working from home today.”
A few minutes later, Fang Li replied: [Okay. Get some rest.]
Ning Zhen snickered, only to be caught off guard by a sneeze. She hurriedly got up, pulled out a tissue and blew her nose, then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it remotely. The paper ball landed neatly in the trash can.
For the rest of the day, every corner of the apartment became her workspace.
With her laptop in her arms, she spent some time sitting properly in the study, then sprawled out on the sofa, then stood on the balcony to stretch. She drank cup after cup of hot water. By the time she got off work at six, it was already mostly dark outside.
Caught between ordering takeout and cooking for herself, she chose to head out for something to eat—and get some fresh air while she was at it.
By the time she finished wandering around outside and returned, it was already eight in the evening.
She took the elevator upstairs and glanced at her chat with Meng Xianwen. On a whim, she opened the location-sharing feature. When she saw that he was at home at that very moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her and sent him a question mark.
The elevator came to a stop. The doors opened.
Ning Zhen was thrilled.
She hurried out, unlocked the door with her fingerprint, and before she could even call out, “Honey,” his suddenly stern gaze pinned her in the entryway.
Meng Xianwen stood beside the dining table, holding an opened box of cold medicine. His brows were drawn tight as he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”
He had only been home for ten minutes.
He’d originally had a dinner engagement that night, but an emergency had come up in the other company’s executive’s family, forcing it to be postponed. He had turned down other invitations as well and hurried home. Finding the apartment completely dark hadn’t surprised him; judging by her location, she was most likely out eating, drinking, and having fun with friends.
If he hadn’t seen the cold medicine on the dining table and the pile of used tissues in the trash, he would have planned to wait until she’d had her fill of fun before driving over to pick her up.
Last night, she’d proudly told him that she’d been out all day, busy until late, and that her editor-in-chief had specially approved her working from home today.
At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.
But looking back now, she had been acting a little strange.
Ning Zhen stood there for a moment. Still wearing her outdoor shoes, she threw herself at him with a grin. “I just saw your location at home in the elevator—I thought I was seeing things. Hey, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?” he asked, still looking at her sternly.
“Come on, it’s just a cold. It’s not a big deal!” She pursed her lips and let go of his waist, her expression darkening as well.
“If it’s not a big deal, why hide it from me?”
Meng Xianwen’s gaze traveled over her complexion inch by inch. Seeing that she looked fairly energetic, he felt somewhat relieved.
“You were away on a short business trip today, weren’t you? You had a lot of work to deal with,” Ning Zhen said righteously. “I didn’t want to bother you over something so minor. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“You think you were being considerate?”
His grip on the medicine box tightened.
He was both helpless over the fact that she had hidden her illness from him and irritated that she was taking medicine carelessly.
He didn’t understand why something so simple had to become so complicated. If she was feeling unwell, she could tell him. Whether or not he would put down his work was another matter, but at least he would know. He could have the family doctor come over, or find someone to take her to the hospital.
“Are you done nagging?”
Ning Zhen’s head was buzzing. The joy of seeing him had vanished in an instant. “I know my own body. I can take responsibility for myself. Do you think I never got sick before I was with you? If I told you, you’d start micromanaging everything. Don’t say you wouldn’t—you would!”
Meng Xianwen looked straight at her.
“You didn’t tell me yesterday, and you didn’t tell me today. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out? You’re always telling such transparently flimsy lies.”
Ning Zhen choked on her anger, so furious she wanted to bite him. “Why do you have to interfere in every single thing I do? I wanted to say this before: I got my driver’s license so I could drive. What was the point of getting one if I wasn’t going to drive? Like last time! Aunt Xiao and I went to pick up the car. What was wrong with me wanting to drive it myself? But you got upset. Then I had to coax you. Isn’t that exhausting?”
Before this, she had never been in a relationship.
She hadn’t known that when another person entered every corner of your life, it could feel full and joyful—yet restrictive at the same time.
She had to worry about his feelings.
Had to consider whether he would be happy or unhappy.
Meng Xianwen’s temples throbbed. He already had a headache.
They had been talking about her cold. Why was she dragging the driving issue into it now?
“You have to coax me?” Reason told him not to get sidetracked, but she was glaring at him, talking about how exhausted she was, and he lost his rationality too. Was being with him really so tiring? “Have you ever seriously listened to a single thing I said? I told you not to drive. Did you stop?”
Ning Zhen’s breathing was uneven. “Why should I listen to you? I’m an adult. I don’t always listen to my parents either. No—not my mom, not my dad. Neither of them controls every little thing I do like this!”
She wanted to say more.
If she had been someone obedient, if she had listened to her parents, she never would have gotten together with him in the first place.
But even in the heat of the moment, even while speaking without thinking, she didn’t want to say anything that would truly hurt him.
She really did like him now...
Meng Xianwen didn’t want to argue with her. He casually tossed the medicine box onto the table, but he misjudged the force. The box slid across the surface and fell to the floor.
“What do you mean by that? You even threw my medicine?!”
Ning Zhen shoved him away with all her strength and was about to crouch down to pick up the medicine box when he stopped her by the waist.
She was about to argue loudly, but suddenly sneezed, instantly losing all her momentum. She pushed him away in exasperation and stormed toward the bedroom. As if taking her anger out on someone, she snatched several tissues with lightning speed, wiped her nose, and flopped face-first onto the bed, both irritated and annoyed.
Meng Xianwen stood silently in the dining area.
He wanted to follow her into the bedroom, but he was furious too. The ninety-square-meter apartment, once warm and cozy, now felt cramped and suffocating. He turned around and walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Inside the master bedroom, Ning Zhen heard the noise and fumed.
He’d thrown away her medicine and still had the nerve to leave?
If he left now, he could forget about coming back in!
Meng Xianwen stepped into the hallway and pushed the window open as far as it would go. Cold air streamed inside, trying to blow away his stifling mood. After standing there for a while, however, it barely helped. Irritated, he took out his phone and dialed the family doctor’s number, but hung up before the call even connected.
He raised a hand and rubbed his forehead.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know it wasn’t her, but he still instinctively closed the window.
It was the neighbor.
They had run into each other a few times coming and going. Although they had barely spoken, they weren’t exactly strangers. The man came over to stand beside him, holding a lighter in one hand and offering him a pack of cigarettes with the other.
“Hey, buddy, want one?”
“I don’t smoke.”
Meng Xianwen refused, but when the man moved to light one, he stopped him with an annoyed expression.
“Don’t light that. Someone’s sick at home. She can’t stand the smell.”
The man gave an awkward couple of laughs before turning and heading back inside.
The bang of the door startled the motion-sensor light in the hallway into coming on.
Meng Xianwen gave a self-mocking smile. She was still sick, and here he was, arguing with her.
In the master bedroom.
Ning Zhen’s head felt heavy and foggy. She was still going over their conversation, trying to figure out which comeback she should have delivered better. Before she could reach any conclusion, the click of the door opening came from the entrance. She immediately turned on her phone and pretended to casually scroll through her feed.
The footsteps alternated between slow and hurried.
At last, they stopped beside the bed. He stood there tall and straight, blocking out most of the light. After looking at her for a moment, he sat down, an ear thermometer in his hand.
The thermometer beeped beside Ning Zhen’s ear.
She looked up at him. His tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly when he saw that her temperature was normal.
“Didn’t you leave?” she asked, turning her gaze away, her voice stiff.
Apparently, he didn’t entirely trust the ear thermometer. He leaned down until his forehead touched hers, checking her temperature himself.
“Don’t worry. If I’m leaving, I’ll definitely take you with me. I won’t let you off the hook.”
