The bed was a scene of lingering intimacy.
The girl, curled in the man's arms, felt a dullness in her head. It seemed she always needed this slow recovery in his embrace.
She felt his fingers gently tracing her skin, accompanying his voice:
"Tired?"
"Mmm," she replied, not looking at him, snuggling deeper into his chest.
"Your physical fitness is lacking. We'll start morning runs together when summer vacation begins." His voice, laced with amusement, came again.
???
Her physical fitness was lacking??
She was the one who had just won the tennis championship! How could anyone possibly keep up with his brand of exertion??!
Her phone suddenly rang. Chen Ziming picked it up; it was Jin Yan.
"Little Officer Chen, you only ate that little bit for dinner, aren't you hungry?" Jin Yan's oily voice sounded as the call connected.
"Just say what you want directly."
"Oh, I'm just worried about you, mainly worried about Sister Yueyue. She's so thin, eating so little, it's pitiful. Everyone's here at my place now, with food and drinks, want to come?"
Chen Ziming ignored him, instead lowering his head and asking softly, "Do you want to go?"
Su Yue: ...
These were his friends, couldn't he make decisions without constantly asking her? She really didn't want to go, but if the words came from her mouth, it would make her sound ungracious. So, he had to be the one to decide. In any case, with the situation as it was today, whether he went or not, she was indifferent. They just needed to play their parts.
With a silent sigh, she pressed her hand over the phone's receiver and whispered, "You decide. Don't ask me."
"I decide?"
As soon as she released the receiver, he retorted with a low laugh.
The call was on speakerphone, and the voices of others chimed in.
"Don't show off, just come over!"
"We know you're the VIP."
"If you dare not come, we'll break down your door..."
"Yueyue, hurry up and take more photos with sister."
... Su Yue immediately flipped over and sat up, wrapping herself in the blanket, glaring at him in annoyance. She mouthed a few words: I'm not going.
"We'll head over later," Chen Ziming said into the phone before hanging up.
"Don't you come near me." Seeing him approach again, she leaned back, her eyes filled with caution.
The man chuckled, got out of bed, and put on his clothes. Then, he leaned down, his arms propped on either side of her body:
"Didn't you say I decide?"
"Did I?" she frowned, no longer bothering to reason with him. "Oh, right. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I don't have any clothes. I'll never wear that black dress again. If you can tolerate me wearing one of the other two outfits to meet your friends, then I'll go."
A faint smile touched the man's lips. Seeing her fierce yet adorable demeanor, he remained silent for a few seconds. Then, he stood up and said, "I've already bought them for you."
Bought them??? When... and where from?
Seeing her astonished expression, Chen Ziming didn't beat around the bush. He took out several hanging clothes from the wardrobe and laid them out before her.
"Choose yourself."
"...How are there clothes here??" she asked in surprise.
"I had someone buy them this afternoon while we were out."
He paused, then added, "Not from that store. Feel free to wear them."
"That store..." clearly referring to Zheng Yan's boutique.
"Wait a moment, Officer Chen. While we were at the zoo, you arranged for people to buy them and then secretly hid them here?" she asked, somewhat shocked. These clothes were all quite pretty and casual, and importantly, they were all from very expensive brands. She hesitated to accept them.
"Yes," he replied, his gaze fixed on her expression. Clearly understanding her thoughts, he said plainly, "You don't want what I buy again?"
"Well... they're a bit expensive." Knowing she couldn't fool him, she decided to tell the truth.
"You can accept what I buy," he emphasized again.
This... Recalling how he had gotten angry the last time she refused a necklace, Su Yue struggled internally for a moment before finally compromising.
"Alright..." she answered deliberately in a playful tone, attempting to ease the slightly tense atmosphere.
In the end, Su Yue chose a white t-shirt and a pair of champagne-colored casual shorts, and changed into them. She obediently followed him out the door.