Chapter 505 I Miss You So Much

The room reflected the flowing light from outside the window, and even more clearly reflected her image, brimming with undisguised tenderness and deep affection, like a fine wine aged for five years, so intense that it made her heart race.

Her earlobes instantly burned, the heat spreading down her neck to her cheeks, but she didn't look away. She just stared at him, even her breathing became soft.

Zhou Mubin's gaze slid from her eyes to her slightly parted lips. His Adam's apple bobbed again, and his voice was softer than an air conditioner blast, slightly hoarse from drinking, "Cui Xiao, I..."

The words he wanted to say lingered on his tongue, and the phrase "I miss you so much" almost came out, but he stopped himself, afraid of offending her.

Before he could finish speaking, his fingers gently touched the back of her hand resting on her knee. His fingertips bore the thin calluses from years of holding a pen, and a slight tremor that was hard to hide after drinking.

Cui Xiao's fingers curled up subconsciously. The temperature of her fingertips was higher than his, but she didn't pull them back. Instead, she gently rubbed against his fingertips.

It's like a response, yet also like an instinctive dependence.

The air inside the car seemed to freeze instantly, with only the intertwined breathing of the two people and the increasingly rapid heartbeats between them; even the soft sound of the air conditioner seemed distant.

Zhou Mubin took a deep breath, just about to move closer and finish what he hadn't said, when the designated driver suddenly reminded him through the rearview mirror, "Sir, we've arrived."

The two of them moved away as if they had been burned. Cui Xiao hurriedly turned her head to look out the window, unable to suppress the blush on the tips of her ears, and her fingers subconsciously clenched the suit jacket on her shoulder.

Zhou Mubin cleared his throat, trying to hide his panic, and pushed open the car door first. He quickly walked around to the other side to help her out, his movements so fast it was as if he was running away from something, but he didn't forget to pull his suit jacket over her shoulders to keep the night wind from getting in.

Upon entering the apartment building, the motion-activated lights were activated by the sound of their footsteps.

Zhou Mubin supported Cui Xiao's elbow, his palm gently supporting her forearm, afraid of hurting her by using too much force. "Slow down."

Slightly tipsy, Cui Xiao leaned towards him, her breath carrying a faint scent of red wine. Her steps were light as if she were walking on clouds. Upon hearing his words, she simply gave a mumbled "hmm," and her head would occasionally nuzzle his shoulder.

The elevator doors opened, and as she reached the fourth-floor entrance, she fumbled for her keys in her canvas bag. Her fingers trembled violently, and the keychain wobbled twice outside the lock without finding the right key.

Zhou Mubin quickly stepped forward to take it, his fingertips inadvertently touching the back of her hand. The warm touch made his heart skip a beat, but his movements became more and more skillful as he inserted it into the lock and turned it.

A small, milky-white nightlight was left on in the living room, its soft light spilling across the floor. The nanny immediately came out to greet her when she heard the sound of the key turning. Seeing Cui Xiao, who reeked of alcohol and had a dazed look in her eyes, she quickly stepped forward to help her up. "Oh dear, Miss Cui, you've had too much to drink. I'll go make some hangover soup right away."

"Thanks for your hard work."

As Zhou Mubin helped Cui Xiao walk towards the bedroom, he deliberately slowed down. When they passed the entrance hall, he carefully hung her bag on the most convenient hook and turned to remind her, "Don't make it too sweet."

Once inside the bedroom, he gently placed her on the bed covered with silk sheets, his movements as light as if she were a fragile piece of glass.

He then knelt down and carefully helped her remove her high heels.

Afraid that the shoe buckle would hurt her, he deliberately used his fingertips to press the heel and slowly slipped the shoe off. As he bent down, the scent of gardenias in her hair brushed against his nose, and his heart skipped a beat.

He casually pulled the gossamer-thin silk quilt over her, carefully tucking the corners of the quilt around her neck and ankles. Seeing that her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was uncomfortable due to the alcohol, he raised his hand and gently massaged her brow with his fingertips, using very light pressure.

Only when her breathing gradually calmed down and her brows relaxed did he turn around and quietly leave the bedroom. When he reached the entrance hall, he made a point of reminding the nanny again, "Let the hangover soup cool down before serving. Make sure she drinks alcohol, or she'll have a headache tomorrow."

The nanny replied, "Okay, Mr. Zhou, I've got it all in mind."

When Zhou Mubin returned upstairs, he closed the door behind him. As he took off his coat, the warm touch of Cui Xiao's earlobe still lingered on his fingertips. The touch felt like an electric current, shooting up his fingertips and into his heart.

He threw his coat on the sofa and walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling window in the center of the living room. Looking down at the window below, he saw that the curtains were drawn tightly, but he could vaguely see the light shining through the gaps.

He sat on the sofa, picked up a glass from the coffee table, poured himself some cold water, and ran his fingertips along the cool glass, while the scene in the car kept replaying in his mind.

Her hazy eyes were veiled with a layer of mist, her slightly parted lips were flushed with the red of alcohol, and there was a tingling electric sensation when our fingertips touched. Every detail was so clear that it seemed to be happening right before my eyes.

The cold water made him shiver, but it did nothing to quell the heat in his heart. He simply picked up a thin blanket, wrapped it around himself, and sat down on the wicker chair on the balcony.

The night breeze carried the fragrance of flowers from the community garden, and the streetlights downstairs cast a dim yellow glow. Occasionally, a late-returning resident would walk by with their dog, their footsteps fading into the distance.

He sat there from the deep of night until the sky began to lighten, until the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds and fell on the balcony, only then realizing that he hadn't slept all night.

In the morning light, he walked to the bathroom mirror, looked at the dark circles under his eyes, as if they had been stained with ink, and smiled helplessly.

Having lived for over thirty years, this is the first time I've ever stayed up all night because of someone.

He pulled out a men's concealer from his drawer, gently dabbed it on his dark circles in front of the mirror, and blended it repeatedly until it looked natural. He then washed his face with cold water before hurriedly grabbing his briefcase and rushing to the law firm.

As soon as you enter the law firm, someone will greet you with a steaming cup of Americano.

He handed over the coffee, his eyes unconsciously glancing under Zhou Mubin's eyes, his voice low, "Lawyer Zhou, didn't you sleep well last night? I specially brewed you a double espresso, but why are you having trouble sleeping?"

Zhou Mubin took the coffee, his fingertips touching the warm cup. He rubbed his throbbing temples and glanced at him helplessly. "Stop gossiping. Go over the materials from the industry conference in a few days with me again, especially the recent cases from the top local law firms in Shanghai. Highlight the key points."

Xiao Chen quickly suppressed his smile and ran to get the documents. As he passed the office area, several long-time employees who had worked for Zhou Mubin for many years exchanged knowing glances.

Last night, Zhou Lu and Cui Xiao left together. Looking at Zhou Lu's dark circles under his eyes today, everyone knew what was going on, but no one dared to ask a question.

Zhou Mubin sat at his desk, flipping through the documents compiled by Xiao Chen. His fingertips traced the case summaries on the pages, and even though his eyes were tired, his gaze remained sharp.

When encountering key data, they would circle it with a red pen and annotate any questions next to it, never relaxing their control over the business.

After all, the legal market in Shanghai is highly competitive. The law firm has just moved here, and every step must be taken steadily. Only by quickly establishing a foothold can it provide Cui Xiao and her daughter with a more stable support.