In the end, that day concluded with a threat from Zhou Er. She warned Qi Ke repeatedly, “Don’t you dare say you know me.”
Qi Ke looked at her with disdain, calling her a coward for not taking advantage of the perfect time and place to get to know Meng Ying, telling her not to come crying to her when she regretted it later.
Zhou Er smiled, her red lips parting slightly, but her words were light. “You don’t know a thing.”
Qi Ke didn’t understand.
Although the two had grown up together, got along reasonably well, and came from similar family backgrounds, the Zhou family was much stricter compared to the relaxed atmosphere of the Qi family. There were always eyes on you, dictating what you should be doing and when.
Finding someone you like isn’t easy. Zhou Er savored, and even wanted to prolong, this process of liking someone.
After all, acting rashly without sufficient preparation, even if you succeed, only increases the probability of loss. This was something her father had taught her before she joined the company, and she had taken it to heart.
Between her demanding work and studies, she didn’t have many opportunities to see Meng Ying in person, but Qi Ke was a loyal friend and always saved a ticket for her. She would arrive in a hurry and leave just as quickly, watching Meng Ying’s disastrous performances on stage, her clumsy yet adorable and sincere speeches, her big eyes twinkling like stars in the sky.
Only Qi Ke knew her secret, so Zhou Er naturally harassed Qi Ke.
As soon as Qi Ke got off stage, swinging her captain’s little finger, her teeth were about to rot from the sourness. “Sister’s legs aren’t legs, they’re the spring waters of the Seine?”
Zhou Er: Just listen, don’t comment.
Qi Ke: Why didn’t you come up during the handshake session just now?
Zhou Er: I was busy looking for a knife.
Qi Ke: …
Zhou Er waited until the crowd had dispersed and the venue’s speakers were repeatedly announcing for fans to leave in an orderly manner before she slowly walked towards the exit.
The winter wind was biting and dry. She loved looking beautiful and was dressed lightly, her long skirt swaying in the wind. She let the dark emotion called jealousy burn and churn in her heart.
“The road over there is blocked.” A voice suddenly came from the side, interrupting her thoughts.
The voice was so familiar it felt etched into her bones. In an instant, the gloom dissipated, replaced by a bright spring day.
It was Meng Ying.
Zhou Er had been wandering aimlessly towards a secluded area, completely unaware of her surroundings. It was only when Meng Ying pointed it out that she realized the road ahead was indeed blocked off for construction.
She turned around.
Meng Ying was leaning against a lamppost with her back to her. The light grazed past her, leaving only a slanted shadow on the ground. After alerting Zhou Er, she fell silent, staring blankly at the cold moonlight. She looked even more ethereal than the moon itself, the corner of her exposed skirt fluttering.
Zhou Er grew inexplicably nervous. It felt like a little rabbit was trapped in her chest, thumping wildly, trying to leap out. Her throat went dry. She wanted to speak but didn’t know what to say. The only word that came out was, “…Thanks.”
Meng Ying waved a hand at her back, looking gloomy.
“…You.” Zhou Er licked her dry lips, wanting to ask what she was doing here, if she was sad because of her poor performance, if—
A fragrance wafted over.
It was the smell of Black Forest cake, particularly strong in the deserted space.
Zhou Er: “…”
Meng Ying hadn’t expected the person to approach. She jumped in fright, turning around to stare at Zhou Er with wide, terrified eyes. There were still some chocolate crumbs at the corner of her mouth, making her look like a little kitten caught sneaking a treat.
Zhou Er: “…”
Meng Ying struck first. “Are you here for the Sweet Day fan meeting?”
Zhou Er: “Yeah…”
Meng Ying asked again, “Whose fan are you?”
Zhou Er lied, “Song Yushi’s.”
Meng Ying said, “Oh,” then her lips drooped pitifully. “Why don’t you like me?”
Zhou Er: “…?”
Meng Ying stuck out her tongue and licked away the chocolate crumbs by her lips. She looked at Zhou Er eagerly and said, “How about this? You can switch to being my fan for today. I’ll give you an autograph, and you promise me one thing.”
Zhou Er hesitated. “…What?”
