Zhao Xiaoyun woke up in a clean, neatly made bed. The room was furnished with elegant pieces, filled with light. Her muscles ached all over, and her mind was completely blank—she couldn’t remember how she’d ended up here.
Knock knock knock.
Someone seemed to be knocking at the door. Zhao Xiaoyun struggled to sit up. There was no time to wonder why she was naked under the covers again. She hastily picked up the clothes scattered on the carpet and pulled them on. Stepping out of the bedroom, she found herself in a living room. A bathroom lay to the left, and to the right, another room. But… where exactly was she?
She walked straight ahead and opened the main door. A uniformed hotel attendant stood outside, pushing a food cart. He greeted her politely, introduced himself, and asked if she was Miss Zhao.
Zhao Xiaoyun blinked in confusion. Miss Zhao? Oh—that was her.
“Ah, yes, that’s me.”
“This is your breakfast,” the attendant said.
Zhao Xiaoyun immediately interrupted, “I didn’t order any breakfast…”
“It was requested by a Miss Shen. She also left you a card.” The attendant handed her a note.
Miss Shen. Shen Yuyin?
Zhao Xiaoyun accepted the card and stepped aside, allowing the attendant to wheel the cart in. He patiently laid out the breakfast on the table before bowing and leaving.
The card was handwritten in ballpoint pen—surprisingly polite in tone, not quite like Shen Yuyin’s usual way of speaking. It carried a hint of formality, even a literary flair.
Forgive me for borrowing a hotel pen to write this. Your phone was off, and I was afraid you wouldn’t see a message in time. We drank too much last night, and unfortunately… it happened again. I’m truly sorry. Although… this time I wasn’t the one who initiated it, I still didn’t stop myself while I was somewhat conscious…
There was a call from home this morning, so I had to leave in a hurry. I ordered breakfast for you—please make sure to eat something.
—Shen Yuyin
After reading it, Zhao Xiaoyun held the card between her fingers, trying to make sense of the few clear facts it offered.
This room had been booked by Shen Yuyin. The breakfast was from her. And last night, not only had that happened again—but it was Zhao Xiaoyun who had made the first move?
But how? Zhao Xiaoyun sat down, clutching her head, trying to piece together what had happened.
After dinner, Shen Yuyin had brought her here. They’d ordered a bottle of red wine and had it delivered to the room. Sitting on the bed, they poured out their frustrations—two girls crying their eyes out. Then, just as Shen Yuyin stood up to leave and announced she’d sleep in the next room, Zhao Xiaoyun had suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t go, please?” she had said, eyes full of pleading.
Maybe that was when it all began. The heat, the impulse, the explosion of passion.
Zhao Xiaoyun bit her finger anxiously, unable to believe it.
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Ji Yuqing was already up early doing her makeup when her phone rang, piercing the quiet. She picked up and held it to her ear.
“Happy New Year, sis!”
“Happy New Year to you too! Oh, did you get the red envelope I sent?” Ji Yuqing asked.
“Yes, yes, I got it! But come on, I’m already an adult and you’re still sending me red envelopes—so embarrassing,” Pei Wen said on the other end of the line.
“It’s nothing, just a small gesture. You’re my subordinate—it’s only right.”
“By the way, sis, when are you coming back to the office? Without you, everything’s gone completely haywire.” Pei Wen launched into a rant about a certain woman’s mismanagement, enough to fill an essay.
Ji Yuqing chuckled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. “No rush. I’ll probably return in another couple of weeks.”
“Ugh, that long?” Pei Wen pouted.
“Once Yanyan starts school, it’ll be time for me to get back to work,” Ji Yuqing replied calmly.
“You really spoil that little girl—she’s so lucky to have you,” Pei Wen said enviously.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m her aunt,” Ji Yuqing said firmly.
“I didn’t mean anything by it—it’s you who’s reading into it! Hahahahaha…”
“Okay, that’s enough. I’m hanging up now,” Ji Yuqing said, feeling a little embarrassed as she ended the call.