The car stopped at Huafu. After Xu Yueyao got out, she was just about to wave goodbye when she saw Zhan Rong Xuan step out as well. Xu Yueyao wondered what he meant—was he planning to go upstairs too?
“Aren’t you going to lead the way?” Zhan Rong Xuan looked at the dazed Xu Yueyao.
Snapping back to reality, Xu Yueyao led the way. As they rode the elevator, she couldn’t help but wonder if he intended to stay overnight. She recalled that the other bedroom’s closet contained his clothes and various men’s items. What if he wanted to… do that? Xu Yueyao instinctively placed a hand over her chest. If he wanted to, could she refuse? Their first time shouldn’t be now—it felt too rushed. Would he get angry if she refused…
Zhan Rong Xuan watched Xu Yueyao from behind. Her figure was slender, her long hair tied into a ponytail like satin, secured with a purple ribbon. Her slender neck was exposed above her collar, her skin as smooth as fine jade. Zhan Rong Xuan uncomfortably averted his gaze. If he hadn’t shown up today, would she really have gone streaking? She was bold, taking on such a big bet. He thought about her claim that many boys pursued her, but according to Zhan Feng’s investigation, there was only Fu Xiao Si. He shook his head unconsciously—such bravado. Then he remembered the car that had been following them earlier and frowned slightly.
Just as Xu Yueyao was agonizing over her dilemma, the elevator arrived. Steeling herself, she stepped out, mechanically entered the passcode, opened the door, and walked in.
“Young Master, you’re here.” Wang Ma said happily, looking at Zhan Rong Xuan behind Xu Yueyao.
Zhan Rong Xuan nodded at her. “Wang Ma.”
“Young Master, you’re staying overnight, right? I’ll add a couple more dishes.” Wang Ma smiled and hurried to the kitchen, humming cheerfully along the way.
Xu Yueyao turned to Zhan Rong Xuan and said, “I’ll go change first.”
Back in the bedroom, Xu Yueyao paced back and forth. What to do, what to do? Finally, she sighed deeply to the heavens, comforting herself inwardly. Alright, Xu Yueyao, it’s fine. He’s so handsome, and besides, that thing is supposed to be wonderful. Look how popular he was today—you’re not losing out, not losing out at all. Ah… If it really comes to it, just think of it as being bitten by a dog.
Xu Yueyao picked out a gray sweatsuit with long sleeves and pants, wrapped herself up tightly, and opened the door to leave. She originally intended to help Wang Ma with cooking, but she saw Zhan Rong Xuan holding a small silver dolphin necklace. Spotting it, Xu Yueyao hurried over and snatched it back. Seeing the opened notebook, she said angrily, “How could you just go through my things?” These all belonged to the original owner, and Xu Yueyao felt somewhat guilty, afraid of being exposed. In fact, their handwriting was completely different. Today, Xu Yueyao had deliberately imitated the original owner’s handwriting, but someone observant could still spot the discrepancies.
“Sorry, but that necklace… I think I’ve seen it before. It looks familiar,” Zhan Rong Xuan said after a moment of thought.
Xu Yueyao took out the necklace. This necklace, along with some small hair clips, had been in a candy box that Xu Yueyao brought back. It was just an ordinary necklace—she didn’t even think it was pure silver. How could he have seen such a cheap item? Besides, the book never mentioned this necklace being special in any way.
Xu Yueyao put the necklace back into the storage box and said, “It’s just a replica. You might have seen the real one.” After saying this, she also put the notebook away and pushed him toward the door. “Let’s eat. I’m so hungry.”Zhan Rong Xuan and Xu Yueyao arrived at the dining table. “Young Master, you and Miss Xu take your time eating. I’ll head back first,” Wang Ma said, giving Xu Yueyao a knowing smile before leaving.
Zhan Rong Xuan nodded to her. After Wang Ma left, he asked, “Are you scared living alone? Do you want me to help you find a live-in housekeeper?” Wang Ma was an old-timer from Liyuan, and her husband was the butler there, so she had to return to Liyuan in the evenings.
Xu Yueyao shook her head, nibbling on a rib as she replied, “No need. I’m used to living alone. Having someone else around makes me uncomfortable.”
