Chapter 27: You Kissed Me—Do You Plan to Take Responsibility?

After nearly several months of their reunion, Xu Wu rarely answered questions about the past directly.

Back in her senior year of high school, after seeing Zhou Jinye race his car on her birthday, they had talked about getting a driver’s license. By then, he was already in college and already had both a racing license and a regular driver’s license. She, on the other hand, rarely ventured out and was unfamiliar with the city. He had casually mentioned that if she planned to practice driving during summer vacation, he knew the place well and could teach her.

After the college entrance exam, Xu Wu started working part-time and enrolled in a driving school.

But by that point, she and Zhou Jinye had already been broken up for over four months. After he came to visit her once, she never saw him again.

The promise he made to help her practice driving during the summer never came true after an accident occurred.

Adhering to the principle of safety first and speed second, Xu Wu drove cautiously at a snail’s pace. She sat upright, her back stiff, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead and the vehicles passing by on either side.

When she approached a red light, she maintained a safe distance from the car in front of her, carefully stopping without brushing against any other vehicles.

As the tires rolled to a halt behind the car in front, Xu Wu, who hadn’t driven in years, finally felt her tense back relax momentarily. Then she heard a soft chuckle beside her—it seemed like mockery.

Without even looking, she knew Zhou Jinye was laughing at her.

A moment later, she glanced at him through the rearview mirror.

Zhou Jinye rested his left cheek on his hand, gazing ahead with a lazy expression tinged with boredom.

As if sensing something, his gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, where their eyes met.

The car she was driving now wasn’t like the off-road vehicle he had before. The interior was small and enclosed, and the wind blew in through the open window on Zhou Jinye’s side. The rain from the past few days had soaked the soil in the green belts outside, and the air inside carried a faint smell of earth mixed with sandalwood and white tea.

It reminded Xu Wu of the night she drunkenly kissed Zhou Jinye.

In the days following their breakup, whenever she closed her eyes, she would dream of him, even hugging him and apologizing.

Since their reunion, Xu Wu admitted that she couldn’t forget the past—or him. Despite suppressing her feelings, they sometimes burst free. She didn’t know how to bring it up or face him.

“There are five more minutes until the light turns green.”

Zhou Jinye’s lips moved in the mirror.

Xu Wu realized she had been staring into the mirror, lost in thought, and quickly averted her gaze.

“There isn’t much food left in the fridge. Can I stop at the supermarket near the neighborhood to buy groceries?”

This was Zhou Jinye’s car, and since they’d pass by on the way home, it made sense to pick up groceries for dinner.

After she finished speaking, Zhou Jinye’s lips curved slightly upward, his hand still lazily resting on the window frame. “We’ve been eating at your place lately, so do as you wish.”

“Alright.”

The car slowly pulled into the supermarket parking lot. After reversing into a parking space based on memory, Xu Wu let out a sigh of relief.

Once she got out of the car, Zhou Jinye followed suit from the other side.

Seeing this, Xu Wu said to him, “You can wait in the car. I’ll be back soon after I buy the groceries.”

“I have some things I need to buy too.”

Xu Wu didn’t say anything further and entered the supermarket with him.

However, once inside, he stayed close behind her as they picked out vegetables.

Every day required different vegetables. After Xu Wu selected three heads of cabbage, she turned around.

The basket was already filled with various types of produce—a box of eggs and several packages of meat piled inside.

She noticed Zhou Jinye selecting items from the supermarket’s refrigerated section.

Seeing her puzzled expression, he explained as he placed another item in the cart, “This way we have a balanced diet of both meat and vegetables.”

The shopping cart was filled beyond what two people typically needed. Xu Wu reminded him, “We’re buying too much. We won’t be able to eat all of this.”

“Xu Wangshu, I already told you I need to replenish nutrients. Look at my wound—I lost a lot of blood and need to recover.”

Zhou Jinye raised his injured right hand to waist level for her to see.

Hearing the hint of委屈 (grievance) in his voice, Xu Wu’s guilt resurfaced. She added some fruits from the shelves.

“Oh my goodness, look six meters to the right of our target position.”

“I see it, I see it. They’re both so good-looking.”

“Yes, I noticed them the moment we walked in. Look at that handsome guy pushing the shopping cart and following the beautiful girl.”

“Isn’t this just married life?”

“Oh, having a husband accompany his wife grocery shopping gives off such a ‘husband’ vibe. I want this scene in my life too.”

Their conversation wasn’t too loud or too soft, but Xu Wu heard every word clearly. Only then did she realize that Zhou Jinye had been staying close to her while shopping.

Glancing at him pushing the shopping cart, walking alongside her, his scent of sandalwood lingered near her nose.

When he pushed the cart to the checkout counter, he began taking out the groceries and fruits one by one. His slender hands, with veins faintly visible, handed items to the cashier. Under the lights, his hair appeared softer, and his rebellious features took on a gentler tone.

