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墨書 Inktalez
Zhou Xuanyu maintained a serious expression.
Junxi squinted, wondering what kind of person could speak so confidently. Was he really the same Zhou Xuanyu she had known before?
"Time to eat. The food is getting cold," she said, pushing his hand away.
"Aren't you going to check it?" Zhou Xuanyu feigned disappointment.
"Only someone with extensive experience can notice such subtle details. I have no experience," Junxi replied as she walked over to serve the rice.
Zhou Xuanyu leaned against the kitchen counter, smiling silently.
It was then that Junxi realized what she had just said, and her face turned red. She quickly handed him the bowl of rice.
Zhou Xuanyu looked at her; her long hair was casually tied up, with a few strands falling loosely by her temples. The sight of her holding the rice spoon and bowing her head was particularly warm and homely.
"Come on, let's eat," Junxi urged him while holding her own bowl of rice.
The smile on Zhou Xuanyu's face deepened.
Junxi's cooking was exceptional. Even though it was just a few simple home-cooked dishes, it whetted Zhou Xuanyu's appetite, making him, who was used to gourmet delicacies, keep asking for more rice.
After the meal, Junxi suggested taking a walk, worried that he might overindulge from being too polite.
Zhou Xuanyu agreed.
As Junxi took the opportunity to head downstairs to throw out the trash while Zhou Xuanyu was putting on his coat, she noticed that not only had he managed to wear his coat, but he had also brought her coat down with him.
"Put it on," he said, opening her coat for her.
Junxi smiled as she walked over, turned around, and slipped her arms into the sleeves of the coat. With a gentle shake, the garment settled comfortably around her.
Once they stepped out of the alley where Junxi lived, they found themselves on a pedestrian street.
Although this pedestrian street wasn't as bustling as the center of Qing City, it was filled with a variety of shops, offering everything one could desire.
He held her hand as they blended into the crowd, appearing just like any other couple.
While shopping, Junxi enjoyed strolling and browsing, but whenever she paused to look at something, he would immediately pull out his wallet to buy it.
"What are you doing?" Junxi stopped him.
"Don't you like it?"
"I'm just looking."
"Isn't being interested in something the same as liking it?"
"Is that how you understand women?"
"Well, that's how I am myself."
"..."
Junxi was momentarily speechless; his theory wasn't entirely wrong. After all, he was a person with countless responsibilities, and every minute was precious. Naturally, he wouldn't waste time on things that didn't interest him. But they were out shopping now.
Shopping was supposed to be about casually walking around, stopping to look at interesting things. There was no need to justify it in the name of liking something. As for buying everything they saw, that was simply impossible.
"Hand it over!" Junxi extended her palm forward.
"What?"
"Your wallet." She said seriously, "Since you can't control your spending, I'll take charge."
Zhou Xuanyu smirked.
No woman had ever dared to ask him for his wallet like this, especially not to prevent him from spending money. Looking around the street, how many women could be like Wen Junxi? Most were eagerly hoping their men would buy this and that...
Zhou Xuanyu reached out, found his wallet, and placed it in Junxi's palm.
Junxi grasped it firmly, weighed it in her hand, and then casually tucked it into her coat pocket. The whole sequence of movements flowed seamlessly, almost like a robbery.
"Female bandit."
Zhou Xuanyu pinched her cheek.
Junxi blinked innocently and playfully lifted her hand to hook Zhou Xuanyu's chin.
"If I were a female bandit and encountered someone like you, I wouldn't just rob for money. I'd make sure to take everything," she said, her eyes glinting with mischief and a playful smile dancing on her lips.
Zhou Xuanyu could have easily dodged her hand, but he remained still, expressionless as he looked at her. Yet in his eyes, there was a flicker of warmth and affection hidden beneath the surface.
Junxi noticed that her lack of rebuttal only emboldened her further. She linked her arm with Zhou Xuanyu's and smiled, "Come on, let's go. I'll take you back to be the chief wife."
"Are you sure it's not you who wants to be my wife?" Zhou Xuanyu replied lightly.
The atmosphere was clearly relaxed and pleasant, but as soon as he said that, Junxi's heart suddenly raced uncontrollably.
Wife—why did that word feel like it carried an electric charge?
Junxi felt a tingling sensation all over her body, yet she refused to back down. "Ha! If you're going to scheme for power, then I don't want you anymore. I'll just find someone more obedient."
