Cheng Mingjiao remained silent until they entered the room.
He understood that she was so happy she didn’t know what to say.
He made no attempt to take credit for anything. It was simply what he should have done.
Whenever he arrived somewhere unfamiliar, he habitually inspected the place first. Only after confirming that everything was satisfactory did he return to Zhang Xiyue.
Zhang Xiyue sat on the sofa, pretending to play with her phone.
As expected, Cheng Mingjiao didn’t disturb her. He merely sat down quietly beside her.
The moment he settled in, Zhang Xiyue spoke. “Mr. Cheng, could you not sit so close to me?”
Cheng Mingjiao turned to look at her. Zhang Xiyue wore an utterly calm expression. “You’re blocking the sunlight.”
She was lying.
Cheng Mingjiao saw through her at once.
Compared to Zhang Xiyue, he was indeed a little bigger, but he wasn’t big enough to block her completely.
She was only asking him to move because she was shy.
To prove his theory, Cheng Mingjiao leaned down to kiss her. Zhang Xiyue fell silent for a second, then lowered her head at just the right moment and narrowly avoided his kiss.
Just as he thought.
Satisfied, Cheng Mingjiao moved to the other sofa.
By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was already past four in the afternoon. Zhang Xiyue had been driving continuously for three hours, and now that everything had finally quieted down, she began to feel drowsy.
One of the rooms they had booked in advance was no longer available, leaving them with only one bed.
Since this outcome wasn’t Zhang Xiyue’s fault, she had no intention of making things difficult for herself. She promptly claimed the only bed.
Cheng Mingjiao, who had been pretending to read while curled up on the sofa, immediately looked up at her.
Zhang Xiyue pretended not to notice. She picked up the remote from the bedside table and closed the electric curtains.
The thick fabric shut out the light. The comfortable temperature and dim surroundings helped her relax, and after stretching lightly, she hugged a pillow and soon fell asleep.
She had no idea how long she slept. All she knew was that, just as she was hazily waking up, she vaguely sensed someone beside her.
Zhang Xiyue slowly opened her eyes. After taking a moment to adjust, she saw the handsome profile of Cheng Mingjiao.
The pillow she had been hugging before falling asleep was now under his head, while one of his arms had somehow ended up in her embrace, held tightly as though she were clinging to it.
Some people would hand over their own room just to keep the male and female leads from sharing one, only to come and steal half of her bed afterward.
Hmph.
What a bastard.
Shameless.
Disgusting!
The more Zhang Xiyue thought about it, the angrier she became. She clenched her fist and punched him.
Cheng Mingjiao let out a muffled groan and rolled over. Without even opening his eyes, he pulled her tightly against him. “Zhang Xiyue…”
His voice was slurred with sleep deprivation, and there was an unusual sensuality to the way he said her name.
Zhang Xiyue pretended to stay asleep. Once she was sure he hadn’t realized she had hit him, she braced both hands against his chest and pushed with all her strength.
He didn’t budge.
The strong, possessive man was like a mountain, pinning her firmly beneath him. Yet when his arms and thighs crossed over her, they were supported by the mattress, forming a stable triangle. She was trapped, but not crushed.
Zhang Xiyue pushed a few more times, only to be rewarded with an even tighter, more suffocating embrace. In the end, she had no choice but to reluctantly fall asleep again.
The two of them slept on and off until a little after seven that evening.
When the curtains slowly opened and they saw that the sky outside was as dark as the room had been, Cheng Mingjiao and Zhang Xiyue fell silent.
After a long moment, Cheng Mingjiao turned on the lights.
Under the bright illumination, he said solemnly to Zhang Xiyue, “Don’t nap this late in the future. You’ll have trouble sleeping at night.”
“Of course, Mr. Cheng.” Zhang Xiyue gave him a fake smile.
Cheng Mingjiao’s gaze fell on the neckline of her loosened shirt. After a brief pause, he looked away. “An occasional nap like this is fine.”
“Of course, Mr. Cheng.” Zhang Xiyue agreed again.
Cheng Mingjiao looked into her eyes once more, and in them he saw a large reflection of himself.
Zhang Xiyue liked him far too much. Whenever he appeared in her eyes, even his reflection seemed larger than anyone else’s.
Cheng Mingjiao said, “Sleep however you want. It doesn’t matter if you mess up your schedule.”
At worst, if she couldn’t sleep at night, he could accompany her on a walk.
