Chapter 16 Am I too young, and are you still…
Early in the morning, Xia Zhiyao, wearing Zhou Yue's T-shirt and barefoot, stood in the kitchen, flipping the egg pancakes in the pan.
Zhou Yue leaned against the door, holding the coffee she had brewed in his hands. He didn't say anything, just watched her back. In that instant, time seemed to stand still, like a freeze-frame in a Japanese drama.
He took a sip of his coffee, which was a little sweet: "I have to go to a dinner party tonight. A classmate is coming from Chicago, so he'll probably be back late."
"Hmm." She didn't turn around, her expression indifferent, and she plated the pancake and cracked an egg into it.
She paused after a sizzle from the pot, then continued, "I also have plans for tonight."
Zhou Yue paused, his movements subtle, his gaze slowly falling on her profile: "Who is it?"
Xia Zhiyao didn't look at him: "The girl who found my clothes last time kindly returned my coat, and I was thinking of treating her to a meal."
"Where are you going to eat?" Zhou Yue continued to ask, his tone neither hurried nor slow, seemingly restrained on the surface, but it was clear that he had been aroused by the determination to "find out".
“She made a reservation at the Italian restaurant downstairs.” She finished speaking before turning around to bring out the last pancake, her tone flat. “Why?”
Zhou Yue didn't laugh, he just stared at her, though he didn't really know what was wrong with him.
Even though it was just a meal with a girl, he kept thinking about it and speculating in his mind, asking one question after another, as if he had to find out the truth before he could feel at ease.
It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but that unease always surfaced uncontrollably whenever she mentioned other people. He was afraid that she had other people she could rely on in New York, and that she would leave once she was no longer so lonely and no longer needed him.
So he asked one question after another, disguising his anxiety as curiosity and his probing as concern.
Xia Zhiyao noticed his unease; the slightest bit of emotion he couldn't hide was written all over his eyes. She dried her hands and came out, saying nothing, but simply lowered her head and hugged him.
Zhou Yue was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously tried to move, but she pressed down on his shoulder. Xia Zhiyao's voice was low, with a hint of laughter in her tone, "Why are you acting like a puppy?"
He was sitting, she was standing, their heights were just slightly different, her chin was touching the top of his head, and when she spoke, her voice was almost right next to his ear.
"I'm just going out for a meal, is it really that big of a deal?"
Zhou Yue didn't speak, but raised his hand and then lowered it, finally gently placing it behind her waist. She didn't move, her fingers slowly sliding down the hair at the back of his neck. Zhou Yue finally spoke in a low voice: "You know that's not what I meant."
“I know.” She laughed. “You’re just like that, you have a puppy mentality. You get anxious when there are a lot of people around.”
"If I get back early, I'll pick you up," he said, his tone steady, but his voice was slightly tense.
She raised an eyebrow, her tone amused: "Do I need someone to pick me up? I'm not a child."
“You’re not.” He stood up, tucked her stray hair behind her ear, and lowered his voice even further. “But I’m willing.”
Xia Zhiyao cut the egg pancake into small pieces, then used chopsticks to place each piece into a white porcelain plate, her movements swift and her expression leisurely.
Xia Zhiyao walked over, put down the plate, picked up a chopstick, took a piece of pancake, and brought it to his mouth: "Suck, suck, come and eat this egg pancake..." Her voice was sweet and coquettish, like she was teasing a pet.
Zhou Yue couldn't help but laugh: "What are you doing?"
"Feed the dog," she said seriously, but her eyes couldn't hide her laughter. "A puppy that doesn't eat breakfast won't have the energy to go to work."
Zhou Yue's lips curled up slightly, but he still obediently opened his mouth and took a bite.
"Is it good?" She blinked.
He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "I have to go to work soon." He lowered his head, his nose close to her ear, his voice low, filled with a mix of affection and helplessness, "Don't provoke me."
Xia Zhiyao nestled in his arms and laughed, her eyes bright and clear, with a hint of mischief in them. Suddenly, she leaned forward, put her hand behind his neck, and bit his neck without warning.
"Leave a mark." She smiled smugly, her eyes crinkling, but her tone was deliberately soft. "So that when you're out all day, no one knows whose bed you came out of in the morning."
As she said this, her gaze fell on his neck, and she looked quite appreciative.
Zhou Yue looked down at the stainless steel panel on the kitchen refrigerator door and sure enough, there was a faint tooth mark on the side of his neck, with a reddish tinge that was quite glaring.
He raised an eyebrow: "Are you a dog?"
Xia Zhiyao didn't take it to heart, and smiled as she took a sip of water: "I can't put a collar on you, so I can only use this to assert my dominance."
