Most of the people present didn’t suspect anything. Instead, Wen Shuyi—the person involved—felt a bit uneasy.
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand what kind of person Duan Zhuo was.
A man who changed girlfriends daily, with a “harem” comparable to Empresses in the Palace, could see through the little tricks of ordinary women at a glance.
But she had handled this matter flawlessly, leaving no evidence behind. Even if Duan Zhuo scolded her on the spot, she wouldn’t be afraid.
Duan Xingning would definitely protect her.
After all, she had been personally chosen by Duan’s mother as the future daughter-in-law. Her status, looks, and family background all matched Duan Xingning’s. This minor incident wouldn’t affect her at all.
And Duan Zhuo didn’t continue the topic. Holding a cup of tea, he sat leisurely on the sofa, legs crossed, calmly reviewing financial reports.
“Alright, that’s enough. Everyone get back to work,” Duan Xingning waved his hand. He had been troubled recently by songwriting and had no time to waste on unnecessary matters.
“I’ll accompany you,” Wen Shuyi said, following him.
The others also returned to their tasks—tuning instruments, writing music.
An Li’s face was still alternating between pale and flushed. Her lashes lowered, hiding her emotions. Her eyes seemed clouded, losing their earlier brightness.
With a thud—
Duan Zhuo placed a cup of green tea in front of her.
“Have some tea to calm yourself.”
She looked up at him, her lashes trembling slightly, then shook her head. “I don’t want it.”
“Still thinking about what just happened?” Duan Zhuo let out a soft chuckle.
She lowered her head, her voice muffled. “Do you also think I was lying?”
Duan Zhuo countered, “What do you think?”
“You must think so too—that I was lying, avoiding responsibility.”
“No. I believed you from the moment you said your first word.” He paused slightly. “But you don’t believe me. You don’t believe that I would believe you.”
She froze.
He had been the only one in the room who believed her, yet she hadn’t believed him.
“I—I’m sorry…” An Li felt a little guilty.
“You don’t owe me an apology, and you didn’t do anything wrong.” Duan Zhuo raised his hand and ruffled her hair.
It was just that the world was too harsh on his girl, making her a little insecure.
When everyone in the band had blamed her earlier, she had only felt upset and unwilling. But now that Duan Zhuo was comforting her, she suddenly felt wronged.
Her chest tightened painfully.
From Duan Zhuo’s perspective, the girl had held back her tears earlier with all her strength. Yet after just a few words from him, she now looked like she was about to cry.
Her eyes were already red.
But she still held it in, not crying here.
“Alright, don’t be sad anymore.” He leaned lightly against the table, extending his arms. “Come here, let your boyfriend give you a hug.”
An Li shook her head. “No.”
“Not even a hug?”
“Someone might see.”
“If they see, we’ll just get married.”
“…”
She stared at him in shock.
As expected, it was impossible to have a proper conversation with him.
“No way.” An Li said seriously, “I don’t even like you.”
“Heartless. I’m here cheering you up, and what do I get?” Duan Zhuo held her chin with one hand, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “All you do is say things that make me want to die.”
She couldn’t break free from his grip. Her cheeks puffed up, her almond eyes widened.
Like a pufferfish caught in someone’s hands.
Fuming.
“You already know why we’re together…” An Li muttered softly.
She was forced into this.
He had so many girlfriends and was so fickle. She was just waiting for him to get bored and break up on his own after a week.
Duan Zhuo released her, though his fingers still lightly supported her delicate chin as he warned in a low voice, “If that little mouth of yours says anything that makes me unhappy again, I don’t mind using something else to block it.”
“W-what?” An Li stiffened, alarmed. “You pervert, I’m not eating your—”
“Eating what?” Duan Zhuo’s tone shifted. “I meant using my mouth to block yours. What were you thinking?”
“I…” She paused. “I wasn’t thinking anything.”
So it was using his mouth.
She had thought it was… something else.