Meng Ying: “Don’t tell anyone you saw me sneaking cake here. I’m on a diet recently, and my teammates won’t let me eat sweets. I had to sneak out while they weren’t looking.”
Zhou Er frowned, glanced around, and said, “It’s dangerous.”
Meng Ying took another bite, not hearing her. She tilted her head and said, “Huh? What did you say?”
So carefree, she didn’t look very bright. The type to help count the money after being sold.
Zhou Er lowered her eyes and said, “Okay.”
Zhou Er’s bag was too small, only big enough for a phone and a lipstick. There was no pen and paper. Meng Ying looked troubled for a moment, and just as she was about to say she’d go borrow some, Zhou Er pressed the lipstick into her hand.
Meng Ying was confused.
Zhou Er took out a tissue, unfolded it, and lifted her chin. “Sign here.”
Later, that tissue was hung by Zhou Er’s bedside. The signature was in a rosy-nude shade, the strokes smooth, with a small heart at the end. Zhou Er’s older sister came to her room for something, and before leaving, she glanced at it and casually asked, “You’re a fan of a celebrity?”
Zhou Er said calmly, “I’m chasing my girlfriend.”
Older Sister: “…”
And just like that, Zhou Er came out of the closet without any fuss. Unlike when Qi Ke came out, with her grandfather wanting to beat her and her parents wanting to scold her, few people cared. In the end, it was her older brother who said, “It’s fine to just play around, but you still have to meet the young master of the Lin family I introduced you to.”
Zhou Er smiled but said nothing.
Her brother added, “Don’t be rebellious.”
Zhou Er smiled again. She liked to wear bold makeup, and every frown and smile was alluring, like a delicate beauty untouched by storms. She looked at the man across from her and her thin lips parted slightly. “Mind your own fucking business.”
Not long after that, Sweet Day disbanded. Meng Ying didn’t renew her contract with the company and was swindled by someone. Just as she was about to sign with a shell company, she was stopped by people Zhou Er had sent.
Zhou Er’s people were even better at bluffing, promising Meng Ying resources and status. At that time, Meng Ying was in urgent need of money and didn’t hesitate for long before signing the contract.
The company was real, and so were the resources. The path she paved for Meng Ying could have been strewn with flowers, a journey of soaring success.
But—
Zhou Er heard the sound of the water in the bathroom stop. The rain outside, however, grew heavier, drumming against the glass. She looked down at the tips of her toes.
She thought, she was truly selfish.
She had plotted for so long, only to choose the wrong path in the end. She had observed Meng Ying from on high, never considering a gentle approach, only wanting to use a contract to forcefully make her stay.
Vile, childish, selfish.
She had fallen for Meng Ying without her consent, and used love as a pretext to imprison her. Qi Ke was right. The Zhou family had taught her how to study, how to navigate human relationships, how to run a company, and how to be tactful and shrewd, but they had never taught her how to love someone.
So it was right that Meng Ying didn’t like her.
The bathroom door was opened from the inside.
Hot steam billowed out. Meng Ying stood at the door, wrapped in a bath towel. She was mostly sober, her face flushed red. She stared at Zhou Er for a moment, then walked past her to the sofa without a word.
Zhou Er watched her quietly.
Meng Ying hesitated for a moment, then said, “Turn around.”
Zhou Er obediently turned around, facing the wall and staring at her own shadow. She heard the heavy bath towel fall to the floor, heard the rustle of clothes, swift and agile.
She couldn’t wait to run away.
Zhou Er felt an inexplicable panic.
Meng Ying had already paid her the contract termination fee. She had no connection to the company anymore, so naturally, she didn’t need to feign civility with her. Zhou Er realized she couldn’t stop Meng Ying from leaving.
The situation was out of her control. For the first time in a long while, she was at a loss.
After what felt like an eternity, she heard Meng Ying say, “I’ve left the check on the table. My lawyer will contact the company to discuss the specific details.”
After a pause, she said, “I’m leaving now.”
“Wait.” Zhou Er turned around hastily, meeting Meng Ying’s gradually clearing gaze. She stammered, forgetting what she wanted to say, and repeated, “…Wait.”
Meng Ying asked, “Is there anything else?”
Zhou Er looked outside. “It’s raining.”