He could insist that a ruler never broke his word when he felt like it, and casually change his orders from morning to night when he felt like that instead. Zhang Xiyue was already used to it, so no matter what he said, she agreed without question.
It was like an incompetent parent dealing with a troublesome child. Their first reaction wasn’t to reason with the brat, but to find a way to quiet them down first.
“Let’s go eat,” said the brat.
The incompetent parent nodded. “All right.”
And so the two of them went to the hotel restaurant.
When Zhang Xiyue saw Gu Feng and Qing Tian there, she wasn’t surprised. She merely marveled at how terrifyingly strong the connection between the male supporting character and the male and female leads was.
Well, a doomed connection was still a connection.
“Mr. Cheng! Assistant Zhang! You came to eat too?” Qing Tian greeted them warmly. They had a room to stay in thanks to the two of them.
Gu Feng also inclined his head slightly. Zhang Xiyue returned the greeting politely.
Cheng Mingjiao had no such manners. He merely gave them a cold glance and didn’t bother responding.
“Would you like to join us?” Qing Tian invited them openly.
Zhang Xiyue turned to look at Cheng Mingjiao.
He was still deciding what to eat. It took him two seconds to realize that Zhang Xiyue was looking at him.
“Would you like to join them?” Zhang Xiyue repeated Qing Tian’s question with a smile, as though she hadn’t noticed that he had been distracted.
After today’s incident, when they had given up their room, she had realized that keeping a close watch on things was useless.
Besides, she had already claimed the position of Cheng Mingjiao’s girlfriend. As long as he remained within a controllable range, she might as well let him do as he pleased.
“I’ll leave it up to you,” she added.
Cheng Mingjiao disliked eating with strangers, so he thought for a few seconds before nodding. “Then let’s join them.”
Zhang Xiyue wasn’t surprised in the slightest.
Qing Tian had two more chairs brought over and then handed the menu to Zhang Xiyue.
Zhang Xiyue thanked her and began looking through it. Qing Tian leaned over enthusiastically to introduce her to the local specialties.
The atmosphere between the two women was friendly. Gu Feng and Cheng Mingjiao, meanwhile, found each other rather unbearable.
Still, considering that the other man had given up a room for him, Gu Feng took the initiative to make conversation. “Does Mr. Cheng have any dietary restrictions?”
“Zhang Xiyue knows,” Cheng Mingjiao replied without even raising his eyes.
The corner of Gu Feng’s mouth twitched, but he continued looking for something to say. “Mr. Cheng, when are you planning to return?”
“When Zhang Xiyue wants to go back,” Cheng Mingjiao answered ambiguously.
Gu Feng’s eyelid twitched. “Mr. Cheng really cares about his assistant’s opinions.”
Here it comes.
Cheng Mingjiao straightened slightly and elegantly adjusted his shirt collar. “Because she’s more than just my assistant.”
Gu Feng fell silent.
Cheng Mingjiao turned to look at Zhang Xiyue, who was still studying the menu. As though sensing his gaze, she raised her head. When she noticed him looking at her, she glanced at Qing Tian, who was sitting beside her and introducing the dishes.
She gave him a fake smile.
Having received his girlfriend’s smile, brimming with affection, Cheng Mingjiao withdrew his gaze in satisfaction and began treating Gu Feng with unusual warmth.
“Mr. Gu, you don’t look young either. Are you forty yet?”
Gu Feng laughed in exasperation. “I’m twenty-seven. I should be a year younger than you.”
“Ah… Still not that young. Are you single?” Cheng Mingjiao asked again.
Gu Feng knew perfectly well that he was up to no good, but he still admitted, “I’m single.”
“Being single is great. You’re free.” After saying this, Cheng Mingjiao looked at him sympathetically.
Gu Feng really could not take it anymore and turned his head to cut Qing Tian off. “Say a little less and let Assistant Zhang order for himself.”
“I didn’t even say that much.” Qing Tian sounded dissatisfied, but she still scooted her chair over to him.
Zhang Xiyue closed the menu and called the waiter over.
After watching Zhang Xiyue recite the dishes and hand the menu back to the waiter, Qing Tian asked curiously, “Isn’t Mr. Cheng ordering?”
“I already ordered for him,” Zhang Xiyue replied.
Cheng Mingjiao looked at Gu Feng again.
Gu Feng remained expressionless, refusing to make any eye contact with him.
Cheng Mingjiao’s lips curled up in satisfaction.
