Chapter 84 Taking a step back, I'll have more...
When they had almost finished eating, Zhou Yue got up to clean up. His glasses slipped down to his nose. He lowered his head and carefully stacked the bowls and plates. His fingertips slipped, and he almost dropped the plate. The plate wobbled slightly, but he quickly steadied it, his movements revealing a hint of panic.
Xia Zhiyao couldn't help but laugh out loud, teasingly saying, "Be careful, if it really breaks, it will truly become 'peace and safety in broken pieces'."
Zhou Yue looked up at her, his eyes clear and bright, his smile containing both helplessness and unconscious doting: "Don't worry, I'm very reliable." He carried the bowls and plates to the kitchen, his shadow elongated under the overhead light, appearing calm and quiet.
Soon, the sound of running water could be heard. Zhou Yue stood in front of the sink, head down, focused on washing the dishes. The light shone through his slightly messy hair, reflecting a delicate luster and outlining the clear lines of his cheekbones and jaw.
Occasionally, the bowls and plates would clink softly, making a crisp sound, but because of his focused expression, it took on a different meaning. His broad shoulders and back appeared particularly upright in the lamplight, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing wrist bones and muscle lines that carried a cold sense of power, forming a strong contrast with his gentle and clumsy expression at this moment.
Xia Zhiyao looked at it, and for some reason, her heart suddenly tightened.
This man, usually sharp and imposing, seemed to be detached from the world, but at this moment, he had put away all his sharp edges, leaving only a quiet and focused figure.
She leaned against the kitchen doorway, her gaze fixed on him. A sudden, indescribable emotion welled up in her chest. Washing dishes, a scene that should have been utterly ordinary, felt incredibly precious between them.
Precisely because it was so precious, her heart was even more flustered. The fluster wasn't a sudden explosion, but rather a silent infiltration, like a tide gradually rising and enveloping her, surging so intensely it was suffocating.
As if from some unknown moment in the future, an invisible shadow loomed over her chest, making her breathing suddenly become disordered.
A ridiculous thought suddenly arose: Could this scene just be a fleeting illusion? Once he turns and leaves, will she ever see that figure again? She has clearly not lost anything, yet she has already experienced the pain of loss ahead of time.
Zhou Yue turned his head and saw her lost in thought. He smiled slightly, his laughter carrying a hint of teasing lightness: "Why are you spacing out? I'll finish getting ready soon. Later, do you want to go out for a walk or stay home and watch a movie?"
Xia Zhiyao was stunned for a moment, as if he had suddenly pulled her out of her reverie. She hurriedly looked away, her eyes flickering, and forced a light smile at the corners of her lips: "Then let's go for a walk, hurry up." Her voice was clear and cheerful, as light as if nothing had happened.
She knew best that beneath the laughter lay not ease, but a sudden fear and bitterness, a panic of not knowing when she would lose it, which silently gripped her heart.
After Zhou Yue finished cleaning up the dishes, the two of them went downstairs side by side. It was a summer night, and the rain had just stopped, leaving a damp chill in the air.
They walked to the edge of the pond, where the water was still gently rippling, reflecting a few dim lights. Several lotus flowers stretched out in the night, and raindrops dripped down the petals, creating tiny ripples.
Zhou Yue stopped and stared at the pond for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice, "You know what? I suddenly remembered that when we were in New York, it was like this too."
Xia Zhiyao was slightly taken aback, but before he could speak, he continued.
"After you left, I would often suddenly think of you when I was alone. When I was walking on the street and heard someone ordering coffee, I felt like you were beside me, saying you wanted a vanilla latte. When I woke up in the morning and looked at the empty kitchen, I always felt like you would come out of the bedroom and ask me if I wanted you to make an egg pancake."
He paused, his gaze following a swaying lotus leaf on the water's surface. A silent smile tugged at the corner of his lips, yet it was tinged with bitterness: "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm mentally unstable. I don't know how to deal with those memories; they keep resurfacing, and I can't get rid of them no matter what I do."