Meng Ying nodded. “It’s okay, I’ll take a taxi.”
Zhou Er said again, “It’s hard to get a taxi here.” She walked forward. “Let me give you a ride.”
But Meng Ying took a sharp step back, looking at her warily as if she were a monster, and politely refused, “No, thank you. I’ll go straight to the airport.”
“It’s an hour by taxi from here to the airport, and the earliest flight to Yunzhou City is at 7:30 in the morning.” Zhou Er retreated to the doorway. “Sleep here, I’ll go to the guest room. You can leave tomorrow morning, okay?”
Zhou Er looked at her earnestly, refusing to leave until she heard her agree.
Meng Ying was soft-hearted and couldn’t bear to see people acting weak. Under Zhou Er’s gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She bit her lip and said, “…Okay.”
Zhou Er closed the door from the outside. The room returned to silence, and the sound of the rain became clearer. Meng Ying screamed into the bed, then rolled over to stare at the ceiling. She took out her phone and sent a message to Qi Ke: “Zhou Er seems to have gone crazy!!!”
Qi Ke must have been asleep, as she only replied with a question mark the next day, adding, “Don’t be afraid, she just likes you.”
Qi Ke: If you don’t like her, just reject her harshly.
Meng Ying hadn’t slept well. When she woke up and saw the message, she got out of bed, opened the door, and ran right into Zhou Er, who was about to knock.
Startled by the sudden encounter, Zhou Er panicked for a second. “…You’re awake.”
Meng Ying closed her eyes and said, “Zhou Er, don’t be like this.”
Zhou Er didn’t understand. “What?”
“Don’t be like this, this isn’t like you. Don’t think that just because you like me, everything you did to me before can be written off. Yes,” Meng Ying nodded, “thanks to your care, I wasn’t scammed by a shell company. And I don’t have any talent, so it wouldn’t have made a difference whether you gave me good resources or not. Thinking back now, aside from your occasional sarcastic remarks, I wasn’t really wronged at the company. But—”
Zhou Er’s heart sank. She wanted to stop Meng Ying, but she knew she couldn’t. Meng Ying stood right in front of her, leaning against the doorframe, and said softly, “But I don’t like you.”
“…”
“Did you hear me? I’m rejecting you.”
Zhou Er started to pursue Meng Ying.
She had never pursued anyone before, and her methods were old-fashioned and clumsy. Meng Ying was busy opening her hotpot restaurant, overwhelmed with work every day. Zhou Er didn’t cause her much trouble; in fact, the breakfast she sent every day kept Meng Ying from ruining her stomach amidst her busy schedule.
On opening day, the hotpot restaurant was packed. Zhou Er came to show her support, and Meng Ying saved a private room for her.
The waiter was well-trained, attentive yet maintaining a proper distance. While helping Zhou Er put food into the pot, he repeated what Meng Ying had told him: “You’re our boss’s friend, so this meal is 20% off. There are also some coupons, I’ll bring them to you later.”
Not free, just a 20% discount.
Meng Ying was carefully calculating the distance between them, not allowing her any thoughts of crossing the line.
Zhou Er often went to eat hotpot. When it was less crowded, she would sit at a table by the window in the main hall. The hotpot would bubble with fragrance, and she would eat slowly. When the spiciness stung her tongue, she would take a sip of Coke.
“Hey—” Meng Ying finished her accounting and leaned against a pillar in the main hall to look at her. “Don’t eat hotpot every day.”
Zhou Er looked up. “You’re the boss, is it really okay to drive away customers like this?”
Meng Ying thought that was a fair point. She struggled for a moment, unable to think of a rebuttal, before stating her real purpose. “A team is coming to inspect the restaurant tomorrow night. Don’t hang around here.”
Zhou Er asked, “Why?”
“You’re a celebrity too, you know?” Meng Ying said reluctantly. “And they know we know each other. What if they ask you to entertain them? If you refuse, it’ll make me look like I have bad connections. If you agree…”
Meng Ying paused.
She knew Zhou Er would agree, but subconsciously, she resisted the thought of Zhou Er having to drink with people. At the same time, she resisted her own resistance.
It was all a mess.
