Returning - Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Like Me?
As Xue Zhan's slick, warm tongue continued its exploration deeper into her mouth, Zhao Yu's hand suddenly pressed against his chest, shoving him hard away.
For a moment, she couldn't determine whether he had genuinely lost control in a surge of emotion or had some other motive, but reason told her this was the reaction that best fit her persona.
Besides, how could a man like him lose control so easily? Rather than believing he had developed feelings for her, it was more plausible he had sensed something and was testing her.
Panting softly a few times, Zhao Yu hung her head, not daring to look at him. She rose from her chair in a fluster, stammering, "S-sorry, Director Xue, I... I should go. Last night... thank you for letting me stay here."
She didn't give Xue Zhan a chance to react. Flustered and frantic, she headed straight for the door, only realizing once she reached it that she was still wearing his pajamas. She had to turn back in a rush, hurrying upstairs to change into her own clothes before coming down with her bag to bid him a tense goodbye.
Xue Zhan remained silent the entire time, his face devoid of expression. He simply sat calmly at the dining table, watching her flit back and forth through the house in a state of unease, until the front door closed and her figure disappeared from sight.
Zhao Yu called a car back to her own apartment. The whole ride, she pondered Xue Zhan's state of mind, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that the man had grown suspicious of her.
Yet, could Song Xuan alone truly be enough to arouse his suspicion?
Perhaps he had seen through her acting long before this? And everything he was doing now was like what she had done to Ji Sui—a game of cat and mouse?
That was the worst possible outcome. If things had truly reached this stage, every step forward would be fraught with difficulty.
Her mind so unsettled, Zhao Yu didn't notice the car parked nearby when she got out at her residential complex's gate. It was only after she entered the side gate and walked a stretch along the greenbelt, casually glancing past the fence, that she spotted Ji Sui's car at the roadside not far away.
The car windows were tightly shut, so she couldn't tell if anyone was inside. But parking there was only allowed temporarily, meaning he likely hadn't been there long and was probably still in the car.
Coming to her building so early on a weekend morning—was he waiting for her? Or was it simply that he missed her and had, without quite knowing why, found his way here?
Zhao Yu took out her phone to check for any missed calls or WeChat messages from Ji Sui. She also glanced at the surveillance footage to confirm Xue Zi'ang hadn't appeared outside her apartment door again.
Still, to be cautious, she didn't head straight back out. Instead, she put on an air of bewildered hesitation, looked at Ji Sui's car, then lowered her head and continued into the apartment building.
When she reached the 31st floor and looked down from the window, she could still faintly make out the car parked in its original spot. Only then did she send a WeChat message: [Is that your car downstairs?]
The interface showed the other party typing for a long while. It looked as though a long paragraph was being composed, but by the time the reply came, it was just a short "Mm."
Zhao Yu guessed Ji Sui was probably staring at the chat screen without blinking, so she deliberately mimicked his earlier hesitation. She typed a random string of nonsense into the text field, dragging it out for quite some time before finally sending a message:
[If there's something, come up and talk. 31st floor.]
The moment Ji Sui stepped out of the elevator, he saw Zhao Yu leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for him.
Their eyes met, and an awkwardness settled over both of them. Zhao Yu lowered her head, turned to open the door, and murmured, "Come in first."
Ji Sui followed her inside. Though somewhat ill at ease, he instinctively surveyed the apartment—simple, elegant, fresh, and gentle, exactly the feeling she herself conveyed.
"Have you had breakfast?" Zhao Yu didn't ask why he had been downstairs. She merely assumed a feigned composure, smiling at him. "Sit anywhere. My place is tiny, nothing compared to yours."
"I think it's lovely. It feels very much like a home." Ji Sui smiled back. His gaze fell once more on the formal dress visible beneath her coat. "You... didn't come back last night?"
Zhao Yu nodded. "I accompanied a superior to an event, had some drinks, and found a hotel nearby to stay."
Ji Sui's eyes dimmed. "Was it... Xue Zi'ang?"
"No, I've transferred positions. I have nothing to do with him anymore." Zhao Yu's explanation came out in a rush, and at the end, she made a point of adding, "I was alone last night. There was no other man."
As soon as she said it, she seemed to become self-conscious again. Flustered, she lowered her head and took a glass to pour him some water, not daring to look at him any further.
Ji Sui's expression brightened at a visible rate. Seeing her so distracted she didn't even notice the water overflowing the cup, he quickly got up to turn the water off.
She used a miniature water dispenser, the type that required pressing a switch with a finger to dispense water. So it was that his fingertip unconsciously came to rest upon hers, his warm palm pressing against the back of her hand.
Zhao Yu's body trembled. She wanted to pull her hand back, but after shrinking away slightly, she stopped moving, frozen in mid-air.
Ji Sui's fingertip twitched. He, too, wanted to withdraw his hand. But as he looked down at the woman so close to him, at her nervous, shy demeanor, his hesitation transformed into a surge of courage. He took the chance to wrap his hand around hers entirely.
Zhao Yu didn't struggle. She merely lifted her head to look at him timorously, bit her lip as if about to speak but then thinking better of it, and finally lowered her head again.
Their bodies were pressed close together. He could feel her slightly quickened breathing; she could hear his heart beating faster and faster.
Then his body shifted closer still. His other arm slowly circled her shoulders for a very brief, gentle hug, but withdrew just as quickly, as did the hand holding hers, pulling back in an instant.
"I... I really haven't had breakfast. I'll go make some." With that, he bolted directly into the kitchen, his retreating figure looking almost disheveled.
Zhao Yu couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips. Her awkwardness was fake, but this man's was genuine. He probably had no idea how to interact with a woman.
Listening to the rustling and clinking sounds from the kitchen, and figuring enough time had passed, Zhao Yu moved to the kitchen doorway. She stood quietly watching the busy figure inside before hesitantly speaking. "Can I... ask you a question?"
Ji Sui stopped what he was doing and turned to her. "What is it?"
"Do you... like me?"
The hand gripping the spoon tightened sharply. Ji Sui froze on the spot. His mouth hadn't yet formed an answer, but his ears and face were already flushing red before any words could come.
Zhao Yu knew he could never have imagined she would ask him so directly, and that was precisely the effect she wanted.
Her face showed shyness, her eyes revealed confusion. Standing there in the kitchen doorway, she looked at him. "If... if you like me, then I might... I know you're wonderful, and I'm very grateful you've helped me so much all this time, but I just ended a relationship, and I... need some time..."
"I can wait." Having heard her words, he steadied his heart instead, smiled at her, his gaze resolute.
If she truly felt no affection for him whatsoever, she could never have suddenly kissed him that day, nor would she ever show such a shy, timid demeanor before him.
She had suffered a serious emotional blow and was still tangled up in confusion now; it was completely normal. And it was precisely because she took relationships seriously, because she respected his feelings, that she found herself in this current predicament. Such a version of her was all the more worthy of his earnest regard.
"I'll wait for you to slowly find your way out, to... make your decision."
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