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The day after they finished filming for the variety show, Shao Cixin and Wen Zhihan returned to their respective careers.

Shao Cixin had no work after she was done filming, so she followed Rong Ya back to the company office.

In the company’s spacious and bright lounge, there were several sofas placed lazily by the window.

Since no one else was around, Shao Cixin silently sat by the window in a daze.

She felt drowsy but also filled with confusion and melancholy.

The other night, she was wide awake with her eyes open, stuck in a state of confusion. It wasn’t until after two o’clock that she finally managed to fall asleep.

Shao Cixin felt that following the events of yesterday—or rather, to be more accurate, in the liminal space after her birthday celebration and before she fell asleep—everything seemed to have settled down and returned to the world of reason.

As a result, she was no longer as happy and careless as she was when she received her gift.

Now, she was confused about how to deal with the fact that she liked Wen Zhihan.

Falling in love with Wen Zhihan was like embarking on a path of no return. There was neither a clear way forward nor a clear way back.

Shao Cixin didn’t know whether she should give up on Wen Zhihan or continue to like her.

If it was the latter, should she continue liking Wen Zhihan secretly, or should she begin taking a bolder approach and actively pursue her?

But Shao Cixin was afraid that her results would be disappointing, and that the balance she had maintained until today would be destroyed by her own recklessness.

Whenever Shao Cixin thought of Wen Zhihan leaving her, or that she and Wen Zhihan might never be as good as they were now…

The fear in her heart threatened to overwhelm and drown her, and she couldn’t help but shrink into herself.

She didn’t dare to think too deeply.

She adjusted her posture and continued to consider her options.

But after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t find an answer.

With a look of despair written all over her face, Shao Cixin sighed and took out her phone.

She began to chat with Liang Xuefei about her troubles.

[Shao Cixin]: Fei Fei, something big happened to me.

After a while, Liang Xuefei replied.

[Fei Fei]: What’s the big deal?

[Fei Fei]: What’s wrong?

[Fei Fei]: I didn’t see you on the hot search.

[Shao Cixin]: It’s not the hot search.

[Shao Cixin]: I bought a fake lock.

[Fei Fei]: Huh?

Liang Xuefei couldn’t keep up with Shao Cixin’s logic, so she said she didn’t understand.

[Fei Fei]: What do you mean?

[Shao Cixin]: The lock I used to lock my heart was fake! A fake lock!

[Fei Fei]: ???

[Shao Cixin]: Yes, I fell in love with Wen Zhihan.

[Shao Cixin]: [fierce cat shedding tears.JPG]

[Fei Fei]: ???

[Fei Fei]: This is indeed a big deal!

[Fei Fei]: Did she find out??

Liang Xuefei suddenly began worrying about the agreement between Shao Cixin and Wen Zhihan.

They had agreed not to fall in love with each other, but Shao Cixin had fallen in love anyway.

Wen Zhihan wouldn’t be angry and turn away, right?!

Oh no, her poor little sister was in for it!

Shao Cixin looked at Liang Xuefei’s last message and couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

[Shao Cixin]: Relax, she hadn’t found out yet…

Liang Xuefei breathed a sigh of relief.

[Fei Fei]: What’s there to be afraid of if she hasn’t found out? It’s okay, there’s still a chance. Just forget about it, and we’ll get a new lock!

[Shao Cixin]: You’re too naive, Fei Fei.

[Shao Cixin]: No one can escape Wen Zhihan’s tenderness. No one.

[Shao Cixin]: I’ve struggled so hard, but unfortunately, I failed.

[Shao Cixin]: So now I’m sitting here, discussing strategies with you.

[Fei Fei]: Ah, so this is fate.

Shao Cixin also wanted to lament her fate.

As soon as she was reborn, Shao Cixin encountered Wen Zhihan and even signed a marriage agreement with her. As a result, their lives were intertwined up to this day.

It could be said that ever since she was reborn, the three characters in “Wen Zhihan” had been enlarged, bolded, and highlighted in red over her heart. And like a shadow occupying her mind, they could not easily be ignored.

Was this the heavens’ arrangement?

Shao Cixin started to get anxious again.

[Shao Cixin]: What should I do?

[Shao Cixin]: Should I secretly love her and maintain the status quo, or boldly pursue her and try to turn our relationship from fake to real?

[Shao Cixin]: But I’m afraid she won’t like me, so if I pursue her, it’s like sending myself to death! By then, I won’t even be able to maintain the status quo…[bitter]

Why must the heavens give her such a difficult problem!!!