He was so happy. He would definitely have dinner with Gu Feng again next time.
Zhang Xiyue gave the waiter a few more instructions, just in case anything inappropriate was added to the dishes and the Emperor decided to go on a hunger strike again.
As soon as the waiter left, Qing Tian gave Zhang Xiyue a thumbs-up. “Assistant Zhang, you’re really thorough.”
“You should learn from her,” Gu Feng said unexpectedly.
Qing Tian was indignant. “Am I not doing a good job as your assistant?”
“You’re nowhere near as good as her,” Gu Feng said bluntly. “You’ve been following me for so long, yet you don’t even know what I like to eat.”
Qing Tian grew uneasy and let her gaze wander. “How could I not know what you like? Didn’t I just order something for you?”
“You only ordered one dessert. Will that fill you up?”
“You…”
The two of them began arguing as though no one else were there, shoving each other back and forth like a pair of elementary school students. They both looked somewhat angry, but neither was actually using any force.
Cheng Mingjiao watched the two of them fool around, his brows gradually knitting together.
They were sitting at a square table, with one seat on each side. Qing Tian had moved her chair all the way to the corner and was sitting extremely close to Gu Feng.
He and Zhang Xiyue, on the other hand, were sitting properly, with a huge distance between them.
Which of them was actually the couple in love?
Cheng Mingjiao felt that Gu Feng and Qing Tian had absolutely no sense of boundaries. He decided that he would never eat with them again.
Zhang Xiyue took a sip of water and glanced at Cheng Mingjiao beside her.
Sure enough, Cheng Mingjiao was staring at the male and female leads, his displeasure practically spilling out of his eyes.
Zhang Xiyue set down her glass, elegantly tucked her long hair behind her ear, and slipped her hand beneath the table.
Then she gave his thigh a hard pinch.
Cheng Mingjiao sucked in a sharp breath and looked at her in astonishment.
Gu Feng and Qing Tian both turned their heads at the same time, staring at Cheng Mingjiao.
“What’s wrong, Mr. Cheng?” Gu Feng asked with feigned concern.
Zhang Xiyue had already let go, but Cheng Mingjiao still gripped her wrist. After making sure she had no intention of attacking him again, he threaded his fingers through hers.
In response to Gu Feng’s question, he merely mumbled, “It’s nothing…”
It certainly didn’t look like nothing.
A flicker of curiosity passed through Gu Feng’s eyes, but he did not press the matter.
The four of them managed to finish their dinner in relative peace.
As soon as dinner was over, Zhang Xiyue paid the bill first. To avoid having Gu Feng and Qing Tian argue over it, she left before they even realized what she had done.
“You did very well.” Cheng Mingjiao did not speak until they had left the restaurant. “I don’t want to eat anything Mr. Gu pays for.”
Zhang Xiyue: “Oh.”
“I’m never eating with them again.”
“Okay.”
“They really have no sense of boundaries.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you pinch me just now?”
Zhang Xiyue pretended not to hear him.
The elevator was just ahead, but the hotel’s scenic area was packed on the weekend. Not only were all the rooms occupied, even the elevators required people to line up.
Zhang Xiyue was about to walk toward the queue when Cheng Mingjiao caught her by the wrist and pulled her behind the greenery at the corner.
“You hurt me when you pinched me.” Cheng Mingjiao’s brows drew together slightly, but there was no reproach in his voice.
With nowhere left to hide, Zhang Xiyue could only apologize. “I’m sorry.”
Cheng Mingjiao had only wanted to know why she had pinched him. He had not expected her to apologize outright, and a trace of awkwardness immediately flashed across his face.
“That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to ask whether you have… that sort of preference.”
Zhang Xiyue’s heart stirred at his words, and she looked at him thoughtfully.
Cheng Mingjiao took a deep breath and said solemnly, “Although I don’t understand it, I’ll do my best to cooperate… on the condition that you don’t suddenly attack me like you did today.”
After saying that, he added, “And don’t go too far. You can’t injure me.”
Three seconds of silence passed before he added another condition. “It would be best if it didn’t hurt too much. I studied jujitsu for three years. If you hit me too hard, I’m afraid I might instinctively fight back. You know how it is—some things are just instinctive. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to control myself…”
He kept adding clauses to his imaginary agreement. It took him only three seconds to go from assuming Zhang Xiyue had a unique preference to accepting it.
