Chapter 21: Kiss First, Talk Later

During the meal, Wen Ling occasionally glanced at Zhou Yinhe, but he kept his eyes lowered, focused on eating. Wen Ling had to take the initiative to start a conversation; using the serving chopsticks, she picked out a dish he liked and softly said, "I remember you liked this."

Zhou Yinhe paused briefly, then replied coldly, "I don’t like it anymore."

Wen Ling pursed her lips and awkwardly set down the serving chopsticks.

What followed was a silent lunch. After finishing the meal, Zhou Yinhe looked up at Wen Ling for the first time since entering the restaurant, his tone still distant: "Are you done eating?"

Wen Ling nodded, and Zhou Yinhe stood up. "Let’s leave once you’re done."

He frequented this restaurant, and the owner had already put the bill on Zhou Yinhe’s tab. Standing at the doorway, Zhou Yinhe faced Wen Ling, his gaze coated with a layer of frost, cold and devoid of warmth.

"You can go now."

Wen Ling’s fingertips trembled slightly as her eyes met his icy stare, and her chest felt as if a heavy, cold iron plate was pressing down on it.

"Zhou Yinhe." She spoke his name softly, stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and on tiptoe, gently kissed him.

Zhou Yinhe took a step back and turned his head to avoid her, angrily shouting, "What are you trying to do?"

Wen Ling smiled wryly and whispered, "Can I just hug you once more?"

Zhou Yinhe remained silent. Seeing this, Wen Ling knew he had consented, or at least was hesitating. She then embraced his waist tightly, her arms trembling as they gradually tightened.

Zhou Yinhe lowered his eyes, clenching his fingers painfully, forcing himself not to return the embrace. He felt as if his chest had split open, with cold winds blowing through the crack, making him feel absurd in that moment.

After a long while, Zhou Yinhe spoke sternly, "Enough."

Wen Ling responded with a muffled "hmm," stepped back, and forced a smile, "Goodbye."

Without a word, Zhou Yinhe turned and walked away. Wen Ling stood still, watching his retreating figure before suddenly running to catch up. She blocked his path, stood on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and bit his lips.

Caught off guard, Zhou Yinhe stumbled back. His blood seemed to freeze, and by the time he regained composure, his lips had been bitten open by Wen Ling.

Anger and helplessness surged within him. He forcefully pushed her away and looked at her with a fierce, fractured gaze, grinding his teeth as he spoke each word distinctly, "Wen Ling, what exactly do you want?"

***

Wen Ling bit her lip, her eyes reddening slightly, lashes trembling as she spoke with grievance, "I just wanted to kiss you once before I left. Before, you would always kiss me goodbye when I left."

Zhou Yinhe exhaled heavily, feeling that if he stayed any longer, he might lose his mind. Without another word, he strode past Wen Ling and left.

Only after he had gone far did Wen Ling put away her expression of hurt. Tilting her head, she looked at his retreating back and suddenly smiled like a child who had just pulled off a successful prank.

Leave? In her mind, that was impossible. Every word she said, every expression she made, was meant to deceive Zhou Yinhe.

With light steps, she walked in the opposite direction, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.

Whatever—she thought to herself—she’d kissed him first, and that was enough to make her happy now.

Wen Ling was a person who lived for the moment. When Zhou Yinhe told her to go back earlier, she had immediately thought of how to trick him into having dinner together and maybe even get some perks.

Zhou Yinhe had walked away in anger for quite a long distance before glancing back, only to find Wen Ling’s figure gone.

His lips pressed into a thin line, and a relentless irritability clouded his brow.

Wen Ling had agreed to leave, so logically, he should have been pleased.

Rubbing the dull ache that pressed against his chest, Zhou Yinhe locked himself in the company’s lounge after returning to work. No one could get in, no matter how much they knocked.

Qi Zhan called him but received no answer, so he called Cheng Yu instead.

Cheng Yu glanced at the closed lounge door and quietly said, "Since arriving at the company, Chairman Zhou has been in the lounge and hasn't come out yet."

Jiang Jibai, standing beside Qi Zhan, heard Cheng Yu’s words, lowered his gaze to toy with his lighter, a flicker of emotion passing through his eyes.

Meanwhile, Wen Ling, unaware of just how upset Zhou Yinhe was, leisurely strolled through the surrounding mall and even enthusiastically got a beautiful manicure.

Back at home, Hehe was napping on the sofa, but Wen Ling, not caring if she disturbed him, threw herself on him and showered him with kisses.

Hehe, annoyed, tried to push her away. Wen Ling, well aware of Hehe’s temperament, dodged and showed her hand, saying, "Look, isn’t it pretty?"

Hehe wagged his tail, causing the sofa to creak, ignoring her entirely. Wen Ling, in a great mood from taking advantage of Zhou Yinhe’s indulgence, didn’t mind Hehe’s cold shoulder. Whistling a tune, she went upstairs.

Wen Ling decided to hide for a few days, making Zhou Yinhe believe she had truly left. She planned to spend a few days in a nearby city and return to Four-Nine City before the Twilight Gala.

***

As for Zhou Yinhe, he truly believed Wen Ling had gone.

Drinking with childhood friends, Jiang Jibai said, "We secured that land, and the footage has been handed over to Wu Feng."

Zhou Yinhe sat on a high stool, spinning it with one foot, giving a faint acknowledgment.

Qi Zhan and several others played mahjong nearby. Sneaking a glance at him, Qi Zhan then said, "You haven’t been yourself lately."

Even someone slow to pick up on things could tell that Zhou Yinhe had been like he had just stepped out of a freezer these past few days—radiating a cold aura, indifferent to everyone, and wearing a sullen face at gatherings.

Jiang Jibai scoffed and unreservedly mocked, "Any smart person would guess who it’s because of."

Zhou Yinhe coldly lifted his eyelids and glanced at the chuckling group, then pushed his glass away and stood up to leave.

"Where are you going? Throwing a tantrum? Too proud to hear the truth?" Jiang Jibai leaned back in his chair lazily. "If you’ve decided not to reconcile, just be broad-minded. She doesn’t come to you, and you’re still upset? You were petty as a kid, and now you’re still the same."

All present were Zhou Yinhe’s childhood friends, older by several years and well acquainted with his stubborn nature. Hearing Jiang Jibai’s words, they stopped sparing Zhou Yinhe’s dignity and all burst out laughing.

Zhou Yinhe ground his teeth, "When have I ever been unhappy?"

Qi Zhan shuffled the mahjong tiles and retorted, "When have you been happy recently?"

"I must be crazy, right?" Zhou Yinhe spun around to glare at him, mocking himself.

"Sure, why not? Come back and sit down. Let your brother give you a lesson," Ke Chengyu stood and pulled Zhou Yinhe back to the sofa, pressing him down with a smile. "It’s just a woman. If you want, I can help you find one with three legs. Stop chasing after one woman all the time."

Zhou Yinhe crossed his arms with a stony expression, as if to say, "Say whatever you want; I’m not listening."

"If you still like her, then make up," Jiang Jibai poured him a drink and handed him the glass.

Zhou Yinhe turned his face away coldly. "I don’t like her."