Сhарtеr 11: А Long-Awaitеd Intimаte Cоntact
Тор Flооr.
Insidе the СЕО’s оffice, Yin Еn Yu sat upright on the sоfа, glanсing аrоund.
Тhе all-glаss dеsign mаde the sраciоus office аpрear eхcеptiоnаlly bright and trаnsparent, оffеring а рanorаmiс viеw оf the scеnerу outside.
Аpart frоm essentiаl items, there wеrе nо unneсеssary deсorаtiоns, making the visuаl spaсe fееl еven mоre eхpansivе.
Тhоugh it appeared minimalist, evеrу item in here was оf immеnse value.
Не Yu Zhou casually placed the bag in his hand on the table, bypassed the single-seater sofa closest to him, and walked over to sit beside Yin En Yu. His shoulder brushed against her clothes as if unintentionally.
The scorching warmth from his body silently invaded the surrounding air.
Yin En Yu immediately felt the air grow thin, her breathing becoming somewhat hurried. She shifted slightly to the left. “Isn’t there another seat right there?”
How could He Yu Zhou not understand her implication? She simply didn’t want him sitting too close to her.
He relaxed into the sofa, his voice lazy. “It’s my office. Can’t I sit wherever I want?”
“Then I’ll move to the other seat.”
Just as Yin En Yu stood up, her right hand was suddenly grasped by someone beside her. A force pulled her, causing her to stumble into a warm and familiar embrace, completely enveloped by his presence.
Her cheek pressed against his heated chest, her nose filled with the scent unique to him, mingled with the fragrance of bergamot.
The scent was different from what she had smelled yesterday, but it was still one she liked.
He Yu Zhou’s other hand naturally wrapped around her waist. The pure, elegant scent of white flowers and musk made him unable to resist leaning closer to her neck for a deeper whiff.
With such softness and warmth in his arms, this intimate touch felt long overdue.
Through the thin fabric, he spread his palm, measuring the circumference of her waist.
He knew she was a liar—she clearly hadn’t been eating properly. It was slimmer than before.
Yin En Yu twisted her body, trying to break free from him, but the man’s hand tightened around her waist. “Let go of me.”
Only when she spoke did He Yu Zhou slowly release her, somewhat reluctantly.
“I wonder who it was that used to love clinging to me, even needing me to hold her while sleeping.”
“He Yu Zhou!” Yin En Yu sat up, turning her head to glare at him.
He Yu Zhou liked her like this—vivid, whether she was arguing with him or losing her temper. It was far better than before, when she had been polite and distant, as if there were an insurmountable gap between them.
He Yu Zhou raised an eyebrow slightly. “So you still remember the name of your ex-boyfriend.”
It had been too long since he last heard his name from her lips.
Yin En Yu lifted her hand to tidy her hair. “It’s not like I’ve lost my memory.”
Even she hadn’t realized that, under He Yu Zhou’s deliberate teasing, the defenses she had built up in front of him were beginning to crumble.
He Yu Zhou: “I almost wish you had lost your memory.”
That way, he could at least find a reason to convince himself that she had broken up with him because she had forgotten him due to amnesia.
Yin En Yu looked at him in confusion. “Why?”
It couldn’t be that, just because they had broken up, he didn’t wish her well.
“No reason.” He Yu Zhou changed the subject. “What would you like to drink?”
Yin En Yu’s gaze fell on the bottle of mineral water on the coffee table in front of her. “Mineral water is fine.”
He Yu Zhou didn’t fetch it for her. “If your throat is uncomfortable, don’t drink anything cold.”
With that, he stood up from the sofa and strode toward the door.Seeing this, Yin En Yu blurted out, “Where are you going?”
After asking, she realized her tone sounded as if she were clinging to him, reluctant to see him leave.
He Yu Zhou paused and turned around, giving a frivolous smile. “Don’t want me to go?”
“No,” Yin En Yu explained. “If you have work, I’ll leave first.”
She didn’t want to delay his work or sit here alone.
He Yu Zhou’s smile faded. He shouldn’t have asked and invited disappointment. “I’m going out to get you a glass of water. I’ll be right back.”
This task could easily have been handled by his assistant outside, but when it came to anything about her, big or small, he had grown accustomed to handling it himself.
Yin En Yu pursed her lips. “Oh.”
He Yu Zhou didn’t keep her waiting long. Soon, he returned to the office with a cup in hand.
