Chen Huaixu lightly touched his forehead, a gesture that seemed both weary and self-deprecating. After a long pause, he softly murmured, “Oh.”

His tone softened considerably.

Yan Zhen huffed. “…You’re so unpredictable.”

He stepped closer, his gaze capturing hers. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“…I hadn’t decided,” Yan Zhen stammered, flustered by his proximity and his intense gaze. She lowered her lashes. “I hadn’t decided if I should tell you. There wasn’t really a reason to.”

Chen Huaixu paused, then gently caressed her cheek. “Didn’t you want to see me?”

Yan Zhen turned her head away, biting her lip, silent.

He leaned in to kiss her. She resisted halfheartedly, but he captured her lips, drawing a muffled gasp from her. “Chen Huaixu… let go… mm…”

As they grappled, a sudden thud echoed.

“Clatter!”

Startled, Yan Zhen instinctively pressed closer to Chen Huaixu, glancing over his shoulder to see a young man staring at them in shock.

“Boss… I…” The man stammered, righting the overturned trash can. “I just… you were gone so long… I-I didn’t see anything!”

Chen Huaixu shielded Yan Zhen with his body, shooting Mo Cheng a warning look. Mo Cheng immediately understood, fleeing the scene. Silence descended once more, leaving them alone again.

Looking at the empty hallway, Yan Zhen whispered nervously, “…Who was that?”

“My assistant.”

Her eyes widened. She pushed him away. “Call him back! He must have misunderstood!”

Chen Huaixu pulled her back, his hand cupping the back of her neck like she was a small cat. “Misunderstood what? Weren’t we just kissing?”

“That wasn’t kissing, that was you forcing yourself on me…mm…” Her protest was cut short as he kissed her again, her breath catching in her throat. “You’re doing it again…”

As their lips met, Chen Huaixu’s phone rang.

He released her lips, pulling out his phone, but didn’t let her go. Using his height to his advantage, he kept her trapped against the wall, looking down at her.

He held the phone to his ear with one hand, while the other played with her hair, traced her cheek, and occasionally tugged her earlobe. He was a master of multitasking.

“No, I’m not in Ningchuan. I’m on a business trip.”

“Mm.”

“Probably back next week.”

Yan Zhen’s gaze, level with his chest, rested on his exposed collarbone, pale and elegant. Remembering the awkward encounter with his assistant, she playfully nipped at it.

Chen Huaixu inhaled sharply, a brief pause in his conversation before he smoothly recovered, the person on the other end none the wiser.

He didn’t get angry, simply pinching her cheek and pulling her closer.

Seeing his lack of reaction, Yan Zhen felt a surge of mischief.

She didn’t know who was on the other end, but judging by Chen Huaixu’s relaxed tone, it must be a close friend. It wouldn’t hurt to tease him a little, to disrupt his usual calm and collected demeanor in front of his friend.

Putting on a saccharine voice, she spoke into the phone, “Darling, when will you be done? I’m waiting.”

Her voice was so cloyingly sweet it made her own skin crawl.

But it was effective. Both Chen Huaixu and the person on the phone froze, a strange silence filling the air.

She saw surprise flicker across Chen Huaixu’s face. She gave him a triumphant grin and stuck out her tongue, turning to run, only to be caught and pulled back into his embrace.

A hint of amusement colored Chen Huaixu’s voice. “Mm… my girlfriend… is a bit playful.”

Who’s your girlfriend? He was good at improvising.

Yan Zhen struggled against his grip, the rustling of their clothes audible to the person on the other end, completely misinterpreted.

“Damn, you guys are already at it? My bad, I’ll leave you to it. Bye, bye.”

“....”

It seemed she had shot herself in the foot.

Chen Huaixu hung up the phone. Yan Zhen immediately launched into a dramatic complaint: “You’re so strong! You’re hurting my wrist! Let go of me!”

He remained unfazed, opening the door to an empty private room and pulling her into the darkness.

The door clicked shut behind them, followed by Chen Huaixu’s low chuckle, amplified in the darkness.

“Didn’t you say you were waiting impatiently? Where are you impatient? Let me check.”