Chapter 74 Sister Zhiyao, then I...
Xia Zhiyao slowly opened her eyes. Light streamed through the gap in the curtains, indicating that it was already broad daylight. The air in the bedroom carried a lazy warmth.
She shifted slightly and realized that Zhou Yue's arm was still wrapped around her waist, the tightness not loosened despite her sleep. She subconsciously looked up and met his slightly narrowed gaze.
Zhou Yue seemed to have been awake for a while, but he didn't move, quietly watching her.
The moment their eyes met, Xia Zhiyao felt a little guilty. Before she could turn away, Zhou Yue suddenly chuckled softly, his voice hoarse yet gentle: "Awake?"
Xia Zhiyao was taken aback, her ears turning red involuntarily. She pursed her lips and retorted softly, "You're awake too, why don't you get up?"
Zhou Yue lowered his head, his nose brushing against her hair, his voice muffled in her ear: "You always frowned when you slept, and you held me so tightly, don't think I didn't know."
Xia Zhiyao's face burned even hotter after her secret was exposed, so she simply stopped talking and buried her face in his chest.
Looking at her like this, Zhou Yue felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He brushed aside Xia Zhiyao's long hair from her forehead and said in a rare, light tone, "I haven't had such a good night's sleep in a long time. It's so nice to wake up and have you by my side."
Xia Zhiyao's heart skipped a beat, and she gently tugged at his collar with her fingertips. After a long while, she responded softly, "Me too."
Zhou Yue stared at her, his hands starting to wander again, his breathing becoming heavy. Just as he was about to lean down, Xia Zhiyao reached out and pressed her hand against his chest. There was no panic in her eyes, but rather a hint of amusement.
"Didn't you say you were better?" She tilted her head to look at him, a faint smile playing on her lips, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing. "Get up and eat, I'm hungry. You're thirty now, aren't you? If you keep going like this... you don't know how precious sex is."
Zhou Yue was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, his eyes brightened by her words. He sat up, propped himself up on the edge of the bed, and stared down at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and amusement: "Why didn't you say something like this before?"
Xia Zhiyao slowly pulled the blanket over herself, wrapped herself up, and raised an eyebrow at him: "Before, it was a short-term project, but now... it's a long-term investment."
Zhou Yue was taken aback, then couldn't help but chuckle softly, a look of doting helplessness flashing in his eyes. He reached out and pinched her chin, his voice low: "Zhiyao, you really know how to calculate."
Xia Zhiyao raised her eyebrows, her expression serious: "Of course, long-term investments should preserve and increase their value, not be made recklessly."
Zhou Yue was completely amused by her, and his eyes welled up with tears from laughing. A wave of tenderness washed over him, and he suddenly leaned over, resting his forehead on her shoulder, his voice slightly hoarse: "Okay, then I'll be a good boy and follow your investment methods from now on."
Zhou Yue rested his forehead against her shoulder, remained silent for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled softly, with a hint of mischief: "But, Zhiyao... shouldn't there be dividends from investments?"
Xia Zhiyao blinked and gave a cooperative "Oh," her tone casual: "Profit sharing? That depends on your performance."
Zhou Yue felt a tickle in his heart from her words. He looked up at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "Should I apply in advance? Like, get my dividends now?"
Xia Zhiyao glanced at him, slowly pulled the blanket up a little, and said casually, as if scolding a dog, "If you keep making trouble, I will withdraw my investment in this project at any time."
Zhou Yue was taken aback, then laughed so hard his shoulders shook. He simply flopped onto the bed, stretched out his long arm and pulled her and the blanket into his arms, whispering in her ear, "Zhiyao, you really are... my nemesis."
Xia Zhiyao was annoyed by his sudden action, but a hint of a smile couldn't help but escape her lips.
The aroma of wontons wafted from the kitchen. Xia Zhiyao rolled up her sleeves, tasted the wonton soup, and glanced sideways at Zhou Yue, who was touching her inappropriately behind her: "Put your hands down, they're not cooked yet."
Zhou Yue replied matter-of-factly, "I'm hungry."
Xia Zhiyao rolled her eyes at him, put the bowl on the table, and ignored him. As she turned to get some wontons, his slow voice suddenly came from behind her, "Sister Zhiyao, does that mean my friend with benefits... has been officially recognized?"
