Chapter 33

Chen Xi did not dare provoke Zhou Yanzhou while he was in a temper. She sat meekly on the caterpillar-shaped sofa opposite him, reached out with one hand to pull over the dessert bag, and slipped two fingers inside to take out a small cake.

The cake was neither too sweet nor greasy, with a faint fragrance of wheat. It was delicious.

In truth, Chen Xi had already eaten a bowl of noodles with minced meat sauce with He Xu at noon and was not particularly hungry.

She had lied to Zhou Yanzhou when she said she was hungry.

Seeing Chen Xi sitting stiffly on the little sofa with her head bowed, taking tiny bites of cake, Zhou Yanzhou set down his lighter. He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in a Japanese iceberg crystal-glass ashtray, then rose and walked into the bedroom.

The bedroom door slammed shut with a jarring bang.

Chen Xi froze, a bite of cake still in her mouth.

She raised her eyes toward the closed guest-room door and stared at it for two seconds. Then she put the unfinished cake back and let her gaze fall upon the ashtray.

Its edges resembled an irregular iceberg, while the center formed a low, clear pool of water. The frosted glass made it look exceptionally crystalline. The ash that fell into the pool seemed like dark clouds drifting across the sky.

Chen Xi knew that Zhou Yanzhou had always been a particular man—so particular that he had even commissioned a custom ashtray.

A few minutes later, Zhou Yanzhou emerged in a different outfit.

He had taken off his relaxed pajamas and changed into a well-tailored silver-gray business suit. Even his tie was perfectly straight, and he had tidied his hair as well. He was clearly preparing to go out.

Chen Xi blinked, still wondering whether Zhou Yanzhou intended to leave, when he had already walked over to her. His eyes swept over her from head to toe before settling on her small, palm-sized face.

In an unhurried voice, he said, “Go get changed. You’re coming with me.”

His gaze was so imposing that Chen Xi felt her face grow hot, as though it had been scorched beneath the summer sun.

He had a face that seemed made for coaxing people, and he usually wore a careless, devil-may-care expression. Yet sometimes, the powerful aura he released unintentionally was enough to make one’s heart jolt.

Chen Xi admitted that she was a little afraid of him.

But what else did she need to get ready? She looked down at her outfit—a gray T-shirt, jeans, and canvas shoes—and complained inwardly.

By “get changed,” Zhou Yanzhou merely meant that she should put on something more presentable. Seeing the conflicted hesitation on her face, he belatedly realized that she had misunderstood.

He laughed without warning. As Chen Xi stared at him blankly, he explained at an unhurried pace, “Change into a dress.”

At her flowerlike age, her skin was so tender it seemed to yield water beneath a pinch. She had no need for cosmetics to conceal lines or creases on her face.

Chen Xi returned to her room and rummaged through her suitcase before taking out the pale-yellow dress she often wore.

The dress had been compressed and wrinkled in the suitcase. Chen Xi carried it into the bathroom, intending to use the garment steamer, but she did not know how to operate it.

With no other choice, she poked half her head out and leaned against the door to ask Zhou Yanzhou, who was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed and playing on his phone, “Zhou Yanzhou, how do I use the steamer in the room?”

It was the first time Chen Xi had called him by his name. He paused for half a second, then moved his gaze from the phone screen to her. Seeing her peeking out with one hand gripping the doorknob and an embarrassed expression on her face, Zhou Yanzhou tossed his phone aside and stood up, walking toward her room.

Watching his tall, slender figure approach, Chen Xi silently straightened and opened the door wider, stepping aside to invite him in.

Zhou Yanzhou paused as he passed her, his eyes briefly sweeping over her face.

“Where’s the steamer?” he asked.

“The bathroom,” Chen Xi replied softly.

He walked past her and directly into the bathroom of the master bedroom. Seeing that the garment steamer was already plugged in, he lifted his chin and turned back to ask, “Where’s the dress?”

Chen Xi realized what he meant and immediately snatched up the wrinkled dress from the bed, handing it over.

She had assumed Zhou Yanzhou would teach her how to use the steamer. She never expected him to take the dress, hang it on the steamer, pick up the iron, and press it himself.

His movements were leisurely and practiced, as though he had done this many times before.