Liang Xuefei felt Shao Cixin’s intense anxiety and pain through her screen.

She deeply sympathized with Shao Cixin, but she could only come up with suggestions.

[Fei Fei]: Don’t worry, don’t worry. There must be a solution.

[Fei Fei]: How about you…observe and test the waters?

Shao Cixin’s attention was immediately drawn to the screen.

[Fei Fei]: Our feelings are inherently out of our control. It’s not like you can simply deny your feelings if you say you don’t like her, or she says she doesn’t like you.

[Fei Fei]: I think that maybe she is so good to you because you have a different position in her heart, and she doesn’t realize it or is unwilling to admit it.

[Fei Fei]: So I think you can test the waters.

[Fei Fei]: And if she hasn’t already caught feelings, you could also make her like you!

[Fei Fei]: The initiative is in her hands. If she falls for you, then your marriage will be saved!

Shao Cixin’s eyes lit up.

What Liang Xuefei said made sense!

If it was Wen Zhihan who fell for her and confessed, then it would lead to a perfect ending where they both loved each other!

Although it was difficult to make Wen Zhihan fall in love with her, it was the safest move for now.

Since she couldn’t avoid her feelings, she might as well give in. If she tried, there was still a possibility, but if she did nothing, then there was no chance at all.

She could test Wen Zhihan’s bottom line and try to make Wen Zhihan fall for her.

But if Wen Zhihan showed any signs of displeasure, Shao Cixin would immediately withdraw her probing fox tail. She’d stop showing any signs of liking Wen Zhihan and pretend like nothing had happened.

If Wen Zhihan really had no feelings for her and couldn’t develop any feelings for her, then Shao Cixin would accept her fate.

While the worst-case scenario was a secret love, it wasn’t like Shao Cixin hadn’t experienced such a thing before.

But at least this time it was Wen Zhihan—Wen Zhihan was worth it!

[Shao Cixin]: I know what to do!

After sending the message to Liang Xuefei, Shao Cixin stood up and walked to the door with a determined look.

But as soon as her hand touched the doorknob, her momentum suddenly faded.

She had no idea what to do next. Her mind was blank…

She stared at the door blankly as if she was facing a wall for a while, then turned the doorknob and walked out.

Forget it. She only needed to take one step at a time, and the boat would naturally sail straight until it reached the bridge!

An hour later…

Shao Cixin stood in front of the gated entrance, looking up at the towering building in front of her.

Guanglan’s architectural design was very beautiful. It was simple and elegant with a sense of solemnity.

Wen Zhihan was in this building.

She controlled the whole of Guanglan, and also Shao Cixin’s heart.

Shao Cixin came anyway.

She actually didn’t know what she planned on doing by coming to Guanglan.

She just knew that she wanted to see Wen Zhihan—immediately, right away.

Or maybe…she could think about the situation from the angle of what she stood to gain?

Shao Cixin didn’t know Wen Zhihan’s work schedule and was unsure if the other person was busy at the moment.

She recognized that it was inappropriate to rashly bother Wen Zhihan without any consideration for her time.

So before going up, Shao Cixin sent a message to Wen Zhihan.

She hoped to surprise Wen Zhihan instead of giving her a shock.

[Shao Cixin]: Wen Zhihan, are you free now?

[Shao Cixin]: I’m passing by Guanglan, and I’m downstairs now. If you’re free, I’ll come up and see you. If not, I’ll leave.

She thought for a moment and added a cute emoji.

After a while, Wen Zhihan replied.

[President Wen]: I’m free.

Shao Cixin immediately beamed with joy.

Her heart was pounding as she typed on the screen.

[Shao Cixin]: Then can you come down and pick me up? I don’t know the way…

After sending her text, Shao Cixin looked at the words she had typed and felt very satisfied.

—Yes, it was very sweet. She, Shao Cixin, was such a sweet little sweetheart!

But then Wen Zhihan’s reply crushed her victory.

[President Wen]: Cixin, haven’t you been to Guanglan before?

Shao Cixin: “…”

Damn it, she made a mistake. She forgot!

Now that she had been ruthlessly exposed, Shao Cixin had no choice but to awkwardly lift her feet and walk in by herself.

As she strolled into the building, she diligently typed on her phone, trying to salvage her dignity.

[Shao Cixin]: Oh? Have I been here before? I don’t remember. Maybe it’s because I’ve been here too few times, and I don’t have a good impression.

[Shao Cixin]: Then you wait. I’ll try to remember the way myself. I can do it!

The security guard at the door recognized her and let her through easily.

