Sang Ru didn’t know how long the night had lasted. By the end, her thoughts were hazy with exhaustion, and she could still sense how reluctant Zhou Tingzhao had been to let the moment end, as though he’d been holding something back for a long time and had finally let it go.

When Sang Ru woke again, she had no idea what time it was. The curtains were drawn, letting in only a soft edge of daylight.

The arm around her waist held her close even in sleep. She couldn’t wriggle free, and every small movement left her body sore. Zhou Tingzhao, meanwhile, was sleeping soundly — which only made her more annoyed the longer she looked at him.

Does he not understand the concept of moderation?

Her thoughts drifted as she turned slowly onto her side, studying the sharp line of his jaw.

He always seemed cold and unyielding, in manner as much as in expression, and yet he’d shown her so much gentleness. Aside from how worn out she felt after last night, seeing his face relaxed in sleep beside her made her irritation fade the longer she looked.

So it turned out even she wasn’t immune to a handsome face. Without quite meaning to, she reached out and traced a light line from his chin to his cheek.

How does he even have skin this nice?

She couldn’t resist touching him a little more — and then, without warning, the arm around her waist tightened. The “sleeping beauty” who’d been perfectly still under her fingers opened his eyes and spoke, his voice low and rough with sleep: “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” she said, utterly unashamed, brushing her fingers along his jaw again. “You’re just nice to touch.”

Zhou Tingzhao, eyes still half-closed, didn’t argue the point. Instead he said something completely unrelated: “Your voice is hoarse. You were pretty loud last night.”

Her face went red instantly, and she gave him a light pinch. “And whose fault is that?”

He smiled, not remotely apologetic, and pulled her closer into his chest. “Mine.”

At least he owned up to it quickly. She let herself relax against him — until she felt his hand start to wander lower.

He has no good intentions at all.

She pushed at him, gritting her teeth. “Hey — what are your hands doing?”

“They’re nice to touch too.”

Having her own words used against her left her speechless. Without the usual distance between them, Zhou Tingzhao had clearly grown a lot bolder.

She tugged his hand away. “Seriously, no more. I’m sore.”

He paused at that, then went back to something gentler — a slow, careful massage instead. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, murmuring, “A little rubbing and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Ridiculous.

And yet, sometimes even ridiculous things turned out to be true. His hand moved with surprising care, true to his word about not pushing things further, and slowly the ache eased into something closer to comfort.

Zhou Tingzhao noticed her burrowing further into his chest, her whole face hidden except for the tip of one red ear. He laughed quietly and asked, “Feeling better?”

Her voice came out muffled. “No.”

She was always stubborn about admitting things. He didn’t believe her for a second, and teased her about it — which earned him a sharp (if gentle) bite on the shoulder in retaliation. The playful skirmish that followed left them both a little breathless with laughter, tangled together under the blanket, more affectionate teasing than anything else.

Their moment was interrupted by a phone ringing loudly from Zhou Tingzhao’s side of the bed. Somewhere in the night, their positions had gotten completely turned around.

“Stop,” Sang Ru said, pushing at him and trying to catch her breath. “That’s my phone.”

He didn’t move right away. “In a minute.”

“Answer it now.“

The ringing stopped, then started again immediately. Zhou Tingzhao reached back for the phone while Sang Ru seized the chance to duck under the covers and wrap herself up like a burrito.

He couldn’t help but laugh. “If your hands are under there too, how exactly are you going to answer it?”

“Who’s calling?” she asked warily.

He glanced at the screen. “Li Chenfei.”

If she came out now, who knew what he’d do? She stayed cautiously hidden. “Answer it. Put it on speaker.”

He gave in with a rueful smile and did as she asked.

The second the call connected, Li Chenfei’s furious voice rang out: “Where are you?!”

Startled by the sheer force of it, Sang Ru stammered, “What’s wrong?”

“We agreed to try on wedding dresses today! I’m already at the bridal shop, Yang Fan’s here too — where are you hiding?”

They’re getting married? Since when—

She said as much out loud, and the line went dead silent for a moment.

Then, a few seconds later, the voice came back, sharper than ever—

“It’s you who’s getting married! Get over here and bring your husband with you!”

Sang Ru’s eyes went wide. She noticed the hand holding the phone had gone still. They looked at each other, and she asked carefully, “…Quick question. Who exactly is my husband?”

Silence again. Then, disbelieving: “Have you completely lost it? Who else would your husband be?”

Under Zhou Tingzhao’s very pointed stare, Sang Ru swallowed hard. “Who…?”

Li Chenfei: …

And then the whole room rang with her exasperated shout:

“Zhou Tingzhao, obviously!“