Zhao Ming caught the mischievous look on Ye Xuan’s face and, with a wry grin, punched Ye Xuan lightly on the shoulder. “You just give her whatever she wants. I’ll settle with you later.”
Then, without another word, Zhao Ming grabbed Lin Yue by the wrist and pulled her into a private dining room. He shut the door behind them but didn’t let go of her arm. Instead, using his height, he boxed her in between himself and the door, lowering his head until their eyes met.
“So, since you’re curious about everything,” he murmured, “I bet you’ve never been kissed, have you?”
Lin Yue was so stunned she didn’t even have time to react before Zhao Ming leaned in and kissed her.
For once, Lin Yue’s usually sharp tongue was silenced, her lips only able to make a muffled sound. The kiss was deep and lingering—Zhao Ming had waited far too long for this moment, a longing only he truly understood.
Back in middle school, Lin Yue hated chemistry class and always fell asleep. Zhao Ming would quietly drape his own jacket over her shoulders so she wouldn’t get cold. In their first year of high school, during a hot summer evening, Lin Yue insisted they play rock-paper-scissors, the loser having to fan the winner. Zhao Ming deliberately lost most rounds, resignedly fanning her as she grinned in triumph.
There was a phase when Lin Yue, for reasons unknown, drew an imaginary line across their shared desk. If Zhao Ming crossed it, she’d whack him with a book. After being hit one too many times, Zhao Ming grabbed her hand and held it, refusing to let go. He looked at her with a teasing smile, sparks flying between them. That was the first time he saw Lin Yue blush.
The second time was now. After the kiss, Lin Yue’s cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly swollen, her strength no match for Zhao Ming’s as she tried to pull away.
Zhao Ming finally released her, but quickly caught her raised hand. “Listen to me,” he said softly.
Lin Yue, unable to break free, glared up at him, her lips pouty and her eyes wide with indignation. Zhao Ming’s gaze darkened with emotion.
After leaving Zhao Ming’s hotpot restaurant, Lin Yue went straight home and flopped onto her bed, hoping to sleep off the awkwardness of the afternoon. But instead of sleep, she found herself tossing and turning, replaying everything in her mind.
Zhao Ming had told her to really think about their relationship. Was it truly just friendship? Had she never once thought of him in another way?
Zhao Ming had smiled and said, “Even if you’ve just admired my looks, that counts.”
He explained that the girl he’d been eating with was a blind date arranged by his mother. He’d only agreed to meet her because his mom promised it would be the last time she interfered in his love life.
Lin Yue couldn’t help but jab, “Looked like you were enjoying yourself—she was all smiles, and you looked pretty smitten.”
Zhao Ming laughed, his signature dimple deepening. He pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of Lin Yue’s annoyed, pouting face. “This one should be called ‘jealousy,’” he teased, showing her the picture.
Mortified, Lin Yue jumped up to grab his phone, but Zhao Ming easily caught her around the waist and held the phone out of reach. “The only reason I looked gentle was because I was telling her a story about being prepared for anything. But in that story, the only girl who makes me smile is you. She was smiling because she wished she could be that girl.”
Lin Yue stopped struggling and went quiet, letting herself rest in Zhao Ming’s arms as he continued.
“I guess I’ve been preparing for this, even when I didn’t realize it. Maybe I didn’t know what love was back then—I just knew that being your desk mate made me happy, that I liked sharing hobbies with you, that you were different from any other girl—free, stubborn, and genuine.”
“I’ve never fallen for anyone at first sight. But I think I’ve been falling for you, little by little, for years. In all those silly games boys play, you were always the one I pictured. I guess I only really understood my feelings when I couldn’t stand seeing you close to other guys—even as friends. I wanted to be the only one who called you ‘bro,’ the only one who shared your adventures, the only one who could make you smile like that.”
Lin Yue lay in bed, replaying Zhao Ming’s words over and over. They made her heart race, filling her with both joy and anxiety.
She was proud to have someone so outstanding care for her, but she was also scared. What if they started dating and, someday, ended up resenting each other? She’d lose not just a boyfriend, but her best friend.
She’d always thought of herself as brave, but now she realized that even the bravest people could hesitate when it came to love.
The next morning, Lin Yue stumbled out of her room with dark circles under her eyes, startling her roommate, Sister Xing.
“Yue, did you game all night again, or is that some new smoky-eye look?”
Lin Yue sighed, “I just can’t figure out what’s more important—love or friendship.”
Sister Xing gave her a knowing grin. “If you’re struggling with that question, it means your friendship has already tipped toward love.”
As they chatted about Zhao Ming, Sister Xing asked, “If seeing him with another girl makes you this upset, imagine how you’d feel if he married someone else and spent every day with her?”
“I’d blow up his house!” Lin Yue blurted out, only to see Sister Xing laughing knowingly.
Before Lin Yue could figure out how to respond to Zhao Ming, he showed up at her apartment to pick her up, thanking Sister Xing for “taking her in.”
“You two know each other?” Lin Yue asked, surprised.
“Sister Xing was my mom’s student back in the day,” Zhao Ming explained.
Suddenly, it all made sense—why Sister Xing had been so friendly and helpful from the start, even though they were in different departments.
Zhao Ming had always had a photographic memory, and it was only natural he’d recognize Sister Xing as a senior from his school days. He’d probably seen them together after work, too.
As Zhao Ming led Lin Yue out, she kept glancing back at Sister Xing, who just winked.
“What? Can’t bear to leave?” Zhao Ming teased. “Sister Xing has a boyfriend, you know. And because of you, Ye Xuan’s been crashing at the hotpot shop for days. If you don’t come home, he’s going to break up with me as a business partner.”
Lin Yue snorted, but the warmth in Zhao Ming’s voice made her heart flutter. She realized, maybe for the first time, that home wasn’t a place—it was the person walking beside her.
As they walked out into the sunlight, Lin Yue found herself smiling, uncertain of the future but suddenly sure of one thing: she didn’t want to run away anymore.
Chapter 04
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