CHAPTER 81
She stopped on the last step, now at eye level with Wei Zhuang. "You're back?"
Xiaoyuan wasn't entirely sure if she had called her "Frances" last night. Who would call Wei Zhuang "Frances"? Her friends? What kind of people would her friends be? Surely, there couldn't be many.
"Frances"—the name rolled off her tongue so naturally.
Xiaoyuan observed Wei Zhuang's expression, noticing that she was looking at her with a calm, unsurprised demeanor.
She had been quite curious about how Wei Zhuang would react to being called "Frances." Huh? Had she actually called her that last night? She vaguely remembered drinking and then waving at her, calling her over...
"Did you eat?" Wei Zhuang asked.
"Oh," Xiaoyuan looked at her. "Yes, I did." She had woken up late, combining breakfast and lunch into a hearty meal. After resting for a while, she had even gone for a swim.
"Have you eaten, Frances?" Xiaoyuan called her again, eager to see her reaction.
"Mhm," Wei Zhuang responded, glancing down at her bare feet.
'Huh? No obvious reaction? No objection—did that mean she accepted it?'
Xiaoyuan wasn't entirely sure if Wei Zhuang liked her, but the tolerance, thoughtfulness, and patience she showed always took her by surprise. Beneath that calm, reserved exterior, what did her true feelings look like?
She must have spaced out again, because Wei Zhuang raised her eyes and gave her a look.
Xiaoyuan's feet instinctively tensed, twisting together. "I'll go put on some shoes."
As she moved, she must have lost her balance, her foot slipping, and her body tumbling toward Wei Zhuang. Two thoughts buzzed through her mind:
—This is so cliché, like something out of a cheesy movie.
—If Wei Zhuang dodges, isn't she going to fall to her death?
But quickly, Wei Zhuang caught her, murmuring softly, "Be careful."
As Xiaoyuan steadied herself, she caught a glimpse of Wei Zhuang's gaze shifting away from her collar. She looked down and blushed.
For a second or two, there was stillness. As she reached to adjust her robe, Wei Zhuang's hand left her shoulder, passing in front of her eyes.
Xiaoyuan was momentarily stunned. It was the first time she had noticed the woman's hands up close—they were beautiful, slender, pale, with faint blue veins on the back and delicate fingertips.
Her expression froze as a memory from a certain night in bed flashed through her mind—it was this woman's hands that had made her so sensitive.
Her face burned even hotter, and she couldn't bring herself to look at Wei Zhuang anymore. She adjusted her robe and stared down at her feet.
With her head lowered, she missed the fleeting ripple of emotion that crossed Wei Zhuang's face.
The air was quiet for a moment. In Xiaoyuan's peripheral vision, Wei Zhuang walked away in her shoes. She let out a breath, hopped off the steps, and went to find her own shoes. She glanced at the clock on the wall.
'Not even three yet? It's still so early.'
She watched Wei Zhuang's retreating figure, recalling how she had arrived in the early hours of the morning, drunk under the influence of sleeping pills, and probably did something foolish. She just wasn't sure what exactly that foolish thing was—or how serious it had been.
'Could it be because I disturbed her last night, and she didn't rest well, so she came back early from work?'
Xiaoyuan didn't hesitate for long and followed her.
She watched as Wei Zhuang poured herself a glass of wine. Her tailored trousers accentuated her long legs and slender waist. Even though she was more relaxed at home, that air of quiet detachment hadn't diminished much.
Her presence wasn't overtly domineering, it was more like a subtle force beneath the surface, yet still commanding enough to be striking.
"The doctor came this morning," Xiaoyuan began, recounting the events she remembered from last night one by one. "Thank you..."
Taking sleeping pills and then drinking alcohol—one of her foolish decisions.
Wei Zhuang responded with a faint "Hmm," holding her glass without looking at her, but then asked, "Have you seen a psychologist?"
Xiaoyuan was taken aback. "Yes, but I didn't like that doctor. Well, it's not about liking or disliking—I just wasn't comfortable."
Wei Zhuang took a sip of her wine. "Do you have a psychologist you're used to?"
Her eyes were lowered, and Xiaoyuan couldn't see her expression.
"I used to have one, a doctor I saw for many years," Xiaoyuan said slowly. "He's probably retired by now."
Wei Zhuang was silent for a moment, then took another sip of wine.
'Why was she asking about seeing a psychologist? Did she know I had acted in a very heavy role?'
Xiaoyuan gazed at her profile, watching her quietly sip her wine, and suddenly blurted out, "Can I stay here for a few days?"
Wei Zhuang paused, the glass in her hand, and turned to look at her.
Under that ambiguous gaze, Xiaoyuan felt a growing pressure. She stumbled over her words, "I—" her eyes flicked to the glass in Wei Zhuang's hand, "I won't drink your wine, I promise..."
