On the other side, after Lu Yao arrived at the company that morning, she grabbed a quick bite before diving into three back-to-back meetings that lasted the entire morning. Noon finally arrived, and she retreated to the small lounge in her office for a half-hour nap before getting back up. That’s when she noticed the WeChat message from Shen Zhirou. Lu Yao gave it a quick glance but didn’t bother replying.
In her mind, such pleasantries served no purpose—they were just a waste of time. She had already made it clear to Shen Zhirou that they were together for marriage, not some silly romance, and she had no bandwidth for these empty greetings. With that, she simply powered off her phone and ignored it.
She rose from the lounge, settled into her chair, and dialed her secretary. “Qingqing, bring in lunch.”
“Right away, CEO Lu.” Chen Qingqing picked up the call from her boss and hurried in with the lunch that had just been delivered.
“CEO Lu, your lunch is on the tea table.” Chen Qingqing set everything down and gave a quick reminder.
“Got it, thanks.” Lu Yao’s response was flat, devoid of any warmth. She lingered in her seat for a moment before heading to the sofa to eat. Exhaustion was etched plainly on her face from beginning to end.
The project was in its final stages, but the wrap-up was dragging. Lately, she had no choice but to push the team through these grueling overtime hours.
In the afternoon, the office slacker—Shen Zhirou—finally stirred to life and got to work. With no reply from Lu Yao on WeChat, she turned her attention to drafting her briefing report.
Their department head was little more than a figurehead who rarely interfered. She’d make a token appearance in the afternoons, sometimes vanishing for days on end. Her family was loaded, so the company’s paycheck meant nothing to her.
Sure enough, it was nearly four when Wang Qi finally strolled in, clearly planning to clock out at five. Spotting everyone still at their desks, she even cracked a faintly pleased smile.
Zhao Tongtong shot Shen Zhirou a knowing glance, signaling that the boss was just doing her obligatory rounds before bolting. Shen Zhirou gave a soft chuckle and a shake of her head, then focused on polishing off the final paragraph of her report.
At quitting time, Shen Zhirou fired off a WeChat to Lu Yao, but it vanished into the void. After waiting a bit with no response, she headed home alone. Recalling how late Lu Yao had returned the night before, Shen Zhirou whipped up a simple meal for herself. After eating and showering, she settled in the living room to wait for Lu Yao—and wait she did, right up until around eleven that night.
Lu Yao pushed open the door to find the lights still on. She paused instinctively, her gaze landing on Shen Zhirou slumped on the sofa, on the verge of sleep. Only then did it hit her: since yesterday, she had a fiancée living under her roof.
Lu Yao’s brows knit together slightly. She had explicitly told her not to wait up last night, yet here she was, up so late. It threw Lu Yao off her rhythm, disrupting the orderly life she was used to.
The sound of the door roused Shen Zhirou. Her half-lidded eyes fluttered open, focusing slowly until they locked on Lu Yao. A smile lit up her face. “You’re back? Overtime again today?”
“Mm. Didn’t I tell you? No need to wait—I’ll be working late for a while.” Lu Yao met Shen Zhirou’s clear, watery eyes, and her tone softened despite herself.
“I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to wait up with you. Have you eaten? Want me to fix you something?” As she spoke, Shen Zhirou stood and reached for Lu Yao’s bag.
“No need, I’ve eaten. Get some early rest next time—don’t stay up so late. Curling up on the sofa isn’t comfortable.” Lu Yao’s eyes lingered on those dewy gaze, and she held back any sharper words of refusal.
Catching the gentleness in Lu Yao’s voice, Shen Zhirou leaned in with a smile, her lashes trembling like delicate wings. Meeting Lu Yao’s eyes, she murmured softly, “I want to wait for you.”
Emboldened, Shen Zhirou ignored the thunderous beat of her heart and brushed a gentle kiss against Lu Yao’s lips.
Warmth bloomed in Lu Yao’s chest. She melted into Shen Zhirou’s arms, leaning softly against her, silently craving more kisses.
Shen Zhirou dipped her gaze, drawing her arms tighter around Lu Yao with care not to squeeze too hard, then pressed her lips to Lu Yao’s once more.
Lu Yao lounged lazily in the embrace, savoring the kiss as if it melted away her tension. When Shen Zhirou drew back, Lu Yao nuzzled her cheek against Shen Zhirou’s ear, her warm breaths teasing the sensitive skin.
Lu Yao watched the fair earlobe flush pink, a light chuckle escaping her as she curved her lips. Nestled in Shen Zhirou’s arms, she cooed soft, playful words—her earlier iciness upon entering utterly vanished.
“Jie Jie, I had so many meetings today. I’m exhausted. Will you help me take a bath?” Lu Yao’s body heat seeped through her thin summer clothes, warming Shen Zhirou’s skin.
When Shen Zhirou lowered her gaze to Lu Yao, her eyes involuntarily drifted to that little red mole. Her heart fluttered as if scratched by Little Cat’s paw. Even though Lu Yao had already bathed, how could Shen Zhirou truly refuse?
“Alright, I’ll help you.” With those words, Shen Zhirou leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on the corner of Lu Yao’s lips. Then she wrapped an arm around Lu Yao, who had just slipped off her shoes, and led her into the bathroom.
