After arriving at the company, Lu Yao was stunned for a moment when her secretary, Chen Qingqing, had already prepared breakfast and brought it in. She looked up at Chen Qingqing and said, “I forgot to tell you I already ate this morning. See if anyone hasn’t had breakfast yet and give it to them.”
With that, Lu Yao dove straight into her work. The buildings their company was handling were nearing handover, and the materials they had to submit to the housing and construction department were piling up by the day. Lu Yao spent her time either reviewing documents or in meetings—she was busier than ever.
Chen Qingqing paused in surprise, not expecting Lu Yao to say that. She had worked under Lu Yao for two years now and knew her boss’s principles well. Once a habit took root, Lu Yao rarely broke it, even over something as minor as breakfast.
But the pause lasted only a moment before Chen Qingqing headed out. She had keenly sensed that her boss was a little off today, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. Jiang Chen’s lips were sealed tight; she couldn’t pry a word out of him.
Shen Zhirou hesitated as she stared at her phone, reflecting on how intimate she and Lu Yao had been the night before—and how Lu Yao had eaten the breakfast she prepared that morning. Surely, she thought, messaging Lu Yao today would yield a different result.
With that in mind, Shen Zhirou opened her pinned WeChat contact, which read prominently: “Yaoyao.”
“I’ve arrived at the company. Are you busy today?”
The message sank like a stone into the sea, met with silence for a long while.
Shen Zhirou stared at her phone anxiously for a bit before shaking her head with a soft laugh. Lu Yao was probably just swamped, or maybe she simply didn’t like replying to WeChat.
What Shen Zhirou hadn’t anticipated, however, was a call from Lu Yao after work that afternoon. Unconcealed joy lit up her clear eyes. Lu Yao disliked texting back and hated phone calls, so receiving one from her filled Shen Zhirou with happiness.
“Yaoyao? Have you gotten off work? Want to come back for dinner tonight?” Shen Zhirou’s voice brimmed with delight, her fingers lightly twisting together at her side as she waited for the reply.
Lu Yao’s brows furrowed slightly. She didn’t like being called Yaoyao outside of certain contexts; it felt like Shen Zhirou was overstepping. But with her departure looming, she had no time for such trivialities. Her voice came out flat and muffled. “I’m not coming back tonight. I have to head out on a business trip to Linhai City—it’ll probably take a week. Don’t wait up for me these next few days. I’ve got something else; talk later.”
Shen Zhirou started to speak several times but caught the impatience in Lu Yao’s tone. In the end, she only managed, “Then take care of yourself.”
“Mm. You too.” Lu Yao’s response was curt and stiff, as if the warmth of the previous two evenings had never existed. Her tone was cold and commanding, like a superior issuing orders. She hung up abruptly, unwilling to let such minor distractions clutter her mind.
The smile on Shen Zhirou’s lips faded, a shadow of worry clouding her clear eyes. She had actually wanted to ask about Lu Yao’s flight time, so she could see her off—they wouldn’t meet for a whole week. Didn’t Lu Yao want to see her even once?
But Shen Zhirou shook it off quickly. Lu Yao had warned her before they got together that work kept her swamped with no time for romance. Maybe that was why things had moved so fast between them. Shen Zhirou resolved to adjust; Lu Yao was just busy, not indifferent. At least she’d called, sparing her a pointless wait.
Zhao Tongtong noticed Shen Zhirou’s face shift from joy to concern and sidled over. “What’s going on? One minute you’re beaming, the next you’re down. Did you two fight? That doesn’t make sense—you just got together; you should be inseparable.”
As she packed her things, Shen Zhirou gave Zhao Tongtong a gentle look and explained, “No fight. She’s just swamped with work—heading out on a business trip for a week.”
“She’s not even left yet, and you’re already missing her? Zhirou, like I said, a sweet, thoughtful girlfriend like you is Lu Yao’s lucky break.” Zhao Tongtong grinned, teasing her.
“Cut it out—you’re just messing with me.” Zhao Tongtong’s antics eased the worry knotting in Shen Zhirou’s chest.
When they reached the first floor, Zhao Tongtong said her boyfriend was there to pick her up, so she didn’t join Shen Zhirou in heading down to the underground level 2 parking garage.
The evening rush meant the lobby was crowded. As Shen Zhirou approached the Bentley to unlock it, her colleague from the same department, Huang Qingqing, spotted her and came over with a greeting.
“Zhirou, look at you—driving a Bentley without a word.” Huang Qingqing eyed the sapphire blue Bentley parked nearby.
Shen Zhirou smiled warmly and replied, “It’s not mine. It belongs to my girlfriend.”
“You actually have a girlfriend?” Huang Qingqing jumped in surprise, her eyes going wide.
