Chapter 5

At this point, what else is there to say? "I'm leaving." Zhou Ji stood up and walked towards the door

Shen Lai stood in place for thirty seconds, then began to quickly tidy himself up, applying makeup, coordinating his outfit, selecting shoes, and then went downstairs

-

Later, Guo Xiaoyin made several phone calls one after another, but Zhou did not answer any of them, nor did he respond on WeChat. Mature adults understand that this signifies a cessation of communication.

Zhou gently kissed Guo Xiaoyin's forehead, saying, "I am a bit tired today"

Gu Shengdong's interest in Shen Lai far exceeded Shen Lai's interest in him. Shen Lai later had dinner with him a few more times, not feeling annoyed, which could be considered as tacitly acknowledging Gu Shengdong's position as a backup. However, Gu Shengdong calling at this hour still surprised Shen Lai

"Does he know I slept here yesterday?" Zhou smiled sarcastically and said, "Shen, it's been a few years since we last met, and you have certainly become more playful.

Shen Lai remained silent, deeming it unnecessary to explain Gu Chengdong's identity to Zhou Ji.

After more than two weeks of not seeing each other, it is impossible for a man and a woman to simply sleep when they get into bed. However, as the week dragged on without any progress, Guo Xiaoyin had no choice but to take the initiative once.

It is often said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and there is indeed some truth to this. Zhou found this breakfast quite enjoyable, inevitably recalling Shen. In her kitchen, there were only milk and cereal; is that really a breakfast fit for a person?

Zhou had no real smoking habit; he would only smoke a cigarette when someone offered it to him. After reflecting on it, he felt it was not worth increasing the risk of lung cancer for a woman like Shen Lai, so he threw away the cigarette pack, muttered a curse, and got into the car

Gu Shengdong glanced at the car behind Shen several times and then turned his head to ask, "Do you like that model?" Of course, it is also possible that he was implicitly asking, "Do you like that type of man?"

Shen Lai stood up and looked at Zhou Ji, raising his chin slightly, "I didn't keep it five years ago, and I certainly won't now"

Shen Laidao: "That is also because you have guided me well into this path"

Shen sneered and said, "What qualifications do you have to question me?"

"I don't like it, it's too showy," Shen said

Zhou let out a sneer, "I cannot accept such praise. You have surpassed your teacher."

After getting into Gu Shengdong's car, Shen Lai looked up at the rearview mirror, while Zhou Jizheng threw the newly purchased cigarette box and lighter into the nearby trash can

Guo Xiaoyin does not drink alcohol herself, yet she asks someone to buy hangover medicine, which reflects her deep sense of loyalty and affection

Zhou, without any malice, thought about Shen's temperament and character, being unable to distinguish between the five grains, lacking diligence in physical labor, being pretentious and affected, suffering from a terminal case of princess syndrome, and it was only a matter of time before she would break up with that man. Did she think that anyone could be as tolerant of her as he once was?

"I do not like to eat those things," Zhou said.

"No need to see me off," Shen Lai said coldly to the library.

"Hello." Shen Lai brought the phone to his ear, turning to look at Zhou Ji, who was sitting at the dining table continuing to eat milk and cereal.

Guo Xiaoyin quickly washed her hair, took a shower, applied light makeup, and sprayed a bit of perfume after seeing the WeChat message from Zhou Jihui

When Shen Lai and Zhou Ji's gazes met in the air, they each disdainfully averted their eyes.

Thus, Guo Xiaoyin's deep affection not only failed to move Zhou Ji, but instead reminded him of why he had given her the Cartier bracelet

Zhou had just come out of the nearby convenience store with a pack of cigarettes when he happened to see Shen Lai leaning in to speak with Gu Shengdong. The closeness between a woman and a man does not require hand-holding or kissing; one can tell from the angle at which she leans towards him. Shen Lai was leaning in quite a bit towards Gu Shengdong.

Zhou leaned back and asked, "Boyfriend?"

At this age, if Zhou Ji could discern anything from Lu Dekai's face, it would indeed be strange. However, the timing of Guo Xiaoyin's WeChat message was just right; Zhou Ji no longer had to engage in idle chatter with Lu Dekai, and he also missed Guo Xiaoyin's skills and culinary arts, though it might also be her loyalty that he longed for

"You and Shen Lai don't have anything going on, right? I called you several times that night, but you didn't answer." Lu Dekai later gossiped to Zhou Ji.