Meng Ying’s head ached. She glared at Zhou Er and snapped, “Do whatever you want, what’s it to me?” then stomped upstairs, her canvas shoes clattering on the steps.
Zhou Er, who had been inexplicably glared at, found her mood improving.
When her assistant came to pick her up and saw her smiling, she couldn’t help but ask, “Did Miss Meng agree to be with you?”
Zhou Er’s lips curved up. “She glared at me.”
Assistant: “…”
Was it really a glare?! Boss, from the way you’re smiling, I thought she kissed you!!!
Zhou Er had actually intended to listen to Meng Ying. She even deliberately worked overtime at the company the next day, dawdling, but in the end, she still wanted to see Meng Ying.
The hotpot restaurant was even more crowded at night. Afraid of being recognized, Zhou Er went around to the back door and went straight up to the large private room on the third floor. The soundproofing wasn’t great. As soon as she turned into the hallway, she heard a man’s voice. “Come on, Boss Meng, you have to drink this. If you don’t, you’re looking down on me.”
Meng Ying’s voice was softer, almost inaudible.
She wasn’t a good drinker and had only ever drunk in front of people she trusted, where someone would always have her back no matter how drunk she got. Now, facing a table full of middle-aged men, Meng Ying truly felt how hard it was to make money, how hard life was.
Meng Ying smiled, picked up the glass, and was about to close her eyes and down it when her wrist was grabbed.
Meng Ying froze and turned her head.
Zhou Er had appeared from nowhere, standing beside her. Her fingertips on Meng Ying’s wrist were firm, but her gaze wasn’t on her. Instead, it swept across the room. Zhou Er smiled. “Boss Meng isn’t a very good drinker. I’ll drink for her.”
The man in the seat of honor frowned. “Who are you?”
Another man next to him said, “She’s also a female celebrity. She’s been in quite a few shows. Her name is Zhou Er.”
“Ah, I remember! She’s beautiful!”
“Isn’t she? And she has a really fiery personality, tsk tsk, just my type.”
“Curvy in all the right places, what a great figure!”
Having been in the business world for a long time, Zhou Er was used to such comments. Meng Ying, on the other hand, had always been well-protected. When these vulgar words reached her ears, she clenched her fists in anger. Just as she was about to retort, Zhou Er patted the back of her hand, turned her head to meet her gaze, and guided her hand to bring the glass to her lips.
Meng Ying’s heart skipped a beat.
Zhou Er stared at her, and just like that, using Meng Ying’s hand, she drank the liquor until the glass was empty.
“Great tolerance!” Someone applauded and gave a look to the person closest to Zhou Er. “Fill Miss Zhou’s glass again. We won’t go home until we’re all drunk tonight.”
Zhou Er lowered her head and smiled. “I forgot to introduce myself.”
She took a business card from her bag, placed it on the table, and looked up. “Please take a look at my card, and then decide if you want to continue drinking with me.”
The man next to her sneered, picked it up, and his face changed drastically.
Zhou Er’s family background was more powerful and influential than Meng Ying had imagined. Everyone at the table was shrewd. After seeing the card, the matter of drinking was immediately laughed off.
Zhou Er’s hand slid down Meng Ying’s wrist and clasped her long fingers. Without even bothering with pleasantries, she led Meng Ying out of the room. The moment they were out the door, she staggered and fell straight into Meng Ying’s arms.
Meng Ying quickly steadied her. “Zhou Er?”
Meng Ying didn’t know how well Zhou Er could hold her liquor, but that had been white liquor, high in alcohol content. No matter how good one’s tolerance was, it couldn’t withstand downing so much in one go. She quickly helped Zhou Er to the temporary bedroom in her office.
Zhou Er was so soft.
Her waist was soft, her body was soft, and even her breath, tinged with alcohol, was soft and gentle.
Meng Ying’s mind wandered as she opened the bedroom door and placed Zhou Er on the bed. Her caretaking skills were much better than Zhou Er’s. She was methodical, even pouring a glass of milk for Zhou Er to sober up.
But when she returned, she heard Zhou Er whimpering.
Meng Ying thought she was hearing things.
Was this a joke? The beauty who never liked to yield, the ill-tempered CEO who found fault with everything, was lying disheveled on her bed, and on top of that, she was whimpering?
