Chapter 17

Shen Zhirou wasn’t surprised by the lack of reply from Lu Yao. After finishing her work in the afternoon, she returned to their cozy little home as usual. She ate a simple dinner and then curled up on the living room sofa to watch a movie.

Around eight in the evening, the door opened from the outside. Lu Yao stood there gracefully in a sleek black off-the-shoulder dress. Shen Zhirou’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly stood to go hug her.

Lu Yao seemed to sense the movement and furrowed her brow slightly, stepping back reflexively.

Seeing this, Shen Zhirou halted her approach, standing awkwardly at the doorway. After a moment, she helped bring in Lu Yao’s luggage first.

“Thanks,” Lu Yao said, her voice cool and laced with a hint of distance. It left Shen Zhirou puzzled—last night they had been so naturally intimate, yet today they felt like polite strangers.

“No problem. I’ll put it in the bedroom for you,” Shen Zhirou replied with a smile.

Lu Yao changed into slippers, grabbed her nightgown from the room, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Shen Zhirou thought for a bit, turned off the TV in the living room, and went back to the bedroom to lie on the bed, waiting for her.

Yaoyao must be exhausted after a full day; that reaction was probably just fatigue, Shen Zhirou hoped, chiding herself for overthinking.

She fiddled with her phone for a while, scrolling absentmindedly through boring videos. Half an hour later, Lu Yao emerged from the bathroom with her hair blow-dried.

Her gaze fell on Shen Zhirou on the bed. “I finished the wrap-up work early, so I came back ahead of schedule,” she explained.

“You must be tired. Let’s rest early tonight,” Shen Zhirou said softly, her eyes drifting from Lu Yao’s face to the little red mole at her collarbone. Her ear tips warmed.

Lu Yao could tell exactly where Shen Zhirou was looking. A faint curve tugged at her lips as she climbed into bed, sinking contentedly into the warm, soft covers. “The mattress at home is still the most comfortable,” she said with a light laugh.

Seeing Shen Zhirou still engrossed in her phone without responding, Lu Yao’s thin lips pressed together slightly, her eyes flickering. Was whatever was on that screen more captivating than her?

She had planned to keep things cool tonight, maintaining a stable dynamic with Shen Zhirou—one that satisfied their physical needs without too much interference otherwise. But now, ignored like this, an odd discomfort stirred in her chest.

A sly arc curved her lips. She turned sideways to face Shen Zhirou, extending one leg to gently rub against her calf, her fingertips lightly tracing and teasing along it.

Shen Zhirou couldn’t keep pretending anymore. After just a couple of rubs, a flush crept across her cheek. She hooked her leg around Lu Yao’s restless one beneath the covers and gazed at her with soft eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Her voice was gentle and coaxing, paired with those beautiful eyes, and Lu Yao found herself drawn in despite herself. She scooted closer, nestling into Shen Zhirou’s embrace. She even reached over, turned off Shen Zhirou’s phone, and placed it on the nightstand on her side, out of reach.

Only then did Lu Yao look up languidly at her. “Jie Jie, is the phone better looking than me? I was talking to you, and you didn’t even notice.”

There was a coquettish lilt to Lu Yao’s voice, sweeter by several degrees than during the day. She leaned into Shen Zhirou’s arms, her calf still mischievously rubbing against her. Her fair, jade-like arm wrapped tightly around Shen Zhirou’s neck, and as she spoke, her nose tip brushed deliberately against the soft skin of Shen Zhirou’s shoulder and neck.

“Of course the phone isn’t as good looking as you. I thought you were tired from traveling, so we should sleep early tonight,” Shen Zhirou replied, gently stroking the top of Lu Yao’s head.

Lu Yao’s earlier aloofness had left her a bit at a loss, making their interaction feel strangely awkward now. Yet Lu Yao acted as if nothing had happened, naturally cuddling into her and acting spoiled—like that cold expression at the door had been a mere illusion.

“I do want to sleep early, but I’m used to sleeping in Jie Jie’s arms. Don’t you want to hold me anymore?” Lu Yao wound herself around Shen Zhirou’s slender neck, planting a soft, coquettish kiss on the corner of her lips. Her fingertips caressed the delicate skin at the back of Shen Zhirou’s neck, making her body tense up.

Shen Zhirou gazed steadily into Lu Yao’s eyes, coaxing her softly. “It’s not that I don’t want to hold you. I’m just afraid you won’t sleep well in my arms.”

As she spoke, her gaze drifted downward, landing precisely on the little red mole just below Lu Yao’s collarbone. She pressed her lips together slightly.

Lu Yao seemed to notice the shift in Shen Zhirou’s gaze. Without even looking, she could already guess what Shen Zhirou was staring at. Leaning in close to Shen Zhirou’s ear with a soft chuckle, her voice carried a teasing lilt that hooked into Shen Zhirou’s heart, gradually quickening her pulse.

“I know exactly what you’re looking at. How about a little kiss in exchange for holding me while we sleep?”

Lu Yao’s warm breath brushed lightly against Shen Zhirou’s ear as she spoke, making the sensitive shell twitch ever so slightly.