After she finished speaking, she turned around to clear the dishes. Her back looked calm and collected, but Zhou Yue's eyes changed little by little as he watched her back.
He took a few steps forward, grabbed her from behind, and the action was sudden and left no room for refusal. He rested his chin on her shoulder and said in a low, husky voice, "If you keep doing this, I really won't go."
She turned and hugged him, pressing her whole body against his chest, her voice suddenly lowering slightly: "Then kiss me before you leave."
Zhou Yue lowered his head and kissed her. At first, it was just a light kiss, as if to satisfy her joke. But the next second, he suddenly deepened the kiss, the force gradually approaching, their breaths mingling. "You provoked me first." His voice was low and husky, his eyes not leaving her. "I'll settle the score with you when I get off work."
As evening fell, the wind was still blowing in New York. Although the snow had stopped, shards of ice still clung to the streets. Xia Zhiyao pushed open the door to the restaurant, the hem of her coat still damp with frost, her brow bearing a hint of the sharpness and weariness that followed the snowstorm.
A girl in a black coat had already sat down by the window. When she saw Xia Zhiyao, she immediately stood up, her smile polite and sincere, her tone light and cheerful: "Xia Zhiyao? Hello, hello, I'm Lydia, Lin Xingche."
"Hello, I'm Summer Xia Zhiyao. Have you been waiting long?" Xia Zhiyao smiled and took off her coat. "I live nearby, so I just walked over."
Lin Xingche nodded, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over her faded pink hair, his tone teasing: "You're so easy to recognize, you're like a glowing object in this weather."
Xia Zhiyao subconsciously touched the ends of her hair, smiling somewhat helplessly: "Middle-aged rebellion, this is the first time I've bleached my hair this color, my mom probably won't even recognize me."
“It looks pretty good,” Lin Xingche said seriously. “I’ve been tempted before, but I never actually made a move.”
"This is what a working person who hasn't rebelled yet is like." Xia Zhiyao smiled as she took the menu, her tone becoming more relaxed.
The two sat down, ordered their food, and chatted briefly about delivering the clothes that day. Soon, they naturally started talking about each other's backgrounds.
“To be honest, you don’t seem like someone who just came to America.” Lin Xingche rested his chin on his hand, scrutinizing her with a casual yet inquisitive tone. “But you don’t seem like someone who has always lived here either.”
“Indeed, there are many trips back and forth.” Xia Zhiyao raised her glass and took a sip of water; the rim of the glass was icy cold. “I did my master’s degree in Marketing at Columbia University.”
Lin Xingche was taken aback, then his eyes lit up: "Really? I'm also from Columbia University, in the same major. No wonder you looked familiar when we met."
“You’re more grounded than me.” Xia Zhiyao smiled. “I returned to China right after graduation. This trip here is just a short break.”
"Someone like you would actually stop?" Lin Xingche looked a little surprised. "You seem like the kind of person who's always fully booked."
“It wasn’t exactly proactive,” Xia Zhiyao said calmly. “The project ended early, so I took a leave of absence as a buffer.”
“A buffer…” Lin Xingche repeated softly, his eyes flickering slightly, “I’m quite envious. I haven’t stopped for the past few years, I haven’t even had time to catch my breath.”
“That’s true.” Xia Zhiyao glanced out the window. “If you don’t breathe, you’re more likely to have problems.”
Lin Xingche turned his head to look at her and just smiled: "Maybe this is a Columbia University tradition. After finishing the course, everyone gets a little sick and then collectively 'disappears' for a while."
Xia Zhiyao was amused: "Then let's treat tonight as a year-end party for the missing."
The two looked at each other and smiled. The warmth of the air condensed into a layer of mist on the glass window, just like the fragments of their lives that they had been avoiding, which were briefly enveloped, understood, and let go of in this warm night.
The wind chimes at the door rang, and a cold wind carrying snow rushed in. A tall and imposing man pushed the door open and entered. He glanced around and quickly walked to the window.
"You're here?" Lin Xingche smiled and stood up. "I thought you wouldn't make it."
"We've put the domestic matters on hold ahead of schedule." He spoke casually, his gaze lingering on Xia Zhiyao for a second. "You two know each other?"
"We just met," Lin Xingche introduced. "She's my classmate, Xia Zhiyao. We met for the first time today and got along quite well."
"Hello." He nodded, looked at her, and said lazily, "Gu Yunlai."
Xia Zhiyao put down her water glass, looked up at him, his clean eyebrows and eyes carrying a subtle sense of aggression, not aggressive, but making people subconsciously tighten their aura.
