Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Zhou’s Mother clearly wasn’t going to be reassured that easily.

In the third week, she showed up out of nowhere with Zhou Yubai’s eldest sister.

I had just gotten out of the shower that day. I was in my pajamas, and my hair wasn’t even dry yet.

When the doorbell rang, Zhou Yubai was in the study, in the middle of an international conference call.

I looked through the peephole and saw Zhou’s Mother’s face. I woke up completely on the spot.

I knocked on the study door.

Zhou Yubai took off his headset.

“What is it?”

“Your mother.”

His brow twitched.

The next second, Zhou’s Mother’s voice came from outside the door.

“Yubai, open the door.”

We looked at each other.

My luggage was in the guest room.

My skincare products were in the bathroom.

All of that could be explained.

But there was nothing of mine in the master bedroom.

Zhou Yubai had obviously thought of that too.

He stepped out and said in a low voice, “Go to the master bedroom.”

I pointed at myself. “Me?”

“Hurry.”

I grabbed my pillow and rushed into the master bedroom.

I had just shoved the pillow onto his bed when the door opened.

Zhou’s Mother walked in, her gaze sweeping the place like a searchlight.

“Why did it take you so long to open the door?”

Zhou Yubai looked perfectly calm.

“I was in a meeting.”

Zhou’s Mother saw me coming out of the master bedroom and smiled.

“Xiao Yi, you’re here too.”

I put on a gentle, dignified fake smile.

“Mom.”

The moment the word left my mouth, both Zhou Yubai and I paused.

Zhou’s Mother was very pleased.

She sat in the apartment for half an hour.

After finishing her tea, she even wanted a tour of the bedrooms.

I didn’t think she suspected our marriage was fake.

I thought she suspected we were so fake we weren’t even putting in professional-level effort.

In the master bedroom, the bed was huge.

My pillow lay all by itself on the other side.

Zhou’s Mother glanced at it and said nothing.

But that night, she said it was too late and she wanted to stay in the guest room.

I nearly sprayed out my tea.

The guest room was my room.

Inside were an entire row of my skincare products, two unfolded shirts, and a stuffed toy I’d tucked beside the bed.

Zhou Yubai reacted faster than I did.

“The guest room hasn’t been cleaned up yet.”

Zhou’s Mother smiled. “You’re a young married couple. Why be so polite with me?”

As soon as she finished speaking, her phone rang.

The butler from the Zhou Family Old Residence was calling to confirm tomorrow’s menu.

Zhou’s Mother frowned and went out to the balcony to take the call.

The moment the door shut, Zhou Yubai and I moved at the same time.

He picked up my skincare organizer, while I hugged the shirts and the stuffed toy and sprinted toward the master bedroom.

In ten minutes, we turned the guest room into an actual guest room.

When my stuffed toy was shoved onto the top shelf of the master bedroom closet, Zhou Yubai even looked up at me.

“You sleep holding that at night?”

I lowered my voice. “Shut up.”

In the end, Zhou’s Mother stayed in the guest room.

Zhou Yubai and I stayed in the master bedroom.

Actually stayed there.

At eleven that night, Zhou Yubai placed a new quilt in the middle of the bed.

“I’ll sleep on this side.”

I nodded. “I’ll sleep on that side.”

Then he took two more pillows and built a wall between us.

I almost laughed watching him.

“Mr. Zhou, who exactly are you guarding against?”

He straightened the last pillow.

“A breach of contract.”

Leaning against the headboard, I couldn’t help teasing him.

“Do you really think I’d do something to you?”

Zhou Yubai’s hand paused.

He lifted his eyes to look at me.

“I’m afraid I don’t sleep very well.”

That sentence was even more suggestive than saying he was afraid of me.

I immediately shut up.

That night, we lay back-to-back.

The room was very quiet.

So quiet I could hear the rustle of his quilt whenever he turned over.

In the middle of the night, half-asleep, I felt cold.

Instinctively, I moved toward the source of warmth.

When I woke up in the morning, the pillow wall had collapsed all over the bed.

And I was curled up entirely in Zhou Yubai’s arms.

His hand rested behind my waist.

My face was pressed against his chest.

The worst part was, he was awake.

When I looked up, he lowered his gaze to me.

His voice was unbelievably hoarse.

“Morning.”

I froze for three seconds.

Then I said calmly, “This was an accident.”

Zhou Yubai didn’t move.

“Mm.”

I withdrew from his arms.

“The agreement doesn’t say you’re not allowed to move around in your sleep.”

He looked at my ears, which had gone completely red.

Then he gave a very soft laugh.

“It still doesn’t.”