Xia Zhiyao paused, almost dropping the spoon into the bowl. She turned to look at him; he was resting his chin on his hand, his eyes seemingly nonchalant, but a smile played on his lips, as if he were joking, yet secretly harboring a cautious anticipation.
She stared at him for a while, her heart skipping a beat: "You're thirty years old, can't you speak more maturely?"
Zhou Yue smiled, but a moment of seriousness flashed in his eyes. He stood up, took the bowl from her hand, placed it on the table, and whispered in her ear, "I'm very serious."
Xia Zhiyao's breath hitched, her fingers tightened, but she still looked up at him: "That depends on your performance."
Zhou Yue stared at her, a smile playing on his lips: "Alright, then I'll take it. Probation period is over."
Xia Zhiyao sat down with the porridge in her hand, slowly scooped a spoonful into the bowl, and didn't even lift her eyelids: "Don't be too smug. Even after you become a full-time employee, there will be a probationary period."
Zhou Yue was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, his shoulders shaking slightly: "Okay, a probationary period? What if you fail the probation?"
Xia Zhiyao glanced at him, her expression serious: "Fire him on the spot, no severance pay."
Zhou Yue was momentarily speechless, then narrowed his eyes and deliberately leaned closer to her: "Then I'd better perform well, or I won't be able to afford to pay for it."
Xia Zhiyao was amused by his "return on investment" comment and shook her head: "You're just being glib."
Zhou Yue wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, his eyes lit up, and he followed up on her words with an overly serious tone: "So you agreed?"
Xia Zhiyao was taken aback, not expecting him to react so quickly. She pursed her lips, pretending to be nonchalant as she turned to tidy up the tissues on the table: "When did I agree to that?"
Zhou Yue squinted, slowly stood up, stretched out his long arm, snatched the tissue, and pulled her into his arms: "When you were laughing just now..."
Xia Zhiyao was stunned for a moment, then looked up and met his bright, burning eyes, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason.
She turned her head away, feigning composure: "...That's at most something under consideration."
Zhou Yue chuckled softly, a smug smile playing on his lips: "Alright, I'll wait for the results."
He paused, then suddenly lowered his voice and leaned close to her ear: "But let me make it clear in advance, during the consideration period... I don't accept being stood up."
The clattering of bowls and chopsticks gradually subsided. Xia Zhiyao put the last bowl into the sink, turned around, and wiped her hands with her apron.
Zhou Yue leaned against the dining table, arms crossed, looking like he was waiting for her to clean up. Seeing her turn around, he grinned and asked, "So, what are we doing this weekend?"
Xia Zhiyao raised an eyebrow: "Us?"
Zhou Yue nodded seriously: "Yes, the investment relationship has been confirmed, so it's only natural to arrange weekend activities, let's go out for a walk."
Xia Zhiyao turned to look out the window. The rain was falling thickly and obliquely, like a thin veil shrouding the entire street scene: "Are you sure?"
Zhou Yue followed her gaze, paused for a moment, then shrugged and changed his tune confidently: "Then we can go for a walk in the mall. Buy some things, have a meal. Look at all those clothes I have, they're the ones you bought me two years ago, they should be replaced for the season."
He spoke casually, but his voice carried a hint of cautious probing. His gaze returned to her, his eyes seeming as if he feared she would reject him.
Xia Zhiyao stared at him, her lips twitching slightly before a smile suddenly appeared: "This is... your date itinerary?"
Zhou Yue paused for a moment, then replied without hesitation, "Otherwise what? Investment relationships always have to yield some return."
The mall was bustling with people. Zhou Yue, carrying several bags, said as he walked, "Let's go on a trip during the upcoming Qingming Festival or May Day holidays. The beach or the mountains are fine, you choose."
Xia Zhiyao was looking down and poking at the straw of her milk tea. After listening, she looked up at him and smiled, "If Zheng Xiaotian knew that you were seducing me here and not working properly, and that you were only thinking about playing, he would be furious."
Zhou Yue was taken aback at first, then laughed out loud, looking down at her with a hint of helplessness in his eyes: "You really worry about him." He paused, then shook his head and smiled with a sigh: "Zhiyao, you really are a workaholic."
Xia Zhiyao took a sip of milk tea, remaining noncommittal.
Zhou Yue looked at her, then suddenly seemed to remember something and slowed down his tone: "By the way, Zheng Yaotian mentioned to me a while ago that I should consider returning to the head office."
Hearing this, Xia Zhiyao paused slightly and looked up at him: "So what do you think?"
