Chapter 20: I Already Answered That Question Last Night

Since it was the weekend and she didn’t have to work, Xu Wu turned off her usual alarm and went back to sleep, still feeling dizzy from the night before.

It wasn’t until close to noon that she finally dragged herself out of bed.

Xu Wu pulled open the curtains and pressed her temples lightly.

She usually only drank one or two glasses of alcohol, but last night’s excessive drinking left her head buzzing.

Her clothes from the night before were still on. She vaguely remembered Yuan Yiheng dropping her off, taking the elevator upstairs, struggling to open her door, and even calling Jiang Zihan.

The rest… seemed like a blur, as if she had hallucinated.

And then… she forgot.

Holding a change of clothes, Xu Wu made her way from the bedroom to the living room.

On the dining table, there was a bowl left behind.

She picked it up and sniffed.

It smelled like hangover soup.

There was a faint sweetness—rock sugar mixed with honey lingering on her tongue.

Had he come over last night after she called Jiang Zihan?

Had he made this soup for her?

Setting the bowl down, Xu Wu headed toward the bathroom.

After placing her change of clothes in a waterproof bag, she picked up a comb. It was her habit to comb her hair before washing it.

Standing in front of the mirror, she raised the comb but froze before it touched her hair.

Her gaze fell on her lips—the right side bore a dark red scab against the softness of her mouth.

She gently touched the spot with her finger. Was this from falling and hitting her mouth while drunk?

Leaning closer to the mirror, she studied it more carefully.

Was it… a bite mark?

Was this what happened when she blacked out from drinking too much? Did she bite her own lips until they bled?

Shaking off the thought, she combed her hair and stepped into the shower without dwelling on it further.

As the hairdryer hummed in her ears, the buzzing sound echoed through her mind.

Once her hair was half-dry, Xu Wu lowered the dryer’s setting.

Amid the noise, she faintly heard the sound of someone fiddling with the lock at her door.

The security in her residential complex was tight—it must be her imagination.

But just as she thought that, a few barks came from outside.

Turning off the hairdryer, she listened again. Another bark confirmed it.

She hadn’t imagined it.

Opening her door, she saw Pudding sitting by her doorstep, panting and wagging his tail as he looked up at her.

Seeing him, Xu Wu glanced at Zhou Jinye’s half-open door across the hall.

Zhou Jinye had mentioned locking his door to prevent Pudding from running out. Had he forgotten today?

Thinking about how he had acted strangely the other night, and now Pudding was here, she cautiously approached his door.

Knocking lightly, she called out, “Zhou Jinye, are you home?”

No response came from inside. She knocked again and called out once more, just in case.

It seemed he wasn’t home—he must have gone out.

If Pudding stayed alone in the apartment without Zhou Jinye, he might run out again.

With no choice, she closed his door and brought Pudding back to her place.

She still had that unopened bag of dog food she hadn’t given back to Zhou Jinye. Grabbing a bowl specifically for Pudding, she poured some food into it.

After eating a light lunch, she picked up her knitting supplies and used the free time during the holiday to work on Pudding’s scarf.

The afternoon was quiet, with sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Human and dog sat together on the carpet. Pudding lounged lazily by her side while Xu Wu focused on knitting the small scarf stitch by stitch.

Everything felt peaceful.

By around six or seven in the evening, Xu Wu was sitting in the living room. The scarf was complete, and from the other side of the wall, she heard the sound of a door opening.

Just as she finished putting the scarf on Pudding, he heard the noise and ran to the door.

To prevent him from slipping out unnoticed, Xu Wu locked her door.

As soon as the lock clicked, Pudding darted out and squatted in front of Zhou Jinye, sticking out his tongue proudly as if showing off.

Zhou Jinye had just returned, carrying a stack of documents—likely from his company.

Her gaze shifted upward, and their eyes met.

Had he been staring at her all along?

Still troubled by what happened the other night, Xu Wu began explaining why Pudding was in her apartment.

“Your door wasn’t locked, so he ran out. I brought him into my room.”

Zhou Jinye’s gaze fixed intently on a spot on her face. Instinctively, she pressed her lips together.

He asked, “Do you have anything else to say?”

Xu Wu did have something on her mind—the incident from the other night—but seeing his sullen mood, she hesitated to bring it up.

“No?”

She simply replied, “Nothing.”

At her words, the man raised his eyes slightly, his hand brushing lightly over his lips. His expression remained unreadable. “Alright.”

Watching his actions, Xu Wu was confused.

As he opened the door to leave, he suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right. Tomorrow is my cousin’s birthday. Your brother and she are good friends. Remember to take him to her house for the celebration.”

Xu Wu was baffled. Did he really need to remind her of this?

They were desk mates—couldn’t he just call and let Wei Linxuan know?

At that moment, her phone rang from the room behind her.

······

Picking up her phone, she saw it was the landline number for the Wei household.

Speak of the devil.

On weekends, unless Wei Linxuan had something special going on, he usually called around this time.

“Sister,” Wei Linxuan’s voice came through the receiver.

“Mm, have you finished your homework?”

Xu Wu asked.

“Yes, I’ve even finished tomorrow’s assignments.”

“That’s great,” she said, recalling what Zhou Jinye had told her. “Tomorrow your female classmate is having a birthday party at her house. You’re invited.”

