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“Right.”
His response was firm, as if she shouldn't even question it.
Junxi's eyes curved into a smile.
“Then let's go.”
She pointed ahead but couldn't help glancing back. This place, she thought, she would remember forever.
Zhou Xuanyu started the car and drove her home. He knew that although Junxi's clothes were dry, they wouldn't be comfortable to wear, especially after a night of intimacy; she definitely needed a shower.
As they approached Junxi's building, Zhou Xuanyu stopped and turned into a breakfast shop. A short while later, he emerged with several bags in hand, filled to the brim, suggesting it was more than just for two people.
“Why did you buy so much?” Junxi asked.
“To eat,” Zhou Xuanyu replied succinctly, offering no further explanation.
He parked his car as usual in the alley where Junxi lived. After getting out, he didn't follow her into the hallway but instead selected a few of the bags and turned to enter the floor across from her.
Junxi was puzzled but followed him inside.
On the floor across from her, in the garage, lived an old man who had wandered there. This old man was dressed in rags and rarely spoke; the most valuable thing he owned was a harmonica he carried with him. The residents upstairs saw him as pitiable and didn’t chase him away, allowing him to temporarily make a “home” in the garage.
Junxi had only heard about this matter, but she had never seen the real Old Man. She also didn't know when Zhou Xuanyu had noticed him.
The Old Man in the garage looked even older than the neighbors had described. His clothes were indeed tattered, but he was not unkempt.
"Here, old man, have something to eat." Zhou Xuanyu squatted down in front of the Old Man and gently placed the bag he was holding before him.
The Old Man pressed his lips tightly together and remained silent, yet his weathered eyes were scanning Zhou Xuanyu up and down.
Zhou Xuanyu smiled at him but said nothing more. He stood up, turned around, and pulled Junxi out of the garage.
"How did you know someone lived in this garage?" Junxi asked Zhou Xuanyu as they walked upstairs.
"I saw it when I came to pick you up yesterday."
Junxi responded with an "oh."
She had lived there for quite some time and had only just heard of the Old Man's existence, while Zhou Xuanyu had noticed him after just a few visits. His insight was indeed sharp.
Moreover, this man's heart was far softer than his tough exterior suggested.
Junxi opened the door, and Zhou Xuanyu followed her inside. Her small room was gradually being filled with warmth, transforming into a home. Each visit brought different surprises and feelings.
"You go take a shower and change your clothes first," Zhou Xuanyu said as he placed the breakfast he had brought on the coffee table and turned to her.
Junxi nodded in agreement, treating him like family as she directly took her change of clothes into the bathroom.
Zhou Xuanyu took out the breakfast from the bag. He had bought almost every type of breakfast available at the shop, all of which were his favorites for the Vagrant Old Man. The rest were Junxi's favorites.
The sound of water gradually flowed from the bathroom, and just listening to that evocative sound made Zhou Xuanyu feel a rush of heat wash over him.
He had been abstinent for many years.
In France, his friends laughed at him, saying that if he continued like this, he would surely lose his manhood and become a wandering Chinese monk abroad.
He thought that his long-sheathed sword would lose its original sharpness, but it turned out otherwise. Last night, Junxi made him lose control time and again; every cell in his body was going wild for her beautiful figure...
Once Pandora's box was opened, it would only escalate.
“Zhou Xuanyu!” Junxi's voice called from the bathroom, and the door was pulled open immediately. “Um, could you do me a favor?”
She poked her wet head out, droplets of water still trickling down her chin, looking both sexy and vulnerable.
“Speak.”
“I forgot to grab my underwear.”
Junxi felt a bit embarrassed. Usually, when she was home alone, she never bothered with underwear after a shower; she would just throw on loose pajamas or a T-shirt and walk around. But today, with him there, she couldn't do that.
“Where is it?”
Zhou Xuanyu remained calm, as if he had already guessed what she had forgotten the moment she called out to him.
“In the bedroom, the second drawer on the right.”
Zhou Xuanyu nodded and headed toward the bedroom.
"Hey, wait a minute," Junxi called out to him again.
"What is it?"
"When you open the drawer, could you please close your eyes?" Junxi knew this request sounded unreasonable, so her voice was even softer than before.
Zhou Xuanyu naturally understood what she was concerned about.
As a woman, her intimate clothing was indeed quite inadequate. However, he didn't care about that.
"What do you have that I can't see?" Zhou Xuanyu turned around and walked back toward her as he asked.