Zhou Xuanyu pulled her into his embrace, gently holding her neck and whispering in her ear, "Who else do you think you can steal away? Once you’re involved with me, who would dare to want you?"
Junxi glanced at him. "So you're one of those people too—black eating black!"
"…"
Zhou Xuanyu pressed his fingers to his forehead and chuckled helplessly.
This girl had a knack for coming up with such sharp and unpredictable thoughts. In terms of nonsense, he was no match for her. Yet, this seemingly pointless conversation lifted his spirits immensely.
Indeed, being around certain people made one easily become like them.
He felt as if he were growing younger; at the very least, he found himself smiling more often.
She was his little bundle of joy that he could keep by his side.
After taking a stroll, they had mostly finished their snacks. They had also explored nearly all the shops in the vicinity. In truth, Zhou Xuanyu, with his cool demeanor and attire, felt completely out of place among the vibrant atmosphere of this area.
He was too aloof, while here, the air was thick with warmth and liveliness.
"Shall we head back?" Junxi suggested.
Suddenly, Zhou Xuanyu stopped, his gaze fixed on something in the distance.
Junxi followed his line of sight and spotted a beautifully decorated flower shop across the street.
"Let's go check that out," Zhou Xuanyu said, taking Junxi's hand and crossing the crosswalk directly toward the flower shop.
The shop had a unique name: "One World." It likely derived from the saying "One flower, One World; one leaf, one Bodhi."
As they entered, the Boss Lady greeted them warmly.
Junxi had thought that there could never be another woman like Lin Jingming—someone who possessed both elegance and an ethereal quality. Moreover, her exquisite features seemed oddly familiar.
This Boss Lady, much like her flower shop, evoked a sense of nostalgia.
Junxi found himself momentarily lost in thought, while Zhou Xuanyu remained oblivious to how remarkable the woman speaking to him truly was.
"Sir, what type of flowers are you looking for?" she asked.
"Just give me one of each type," he replied.
"Ah?" The Beautiful Florist was taken aback.
If Junxi did not know Zhou Xuanyu and was simply viewing him from a woman's perspective, she would undoubtedly think that this man was blatantly trying to attract the attention of beautiful women.
"Don't understand?" Zhou Xuanyu frowned.
"Sir, are you saying you want one of each flower in the shop?"
"Yes."
"But we have nearly a hundred varieties of flowers here," the Beautiful Florist reminded Zhou Xuanyu with a smile, then glanced at Junxi.
Junxi seemed to just wake up and quickly grabbed Zhou Xuanyu's arm. "Have you lost your mind?"
Zhou Xuanyu casually picked a Jasmine from the vase, sniffed it, and then put it back. In that moment, his sleeve seemed to carry the scent of the flower.
"Don't you like flowers? Buy more to take home and arrange them slowly," he said seriously.
Junxi realized that he was still sulking over that one bouquet. But no matter how much he disliked it, making things difficult for a serious businessman was quite unreasonable.
She shot Zhou Xuanyu an annoyed look and turned back to the Boss Lady. "I'm sorry, he's just talking nonsense."
The Boss Lady smiled understandingly.
"You two must be a couple," she said.
Junxi nodded.
Boss Lady looked at Zhou Xuanyu and pointed to the roses beside him.
"Sir, if you want to give your girlfriend flowers, I still recommend red roses. Although red roses are common, I believe that love between lovers should be as passionate and straightforward as the meaning of red roses, without any beating around the bush... Of course, if you want something special..."
"Wrap up all the roses in the shop," Zhou Xuanyu interrupted Boss Lady.
"Alright." Boss Lady nodded. "We happen to have ninety-nine roses in the shop; I'll wrap them all up for you."
"Zhou Xuanyu, your wallet is with me. Who gave you permission to waste money?"
Zhou Xuanyu walked over to Junxi and gently touched her hair.
"Although you control the finances, how the money is spent is up to me."
This sounded fair, but Junxi couldn't shake off the awkward feeling it gave her.
The other staff members had already finished their shifts, and Boss Lady personally wrapped the flowers. Her hands were both beautiful and skillful; the wrapping paper moved deftly under her touch, and soon enough, the flowers were ready.
"Pay up," Zhou Xuanyu said, tilting his chin toward Junxi.