There was nothing he could do. Zhang Xiyue liked him far too much.
If she liked him that much, she certainly wouldn’t want to hit anyone else. And if he refused to let her hit him, who else would she be able to hit?
It would be so pitiful if Zhang Xiyue liked hitting people but had no one to hit.
Cheng Mingjiao was a little troubled by the thought, but he decided to compromise anyway.
This was perfect. Zhang Xiyue would probably like him even more now.
Zhang Xiyue herself, however, did not feel any more fond of him because of his concession. Instead, another thought came to mind:
Wonderful. She could finally pretend to be into S&M and beat him half to death.
It was only a thought, though. The moment it surfaced, she suppressed it.
She told Cheng Mingjiao, “I don’t have that kind of preference.”
“Ah…”
“?”
Why did he sound a little disappointed?
Cheng Mingjiao quickly concealed his true feelings and frowned at her. “Then why did you…”
He stopped halfway and waited for her answer.
Zhang Xiyue met his gaze for a moment before telling him directly, “Because I was jealous.”
Cheng Mingjiao froze.
“You’re always looking at Qing Tian,” Zhang Xiyue added.
Now that she had the status of his girlfriend, she had to make use of it when necessary.
This time, Cheng Mingjiao was stunned for quite a while. It was not until Zhang Xiyue was about to leave that he stopped her in disbelief.
“When did I ever look at her?”
“Didn’t you? Then I must have misunderstood.” Zhang Xiyue accepted his words readily.
After all, she was not actually jealous. She had merely been giving him a warning. Now that she had achieved her goal, there was no need to argue further.
“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” She planned to end the subject with an apology.
Cheng Mingjiao’s expression turned serious. “You really shouldn’t.”
He could understand Zhang Xiyue’s anxiety and insecurity, but she could not doubt his loyalty to his partner.
Then again, she was only so suspicious because she cared about him too much.
And so, he decided to forgive her.
The magnanimous Cheng Mingjiao and the forgiven Zhang Xiyue returned to their room together. One went to the floor-to-ceiling windows to look over the project documents, while the other went to the study to reply to emails.
They had slept too much during the day, so neither of them felt tired even after ten o’clock that night. After closing his laptop, Cheng Mingjiao was bored enough to recall that there was a beautiful park nearby. He invited Zhang Xiyue to go for a walk.
It was already late, and Zhang Xiyue did not want to go out. But when she met Cheng Mingjiao’s bright, eager gaze, she still nodded.
The result of that agreement was that they walked for twenty minutes to the entrance of the park, only to discover that it had already been locked for the night.
They had come all this way for nothing.
Cheng Mingjiao looked dejectedly at Zhang Xiyue and turned to her. “Never mind. Let’s go back…”
Just a moment ago, Zhang Xiyue had been right beside him, but now she was nowhere to be seen.
Cheng Mingjiao was startled. “Zhang Xiyue!”
“I’m over here.”
Her voice came from diagonally ahead. Cheng Mingjiao followed it with his eyes.
He found her sitting atop the wall, waving at him with a smile. He hurried over and looked up. “How did you get up there?”
“I climbed.” Zhang Xiyue calmly held out a hand. “Mr. Cheng, I’ll pull you up.”
Cheng Mingjiao: “...What are you trying to do?”
“Go into the park, of course. We’re already here—wouldn’t it be a waste not to take a look?” Zhang Xiyue waved her hand, gesturing for him to take it.
Cheng Mingjiao took hold of her fingers but made no move to climb over. “Zhang Xiyue, what you’re doing is an administrative offense. If you’re caught, you’ll be subject to public security penalties.”
“Then they’ll have to catch me first.” Zhang Xiyue didn’t seem to care.
Cheng Mingjiao was speechless for a long while. It was the first time he had realized that Zhang Xiyue might have the makings of an outlaw.
Zhang Xiyue sat astride the wall and waited for quite some time. When she saw that he was still standing there without moving, she was surprised. “Mr. Cheng, you don’t know how to climb over a wall, do you?”
“How could that be?” Cheng Mingjiao blurted out in front of his girlfriend. “I’m especially good at climbing walls. I’m the best climber among all my friends.”
Zhang Xiyue raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
His competitive spirit was roused. Letting go of her hand, Cheng Mingjiao said, “I don’t need you to pull me up. I’ll climb over myself.”
When Zhang Xiyue heard that, she deliberately shifted to the side to clear some space for him to show off.