Junxi watched him approach the bathroom step by step and suddenly panicked. She pressed against the door and stammered, "That's not what I meant... Wait, don't come over, what are you doing..."
Zhou Xuanyu ignored her completely. He reached out and pushed open the bathroom door, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.
Junxi had just finished bathing and was still without a stitch on.
"Don't do this," she said, turning to hide behind the shower curtain.
Zhou Xuanyu pulled back the shower curtain with one swift motion.
"Come here," he said, opening his arms wide.
With nowhere to hide, Junxi had no choice but to obediently step into his embrace.
Zhou Xuanyu lowered his head, inhaling the fragrant scent of her body wash, and asked her in a hushed voice, "Weren't we honest enough last night?"
"Last night was different," Junxi murmured, playing with the buttons on his chest.
"In what way was it different?"
"Last night, the lights were off."
"So, do you plan to face me in the dark from now on?" Zhou Xuanyu teased, brushing aside her damp bangs. "Hmm?"
From now on...
In the wildest moments of last night, Junxi had even thought her life might end at that instant. She had never considered the future until Zhou Xuanyu mentioned it; only then did she realize that what happened last night could not be a one-time occurrence. They indeed had many tomorrows ahead of them.
"I didn't mean that," Junxi said, looking up at him and confessing, "I just worry that if you see my underwear, you'll think I'm still a child."
Zhou Xuanyu raised his hand to wrap around her soft waist, leaning down to gently kiss her earlobe, a mix of comfort and sweet words. "Last night, I already knew how much of a woman you are."
Junxi's face flushed bright red. She raised her hand to clutch Zhou Xuanyu's neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder.
Zhou Xuanyu could hardly resist such intimacy; he held her tightly and turned, pressing Junxi against the bathroom wall.
Passionate kisses intertwined in the steamy bathroom.
There was enough time for Zhou Xuanyu to shed his clothes during the foreplay. When they stood bare before each other, his large hand lifted her leg...
Junxi took another shower, and when she came out, she felt no reservations, dressing as casually as if she were home alone, slipping on a loose knee-length T-shirt.
Zhou Xuanyu was already seated at the table, leisurely peeling a zongzi.
"I'm so hungry," Junxi said, patting her flat stomach.
The apple she had nibbled on that morning was hardly enough to sustain her after such intense exercise.
Zhou Xuanyu pushed a steamer basket of soup dumplings in front of Junxi, temporarily setting aside the zongzi in his hands, and poured her a small dish of vinegar.
Junxi tasted one and found it so delicious that she almost wanted to bite her own tongue. Her gaze swept over to Zhou Xuanyu's zongzi.
"What filling is this?"
Zhou Xuanyu deliberately ignored her eager eyes.
"Is it salted egg yolk filling?" Junxi pressed on, not willing to give up, while her hand rested on his arm.
The bamboo leaves had already slipped from Zhou Xuanyu's hands. He expertly inserted his chopsticks into the center of the zongzi and then pried it apart with a swift motion. The zongzi split open as expected.
It was indeed salted egg yolk filling.
"Oh wow, everything you bought today is what I love to eat," Junxi said with a beaming smile.
Zhou Xuanyu scooped out the yolk from the zongzi with a spoon and placed it in Junxi's bowl, putting the remaining sticky rice into his own bowl.
Junxi froze for a moment, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.
She only ate the crab roe when having crabs, and she only indulged in the egg yolk when enjoying rice dumplings... These spoiled habits, which were infuriatingly extravagant, were remnants from her days as the young lady of the Wen Family.
Her mother had warned her that such picky behavior would ensure she would never find a husband. No man would be able to indulge her whims so recklessly. In fact, even tolerating her might be beyond what any man could manage.
After her family fell apart, Junxi had long since given up these bad habits. She understood that without the privilege of being a princess, she could no longer afford to act like one.
But what was Zhou Xuanyu doing right now?
Not only did he remember her spoiled preferences, but he was also indulging her.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Zhou Xuanyu looked at her as she remained still.
Junxi poked at the egg yolk with her spoon before placing it back into his bowl.
"You'll spoil me if you keep this up."
Zhou Xuanyu frowned. "And what's wrong with spoiling you?"
"If I'm spoiled, I won't be able to get married."
"And what’s the problem with that?" He maintained a serious expression.
"…"
Junxi was at a loss for words. She really wanted to ask him, "If I can't get married, will you marry me?"
