"I like eggs. You should get me some free-range eggs." She should be able to afford that at least.
"Okay," Zhou Xufang replied.
'If that's the case, I should get him a cart full of eggs or an entire year's supply of them.'
She looked up at the pretty chandelier with a satisfied expression. She felt like humming the theme of her favorite TV show but held back because this wasn't just any place, this was Jiang Zhi's home. She turned toward Jiang Zhi. "Quick, go change out of your clothes and eat the porridge I've brought while it's still warm."
"'Kay." The corner of Jiang Zhi's mouth curled up a little but he self-consciously wiped the grin off his face. "Are you gonna stand there till dawn?"
'How is she not frostbitten yet!?'
Zhou Xufang hurried into the bathroom upon processing Jiang Zhi's question.
Jiang Zhi went into his dressing room and picked out a pullover sweater that he rarely wore.
The porridge was still warm when he opened it up. After eating a few spoonfuls of it, Jiang Zhi noticed how overwhelming its flavor was. Zhou Xufang had put too much shrimp meat into the porridge, resulting in a flavor overload in his mouth. He rose from his seat to pour himself a glass of ice-cold water, half of which disappeared down his throat in a matter of seconds. It momentarily cooled his core down but he was still feeling really hot inside. Even his mouth felt like it was drying up from the heat.
Perhaps it was because of the cold wind or something that messed up his immune system. He started feeling a tingling but constant pain in his head.
Maybe it was time for him to look for a reliable psychiatrist to diagnose his problem. He recalled Zhou Xufang's eyes when she was looking at his chandelier. At that moment, not only was he ready to give her the entire thing free of charge, but he even considered handing over his credit card so that she could buy all the lights that she wanted.
'Have I lost my mind? It's already bad enough that I've brought a girl into my house, what the hell am I thinking? Giving her something like this...'
'No way. Has this girl really turned me straight? Like that naive fool, Xue Bingxue? Honestly, that man is a hopeless fella. I bet he'd carve his heart out for Wei'er if she ordered him to.'
Jiang Zhi's hand automatically moved over to his chest.
'Would I do the same thing for Zhou Xufang? F*ck!'
To be thinking about such a question, Jiang Zhi felt that he must've gone insane. Furiously, he emptied the glass of cold water. It was only after that did he feel the warmth that enveloped his body gradually fizz out. He proceeded to pour himself another glass of water. While thinking about something, Jiang Zhi unconsciously rapped his knuckles on the table before deciding to give Jiang Wei'er a call.
"What time is it? Shouldn't you be in bed already?"
There was a lot of noise coming from Jiang Wei'er's side. She must've gone clubbing somewhere again.
Jiang Zhi cut straight to the chase. "Get me a set of clothes." A moment later, he added, "For a woman."
It took Jiang Wei'er a few seconds to digest what he was saying. "Something happening at your place, Brother Zhi?"
Her question sounded a little cheeky.
Jiang Zhi on the other hand, couldn't bother to come up with a clever response. "Try cutting back on the questions."
"Fine." Jiang Wei'er had grown tired of teasing a stone wall anyway. "At the very least, you've gotta tell me her size."
Much to the surprise of Jiang Wei'er, his answer came relatively quickly. "170cm, slightly on the skinny side."
"To where should I send it?"
"My home."
This was some saint-level work right here. To be able to change Jiang Zhi's sexual orientation so quickly that they were minutes away from intercourse, just who was this woman?
Jiang Wei'er's interest was piqued yet again. "And here I thought you couldn't get it up. Not bad, Brother Zhi. The days of you being a herbivore male have finally come to an end."
Jiang Zhi hung up immediately after she said that. Slightly pissed off, he finished the entire glass of cold water he had poured for himself.
'How fiery.'
The smile on Jiang Wei'er's face faded away after realizing that Jiang Zhi had hung up on her. Without any further delay, she picked up her coat and announced her departure to the ones around her. "Have fun, I'll be heading back now."
With a slender young lady sitting beside him, Xue Baoyi was playing poker with a bunch of his wealthy brethren. Breathing out a puff of smoke, he asked Jiang Wei'er, "Ain't Xiao Linshu out of town? You're going home this early?"
Jiang Wei'er walked closer and pinched his cigarette. "Something's happening at Brother Zhi's place. I'm going over to take a look."
Xue Baoyi's hand convulsed as it was hit by a piece of cigarette ash. "What's happening?" he asked after dealing out a good set of cards.
She kept her answer brief. "A secret lover."
Secret lover?
Jiang Zhi!?
In mere seconds, Xue Baoyi had lost all interest in continuing his game of poker. "Holy sh*t, count me in." He pushed the girl that was seductively clinging to him away. "You're going back on your own tonight. This second master is off to catch a criminal red-handed tonight."
Zhou Xufang didn't take long in the bathroom. It was only 10 minutes after she had gone in that the sound from the shower stopped.
"Jiang Zhi!" She called out from inside the bathroom.
Jiang Zhi was so surprised by her yell that he split a bit of water over his hands. Licking his lips unconsciously, he asked, "What's up?"
"The clothes. They fell onto the floor. They're all wet now," she replied.
The way she spoke sounded pretty normal, however, in Jiang Zhi's ears, her voice was like a claw that caressed his heart, causing an unreachable itch.
He nervously swallowed a large gulp of cold water.
"Give me a moment."
This young lady was born into this world for the sole purpose of torturing his mind.
He tugged the collar of his sweatshirt to cool himself off and let out a great sigh before heading over to the cloakroom. Soon, he reemerged from within with a fresh set of clothes in hand. Standing sideways against the bathroom door, he knocked lightly.
A tiny gap opened and out came a pale, delicate arm.
"Jiang Zhi," she called out to him.
Her body must've never seen sunlight before. Every inch of skin on her body was as pale as a sheet of paper. He knew this because Zhou Xufang had, for some reason, let her guard down. She did not stop until half of her shoulder was visible from outside the door.
According to the moral teachings indoctrinated into Jiang Zhi since young, he should not be looking at a woman's uncovered body. However, at that moment, everything that a "gentleman" was supposed to do had been thrown out the window. Slowly, his gaze moved from her fingertips up to her arm, until the point where the rest of her body was blocked off by the bathroom door.
Her arm remained in the air for quite a while, waiting for Jiang Zhi to pass her some dry clothes.
"Jiang Zhi," she called out again.
Jiang Zhi stayed silent.
"Hand me the clothes," she urged him further while waving her arm.
He was so fixated on her arm that he had unknowingly leaned forward, his eyes locking on to her wrist, which appeared to be as smooth as porcelain with no scars whatsoever.
How could there be no scars despite having sustained such an injury just a day ago?
Was she really not that person? But her voice, her eyes, her silhouette, and even her strength matched that of Zhou Xufang's. Was there even an explanation for this? Was it really all just pure coincidence?
He stood there at the bathroom's entrance with furrowed brows for what felt like an eternity.
"Jiang Zhi!"