Shen Lai indeed had no contact with Gu Chengdong, but it was not due to the flaws that Zhou Jixiang had in mind; rather, she learned from her assistant that Gu Chengdong was her cousin

When Zhou got up, Guo Xiaoyin had already set the table with the meal. There was nourishing millet porridge, golden-brown pan-fried shrimp potstickers, a plate of blanched lettuce, and an egg pancake garnished with diced red and green chili peppers

"Xiao Bei said she drove your car away yesterday and asked me to pick you up for work today. I should arrive outside your community in about twenty minutes, is that convenient?" Gu Chengdong asked

It is worth mentioning that Zhou Ji and Guo Xiaoyin have already broken up, if their relationship could be considered as such. After Nanting sent the bracelet to Guo Xiaoyin via express delivery, Guo Xiaoyin called to ask what Zhou Ji meant by that.

Shen Lai retrieved his phone and returned to sit down at the dining table

Guo Xiaoyin did not know what exactly she liked about this bad man. He was both aloof and heartless, yet she, like a moth, desperately wanted to leap into his fiery pit.

Zhou was a bit tired, and as soon as he entered, he leaned on Guo Xiaoyin's sofa and pretended to doze off. Recently, due to the new project, he had been on several business trips and had not taken care of his physiological needs. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come just because of a WeChat message from Guo Xiaoyin.

"What do you think could be possible?" Zhou raised an eyebrow and retorted to Lu Dekai.

Zhou Ji opened his eyes, and he was actually quite satisfied with Guo Xiaoyin. The only thing he was dissatisfied with was her inability to accurately identify their relationship. Zhou Ji merely wanted to find a place to relax, while Guo Xiaoyin had the intention of tying him down to resolve significant matters in life.

As Zhou Ji, who had already reached the door, turned back and said, "Remember to take your medicine; if you blame me afterwards, I will have to do a paternity test"

"Of course, there can be nothing." Lü Dekai quickly replied, but although he said this, his gaze was constantly scanning Zhou Ji's face.

This is a typical case of taking advantage of a situation while pretending to be innocent

As soon as Zhou detected the fragrance of perfume on Guo Xiaoyin, he was reminded of Shen Lai, and to his surprise, Guo Xiaoyin had chosen the same brand of perfume as Shen Lai

There are many women coming and going around Zhou, all of whom are more attractive than Guo Xiaoyin, yet he uniquely maintains this ambiguous friends-with-benefits relationship with Guo Xiaoyin, which is also a testament to her capabilities

Shen Lai placed his hand on his chest and smiled at Zhou Ji, saying, "Isn't this all learned from you?"

Guo Xiaoyin looked at Zhou Ji with a bewildered expression, turning to the side.

Zhou, having turned over, pressed Guo Xiaoyin beneath him. As he lowered his head, he caught the fragrance emanating from her neck, which reminded him once again of Shen Lai

Guo Xiaoyin obediently refrained from bothering Zhou Ji any further. As long as Zhou Ji was still willing to come, the situation was not too bad. When Zhou Ji fell asleep, Guo Xiaoyin was still counting sheep; she turned her head to look at the sleeping Zhou Ji, gently tracing her fingertip along his eyebrow, lingering on his nose and lips

Zhou heavily slammed the door shut as he left

Zhou's guess is not without reason; Shen's voice while speaking into the microphone was noticeably three points softer than usual, indicating that the person on the other end of the line must be a male, and the timing of the call is inherently ambiguous

"However, I have heard that frequent drinking is bad for the liver, and this medicine is for liver protection." Guo Xiaoyin wanted to persuade him further, but seeing that Zhou Ji's expression had already darkened, she refrained from speaking and assisted him in taking a bath and getting into bed

At this moment, Zhou Ji drove to the apartment rented by Guo Xiaoyin, which could be considered a case of returning to a poor choice.

Guo Xiaoyin massaged Zhou Ji's temples for a while, then went to pour him a glass of water. "Last time my colleague went to South Korea, I asked her to bring back some hangover relief and liver protection medicine. Would you like to give it a try?"

Zhou simply replied, "Whatever you think it means, it means that," and did not respond further to Guo Xiaoyin's inquiries

Zhou stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at Shen with a cold expression, "The child was taken away by you, not a natural miscarriage, was it?"

Guo Xiaoyin is well-versed in the strategies that ordinary women use to deal with men; her gentle and considerate nature is undoubtedly a winning asset

Shen Lai, once again Shen Lai, still lingering like a ghost. Zhou then released Guo Xiaoyin and lay back down on his back.

Men are creatures of desire; even if they initially have no such thoughts, after being teased, caressed, and indulged by Guo Xiaoyin, they inevitably begin to feel something

Shen raised her eyebrows slightly, as she had not known before that her assistant, Xiao Bei, was acquainted with Gu Shengdong. However, this was not the time to inquire about the details. Shen glanced at Zhou Ji, who was beginning to wipe his mouth, and said into her phone: "Alright, I will come down in twenty minutes"