With a solemn expression, Cheng Mingjiao sized up the wall. He took several steps back, then suddenly charged forward and sprang up the wall, flipping over it with impressive agility.
He was tall and long-legged, and his form was beautiful. Zhang Xiyue let out a gasp of admiration, but before she could praise him, she saw that he had used too much force and had gone right over the wall, toppling toward the ground on the other side.
She hurried to catch him, but the difference in their builds was too great. Not only did she fail to save him, she went tumbling into the park with him.
Thump.
Cheng Mingjiao hit the ground, and Zhang Xiyue landed on top of him. They both groaned in pain.
Pressed against Cheng Mingjiao’s back, Zhang Xiyue could hear his strong heartbeat beside her ear. After several seconds of silence, she suddenly burst out laughing.
“...I just didn’t control my strength properly.” Pinned beneath her and unable to get up, Cheng Mingjiao still refused to admit defeat. Even lying facedown on the ground, he had to make excuses.
Zhang Xiyue laughed even harder.
Not wanting to be teased by her, Cheng Mingjiao changed the subject. “You’re going to attract the staff.”
It didn’t work. Zhang Xiyue kept laughing.
Cheng Mingjiao was angry and embarrassed, but he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Zhang Xiyue’s entire body was pressed against him. Every time she laughed, her body trembled, and the vibration of her chest, along with the softness against him, traveled clearly through their thin layers of clothing.
Cheng Mingjiao’s entire back began to tingle. He stopped making a sound and silently lay there, serving as Zhang Xiyue’s cushion.
After a while, he let out a quiet laugh too.
“Zhang Xiyue, this is so embarrassing.” He rested his head on his arm, utterly defeated.
Zhang Xiyue patted him consolingly on the shoulder, then got up first. Once he had sat up, she smiled and held out a hand to him.
Cheng Mingjiao stared at her hand for a moment before taking it, still feeling glum.
“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve let you pull me up,” Zhang Xiyue teased.
Cheng Mingjiao lifted his eyes to look at her and gave a soft snort. “If I had to do it over again, I’d still rely on myself.”
“And you wouldn’t fall if you did it again?” Zhang Xiyue asked with a laugh.
Cheng Mingjiao pressed his lips together. Using her hand for support, he stood up. The person he had needed to look up at just moments ago could now be seen even with his head lowered.
“I would fall.” In the moonlight, there was still a trace of stubbornness between his brows, but he answered honestly. “But if it made you this happy, then falling would be worth it.”
The smile at the corners of Zhang Xiyue’s lips faded slightly. Before she could react, he had already dusted off his hands and taken hers, leading her forward.
As though he had just said something perfectly ordinary.
As though he had just done something perfectly ordinary.
The park really was beautiful, and well worth climbing over the wall to see. But all the streetlamps had already gone out. Only the faint moonlight illuminated the way, while shadows crowded beneath the trees and an eerie silence surrounded them...
The feeling was far too familiar, as if they had returned to Lanlan Mountain.
The farther they walked, the slower their pace became. Finally, after going about two hundred meters, they stopped in perfect unspoken agreement.
After silently looking at each other for a long while, Zhang Xiyue cleared her throat. “Mr. Cheng...”
“Let’s go back.” Cheng Mingjiao made the decision decisively.
If they stayed any longer, he was going to develop trauma all over again.
And so the two of them returned to the wall and climbed back over it.
This time, Cheng Mingjiao leaped in a graceful arc and landed steadily on both feet. He was so agile that he looked like a gymnastics champion.
The moment he had steadied himself, he turned around and stared without blinking at Zhang Xiyue, who was still sitting atop the wall.
Zhang Xiyue said, “Mr. Cheng, that was great.”
Cheng Mingjiao didn’t seem to care about her praise. He held out a hand with reserved dignity. “I’ll catch you when you come down.”
A sudden idea occurred to Zhang Xiyue. “Turn around. I’ll jump straight onto your back.”
Cheng Mingjiao: “?”
Zhang Xiyue continued, “How about carrying me back?”
Cheng Mingjiao: “...”
When she still received no response, Zhang Xiyue asked, “No?”
“Zhang Xiyue, you’re walking back by yourself.” Cheng Mingjiao stood there without moving.
Zhang Xiyue let out a disappointed “Oh” and jumped down. “I thought girlfriends got special treatment.”
Cheng Mingjiao said nothing. He took her hand and led her toward the hotel.