She knew Wei Zhuang was someone who valued personal boundaries. In the past, her visits had always been brief, lasting at most a day and a half.
A few days might be too long in the CEO's concept of time.
But Xiaoyuan really wanted to stay here, even if it was just in her empty house. Being near her would make her feel safe.
Maybe after a few days, she could shake off this depressive mood, and those memories could fade away.
"Okay." Wei Zhuang said after a moment, her voice calm.
Xiaoyuan's heart leapt with joy, and her dark eyes lit up. "Really? I promise I won't interfere with your work, and I won't do what I did last night."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Wei Zhuang's gaze shifted back to her, flickering with an indescribable light.
"?" Xiaoyuan blinked.
Wei Zhuang set her glass down and looked at her. "Do you remember what you did last night?"
Xiaoyuan's heart skipped a beat.
It seemed that last night, besides the unhealthy and ill-advised act of taking sleeping pills with alcohol, she had done something even more foolish and inappropriate.
She didn't dare say she didn't remember. Would it be better to just admit she was wrong?
But what if Wei Zhuang asked her what she did wrong? Wouldn't she still have to say she didn't remember? Maybe it was better to come clean.
"I don't remember," Xiaoyuan said, her voice low and hesitant. "I... I'm sorry."
After a moment of silence, Xiaoyuan noticed Wei Zhuang had stepped closer, standing right in front of her. Their eyes met.
Both were wearing indoor flats, but Wei Zhuang was still nearly ten centimeters taller. She looked down at Xiaoyuan, her tone deceptively calm. "You don't remember?"
Xiaoyuan blinked, trying to suppress the nervous tension in her body, her mind racing.
'What? What's going on?'
"I..." She hadn't even remembered yet, but she already felt guilty.
The air seemed to freeze, the oxygen gradually thinning. Xiaoyuan couldn't withstand the pressure and involuntarily stumbled back a step, her calf brushing against the back of a single sofa. She had no choice but to stop. Wei Zhuang followed her step, leaving her with no chance to escape.
"..." Xiaoyuan was forced to tilt her head back and look up at her, her fair face flushing with nervousness.
Wei Zhuang's delicate brows were long, her eyes deep, her nose high and straight, her lips pale and thin. When she showed no expression, she naturally exuded a cold, sculpted elegance.
Even though they had shared intimate moments, Xiaoyuan found it hard to guess her inner thoughts and rarely saw any warm reactions from her.
At this moment, there was a faint trace of inquiry in her eyes, her long lashes fluttering slightly, softening her usual coldness. The air around them seemed locked in place.
Xiaoyuan had to tilt her head back further, trying to gain a few centimeters of breathing space, her lips nervously bitten.
"Really don't remember?" The woman's low voice brushed through the air, leaving behind a faint, fragrant breath.
Xiaoyuan's ears burned. Her body leaned back, pressed against the sofa. Even though she was flexible and had good core strength, she couldn't hold this position for long. "..."
The posture was awkward, the atmosphere ambiguous, and she was completely outmatched. Her heart was about to leap out of her chest. In her panic, she blurted out, "I don't remember. Maybe you can help me remember?"
The atmosphere fell silent.
Xiaoyuan watched as Wei Zhuang's expression stiffened for a split second. They were so close that even the slightest change was noticeable.
Xiaoyuan blinked in surprise, her heart skipping two beats.
They stared at each other, neither speaking.
They were so close, their eyes the most sensitive organs, most likely to betray their thoughts. Xiaoyuan's gaze involuntarily fell on Wei Zhuang's lips.
Her heart jolted violently. The missing piece of her memory flashed into place, clicking shut with a crisp "snap."
The scene replayed: herself sitting on Wei Zhuang's lap, leaning down to kiss her lips, over and over...
Xiaoyuan's heart rose to her throat, her pupils trembling uncontrollably, the blush on her face rapidly spreading to her ears...
Wei Zhuang's gaze deepened, the air solidifying. They stared at each other.
"..."
"..."
Xiaoyuan remembered.
Wei Zhuang knew she remembered.
Xiaoyuan also knew that Wei Zhuang knew she remembered.
Wei Zhuang stepped back, the air flowing again with the fragrance of her breath. Xiaoyuan felt her gaze roam from the top of her head, her eyes, down her body. Her thin lips moved slightly, the hint of words just beginning to form before disappearing, like ripples on a lake that gently fade away.
She didn't speak again, turning and walking away.
Xiaoyuan watched her figure, taking a deep breath, then suddenly covered her face and ran to her room.
'Embarrassing, so embarrassing, utterly humiliating.'
She ran off with her face and ears burning, the hem of her robe fluttering. Wei Zhuang turned back to glance, just catching a glimpse of her fair calf gracefully stepping into the room.
—Do you still need me to help you remember?
This sentence and the subsequent actions were almost seamlessly formed in her mind, naturally taking shape, waiting only for the command to be issued so her body could execute them. But she held herself back.
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