“I know. She told me about it yesterday after school,” Wei Linxuan replied.

After a pause, he asked, “Sister, how do you know about her birthday party tomorrow?”

For a moment, Xu Wu felt something was off but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Oh, her older cousin told me.”

“I see,” Wei Linxuan responded. “That time when you came to pick me up, you greeted her cousin. Are you close with him?”

During Wei Ming’s wedding, she and Wei Linxuan weren’t seated at the same table, so she hadn’t seen his desk mate’s cousin.

How should she respond?

“We’re acquainted,” Xu Wu said softly.

“It’s Sunday tomorrow. Will you come with me? Mom has plans, but she said she’d drop me off earlier.”

After hearing this, knowing Lin Qingya would take him…

Her relationship with Lin Qingya was complicated. Compared to Wei Linxuan, Xu Wu received far less love.

“Let Mom take you,” Xu Wu leaned against the wall, her gaze unfocused. “I won’t go.”

“No need. If you want to come, Mom isn’t coming this way anyway. I’ll let her go first.”

Wei Linxuan was growing up and could sense the subtleties between them. While he received abundant love from their mother, Xu Wu did not. Wanting to give her some affection, he always reached out to her, calling every weekend.

Unaware of all this, Xu Wu agreed.

“Alright.”

________________________________________

In a small courtyard in the city center, the exterior was styled in a rustic manner. Vines covered the walls, and flowers and plants were abundant, giving it a cozy appearance.

Perhaps it was the warm midday sun, but Xu Wu found the house exuding warmth.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

“What did you and Grandpa talk about in the study yesterday? You both looked so serious,” Zhou Wen asked as she took the groceries he had just bought.

Zhou Jinye’s expression remained neutral, revealing nothing.

“Nothing important.”

Zhou Wen eyed him suspiciously but didn’t press further.

“How many layers is Xiaoxuan’s cake? Some kids came with adults, and more friends might show up later. Will there be enough?”

“Don’t worry,” Zhou Jinye tilted his chin toward the direction. “It’s over there—a three-layer cake. Plenty for everyone.”

“Oh, and make some spicy sauce. I’ve been craving spicy food lately.”

After finishing their conversation, he watched Zhou Wen head to wash the vegetables. Unintentionally, he spotted a familiar figure through the kitchen window.

Xu Wu rang the doorbell, and Zhou Jinye came out to greet her.

He held the door open for her, and Xu Wu politely thanked him.

Wei Linxuan, holding a gift box, glanced at him. “Where’s Lin Xiaoxuan?”

Zhou Jinye seemed to detect a hint of scrutiny in his gaze and paused briefly before replying, “She’s in the living room playing with her friends.”

Xu Wu accompanied Wei Linxuan to the living room, where she greeted a woman who introduced herself as Lin Xiaoxuan’s mother.

In the living room, Wei Linxuan quickly bonded with Lin Xiaoxuan.

An elderly man passed by Xu Wu without her noticing.

“This is the girl you mentioned in the study yesterday?” He poured himself a cup of health tea and spoke to Zhou Jinye.

“Mm,” he glanced at the person sitting on the sofa.

As the elder passed by, he also observed Xu Wu’s demeanor and seemed to approve. “Alright, handle this matter first, then we’ll talk.”

As he returned to the study, he sighed silently.

······

Xu Wu watched the children gather around the dining table, singing birthday wishes to Lin Xiaoxuan, who wore a crown.

When it came time to cut the cake, Zhou Jinye stepped forward to do it.

Unexpectedly, he handed a slice to her. “This is yours.”

Xu Wu still didn’t understand what she had done to upset him, so she accepted it cautiously and thanked him.

Wei Linxuan noticed these subtle interactions from where he sat.

After the meal, when it was nearly time to leave, Xu Wu took Wei Linxuan home.

While clearing the table with Zhou Wen, Zhou Jinye heard her say, “Mrs. Liu from the clinic has a daughter who just returned from abroad. She found a job similar to yours. Do you want to meet her?”

Before Zhou Jinye could decline, the elder sitting on the couch interjected, “Stop trying to set him up. Sooner or later, he’ll bring home his fiancée.”

“What? Already?” Zhou Wen looked puzzled at the grandfather-grandson duo. “What exactly did you two discuss in the study yesterday? What fiancée?”

After finishing cleaning, Zhou Jinye smirked. “Not yet. I just picked up some things from Grandpa.”

Their conversation remained cryptic, leaving her none the wiser.

________________________________________

After dropping off Wei Linxuan, Xu Wu returned home just as Zhou Jinye was opening his door.

As the door opened, Pudding ran out wearing the scarf Xu Wu had knitted for him. The ends of the scarf were adorned with a yellow pudding-shaped design.

Seeing Pudding dash past, Zhou Jinye looked over.

His mood today seemed better than yesterday—perhaps quite good.

Xu Wu patted Pudding and walked up.

They were still neighbors, after all. As Jiang Zihan had suggested, she should ask him directly. Otherwise, this unresolved issue would continue to weigh on her mind.

Casually tightening her grip on her sleeve, she said, “I forgot to mention something yesterday. There’s one more thing I want to ask.”

Zhou Jinye looked at her.

Xu Wu: “Why were you so upset with me the other night?”

At her words, his brows furrowed. “I already answered that question last night.”