Zhan Rong Xuan noticed she was only eating meat, his brow slightly furrowing. Since childhood, he had never been picky about food. Unable to help himself, he picked up some vegetables and placed them in her bowl. Without a word, she placed a piece of meat on top of the vegetables and ate them together.
Xu Yueyao ate with great focus, but she only went for the meat, never once reaching for the vegetables herself. However, she obediently ate the vegetables Zhan Rong Xuan gave her, which brought him a bit of amusement during the meal. From time to time, he would add more vegetables to her bowl, watching her eat them.
After dinner, Xu Yueyao tidied up the kitchen. Although Wang Ma had told her not to bother and to leave it for her to clean up the next day, Xu Yueyao couldn’t bring herself to do that. She always cleaned up thoroughly after every meal.
“Rong Xuan, would you like some fruit?” Perhaps because they had just shared a meal, Xu Yueyao seemed much more relaxed and less reserved than before. She took out some strawberries from the refrigerator and began washing them.
Zhan Rong Xuan was sitting on the sofa watching the news. What did she just call me? He thought he must have misheard.
A moment later, Xu Yueyao walked over with a bowl of washed strawberries. She picked up the TV remote and switched to a drama she was currently following. The show was melodramatic, much like the book the author had written, but she loved watching it.
Zhan Rong Xuan watched the carefree woman in front of him, popping strawberries into her mouth one by one, her eating style adorably reminiscent of a small animal. He recalled how stiff she had been when she first heard he would be staying over and couldn’t resist teasing her: “Aren’t you going to shower and sleep?”
“Huh… what?” Xu Yueyao turned to look at him in surprise after processing his words, strawberry juice trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Zhan Rong Xuan picked up a tissue from the table, leaned closer to her, and gently wiped the juice away. They were so close that their breaths intertwined, each able to feel the other’s every exhale.
Xu Yueyao’s heart raced, annoyed at herself for letting her guard down so easily. Staring at Zhan Rong Xuan, who was now inches away, she felt incredibly nervous. Is this it? Is it starting now? Here? On the sofa?
Zhan Rong Xuan was quite satisfied with Xu Yueyao’s flustered reaction. “Go back to your room and sleep properly,” he said, taking the remote and switching back to the news channel.
Xu Yueyao swallowed the strawberry in her mouth, stood up, and disappeared from the living room, rushing back to her bedroom.
Zhan Rong Xuan nodded contentedly. Seeing the strawberries left on the plate, he remembered the sweet strawberry scent of her breath and suddenly felt a bit thirsty. Too lazy to get water, he picked up a bright red strawberry and tossed it into his mouth. Hmm, so sweet.
Back in her bedroom, Xu Yueyao hesitated for a moment about whether to close the door. After some thought, she decided against it. We’re both adults, she thought. Who’s afraid of whom? She went to take a shower. Afterward, lying in bed, she recalled the plot of the book. At this point in the story, the male and female leads shouldn’t be together yet—they were still in that intense push-and-pull phase. After all, the author intended the female lead to be a clear-headed, independent, and strong-willed character who wouldn’t easily fall in love… As Xu Yueyao pondered this, she unexpectedly drifted off to sleep.The next day, Xu Yueyao woke up and abruptly sat up. Hearing sounds outside, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and walked out of the bedroom.
“Miss Xu, you’re awake,” Wang Ma said, feeding the small fish by the aquarium as she looked at Xu Yueyao.
“Zhan Rong Xuan—no, Zhan Shao, where is he?” Xu Yueyao glanced around but didn’t see him.
“Young Master left in the middle of the night yesterday,” Wang Ma replied.
“He left in the middle of the night?” Xu Yueyao looked toward his bedroom. Since he hadn’t stayed over, she couldn’t understand why he had come up yesterday. Could it be that he wanted to eat Wang Ma’s cooking? After all, Wang Ma’s cooking was delicious—even Chen Shen praised it endlessly. Xu Yueyao felt a twinge of guilt; had he given her the best cook in their household?
However, that guilt vanished instantly when she tasted Wang Ma’s crab roe buns. Mmm, mmm, mmm—so delicious!