Chen Xi stood dumbly at the bathroom door, staring in astonishment at Zhou Yanzhou, dressed in an immaculate suit, holding an iron and calmly pressing her clothes.

The bathroom was actually quite spacious, but the moment steam began to rise, Chen Xi suddenly found the sight of Zhou Yanzhou shrouded in mist strangely confining.

She dug her fingers into her palm, suppressing the heartbeat that threatened to burst from her chest, and stared fixedly at his broad yet gentle back.

The dress was made of shirt fabric, somewhat stiff to the touch. Zhou Yanzhou ironed it with great care, going over nearly every wrinkle.

The dress that had been crumpled moments earlier was transformed into a smooth, immaculate garment.

Chen Xi could not describe what she was feeling, but she clearly understood that she could not resist this gentle, attentive side of Zhou Yanzhou.

She could not help wondering whether, sooner or later, she would drown in his hands.

When he finished, Zhou Yanzhou went outside to wait for her.

Chen Xi stared at the dress hanging from the steamer for a long while before finally taking it down.

She removed her T-shirt and jeans, revealing her slender waist and softly curved chest.

After holding the dress up against herself in front of the mirror, Chen Xi pulled down the zipper at the back and slipped into it headfirst.

At last, she managed to put on the dress, only to find that the zipper had caught on a strand of hair and would not budge.

Chen Xi exhaled as she looked at her own flushed, struggling reflection in the mirror. Grabbing the fabric at her back, she left the bedroom without a second thought and found Zhou Yanzhou sitting on the sofa with his phone.

In a perfectly natural tone, she said, “Zhou Yanzhou, my hair’s caught in the zipper. Could you help me?”

It was the second time Chen Xi had called him by his name, and both times she had needed something from him.

Zhou Yanzhou looked at the innocent young girl before him. He felt that something was off, but he could not put his finger on what.

Her skin was very fair, and the pale-yellow dress looked exceptionally beautiful on her. Her calves beneath the hem were straight and slender. She had come out in such a hurry that she was barefoot, revealing all ten of her rounded toes.

Zhou Yanzhou looked her over from head to toe. Then he stood and signaled with his eyes for her to turn around.

Chen Xi understood at once and immediately turned her back to him, moving closer.

The next moment, she released the fabric at her back.

The zipper was halfway up, revealing a small section of black lingerie—a very thin strap joined in the middle by a metal clasp.

She was so slender that her shoulder blades protruded like a butterfly spreading its wings.

When Zhou Yanzhou saw that expanse of snow-white skin and the thin black strap against it, his throat moved involuntarily.

He carefully brushed aside the strands of hair scattered across Chen Xi’s back and saw that two of them had become tangled in the zipper.

Zhou Yanzhou did not dare move rashly. He tried to pull the strands free, but Chen Xi drew in a restrained breath of pain, and he immediately stopped.

Holding his breath, he pinched the zipper and pulled it down little by little.

After finally freeing the two strands of hair, he began pulling the zipper upward again. His fingers accidentally brushed against Chen Xi’s skin, and he released it instinctively, as though he had been burned.

Chen Xi felt uncomfortable as well.

They were standing far too close. Zhou Yanzhou’s scent filled her breath.

Sensing his movements slow, Chen Xi clenched the hem of her dress and asked softly, “Is it done?”

Zhou Yanzhou suddenly came to himself. He coughed lightly, pulled the last section of the zipper into place, and silently stepped half a pace away.

With an unnatural expression, he replied, “Done.”

Chen Xi murmured an acknowledgment and hurriedly changed the subject. “Where are we going?”

Zhou Yanzhou picked up the phone he had left on the sofa and glanced at the time.

In a hoarse voice, he said, “To eat.”

They were dining near Wudaokou, and Zhou Yanzhou drove there himself.

Chen Xi could not understand why they had to travel so far just for a meal. The round trip would take at least two hours.

It was not until the car stopped in front of a Cantonese restaurant and she followed Zhou Yanzhou into the grand-looking establishment that she realized this meal was not as simple as she had thought.

Zhou Yanzhou had reserved a private room in advance. As soon as he entered, he greeted the owner and asked for a pot of Phoenix Dancong tea to be sent in.

