Chapter 2: Moonlight
Although You Ruxu wasn’t a clean freak, she was accustomed to taking a shower as soon as she got home. This was her usual routine, let alone after returning from this business trip. She wanted to take a good shower even more, to shed her disguise. Hearing this, Zhou Tianzui backed away slightly, her expression a little colder. Her eyelids half-lifted, she looked at You Ruxu and asked, “Have you eaten dinner?”
“Not yet.” You Ruxu said, “I don’t feel like cooking tonight. Let’s order takeout.”
Usually, she and Zhou Tianzui took turns cooking whenever they were free. Sometimes, when both of them were busy, they would order takeout or eat out. Today, she was a little tired and didn’t want to go out, so she suggested, “How about ordering from that place last time?”
She glanced at Zhou Tianzui from the corner of her eye.
Zhou Tianzui’s expression was unreadable. She lowered her eyes; her long, curled eyelashes cast shadows, and the spark in her eyes was gone, replaced by a faint coldness. You Ruxu closed her laptop and heard Zhou Tianzui say, “Okay.”
She stood up: “You order. I’ll go change.”
You Ruxu watched Zhou Tianzui enter the room. She bit her lip and lowered her head to order takeout. After a few minutes, Zhou Tianzui still hadn’t come out. When she went back to her room to get clothes, she heard Zhou Tianzui on the phone.
She didn’t have the habit of eavesdropping and lowered her head, entering the bathroom.
You Ruxu had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds. Every time she went on a business trip, she couldn’t rest well, and she was afraid of affecting her work. So, on business trips, she would bring a half-human-tall teddy bear, squeeze the air out of it, and put it at the bottom of her suitcase. She had to hug it every night to sleep. The teddy bear was a gift from Zhou Tianzui, a birthday present from their first year of knowing each other. At that time, they weren’t roommates yet. Zhou Tianzui brought her to this apartment and they sat on the sofa. It was raining that day, and You Ruxu didn’t turn on the lights. Her figure sank into the sofa, blending in with the darkening sky.
She looked at Zhou Tianzui’s back.
She heard Zhou Tianzui say, “Will A Ran dislike the gift I gave her?”
Indeed, her other friends gave her jewelry, expensive perfume, or at the very least, customized gifts of various kinds. This ubiquitous teddy bear was the most inconspicuous, but You Ruxu liked it the most. She said, “No.”
Hugging the teddy bear, she said, “I really like this gift. Thank you.”
Zhou Tianzui asked her, “Do you really like it?”
You Ruxu nodded. Before she could speak, Zhou Tianzui stood up. Her figure cast a shadow in the night, the shadow enveloping You Ruxu. Zhou Tianzui approached her, so close that the tip of her nose was filled with Zhou Tianzui’s scent, the smell of disinfectant. You Ruxu heard her ask, “How much do you like it?”
She clutched the teddy bear’s fur tightly, raising her eyes to look at Zhou Tianzui’s eyes. In the darkness, there seemed to be a fire burning there, burning away all reason. She knew what Zhou Tianzui wanted to do. She released the hand holding the teddy bear and grasped the edge of Zhou Tianzui’s clothes, holding on all night.
That was the first time she stayed overnight here. Not long after, she moved in.
Outwardly, she explained that it was for work reasons, that living here was convenient. The apartment had two bedrooms and a living room. Her room was originally a study, converted into a bedroom, but the bookcase was still there. It wasn’t very big, so she usually worked in the living room. And—she almost never slept in her own room.
There was movement outside the door. You Ruxu wiped the water droplets from her body and walked out, wrapped in a bathrobe. It was a thin, spring-summer bathrobe made of pure cotton, covering her from top to bottom. Her hair was wrapped in a towel, and fine strands of hair fell on her neck. Crystal clear water droplets trembled precariously on her fair skin. He Wei looked up and saw You Ruxu. She froze.
You Ruxu was too beautiful, a dignified beauty that didn’t evoke any profane thoughts, like the clear moon hanging in the sky, bright, transparent, and unattainable. Any impure thought would be a sin.
He Wei swallowed.
Zhou Tianzui called out, “He Wei?”
He Wei came back to her senses, her face already flushed red. She said, “Dr. Zhou, these are the documents you requested.” Her beautiful eyes kept glancing at You Ruxu.