Junxi remained still.
Zhou Xuanyu reached into her coat pocket directly, pulled out his wallet, and turned around to hand a card to Boss Lady.
The POS machine in the flower shop beeped as it processed the card, and Junxi dared not look at the bill.
Such extravagant spending felt too foreign and distant for her.
Life had stripped her of her princess crown and shattered all her dreams. Just when she was about to submit to fate, destiny introduced her to Zhou Xuanyu, a man who cherished her like a princess.
Whether this was fate or misfortune, she couldn't tell.
The Boss Lady handed a large bouquet of roses to Junxi. "Please take this."
Junxi glanced at Zhou Xuanyu, looking like a child who wanted candy but feared being scolded by their parents.
Zhou Xuanyu remained silent, stepping forward to take the bouquet from the Boss Lady's hands before offering it to her himself.
"Take it," he said.
The Boss Lady smiled. "Miss, you are truly lucky."
This kind of happiness didn't stem from receiving flowers but from the adoration reflected in the eyes of the one giving them.
Despite everything, Junxi accepted the flowers.
Women have an irresistible attraction to roses; it's an instinct akin to a love for beauty. Even if she tried to suppress it, there were some edges that life and fate could not smooth over. She was the fallen Wen Junxi, but first and foremost, she was a woman.
The Boss Lady escorted them to the door and cheerfully invited them to come again next time.
Junxi turned back and caught a glimpse of her.
Only then did she notice that when the Boss Lady smiled, she had an especially cute little fang…
It wasn't a special day like Valentine's Day, yet Junxi walked down the street holding a large bouquet of roses, attracting a lot of attention.
Feeling shy from all the gazes, Junxi blushed and leaned slightly against Zhou Xuanyu's arm, matching his pace.
What she didn't realize was that their close proximity made them even more eye-catching.
Finally returning home, Junxi felt as if she might fall apart. This was probably the first time she had felt like she was walking through a gauntlet during a simple stroll.
She temporarily set the flowers down on the coffee table and collapsed onto the sofa to rest.
Zhou Xuanyu, however, was not idle. He rummaged through the house to find several glass vases and began arranging the flowers with great care. He was undoubtedly the most thoughtful flower giver.
Junxi turned onto her side to watch him. He approached everything he did with seriousness.
The vibrant red of the roses seemed to warm his cold features just a bit.
"Have you learned flower arranging?" Junxi asked.
His skillful demeanor suggested he had done this before.
"No," he replied without hesitation.
Junxi thought of Lin Jingming, a woman who had quite an expertise in flower arranging and tea arts. Zhou Xuanyu must have picked up some knowledge from being around Lin Jingming.
A sense of discomfort suddenly washed over her.
Tonight, she had thought of Lin Jingming many times.
Junxi was about to say to leave it alone, but when she looked up, she saw Zhou Xuanyu carefully squeezing a few roses into the vase that held the daisies.
Yes, he hadn’t pulled out the daisies and thrown them away; instead, he quietly used the flowers he had given her to invade territory that didn’t belong to him.
He hadn’t lost his composure, yet he insisted on his little stubbornness.
This person… she only just realized how adorable he was.
Junxi smiled, and the lingering unease in her heart dissipated. Her feelings for Zhou Xuanyu outweighed her rationality.
“Do you really mind that Zhou Ziyan sent me flowers?” Junxi asked.
Zhou Xuanyu paused his movements, showing no sign of shame at being caught.
“Yes,” he replied, his voice firm and resolute.
“Why are you so jealous?”
He looked at her.
“Because when I get jealous, I go all the way. Unlike you, who gives up halfway.”
Junxi blinked. “Who said I give up halfway?”
Zhou Xuanyu leaned closer, pressing Junxi back against the sofa.
"Should we check it now?"
Junxi cupped his face and gently kissed him.
"Given your proactive request for the organization to investigate, the organization has decided to trust you. Comrade Zhou Xuanyu, I won't be checking today!"
After Junxi finished speaking, she tried to escape from beneath him.
Zhou Xuanyu quickly pinned her back down, holding her hands tightly as he leaned down to kiss her.
It was no use arguing with her; kissing was certainly acceptable...
Junxi felt a ticklish sensation from his kiss and couldn't help but push him away. The small sofa creaked under their playful struggle.
"Not here," Junxi urged him.