Some pleasures, once tasted, become impossible to resist. After the first time, the second and third followed inevitably. In the end, it was Shen Zhirou who carried Lu Yao out of the bathroom. Lu Yao’s wavy brown hair tangled with Shen Zhirou’s raven locks, creating an unexpectedly alluring sight.
Shen Zhirou gently lowered her onto the plush bed. The mattress was so soft that Lu Yao sank right into it. Her arms instinctively looped around Shen Zhirou’s neck, pulling her down into the yielding depths alongside her. Yet Lu Yao had the nerve to turn the tables. “Jie Jie, was that not enough for you just now? Do you want to kiss me more?”
Shen Zhirou had propped herself up slightly, but the mattress’s give made it hard to rise. One of Lu Yao’s arms dangled lazily around her neck, while Lu Yao’s other hand traced lazy circles with her index finger over the little red mole just below her own collarbone. The touch left Shen Zhirou frozen in place, forgetting her intention to pull away.
Noticing Shen Zhirou’s reaction, Lu Yao’s soft pink lips curved upward in a subtle smile. Truth be told, it had only been a tease—she wanted more herself. With no response forthcoming, Lu Yao pushed herself up a fraction from the bed’s embrace. Her lips brushed the corner of Shen Zhirou’s mouth, her gaze locking directly onto Shen Zhirou’s eyes. Only after a lingering moment did she draw back.
“Jie Jie? Don’t you want to anymore?” Her voice was soft and seductive, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters—a side of her Shen Zhirou rarely glimpsed. Before Lu Yao could say another word, Shen Zhirou bent down and captured her lips. As a new couple, such intimacies consumed their thoughts, amplified by their perfect harmony. In these moments, it always felt as though they had waited lifetimes to find each other.
The usually cool and distant Lu Yao now seemed as docile as a kitten, her dark lashes fluttering like crow feathers, her eyes filled with nothing but Shen Zhirou’s reflection.
An hour later, feeling for Lu Yao’s grueling schedule, Shen Zhirou held her close and drifted into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Shen Zhirou gazed at Lu Yao cradled in her arms, sensing their bond had deepened. After all, the first time was novel, but the rest came naturally—and the way Lu Yao had looked at her last night suggested she felt something too, didn’t it?
Not wanting to disturb her, Shen Zhirou slipped carefully from the bed, threw on her pajamas, and went through her morning routine before heading to the kitchen.
Today, she hand-rolled some noodles and pulled shrimp from the fridge. She minced green onions and garlic, ready to sizzle them in the wok for a simple seafood noodle breakfast.
Once everything was prepped, she returned to the bedroom to rouse Lu Yao. Home cooking always seemed cleaner than takeout to her, and she wanted to do this small thing for her.
Shen Zhirou watched the sleeping Lu Yao for a moment, then chuckled softly and leaned in to kiss her cheek, her earlobe, and the corner of her lips. The ticklish sensations woke Lu Yao, who was on the verge of grumbling—until she met Shen Zhirou’s clear, gentle eyes.
Her irritation evaporated. Frowning slightly, Lu Yao asked, “It’s not time yet. Why wake me so early? Let me sleep more.”
“Come eat breakfast. Eating out all the time isn’t as clean. It’s all ready—just wash up and dig in, okay?” Seeing the frown, Shen Zhirou coaxed her softly.
Lu Yao’s lips pressed into a thin line as memories of the previous night flooded back. It would be petty to snap now, especially since she had been the one clinging then. With a reluctant nod, she sat up and reached for her pajamas on the side.
“Then I’ll go wash up.” Her voice was thick with sleep and reluctance as she shuffled unsteadily toward the bathroom, clearly not fully awake.
Shen Zhirou suddenly realized that Lu Yao only called her “Jie Jie” in bed—or when she wanted something. Otherwise, it was “Zhirou,” or nothing at all.
She chalked it up to their playful dynamic and paid it no mind, merely chuckling and shaking her head as she headed to the kitchen to boil the noodles.
Lu Yao applied some light makeup, slipped into a moon-white long dress, and dabbed on a touch of lip gloss. Once she had herself all put together, she stepped out of the room. The moment she reached the doorway, waves of mouthwatering aroma wafted over, and she realized she was actually pretty hungry.
By then, Shen Zhirou had already finished cooking a bowl of noodles and set it down in front of Lu Yao. “Give my handmade noodles a try—how do they taste?”
Lu Yao lifted a few strands with her slender fingers and slipped them into her mouth. She paused for a second, then nodded eagerly. She had sampled Shen Zhirou’s cooking before and knew it was top-notch, but she hadn’t expected a simple bowl of noodles to be this incredible. Her bright eyes sparkled as she nodded. “Delicious.”
Shen Zhirou smiled gently. “If you like it, just eat at home from now on. I’ll make it for you.”
With that, Shen Zhirou fetched her own bowl of noodles. They ate in companionable silence, quietly enjoying their meal, until Jiang Chen arrived to take Lu Yao to the company. Lu Yao left in a rush.
Shen Zhirou gathered up the bowls and chopsticks and carried them to the kitchen before heading out. The housekeeping Auntie came every morning to tidy up the house, so there was nothing more for Shen Zhirou to handle.