It was already deep into the night, and there were hardly any people on the road. The two of them walked hand in hand, while the streetlights stretched their shadows long, long behind them.
“You can let me carry you tomorrow,” Cheng Mingjiao suddenly said.
Zhang Xiyue’s heart stirred, and she turned to look at him.
“We both need a little exercise to help us sleep. We took too long a nap this afternoon.” As he said this, Cheng Mingjiao refused to look at her. In the dim light, however, the tips of his ears were a little red.
So being his girlfriend really did come with special treatment.
Zhang Xiyue smiled silently and secretly scratched his palm.
Cheng Mingjiao stiffened, then tightened his grip on her hand.
They returned to the hotel close to midnight. Zhang Xiyue hadn’t expected to run into Gu Feng and Qing Tian even at this hour.
They had probably just returned from going out. They looked tired and dusty, and had started bickering the moment they got out of the car. Gu Feng said something, and Qing Tian shouted angrily, “Gu Feng!”
The usually mature and composed Gu Feng gave her a push, then suddenly ran toward the hotel lobby.
Qing Tian was furious. She called “Gu Feng!” several times in succession and chased after him. In the blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared around the corner together.
After watching the male and female leads’ ambiguous phase play out, Zhang Xiyue turned her head. Cheng Mingjiao was staring at the corner where the two had vanished, distracted and seemingly lost in thought.
Though his attention was elsewhere, the moment she looked over, he immediately turned his gaze back to her.
Their eyes met.
Zhang Xiyue said, “Mr. Cheng.”
Cheng Mingjiao: “...Mm.”
The two of them walked on in silence once again.
Ever since they had seen the male and female leads, Cheng Mingjiao had been thinking about something.
Zhang Xiyue couldn’t be bothered to ask. After confirming that she would be sleeping in the same bed as him that night, she took her pajamas into the bathroom.
The sound of running water filled the room. Cheng Mingjiao realized what that meant, immediately put his thoughts on hold, and began making his own preparations for bed.
After taking a shower and applying body lotion in the bathroom, Zhang Xiyue changed into her pajamas and stepped out. The moment one foot crossed the threshold, she saw Cheng Mingjiao returning from the entryway with a paper takeout bag in hand.
“What did you buy?” she asked.
Cheng Mingjiao feigned composure. “Nothing.”
Zhang Xiyue didn’t think much of it. “Mr. Cheng, you should go take a shower.”
Cheng Mingjiao gave a quiet “Oh,” then took his pajamas and went into the bathroom.
Left alone in the room, Zhang Xiyue was beginning to get bored when she suddenly received a message from Chen Ming.
Ever since they had added each other on WeChat, the two of them had occasionally chatted even when there was nothing work-related to discuss. Before they knew it, they had grown familiar with each other.
It was only after getting to know him that Zhang Xiyue discovered just how lacking in basic life skills this generous young heir was.
For instance, right now, he was asking why his hot chicken noodles had turned out hard after being soaked.
Zhang Xiyue pinched the bridge of her nose and replied: Because hot chicken noodles have to be boiled. Soaking them won’t cook them through.
Chen Ming: Too much trouble. I’m not eating them.
Zhang Xiyue laughed despite herself. Why don’t you ask the housekeeper to make them?
Chen Ming: She already left.
He had never had a habit of eating late-night snacks, but a few days ago, he had seen Zhang Xiyue’s late-night snack post on her WeChat Moments and decided to try making something himself.
Eating at a time when he shouldn’t be eating gave him the strange feeling of taking control of a disrupted order. He liked it.
It was just that some late-night snacks were too troublesome to make.
Zhang Xiyue: Just order takeout.
Chen Ming: I don’t want to wait.
Zhang Xiyue: Making it yourself might not take any less time than waiting for delivery.
Chen Ming: I won’t wait.
Zhang Xiyue: …
When this man got stubborn, he always reminded her of Cheng Mingjiao.
Of course, if it were Cheng Mingjiao, then once he decided he wanted a late-night snack, he would absolutely have to get one. Giving up because it was too much trouble was never an option.
Then again, that might also be because Chen Ming could only trouble himself, while Cheng Mingjiao could trouble the entire world with perfect justification.
Zhang Xiyue shook her head and tossed her phone aside.
By the time Cheng Mingjiao came out of the bathroom, the light in the bedroom had already been turned off. A crack had been left in the door, however, and the light from the living room shone through it, revealing the curve beneath the blankets.