Xu Wu thought about the term “husband vibe” those two women had used.

After a long pause, she calmly turned her head away.

“Payment successful.”

Before Xu Wu could react, Zhou Jinye had already paid with his phone.

She reached for her wallet, but he beat her to it, pocketing the receipt.

“How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you later.”

He picked up the two large bags of groceries. “No need. After all, I’ve been eating at your place these days. It’s only fair that I pay.”

Xu Wu didn’t say anything further.

________________________________________

They returned to the apartment with all the groceries.

She had told Zhou Jinye she would call him when dinner was ready, and during the time his hand hadn’t healed, they had maintained this arrangement.

The fridge was now stocked with the groceries and fruits they had bought. As Xu Wu washed the vegetables, her phone rang.

Seeing Wei Ming’s name on the caller ID, Xu Wu’s brows furrowed slightly.

She swiped to answer.

“Hello, Brother.”

“Are you with Zhou Jinye again?” Wei Ming asked over the phone.

Xu Wu was momentarily stunned. “No, why?”

“To Xiang Rui showed me something on Weibo. I’m calling to check.”

Hearing “Weibo,” Xu Wu switched to the app.

Among the top three trending topics, two stood out—

[LUNAR’s President Zhou fought with Yangkang Group’s investor Qin over a female employee.]

[It’s rumored that President Zhou and Mr. Qin are father and son.]

Within an afternoon, online information spread rapidly, and this topic quickly climbed to the second spot on the trending list.

Seeing the words, Xu Wu froze. “Xu Wu, have you seen it?”

After a long pause, she softly replied, “Mm.”

Wei Ming hesitated for a moment before asking, “Have you offended anyone recently?”

Wei Ming’s question brought Xu Wu back to reality. Only one person today had the capability to stir things up.

To avoid involving the Wei family, Xu Wu tilted her head toward the glaring light of the lamp. “No, I only briefly cooperated with his company. It’s probably just bored reporters making things up for clicks.”

Wei Ming on the other end of the line said, “Alright, I’ll find someone to take it down. Be careful when you go out these days, and remember to rest.”

Xu Wu’s voice remained gentle, betraying no emotion. “I understand, Brother. You too.”

After a brief exchange, they hung up. Xu Wu deleted the Weibo post immediately.

She switched to the rental housing interface.

________________________________________

In the apartment across the corridor, Zhou Jinye was reviewing footage from the surveillance camera when Wei Ming called.

He answered with a puzzled tone.

“Jinye, have you seen the Weibo posts?”

Zhou Jinye frowned. When he opened the app and saw the trending topic, his expression darkened. It was clear who was behind it.

“Mm,” he closed the app and turned to Wei Ming. “I’ll handle it.”

“I just spoke with Xu Wu. I’ll get someone to remove the Weibo post. Five years ago, when you returned to the country, you messaged me about Qin Shili. I knew your relationship with him has always been strained. Now that you’ve reunited, I know my sister wronged you, but with this incident happening, I don’t know if someone intentionally stirred up these rumors. I hope nothing like this happens again.”

“I understand.” His right hand clenched into a fist. “I’ll handle this matter.”

Wei Ming hesitated on the other end, then finally said, “Alright.”

After hanging up, Zhou Jinye quickly dialed the overseas number.

________________________________________

As usual, Xu Wu finished cooking and called him over.

At the dining table, the two of them, as if prearranged, remained silent throughout the meal. Everything proceeded as usual.

After dinner, Xu Wu cleared the dishes and went to prepare bathwater for him.

Zhou Jinye leaned against the bathroom doorframe, quietly watching her in silence.

He remembered Wei Ming mentioning that he had spoken to her. Xu Wu appeared unnaturally calm, remaining silent throughout the meal.

The light illuminated him, and his shadow fell over her. Xu Wu could feel it but didn’t turn around, her delicate hands testing the water temperature.

“The water’s ready. Go ahead and take your bath.”

As Xu Wu was about to leave, a wave of warmth encircled her wrist.

Zhou Jinye reached out to stop her. “You’ve seen the Weibo post, right?”

She remained silent.

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

“Do you think someone did this on purpose?” After a long silence, Xu Wu finally looked up at him.

Zhou Jinye turned his head to look at her. “Qin Shili.”

Xu Wu hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Until your hand heals, I’ll continue to take care of you.”

“What do you mean?” Zhou Jinye was confused by her words and looked into her eyes. “Are you saying you don’t plan to take responsibility?”

“I said before your hand was injured…”

“I’m not talking about that!” He pulled out his phone. “Do you remember how your lips got hurt last time?”

The almost forgotten incident was brought up again by Zhou Jinye. Xu Wu discreetly tightened her grip on her sleeve.

“You kissed me. Are you planning to take responsibility for that?”

With that, he pulled up a video from his gallery.