Chapter Twelve

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Upon hearing Chen Zuo’s answer, Lin Wu uncontrollably held her breath for a moment. Chen Zuo lowered his eyelashes to look at her intently, and under the bright white light above, a flicker of hope seemed to ripple through his deep eyes. For a while, neither of them spoke again. Chen Zuo did not urge Lin Wu to respond, and she, for her part, was at a loss for how to answer. The choice to go or not to go, once so easily made, suddenly felt difficult for her now. As Lin Wu hesitated, a stranger’s voice came from beside them: “Hello, could you please make some room?” Both of them snapped back to reality, shifting slightly to clear a spot. After a brief pause, Lin Wu regained her voice. “I want to eat Japanese food today.” Home was an intensely personal place, and she felt it wouldn’t be appropriate. For now, she had no intention of going to Chen Zuo’s home. What they had now was already somewhat beyond the boundaries they had agreed upon.

Chen Zuo asked, “Hmm?” Lin Wu turned her head toward him, her eyes flickering slightly. “How about that Japanese restaurant near the hotel apartment, Mr. Chen?” They had been there once before, and Chen Zuo remembered it. Chen Zuo guessed she would refuse, but even after receiving her firm denial, a faint trace of disappointment still surfaced. He smiled quietly to himself, glancing at the items in her shopping cart. “Do you want to go back and put these away?” Lin Wu thought for a few seconds. “Isn’t there a refrigerator over there, too?” The fridge in the hotel apartment was quite large, easily accommodating everything in her shopping cart. Chen Zuo was a little surprised by her answer; he raised his eyes. “Do you still want the yogurt?” Lin Wu looked toward the yogurt he had just recommended, nodding. “Yes, I want to try it.” Chen Zuo reached out to take the yogurt she wanted to try. Together, they pushed the cart to the self-checkout counter.

While paying, Chen Zuo glanced at the dazzling array of goods on the nearby shelves and quietly asked the person beside him, “Want to try a different flavor?” Lin Wu was momentarily confused, but when she followed his gaze, her face suddenly flushed. “You…” Chen Zuo raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Hmm?” “...Up to you,” Lin Wu hurriedly stepped aside, clearly unwilling to go along with him. Noticing her childish reaction, Chen Zuo silently smirked and calmly grabbed two boxes labeled “ultra-thin” from the shelf. Because of his action, Lin Wu’s face remained flushed as they left the supermarket after paying.

Once seated in the car, Chen Zuo glanced casually toward the passenger seat and laughed softly. “Lin Lu.” Lin Wu gave him a speechless glare and tightened her seatbelt, trying to prevent him from saying things she wasn’t prepared for. She quickly said, “Mr. Chen, please don’t waste time in the parking lot. I’m hungry, and if we wait too long, the Japanese restaurant will be closed.” Actually, the restaurant stopped admitting customers only after nine o’clock. Hearing her, Chen Zuo nodded seriously, started the engine, and said with meaning, “Indeed, we shouldn’t waste time here.” Lin Wu: “...” That wasn’t what she meant.

Chen Zuo drove straight to the Japanese restaurant. He knew the chef there and had called ahead to reserve a table. The restaurant’s décor was beautiful, with distinctive curtains and lanterns. Lin Wu’s first visit had been because of its design, and every time she saw it, her mood lifted. They entered the restaurant together, Lin Wu leading, and she didn’t hold back, ordering quite a few expensive dishes with the intention of eating Chen Zuo out of house and home. After ordering, she looked at him. “Anything else you want to add?” “No,” Chen Zuo said, “this is enough.” He knew Lin Wu’s appetite; she couldn’t eat much. Lin Wu raised an eyebrow and slowly said “Oh,” handing the menu to the waiter. “Thank you.” They sat quietly, waiting. Soon, the plum wine Lin Wu ordered was served. She sipped it, and Chen Zuo asked, “How is it?” “Tastes good.” Chen Zuo raised his eyes and tasted some as well, his voice calm. “I think brandy is better.” Lin Wu: “...” Pretending not to catch his hint, she said seriously, “You get what you pay for.” The brandy they had at the bar before was much more expensive than the plum wine today. Chen Zuo hadn’t expected her to talk nonsense like that. He pressed down a smile at the corner of his lips and nodded. “Lin Lu, you’re a wise person.” Lin Wu didn’t want to talk anymore. Fortunately, the dishes she ordered arrived shortly after. She hadn’t eaten lunch and was truly hungry. She lowered her head and ate heartily.

