His window
The story begins during rehearsal.
She had a feeling that something was off about Zuo Xiao tonight. At first glance, he seemed to be chatting and laughing as usual, but his smile wasn't as bright as usual, as if it were filtered. He'd occasionally lose focus for a moment, and even forgotten the lyrics twice in a row during rehearsal.
During the band's intermission, Qin Yufei offered to treat her to a late-night snack and asked her, his assistant, to take the order. Everyone else could tell him what they wanted. Peng Lei leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Come out after you order. I have something to ask you."
As soon as she walked out, she was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled into another room.
With a bang, the door closed behind her. She looked around the small room filled with junk, her heart pounding. "What are you doing..."
Peng Lei reacted, smiled, and raised his hands. "Sorry~ Don't be afraid, I have something to ask you. Seriously."
She nodded, and the other party suddenly asked, "Zuo Xiao's ex-boyfriend, you know him, right?"
"Ah?" Zhuang Jinghao was stunned for a moment. He didn't react for a long time and even forgot to close his mouth.
"Look at you, you're such a fool!" Peng Lei poked her forehead with his drumming hand, waking her up. Blinking, he asked, "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"Hey, just curious, gossiping a little." He nudged her with his elbow, "Do you have any photos? Let me see."
"Yes, yes..." Zhuang Jing was rarely thoughtful. "But you have to answer me first. How do you know it's... my ex-boyfriend?"
"Zuo Xiao said that," Peng Lei said blankly. "They just broke up last night. What else could he be but an ex-boyfriend?" He suddenly narrowed his eyes. "You don't know they broke up yet, do you?"
Zhuang Jinghao was dumbfounded at the moment, with a complex mix of emotions. Shock, excitement, suspicion, and a bit of bitterness—if Zuo Xiao had broken up with her last night, why had she been kept in the dark while Peng Lei knew about it?
"No way, you really don't know?" Someone said, "Plastic sisters, this is..."
Zhuang Jing gritted her teeth in anger, punched him on the arm, and said angrily, "Did she tell you that?"
Peng Lei spread his hands: "What else?"
Zhuang Jinghao grew even angrier. Worse still, she felt a pang of pain in her stomach, an urge to cry. With a heavy groan, she suddenly turned, opened the door, and fled this awful place.
She stood alone in the corridor, leaning against the wall, her hands clutching the hem of her sweater, pulling unconsciously. After a while, she caught a glimpse of someone approaching, and when she turned around, it was the person who had upset her.
She turned her face in the opposite direction and pouted unconsciously.
Zuo Xiao walked around to her, looked at her with a smile, and suddenly put his arm around her shoulders, pressing her into his arms. Suddenly, the grievances in Zhuang Jinghao's heart surged out, all blocked in her throat, making her feel so uncomfortable that she almost cried.
"I didn't mean to hide it from you." Zuo Xiao patted her back and explained softly, "It's just that you and your brother have a very special relationship with Luffy. I didn't know how to tell you right now, and I really wanted to find someone to drink with, so I called Peng Lei."
"Hmm..." Zhuang Jinghao's voice was muffled. She was afraid that she would cry if she said a few more words, so she bit her lower lip hard.
After a while, she calmed down a bit and asked gloomily, "Why did you break up? Is it because... because I filed the complaint?"
"No." Zuo Xiao said without hesitation, "It's none of your business."
A warm feeling ran through Zhuang Jinghao's heart, and she almost burst into tears. She held her breath and asked, "Why is that?"
Zuo Xiao sighed slightly and said, "I just took this opportunity to examine my heart and found that he is no longer in my heart. As for whether he has cheated on me, I don't think so. Or rather, I don't care at all..."
She paused and said sadly, "That's why I feel guilty. I abandoned him and let him down. If I had known earlier, I shouldn't have started. I was too hasty..."
Zhuang Jinghao felt more and more distressed as she listened, and she hurriedly defended her, "How could you have done anything wrong? If you don't love him anymore, then you don't love him anymore. You didn't cheat on him, and you didn't do anything to let him down. How could you have done anything wrong?"
Zuo Xiao was silent for a while, then sighed softly, "Maybe."
After having supper and watching the rehearsal for a while, Zhuang Jinghao's negative emotions disappeared, and a look of joy appeared in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows. He wanted to set off firecrackers on the spot.
That’s right, this is a big happy event that’s worth setting off firecrackers!
Zuo Xiao and Luffy have broken up, and she has made it clear that she doesn't love him, which means they won't get back together, which means...
"Brother, your window of opportunity has come!" she said.
Confusion appeared in his deep black eyes, and the brother asked, "What?"
Zhuang Jinghao once again confirmed that no one was around, but still cautiously stood on tiptoe, leaned close to his brother's ear, and whispered, "Zuo Xiao and Brother Luffy broke up."
The side of his face beneath her eyelids visibly trembled. She stopped and looked up, only to see her brother in a trance, as if his soul had left his body and was unable to return to its place after being startled by her words.
"Absolutely true!" She leaned in again and added in a low voice, "And Zuo Xiao clearly said that he no longer has Brother Luffy in his heart. There's no possibility of them getting back together."