Zhou Xuanyu released her, but in the next moment, he lifted her up in his arms.
"Right, there's a new bed."
Zhou Xuanyu carried Junxi toward the bedroom, but after a few steps, he turned back and casually picked up the unfinished bouquet of roses from the coffee table.
"What do you need the flowers for?"
As they leaned their foreheads together, the addition of the bouquet in Junxi's arms filled the air with a hint of sweet rose fragrance mingling with their breaths.
Zhou Xuanyu had not yet answered her when they arrived at Junxi's bedroom.
The sheets and blankets on the new bed were freshly changed. Unlike most girls who preferred to decorate their beds in cherry pink or pure white, she chose a cool color palette that matched his room.
It looked very comforting; at least, he liked it.
Zhou Xuanyu laid Junxi down on the bed.
This was not their first time being intimate, but it was their first time on a bed.
Although they had shared two previous experiences, Junxi still felt a bit nervous. The soft mattress beneath her back made it hard for her to feel anything real. She felt as if she were lying on a cloud.
Zhou Xuanyu did not rush to kiss her; instead, he casually scattered the roses he held across the bed.
The petals of the roses floated down like drifting butterflies, covering the bed and floor with their delicate presence.
The atmosphere was enchanting and romantic.
Junxi gradually relaxed, and it was only at this moment that she truly felt a sense of belonging.
After completing all of this, Zhou Xuanyu finally turned his attention to Junxi.
"Junxi," he said as he rolled over to place himself above her, "you should have had a more beautiful first time. It was my impatience."
His voice carried an air of apology.
He had taken her most precious possession in the wilderness of the forest, something that made him feel guilty every time he thought about it later.
Junxi raised her hand to hook around his neck. "As long as it's with you, it doesn't matter how."
After she finished speaking, without giving him a chance to respond, she arched her body to kiss his lips.
Zhou Xuanyu felt his head heat up from her kiss, and all the words he wanted to say suddenly slipped his mind.
Perhaps, at that moment, language was the most inadequate.
He embraced her tightly, as if trying to embed her into his very bones. Yet his response was gentle.
Junxi's eyes were misty, and her hand slowly slipped into his shirt.
"How should I check?" she asked.
Zhou Xuanyu quickly unbuttoned and removed his shirt. "Check however you want."
Junxi glanced at his strong upper body and turned her head away. "You should check yourself."
"We've come this far; you have no choice."
"…"
He leaned in and completely possessed her.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, falling onto the bed scattered with rose petals.
When Junxi woke up, Zhou Xuanyu was still beside her. His breathing was steady, clearly indicating he had not yet awakened. She quietly crawled over and rested on his chest, studying his face.
In just one night, stubble had sprouted on his chin, and when she reached out to touch it, it pricked her fingers painfully.
"Ah!" she inhaled sharply.
"What’s wrong?" Zhou Xuanyu opened his eyes.
His gaze was clear, showing no signs of the drowsiness typical of someone just waking up. So he had been waiting for her all along.
"So you weren't asleep!" Junxi pouted, relieved that she hadn't done anything too reckless.
"What’s wrong?" Zhou Xuanyu asked again, pulling her hand closer to examine it carefully.
"Nothing." Junxi withdrew her hand but then placed it back on his chin. "Zhou Xuanyu, what would you look like with a beard?"
Zhou Xuanyu remained silent, not pushing her hand away.
Even without his response, Junxi couldn't help but imagine how Zhou Xuanyu would look with facial hair, and as she thought about it, she couldn't help but laugh.
"That must make you look older, right?"
Zhou Xuanyu seized her hand and pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around his waist before pressing her down gently.
"You always say I look old; was I not satisfactory last night?"
Junxi felt something pressing against her. It was a force ready to spring forth. She quickly pleaded for mercy. "No, I was very satisfied."
Zhou Xuanyu was not so easily appeased; he shifted slightly, applying his full weight onto her. Beneath the sheets, their bodies intertwined, reaching a state of half-union.
"Tell me, how do you feel about it?"
"I just... I just think you're getting stronger with age." Junxi spoke without thinking.
"..."
Getting stronger with age? That was quite a compliment. It seemed she had described him this way more than once.
He wanted to show her what true strength with age looked like.
Just as Zhou Xuanyu was contemplating how to teach her a lesson, the doorbell suddenly rang from the porch...
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