Chapter 2

After the driver dropped me off, I walked into the villa by myself.

Right at the entrance were two giant trees—I couldn’t even name them, but they looked grand and impressive. Beyond that was a soft green lawn, a sky-blue pool filled with water, and a sleek, postmodern style villa that had its entrance right at the lawn.

I had to admit, rich neighborhoods really do hit differently. The style, the quality, the vibe, it all made me feel serene just by standing there.

By now the sky had gone completely dark, and the warm orange-yellow lights inside the villa were glowing. I slowed down, hesitating over what I should say when I walked in. Since I was already here, I couldn’t act like some insecure little girl. No matter what, I couldn’t let Zhou Si look at me like I was still a kid.

I took a deep breath, pretending I was the owner of this house. Chin up, chest out.

I walked across the lawn, passed the pool, and officially stepped inside the villa. The moment I entered, I was greeted by the faint scent of jasmine tea. It actually smelled really nice.

I softly called out, “Zhou Si?”

But no one answered.

The place was big, so I wandered around on my own, and accidentally ended up in the kitchen, where I saw Zhou Si standing at the counter with his back to me.

He must’ve heard something, because he tilted his head slightly. My heart skipped a beat, and I swallowed reflexively. But Zhou Si acted totally normal and kept doing whatever he was doing. Without turning around, he said, “If you want water, get it from the fridge yourself.”

All those lines I rehearsed on the way here? Useless. None of them came handy. In the end, all I could do was weakly mutter “okay,” then put down my bag and walk towards the fridge.

It was a big, double-door white fridge. The shelves were full of all kinds of food, drinks, and fruit. I was not polite, I helped myself to a few prunes, picked out some strawberries, and popped a juicy cherry into my mouth.

I had just turned around when I nearly ran into a wall of muscle. Zhou Si had somehow ended up right behind me.

I instinctively took a step back, clutching my handful of prunes and strawberries like a little hamster, pressing myself against the fridge door.

A man and women, alone in a house at night… the air between us instantly felt charged with tension.

Zhou Si was standing just a few inches from me, looking down at me with amusement clearly written in his eyes.

I glanced at him sideways and continued chewing the cherry in my mouth.

It really was delicious, crisp and sweet, and after not eating all day, it was exactly what I needed.

Zhou Si didn’t say anything. His beautiful, narrow eyes just watched me, like he was waiting for me to finish the cherry. He had a great build—tall and well-proportioned. Definitely taller than my ex, that jerk. I’d guess he was around 6'1". I’m 5'5", which isn’t short, but I wore flats today, so I had to tilt my head up to look at him.

We were standing close enough that I could clearly see his long lashes. I don’t know if this guy does skincare or what, but his skin looked soft and fair like you could press water out of it.

I had to admit, Zhou Si was really good-looking. Maybe because he was at home, he was dressed in a simple short-sleeved T-shirt that showed off his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The lines of his arms were smooth and toned. He actually looked younger like this, not like the buttoned-up, successful guy he usually appeared to be.

I’d heard plenty of gossip about him from Zhou Wan. Stuff like how girls used to wait outside his house back in school, or how some even confessed to him in public. And Zhou Si being the prideful type, always stayed above it all, untouched by any of it.

Honestly, just going by his looks, this guy definitely had heartbreaker potential.

Suddenly, Zhou Si raised a hand in front of my lips, his clean palm facing up. His fingers were long and well-kept, nails trimmed neatly. Really pleasing to look at.

I understood what he meant, so I spat the cherry pit into his hand.

I didn’t expect him to look completely disgusted.

“Ugh.”

It hit me a second too late—he was asking for the fruit in my hands, not the pit.

Of course, I couldn’t back down. I looked at him and said, all matter-of-fact, “What, you’re grossed out by me?”

He shot back, “What do you think?”

“Didn’t you agreed for me to come? So what right do you have to act all picky now?”

Zhou Si gave me a long look, but didn’t say anything else.

It was his stare that made me feel awkward, honestly.

Luckily, he didn’t drag it out. He tossed the pit in the trash, washed his hands under the tap, and told me he’d made some dinner and asked me if I wanted to eat.

I glanced at the steak and salad he’d cooked and teased, “I didn’t expected a big boss like you would actually cook for yourself.”

Zhou Si, holding the salad in one hand and steak in the other, replied, “You think you know me that well?”

I felt like he’d turned it back on me, so I instinctively defended myself. “I mean, we’ve known each other for what—almost twenty years now? Don’t I know you by now, Zhou-ge?”

He clearly winced a bit at me calling him “Zhou-ge.”

He was already seated at the dining table, legs casually spread, looking at me from across the room.

I rolled my eyes. Here we go again. That smug “I’m a successful man” aura was back. That’s what annoyed me most about him.

“You gonna eat or not?” Zhou Si asked.

I shook my head and walked over.

I thought I’d be nervous, but weirdly, I wasn’t. I naturally climbed into Zhou Si’s lap, wrapped my arms around his neck like a fox, and murmured again, “Zhou-ge… I wanna eat you.”

He didn’t push me away. In fact, he put his hand on my waist.

I wasn’t a virgin or anything, and sitting like this, so close to a man, it was only natural my body started reacting a little. Through the thin fabric, I could feel the heat from his palm. I could also smell that subtle masculine scent on him—it wasn’t cologne, but it was really nice.

Thinking about it, it was kind of depressing. I’d only ever dated Chen Zhicheng, only ever had all of my firsts with him. I’d never experienced anything else, and now some little part of me inside my heart was screaming for something new.

My heart was beating rapidly and I was the one who took initiative to kiss Zhou Si. I mean, I’d already decided to go all in, so screw it—just do it first.

My heart was pounding. When my own lips brushed against his soft lips, the scent of him completely overwhelmed me, and I lost all focus.

What was I supposed to do next? Lick it up? Suck it? or use my tongue to probe into him?

Before I could figure it out, Zhou Si suddenly lifted me up and sat me right on the dining table.

He leaned in close, and his perfectly defined face hovered just inches away, lips curled into a playful smirk. Compared to him, I suddenly felt like a helpless little bird.

“This is what you meant when you said you wanted to eat me?” Zhou Si raised an eyebrow, looking every bit the wicked man he was.

In that moment, he felt like a total stranger. I was feeling like a tiny ant in front of him, who couldn't handle him at all.

So I threw a little tantrum. “What? Can’t I?”

“Okay, You can.”

Unless I was hearing things, there was even a bit of pampering in his tone?

He placed his hands on either side of me, leaning in lazily. Then he suddenly leaned forward and gave me the lightest peck on the lips—just a soft touch, but it carried so much weight.

My heart start to become erratic.

Then his low, magnetic voice whispered right by my ear:

“Little Lizhi… if you don’t know how to eat, I’ll teach you.”

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