Fu Xiling did not touch Shi Zhi.

He only made a misaligned movement, which, from Shen Jia’s point of view, might have looked like they were kissing.

They were indeed very close, almost exchanging breaths. Neither of them closed their eyes, just quietly gazing at each other.

Fu Xiling didn’t drink at the banquet; he spent the evening with half a glass of citrus-flavored soda water to keep up with those who toasted with him. As the meetings became more frequent, Shi Zhi realized that Fu Xiling was not as self-centered as she had imagined. To some extent, he did show a gentlemanly demeanor.

When in the same space as Shi Zhi, Fu Xiling didn’t smoke. He didn’t drink when driving or when dealing with tasks. After taking a round through the banquet hall, he still smelled fresh and clean, with only a steady, soft wood-scented cologne.

Fu Xiling tilted his head and gently brushed aside a strand of Shi Zhi’s hair that had been messed up by the night breeze. His breath fell softly on her cheek, warm yet almost imperceptible.

In the past, when Shi Zhi kissed Shen Jia, there was never such an ambiguous atmosphere. Shen Jia was overly polite, always asking, “Is it okay?” “Can I kiss you?” “Shi Zhi, are you scared?” He kissed her forehead more often than anywhere else. Compared to that, Fu Xiling’s approach was much more invasive, even if he hadn’t done anything at all.

Shi Zhi rarely felt this way, like small electric currents crawling over her skin.

They had had physical contact before. When they “acted” together at B University, Shi Zhi often looped her arm through Fu Xiling’s, completely carefree and without a trace of nervousness.

Tonight was different.

Shi Zhi’s breath became a little disordered, and her skin grew hot. She didn’t like this feeling of being off-balance. Furrowing her brow, she suddenly kicked Fu Xiling.

Fu Xiling hissed, bent down, and laughed as he leaned his forehead against Shi Zhi’s shoulder. “Are you really going to be like this with your business partner?”

Shi Zhi lifted her head proudly, like a black swan. The wind blew at the hem of her dress as she said, “Carry me back to the room.”

Fu Xiling teased, “How should I carry you, a princess carry?”

“Sure.”

Fu Xiling effortlessly scooped Shi Zhi up and walked toward the open balcony door.

The night was deep, but artificial lights couldn’t be beaten. The wooden stairs connecting the villas were lit up with light strips.

The lighting was bright enough for Shi Zhi to clearly see Shen Jia standing there, his posture stiff, like a lonely tree in the surrounding stillness. She could also see the redness in his eyes.

Back inside, Shi Zhi struggled a little in Fu Xiling’s arms, and Fu Xiling loosened his grip. She stood up, picked up the remote, and closed all the curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows. She sat on the couch without saying another word.

Shen Jia probably had many questions.

Why was she at the vacation resort project? Why was she involved with Fu Xiling? What exactly did she and Fu Xiling say about Tao Jia…?

Maybe Shen Jia would feel sad, unwilling, and confused.

That was for the best.

Because Shi Zhi had gone through these emotions too.

Their relationship had been so good. On a certain evening before Shen Jia’s birthday party, they even met up.

That day, while Shen Jia was driving her back to school, he interlaced his fingers with hers and asked, “Shi Zhi, when you’re not so busy in the summer, would you want to meet my parents and have a meal together?”

Shi Zhi had agreed.

The next morning, Shen Jia appeared downstairs suddenly, holding a box of shaomai and smiling at her. “Auntie made them at home, they’re so delicious, I had to bring some to you right away.”

Shi Zhi was indeed moved.

But maybe Shen Jia would never understand how distrusting Shi Zhi was when it came to relationships, having grown up in an environment where she had seen so many complex, unpredictable sides of human nature.

The world felt like a huge enemy, and she chose Shen Jia.

She chose him as her ally to face this enemy, wanting to walk side by side with him.

But Shen Jia hesitated.

He was the one who introduced a third name into the journey that was supposed to belong only to the two of them.

Before, Shi Zhi was furious and frustrated. She tried to rationalize her emotions, so she never used the word “break up,” thinking that all her feelings were because of “betrayal.”

It wasn’t until tonight that Shi Zhi finally realized that she had only been heartbroken.

Shi Zhi wanted to be like a heroine, swift in settling scores, decisive, and never dragging things on, but she suddenly realized she was more fragile than she thought.

So after her revenge on Shen Jia, she didn’t feel as joyful as she had imagined, nor did she want to laugh to the heavens…

She had done everything she wanted to do, but now she just felt tired.

It was the kind of fatigue that comes after everything has been settled.

She leaned back in the sofa, eyes closed, and didn’t speak for a long time.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Fu Xiling sitting in the chair across from her, playing with a matchbox from the hotel room, watching her.

“What are you looking at?”

“Wondering when you’ll finally deal with me.”

Fu Xiling made a casual joke and handed over the in-room service menu. “Do you want to order something to eat?”

Shi Zhi shook her head, pulled out her phone, and opened the ride-hailing app to call a taxi.