He let out a soft breath and walked into the room with a grave expression.
Once the door closed, the room was plunged into darkness.
Cheng Mingjiao waited for his eyes to adjust before slowly making his way to the bed.
The overly soft mattress sank beneath his weight. Zhang Xiyue, already drifting in a light sleep, shifted toward him as the space beside her dipped.
Cheng Mingjiao lay still, listening to the clamor of his own heart in the dead of night.
Zhang Xiyue remained with her back to him, her breathing light and even, as though she were already asleep.
But Cheng Mingjiao knew she had to be awake.
This was their first night together. How could she possibly fall asleep?
“Zhang Xiyue,” he called.
Zhang Xiyue startled awake. “…Hmm?”
See?
She had answered him.
That meant she wasn’t asleep.
Hearing her voice, Cheng Mingjiao suddenly felt less tense. In the darkness, he reached out and took hold of her shoulder, then gently and carefully pressed himself against her back.
Summer in Yangcheng wasn’t particularly hot, but having one huge source of warmth pressed against her was still uncomfortable. Zhang Xiyue was just about to move away when the man behind her kissed her earlobe.
It tickled. Zhang Xiyue lifted her shoulder and edged away from his lips.
He followed her.
This time, Zhang Xiyue was completely awake.
Unlike the several times before when he had lost control, Cheng Mingjiao was very patient tonight. Everything he did was slow and unhurried.
His lips lingered along the curve of her ear, gradually wandering to her neck, only to seem reluctant to leave and return to place a few more careful kisses there.
His body temperature was normal, but his breath was hot. Amid those clingy, lingering kisses, his arms slowly tightened. The gap between them narrowed without limit until it disappeared completely.
But even then, he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to hold her tighter, yet he couldn’t bring himself to use too much force for fear of hurting her.
He struggled back and forth between surrender and reason, and within the intimacy quietly taking root, he found himself growing even more tender toward her.
Why was Zhang Xiyue so thin? Did she usually not eat properly?
Her frame was so small. Would she snap if he squeezed too hard?
Her flesh was soft, and she didn’t have much muscle. Would she fall ill easily?
Zhang Xiyue lived alone.
Cheng Mingjiao suddenly felt a pang in his heart.
Zhang Xiyue lived alone.
It was true that he lived alone too.
But Zhang Xiyue, living alone, seemed so pitiful.
So pitiful.
Cheng Mingjiao’s breathing slowed. Supporting himself with one hand on her shoulder, he turned Zhang Xiyue around.
The two of them gazed at each other through the darkness, with nothing but the sound of their heartbeats between them.
Cheng Mingjiao propped himself up on one elbow. After a long silence, he asked hoarsely, “Is this okay?”
Zhang Xiyue slowly curved her lips into a smile, then lifted herself and kissed him.
As though he had received permission, Cheng Mingjiao suddenly became fierce, turning the light, fleeting kisses into something deeper and longer.
The hotel room’s doors and windows were shut tight, and the air conditioner was off. Oxygen rapidly dwindled amid their hurried breaths, leaving their minds light and hazy from the lack of air.
Just as she was about to sink beneath the sensation, Zhang Xiyue instinctively wrapped her arms around Cheng Mingjiao’s neck.
“Mr. Cheng…”
Hearing her call him, Cheng Mingjiao managed to come back to his senses. The thoughts he had set aside earlier began working again.
“You…” His voice was a little hoarse. After pausing for a moment, he kissed her lips and asked, “Why do you still call me Mr. Cheng?”
“Hm?” Zhang Xiyue opened her eyes in confusion.
Cheng Mingjiao buried his face against the side of hers and complained softly, “Qing Tian calls Gu Feng Gu Feng, but you keep calling me Mr. Cheng… They’re only in a boss-and-assistant relationship, yet we’re already dating.”
Qing Tian. Gu Feng.
Hearing him mention them at a time like this brought Zhang Xiyue fully back to her senses.
“So?” she asked gently.
What did she mean, so?
Cheng Mingjiao mumbled, “So what should you call me?”
Zhang Xiyue was silent for three seconds before suddenly understanding. “Got it.”
A smile appeared in Cheng Mingjiao’s eyes. He arched his back and leaned in to kiss the corner of her lips.
Zhang Xiyue calmly said, “Gu Feng.”
Cheng Mingjiao: “?”
Cheng Mingjiao: “!!!”
