Lu Zhe woke up again at around 4 a.m.
He felt sticky on his body because he had sweated a lot and hadn't showered since.
Lu Zhe tried to sit up, but a tingling, numb, and itchy sensation in his arm almost made him cry out. Turning his head, he saw that Xia Xiaobing was lying next to him, using his arm as a pillow.
He slowly withdrew his hand, carefully, so as not to wake Xia Xiaobing.
Fortunately, the older woman was clearly sleeping more soundly than he was.
After withdrawing his hand, Lu Zhe wrapped Xia Xiaobing in a thin blanket. Although he should have calmed down by now, the brief glimpse he caught while covering her with the blanket, the breathtaking beauty, still made his heart race slightly. Recalling what had happened a few hours earlier, the overwhelming passion and deep affection... it was all too unforgettable.
However, his feelings at this moment were not entirely positive.
Beyond the lingering memories, there was also a profound sense of guilt and confusion. Clearly, Xia Xiaobing already knew about his progress with Tang Qi, yet she had still relentlessly pushed things to this irreversible point. Now, the daunting question of how to handle his relationships with the girls was looming large in his face, with no way to avoid it.
Of course, he had to admit that ripe peaches were indeed sweet and juicy, a kind of deliciousness he had never tasted before. No matter how detached and rational he was, how could a tongue with normal taste buds resist a sweet peach placed in its mouth?
With a complex mix of emotions, Lu Zhe got out of bed, found his clothes, and quickly dressed. But then, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Wouldn't it be a bit bad to leave without saying goodbye now?
I took out my phone and glanced at it; it was 4:20 a.m.
The option of spending the night here was initially ruled out, because in a few hours Xue Xiaodie would be making breakfast, and Tang Qi would wake up. If they didn't go back in time, they would definitely be exposed.
But at this moment, looking at Xia Xiaobing sleeping soundly, and at that calm and beautiful face under the orange lamp, a thought couldn't help but pop into his head.
Or you could just be honest with Tang Qi and Xue Xiaodie and tell them that you want to be with Xia Xiaobing from now on.
But Lu Zhe quickly dismissed the idea. It made him feel like he was being seduced and then succumbing to a domineering CEO—that was clearly the script for a weak female lead, while he was a guy who prided himself on being strong inside.
After hesitating for a while, Lu Zhe said softly, "Everyone has a rebellious streak. Even if I like you, if you insist on... and then ask me if I enjoyed it, wouldn't that be a bit too hurtful to my self-esteem? I don't like being so passive."
After he finished speaking, the large bedroom fell silent again.
Xia Xiaobing appeared to still be fast asleep.
Lu Zhe shook his head, turned around, opened the door, and walked out. He kept his footsteps and the sound of the door closing very quiet.
In the bedroom, a few seconds later, Xia Xiaobing suddenly opened her eyes.
She licked her lips, feeling the lingering strangeness in her body, and chuckled, "He's just being dishonest with his words... Heh, we'll see."
————
The apartment suites have password and fingerprint locks, so no key is needed, and the door opening sound is relatively quiet.
When Lu Zhe returned, he passed by the two girls' bedroom doors and glanced at them. He saw that both doors were closed, so he guessed that they were probably asleep.
The key point is that there were no unread messages or missed calls on the phone, which seems to mean... neither of them noticed?
Lu Zhe returned to his bedroom.
He took a shower, dried himself off, changed into his pajamas, and lay down on the bed.
However, I couldn't fall asleep at all.
It was not yet five o'clock when he went to bed. He lay there for a long time, and when he picked up his phone again, it was already past six o'clock.
I have to clock in at work in three hours, why am I even sleeping?
Lu Zhe rolled over and got out of bed.
————
Xue Xiaodie woke up at 7:30 in the morning.
She was lying in bed stretching when suddenly the alarm on her phone went off. She turned it off and got up to get dressed.
There was no dressing table or bathroom in this second bedroom. So she picked up her glasses and hair clips and went to the bathroom outside to brush her teeth and wash her face.
After washing her face and completing her simple skincare routine, the young woman took a plain wooden comb and smoothed her long, black hair until it was straight and silky. Then, she put down the comb, put on her glasses, and carefully braided a plait. Finally, she secured it with a silver butterfly hair clip, and she was done.
Xue Xiaodie walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. But she found that someone had already arrived.
Lu Zhe is making breakfast.
Xue Xiaodie came in and glanced at the food, then couldn't help but say, "Eggs, beef cubes, noodles, shrimp... Is this the breakfast you prepared? It's so lavish!"
Without turning his head, Lu Zhe said, "I just picked out some things that were already in the refrigerator."
Xue Xiaodie clasped her hands to her chest, her face full of anticipation: "So, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Shrimp and egg custard and braised beef noodles. I just happened to get up early today, so I thought I'd give it a try."
Lu Zhe's voice remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
Xue Xiaodie hesitated for a few seconds, then reached out and gently patted his shoulder, asking, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
She said, "Need any help? No, you can just sit there and wait to eat."
Xue Xiaodie laughed and said, "Hehe, you're so nice!"
Lu Zhe: "..."
He was facing the stove with his back to Xue Xiaodie. Therefore, the girl could not see his somber expression.
Xue Xiaodie hesitated for a while, guessing that Tang Qi might be getting up soon, so she moved closer to him and whispered, "When we have lunch today, it's just the two of us, so please don't bring any candy, okay?"
Lu Zhe: "Why?"
Xue Xiaodie: "Because I have something to tell you... um, I'll tell Xiaocaitang that something happened at the company at noon, like she's in a meeting and can't stop, so she should take care of her own lunch."
Lu Zhe: "What's wrong? Can't you tell me now?"
"I need to prepare some more, and you'll see when the time comes."
After saying that, Xue Xiaodie walked away, her steps unusually light.
Unseen by anyone, Lu Zhe's expression grew increasingly grave—he already had a rough idea of what Xue Xiaodie wanted to say. What kind of words required being kept quiet, that the time spent making breakfast in the kitchen wasn't enough, and that she needed to 'prepare' them beforehand?
Besides a confession, what other reasonable guess could there be?
But after what happened last night, he felt that there was no way he could accept another girl's confession. No matter how quiet and beautiful, or how intelligent that girl was, it was simply impossible.
At least that's what he thought at the time.
————
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