However, her rational mind told her that she absolutely could not ask such a question.
After all, she and Zhou Xuanyu had just established their relationship, and discussing marriage at this point was completely inappropriate. She feared he might misunderstand, thinking she was pressuring him into marriage.
Zhou Xuanyu seemed to have successfully won this verbal battle, stubbornly placing the egg yolk back into Junxi's bowl with an air of authority that left no room for refusal.
Junxi looked at him and smiled.
Zhou Xuanyu focused on eating the sticky glutinous rice. In truth, he didn't particularly like Zongzi, but what could he do? That little woman only enjoyed the filling of Zongzi.
Junxi decided not to return the egg yolk; instead, she lowered her head and popped it into her mouth.
For the first time, she felt that the egg yolk was sweet.
After finishing breakfast, Zhou Xuanyu washed the dishes.
Junxi knew he was being considerate of her lingering soreness from last night and was reflecting on how he had been unable to control himself this morning, wanting her so many times.
Having a self-aware man was quite nice.
Junxi lay on the sofa flipping through a newspaper when Zhou Xuanyu finished washing the dishes and walked out.
"Are you leaving?" Junxi temporarily set the newspaper on her lap and looked at him.
"Um."
"Are you going home or to the office?"
"I'll go home to change first, then head to the office."
Junxi nodded thoughtfully.
He patiently waited for a moment before asking, "Is there anything else you want to know?"
"No, that's all."
"Then I'm leaving." Zhou Xuanyu picked up his coat.
"Hey, wait!"
Junxi propped herself up, kneeling on the sofa to stop him.
Zhou Xuanyu turned back and walked in front of her.
"What is it?"
"Can we keep our relationship a secret for now?"
Junxi looked up and clearly saw that after she said this, Zhou Xuanyu's jaw tightened considerably.
"What are you worried about?"
Zhou Xuanyu's large hand rested on the back of her head.
"I'm just worried that an office romance might affect our lives and work."
After all, Zhou Xuanyu had a special status, and they were both still relatively new at Hengfu Group.
"Is that all you're worried about?" Zhou Xuanyu met her gaze.
Junxi was puzzled. "What else is there to worry about?"
He averted his eyes. "Nothing. Let's go with what you said."
"Alright, then you should go. Be careful on the way." Junxi gently pushed against his abdomen.
"You should go in and get some sleep." Zhou Xuanyu remained where he was, lightly caressing Junxi's face with a hint of tenderness.
"I can sleep here just fine."
"On the sofa?"
"Yeah." Junxi sank back into the sofa. "It's really comfortable here."
She curled up like a little fish in the narrow sofa, shaking her legs slightly.
Zhou Xuanyu frowned but said nothing.
After he left, Junxi quickly fell asleep. In her drowsy state, she heard someone ringing the doorbell. Thinking it was just a dream, she ignored it.
The person outside quickly grew impatient, raising his hand and banging forcefully on the door.
"Is anyone in there?" It was a man's voice, and it sounded like more than one person.
Junxi jolted awake.
"Who is it?" Junxi walked to the door.
"It's the Furniture Company delivering a bed."
"A bed? But I didn't order a bed!" Junxi was confused.
The man outside grew impatient again. "You didn't order it, but maybe your husband or someone else in your family did. Either way, we're just here to deliver; we don't handle anything else."
Husband? But she didn't have a husband!
Junxi's thoughts shifted, and she immediately thought of Zhou Xuanyu.
"Was the bed ordered by a Mr. Zhou?"
"Yes, yes! Miss, if you keep asking, we won't have the strength to lift it anymore! Don't worry, it's a bed, not a bomb!"
Junxi pondered for a moment before finally opening the door.
Sure enough, it was the delivery for the bed.
Standing outside were four movers from the Furniture Company. Seeing her open the door, they adopted a more customer-friendly attitude, unlike their earlier aggressive demeanor.
"Miss, which room should we put it in?" the man at the front asked.
"Over there. The bedroom," Junxi pointed.
The bed was enormous. Such a massive object could easily overwhelm her small bedroom. From now on, she wouldn't have to sleep on the floor, as there was no way she could roll off this bed.
A few men diligently set up the bed and mattress before leaving. After they were gone, Junxi returned to the doorway of her bedroom, staring blankly; it seemed even smaller now.
