Shi Zhi was waiting for Fu Xiling downstairs at a hotel near her apartment.

She sat on the steps, occasionally lifting her hand to glance at the ring on her middle finger. It was super delicate, with tiny diamonds sparkling, and it matched her bracelet pretty well.

Fu Xiling had mentioned over the phone that he bought the ring before coming to see her last time.

So…

Beyond all that teasing physical attraction and the unspoken flirty vibes they both knew were there, had he actually fallen for her even earlier?

This realization, plus the fact that Fu Xiling showed up pretty quick, put Shi Zhi in a great mood tonight.

The night breeze was gentle, blowing in soft gusts, messing up her long hair.

She took off the Hetian jade bracelet from her wrist, planning to tie her hair up.

Truth be told, she hadn’t worn the bracelet in ages. It was only yesterday, while packing up her apartment stuff, that she found it buried in some random junk. Turned out it worked great as a hair tie.

Not sure if it was because it’d been sitting in the bathroom cabinet getting damp or what, but when she looped it around the second time, snap—the string broke.

The jade beads scattered everywhere, rolling all over the place.

By the time Fu Xiling arrived, Shi Zhi was squatting on the ground, picking up those white Hetian jade beads.

He bent down, fishing one out from a crack under the streetlight. Given her attitude before, he was kinda worried. “How about I take you somewhere tomorrow to get it restrung?”

“Nah, forget it.”

Shi Zhi blew the dust off a bead.

She’d already been up to the hotel room, left her stuff there, and came down with nothing but the room key, wearing just a skirt outfit.

With nowhere to stash the beads, she just stuffed them into Fu Xiling’s pants pocket.

They were super close, their shadows overlapping.

Fu Xiling grabbed her hand, checking out the ring. “You’re wearing it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Aren’t you wearing yours too?”

Her straightforward comeback had Fu Xiling laughing for a good while, even triggering a coughing fit.

Shi Zhi caught on, reaching over to feel his forehead.

It was obviously hotter than normal.

She got a little ticked off. He was still feverish, not fully recovered, and honestly, staying home with a private doctor would’ve been way better for him.

“You’re not even better yet. Why’d you drag yourself all the way here?”

Fu Xiling opened his arms, pulling her into a hug, sticking to his usual nobody-believes-it excuse: “Business trip, duh.”

Then he got a kick from Shi Zhi.

Since he was still sick, before they went into the hotel room, Shi Zhi laid down a rule—strictly no funny business between them. In short, abstinence city.

Fu Xiling raised an eyebrow. “This is how you treat your boyfriend?”

Shi Zhi had heard the doctor’s orders from his family, and last time after they’d done it, he started burning up. Lesson learned.

She was worried they wouldn’t be able to control certain urges and make his condition worse.

Shi Zhi was stone-cold firm. “Got a problem with that?”

Fu Xiling clearly did. Standing in the dead-silent hotel hallway, he stared at her.

Shi Zhi leaned against the door, staring right back.

She held the room key, refusing to swipe it on the lock, giving off major “you don’t agree, nobody’s going in” vibes.

After a dozen seconds, Fu Xiling suddenly grabbed her wrist. The key card hit the sensor.

Beep. The door swung open.

He cupped the back of her head, kissing her as they stumbled into the room. The heavy door slammed shut behind them with a bang.

Shi Zhi backed up, eventually pinned against the wall, getting kissed for ages.

She was pissed, biting him hard. Only then did Fu Xiling let go, rubbing his lip, dodging a punch he saw coming.

“You pull that again, I’m going back to my apartment.”

Fu Xiling tugged her wrist, coaxing her toward the bedroom. “No more messing around, I swear. Lend me your laptop—I’ve got work to do.”

At first, things were chill. Both of them behaved, each taking a side of the couch.

Fu Xiling borrowed Shi Zhi’s laptop, while she kept working on her phone.

But when it was time to rest, the vibe got a little… off.

They’d both showered, smelling all fresh, lying in the same bed under the same blanket.

Their bodies brushed against each other, warm skin pressed close, and it was hard not to feel those soft, sneaky sparks stirring up.

After taking some fever meds, Fu Xiling’s temperature was finally dropping. He wrapped an arm around Shi Zhi’s waist, holding her close.

He didn’t get too handsy, just played with her hand, fiddling with the ring, chatting with her.

His fingertips wandered over her skin, tickling her.

