How about going to my place tonight

Zhou Yi always felt he owed You Man a great deal.

A woman like You Man wouldn’t necessarily be pleased by money, nor would she accept it.

Zhou Yi thought about taking her out to buy some gifts tonight and spending more time with her.

She loved it when he put thought into things for her—what she truly needed was companionship.

He gently ruffled her hair and said,

"Come to my place tonight, okay? I’ve missed you."

"Of course! I’ve missed Xiao Yi too. It’ll be nice to finally see what your home looks like."

"Then after my lecture this afternoon, let’s go out and wander around. Come to think of it, I’ve never even taken you shopping before."

"Anything’s fine, as long as I’m with you."

You Man’s happiness was visibly growing, and she couldn’t resist kissing Zhou Yi again, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a soft, enchanting warmth, like a tender spring breeze.

That kiss ignited something in Zhou Yi, and he pressed her against the office desk, deepening the kiss.

"Xiao Yi, th-there are people outside... not here..."

"I’ll just kiss you, nothing more."

Blushing furiously, You Man still found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and returning the kiss.

Their breaths grew increasingly ragged, and soon she was panting, her skin glistening with sweat.

"I... I can’t, Xiao Yi... I can’t... breathe..."

Only then did Zhou Yi relent. He leaned close to her ear and murmured,

"Was Sister Man worried someone might walk in and see?"

"I was worried it might reflect badly on you."

"Nothing bad about it."

With a smirk, he undid the first button of her blouse.

You Man bit her lip, her gaze sultry, torn between stopping him and giving in.

Truth be told, the thrill of it was... intoxicating.

Zhou Yi braced his hands on the desk, caging her in his arms.

He glanced down, then raised an eyebrow with a lazy grin. "Sister Man’s wearing black today, huh?"

That roguish smile was utterly irresistible to her.

You Man was mortified. She turned her face away and whispered, "Didn’t you say last time you liked black?"

Zhou Yi chuckled wickedly. "Oh? So Sister Man came prepared today?"

Only then did she realize what she’d implied. Flustered, she explained, "No, I just bought a lot of black recently, and today happened to be one of those days."

"Still means you got them for me, right? No need to be so shy. I only said that last time because you happened to be wearing black."

"It’s because you wore it that I thought black looked good. From now on, wear whatever you like—I’ll love it all, as long as it’s you."

Another masterclass in sweet talk.

Zhou Yi’s words were honey to You Man’s ears, and she immediately brightened, thoroughly charmed.

She pushed him down into the office chair and straddled him, leaning close to his ear. "Tonight, I’ll let you pick properly."

Zhou Yi’s blood rushed south. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"With that kind of talk, Sister Man, I can’t wait."

"But not in the office. It’s not appropriate."

Zhou Yi feigned disappointment, teasing her.

"And here I thought the floor-to-ceiling window behind us would come in handy."

You Man tapped his forehead. "Stop that! Do you want to scare me to death at this height?"

Zhou Yi caught her hand and kissed it. "Just joking. I’d never do that to you—I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else seeing you. The office door’s locked, so don’t worry."

"When did you lock it? I didn’t see you get up."

"It’s controlled by my phone. After that surveillance incident, Jiang Ruolan had the locks replaced."

At the mention of Jiang Ruolan, You Man’s expression faltered. She forced a small smile.

"I see. Miss Jiang is... very capable."

"What, jealous?"

"No. You need someone like her around. I’m not so unreasonable."

You Man lowered her eyes, her mood dimming.

She just felt inadequate. Compared to someone as accomplished as Jiang Ruolan, she was ordinary—unable to offer Zhou Yi any professional support.

If only she could be more exceptional.

She longed to do something for him. Loving someone meant wanting to give endlessly.

All she could manage was taking care of him in daily life.

Even tidying his office felt like a meaningful contribution.

She wasn’t the type to accept kindness without reciprocating. Zhou Yi had helped her open her own shop, giving her a better life—she didn’t know how to repay him.

And she loved him.

Loving him only made her want to give more.

Yet she couldn’t find the right way.

Zhou Yi comforted her. "Sister Man, you have your own strengths. Don’t compare yourself to anyone. When it comes to matters of the heart, no one holds a candle to you."

You Man felt a little better. It seemed Xiao Yi still cherished her most.

Zhou Yi pressed on gently. "Let me ask you this—if I weren’t successful today, would you still love me?"

Without hesitation, You Man replied, "Of course! It’s not your money I care about."

"See? Loving someone isn’t about how accomplished they are. When we fell for each other, we had nothing."

"I love you for who you are—your kindness, your gentleness, the quiet strength in your bones, and the way you never back down from life’s challenges."

"It has nothing to do with whether you can handle my work or where you went to school. No matter how impressive others are, they’ll never be Sister Man."

"Sister Man is one of a kind. To me, you’re irreplaceable."

077 would’ve given Zhou Yi a standing ovation.

It jotted down in its handbook:

"A skilled player must master the art of sweet nothings."

Zhou Yi’s words struck You Man’s heart. Her eyes welled up, deeply moved.

Xiao Yi must’ve been a gift from the heavens, lighting up the shadows of her unhappy past.

She wiped her tears. "I’m not as wonderful as Xiao Yi says."

"What I think is what matters. Nobody else’s opinion counts."

You Man laughed through her tears and hugged him tightly.

"Xiao Yi, thank you for loving me. Thank you for coming into my life."

"Alright, no more crying. If you go out with red eyes, people will think I bullied you."

Zhou Yi dabbed her tears away, coaxing her until her smile returned.

After You Man left, Zhou Yi attended his lecture.

Once class ended, he headed out to meet her—until Su Ning called out to him.

"Zhou Yi."

"Hm? Su Ning, what’s up?"

They stood in the hallway as Su Ning brought up Kong Xiaohe.

"You asked me about Kong Xiaohe the other day, right? I found out a bit more and checked with my brother. Thought I’d fill you in today."

Zhou Yi’s demeanor shifted instantly.

"Thanks for going through the trouble, Ningning."