After dinner, Guo Min sat curled comfortably in Zihan's lap, her arms loosely draped around his neck. She tilted her head, studying him with curious eyes.
"Aren't you going to Paradise Celeste tonight? The guys will think you ditched them just because of me," she teased.
Zihan's hand rested lazily at her waist, his expression calm, unbothered. "...Doesn't matter. They don't mind."
She gave a small laugh, shaking her head. "you are the one who doesn't. Anyway..." her tone shifted, thoughtful now, "I've been thinking… Wu Lixi's hiding something from me and Ruoxi. Do you think I should ask her?" Her eyes lifted to meet his.
Zihan's hand rubbed slow circles on her waist, his gaze unreadable. "…You can ask her if you want to. But I doubt she'll give you the truth. People only reveal what they want others to see."
She pulled back a little, frowning. "So you're saying I should just leave it?"
His lips curved faintly, the hint of a smirk. "I'm saying… don't push. If Lixi's secret involves you, it will reach you whether she wants it or not. And if it doesn't…" He trailed off, his thumb brushing across her lower lip in a way that made her heart trip. "…why waste your time on things that don't matter?"
Guo Min bit her lip, uncertain. She wanted to argue, but his calm logic, paired with the intensity in his eyes, made her hesitate. "… she's my friend."
Zihan tilted his head slightly, studying her with that calm, unreadable gaze. "Mm. Just remember, Min… curiosity can either give you answers… or destroy what you value."
Even though his words made sense, Guo Min frowned. Instead of replying, she leaned down and bit his chest lightly through his shirt. His brows twitched, caught off guard.
"You're so… blunt," she muttered, pushing herself out of his hold and walking straight to bed. Zihan stayed rooted in place, staring after her, still processing what had just happened.
---
At last, the weekend arrived, and Guo Min finally allowed her lazy side to emerge. The entire week had been consumed by endless errands, shopping, fittings, wedding preparations, planning and the little free time she thought she'd have was taken away by postponements and schedules. Their pre-wedding shoot had been delayed because of Zihan's tight calendar, and though he bore it with his usual composure, he had received a sharp scolding from his mother.
Now, the Zhu villa was quiet, wrapped in the soft stillness of a cozy weekend morning. It was the kind of atmosphere where a soon-to-be-wedded couple should be relaxing together, maybe even enjoying a tender moment.
But no...Zihan was shut away in his study. Again.
"Seriously… my husband is such a workaholic," she mumbled under her breath, rolling lazily on the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest.
Unexpectedly, her muttering drew a reply from behind her.
"To keep the lifestyle, I have to work, Min." Zihan's voice was calm, matter-of-fact, carrying no room for argument. He paused briefly, his eyes flicking up from the papers in his hand. "Besides… what do you need me for?"
Guo Min froze, then turned her face away, burying herself into the pillow. "Nothing," she mumbled, though the pout in her voice betrayed her.
After a moment, she peeked back at him, sitting upright on the couch, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. "…I love when you wear glasses. You look so cute."
Zihan's fingers are still on the pen. He shifted his gaze to her, his expression unreadable, though the faintest twitch tugged at the corner of his lips. "It's for work. I forgot to take them off."
She tilted her head, refusing to let his indifferent tone kill her amusement. "Mm, but still… you look less like a machine and more like a human when you wear them." she joked.
This time he allowed himself a brief, almost involuntary smirk before returning to the neat stack of papers. "…You're unusually talkative today."
"Zihan, for the love of God... it's only you and me in this big house. I don't have anyone else to talk to. The maids won't even stay in the room with me for more than thirty seconds." Guo Min turned on her best puppy eyes, voice soft and half-pleading.
He didn't look up at once. "Work then. You haven't checked in to Serene Hotels at all this week because of wedding prep."
"I already did that," she said quickly, defensively.
"Sleep then." He tapped the papers with a finger, thinking. "Oh, wait. I have an idea."
She sat up, curiosity and caution mixing on her face. "Okay. I'll listen."
Zihan set the papers down, slid off his glasses, and without a word moved with quiet, precise speed. Before she could react properly he pinned her to the couch...half playful, half commanding so gently that it felt more intimate than violent. His face hovered close to hers.
"We could… make babies," he said, voice deceptively casual, as if proposing a business meeting. "At least the procedure and end results won't be boring, right?"
Her cheeks burned suddenly, surprised pink. For a heartbeat she could only stare at him, stunned into silence. Then she scrambled for an excuse. "I...I suddenly remember the file I haven't finalized. My secretary sent it last night." She pushed him gently and fled toward the stairs.
Zihan chuckled low and easy. "You promised not to be a docile wife," he teased as he rose, "but you always get tamed whenever I try something." He closed the gap in two long strides and looped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting against her shoulder. The warmth of him anchored her.
"Your bride price," he murmured into her hair, voice soft but curious. "Which family should it go to?"
She blinked. "Huh?"
He spoke slowly, as if testing her reactions. "You're not on good terms with your biological father, and your mother is gone. The Wangs aren't your blood...maybe you don't want it to go to them." He turned her gently to face him, searching for her expression. "Or… we can have everything go to you instead."
Her lips curved into a small smile. She slid her arms around him and rested her head against his chest, feeling the steady beat beneath his shirt. "I don't know if this is love," she said honestly, voice quiet. "But I think I… like you. A lot. As for the bride price...do what you feel is right. I don't want to decide."
He said nothing at first, considering her words. Finally, with that same quietly controlled tone, he replied, "…Okay."
"…Really?! I just confessed." Guo Min gaped at him, half-shocked, half-annoyed.
Her reaction pulled the faintest smile from Zihan, subtle but genuine. "I heard you," he said, tone calm as ever, though the slight curve of his lips betrayed more than his words.
She narrowed her eyes, puffing her cheeks. "That's it? No reaction? No 'I like you too' or something equally normal?"
"…I don't do normal." He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering at her jaw. "But if it makes you feel better… you don't have to doubt where you stand with me."
Her heartbeat stuttered, warmth flooding her chest despite his maddeningly calm demeanor. "humph".
Their playful moment was cut short by a firm knock on the door. Both their heads turned, but before Guo Min could react, a uniformed guard stepped in, his posture stiff, a pink gift box balanced carefully in his hands.
"President," the guard said, voice steady but laced with tension. "I request a word with you."
Guo Min immediately sensed the shift in the air, the warmth of their teasing drained into something heavy and grim. She loses her arms from his neck quietly, and heads towards their room. Zihan waited until the sound of her footsteps disappeared before he gestured at the guard.
"Speak."
The guard lowered his gaze. "A gift box was delivered to young miss. But upon verification… we discovered its contents were not sent with good intentions."
He set the box down on the coffee table and, lifted the lid.