“…Gu Yunlai?” She repeated it, as if confirming or sorting through her memories. “So you’re the owner of Xinglai Medical?”
Gu Yunlai raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face: "You investigated me?"
“We didn’t check,” Lin Xingche replied. “This guy isn’t just anyone; he works in consulting in China and has excellent connections.”
"Medical AI has been quite popular in recent years." Xia Zhiyao smiled faintly. "Those who have done solid work in the industry are indeed easy to notice." Her tone was unhurried and her words left room for interpretation, yet they were not to be underestimated.
Gu Yunlai smiled, took off his scarf, and sat down: "Are you a consultant?"
“Yes, it used to be,” she replied. “I’ve handled several medical cases, and your cardiac modeling system is quite good.”
Gu Yunlai raised an eyebrow, as if he had become interested: "It doesn't sound like something you just casually learned."
"Not really." Xia Zhiyao looked down at the cup, her tone flat. "I've just always been interested."
He nodded, his eyes shifting, and his tone light: "Rare indeed. Lately, everyone I've met is either talking about financing or valuation; nobody wants to discuss the system itself."
“That’s because this table tonight isn’t a negotiation venue.” Xia Zhiyao raised her eyes, her tone gentle yet sharp.
"What do you think of the development of AI healthcare in China?" Gu Yunlai asked Xia Zhiyao with a smile.
Xia Zhiyao raised her eyes, her tone indifferent: "Do you want to hear the truth, or just nice words?"
Gu Yunlai smiled and slowly picked up his fork: "Am I the kind of person who can't stand criticism?"
"Don't give me that." Lin Xingche glanced at him, his tone amused. "Back then, when the FDA blocked your approval, you were so angry you almost turned your office upside down."
Gu Yunlai coughed, lowered his head to drink water, and didn't reply.
Lin Xingche turned to Xia Zhiyao and added, "We were planning to return to China in 2019, but then the pandemic broke out. We only moved the testing kit production line back; the AI is still here."
“That makes sense.” Xia Zhiyao nodded. “At that time, clinical access was almost at a standstill. Approval was blocked, channels were cut off, and patient mobility was unstable, so AI couldn’t be implemented.”
Gu Yunlai looked at her, his eyes flickered slightly, and suddenly asked, "Then do you think it's still worth going back to do it now?"
Xia Zhiyao took a leisurely sip of water: "It's worth it, provided you know which line you're playing on."
She paused for a moment: "You're a step behind in image-based assistance, but in terms of underlying architecture and platform integration, you might be able to catch the next wave of policy opportunities."
Gu Yunlai fell silent, his gaze fixed on her face as if reassessing someone he thought he understood. "The way you speak... doesn't sound like a consultant."
"Because I took a gap year," Xia Zhiyao said calmly. "Now I'm only responsible for output, not for results."
Lin Xingche couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Are you two here for a silent debate?"
Gu Yunlai leaned back lazily in his chair, tapping his fingertips on the table: "I just feel that I've met a 'bystander' who is more reliable than us investment banking advisors."
Xia Zhiyao smiled, "I'm just an unemployed person in a gap year right now." Her words were tinged with self-deprecation, but her eyes were calm and clear.
Gu Yunlai looked at her quietly for a while, then suddenly smiled: "After your gap year ends, are you interested in coming to visit me?"
Lin Xingche raised an eyebrow: "Are you poaching someone on the spot?"
"Just an invitation," Gu Yunlai said with a smile. "What if she gets interested someday?"
The dinner party ended, the night was deep, and the wind was getting colder. Xia Zhiyao stood on the steps and watched Lin Xingche and Gu Yunlai leave. She did not leave immediately, but stood quietly for a while.
A car headlight illuminated, and a white sedan came to a steady stop at the roadside. The window rolled down, and Zhou Yue leaned out, his gaze fixed on her. His tone was gentle yet firm: "I'm taking you home, Miss Xia."
She smiled, opened the car door, and got in. Once the door closed, the wind stopped. Zhou Yue didn't say anything, but simply reached out and pulled her over, his movements a little hasty and forceful.
She fell into his arms, and before she could even speak, he kissed her. Without much preamble, their lips met, their breaths mingled, and his palms held the back of her neck, his fingertips icy cold, but the kiss was burning hot.
Xia Zhiyao paused for a moment, but did not dodge. Instead, she tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and tacitly acknowledged the existence of the kiss.
The next day, the city streets were still covered with unmelted snow, but the air was crisp and clear, making one instinctively take a deep breath.
Zhou Yue officially started his holiday. He got up early, put on his down jacket, went downstairs to wash the car and shovel snow. When he came back, there were still some unmelted ice crystals on his hair, and the tip of his nose was slightly red from the cold.
