Chapter 15

After Zhou Si dropped me off that day, he didn’t leave. He stayed downstairs by my building the whole time. As soon as I hung up the phone, I slipped on my slippers and bolted down the stairs. But when I ran outside, I saw my dad talking to Zhou Si.

In that moment, it felt like the sky was falling. I immediately turned around to make a run for it, but my dad called out to me: “Xie Li, what are you running around like a headless chicken for?”

I stammered, trying to come up with an explanation, but Zhou Si answered before I could say anything: “She was looking for me.”

At first, my dad looked confused. Then realization hit, and he stepped aside to give us some space. “Alright, alright. You two talk. It’s late anyway, I’m going to bed.”

I shouted, “Dad! It’s not what you think!”

But he’d already turned around and was heading back inside, throwing me a wink on his way: “I get it, I get it!”

I said, “What exactly do you get?!”

Barely had my dad gone in when Zhou Si stepped up beside me. He didn’t say much. He just slowly pulled me into his arms. I suddenly felt a bit shy and didn’t know what to say, so I just buried my face in his chest.

A moment later, I heard Zhou Si mumbling, “Girlfriend…”

He said it while lifting my chin to look at my face.

I blushed deeply. “What? Never seen a face before?”

“No,” Zhou Si kissed me gently on the lips, his eyes soft, “just… you’re my girlfriend now.”

I said to him, a little deflated, “Ugh, doesn’t this count as a rebound for me?”

Zhou Si told me to shut up.

I kept going: “Let’s just lay it all out there now, I’ve had a boyfriend before. As for you…”

“I haven’t,” Zhou Si said.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Then do you even know how to be in a relationship?”

“Let’s give it a try. If I mess up, please be patient with me.”

I tiptoed and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Boyfriend, please take care of me.”

Zhou Si immediately pulled me in tighter and deepened the kiss.

I only found out later that my parents were actually watching everything from upstairs through the window, totally engrossed.

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And just like that, Zhou Si and I started dating. It was a weirdly wonderful experience.

All that maturity I used to find annoying in Zhou Si? Once we started dating, I found myself really liking it. He’s older than me by a good amount and already successful in his career. Being with him meant I didn’t have to worry about a bunch of random nonsense.

When I ran into problems at work or in life and started spiraling, Zhou Si always managed to calm me down and help me see things clearly with just a few words.

Emotionally, his steadiness kept us from having any real fights. Not even a single argument.

And beyond all that, we were very compatible in… other areas too. Even if there wasn’t any love involved, just that part alone made me feel incredibly satisfied.

One early autumn day, Zhou Si and I planned a date. We were meeting at a café, and I got there a few minutes before him. But the last person I expected to see there was my ex, Chen Zhicheng.

The moment I saw him, my mood instantly tanked. I was about to turn and leave when he called out, “Xie Li, wait!”

After our breakup, I had blocked and deleted him from everything. In such a big city, this was our first time running into each other in over three months.

Chen Zhicheng said, “I’ve wanted to apologize for a long time, but I couldn’t get in touch with you.”

I accepted his apology, but I did feel a little guilty myself.

On one hand, my best friend intentionally going after him really challenged my trust in people. On the other hand, my own rebound relationship with Zhou Si was hard to justify. But that’s just how human nature is—never black and white.

Chen Zhicheng told me he was planning to move back to his hometown, and I felt oddly sentimental. Back when we graduated, he had stayed in this city for me. I had even imagined a future with him.

People always say you can still be friends after breaking up. I figured, why not? I didn’t have any lingering feelings for him. Seeing him now just felt… normal.

We chatted by the window for a bit. That’s when I happened to spot Zhou Si outside. He had turned to leave, and my gut told me something was wrong—he must’ve misunderstood!

I quickly stood up and ran out. I hadn’t gone far when Zhou Si reappeared. Seeing me breathless, he walked over and asked, “Why are you running?”

I blurted out, “It’s not what it looks like… I was just talking to Chen Zhicheng…”

Zhou Si gave me a helpless look, then draped a jacket over my shoulders. He said, “Do I look like someone who’s that insecure?”