Before arriving here, she hadn’t thought it would be hard to get a ride. She thought it was like those old tourist areas with many inns and services already well-established. But now, there were too few cars nearby, and the waiting time seemed endless.

Fu Xiling hadn’t eaten much at the banquet either. He had planned to eat some late-night snacks.

But eating alone was boring.

Seeing Shi Zhi fiddling with her phone, Fu Xiling smiled and leaned in to look, “Don’t bother, you can’t order takeout here…”

When Fu Xiling saw the app’s interface clearly, his smile faded.

Maybe it was because the area was too remote, and no drivers were accepting orders.

Shi Zhi was trying to select a more expensive model when Fu Xiling reached out and took her phone from her.

His tone wasn’t pleasant. “You want to go back to the city?”

“Yes.”

Fu Xiling canceled the ride and handed her phone back to her. “You really are something, trying to hail a cab in the middle of nowhere at this hour. Come on, I’ll drive you back.”

Shi Zhi snapped out of her earlier daze and looked up at him. “Aren’t you going to wait for Miss Yao Yao to arrive?”

Fu Xiling chuckled, but it looked more like he was laughing from irritation. “What’s the use of waiting? You’ve already left. If I wait for her, should I perform a solo comedy routine for her?”

Fu Xiling was decisive. Grabbing the car keys, he headed outside.

The lights on the boardwalk stairs were very bright, but as a new project, the hotel had thoughtfully prepared small night lights for guests.

He picked one up and walked ahead.

They didn’t call the hotel car. Instead, they walked down the mountain.

The road was long, and the night sky was filled with stars.

Shi Zhi, in high heels, slowly distanced herself from Shen Jia’s villa, not once looking back.

She wasn’t in a good mood, but she knew Fu Xiling might be angry. So she took the initiative and said, “The cooperation was my fault. I’ll help you next time if there’s a chance.”

Fu Xiling didn’t press the issue. “It’s not like you didn’t help at all. After meeting so many elders and friends, I know that if I have someone by my side, there will always be someone to talk to Miss Yao Yao.”

The lively sounds from the banquet hall still continued. When they reached the parking lot at the foot of the mountain, the organizers were setting off fireworks.

The splendid fireworks—Shi Zhi didn’t even look up. She climbed into the front passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt.

Fu Xiling didn’t look either. He went around to the back of the car, took something out of the trunk, and opened the passenger door, placing three bottles of red wine in Shi Zhi’s arms. “This is all we have.”

Shi Zhi was surprised and hugged the bottles. It was the first time she said “thank you” to Fu Xiling.

The car had a corkscrew, and Shi Zhi opened the red wine with practiced ease. She tilted her head back and drank a few sips.

Still wearing the black dress from the evening, she sat quietly in the car, drinking wine without a word. It looked very spirited.

Fu Xiling gave her some quiet time, but when she opened the second bottle, he teased her, “Don’t drink too much, don’t throw up in the car.”

Shi Zhi didn’t blush from drinking. In fact, she seemed to grow even paler the more she drank. “You’re underestimating me.”

After a pause, she asked, “Is Tao Jia really still contacting you?”

“Occasionally. She hasn’t called, I’ve been purposely making Shen Jia mad.”

Fu Xiling explained that Tao Jia only occasionally sent him texts or Weibo DMs, usually just holiday greetings, nothing special.

Then he asked Shi Zhi, “What? Are you thinking of some new way to get back at him?”

Shi Zhi shook the wine bottle and said, “No. I won’t do anything more. I’m done with Shen Jia. I don’t want to waste any more energy on him.”

Shi Zhi admitted that in this relationship, she hadn’t been pure, and had thought too much.

In the past, when Shen Jia bought her lunch, she’d pay attention. She thought that if someone thought a certain food was awful, they wouldn’t buy it for someone else.

She’d figured out Shen Jia’s preferences quickly and had purposely tried to present herself as the type of person he would like.

“I thought I was using him, but maybe I wasn’t.”

It was the first time Fu Xiling saw Shi Zhi like this.

She’d gotten revenge on her ex, but didn’t seem particularly happy. Instead, she drank her troubles away.

At that moment, he hadn’t realized what was going on yet. He casually asked her, “Was Shen Jia your first love?”

“Kind of.”

“…What did you like about Shen Jia?”

Shi Zhi answered smoothly, “Good grades, steady, gentle, well-off family.”

Fu Xiling laughed, “Someone like that should be a dime a dozen at B University, right?”

Shi Zhi didn’t answer, just tipped her head back and continued drinking.

She finished the two bottles of red wine and quietly looked out the window at the night. After a long while, she said, “There are many.”

When she said this, the car was just about to switch lanes. Fu Xiling briefly looked at the signs for the intersection, and only when he truly processed the meaning of her words did his brow furrow.

Shi Zhi was saying that:

There were many people at B University who were good at studying, steady, gentle, and from good families. But she chose Shen Jia.

Because, she only liked Shen Jia.

This was the first time Fu Xiling realized that the revenge Shi Zhi had been plotting before was also a sign of lingering feelings.