Xia Zhiyao was cooking noodles in the kitchen. He smelled the aroma as soon as he entered the room. He took off his gloves and went into the kitchen. He leaned against the door and watched her pour in the chili oil she had made. He said with a slightly exaggerated tone, "If you hadn't come, I would be eating white food every day."
Xia Zhiyao didn't turn around, only smiled faintly: "How can you grow so strong if you eat white food every day?"
Zhou Yue didn't take it seriously and said confidently, "Of course! Meat, eggs, dairy, and low-carb diet is practically a fitness textbook."
As he spoke, he walked over and stood behind her, suddenly reaching out to pinch her waist. "You need to eat more," he said, his tone deliberately serious. "Look how thin you are."
After he finished speaking, he didn't back away, but instead moved a little closer, his breath almost brushing against her ear. "Fortunately..." he added in a low voice, his tone slowing down, with a hint of mischief, "the rest of the body has all the flesh it should have."
As Xia Zhiyao served noodles, she slapped his hand away, saying, "Stop fooling around."
Then she turned around, looked up at him for two seconds, and suddenly stood on tiptoe, smiling as she touched his hair, as if recalling some old memories.
"You were such a tiny little thing when you were little..." she smiled, her eyes filled with genuine nostalgia and a touch of elder's teasing.
Zhou Yue's expression changed, clearly displeased. He narrowed his eyes and said, "You're bringing this up again?"
The next second, he suddenly stepped forward, pinning her against the wall. His eyes were fixed on her, and he didn't speak, only smiled slightly, with a hint of fierceness in his eyes: "Don't you know whether I'm young or not?"
Xia Zhiyao didn't react for a moment, and her face turned red. She raised her hand to push him away, but he didn't move. His eyes were so close that they seemed to want to set her on fire.
She glared at him and said, half-jokingly, "Do you want to eat noodles now, or do you want to die?"
After laughing and joking around for a while and finishing their noodles, the two went out to a nearby organic supermarket to buy some groceries and daily necessities for their vacation over the next few days.
They picked up a shopping cart at the entrance of Trader Joe's, where the familiar aroma of baking filled the air, warm and slightly sweet.
Zhou Yue pushed the cart while Xia Zhiyao looked at the shelves in front, muttering to herself as she picked out lettuce.
"Are you sure you want this?" He walked over, picked up a bag of leafy greens, and frowned slightly. "Didn't you used to think this was too bitter?"
“Organic is different.” Xia Zhiyao turned to look at him. “It’s perfect to add it when you’re frying the chicken breast.”
Zhou Yue didn't say anything more, just nodded and put the groceries in the car. He rarely browsed supermarkets in New York seriously. Every time he came, he would buy bread or eggs. This was the first time he had ever chosen groceries so slowly.
When she reached the refrigerated section, she grabbed a box of strawberries, then hesitated and put it back: "They're not sweet."
"Would you like to get your favorite Pink Lemonade?" he suddenly asked.
"This watermelon drink is also delicious." Xia Zhiyao casually put it in the car.
By the time they reached the checkout area, their shopping carts were already nearly full. Zhou Yue suddenly spoke in a low voice, his tone so casual it seemed unintentional: "How much longer can you stay here?"
Xia Zhiyao looked down at the numbers flashing on the cash register, her fingers gripping the shopping cart handle: "What's wrong?"
"I just... want to know when you have to go back to work."
After scanning the last item, Xia Zhiyao put her wallet back in her bag and said calmly, "I've resigned."
Zhou Yue stopped moving and stood beside her, as if he hadn't heard her clearly: "What?"
She turned to look at him, a faint smile playing on her lips: "I told you, I resigned a long time ago. Now, I'm free of all worries."
Zhou Yue was at a loss for words, and simply asked, "You didn't hesitate at all?"
"What are you hesitating about?" She smiled. "In the workplace, it's all about comings and goings."
He didn't say anything more, but simply took the shopping bag from her hand and opened the car door.
The two got into the car, and it fell silent for a moment. She organized the shopping bags in the passenger seat, while he sat in the driver's seat with his hands on the steering wheel, but didn't start the car immediately.
"And what about you after that?" he asked in a low voice.
Xia Zhiyao turned to look at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes: "Afterwards?" She paused for two seconds, her lips curving upwards, and said softly, "Afterwards... I'll go on vacation with you."
Looking at her profile, Zhou Yue felt a sharp pang in his heart. He knew, of course, that she wasn't unaware of the future, but rather deliberately avoided answering questions about the distant future.
A note from the author:
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