Chapter 31: Then Can I Kiss You?

The streets in late autumn had a stronger sense of fall than usual.

Xu Wu had just finished organizing the documents piled up on her desk and was heading downstairs.

It was at this moment that Zhou Jinye sent her a message. She opened her phone while stepping into the elevator and told him she’d be right over.

The evening sunlight filtered through the glass windows of the office building, quietly falling on the lightly colored leather sofa, casting it in a brilliant golden hue.

[Alright, I’ll wait for you here.]

She turned off her phone screen after staring at it for a long time, unable to suppress the smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

Knowing someone was waiting for her made Xu Wu quicken her steps.

The temperature had dropped significantly recently, and as Xu Wu stepped out of the office building, she pulled her open coat tighter around herself.

The wind of late autumn wasn’t gentle—it reddened Xu Wu’s nose with its force.

Zhou Jinye had parked his car by the roadside early.

As soon as Xu Wu came out, she spotted Zhou Jinye standing out among the crowd.

The setting sun rested on the horizon, its orange-yellow rays illuminating him from behind. He looked like a radiant figure, drawing the attention of many passersby who couldn’t help but glance his way.

A handsome man always attracted eyes wherever he went.

Several girls lingered nearby, and one even ran past Xu Wu to ask Zhou Jinye for his WeChat.

Seeing her approach from behind, Zhou Jinye lazily said, “Sorry, my phone’s out of battery and turned off.”

To avoid further attempts, he added, “I think I remember my WeChat ID.”

The girl finally left, looking dejected.

Just moments ago, Zhou Jinye had been replying to Xu Wu’s messages—had his phone really run out of battery so quickly?

After the girl walked away, Xu Wu approached, tucking her hair behind her ears, which had been tousled by the evening breeze. The amber glow of the setting sun reflected in her eyes, making them especially bright.

Her voice carried warmth and anticipation: “Then can I add your WeChat?”

The warm hues of the sunset bathed her hair in light, and Zhou Jinye, feeling amused, decided to play along.

Leaning back against the hood of his car, he smirked, his eyes teasing: “Are you sure adding WeChat will satisfy you?”

It was as if she were drawn to him.

No, not at all. Not nearly enough.

She was done running away from her feelings. When it came to her emotions, she wanted to date Zhou Jinye happily—to hug, to kiss, to do countless things together.

Not nearly enough.

“Then can I kiss you?” Xu Wu voiced what was on her mind.

“Aren’t you still chasing me?” Zhou Jinye raised an eyebrow, his lips curved into a smile. “So quick to kiss?”

“Can’t I get a preview?” Xu Wu said earnestly. “Even frozen meals come with samples to try.”

Hearing this, Zhou Jinye’s eyes sparkled with amusement: “How have I never noticed how extraordinary your logic is?”

Xu Wu didn’t exaggerate: “I used to avoid drawing too much attention. I had to stay humble.”

“Alright, get in the car. The sun’s about to set, and we still need to stop by the supermarket.”

On the streets after work, crowds bustled past. Everyone couldn’t help but notice the picture-perfect scene of a handsome man and a beautiful woman together, like a photo captured in their minds.

As more people filled the streets after work, Xu Wu—always shy—could feel the gazes of passersby on her. She didn’t say much more and got into the car with Zhou Jinye.

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The car stopped in the parking garage of the residential complex.

Since they were picking out toys for Pudding, it only mattered that the dog liked them.

They took Pudding out, and Xu Wu and Zhou Jinye walked side by side into the supermarket.

Because of some recent online trends, they had put a bite deterrent on Pudding’s mouth before heading out.

Inside, there were small toys for dogs.

Pudding was always such a handful during baths, so they bought a few toys it liked to distract it while bathing in the small tub.

Soon, they picked out a few small toys from the shelves.

Zhou Jinye remembered they were buying things for Pudding: “You mean we’re getting dog toys?”

“Yes,” Pudding stood firmly in front of its favorite toys, and Xu Wu picked up the ones it chose, turning to Zhou Jinye: “These will keep it company while bathing and help distract it.”

Zhou Jinye thought of Pudding’s collar but didn’t show any reaction: “You seem very attentive to Pudding.”

More so than to him.

After a pause, Xu Wu looked at him and said, “It stayed with you for so many years. Now that I’ve taken it in, I want to do what I can for it.”

He looked at her, reflecting on what she had said: “Do you know what you remind me of right now?”

“What do I remind you of?” She didn’t know what Zhou Jinye was thinking.

“Like…” Zhou Jinye spoke slowly: “Like Pudding’s mom.”

Xu Wu froze. His words echoed in her mind. If they hadn’t broken up back then, she had often imagined their future together—raising Pudding, staying together forever.

After a while, she opened her mouth: “I guess you’re right.”

She then thought of the investigation today regarding the incident and Qin Shili’s involvement.

Back then, Qin Shili had taken him abroad. A year or two after college graduation, she had ended things decisively, deleting Zhou Jinye’s WeChat and changing her phone number. But his WeChat account remained saved in her contacts, and she occasionally saw glimpses of him in Li Qingyang’s social media posts.