Zhou Yue turned the shopping bag around in his hand and said casually, "I haven't decided yet. Since I came back here, I've been thinking about taking care of the things in front of me first."
Xia Zhiyao paused for a moment, her gaze falling on the lights and crowds ahead, her tone more serious than before: "Actually, you could go back earlier. There are more projects you can come across over there, which would be an opportunity for you."
Zhou Yue turned his head and stared at her intently, a meaningful smile slowly curving his lips: "Are you advising me to prioritize my career, or are you advising me to leave your side?"
Xia Zhiyao stopped and glanced at him, her expression indifferent but with a hint of impatient displeasure, like scolding a dog: "Have you gone to the ends of the earth or are you dead? The head office is only half an hour away from here in traffic, aren't you going home tonight?"
Zhou Yue paused for a moment, then smiled, his eyes gradually brightening. He stared at her, a hint of mischief and teasing in his eyes: "Oh, so you've switched to shrew mode already? Constantly nagging your husband to come home?"
Xia Zhiyao was speechless for a moment, then snorted coldly and raised her eyes to retort: "You wish, don't forget you're still on probation."
Zhou Yue looked confident: "It's only a matter of time."
Xia Zhiyao paused, slowly turned her head to look at him, and a cold smile with an ambiguous meaning appeared on her lips: "Then you see, should you tell your parents first, or should I tell my parents first?"
Zhou Yue stared at her for two seconds, the smile in his eyes fading and replaced by a serious expression. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Xia Zhiyao's hand, his fingers gripping tightly: "Come on, come home with me."
Xia Zhiyao was stunned, almost losing her footing. Her heart skipped a beat; she knew he was truly capable of such a thing.
"Zhou Yue!" she whispered, her voice filled with panic and helplessness. She tried to pull her hand back, but couldn't break free.
Zhou Yue stared down at her, his eyes blazing with fury: "Didn't we agree to tell Mom and Dad? I have no problem with it, it's just a matter of whether you dare to do it or not." Zhou Yue held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with a mischievous glint, and actually took two steps forward.
Xia Zhiyao's heart tightened, and she quickly grabbed his sleeve, her voice urgent: "No, no, no! Let's think about it carefully, let's think about it carefully!"
Zhou Yue stopped in his tracks, looked down at her, and said with a half-smile, "Oh? You're scared already?"
Xia Zhiyao gritted her teeth and forced a stern face: "I'm being rational, not afraid. Your reckless behavior is completely inconsistent with long-term investment planning."
Zhou Yue chuckled after hearing this, and whispered in her ear with a hint of indulgent teasing: "Zhiyao, stop making excuses. Your guilty look just now was written all over your face."
Xia Zhiyao's ears burned, she turned her head away pretending to look elsewhere, and snorted coldly: "...You're overthinking it."
Zhou Yue stared at her profile, his smile deepening. Suddenly, he tightened his grip on her fingers, their fingers interlocking even more tightly, and said in a low voice, "Alright, let's take this time. Anyway, you can't escape."
After walking around for a while, Xia Zhiyao finally made the decision about what to eat for dinner: "Hot pot."
Zhou Yue sighed helplessly: "You're deliberately trying to get a smell on yourself."
But once she got to the dinner table, she couldn't stop eating, her chopsticks moving rapidly, her eyes shining, and a satisfied expression on her face.
Zhou Yue rested his chin on his hand, watching her for a while, his eyes somewhat lost in thought. Seeing her finally enjoying her meal so much filled him with an inexplicable sense of peace. He casually picked up a few slices of meat and put them in her bowl, teasingly asking, "How long have you been hungry?"
Xia Zhiyao chewed on something and mumbled, "I don't know... I just really want to eat something today."
When he got home and opened the door, he frowned, reached out and patted her on the shoulder: "Sure enough, you smell like hot pot."
Xia Zhiyao was changing her shoes when she looked up and glared at him: "You're really such a Virgo, so fussy."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Yue grabbed her and half-pushed, half-dragged her toward the bathroom, his hands also busy unbuttoning her coat: "Hurry up, go in and take a good shower."
Xia Zhiyao wanted to argue, but he grabbed her waist and pushed her to the bathroom door.
With that, he decisively pushed her to the bathroom door, leaned down and chuckled in her ear: "Go on, wash up and come out, I'll be waiting for you in bed."
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Author's Note: I'm experiencing a slight writer's block... [Newbie]
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