When they reached the private-room door, Zhou Yanzhou asked the server whether anyone was inside.

The server lowered his head and answered quietly that a gentleman had already been waiting inside for more than ten minutes.

Zhou Yanzhou smiled in thanks and gently pushed open the door.

Chen Xi had no idea what was going on, but she still followed him into the private room.

The room had a distinctive style, furnished in an antique fashion. Traditional landscape paintings hung on the walls, and two potted plants stood in the corners. The dining table was a large round one that could seat more than ten people.

A middle-aged man sat to the right of the head seat. He was around six feet tall and rather thin, wore round-framed glasses and a long gown, and had the air of a learned scholar.

While Chen Xi was secretly trying to guess the man’s identity, Zhou Yanzhou strode over and warmly shook his hand.

“Professor Xu, I’m sorry. Traffic delayed us on the way, and I’ve kept you waiting.”

It was the first time Chen Xi had ever seen Zhou Yanzhou so courteous to someone, and her curiosity reached its peak.

She blinked, her inquisitive gaze moving between the two men.

During their conversation, Zhou Yanzhou turned the subject toward Chen Xi.

“Professor Xu, this is Chen Xi. She’s in her second year of high school.”

At that, Professor Xu’s assessing gaze landed on Chen Xi. Seeing how reserved she was, he smiled with the gentle warmth of an elder addressing a younger person.

“Don’t be nervous. Sit down and talk.”

Chen Xi was not good at handling situations like this. She gave the man a shy smile and instinctively sat beside Zhou Yanzhou.

Professor Xu studied Chen Xi for two seconds before turning back to Zhou Yanzhou.

“I heard Mr. Zhou has been in Xiping recently. When did you return to Beijing? We owe you our thanks for the funding you provided to the institute last time.”

Zhou Yanzhou smiled and replied courteously, “You give me too much credit, Professor Xu.”

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while before Zhou Yanzhou smoothly shifted the conversation elsewhere.

“Professor Xu’s calligraphy is renowned. Would it be possible for you to present a piece to this young lady?”

Professor Xu paused. In an instant, he understood the purpose behind Zhou Yanzhou’s arrangement.

His gaze fell on Chen Xi, who had barely spoken.

“Have you practiced before?” he asked tentatively.

Chen Xi’s heart gave a sudden jolt. She turned toward Zhou Yanzhou, hoping he might offer her some hint.

Instead, Zhou Yanzhou merely smiled. He rested one hand on the back of the chair behind her, his posture unmistakably intimate.

Nervously licking her lips, Chen Xi answered in a faintly trembling voice, “I practiced Yan-style calligraphy for a while when I was little.”

Professor Xu cast her a surprised glance. The next second, he laughed heartily and praised her warmly.

“Not bad at all. You’re a fine young person.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll write you a piece right now.”

With that, he rose and left the private room to ask the server for paper and ink.

Once he was gone, Chen Xi looked at Zhou Yanzhou in confusion.

“...Who is he?”

Zhou Yanzhou lifted his chin and introduced him lazily. “Xu Shaoyi, dean of the law school at R University, and the person in charge of this English speech contest.”

The fog in Chen Xi’s mind suddenly began to clear. She stared at Zhou Yanzhou, who looked utterly relaxed, and could not help asking, “Then what is this meal about?”

At that, Zhou Yanzhou glanced sideways at her and said lightly, “Figure it out yourself.”

Chen Xi was speechless.

Five minutes later, Xu Shaoyi returned with paper and ink and wrote a piece of calligraphy for Chen Xi on the spot.

The words read: “When spring breezes bring success, the horses’ hooves fly; in one day, all the flowers of Chang’an are seen.”

When he signed it, Xu Shaoyi took out his personal seal and stamped it on the paper, wishing Chen Xi success in her college entrance examination.

Holding the calligraphy Zhou Yanzhou had obtained for her and thinking of the purpose behind the meal, Chen Xi suddenly felt that the piece weighed a thousand pounds.

The meal did not end particularly late. They dispersed before ten.

After seeing Professor Xu off, Chen Xi hugged the weighty calligraphy and glanced sideways at Zhou Yanzhou, who remained calm and unreadable.

Unable to hold back any longer, she asked, “Were you bribing the examiner just now?”