In the end, it was Shi Zhi—the one who set the rules—who couldn’t hold back. She leaned in to kiss him, but when Fu Xiling started to deepen it, she pulled back, totally on purpose. “You’re not allowed to move. Focus on getting better.”

Fu Xiling narrowed his eyes. “Who was teasing me just now?”

“Not teasing. It’s a goodnight kiss.”

Shi Zhi said it, then shut her eyes, looking all innocent like she was ready to sleep.

A while later, she heard Fu Xiling grit his teeth beside her and sigh, “…You’re torturing me.”

Fu Xiling’s trip here wasn’t part of Shi Zhi’s plans.

She had a ton going on. The next morning, she headed out, busy all day, only getting back to the hotel room past eight.

When she returned, Fu Xiling was sprawled on the couch, working on her laptop.

The suite was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing off the dazzling night lights. He had earbuds in, focused on the screen, with just two empty coffee cups on the table.

He looked kinda lonely.

When Shi Zhi got closer, he glanced up. Probably not done with work, he grabbed something from the couch beside him and tossed it to her.

It was her scattered Hetian jade beads—he’d already gotten them restrung somewhere.

Truth was, as Shi Zhi’s career started taking off, especially after studying abroad and meeting classmates from all over the world with different beliefs and cultures, her obsession with “blessed” superstitions wasn’t as intense as it used to be.

Back then, Lin Xiaoping’s frozen face lying in the snow, the neighbors’ gossip about his karma for smashing a blessed Guanyin statue…

The fear and shock from those old memories had slowly healed.

She hadn’t talked to Fu Xiling about this stuff yet.

He probably figured she’d care, so he went out of his way to restring the bracelet, not wanting her to worry.

Fu Xiling kept staring at the laptop, the screen light reflecting in his eyes. Shi Zhi walked over. “How much longer you gonna work?”

“What’s up?”

Shi Zhi had her own way of saying thanks. “Let’s go grab some late-night snacks.”

Fu Xiling glanced at her, then at the time. “Alright, we’ll head out in ten.”

But this guy—he didn’t deserve pity!

After snacks, Fu Xiling cornered Shi Zhi in the steamy shower, water rushing loud.

Mist clouded up the glass walls. He rubbed her lip with his thumb, leaning down, his breath teasing her ear, calling her, “Boss Shi.”

Just as Shi Zhi braced herself for what might happen, Fu Xiling smirked wickedly, grabbed the body wash from behind her, and stepped back.

“Fu Xiling!”

“I’m focusing on getting better.”

Shi Zhi wasn’t about to back down.

She could play the game too. The next day, after finishing her stuff and getting back to the hotel, she walked in, straddled his lap without a word, and flicked his belt open with her fingertips…

When Fu Xiling’s gaze darkened, she hopped off and walked away. “Just helping out. Get better.”

So they kept up this ninja-level self-control contest. After a few busy days, Shi Zhi’s stuff abroad was finally wrapping up.

Graduation was done, work handed off.

Next up, just waiting for a free moment to treat An to a meal.

Fu Xiling had been waking up crazy early lately. When Shi Zhi opened her eyes, he was always sitting on the bed with his laptop.

She’d asked him why he was so busy these days.

Fu Xiling tapped away at the keyboard. “Helping Fu Xifeng with a project. Uncle’s orders.”

In his words, his uncle still felt bad for his son.

No matter how much of a screw-up Fu Xifeng was, they couldn’t really cut him out of the family business forever.

This suspension was just a lesson for Fu Xifeng.

Everyone knew, eventually, a lot of stuff would still fall to him.

The catch was, they needed to be sure Fu Xifeng had changed—no more gambling, lessons learned, ready to buckle down.

The project Fu Xiling was working on now? It was Fu Xifeng’s.

Once he finished the early negotiations and paved the way, he’d hand it back to his cousin.

Fu Xiling said Fu Xifeng was chilling at home, slurping soup his mom made every day, already gaining a couple pounds.

“Meanwhile, I’m out here on a date abroad, lugging a laptop.”

“You don’t feel salty about it?”

“Nah, it’s for my uncle.”

Same deal today.

Fu Xiling was in a bathrobe, hair still damp—probably just rubbed it with a towel a few times—hugging his laptop, working.

Shi Zhi remembered his jerk move from last night.

She’d said “abstinence,” and boy, did he take it to heart. No fever anymore, but still all tease, no action.

