So, do you like me?

That night, Jiang Zeyu and Qu Wan stayed over at the Qu household.

Qu Wan brought over some fresh clothes belonging to her brother. “He’s never worn them before. They’re clean,” she said.

“Alright.” Jiang Zeyu took them and went into the bathroom.

The décor of Qu Wan’s room was still in the little princess style, not having changed much over the years. It looked just as it had when Jiang Zeyu had visited years ago, though this was the first time she’d actually stayed the night.

Watching Jiang Zeyu disappear into the bathroom, Qu Wan hurried to tidy up the room. Since they’d gotten their marriage license, Jiang Zeyu had come over a few times, but had rarely come into her room, let alone slept there.

Qu Wan remembered she’d hidden a few romance novels under the mattress. She lifted the mattress and, sure enough, all of them were about domineering CEOs falling in love with her. She recalled how those stories had tricked her into shedding countless tears. The men in those novels were always doing something dreadful—stealing kidneys, gouging out corneas—terrifying, yet she found them addictive and exhilarating.

Back in high school, she’d been obsessed with those books. Embarrassed, she quickly stashed them away again. She straightened up her desk as well, putting away anything incriminating.

When Jiang Zeyu emerged, she found Qu Wan sitting primly in a chair.

“Our filming schedule for the next episode is out. We’ll be shooting on the fifteenth this month, but I don’t know how many days we’ll be gone.”

“If it’s overseas, it’ll probably be several days,” Jiang Zeyu replied.

Qu Wan nodded. “The fallout from Gu Siyuan’s slip of the tongue seems pretty big. He’s always been like that—you know how he is.”

Jiang Zeyu’s lips pressed into a thin line. He grew visibly uncomfortable anytime Gu Siyuan was mentioned.

“Aren’t you angry?” Qu Wan asked. “You’ve known each other for over twenty years, and he suddenly broke off the engagement, putting you in a difficult position.”

Qu Wan shook her head instinctively. “No, I’m not.”

A pang shot through Jiang Zeyu’s heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“We’ve known each other a long time, but it’s not like we had to end up together. If he doesn’t love me, it’s normal for him to break it off,” Qu Wan explained.

Jiang Zeyu’s eyes dimmed.

Qu Wan couldn’t quite understand why the atmosphere had suddenly grown so tense.

Why did Jiang Zeyu always seem... unhappy every time Gu Siyuan was mentioned? Weren’t they roommates before, and on good terms? Had Gu Siyuan somehow offended him? Thinking back, it seemed the two of them hadn’t had much to do with each other in recent years.

Quickly, Qu Wan searched for a new topic to ease the tension. “Hey, do you remember tutoring me in high school? Without you, I might not have even gotten into college.”

Jiang Zeyu replied calmly, “Your foundation wasn’t bad. Even if it hadn’t been me, your brother would have found you another tutor.”

“It’s not the same. You made me half a top student. I did pretty well on the college entrance exam,” Qu Wan said proudly.

She was still nostalgic for her high school days. Even though she and Gu Siyuan hadn’t attended the same campus, they hadn’t been far apart. She’d gone to find him almost every day; they walked to and from school together nearly every day.

Back then, Gu Siyuan and Jiang Zeyu had been close as well. The three of them would ride their bicycles together.

“Jiang Zeyu, if you had another chance, would you still marry me?” Qu Wan didn’t quite know why she asked such a mood-killing question, when she just wanted things to go well between them.

Jiang Zeyu’s brown eyes fixed on her. “There won’t be another chance.”

“That’s true; there’s no medicine for regret in this world.” Qu Wan’s spirits flagged, her mood sinking.

“I don’t regret marrying you,” Jiang Zeyu said.

Qu Wan’s head shot up, staring at him. “But you lost fans, lost resources, and were chased and attacked by former fans—some even turned against you. If you had another choice, maybe all that could’ve been avoided. You’d be doing even better now.”

“Qu Wan, I’m very content with who I am now, with my work, and with my life. What’s meant to be mine will always be mine. There’s no use forcing what isn’t meant to be.”

Qu Wan hadn’t expected Jiang Zeyu to be so philosophical. Maybe that was the difference between them—no wonder he’d won Best Actor. She ought to learn from him.

“Qu Wan, if you had another chance, would you... would you still choose to marry me?” Jiang Zeyu asked her the same question.

Without hesitation, Qu Wan smiled and answered, “I would. You’re so outstanding, really so handsome, you’ve always treated me well, and you’ve never had any messy or scandalous private life. You couldn’t find a better husband than that, could you? Why would I regret it?”

Jiang Zeyu smiled at her earnest answer. Her words were clever—she was willing to marry him, but she wasn’t willing to give him any love.

When it was time to sleep, Qu Wan instinctively snuggled into his arms.

She remembered the first time she’d done this, she’d been so nervous—what if he pushed her away? That would have been so embarrassing. But now, it felt natural, as if this was how it was meant to be.

“I went to see my brother in the study today. He saw the hickey on my neck.”

Jiang Zeyu looked at her quietly. “What did he say?”

“He asked if we’d slept together.”

“And how did you answer?”

Qu Wan smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I told him I’ve been coveting your good looks for a long time, so of course I’d make a move.”

She leaned over and kissed his chin. “My husband is so handsome. Who wouldn’t like you?”

Jiang Zeyu’s voice was low and husky. “And do you like me?”

“I do. I really do.”

Jiang Zeyu smiled again, a bittersweet sensation flooding through him. How he wished those words were true, not just said to make him happy.

Qu Wan had liked Gu Siyuan since they were children. In high school, she’d sought him out every day; they were close. If not for Gu Siyuan’s sudden betrayal, the two of them might have been married by now.

Jiang Zeyu would never have had a chance.

But now, Qu Wan was in his arms, his hopeless yearning finally realized—even if she didn’t love him.

—

At dawn, Jiang Zeyu was already awake.

He was used to rising early, a habit formed in childhood when life was difficult. Even after circumstances improved, he never changed.

Jiang Zeyu was very familiar with Qu Wan’s neighborhood. He went out for a jog.

He hadn’t even finished one lap before running into the last person he wanted to see.

Gu Siyuan, walking a bulldog, greeted him with a grin.

“Well, if it isn’t Zeyu! Come to see your mother-in-law?” Gu Siyuan sauntered over, all smiles.

Jiang Zeyu stopped and glanced down at the dog.

He remembered Qu Wan’s complaint that the dog was getting fatter and fatter, looking more like a pig than a dog. Looking at it now, she wasn’t wrong.

“So, what do you think? Isn’t my Princess getting more and more beautiful?” Gu Siyuan asked proudly.

Jiang Zeyu could never understand why a male dog would be called Princess.