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Chen Zuo occasionally reminded her, “Eat slowly.” Lin Wu took a few bites to settle her stomach before replying, “Got it.” They didn’t spend too long eating. Their ultimate goal tonight wasn’t this meal. After eating well, they got back into the car and headed to the nearby hotel apartment. Riding the elevator up, Lin Wu watched the floor numbers ticking by and belatedly realized she might have been a bit impulsive tonight. It was Saturday, not Friday—the day she and Chen Zuo had agreed to meet and be intimate. But before she could dwell on it, the elevator doors opened. Chen Zuo glanced at her, and Lin Wu stepped out first. At this point, she no longer felt the need to overthink. Having just eaten, it wasn’t good to exert themselves, so when they entered the room, Lin Wu intended to go to the balcony for some fresh air, but Chen Zuo’s phone suddenly rang. “You answer it,” she said, looking at the vegetables and fruits on the kitchen island. “I’ll organize the fridge.” Chen Zuo replied, “I can do it later.” Then he walked toward the balcony. Lin Wu was good at organizing things like this; she had done it often before. Even though she did it less now, the muscle memory remained. After tidying up the fridge, she put the snacks she had bought into the nearby cabinet. When everything was done, Chen Zuo’s call still hadn’t ended. Lin Wu glanced toward the balcony through the glass door. She could only see Chen Zuo’s tall, slender silhouette. He had taken off his jacket and wore a simple, stand-collar casual shirt that outlined his broad, straight shoulders. She couldn’t help stealing another look. When Chen Zuo noticed and turned to look at her through the glass, she quickly withdrew her gaze and pointed toward the bedroom. She said she was going to take a shower first. Chen Zuo nodded. When Lin Wu finished washing and came out, Chen Zuo’s call had ended. He sat on the sofa, the light and shadow falling on him, sharpening the contours of his profile. Hearing her movement, he lifted his eyelids to look at her; his deep, abyss-like eyes flashed with a fleeting light. For a moment, Lin Wu had the illusion that he had been waiting for her a long time. Chen Zuo’s eyes were very beautiful—clear, sharp, and deep with distinct black and white pupils. Most of the time, his beautiful eyes showed little emotion; only sometimes could Lin Wu catch the turbulent waves beneath. Just like now. Lin Wu opened her somewhat drowsy eyes and looked at the person lying on top of her, kissing her. His eyelashes were lowered, his gaze locked tightly on her, their tongues entwined. His kisses were fierce and deep, quickening Lin Wu’s heartbeat and making it hard for her to swallow. After a long while, his kisses shifted elsewhere. For some reason, Lin Wu felt that Chen Zuo was acting a little unusual tonight. Before she could ask, he pulled off the tie of her robe and tossed it to the foot of the bed. They pressed naked against each other. Chen Zuo’s strong, well-defined fingers, which she liked very much, sparked a fire on her body, moving downwards slowly and methodically, bringing her new sensations. In a daze, she heard the rustle of packaging being opened. Then, Chen Zuo grasped her hand, his voice hoarse as he called her name. “Lin Wu…” Under his “coercion,” Lin Wu had no choice but to put on the tool he brought. At the same time, Chen Zuo did something rather ruthless: he lifted her from the bed and carried her to the window. Outside, a light drizzle had begun without anyone noticing. The two of them pressed close by the window, and Lin Wu felt the rare sensation of “ice and fire.” The sound of rain muffled the noises of their collision, and the room was filled with soft, intermittent moans of intimacy. Because of Chen Zuo’s intense actions, Lin Wu even shed a few uncontrollable tears. When it ended, Lin Wu’s throat was hoarse and her limbs weak. The instigator, however, was still full of energy. He carried her to the bathroom to freshen up and called housekeeping to clean the room. After cleaning was done, they emerged from the bathroom. Lying down again, Lin Wu was somewhat annoyed and bit Chen Zuo before closing her eyes to sleep. Chen Zuo winced but didn’t get angry. He smiled softly, lowered his eyes to look at her in his arms, and said, “Will one bite make you feel better?” Lin Wu glanced at him. Chen Zuo paused, then said suddenly, “Lin Lu.” Lin Wu closed her eyes, her lashes flickering. “Go ahead, Mr. Chen.” Chen Zuo reached out and gently stroked her soft hair, whispering, “I have to go abroad on short notice. I might not be back for half a month.” Lin Wu suddenly opened her eyes to look at him. Chen Zuo was staring back. They exchanged a silent gaze for several seconds before Lin Wu blinked lightly. “Oh, well… safe travels, then.” She suddenly ran out of words. Chen Zuo smiled, bent down, and bit her lips gently. His Adam’s apple moved as he said, “Thank you for the good wishes, Lin Lu.”