“Huh?”

“I saw the weather getting chilly and went to the car to grab you a jacket.”

“Wait, so… did you see me talking to Chen Zhicheng?”

“I did. So what?” Zhou Si ruffled my hair indulgently. “You think I’m afraid he’s gonna steal you from me?”

Honestly, this Zhou Si… yeah, I really didn’t need to worry.

After six months of dating, Zhou Si seriously proposed. I said I was too young and didn’t want to get married yet. He totally understood, said he was just being impatient. I got it too—he was older. Not that I’d say that out loud. The one thing Zhou Si couldn’t stand was me calling him an old man.

Funny thing was, the same Zhou Wan who used to roast me for being love-brained and always discouraged any marriage talk suddenly changed her tune. She said, “Marry my brother already and take control of all his money—how amazing would that be? His money becomes your money, and your money’s still your own. You’d be saving yourself a whole decade of struggle. It’s a win-win!”

Just as I started to waver, Zhou Wan went in for the kill: “Once you marry into our family, you’ll be the eldest granddaughter-in-law. Let me tell you what kind of perks you’re in for. My grandpa will gift you a whole villa. My parents will give you a huge chunk of cash. And if you think my brother sucks after marriage? Just divorce him! You’ll still be under thirty and ready for round two.”

I was totally swayed by her pitch!

Fine, I thought. Marriage it is. Bring it on!

So after a year of dating, Zhou Si and I got our marriage license the following spring. And just like Zhou Wan said, after marriage, I took over the finances, got gifted a house by Grandpa Zhou, and received a big fat check from my in-laws.

As for Zhou Si? The whole man was mine.

Our married life was all kinds of sweet. Zhou Si said I was still young, so we didn’t need kids just yet. But I knew my in-laws were itching for grandkids. Still, no one dared go against Zhou Si. Not even his parents. When Zhou Si said no kids, that was the final word.

Zhou Si was great in every way—except he had a bit of an issue with my job. I earned peanuts, worked like a dog, left early, came home late, sometimes even had to work overtime. Work was stealing time away from us.

I sometimes wondered: Why am I even holding onto this crappy job? I could totally quit and live the rich housewife life, sleep in, sip tea, shop all day. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It felt like giving up on my own sense of worth.

You win some, you lose some. I had to compromise in certain areas—like Zhou Si’s insatiable desire. I mean, the man was a nearly 30-year-old virgin before me. Once he got a taste, he couldn’t go a day without “meat.”

One rare weekend, Zhou Si practically tortured me the whole night.

I finally fell asleep at dawn and didn’t get up until the evening. Once I woke up, I went downstairs to look for him, only to overhear Zhou Wan’s voice.

“Bro, this is where you’re seriously shady.” She didn’t sound happy.

My drama radar immediately went off. I hid nearby to eavesdrop.

Zhou Si scoffed, “Got a problem?”

Zhou Wan: “Are you even a man?”

Zhou Si: “Whether I’m a man or not, my wife knows best.”

Zhou Wan was furious. “I never should’ve helped you get together with Zhi Zhi!”

Zhou Si cut her off: “Zhi Zhi? That’s your sister-in-law now.”

Zhou Wan: “You remember it was you who told me to seduce her boyfriend a year ago, right?”

Zhou Si: “You can eat anything, but don’t spout nonsense.”

I was completely lost. What the hell was going on?

Then I heard Zhou Wan say, “Fine! You won’t admit it? Then just like I helped you two get together, I’ll tear you apart! Let’s see who’s more ruthless!”

Zhou Si sighed, clearly fed up. “All my money’s with your sister-in-law now. You want a bag or a car? Go ask her.”

…

That night, it was my turn to straddle Zhou Si and demand answers: “Hubby, you better tell me the truth!”

Zhou Si looked at me with that loving gaze of his and said, “Yes, it was all premeditated. I waited ten years for you.”

But much later, he told me he hadn’t expected me to show up that night. He was shocked, and overjoyed.

And honestly? I never figured out why I went to find him that night either.

It all seemed carefully planned for a long time, yet also felt like fate stepping in.

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