Shen Zhirou’s throat bobbed faintly. Succumbing to instinct, she leaned in and pressed her lips to it. Lu Yao lowered her gaze in satisfaction, watching as Shen Zhirou kissed that little red mole. Just as she thought—the switch between her and Shen Zhirou was always firmly in her grasp.

Once Shen Zhirou had her fill, Lu Yao lazily hooked her fingers around the nape of Shen Zhirou’s neck and nestled snugly between her and the soft mattress, drifting off into a deep sleep.

Shen Zhirou gazed down at the woman in her arms, but sleep eluded her. Sometimes she felt so close to Lu Yao—they were intimate in ways that left no doubt. Yet at other times, an unbridgeable distance yawned between them. The words to express this, though, stuck in her throat. Was it the insecurity of a new relationship? Or simply that they hadn’t spent enough time together?

Shen Zhirou didn’t know when she finally slipped into a hazy slumber.

The following days passed in routine for Shen Zhirou, her work proceeding as usual. Her time with Lu Yao remained tepidly unchanged. Outside the bedroom, their interactions were sparse, as if Lu Yao preferred to keep it that way. At most, they shared breakfast or dinner.

That Friday afternoon, Lu Yao returned from the company early, as she had been doing. Her latest project had just wrapped up, leaving her schedule light—sometimes she even made it home before four.

By the time Shen Zhirou arrived, Lu Yao had already settled into the study with a book for a while. Spotting Lu Yao’s shoes in the entryway, Shen Zhirou changed into her pajamas and rapped lightly on the study door to see if anyone was inside.

Pushing it open, she found Lu Yao right where she expected, immersed in her reading.

Lu Yao lifted her cool gaze, her thin lips pressing together slightly as she regarded Shen Zhirou. “You’re back?”

“Yeah. You’ve been getting home so early lately. There’s a good amount of shrimp and some nice beef in the fridge—how about shrimp fish fillet porridge for dinner, with tomato brisket on the side?”

Shen Zhirou smiled as she asked. She didn’t step inside; by now, she had a sense of Lu Yao’s temperament and knew better than to intrude on her private spaces like the study.

“Whatever you like. I’m fine with anything,” Lu Yao replied coolly, her attention drifting back to the unfinished book in her hands.

When she had lived alone, early returns meant calling the housekeeper aunts to come cook or having Jiang Chen pick up takeout from a nearby hotel. But since Shen Zhirou had moved in, meals fell to her whenever she was home. Lu Yao had grown accustomed to it—Shen Zhirou was a skilled cook, and everything she made tasted wonderful.

In the kitchen, Shen Zhirou had already rinsed the rice and set it aside. She sliced the prepared fish into thin fillets, pairing them with the shrimp, and prepped the beef and tomatoes.

Once the porridge was simmering, she ran her slender white fingertip along the beef to gauge it, cutting it into neat cubes. She blanched the tomatoes and peeled off their skins. After about half an hour, with the porridge bubbling away, she set the tomato brisket to stew. Soon, tantalizing aromas began to fill the kitchen.

Lu Yao’s finger paused mid-page-turn as the scents wafted in. Unable to concentrate any longer, she rose to head to the kitchen and check on Shen Zhirou. But just then, her phone rang.

Glancing at the screen, Lu Yao answered as she walked toward the kitchen. “Mom, what’s up?”

“Didn’t we agree last week that your girlfriend would come by to meet everyone? Tomorrow’s Saturday—perfect. Your uncle and the others are coming too, so the whole family can get together. Shen Zhirou has the day off, right? We planned this in advance, so no excuses about being busy.”

Zhang Huichun’s tone made it clear she was still displeased with Shen Zhirou, nitpicking every little thing.

“Alright, I’ll check with Zhirou.” After wrapping up with her mother, Lu Yao turned to Shen Zhirou. “Zhirou, you off tomorrow? Mom wants us both to come home for dinner.”

Shen Zhirou’s spoon stilled in the simmering tomato brisket. Steadying her breath, she replied, “Yeah, I’m off tomorrow too.”

“Good.” Lu Yao nodded to her before continuing into the phone. “Zhirou’s off tomorrow too. Okay, we’ll come by around noon. Alright…”

Lu Yao said a few more words before hanging up the phone. When she looked up, she saw Shen Zhirou standing in the kitchen, looking somewhat flustered and at a loss for what to do.

Lu Yao let out a light chuckle and comforted her. “Don’t be so nervous. We’ll head over together tomorrow. With me there, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Then what kind of gift should I prepare? How about I go buy one right after dinner? That way, I can get it ready in advance.” Shen Zhirou replied, a touch of anxiety in her voice.

Lu Yao’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. For some reason, she found Shen Zhirou in this state utterly endearing. She patiently reassured her once more. “No need for that. We can go shopping together first thing in the morning. Once we’ve got the gift, we’ll head straight there. Relax—there’s plenty of time.”

“Alright… that works, I guess,” Shen Zhirou mumbled, deflating a little.

Lu Yao watched her with amusement bubbling inside. If she had known Shen Zhirou would get this worked up, she would have waited until morning to tell her.