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The next morning, Lin Wu woke to find Chen Zuo already gone. She lay in bed for a moment before slowly getting up to wash. On the mirror above the sink was a note from Chen Zuo: “Early flight. Gone first. Car keys are on the shoe cabinet. Lin Lu, feel free to use the car if you need.” Chen Zuo’s handwriting was beautiful—strong, flowing, and free-spirited. Lin Wu tore off the note, preparing to throw it away, when she noticed a sentence on the back: “Remember to eat on time.” Lin Wu was stunned, momentarily forgetting what she was supposed to do. After a while, she took the note out of the bathroom and tucked it into her notebook. After washing, Lin Wu left the apartment. Before leaving, she considered it and decided not to drive Chen Zuo’s car. The news of Chen Zuo’s trip abroad spread through Xianghe law firm on Monday. The reason was simple: the front desk, finance, and a few young female assistant lawyers there were interested in Chen Zuo and were acquainted with some employees of Fengxing. So whenever something happened with Chen Zuo, they were the first to know. “Hey, so we won’t be seeing the handsome Mr. Chen these days?” Lin Wu heard an assistant lawyer say as she went to the tea room. The admin staff nodded. “Yeah, they say he won’t be back for half a month.” “Half a month? Why did he leave so suddenly?” “No idea. The Fengxing people didn’t say. Many only found out this morning.” “...” Lin Wu listened and strangely felt that half a month was rather long. That afternoon, He Jiayun sent Lin Wu a message to express sympathy: “Why did Chen Zuo have to go on a business trip?” Lin Wu replied, “Do you have business with him?” He Jiayun: “I wanted to bet on whether he knows about your birthday.” Lin Wu belatedly replied, “Whether he knows or not, he’s not in the country, so don’t waste your effort.” He Jiayun: “But this is your first birthday together.” Lin Wu: “...Just a reminder, we’re not together.” Without hesitation, He Jiayun immediately rephrased, “Well, it’s your first birthday as friends with benefits.” Lin Wu: “...” She was momentarily speechless and sent a string of ellipses, “I’m busy now.” He Jiayun: “Okok, see you Friday.” Lin Wu: “Okay.”

When busy with work, time flew. In the blink of an eye, Friday arrived. On Thursday night, Lin Wu still left work at ten. After washing up at home, she received a message from Chen Zuo asking if she was free to discuss a case. They hadn’t contacted each other for days, so this sudden request caught Lin Wu off guard. She checked her schedule and replied, “Okay, Mr. Chen, I’m available.” Chen Zuo: “Chat online?” Lin Wu: “...Okay, wait a few minutes.” Chen Zuo: “Mm.” After tidying herself up briefly, Lin Wu went to her study. She turned on her computer and started a video call with Chen Zuo for the first time. When connected, Lin Wu looked up slightly and saw Chen Zuo on the other side. His hair was a bit shorter, and he looked slightly thinner than before leaving. Lin Wu was momentarily stunned and lowered her eyes, saying, “Mr. Chen, I’m ready. What would you like to discuss?” Chen Zuo hummed softly, “Just got home?” Lin Wu hesitated and nodded. After some brief pleasantries, they got down to business. The work discussion passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the next day. When Lin Wu’s phone rang on the desk, Chen Zuo called her name from the other end of the video call. Lin Wu instinctively looked up. “Yes?” Chen Zuo’s lips curled slightly as his deep, lingering gaze fell on her. His eyes seemed to flicker with light and shadow, and his voice was low and pleasant. “Happy birthday.”