Last night, he’d rolled over, hand propped by her neck.

She thought he was about to do something, but nope—he just grabbed a phone charger from the nightstand, chuckled under his breath, and flopped back down.

Annoyed, Shi Zhi shut her eyes, planning to sleep in.

But Fu Xiling, seeing her awake, put the laptop down and said he’d take her out for a stroll.

This foreign city she’d lived in for almost two years? Shi Zhi didn’t know it half as well as Fu Xiling did.

She was always swamped with school and work.

This was the first time she could just wander around aimlessly.

She and Fu Xiling checked out cherry blossoms in full bloom, sipped coffee at a fountain square, snapped pics with landmarks, squinted under giant billboards while googling routes, and even hit a skyscraper rooftop to take in the city lights…

The rooftop had a big temperature drop.

Fu Xiling shrugged off his bomber jacket, draping it over Shi Zhi’s shoulders. Against the glowing neon night, he asked, “When we’re back home, wanna move in with me?”

Shi Zhi tugged the jacket closer. “I’ll think about it.”

On her last day abroad, Shi Zhi set up a lunch with An to thank her for two years of support.

It was a midday meal.

When her phone buzzed, Shi Zhi had just finished blow-drying her hair and was slipping into jeans. She shot Fu Xiling a look, asking him to pick up the voice call.

Fu Xiling glanced at the screen, raising a brow ever so slightly.

When he answered, it wasn’t An—it was Tang Wenting.

Tang Wenting, that guy, always spoke slow and easy, voice soft and laced with a smile—

“Miss Shi, long time no see.”

“I’m here visiting my aunt. Heard her say she’s got lunch plans with you, and that you’re heading back home soon. Thought I’d tag along for this meal to see you off. Aunt said you’re the host, so she told me to check with you.”

“So, here I am asking. Miss Shi, mind if I crash the party?”

“I don’t eat much.”

Fu Xiling held her phone, lounging on the couch, his gaze playful.

Shi Zhi frowned.

An adored her nephew. If she was cool with Tang Wenting making this call, it meant she didn’t just not mind an extra guest—she might even be nudging things along.

Hard to say no. Shi Zhi could only reply, “I don’t mind.”

Tang Wenting’s bright laugh came through the phone. “Sweet, I’ll pick you up in half an hour.”

“No need, I’ll head over myself.”

“It’s Aunt’s idea. You don’t have a car, it’s inconvenient. Send me the address.”

The call ended. Shi Zhi finished dressing, pulling her long hair out from her collar. She turned and caught Fu Xiling watching her.

He didn’t show much, tone flat, just saying one word: “Cool.”

“Cool what?”

“I’m still rotting on your blacklist, every message bouncing back. But this admirer of yours gets to call you up anytime, even pick you up for a meal.”

Shi Zhi smirked at him. “Phone’s in your hand. Add yourself back.”

“Your friend requests are stacked.”

In her head, she thought, Blame Wan Ran for that.

But out loud, she said, “You sorted out your own mess yet? Worrying about mine?”

Fu Xiling grinned. “Wait till you’re back to check my work.”

That easy, huh?

She’d only been abroad two days when he chased after her, not even fully recovered, barely spending any time at home minus flight hours.

His mess, that simple to fix?

Shi Zhi shot him a skeptical glance but didn’t say anything.

Tang Wenting’s car pulled up downstairs. He sent a WeChat, telling Shi Zhi to come down.

She grabbed her shoulder bag, striding out.

Fu Xiling followed her to the door, seeing she had zero plans to look back. With a “tch,” he tugged the strap of her bag, pulling her back, and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

“Fu Xiling, you jealous?”

“He’s not worth it.”

Saying the guy wasn’t worth it, but during the meal, Shi Zhi still got a WeChat from Fu Xiling.

It was a screenshot of his chat list.

Her chat was pinned at the top, while below it, a bunch of avatars sat with unread red dots.

They were in a high-rise restaurant, panoramic glass sparkling clean.

Sunlight poured onto the table. An and Tang Wenting glowed under it, chatting business—something about trends in a few domestic brands under Xingrong Group.

Shi Zhi, for once, zoned out, tapping that screenshot over and over, still not getting the point.

Under the table, she typed, “What’s this mean?”

Fu Xiling replied, “Treatment gap.”

Shi Zhi kinda got it.

He was saying she was his top priority, while he was just a regular on her blacklist.