As Xia Zhiyao listened, those scenes she had tried so hard to forget and forced herself not to touch, were spoken of so casually, and they all rushed back to her in an instant. She tried to remain calm, but the composure she had maintained for so long crumbled in an instant. Her eyes stung, and tears welled up unexpectedly.
She looked up at him, her voice trembling, almost unable to contain herself: "...I'm sorry."
Zhou Yue paused for a moment, then shook his head, his eyes calm and firm: "I don't blame you." His voice was low and slow, but he couldn't suppress the hidden pain. "You had your reasons, I understand. But Zhiyao, you could have told me back then, and we would have faced it together."
As he said this, his eyes were so deep they seemed to want to pull her in, and his voice grew even lower, yet every word struck her heart: "That way, we won't miss these years."
The air suddenly stilled, as if only their intertwined breaths remained. Xia Zhiyao's throat tightened, and tears finally welled up, rolling down her eyelashes.
She opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything. She could only repeat in a low, almost broken voice, "Zhou Yue, I'm so sorry for what I did back then..."
Zhou Yue looked at her, then reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across the corner of her eye, wiping away a tear. His movements were careful, as if he were touching something extremely precious, yet one that could break at any moment.
Their breaths mingled at close range, Zhou Yue's voice low and hoarse, as if squeezed out from the depths of his chest: "I don't think I should have said these things, Zhiyao..."
He paused, his gaze growing increasingly resolute, each word slow and heavy: "But I want you to know that I never wanted you to be perfect. You can be angry, you can be weak, you can be at a loss, I don't need you to carry everything alone."
His hand paused in mid-air, his fingertips curling slightly, as if suppressing countless impulses, and his voice grew even lower: "We've known each other for so many years, and we've seen each other at our most disheveled and worst."
Xia Zhiyao stared at him blankly, tears blurring her vision. She heard him continue in a low voice, "I'm not saying this to make you sad. I just want you to understand that you can trust me."
His breathing became slightly heavy, his gaze fixed on her, resolute and unwavering: "Zhiyao, let's go see our parents together and tell them we're together."
Xia Zhiyao buried herself in his arms, the sound of his steady heartbeat filling her ears. Her tears flowed even more freely. She thought she had long been used to loneliness and could hide her vulnerability from everyone, but at this moment, it was as if she had been completely seen through, and all her defenses crumbled instantly.
Zhou Yue wrapped one arm around her back and placed the other hand over her hair, his fingertips gently stroking the damp strands. "Zhiyao," he whispered in her ear, his voice hoarse but resolute, "whether you believe it or not, I will never let go again."
Xia Zhiyao's throat tightened with tears. She wanted to respond, but could only tighten her arms even more. She even felt that if she let go now, he would vanish with the wind, and even this warm embrace would become an illusion.
Xia Zhiyao nestled in his arms, and after a long while, she spoke softly, her voice hoarse: "Zhou Yue, don't say these things now..."
She didn't say she was scared, nor did she deny it; her voice was so soft it sounded like a plea: "Let's... go slower, okay?"
Zhou Yue gazed at her quietly, his eyes deep, but his heart ached. He leaned down and gently rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice firm and deep: "Okay, let's go slowly, but no matter how fast or slow we go, you must remember that we are together."
Xia Zhiyao closed her eyes. Even though she hadn't made any promises, she still held him tightly, as if using all her strength to grasp her only support.
Zhou Yue held her quietly, and could clearly feel her body trembling. She was always like this, carefully hiding her hesitation and weakness in her calm response, but he knew all too well how lonely and vulnerable she was behind it all.
"Slow down" was the biggest concession she could offer.
Zhou Yue slowly closed his eyes, but only whispered in her ear: "It's okay, Zhiyao, you don't have to force yourself. If you take a step back, I will take a step forward. As long as you don't leave me again, no matter how long it takes... I will wait."
At that moment, his conviction was clearer than ever before. Even if she hesitated to make a promise, he was willing to spend the rest of his life waiting for her to truly come to him.