Shao Cixin straightened her clothes and walked to the elevators in the lobby. She adjusted her mask nervously.

As luck would have it, one of the elevators happened to be going down.

At this time, there were not many employees taking the elevator.

Shao Cixin stood with her back against the wall, habitually reducing her presence as she waited for the elevator.

Fortunately, no one was looking at her.

Her gaze fell back on her phone with peace of mind.

But then she saw that the chat interface was still stuck on her reply.

Wen Zhihan hadn’t responded. It seemed like she had been struck speechless.

Shao Cixin closed her eyes in pain. She couldn’t help but scold herself in her heart for being an idiot.

Shao Cixin, Shao Cixin, was your brain just used for decoration?

Good job. The person on the other side has stopped reacting, and she’s been caught with a big heap of embarrassment in her hands.

At the very least, Wen Zhihan wouldn’t suspect that she was stupid, right? Oh my God!

Just as Shao Cixin was about to fall into despair, she heard a “ding!” sound. The elevator had arrived on the first floor, and its metallic doors were slowly sliding open.

Then Shao Cixin heard the voices of the Guanglan employees, calling out respectfully one after another, “President Wen.”

Shao Cixin’s eyes snapped open in surprise. She raised her head and saw Wen Zhihan standing in the elevator with a serene expression on her face.

Wen Zhihan’s soft and shiny hair was left unadorned and scattered over her shoulders, making her look unaffected and charming.

She was wearing a white chiffon shirt paired with high-waist black trousers. The white chiffon shirt had a unique cuff design, creating a cool and capable style without losing a sense of elegance, and the high-waist black trousers were slim and comfortable, with a natural drape.

Finally, Wen Zhihan’s gold-rimmed glasses were sitting on the bridge of her nose, the icing on the cake, making her stand out among the crowd like the bright moon in the sky.

Shao Cixin’s gaze was instantly caught by the pair of blue eyes hidden behind the lenses.

She watched Wen Zhihan nod gently to her employees as she walked forward. Finally, she stopped before Shao Cixin.

“Cixin.”

Wen Zhihan recognized her with no effort.

Shao Cixin pulled down her mask in surprise and said in a low voice, “Why did you come down?”

She thought Wen Zhihan wouldn’t come down to pick her up…

Wen Zhihan smiled and reached out for Shao Cixin’s hand. “To show my Mrs. Wen the way.”

Wen Zhihan didn’t know if Shao Cixin was really lost or just pretending to be lost.

But the moment she received Shao Cixin’s message, her body had already reacted, and she automatically walked out of her office towards the elevator, eager to see Shao Cixin.

She was glad Shao Cixin came to see her.

Even if Shao Cixin was just passing by.

Shao Cixin couldn’t help but feel pink bubbles bursting in her heart.

Wen Zhihan didn’t dislike her, and she was even so considerate of her.

Shao Cixin really couldn’t refuse this side of Wen Zhihan.

“Look.” Shao Cixin happily lifted the cakes and drinks in her hands as if she was offering Wen Zhihan treasure. “I brought you afternoon tea.”

Wen Zhihan gazed at Shao Cixin with curved eyes, her expression full of unspoken love.

Shao Cixin always made many little moves, but each of them was extremely cute.

Only a fool didn’t know how to cherish such a lovely person.

“Just in time.” Wen Zhihan smiled softly. “I’m a little hungry.”

To avoid making the employees feel uncomfortable, Shao Cixin and Wen Zhihan took the next elevator going up.

There happened to be no one with them.

While standing in the elevator, Shao Cixin never took her eyes off Wen Zhihan.

After returning to Wen Zhihan’s office and closing the door behind them, Shao Cixin said, “I left early today, and I didn’t even get to see you put on this outfit.”

“Is it good-looking?” Wen Zhihan asked.

“It’s good-looking,” Shao Cixin said. “It’s very good-looking. It makes me want…”

The words stopped here, and she didn’t continue.

Wen Zhihan stopped and turned to look back at Shao Cixin. She hummed softly, and her gentle eyes gradually showed a bit of irresistible temptation.

“It makes you want…?”

When Shao Cixin heard Wen Zhihan’s teasing, she didn’t retreat. Instead, she put down the items in her hands and walked over.

Then she leaned her lips against Wen Zhihan’s ear and whispered ambiguously, “You. The kind without clothes.”

As she spoke, her hands lifted to hug Wen Zhihan’s waist.

Then she looked at Wen Zhihan innocently with a pair of watery eyes.

The present-day Shao Cixin was willing to “clear her debt” with Wen Zhihan until the end of time!

