Chapter 128 Severing Ties

In that instant, Song Zhiwei's eyes widened and her pupils contracted.

Why did you kiss me again?

When he heard the word "again," the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up, and a triumphant smile appeared in his eyes.

"Because you're cute, I couldn't resist."

Song Zhiwei: "..."

She stared at him, her cheeks slightly flushed, her lips parting and closing slightly.

Sheng Tingzhou reached out, his fingertips running through her soft hair, and gently ruffled it.

"Stop glaring at me. If you keep glaring at me, I'm really going to keep you in a fish tank and play with you like a goldfish every day."

Song Zhiwei: "..."

She gritted her teeth in anger, wanting to bite him.

Sheng Tingzhou chuckled softly as he looked at her puffed-up face, his voice tinged with a hint of probing.

"You really won't tell me? Why did you ignore me last night?"

She remained silent for a long time, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her thoughts churning.

The image of the silver bracelet on Chen Yun's wrist kept flashing uncontrollably in his mind.

But she didn't say anything, she just bit her lip.

She wanted to ask: Didn't you say you weren't that close to Chen Yun?

Why did you personally pick out a gift for her?

The moment the thought crossed her mind, her heart churned.

But then I thought, they're not even officially together yet, isn't it too clingy of me to start interfering in their interactions?

What if he finds her difficult to deal with, and then distances himself from her?

She didn't want to appear unreasonable.

But the bitterness in my heart was something I couldn't suppress.

After much hesitation, she finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Have you... sent anything to anyone recently?"

Sheng Tingzhou was taken aback, then replied instantly: "No."

He frowned.

"Who told you anything?"

"without."

She shook her head, her eyes darting away.

That was just her overthinking; Chen Yun didn't mention anything.

When they bumped into each other in the break room yesterday, Chen Yun even mentioned him with a smile.

"President Sheng is too meticulous; he even personally checks the list of holiday gifts."

But she didn't say who it was for, nor did she mention any details.

It was all just a scenario she made up in her head.

Perhaps... she's overthinking it.

Seeing that her expression had softened, he reached out and pinched her earlobe.

He leaned closer and whispered.

"Little jealous person, next time if you have something to say, just ask directly, okay?"

A warm breath brushed past my ear.

"Don't keep it to yourself, it's so sour I can smell it."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Don't talk like that..."

They're being too intimate; she can't handle it.

She was afraid she would get too deeply involved, so deeply that she couldn't turn back.

Sheng Tingzhou stared at her reddened ear tips, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"How should I say it? Can you teach me?"

She pushed him away, her cheeks burning, and quickly stood up.

I'm hungry.

Changing the subject is a clumsy but effective method.

At least, it allowed her to temporarily escape this suffocating, ambiguous atmosphere.

Knowing she was shy, he stopped teasing her and instead picked up his phone to call the front desk.

"Bring the food up."

Then, he turned to her and asked, "What would you like to eat?"

She chose steamed sea bass and braised lion's head meatballs, thinking that something light and simple couldn't go wrong.

He added two more dishes.

I ordered steamed scallops with garlic and vermicelli, and noodles with scallion oil. I also specifically asked for an extra mango mousse.

"You said you liked this flavor last time."

The waiter made a note of the message, thanked the waiter politely, and hung up the phone.

Fifteen minutes later, the soft sound of wheels rolling could be heard from the corridor.

A waiter, dressed in a neat uniform, pushed a food cart and knocked on the door.

She got up and opened the door, and the other person laid out the dishes one by one.

The steaming aroma instantly filled the entire room.

"I hope you both enjoy your meal."

The waiter smiled, bowed, and turned to leave.

Song Zhiwei thanked her softly and gently closed the door behind her.

She turned around and saw Sheng Tingzhou already sitting at the table, taking apart chopsticks.

The two sat down.

The gleaming silver tableware was bathed in soft light.

Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks, her phone rang.

The bell rang crisply, sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet room.

She looked down and saw Zhou Yuze.

Her fingers tightened slightly on her phone, and her heart skipped a beat.

"I'm going to my room to answer a phone call."

She had just stood up when he grabbed her wrist.

"how?"

His tone was languid, but the smile had vanished from his eyes.

"Is it inconvenient for you to make a phone call while I'm sitting here?"

She hesitated for a moment, then finally sat back down and pressed the answer button with trembling fingertips.

Zhou Yuze's voice was gentle.

"Zhiwei, tonight is Aunt Xie's birthday. Your older brother asked me to call you home."

She then realized that today was Xie Lingling's birthday.

In previous years, a sumptuous meal would always be laid out at home around this time.

The servants bustled about, and the living room was piled high with exquisite gift boxes.

And she was always the most inconspicuous one.

When she was little, she would secretly save money to buy trinkets and hand-draw greeting cards, just to give her a token of her affection.

Hair ties cost 50 cents each, and glass bead bracelets cost 2 yuan each.

There are also greeting cards made from A4 paper folded with blessings drawn on it with colored pens.

Each gift contained her clumsy but sincere hopes.

But Zhou Xiaolu and Zhou Zhuoye always laughed at her for eating and drinking for free, saying that even if she pretended to be filial, it depended on whether the other person was willing to appreciate it.

The few hundred yuan of pocket money I receive each month is taken away by them under various pretexts as soon as I get it.

Those gifts were all saved from her meal money.

She remembered Xie Lingling's faint smile when she received the greeting card, and the words she said afterward.

"I appreciate your kind gesture, but please don't waste money in the future."

She bit her lower lip, took a deep breath, and said softly, "Uncle, I'm on a business trip out of town and can't come back for the time being."

Zhou Yuze was stunned, and the document in his hand silently slipped to the ground.

I clearly saw her in Yancheng yesterday.

Why are you saying you're out of town today?

Is it far?

He frowned and lowered his voice.

“If it’s not far, I’ll have the driver pick you up. Don’t go on your own.”

Song Zhiwei forced a smile, barely managing a perfunctory one.

"It's too far, I really can't come back in a short time."

His heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "Are you on a business trip with Sheng Tingzhou?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Song Zhiwei felt as if something cold was tightly blocking her throat.

She opened her mouth, her lips moved slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

In the instant she was stunned, her phone was suddenly snatched from her hand.

"Yuce."

Sheng Tingzhou leaned lazily against the wide back of the chair.

"Why are you so concerned about me?"

Zhou Yuce's hands clenched tightly instantly.

When the two of them are out together, they even let each other answer the phone...

This level of intimacy is beyond what is typically found between colleagues or friends.

A scene suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Song Zhiwei and Sheng Tingzhou walked side by side on the streets of a foreign land.

She smiled with her head down, and Sheng Tingzhou raised his hand to brush the fallen leaves off her shoulder.

The scene was so real that it made his heart skip a beat.

"You and Zhiwei are together?"

Sheng Tingzhou answered crisply and matter-of-factly.

"certainly."

Three words floated lightly into Zhou Yuze's ears.

It can't be swallowed, and it can't be spat out.

He could only let it get stuck in his chest, causing him pain in his internal organs.

He never imagined that one day, Sheng Tingzhou would be by Song Zhiwei's side.

Before, she was the little girl who clung to him the most.

Wherever he goes, you have to follow behind him and shout "Now!"

But what about now?