Xia Zhiyao always woke up a little earlier than her alarm clock. The morning light streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, and she quietly turned to look at the person beside her. Zhou Yue's breathing was steady, his brows less tense than usual, and his expression unusually calm.
She couldn't help but reach out and gently brush away the slightly messy strands of hair on his forehead with her fingertips, and whispered, "Get up, it's time to go to work."
Zhou Yue slowly opened his eyes, his gaze still heavy with sleepiness, his voice hoarse and low, carrying the unique languor of the early morning: "Hmm... why did you get up so early today?"
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips, a hint of teasing in her tone: "I'm afraid you'll oversleep and miss your big meeting."
He smiled at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of doting and helplessness. Then he got up and the two of them tidied up while joking around. The naturalness and tacit understanding between them made it seem as if the heaviness of last night had been carefully absorbed into their hearts, and the morning air was filled with only lightness and gentleness.
Zhou Yue tilted his head back and finished the last sip of milk. Xia Zhiyao, who had already changed her clothes, walked over briskly and handed him his suit jacket. The movements were natural and fluid, yet they conveyed an unspoken understanding, as if they had long been accustomed to each other's rhythm.
Zhou Yue took the clothes, his fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of her hand. Xia Zhiyao didn't say anything, but just gave a soft "hmm".
The air was quiet and gentle, as if all the tears and heaviness of last night had been carefully collected and hidden in a corner, leaving only the seemingly lighthearted daily life and the unspeakable lingering warmth for the morning.
The morning breeze was cool as two cars drove out of the residential area one after the other. Along the way, the morning light spread out in the clear air after the rain, illuminating the wet road surface, and the wheels splashed up tiny water droplets.
At the fork in the road, Zhou Yue slowly turned on his left turn signal, while Xia Zhiyao drove to the right. In that instant, the car's image in the rearview mirror gradually receded into the distance and was swallowed by the morning light.
Xia Zhiyao gripped the steering wheel, a smile still lingering on her lips, but as the car disappeared completely, a sudden emptiness filled her heart.
Xia Zhiyao arrived at the company just after nine o'clock. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she put away her post-rain weariness and walked with a brisk and efficient gait.
The new investment director has been here for a while. He is gentle and steady in his actions, and he works surprisingly well with her. After the morning meeting, the two walked out of the conference room side by side, still discussing the details of the bidding proposal.
"President Xia, your team processed these sets of data very quickly. I think we can basically move on to the next round." He spoke calmly, with a hint of certainty.
Xia Zhiyao smiled slightly: "Your feedback was also very timely, otherwise we wouldn't have had such a smooth collaboration." The communication between the collaborators was natural and smooth, and the atmosphere was not as reserved as when they first met.
The two walked and talked, nodding to each other, before returning to their respective offices. As they opened the doors, a familiar tranquility greeted them.
Xia Zhiyao casually placed the documents on the table, slowly leaned back in her chair, but her gaze involuntarily fell on the window, her mind drifting away.
She stood there in a daze until a light knock sounded at the door.
"Yo, Zhiyao." Zheng Xiaotian pushed open the door and entered, swirling a cup of coffee in his hand. His eyes subtly swept over her expression, a smile playing on his lips. "Why do you look so absent-minded? Are you thinking about Zhou Yue?"
Xia Zhiyao snapped back to reality and subconsciously retorted, "If you miss him, just say so. We only parted this morning, what's there to miss?"
Zheng Xiaotian raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening: "You two are settled like this? When are you going to meet the parents? Shouldn't the engagement and wedding be on the agenda?"
Xia Zhiyao glanced at him, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said in a light tone, "President Zheng, why are you asking so many questions today?"
Zheng Xiaotian spread his hands, feigning innocence: "I'm just concerned about you. Seriously, you've gone through so much trouble to finally get back together, so don't dawdle any longer."
"Engagement, marriage..." Xia Zhiyao repeated softly, her voice trembling slightly. She tried to remain calm, a half-smile playing on her lips: "You're thinking quite far ahead."
Zheng Xiaotian narrowed his eyes, staring at her with a half-smile: "But haven't you thought about it at all?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