She wanted to call Zhou Xuanyu, but she was afraid he might be in a meeting at the company. After thinking for a moment, she decided to send him a text instead.
"I don't really need a bed; the sofa is quite comfortable."
Soon, Zhou Xuanyu's reply came back.
"I can't get used to sleeping on the sofa; I need a bed."
"Don't you have a bed at home?"
Just as Junxi sent the message, she quickly realized what Zhou Xuanyu meant. Was he implying that he would be sleeping over at her place from now on?
Was this… the rhythm of moving in together?
Junxi waited and waited, but it seemed Zhou Xuanyu had no intention of replying again.
Feeling defeated, she couldn't help but notice her heart still racing wildly.
Would he come tonight?
Junxi waited until after ten o'clock at night, but Zhou Xuanyu never showed up. As she tossed and turned on his newly bought large bed, a message from him came through.
"Make sure to rest well tonight. Good night."
"…"
So, was tonight a break for her?
Junxi had thought that changing beds would keep her awake, but to her surprise, she slept remarkably well, almost oversleeping.
She hurried off to work.
Xiaolin and the others had already arrived. The moment she stepped into the office, it was as if a pot had exploded.
"Junxi! Come here quickly."
"Yeah, come over. Honestly, are you dating someone?"
Everyone looked at her with eager curiosity.
Junxi felt a jolt in her heart. Hadn't they agreed to keep it under wraps for now? How did everyone know this morning?
"Don't just stand there trying to deny it. Look at these flowers. There must be something going on," Xiaolin pointed at Junxi's desk.
Junxi finally noticed that a bouquet of flowers was sitting on her desk. This bouquet was the source of all the gossip.
"Who sent these?" she asked as she walked over.
"Look at you, pretending to be clueless. You really don't know who sent them?"
"I truly have no idea. Is there a card?" Junxi began rummaging through the flowers.
"No card. If there were, would we need to pressure you for answers?" Xiaolin laughed. "But with such special flowers, you should be able to guess who sent them."
Junxi pressed her lips together tightly.
The flowers in her hand were Marguerites, also known as "Maiden Flowers." It was said that these flowers could predict love. That's why many dramas featured scenes where the heroine would hold a Marguerite, plucking the petals one by one while reciting, "Like, dislike, like, dislike..." By the time she reached the last petal, she could divine her romantic fate.
Compared to roses and lilies, these flowers were indeed unique. Junxi's favorite had always been Marguerites.
But when it came to the sender of the flowers, she genuinely had no clue.
Could it be a surprise from Zhou Xuanyu?
As Junxi pondered this, Zhou Xuanyu arrived. He greeted everyone but didn’t stop, heading straight for his office. It was unclear whether he hadn’t noticed the bouquet on Junxi’s desk or was simply pretending not to see it.
"Seriously, who sent them?" Xiaolin pressed again.
"I really don’t know."
Junxi avoided the prying eyes and went to find a vase, heading to the restroom to fill it with water.
The restrooms on all floors of Hengfu Group are designed uniformly. The men's and women's restrooms are separated by just a wall, with the sinks and mirrors shared.
Junxi was filling up the water when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw Zhou Xuanyu.
Zhou Xuanyu noticed her too.
"Good morning," he greeted casually, as if addressing an ordinary employee, before heading into the men's restroom.
"Wait a moment," Junxi called out softly.
"What is it?" Zhou Xuanyu smirked. "Who said not to get too close at work? Seems like you couldn't help yourself."
Faced with Zhou Xuanyu's teasing, Junxi felt her cheeks flush uncontrollably.
He leaned in closer, pressing his advantage.
"Are you satisfied with the new bed? Did you sleep well last night?"
Junxi intended to ignore his questions, but her mouth betrayed her thoughts.
"Yes. It's good. Everything's good," she blurted out.
Zhou Xuanyu nodded.
"Then tonight..."
"Hey! Good morning, Mr. Zhou!" Junxi suddenly interrupted him loudly.
Zhou Xuanyu turned around and saw someone approaching from behind.
"Good morning, Mr. Zhou!" the person greeted him.
Zhou Xuanyu responded seriously, "Morning."
After exchanging greetings, the person entered the restroom, unaware of the tension between Junxi and Zhou Xuanyu.
However, Junxi clearly felt guilty. She turned away, deliberately turning the faucet for the flower vase to its maximum, and amidst the sound of running water, she softly asked, "Don't say anything. I actually just want to ask you one thing—did you send the flowers?"
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