Chapter 6

After the photo was taken, Jin Zhaolu went off excitedly to take more pictures with her other friends, making the atmosphere in the private room even more festive. A group began playing drinking games; those who lost were forced to down a shot, and the sounds of laughter and shouting were loud enough to take the roof off.

Zhou Zhenyao rarely participated.

At that moment, his phone vibrated. He pulled it out surreptitiously and swiped the screen. It was the message Yu Xuan had sent about being ready to board.

After a moment of hesitation, he ended up not replying with a single word.

On the table, his childhood friends had already thoughtfully filled a glass for him. The cold liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn’t suppress the unfamiliar ripples in his heart.

“Ayao.” (t/n: Adding “A-” before a name is a common way to create a familiar or affectionate nickname in Chinese.)

“…Ayao? What are you looking at so intently?”

A young man from their circle walked over. Zhou Zhenyao immediately turned off his phone screen. But the young man was sharp-eyed; he had already caught a glimpse of a bear avatar that didn’t belong to Jin Zhaolu. He knit his brows slightly.

“Nothing. Aren’t we supposed to be playing?”

“Yeah, you should come over. It’s almost time to blow out the candles, everyone’s waiting.”

The two walked over to the gaming area where everyone was sitting. Seeing him approach, the friends tactfully vacated the seat next to Jin Zhaolu. Zhou Zhenyao sat down naturally, keeping a distance of about two fists between himself and Zhaolu.

At that moment, the lights in the room dimmed, and a waiter slowly entered pushing the birthday cake. Everyone gathered around, singing “Happy Birthday” in unison.

Surrounded by her friends and the singing, Jin Zhaolu closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, her face radiating sweetness. The candlelight reflected off her delicate features. With her boyfriend by her side and her friends around her, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

The discomfort caused by “Xuan” earlier seemed to truly vanish in the face of this happiness. The internet was just an illusion after all; no matter what, that girl could never stand by Zhou Zhenyao’s side like this, sharing the important moments of his life. In the future, she and Zhou Zhenyao would have even more, and even closer, interactions.

However, just as Jin Zhaolu was immersed in her beautiful wish and the warm moment of everyone clapping and singing—

Buzz…

Zhou Zhenyao’s phone on the table lit up again. He knew who it was.

Reason told him that this was his girlfriend’s birthday party and that, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he shouldn’t do anything irrelevant. But his fingertips seemed to have a mind of their own. He picked up the phone anyway and unlocked it.

“Xuan: Senior! First class is really so comfortable. [Photo] [Photo] The flight attendants are so gentle too. Thank you for the gift, Senior! [Heart icon]”

“Xuan: But I have to turn off my phone now. Bye-bye~”

The corner of Zhou Zhenyao’s mouth curved slightly.

“Z.Y.: Mm. Contact me when you land.”

Even though his movements were quick and his expression recovered instantly, the friends around him still noticed. The originally synchronized birthday song grew a bit quieter and more ragged as a few people became distracted. The atmosphere turned subtly awkward.

Zhou Zhenyao remained expressionless as he put his phone away.

Right at that moment, Jin Zhaolu finished her wish, opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and blew out all the candles. Cheers and applause erupted in the room, and the lights came back on. She had no idea that just a moment ago, the man beside her had briefly veered off track for another girl.

Two hours later, the plane landed smoothly.

Yu Xuan followed the flow of people out of the gate and turned on her phone. Zhou Zhenyao’s message was already on the screen, informing her of the license plate number for her pickup and the driver’s contact information.

He hadn’t come in person.

Yu Xuan didn’t feel any disappointment; arriving in such a massive international metropolis for the first time made her incredibly excited. Moments later, she found the expensive black sedan. The driver, well-trained and respectful, put her luggage away.

The car merged into the dazzling city traffic. Outside the window were rows upon rows of skyscrapers. This city was bizarre and kaleidoscopic, like a dream. Yu Xuan pressed herself against the window, her heart racing.

Registration day was tomorrow, so Zhou Zhenyao had arranged for her to stay at a luxury hotel. The driver thoughtfully handled all the details for her and watched her enter the suite before lowering his head to send a status report to Zhou Zhenyao.

The room was an executive suite, incredibly spacious, with a view overlooking the city’s night skyline. Yu Xuan dropped her luggage, and the first thing she did was dive into the massive bathtub to take a long, luxurious hot bath, washing away the fatigue of travel.

Warm bubbles wrapped around her young body. She looked down at herself.

Little bunnies. (t/n: “Little bunnies” (xiao tuzi) is a common Chinese euphemism for a woman’s breasts.)

She couldn’t help but reach out and touch them. Soft…

Regardless, she liked them; she couldn’t get enough of herself. What about Zhou Zhenyao? He would definitely like them too. If he were behind her, his hands would be free… Then he could…

It seemed she was overthinking again.

After her bath, Yu Xuan wrapped herself in a soft bathrobe and went to the living room. On the coffee table, the staff had already prepared champagne and a fruit platter for her. She didn’t actually know how to appreciate champagne, but that didn’t stop her from mimicking an elegant female lead, gently swirling the glass before walking to the floor-to-ceiling window.

She took a sip. It was sweet with a hint of bitterness, bubbles dancing on her tongue.

“It’s actually quite good,” she whispered to herself, the corners of her mouth curving up.

After drinking half a glass, the slight buzz made her feel even more relaxed. Walking toward a large full-length mirror, Yu Xuan raised her phone. This time, she only photographed the lower half of her face—her slender neck, the slightly open collar of the bathrobe, and the damp ends of her hair clinging to the side of her neck, misty with suggestive steam.

The background featured the luxurious suite furnishings; everything was just right. After taking the photo, she casually posted it to Little Green Book.

By now, her account had accumulated several thousand followers. As soon as the photo was posted, a flood of comments arrived:

“Wife! Kisses!”

“This hotel is really expensive. Sister is clearly a rich woman.”

“Ugh, who gets it? I’m following a rich and beautiful goddess…”

She skimmed through the complimentary comments. Occasionally, a few “CP fans” mocked her for not daring to show her face, but they were all shut down by passersby and fans.

Zhou Zhenyao didn’t reach out to her, and she didn’t reach out to him.

About half an hour later, Yu Xuan’s phone screen lit up. A notification showed that someone on her “Special Follow” list had liked her post. “Z.Y.” appeared at the very top of the likes column.

Yu Xuan’s eyes curved into crescents. She was a patient hunter, quietly waiting for the prey to take the bait.

A second later, she posted a nonchalant comment in her own comment section:

“My mood instantly got better. [Heart icon]”

It had no context and seemed random. The fans below were confused:

“Was Xuanxuan in a bad mood before?”

“What happened?”

No one knew what she was talking about. Only two people understood.

Yu Xuan knew that Zhou Zhenyao would definitely understand. This was a response to his like—a hidden flirtation across the internet. Only the two of them could feel the undercurrent surging between them.

A minute later, she received another notification that Zhou Zhenyao had liked her post. This time, he had liked that specific comment.