She was even more beautiful in person than on TV.
And colder.
And even more unattainable.
Even though they were only a few steps apart, He Wei felt like there were mountains and rivers between them.
Zhou Tianzui looked at He Wei, took the document bag, and asked, “Anything else?”
He Wei paused and quickly said, “Nothing else. Then, Dr. Zhou, I’ll go back first.”
Zhou Tianzui followed behind her. He Wei wanted to look back but held back.
She reached the door and turned back: “Goodbye, Dr. Zhou.”
Zhou Tianzui stood in the doorway, blocking her view. She couldn’t see You Ruxu. He Wei’s eyes darkened slightly. Zhou Tianzui’s voice was cold: “Goodbye.”
He Wei had no choice but to turn and get on the elevator.
The elevator doors closed completely, and before it started to descend, she could still hear He Wei’s voice on the phone: “I saw Teacher You!!! Choosing Dr. Zhou was definitely the right choice!”
Her voice was filled with uncontainable excitement, and even after the elevator descended two floors, she could still hear a little of her voice: “Say hello? I didn’t—ah!”
And deep regret.
The voice faded until it was inaudible.
Zhou Tianzui’s face was tense. Returning home, she casually tossed the document bag onto the shoe cabinet. You Ruxu heard the sound and asked, “From your department?”
“The newcomer.” Zhou Tianzui’s tone wasn’t very good. She remembered that when she went to the director’s office at noon, Fu Shushu was already there. She thought Fu Shushu would choose He Wei, but unexpectedly, as soon as He Wei saw her, she said, “I’ll go with Dr. Zhou.”
This was the first time in years a newcomer had willingly chosen to be with her.
At the time, she couldn’t figure out why. Just now, seeing He Wei using the excuse of delivering documents to come in and look at You Ruxu with those eyes, her real intentions were clear.
She turned to look at You Ruxu. After three years of acquaintance, You Ruxu hadn’t changed much. Working in the editing room for two years had added a touch of composure and depth. Everyone, whether they knew her or not, thought of the clear moon when they saw her, and she even had the nickname You Jiaoyue. But in Zhou Tianzui’s eyes, she never saw You Ruxu as the clear moon.
You Ruxu wasn’t very interested in the topic of the newcomer. She sat on the sofa, lowering her head to prepare her materials. Zhou Tianzui walked over to her, the faint smell of disinfectant, the most familiar scent to You Ruxu. She turned her head and saw Zhou Tianzui sit down as well, hearing her voice: “What do you think of her?”
“The newcomer just now?” You Ruxu said, “Quite polite.”
Zhou Tianzui asked, “And?”
You Ruxu organized her materials and sat beside her. The sofa was upholstered with built-in springs. When the two of them sat down, they sank in a little, their bodies naturally drawing closer. You Ruxu had just showered, and besides the scent of body wash, there was also a faint smell of water vapor, hidden in her hair. Looking at the back of her neck, the strands of hair were very damp.
Zhou Tianzui’s fingers landed on the back of her neck, her fingertips circling the towel, probing inside from the edge.
Her fingertips were warm against her slightly cool scalp. It was obvious that You Ruxu wasn’t very focused. She looked at Zhou Tianzui: “And what else?”
Zhou Tianzui’s eyes held a glint, different from the spark earlier. It was another kind of luster, gloomy. She said, “And, can’t you tell she likes you?”
When she said the word “like,” Zhou Tianzui’s fingers tightened, pulling at some of her hair. Her scalp tightened, and the towel felt tight too. The curve of her fingers was prominent through the towel. Although You Ruxu couldn’t see it, she could feel it.
She said, “I can’t tell.”
The two stared at each other for a few seconds. You Ruxu pulled down Zhou Tianzui’s hand and said, “Don’t pull my hair.”
Zhou Tianzui obediently withdrew her hand from the towel and asked, “When will the takeout arrive?”
You Ruxu said, “In forty minutes.”
The takeout place was far away, more than an hour’s journey.
You Ruxu lowered her gaze, looking at Zhou Tianzui’s cold profile. She pursed her lips: “Your mother came over today.”
“I know.” Zhou Tianzui said, “My mom called me.”
Her tone was casual: “She wants me to go on a blind date.”
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