The stubborn her

into

In the VIP private room, Tao Xinxin, dressed in a leather jacket and motorcycle gear, was lying on her newlywed husband Xie Jun's shoulder, laughing uncontrollably.

Seeing Zhou Xingjin enter, she waved at him and complained, "Xingjin Ge, why were you gone for so long?"

"Met an acquaintance, chatted for a bit," Zhou Xingjin pulled out a chair and sat down gracefully.

Xie Jun glanced at him a few times, leaned in to Tao Xinxin's ear, whispered a few words, and made her laugh uncontrollably again. It must have been some vulgar jokes. Zhou Xingjin didn't mind; he was used to their banter as a couple.

Tao Xinxin had been outgoing since childhood, and during her teenage years, she studied abroad, making her quite open-minded.

She enjoyed all kinds of interesting topics, finding Zhou Xingjin's serious demeanor and inability to c***k a joke uninteresting.

In her own words, she teased him as "rigid and serious, focused only on work, like a feudal uncle who hasn't had s*x in a long time." Zhou Xingjin was only three years older than her.

The two families knew each other through their elders, and they were childhood friends.

With both families being well-matched, there were plans for an arranged marriage, but Tao Xinxin didn't care for it.

Zhou Xingjin watched as she went through several boyfriends, finally getting married last month. Years of silence turned into cups of strong liquor on her wedding night, finally easing his mind after sobering up.

Zhou Xingjin couldn't bring himself to act out of character. Sitting on Zhou Xingjin's left was a man named Lin Qianxiao, who glanced back and forth between Tao Xinxin and her husband, intentionally or unintentionally, starting the conversation, "Xinxin, your whirlwind marriage caught us, brothers, off guard."

"What are you guys caught off guard about?!" Tao Xinxin laughed and teased him.

Lin Qianxiao's companion on the left, Gu Huai, immediately continued, "He's caught off guard for your sake, Xingjin Ge. He has been waiting for you quietly for so many years. Now that you're back in the country, you're throwing a big party for everyone. Fortunately, your brother is healthy in body and mind..."

This remark made everyone at the table uncomfortable. Xie Jun's face turned even darker.

"Gu Huai," Zhou Xingjin lightly furrowed his brows, stopping him from continuing, and coldly said, "Is this amusing?"

"Hehe! Of course, it's amusing!" Gu Huai glanced at Lin Qianxiao defiantly.

"Gu Huai, can't you control your mouth?" Tao Xinxin scolded the two of them, laughing indifferently, "Sometimes I really wonder how you two rascals became friends with my brother Zhou Xingjin, a proper gentleman."

"Hey, your brother just likes guys like us!" Lin Qianxiao gestured towards himself, Gu Huai, and Tao Xinxin with his left hand, intentionally emphasizing the word "us".

"He's not interested in serious people." Gu Huai followed up with a soft tone.

Tao Xinxin pouted at the two of them, stood up, and pointed her chin at Zhou Xingjin, "Today, Xingjin Ge is treating, I'll down a glass for him!" She waved her hand, urging everyone to stand up and toast him together.

Zhou Xingjin sat still in his chair, watching her playfulness. In the end, unable to resist her invitation, he stood up, raised his glass, and quietly said, "Congratulations on your wedding."

*

As the alcohol began to take effect, they left the mall, planning to head to a bar for the second half of the night.

The sky outside was already dark, with cold winds howling and sleet falling.

With Xie Jun half embracing the tipsy Tao Xinxin, he hesitated for a moment before inviting Zhou Xingjin, "Zhou Zong, the bar, do you want to join us?"

"No, I have a meeting tonight," Zhou Xingjin said.

"Alright, then you're busy." Xie Jun's face relaxed imperceptibly.

The cold wind of the winter night made Tao Xinxin shiver unconsciously in Xie Jun's arms. Zhou Xingjin glanced at them, sighed softly, and instructed Xie Jun, "Remember to put a coat on her in the car."

"Of course, of course." Xie Jun, usually carefree and uninhibited in front of Tao Xinxin, seemed somewhat restrained in front of Zhou Xingjin.

Lin Qianxiao and Gu Huai each drove their cars out and waved to the waiting group, "Take our cars."

Gu Huai leaned out of the window and asked Zhou Xingjin, "Aren't you going?"

"I'm going home. Xinxin and they just returned to the country, so you two take care of them," Zhou Xingjin said.

"Alright." "Got it." The two of them waved goodbye to him. Zhou Xingjin watched as the two cars drove away, his gaze inadvertently fixed on a few people not far ahead.

*

Wrapped in her coat, Shen Zhitong said goodbye to her colleagues in the car.

"Xiaotong, how are you getting home?" Ellen asked her from inside the car.

The directions to the several people's homes were opposite to hers, and carpooling wasn't convenient for them.

"I'm taking the bus in front, it goes straight there," Shen Zhitong smiled. "Alright, it's too cold, so be careful on your way home," Ellen reminded her.

"Okay, take care on the way." Shen Zhitong walked towards the bus stop, her steps slow and heavy, her mind still replaying her encounter with Zhou Xingjin just now.

On a Friday night, the CBD bus stop was not crowded.

It was already past working hours, and perhaps it was too cold, so people who finished work didn't like to linger outside. There were only a few exhausted workers waiting at the platform.

A black Maybach slowly stopped in front of the platform, attracting the attention of the few people around.

Shen Zhitong felt that the car was somewhat familiar, but for a moment, her mind didn't react.

The window of the passenger seat slowly rolled down, and Shen Zhitong's gaze fell on the person inside the car, pausing for a moment.

"Get in the car," the man in the passenger seat said to her. As always, his tone was indifferent and distant.

Two years had passed, with no small talk or pleasantries exchanged. There were just two words, "Get in the car," in his usual commanding tone.

With his usual commanding tone.

Shen Zhitong's gaze lightly brushed over Zhou Xingjin and looked towards the bus that had parked behind his car.

She naturally stepped aside, turned sideways, and walked towards the back of his car, boarding the bus she had been waiting for.

She behaved as if she were a stranger, even more indifferent than when she toasted him in the bar. It was as if she didn't recognize him at all, nor

The young assistant sitting in the driver's seat felt somewhat awkward and tentatively asked, "Mr. Zhou, are you leaving?"

Zhou Xingjin looked at the bus reflected in the rearview mirror, his eyes shimmering like cold stars, his face hidden in the night with a hint of sadness. The colorful neon lights from the shops on both sides of the street flickered on his picturesque face, revealing a subtle sense of loneliness. "Let's go. Don't block the bus," he said.