Chapter 33

Zhu Xinyue finished the meal absentmindedly.
As she ate, she kept thinking back, that dream felt so real. But if it wasn't a dream...
Ji Linyu saw her flushed face and didn't interrupt her wandering thoughts. It was time for her to figure things out properly; he couldn't be the only one bothered by that kiss for so long.
"I'll wash the dishes. Don't touch cold water during your period." Ji Linyu pressed Zhu Xinyue back into her seat, took her bowl and chopsticks, and started cleaning the kitchen.
Zhu Xinyue wiped the table with a wet tissue after finishing her meal.
This scene... felt very familiar.
Zhu Xinyue recalled that time before the audition for "Peach Blossom Spring" when she had supper with Ji Linyu, and he was the one who washed the dishes then too.
At the time, she already felt that this man was handsome to a whole new level.
Watching Ji Linyu's busy figure from behind, Zhu Xinyue's heart gradually calmed down.
In the past, she had been too busy surviving to even consider building a family with someone or falling in love. Even if she did think about it, it was only during times when the pressure of survival became too overwhelming, times when she wanted to rely on someone else's strength to make her life a little easier. But she only ever entertained the thought, as such methods often came with even greater hidden dangers.
However, if that person were Ji Linyu, she felt that being with him wouldn’t be so bad. He could give her a sense of security, both financially and emotionally.
Zhu Xinyue was actually a pessimist. Once she started thinking about being with Ji Linyu, she would immediately wonder: What if Ji Linyu went bankrupt someday? What if his financial stability could no longer provide her with that sense of security?
Ji Linyu had no idea that his future girlfriend was already imagining the day his billions of dollars in assets might vanish. After tidying up the kitchen, he squeezed some hand soap to wash his hands again, then dried them with a paper towel. When he turned around, he saw Zhu Xinyue still lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
Zhu Xinyue: "Thinking about something really offensive."
"Hmm?"
Zhu Xinyue looked at him with a serious expression and said, "Just how much money would it take to 'keep' a boss like you, even if just for one day?"
Ji Linyu was taken aback, both annoyed and amused. Standing across the table, he reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
Zhu Xinyue grabbed his hand, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and with a furrowed brow, said earnestly, "I'm serious. One should always plan ahead. You work so intensely, sooner or later, you’ll get tired. What if one day you don’t want to go to work anymore? Then I could confidently ask you to stay for a day, boldly slap a card on the table, and buy one day of your time."
Ji Linyu’s heart raced. Her long hair brushed against the back of his hand, sending a ticklish sensation, and her fingertips were warm and soft, making him crave her touch.
It was the first time someone had told him that he, too, would get tired someday.
It was the first time someone had offered to buy a day of his time.
Such a cute idea.
"I don’t have a lot of money, so I probably can’t afford many days, but one or two should be managea, " Before Zhu Xinyue could finish her sentence, the man’s thumb pressed against her lips.
Zhu Xinyue stared at him blankly as Ji Linyu leaned in closer. The hand under her chin forced her to lift her head and meet his dark, ink-like eyes.
In his gaze, she saw a turbulent sea, anything but calm.
"One kiss buys you one hour of my time. How’s that for pricing?" Ji Linyu asked with a smile, his eyes drifting from hers down to her lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Too, too close!
Her heart felt like it was about to explode!
Zhu Xinyue sprang back like a released spring, then dashed into the bathroom in a flash.
She moved incredibly fast, like a startled little animal.
Ji Linyu rubbed his thumb, savoring the lingering sensation, soft as cotton candy.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Ji Linyu wondered if he had been too straightforward, but he could only blame her for being too adorable. It was hard for him to resist watching her little mouth chatter away with strange words while having no thoughts of his own.
If there was any offense, his mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of offending her.
Her guard was far too low.
The bathroom door opened again.
Ji Linyu glanced over and saw that the strands of hair near her cheeks were slightly damp, with droplets of water trickling down her chin, as if she had washed her face to cool down.
He sat on the high stool she had occupied earlier, leisurely waiting for her. "Do you think the pricing is too high?"
His smile was somewhat infuriating. It was the first time Zhu Xinyue had seen this mischievous side of Ji Linyu, when he teased someone, his methods were top-notch.
Zhu Xinyue mustered her courage, walked closer to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed his lips.
Ji Linyu’s heart skipped a beat. Realizing this was her conscious choice after sobering up, his ears grew hot, and his heart raced wildly.
He licked her lips, tasting a cool strawberry flavor, slightly sweet, and instinctively gave her a gentle bite.
"Mmm..." How dare he bite her?!
Just as Zhu Xinyue was about to pull away, Ji Linyu pressed his advantage, cupped the back of her head, parted her lips, and deepened the strawberry-flavored kiss.
So sweet.
In the midst of their entangled breaths, Zhu Xinyue was nearly breathless. She pushed Ji Linyu away, her skin flushed pink.
Ji Linyu noticed her lips, reddened from his kiss, and felt he might have gone a bit too far. But he showed no remorse, only smiled.
"Did you eat candy? So sweet?"
Zhu Xinyue’s breath hitched.
He’d noticed! She had just brushed her teeth and eaten a strawberry-flavored mint. Was it too deliberate?
Seeing her guilty expression, Ji Linyu knew exactly what she had done, and his smile deepened.
"So, what does this make us now?" They’d already kissed, wasn’t it time to give him a proper title?
Zhu Xinyue cleared her throat tentatively and said:
"A sugar baby arrangement?"
Ji Linyu was exasperated, his knuckles lightly tapping the table as if restraining himself.