“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?” Meng Ying hated herself for blurting that out.
Drinking made Zhou Er’s face flush. It was red and hot. She opened her eyes and looked at Meng Ying, seeming to try and recognize who she was. After a long moment, she smiled softly. “Meng Ying…”
Her voice was low, tickling Meng Ying’s ear.
Meng Ying heard herself hum in response.
“I really, really like… really like you.” Zhou Er turned her face to the side, and a tear slid from the corner of her eye, falling onto the pillow and soaking a patch. She reached out, grabbed the corner of Meng Ying’s shirt, looking so aggrieved it was heart-wrenching, and repeated in a murmur, “I really like you.”
Meng Ying wanted to pull her shirt away, but her heart softened. She simply sat down on the bed. “You like me?”
Zhou Er looked at her pitifully, not speaking.
“If you like me, why were you so mean to me before? You even made me coax you and praise you. Who likes whom here?” After saying that, she felt it wasn’t right and added, “Oh, my praising you was purely because I was a corporate drone.”
Zhou Er still didn’t speak.
“It’s not like I’ve never been pursued before. Is this how you pursue someone?”
“…”
“I already said I don’t like you.”
“…Mmm.”
“But you’re so annoying. You’re always hanging around me, I see you everywhere, but… why is the thought of you disappearing becoming less and less strong?”
“…”
“Hey! Tell me why?”
Zhou Er seemed to have run out of energy. She let go of Meng Ying’s shirt, her eyes downcast, and answered irrelevantly, “…It hurts?”
Meng Ying quickly leaned closer. “Where does it hurt?”
Zhou Er looked up.
They were too close.
Meng Ying thought she could almost see into the depths of Zhou Er’s eyes, could clearly hear Zhou Er’s wildly beating heart, which grew more rapid amidst their heated breaths.
She wanted to pull away.
But Zhou Er suddenly turned her head and captured her lower lip.
It was soft.
Stripped of her usual sharpness and arrogance, Zhou Er was unbelievably soft. She sucked on Meng Ying’s lip, plundering it without any technique, her tongue tracing Meng Ying’s teeth, prying them open, and charging in recklessly.
Panting sounds mingled with wet sounds.
When Meng Ying came to her senses, she shoved Zhou Er away. She reflexively went to wipe her mouth, but then she met Zhou Er’s gentle gaze. She awkwardly lowered her hand and, possessed by some strange impulse, gave a dry laugh. “That felt pretty good.”
“…”
“!!!” Meng Ying covered her mouth.
What was she saying!!!
Meng Ying immediately said, “You didn’t hear anything.”
Zhou Er blinked, looking harmless and cute.
Meng Ying felt embarrassed and snapped at her, “Stop looking!”
Zhou Er obediently closed her eyes.
Her long eyelashes were curled and thick. Her exquisite makeup, smudged by tears, shone even brighter.
Seeing how obedient she was, Meng Ying found it novel and used the light from the bedside table to study Zhou Er carefully. Zhou Er was truly beautiful, a radiant and flamboyant kind of beauty. Even with her eyes closed, none of her pride was diminished.
Her gaze slowly moved down to Zhou Er’s lips.
The lip color was a true red. She had tasted it; it was fragrant.
Meng Ying reached out, her face blushing, and pressed the pad of her finger against Zhou Er’s lips. Zhou Er’s eyelashes trembled as if she were about to open her eyes. Meng Ying quickly said, “Don’t open them.”
The eyelashes fluttered twice, then stilled.
Her breathing became light and slow, but the philtrum of her lip grew hot.
Meng Ying leaned in to listen to Zhou Er’s heartbeat. Thump-thump, it beat faster and faster. After listening for a while, she suddenly realized that her own heartbeat was in sync with Zhou Er’s.
Beating wildly.
The air was quiet.
The clamor from downstairs was fading away, while the sound of their heartbeats grew clearer in her ears.
Zhou Er opened her eyes slightly, her gaze perfectly clear. She felt Meng Ying’s fingertip trembling on her lips, and a smile flashed in her eyes.
She knew she had won.
She had won, and she had lost.
She had won Meng Ying, and she had lost to Meng Ying.
It was worth it.
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