Her brother remained silent for a long time, his face expressionless. He didn't show the surprise she'd expected, nor the anticipation, not even the slightest hint of hesitation or trepidation. Zhuang Jing couldn't understand him, feeling lost. She lowered her gaze to see his hands pressed against his thighs, his fingers pressing hard against the muscles, their tips tinging white.
It turns out that my brother is trying hard to suppress his emotions...
Thinking of this, Zhuang Jinghao said considerately, "I'll go in first. Come back when you're better."
Seeing his sister disappear behind the door, Zhuang Yu'an turned and walked out the door, out of the elevator, out of the building, and into the bustling, cold streets. The neon lights before him, the clamor in his ears, the cold wind brushing against his cheeks, all of them exuded a sense of unreality, and the line between reality and fantasy gradually blurred.
The last time he felt his life had reached a pivotal moment was during his Series A funding round. It was a crucial round that could determine the fate of both the company and himself. The investors not only provided capital but also valuable supply chain resources. More importantly, the financing represented significant recognition of the company's profit model and growth potential. He had a strong premonition and immense confidence: the plane he was piloting was about to leave the runway and soar into the sky.
And at this moment, he once again touched the window of opportunity that was enough to rewrite his destiny, a window that he thought would never open for him.
He'd already given up. He couldn't commit the unjust act of stealing his best friend's love, nor did he believe he had any chance of winning the war. After all, Zuo Xiao knew of his admiration but remained unmoved, even feigning ignorance, effectively sentencing him to a death sentence in love. He accepted that he might never have her, so he simply guarded her silently, clinging to the hope that one day she would see him, and that he would be the last one standing.
However, today, the rival that stood between them fell, and the moral shackles that bound him disappeared. He had never been so close to the end he had always dreamed of! He felt his blood boiling, his heart roaring, and his cells trembling...
But……
But……
He suddenly felt a great sense of awe.
Is this something he can touch? Is it actually a trap, tempting him to reach out, but he can't grasp it at all, and from then on he will be completely defeated, unable to even be friends, and even lose the right to stand by her side...
But he knew clearly that this window wouldn't stay open for long. Zuo Xiao was surrounded by too many people. If Luffy vacated his position, someone else would soon fill it. The opportunity was fleeting, and there was no room for wasting...
He had never been so indecisive, nor so disgusted with his own incompetence.
It was late at night and Zhuang Jinghao and Zuo Xiao were sitting side by side in the back seat while Zhuang Yu'an was driving.
The temperature had dropped to around 10 degrees Celsius, but Zuo Xiao kept the window open. Zhuang Jinghao sneezed, and she quickly closed it.
"Are you cold?" she asked with concern. Zhuang Jinghao shook his head and said, "No."
"By the way, do you want to go to the hot springs in the suburbs this weekend?" Zhuang Jinghao said excitedly, "Jingjing took me to a hot spring villa last year. It was amazing. I've always wanted to go again."
Zuo Xiao's eyes were complicated, and he smiled apologetically and said, "I haven't had time to tell you yet. I'm moving this weekend."
"Huh?" Zhuang Jing was stunned and asked hesitantly, "Where are we moving to?"
"Houshayu." Zuo Xiao reported a place name.
Zhuang Jinghao lowered his head, feeling lost. He couldn't help but complain softly, "Didn't you promise to seriously consider my proposal? How come you rented the house without saying anything..."
Zuo Xiao didn't say anything. Zhuang Jinghao, knowing she was in the wrong, tried to make amends, "I wanted you to keep me company..."
Zuo Xiao sighed softly, grabbed her hand, and said, "Xiao Jing, I appreciate your kindness. But I want you to know that I'm not rejecting you because I'm being distant. I hope to be friends with you for a long time."
Zhuang Jinghao looked up when he heard this and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"I think only equal relationships can last long," Zuo Xiao said gently. "Although you welcome me to live in your home, I will feel that I am taking advantage of you and am dependent on you. I need to use something else in exchange. I know you don't have such thoughts, but I will... I might unconsciously treat you as inferior, and then our relationship will become unequal. This unbalanced relationship will eventually destroy our friendship. Do you understand?"
Zhuang Jing wanted to say she didn't understand, but she actually did. Zuo Xiao had told her this long ago, and even with her then-boyfriend, she always adhered to her principle: if you want something, you must trade it for something else. One must make choices and not have it all.
"I see..." Zhuang Jinghao forced a smile and held her hand. "Then I can help you move this weekend, okay? And brother, we can help you together."
Zuo Xiao hesitated for a moment and nodded.
After sending Zuo Xiao off, Zhuang Jinghao sat in the passenger seat.
It was late at night, the car driving steadily on the quiet, empty road. Zhuang Jinghao turned his head to look at his brother. He had deep features and a calm, even melancholy look in his eyes. He didn't look like the man who had finally seen the girl he had a crush on become single.
"Brother, what are you thinking?" She frowned. "Zuo Xiao finally became single, and you don't have any thoughts?"
My brother looked straight ahead, his expression calm and composed. After a moment, he said, "The more opportunities we have, the more we must not be impatient or reckless. More haste, less speed."
Zhuang Jinghao's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said excitedly, "So you have a plan, right? Then tell me, and I'll cooperate with you!"
The car stopped in front of the zebra crossing. My brother turned around, a hint of helplessness in his eyes:
"If I say I don't have any plans yet, will you get anxious?"
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