“Seems like you were thinking of something else.” He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against it, his eyes carrying a teasing, roguish glint. His voice was low and alluring. “Little greedy cat.”
An Li’s ears instantly burned red. She glared at him, though there was no real force behind it. The corners of her eyes were still faintly red, her voice soft and weak. “Y-you jerk.”
“Looks like you’re really tired. You don’t even have the strength to curse properly.”
“Y-you big jerk.”
“Anyone who didn’t know better would think Baby was flirting with me.” Duan Zhuo smiled, lightly brushing her soft earlobe. “You’re putting in so much effort, and that’s all you can manage?”
With his thick skin, those insults barely counted.
But An Li also couldn’t curse him too harshly—lest it excite him.
In short, nothing worked on him.
So she simply stopped talking, turning her head away, ignoring him.
Her lips pursed into a small crescent, shoulders slightly drooping, lashes lowered—like a wronged little puppy that had lost an argument.
The more she acted like this, the more shameless Duan Zhuo became. He tugged at her sleeve, played with her hair. “Mad?”
Whenever he looked one way, An Li turned the other, still holding her pen and notebook.
She wasn’t exactly angry—she just didn’t want to deal with him.
He was just too, too, too annoying.
How could someone be both comforting and irritating at the same time—and so shameless?
“You curse me, and I don’t get mad. But now you’re upset?” Duan Zhuo raised an eyebrow lazily, dragging out his words. “Do you hate me that much?”
“No.” An Li copied notes absentmindedly. “I’m working. Don’t disturb me.”
He pinched her slightly puffed cheek. “So you don’t hate me?”
Her attention had already drifted far away. “Mm.”
“Really?”
“Mm.”
“If you’re lying, you’re a puppy.”
“Mm.”
“Then you like me.”
“Mm.”
Only after responding did An Li realize something was wrong. Her eyes widened, and she was about to shake her head—
But he pressed her head down.
No moving. No denying.
Since she had admitted it, she wasn’t allowed to change it.
Her face was held in his hands, her lips slightly parted, her words coming out unclear. “What are you doing…”
Her lips were soft and pink, naturally glossy like they had been brushed with honey. When she pouted, there was a soft, endearing charm to them.
It made one want to kiss them.
Duan Zhuo thought so—and leaned down accordingly.
But the girl in his arms reacted quickly, turning her head to avoid him.
Even though they were in the studio hall and everyone else was busy, who knew if someone might walk in?
Others didn’t matter, but if Duan Xingning saw, it would be awkward.
When Duan Zhuo leaned left, An Li dodged right.
When he leaned right, she dodged left.
After a few rounds, he half-smiled. “I just want a kiss. Is it that hard?”
Without giving her time to react, he trapped her between his arms and the table, forming a circle that completely enclosed her.
An Li had nowhere to escape.
Seeing that the kiss was inevitable, she stopped dodging, silently praying no one would come.
And of course—
The more you feared something, the more likely it would happen.
Footsteps suddenly sounded in the hallway.
Along with a gentle female voice: “An Li.”
Wen Shuyi was coming!
An Li panicked and instinctively pushed Duan Zhuo away.
But even after pushing him, they were still too close—suspiciously so.
Before Wen Shuyi appeared—
An Li grabbed Duan Zhuo’s shoulders and forcefully pushed him down.
The table was tall enough.
When Wen Shuyi arrived, she only saw An Li standing alone in front of the table, holding paper and a pen, seemingly writing something.
“Miss Wen… is there something you need?” An Li tried to keep her voice steady, though she was extremely nervous.
She was terrified that the person under the table might stand up.
Duan Zhuo hadn’t been on guard just now and had actually been pushed down by her slender arms.
His neatly tailored trousers were now pressed against the cold floor as he knelt.
Not being allowed to kiss her was one thing—but now she had made him, a dignified young master, kneel on the floor.
His resentment was building up bit by bit.
Then he looked up—
And saw a glimpse of a pink skirt and underwear.
The young master’s resentment—
Disappeared.