That reaction made Shen Zhirou burst out laughing. Her already smiling face lit up even more. “What’s the matter? Can’t I have a girlfriend?”
“No, it’s just… I’m really surprised. I always thought you’d be into guys. Congrats! We’ll catch up at the company tomorrow.” Huang Qingqing chatted for a few more moments before heading back to her car.
“Alright, see you tomorrow.” Shen Zhirou opened the car door, slid into the driver’s seat, and started the engine.
She boiled some dumplings for dinner. After her shower, Shen Zhirou sprawled idly on the master bedroom bed. The sheets had been changed—probably by the housekeeper aunts. As she gazed at the side of the bed where Lu Yao had slept the night before, Shen Zhirou’s eyes curved in a gentle smile, her heart feeling scratched by a kitten’s paw, both sour and itchy.
She rolled over onto her stomach and opened WeChat. Yaoyao remained pinned at the top with no new activity. When she tapped into the chat, it was all one-sided messages from herself. Lu Yao probably didn’t check WeChat much.
Propping her chin on one hand, Shen Zhirou’s slender fingers typed out a line on the phone keyboard. She finished but hesitated to hit send, her earlobes already turning faintly pink.
The message in the chat box read: “Yaoyao, are you resting? I miss you so much.”
Shen Zhirou bit her lip and pressed send. Her eyes shimmered with emotion. Moments later, she buried her face in the soft quilt and didn’t dare look at the screen for a long while—even though she knew Lu Yao probably wouldn’t see it, or if she did, wouldn’t reply. Still, it left her cheeks burning red.
This was her first relationship. She’d never said words like that to anyone before. Even though the previous two times with Lu Yao had felt wonderful, Shen Zhirou had still been too shy in bed to whisper sweet nothings. Lu Yao, on the other hand, had been completely different from her usual aloof self, saying anything and everything without hesitation.
Just thinking about it made Shen Zhirou burrow even deeper into the covers, her whole body feeling like it was on fire.
After calming down a bit, she reached for the phone, her pale, slender arm peeking out from under the quilt. Her gaze fell on the chat with Lu Yao, and the flicker of romance in her heart faded away. Sure enough, Lu Yao still hadn’t checked WeChat or replied.
Shen Zhirou buried her entire face in the soft bedding. She couldn’t help thinking that Yaoyao’s in-bed and out-of-bed personalities were worlds apart, but she could understand it. Yaoyao was probably just the serious type in everyday life, Shen Zhirou told herself by way of comfort.
As her emotions swung between sweet and bittersweet, her phone suddenly rang. Shen Zhirou yanked herself out of the bedding in a panic and grabbed the device. What if it was her Yaoyao?
But the screen read “Mom.” It was her mother, Ning Jianfang, calling. Shen Zhirou answered, and Ning Jianfang’s delighted voice came through.
“Zhirou, how are things going with Lu Yao? Why don’t you bring her home for dinner this weekend? Just to introduce her around.”
“She’s on a business trip to Linhai City. It’ll be at least a week, and she’s really busy—often doesn’t get back until eleven or midnight. She doesn’t have time.”
“Alright then. Since she’s away, you and your sister can come over for dinner. Uncle Kang drove back from the coast with a bunch of fresh prawns. Come Saturday with Yu Mian. Mom will make braised prawns for you.”
Shen Zhirou’s delicate lashes fluttered as she considered it for a moment before agreeing. She had always loved the feeling of home, even knowing her mother might have some agenda. Ever since Grandma passed, she and her sister truly had no home left.
“Got it. I’ll call Yu Mian. We’ll head back this weekend.”
“Wonderful. Your brother will be home too. The whole family can sit down together for once. We haven’t had a proper gathering in ages.” Ning Jianfang chuckled.
Shen Zhirou chatted with her mother a bit longer before hanging up. She scrolled to “Mianmian” in her contacts and hit call. It connected right away, and a young girl’s clear voice answered.
“Sis? Why are you calling now?”
“Can’t I call just because I miss you?” Shen Zhirou’s gaze softened even further, her tone playful, like she was teasing a little kitten.
“Jie Jie, I miss you too. Are you free this weekend when you’re off? Let me treat you to something delicious, okay?”
Shen Yumian’s steps lightened as she walked, her heart buoyed. Her parents had already wired her the university tuition, and Jie Jie had given her living expenses on top of that, but she still picked up part-time work every day. She didn’t want to be a burden on her sister—and besides, she would graduate for good in just one or two more weeks.
Shen Yumian felt a profound sense of relief. Soon she could land a job and start repaying Jie Jie’s kindness, provided she found the right position. Otherwise, housing would become a real headache down the line.