Wen Zhihan was shaken by Shao Cixin’s gaze, and her peaceful heart instantly flew into disarray,

The more straightforward Shao Cixin was, the more seductive she was, and the more overwhelming the experience was for Wen Zhihan.

Wen Zhihan clamped down on her affected heart, ran her hand through her long hair, and said softly, “Definitely tomorrow.”

Shao Cixin’s eyebrows furrowed instantly. “Why tomorrow? Why not tonight?”

Wen Zhihan smiled and shook her head gently. “I’m attending a social event tonight, and it’ll be late when I get home, so you should go to bed early.”

Shao Cixin wrinkled her nose.

Damn socializing, ruining her good time.

Since that was the case and Shao Cixin couldn’t seriously object, she started giving well-meaning advice instead. 

“Then you should drink less. Drinking is bad for your health.

“And don’t drive after drinking. Call for a driver instead.

“If you didn’t drink, then be careful when you’re driving. Pay attention to the road and get home safely.”

As someone who died in a car accident, Shao Cixin still felt frightened when she remembered the event and wanted to remind every person around her to drive safely.

When Wen Zhihan heard Shao Cixin’s concerns, she suddenly wanted to say something—to ask an important question.

But in the end, she didn’t ask anything. She only reassured Shao Cixin with a smile, “Mm, don’t worry. I know my limits.”

In any case, Shao Cixin’s concern was a good thing, and Wen Zhihan hoped it would continue.

“Okay. Let’s eat,” Shao Cixin said. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Wen Zhihan nodded. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“No, I used up all my dessert happy hours yesterday, and now it’s time for me to sadly manage my weight.”

“…Thank you for your hard work.”

“We’re sharing joys and sorrows.”

Wen Zhihan could only enjoy the afternoon teatime alone with Shao Cixin in her mind.

Shao Cixin had nothing to do and started wandering around the office aimlessly, respectfully exploring Wen Zhihan’s work area with her eyes and not her hands.

The furnishings in the room were no different from the first time she visited.

There were still a bunch of professional books on the shelf that she had no interest in reading, and several of the shelves were decorated with beautiful ornaments.

And even if there were a few more documents spread on its surface, Wen Zhihan’s black office desk was just as neat and tidy as it was before. Like the owner herself, it was organized meticulously.

But Shao Cixin soon discovered something different.

—There was a small glass jar on the table with several chocolate balls in it.

Shao Cixin recognized it at a glance.

The glass jar was bought by Wen Zhihan’s assistant Guan Yan when Shao Cixin was away filming, but the chocolate balls were the ones given to Wen Zhihan by Shao Cixin.

Shao Cixin never thought that Wen Zhihan would arrange the presents she gave her so carefully, as if they were precious treasures.

She couldn’t help but pick up the jar and look at Wen Zhihan.

Shao Cixin suppressed her inner joy and tried her best to calmly test Wen Zhihan. “Are these the chocolates I gave you? Why did you put this here?”

Wen Zhihan said calmly, “I haven’t finished eating them. I’ll finish them slowly.

“Since these are your favorites, I can’t waste them.”

No matter their identity or purpose, she didn’t want to dispose of Shao Cixin’s gifts casually.

Especially Shao Cixin’s favorite things.

Wen Zhihan successfully pierced the softest place in Shao Cixin’s heart, and Shao Cixin’s feelings immediately blossomed with joy.

The clouds dispersed and the fog cleared. Shao Cixin made her decision—she wanted Wen Zhihan to fall in love with her.

Shao Cixin didn’t know if Wen Zhihan’s special feelings toward her were out of friendship or something else, and she didn’t know what the future would look like, but she knew that she didn’t want to give up now.

She wanted to make Wen Zhihan fall in love with her, to have Wen Zhihan tear up their contract with her own hands.

She wanted to be Wen Zhihan’s wife.

A wife that had more to do with feelings and less to do with agreements.

After Shao Cixin made her decision, her entire body relaxed.

She turned around and gently returned the glass jar to its original position.

This time, she wouldn’t change her mind.

Shao Cixin couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to become a dog, but how could she resist when Wen Zhihan made statements like she didn’t want to waste the things Shao Cixin liked…?

There was simply no way.

The author (热到昏厥) has something to say:

Dog^[1]: Wen Zhihan said it can’t be wasted, so she’s about to fall in love with me. I must work hard!

^[1]“狗狗” (gǒu gǒu) can be translated as “doggy/puppy.” However, the more neutral name “Dog” seems more fitting for an English translation.

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