"...Can’t you have a little more ambition?"
Zhu Xinyue blinked, pretending not to understand.
Ji Linyu had no choice but to take her hand and pull her closer.
His hand naturally interlaced with hers, palm to palm. The warmth transmitted between them felt like an electric current, like taking a sip of sparkling water, fizzing and popping on the tongue. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation made her acutely aware of the stimulation he brought, proving she was vividly alive in this world.
"The Zhu Xinyue I met told me at our first encounter that she wanted to give me a home." Ji Linyu’s first words made Zhu Xinyue so embarrassed she wished she could burrow into a hole. But her hand was firmly held by his, and she couldn’t escape. As she thought of retreating, he tightened his grip, locking her even closer to him.
“At that time, I thought, whose little friend is this, so bold and unafraid to say such words to me? Does she know who I am? Can she really give me the home I want?” Ji Linyu’s tone carried a hint of laughter as he gazed steadily at Zhu Xinyue before him.
Zhu Xinyue bit her lower lip. Hearing him say, “Can she really give it?” reminded her of Zhu Shilang’s earlier remark that she “couldn’t repay it.” She lowered her eyes, her heart sinking.
But Ji Linyu seemed to see right through her thoughts. He cupped her face, lifting it gently so she had to meet his gaze.
Looking into his calm and resolute eyes, Zhu Xinyue felt her wavering heart slowly find an anchor. It was like steering a small boat on the sea, she didn’t know where the destination was, but she trusted that this vast ocean would give her enough security.
“You can give it,” he repeated solemnly. “No one is more capable of giving it than you.”
This ocean would carry her to the other shore.
“The Zhu Xinyue I know can see others’ vulnerabilities, their grievances, and the kindness they show her. She can perceive everything about others, yet she fails to see herself.
“She is strong yet fragile, hiding away to cry alone without troubling anyone. But I truly wish she would trouble me. I want to witness her fragility, I want her to vent her grievances to me, not keep them buried inside, not hide away by herself.
“I want to be her reliance, not just the ‘good person’ she labels everyone as.”
In a way, they were alike yet different.
Just like that night at the wedding banquet party, Zhu Xinyue could sense his sorrow and took the initiative to stay by his side, accompanying him through the dark streets and up the long flight of stairs.
Ji Linyu thought it was an illusion, how could she appear so perfectly just when he was thinking of her?
But when he caught that falling petal, when he grasped her silhouette, he knew it was real. She was standing there, then descending the steps, moving closer to him.
Because she was Zhu Xinyue, the one who would notice him, comfort him when he was sad, and stand by his side.
To be liked by her, to be firmly chosen by her, was an incredibly fortunate thing.
But she was a fool, unaware of how wonderful she truly was.
Zhu Xinyue’s eyes reddened as she threw herself into Ji Linyu’s embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. With the fiercest tone she could muster, she choked out, “Ji Linyu, you’re done for. You’re stuck with me for life.”
Ji Linyu chuckled softly, stroking her back. “I’d be delighted.”
Although Boss Ji very much wanted to continue spending time with his girlfriend, she was already ushering him out of the cottage, mindful of the time.
“They’ll be back soon. If the production crew returns, it’ll be hard to explain,” Zhu Xinyue said, pushing him toward the entryway and urging him to change his shoes.
Ji Linyu braced one hand against the doorframe, frowning slightly. “Why would it be hard to explain?”
“…” Zhu Xinyue thought, Do you really need to ask? He had avoided the production crew and turned off all the cameras, wasn’t it precisely to avoid being caught together?
Ji Linyu narrowed his eyes and asked, "Don’t you want to make our relationship public?"
Zhu Xinyue sensed the dangerous glint in her boyfriend’s eyes, this might be a trick question.
"Isn’t it a bit too soon to go public right after we got together?" At the very least, they should date for a while before announcing it, shouldn’t they?
Ji Linyu clenched his fist.
He really wanted to go public, but for the sake of her career, it might be better to keep things private. Fortunately, her contract was only for three years.
Zhu Xinyue waited for his reply, gazing at him with wide, expectant eyes.
Ji Linyu averted his gaze and glanced around the empty cabin. The thought of others sharing a space with her, spending every moment together, laughing and joking in front of the cameras, while he, her newly official boyfriend, was being kicked out and asked to agree to a secret relationship…
Tch.
Annoying.
Zhu Xinyue noticed Ji Linyu’s displeasure. She grabbed his collar, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him on the lips.
"Is that okay?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
Ji Linyu pursed his lips, staring into her shimmering eyes, then pointed to his lips with his index finger. "One more kiss."
Zhu Xinyue leaned in again on her tiptoes.
Ji Linyu wrapped his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss until she was breathless and had to lean against his chest, panting.
Just then, Ji Linyu’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Keeping one arm around his girlfriend’s waist, he answered the call.
Zhu Xinyue, standing close to him, could hear the voice of the show’s director on the other end.
"Mr. Ji, can we turn on the cameras now? We’ll be back soon."
Zhu Xinyue tightened her grip on Ji Linyu’s clothes and glared up at him.
"Ten minutes," Ji Linyu said.
"Got it," the director replied before hanging up.
Zhu Xinyue let out a sigh of relief and tried to pull away, but Ji Linyu pulled her back into his embrace. His low, husky voice whispered in her ear.
"Ten minutes of hugging, or ten minutes of kissing. Your choice."
No one told me Mr. Ji would be so clingy when he’s in a relationship!
Zhu Xinyue’s entire face flushed bright red.