“Have a drink,” he said, handing her the cup.
The water inside was a clear amber color. Yin En Yu asked curiously, “What kind of water is this?”
He Yu Zhou replied, “Pear syrup water.”
Yin En Yu reached out to take it. “Thank you.”
Just as her fingertips were about to touch the cup, He Yu Zhou suddenly moved his hand holding the cup aside.
“Forget it, don’t drink it.”
Just moments ago, he felt the distance between them had lessened, but in an instant, she was being polite again.
He didn’t need her thanks, nor did he want her treating him with the same courtesy she reserved for outsiders.
Yin En Yu: “…”
What was he trying to pull now?
Despite saying she shouldn’t drink it, He Yu Zhou held the cup out to her again the next second.
This time, however, Yin En Yu withdrew her hands and made no move to take it.
Seeing her proud and aloof demeanor, He Yu Zhou’s eyes softened with indulgent amusement. “Really not drinking?”
His voice was low, magnetic, and utterly captivating.
Yin En Yu threw his words back at him. “Didn’t you tell me not to drink it?”
He was the master here; what he said went.
He Yu Zhou chuckled in exasperation and tapped her head lightly. “You’re just trying to annoy me on purpose.”
She knew exactly how to get under his skin.
When he had begged her not to break up, why hadn’t she listened to him then?
Yin En Yu denied it. “I’m not.”
He Yu Zhou couldn’t be bothered to argue. Leaning down, he took her hand and placed the cup in her palm. “It’s warm. You can drink it now.”
“I was just teasing you earlier.”
Seeing he had said as much, Yin En Yu decided to give him an out. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a small sip.
It wasn’t as cloyingly sweet as she had imagined. Instead, it had a light, refreshing sweetness with a hint of tartness.
The warm, smooth liquid did seem to soothe the dryness and soreness in her throat a little.
As she leaned forward to set the cup down, He Yu Zhou was already a step ahead, taking it from her hand and placing it on the table.
The motion was fluid and natural, as if he had done it countless times before.
Yin En Yu’s heart stirred slightly. In the past, whenever he was by her side, she would hand anything she was holding to him.
She never had to ask; he had already formed the habit.
This moment made her feel as though they had never been apart.
He still remembered all her little habits.
“Do you want to eat anything else?” He Yu Zhou asked.
Yin En Yu shook her head. “No.”
She picked up her phone nearby and checked the time. It was almost eleven. “Did Lu Jun and the others say what time we should head over?”
He Yu Zhou answered without hesitation, “They suddenly have work and won’t have time for lunch today.”
Yin En Yu was taken aback. So suddenly?Moreover, from the moment he picked her up downstairs until now, she hadn’t seen him touch his phone.
“When did they say that?”
This question left He Yu Zhou momentarily speechless.
His mind raced as he casually fabricated an excuse, “When I went out to get water for you.”
Yin En Yu was half-convinced, half-doubting. “Did they even say they wanted to invite me to dinner?”
He had deliberately tricked her into coming upstairs.
He Yu Zhou maintained a calm expression. “They did. If you don’t believe me, you can call and ask them.”
They had mentioned inviting her to dinner, but the timing hadn’t been confirmed yet.
Of course, Yin En Yu wouldn’t call to verify. “If they’re busy, I’ll just head home then.”
In just a few minutes, she had mentioned leaving twice. He Yu Zhou’s expression cooled slightly. “Don’t I need to eat?”
“If they don’t have time, can’t you have a meal with me?”
It was truly laughable that he now had to come up with all sorts of excuses just to see her and share a meal.
This side of him was all too familiar to Yin En Yu—he was quick to get worked up.
But also easy to soothe.
Tilting her head, Yin En Yu spoke in a gentle tone, “You never said you wanted to have dinner with me.”
He didn’t have a girlfriend, so she saw no reason to deliberately avoid him. Even though they were exes, she didn’t think they had reached the point of being sworn enemies.
Letting things flow naturally was fine. When she returned to the country, she had expected they might run into each other.
Sure enough, He Yu Zhou’s displeasure was instantly soothed by her words.
“My apologies.” He extended his right hand toward her, palm facing up in an inviting gesture. “May I then have the honor of treating the great pianist to a meal?”
Yin En Yu: “Can I refuse?”
“No.” He Yu Zhou’s tone left no room for argument.