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Ming Zhao understood what it meant to go from joy to sorrow.
At this moment, she was standing in front of a desk, preparing to be scolded.
The desk was filled with photographs.
There was a photo of her slapping Xiao Shaoxun (which she considered quite cool), one of Xiao Shaoxun lifting her chin with a playing card (the dead peacock dared to touch her!), and even—
The frozen moment when the sedative fell into his pocket.
It was… a high-definition camera.
“This is what you call…didn’t go out?” the man tapped the table lightly with his finger.
Seeing that the situation was not in her favor, Ming Zhao widened her eyes in surprise.
“Zhou Tingyun, you actually followed me! And you even took secret photos! How perverted!”
“I’m fulfilling my duty as your guardian,” the man said calmly, unfazed by her feigned accusation.
“…” What a guardian.
She silently complained to herself.
“Why aren’t you talking?” he said softly.
Ming Zhao wanted to snuggle up to him and coax him into forgiveness, but Zhou Tingyun coldly said, “Stand properly.”
She pouted and stood beside him, unhappy.
Fine, stand then. What’s with the harsh tone?
Seeing her angry expression—her cheeks flushed, her lips pressed into a stubborn line, even her bottom lip slightly flattened—he found her both cute and amusing.
He softened his tone and tried to appease her.
“You can do what you want, Zhao Zhao, but you should tell me beforehand, instead of lying to me when I ask you afterward.”
Hearing the clear softening in his voice, she immediately seized the opportunity. “Okay, okay, you’re so busy with work; I didn’t want to bother you.”
Saying this, she snuggled into his arms, settling onto his lap as if it were second nature.
Zhou Tingyun said calmly, “Is it possible that you don’t need to make me angry? My money is yours, too.”
“What’s wrong with me!” She tilted her head, glaring at him with displeasure.
“If you don’t want to bother me, who were you planning to bother?” Zhou Tingyun asked calmly. “Gu He?”
“I didn’t!” Ming Zhao immediately held up three fingers to show her innocence. “I drove myself back. If you don’t believe me, go feel Xiao Hei’s seat; it might still be warm.”
“That’s not right. You were being followed, so how could I not see?”
Zhou Tingyun corrected her. “It was a bodyguard, not surveillance.”
“What’s the difference? Just admit that you sent someone to secretly follow me, creepily monitoring my every move and reporting back to you without missing a detail, and even secretly taking pictures!”
Zhou Tingyun looked at her and commented, “You should become a gossip blogger; don’t bury your talent.”
Before she could retort, a message popped up on her phone. Ming Zhao picked it up and saw it was an invitation from the North City Grand Theatre.
“Busy man, are you free?” she waved her phone.
Before Zhou Tingyun could answer, she made a decisive decision.
“You absolutely have to say you’re free. You should be grateful to have such a great sister inviting you to a show.”
Zhou Tingyun chuckled. “There’s no need to deprive me of the right to be openly happy.”
His tone was unexpectedly gentle.
“You’re wise,” she hummed.
Leaning her head against him, Ming Zhao swung her legs leisurely. After replying to the message, she saw an invitation from Lin Zhiwei to go shopping.
She sighed regretfully, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry, but your exclusive body pillow will have to leave for a while.”
“Hmm?” The man withdrew his attention from the documents in his hand and calmly asked, “Where are you going?”
“Shopping with Lin Zhiwei,” Ming Zhao replied crisply, her tone light and cheerful.
Glancing at Zhou Tingyun’s expression, she feigned exaggerated surprise. “No way, so my brother can’t bear to be apart from me?”
The next second, her waist tightened unexpectedly.
“Yes, so don’t go,” a calm and cool voice sounded in her ear.
Ming Zhao was held tightly in his arms, his arms firmly around her waist.
The man’s sudden possessiveness made her heart tremble, and her skin, even through her clothes, felt intensely warm.
She instinctively protested urgently, “No, I already made plans!”
Her voice, unusually, held a hint of panic.
A faint smile flickered in his eyes, Zhou Tingyun stopped teasing her and patted her waist. “Get up. Be careful and don’t stay out too late.”
Ming Zhao immediately stood up, quickly said goodbye, and fled the office, only calming her burning cheeks when she reached the elevator.
She covered her face, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Help, this is so exciting.
…
That evening, bags and bags of new purchases were continuously delivered to the walk-in closet, filling the wardrobe to the brim.
Zhou Tingyun returned home and went up to the third floor.
He hung up his coat and prepared to wash up.
He pushed the door open—
The girl stood before the mirror at the vanity, wrapped only in a bath towel.
She had likely just taken a shower, steam still rising from her body. Her shoulders, neck, collarbone, and arms revealed large patches of fair skin tinged with a faint pink.
As she hummed a tune while doing her skincare routine, she turned to greet him when she heard the noise. “You’re back!”
This scene inexplicably gave off a vibe of newlywed couples.
His brows furrowed slightly. Who designed this dual master bedroom layout?
“Next time, put on some clothes before coming out,” Zhou Tingyun said as he pressed down on the bathroom doorknob.
“It’s not cold,” she replied. “The heating is on.”
He paused his movements, his gaze returning to her. “It’s not just about whether it’s cold or not, Zhao Zhao, you should learn to take better care of yourself.”
“But I only act like this in front of you,” Ming Zhao tilted her head, puzzled.
“…”
For a moment, Zhou Tingyun even wondered if she was doing it on purpose.
Purposefully being overly familiar with him, purposely saying these ambiguous, suggestive things.
But he didn’t want to attribute any impure thoughts of his own to Ming Zhao with malicious assumptions.
She was still very young and had just returned from abroad, full of a lively and cheerful spirit.
Yet she continued.
“Brother wouldn’t do anything to me.”
Ming Zhao held a beauty device, gently pushing it against her cheek, a few strands of hair falling beside her ear as she spoke innocently.
Of course, he wouldn’t.
He cherished her, protected her, and carefully nurtured her.
From her first words to her blossoming into a beautiful young woman.
The bath towel barely concealed her flawless, snow-white skin, which glowed beautifully under the soft light. It was the youthful form of a young girl, vibrant with the energy of youth.
But really, wouldn’t he?
Zhou Tingyun’s expression was deep and unreadable, the bright lights failing to penetrate his dark eyes.
She probably didn’t know how alluring she was in his dreams every night.
Her hazy, tearful eyes, her rapid, moist breaths.
Her wrists were so slender, easily clasped in his hands.
Ming Zhao, oblivious, continued to act pitiful. “Zhou Tingyun, you’re so uptight! I was even thinking about you while shopping and bought you things.”
His voice remained steady. “What did you buy?”
Ming Zhao immediately brightened, holding up a razor. “Want me to help you later?”
“I think you just want to play with the foam.”
“Wrong! I call this practice for the future!” she said, lifting her chin slightly.
Zhou Tingyun looked at her. “Practice?”
“Practicing shaving for my future boyfriend! If I’m not skilled, wouldn’t I risk leaving him with scars?”