He had excelled overseas. In one foreign interview, she saw him—he was a representative of outstanding students, winning numerous awards in prestigious international competitions.

One night, after being sent by her boss to negotiate a deal, she returned to her rented apartment drunk and threw up in the bathroom.

After replying to her boss, she scrolled through her feed and came across Li Qingyang’s overseas post.

In the pitch-black room where nothing could be seen, the image on her phone glowed brightly.

In that photo, Zhou Jinye was surrounded by white people and others with yellow skin, standing on a famous competition stage. Holding a trophy in the center, he looked striking. Apart from his roguishly handsome demeanor remaining unchanged, he had grown taller.

She knew he had won awards, and she thought that if she were still with him, she would have been ecstatic. She hadn’t paid close attention to the specific expression on his face.

At the time, she thought he had become better and moved on from the past.

________________________________________

But now, recalling it, she realized she had forgotten the cunning and ruthless nature of someone like Qin Shili hiding in the shadows. And yet, she had cruelly pushed Zhou Jinye back into that mire.

During those years abroad, she had imagined Zhou Jinye standing in the spotlight of the world. Qin Shili wouldn’t be foolish enough to harm him.

But she wondered if, when he first arrived abroad, he might have struggled to adapt, just as she had when she first came to Linjing. Had Qin Shili treated him poorly?

While Xu Wu was lost in thought, Zhou Jinye picked out toys for Pudding. Watching him and Pudding choose small toys, Xu Wu suddenly asked: “When you were abroad, did you live well?”

After their reunion, Zhou Jinye had once asked Xu Wu how she had fared over the years. Now, it was her turn to ask him.

Zhou Jinye paused while squatting to pick out toys for Pudding. After a few seconds, he didn’t understand what Xu Wu meant and asked: “What do you mean?”

His tone gave nothing away, leaving it unclear whether he had lived well or not.

Xu Wu nodded: “I also want to know if you lived well during those years abroad.”

The small toys were almost packed. Zhou Jinye stood up, noticing something off in Xu Wu’s expression, and asked: “Why are you asking this question?”

“I just want to know.” At this moment, she wasn’t sure if she should tell him about what she had discovered today.

Seeing that Xu Wu wasn’t planning to speak, Zhou Jinye, though showing no emotion, gently guided her: “Well, it’s better to talk about it if there’s something on your mind.”

After buying toys for Pudding, Xu Wu took the dog and returned to the apartment with him.

The toys were all items that could float in water.

As soon as they exited the elevator, they saw Jiang Zihan and Li Qingyang talking in the hallway.

Jiang Zihan had been staying at Xu Wu’s place recently, and Xu Wu wasn’t sure how they had crossed paths.

She glanced at Zhou Jinye beside her. As if sensing her gaze, he met her eyes, shrugged, and indicated he didn’t know either.

“Zhou Jinye.” Li Qingyang finally noticed them, holding a contract in his hand.

“They told me at the company that you left work early. This matter is urgent, and I need to discuss it with you.”

Behind him, Jiang Zihan was dressed casually. She was heading to the hospital for her night shift, having swapped shifts with someone else.

Perhaps Li Qingyang had arrived to deliver the document just as they bumped into each other.

“Wu Wu, I’m leaving first.” Li Qingyang’s arrival hadn’t affected Jiang Zihan’s plans to go to work.

“Bye.”

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While Zhou Jinye and Li Qingyang discussed work, Xu Wu bathed Pudding.

Placing the small toys in Pudding’s little bathtub worked wonders. As she showered the dog, its paws occasionally touched the toys.

The little rubber duck bobbed in the rippling water, fascinating Pudding.

This bath wasn’t as chaotic as usual. She remembered Zhou Jinye mentioning they needed to use conditioner on Pudding’s fur.

But pressing the bottle yielded nothing—it was empty.

After scanning the bathroom and finding none, and with Pudding soaking wet in the water, she had no choice but to interrupt Zhou Jinye’s meeting.

“Um,” Xu Wu interjected during a brief pause in their conversation. “Pudding’s conditioner is finished. Where’s the new one?”

Zhou Jinye stopped twirling the pen in his hand: “It’s in the storage box next to the wardrobe in my room.”

Xu Wu turned to Li Qingyang: “Then I won’t disturb your work.”

Watching Xu Wu walk confidently toward Zhou Jinye’s room without asking where it was, Li Qingyang—who had been puzzled since they entered together and mentioned bathing Pudding—couldn’t help but wonder: “Are you two back together?”

Zhou Jinye flipped to the other side of the contract: “Sort of, but not really.”

His vague response left Li Qingyang confused.

“No, or yes, or…?”

Before Li Qingyang could finish, Zhou Jinye tossed the document into his arms.

As Zhou Jinye carefully reviewed each word, he remembered there was something else in the storage box. Having already checked it, he handed it back.

“I understand. I’ll give you a reply later.” He headed toward his room. “Remember to lock my door when you leave.”

“Take care, don’t bother seeing me out.”