The next day was a weekend, so neither of them had to go to work.
When Jiang Ruolan woke up, Zhou Yi was still asleep. She lay in his arms, feeling an overwhelming sense of contentment.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting warm patches on the floor. She reached out and gently tapped the bridge of Zhou Yi’s prominent nose.
Just looking at his face, she couldn’t help but feel completely captivated.
Thinking back to what happened last night, her cheeks flushed again.
There were still faint marks on Zhou Yi’s lips where she had bitten him—not very obvious, but close up, they were definitely visible.
She smiled softly before getting up to make breakfast.
She used to never get up early to cook; on weekends, all she wanted was to rest.
But today, her mood was good. For her, making breakfast for someone she liked was a joyful thing.
Humming a tune, Jiang Ruolan got dressed, freshened up, and headed to the kitchen.
She was cooking noodles when the aroma woke Zhou Yi. He opened his eyes, rubbed them, and noticed Jiang Ruolan was gone, so he figured she must be making breakfast.
Zhou Yi put on his pants but left his upper body bare as he walked over to her. From behind, he wrapped his arms around her.
His chin rested on her shoulder. “Smells amazing.”
“Are you talking about me or the noodles?” she teased.
“Both. But you smell better.”
Zhou Yi nuzzled her neck and kissed it gently. Her hair and skin carried a sweet scent. Jiang Ruolan’s hand holding the ladle trembled slightly. She bit her lip shyly and said, “Stop… not again today. I can’t take it.”
Last night, she felt like she was about to die.
She used to think Zhou Yi looked like a reserved and indifferent man, but she never expected…
Just thinking about those moments from last night made her cheeks burn even more.
Zhou Yi chuckled softly. “Do you still remember how you fell asleep yesterday?”
Jiang Ruolan turned to glare at him, but the look was light and powerless—more embarrassed than angry.
“Zhou Yi, don’t say that. Next time… next time I definitely won’t be like that!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but… will there even be a next time?”
She cautiously tested him. Zhou Yi stroked her hair and said, “As long as you miss me, there will be a next time.”
A gentle smile blossomed on her face. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest.
“Don’t lie to me. You’ve changed me. I never thought I’d be such a clingy woman, but ever since I met you, I want to be with you all the time.”
Zhou Yi held her hand, soothing her, “I’m not lying. Whenever you miss me, I’ll come to keep you company.”
Jiang Ruolan brightened up. Whether Zhou Yi loved her or not, at least she could have his company. Her longing wouldn’t be left unfulfilled.
The two of them happily ate breakfast together. Only then did Zhou Yi remember he needed to reply to Kong Huaijin’s invitation.
He flat out refused.
He couldn’t be overly respectful and obliging to Kong Huaijin. Otherwise, how was he any different from the other suitors around her?
Kong Huaijin clearly wasn’t the type to fall for that—it was probably why she was still single.
To deal with a woman like her, you had to first pique her interest.
“Sorry, Miss Kong, I have classes this week, so I’m afraid I can’t make it.”
Kong Huaijin was enjoying a massage spa when she saw Zhou Yi’s message and immediately laughed out loud.
Of course, it was a laugh of frustration.
Beside her was her close friend Fang Yue, who was getting beauty treatments together with her.
“What’s got you so happy?” Fang Yue asked.
“Happy? I’m actually mad,” Kong Huaijin replied.
“Oh? Who managed to upset our Miss Kong like this?”
Kong Huaijin tore off the facial mask on her face and tossed it aside. Sitting there with a furrowed brow, she said with some displeasure, “I kindly invited a guy out to dinner, and he actually rejected me? In my entire life, I’ve rarely been turned down by a man. It’s just ungrateful.”
Fang Yue smiled with narrowed eyes. “So you hit a wall with a man? What kind of guy dares to say no to you? Doesn’t he know who you are?”
Kong Huaijin leaned back with a gloomy expression and began playing with a strand of hair on her chest. “How could he not know? He’s fully aware. Even so, he still turned down my invitation.”
“To know and still reject you—that’s not something money or power can sway. Men like that are rare.”
“I’d actually prefer if he was moved by my power and wealth. That way, I wouldn’t have to waste so much effort and energy.”
“Well, there are plenty of men like that, but you don’t like those kinds.”
“That’s true.”
After saying this, Kong Huaijin felt something was off and shook her head. “No, it’s not that I like him. I invited him for something else.”
“If it’s for something else, why are you so upset? You weren’t this mad when Boss Fu refused to cooperate with you before.”
Kong Huaijin felt a strange sensation inside. She just couldn’t compare Zhou Yi to those gray-haired old men. She couldn’t lump Zhou Yi in with those bosses.
She had invited Zhou Yi because she promised a good friend, but after being rejected, she was unusually bothered—almost embarrassed and angry.
Maybe it was because she hadn’t expected Zhou Yi to say no, which made her feel awkward and annoyed.
But anger aside, she had other ways. She was Kong Huaijin, after all. She wouldn’t take a simple refusal seriously.
There was no man she wanted to invite that she couldn’t get.
“No worries, I have my ways. I refuse to believe I can’t get a man to agree.”
“That’s right, you’ve landed deals worth hundreds of millions. Men are nothing.”
Kong Huaijin never thought that the second time she’d hit a wall in her life would be with Zhou Yi.
On the other side, after Zhou Yi replied, Kong Huaijin only sent back three dots. Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled. She must be a little angry.
These high-and-mighty heiresses were used to smooth sailing. Being suddenly rejected by him triggered their first reaction: dissatisfaction.
Maybe this was another version of “Woman, you’ve piqued my interest.”
Jiang Ruolan saw him smiling and asked curiously, “What are you laughing at?”
Zhou Yi showed her the message. “Look, Miss Kong seems mad at me.”
Jiang Ruolan was secretly pleased. She smiled and said, “Are you scared?”
Zhou Yi shook his head. “Why would I be? There’s no business between me and the Kong family company. She can’t do anything to me.”
Jiang Ruolan’s admiration for Zhou Yi grew again. To remain unmoved by a woman like that, she truly saw Zhou Yi in a new light.
After last night, combined with today’s rejection of Kong Huaijin, Jiang Ruolan’s affection meter for Zhou Yi had already reached 97—almost full.
It wouldn’t be long before it maxed out completely. The longer they spent time together, the deeper their feelings naturally grew.
After having breakfast at Jiang Ruolan’s place, Zhou Yi returned to his own home.
He used his fingerprint to unlock the door and immediately noticed sounds coming from inside.
You Man had taken advantage of today being Saturday to buy a lot of furniture, filling Zhou Yi’s home with new pieces.
As soon as Zhou Yi stepped inside, he noticed a new coffee table in the living room, fresh cushions on the sofa, and a large, soft, and exquisite carpet spread across the floor.
He glanced over at the balcony, which was filled with potted plants—flowers and succulents thriving vibrantly. The sunlight streaming in made the space feel warm and inviting.
You Man must have heard Zhou Yi open the door, because she came out then.
She was holding a remote control for a table lamp, which she had been struggling to figure out for quite some time. Seeing Zhou Yi return, she smiled and ran into his arms.
“Xiao Yi...”
Gradually, her smile froze.
She caught the scent of a woman’s perfume. You Man’s eyelashes fluttered, and her hand tightened around the remote.
Looking up at Zhou Yi, she noticed the mark on his lips.
The remote suddenly slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor as the batteries rolled near Zhou Yi’s feet. Zhou Yi was truly stunned now.