Said Not to Fall in Love - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Seven days left on the countdown. Zhou Yubai went on a business trip.
He didn’t report his schedule to me every day like he used to.
And I didn’t ask.
By tacit agreement, we retreated back behind the boundaries of our contract.
Like two people who had reached the edge of a cliff and suddenly grew afraid at the same time-one more step, and there would be no stopping.
On the third night, I received a call from Su Rui.
She said, “Wen Yi, I don’t know what’s going on between you and Yubai right now, but the Zhou Family has already started renegotiating a marriage alliance.”
I was sitting in the living room with the TV on, but I couldn’t take in a single word.
“So?”
“So if you don’t want him, you should make that clear sooner rather than later.”
She paused, and her voice lowered.
“I’ve already turned them down once. If the Zhou Family decides the two of you are about to divorce, they’ll push me back into it again.”
I laughed.
“Miss Su, all of you really do love deciding whether other people want things or not.”
The other end of the line went quiet for a moment.
“Do you love him?”
My grip tightened around my phone.
The question was too direct.
So direct I couldn’t hide behind the contract.
Su Rui spoke again. “If you love him, don’t wait for him to say it first. Zhou Yubai might look cold, but the thing he’s most afraid of is being unwanted.”
She seemed to laugh softly.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not helping you. I just don’t want to sit back down at that dinner table again and listen to other people choose a husband for me.”
I hung up.
Only the fake laughter from the TV remained in the living room.
I sat there for a long time.
I thought back to the day we got our marriage certificate.
Zhou Yubai had said, because you won’t fall in love with me.
Back then, I’d thought he was being calm and rational.
Only now did I understand.
It wasn’t that he was certain I wouldn’t.
He had been leaving himself an escape route in advance.
On the fifth day of his business trip, Zhou Yubai came back.
He looked travel-worn, with faint shadows beneath his eyes.
I was sitting on the shoe-changing bench in the entryway, waiting for him.
When he saw me, he was obviously stunned.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
I said, “I was waiting for you.”
His Adam’s apple shifted.
“Something happened?”
“Yes.”
I stood up and handed him a piece of paper.
It wasn’t a divorce agreement.
It was a photocopy of our prenuptial agreement.
I had circled the final clause in red pen.
During the term of the marriage, neither party may develop romantic feelings.
I asked him, “Did you breach the contract?”
Zhou Yubai stared at that line for a long time without speaking.
I asked again, “Zhou Yubai, are you reluctant to let go?”
At last, he looked up.
“What about you?”
I laughed a little.
It came out terribly strained.
“I’m asking you.”
“And I’m asking you.”
Neither of us was willing to back down first.
We had clearly already come this far.
The answer was clearly right in front of us.
And yet we were still using the last scraps of our pride to tug each other back and forth.
I pulled the paper out of his hand.
“Forget it.”
I turned to leave.
Suddenly, Zhou Yubai hugged me from behind.
Very tightly.
As if he had finally reached the end of what he could endure.
His forehead rested against my shoulder, his breathing heavy and scorching.
“Wen Yi.”
He said, “It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you.”
My eyes heated in an instant.
His voice dropped lower.
“It’s that I didn’t dare.”
I didn’t move.
He continued, “I was afraid you were only used to me. Afraid you only mistook it for liking me because I happened to be standing on your side. Afraid that once the agreement ended and you came back to your senses, you’d feel like this whole period had been nothing but trouble.”
I asked softly, “So you were just going to let me go?”
He fell silent.
“How generous of you.”
He held me even tighter.
“Not even a little.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
Zhou Yubai closed his eyes briefly.
“Because I was the one who said you wouldn’t fall in love with me.”
In that moment, my heart suddenly ached for him-and I wanted to laugh.
I turned around and looked at him.
“Zhou Yubai.”
“Mm.”
“You really are good at digging holes for yourself.”
He looked at me, and at last, a trace of helplessness appeared in his eyes.
“Then are you going to pull me out?”
I didn’t answer.
I only rose onto my toes and kissed him.
Very lightly.
One touch, then we parted.
Zhou Yubai froze.
I said, “There isn’t a clause about this in the agreement.”
He looked at me.
Then he lowered his head and kissed me back.
This time, it wasn’t light.
