HLnovel Chapter 219 Physical Affection, Not Emotional Affection
Chapter 219 Physical Affection, Not Emotional Affection
When Ning Yi woke up, she subconsciously reached for her phone on her pillow, turned on the screen, and saw that it was already past ten o'clock in the morning.
She suddenly opened her eyes wide and then caught sight of Ji Yan sitting on the sofa next to her, facing the computer.
Ning Yi rubbed her eyes and sat up, her voice hoarse from just waking up: "Ji Yan, why didn't you wake me up? It's already past ten o'clock."
Ji Yan looked up at the sound. The light from the screen fell on his face, softening his features. He raised his hand and pressed the pause button on the keyboard, his voice very soft: "Awake?"
"I didn't want to wake you up because you were sleeping so soundly. You worked so hard yesterday and went to bed late. I wanted you to sleep a little longer."
Ning Yi wasn't fully awake yet. She threw back the covers and said, "But we still have to see the private exhibition today."
"No rush." He smiled.
"I asked the organizers this morning, and the private exhibition will not close until 5 pm. We can pack up slowly and there's enough time."
He closed his laptop, got up, and as he walked to the bedside, he tucked the blanket around her: "If you're still sleepy, it's okay to lie down for a while longer. There are fewer people at the private exhibition, so it'll be quieter in the afternoon."
Ning Yi shook her head, rubbed her temples, and sat up on the edge of the bed, her hair falling down with the movement: "I'm not sleeping anymore, I've had enough sleep. You went to bed later than me last night, right? And you got up so early today, you're really disciplined."
Ji Yan took the kettle and poured her a glass of warm water: "I'm used to it, I wake up on time. Drink some water first, I'll go order breakfast."
Ning Yi took the water glass and took two sips. The warm water slid down her throat, making her feel much better.
"Have you eaten? You always wake up early without waking me up," Ning Yi said.
Ji Yan paused, holding the iPad, and turned to look at her with a smile in his eyes: "I ate something, thinking we could have something hot together when you wake up. What would you like to eat? The usual?"
Ning Yi nodded: "Same as always, you've been corrupted by me, your sleep schedule is irregular now that I'm following your example."
Ji Yan paused as she was ordering breakfast. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with laughter. She walked to the bedside and gently ruffled her slightly messy hair, which she had just woken up. "It's not that you've corrupted me. It's that being with you makes even my sleep schedule feel more relaxed."
"Go wash up first, breakfast will be served in a little while."
Ning Yi put the water glass aside, stretched, stood up, tiptoed, and planted a kiss on Ji Yan's cheek: "Good morning kiss. I'm going to wash up now, and we'll have breakfast later."
Ji Yan smiled and said, "Okay."
……
"Wait for me." Zhou Chiye strode after her and grabbed Yunxia's arm.
Yunxia said impatiently, "Zhou Chiye, are you sick? Aren't you afraid of being photographed in public? I am."
Zhou Chiye pulled her into a corner, his hand pressed against the cold wall, encircling her between his arms and the wall, his breathing slightly rapid: "I'm asking you, what was the meaning of that phone call last night? Saying that you shouldn't contact me again, Yunxia, explain yourself clearly."
Yunxia looked up at him and scoffed, "Literally, Zhou Chiye, we shouldn't have been involved in the first place. You're a big star, and I'm just an ordinary person. It's only because we made a mistake that night that we've become more entangled."
"Didn't we both just want to have some fun at first? It was all about physical intimacy, not emotional commitment. Has Zhou, the big star, forgotten so quickly?"
Zhou Chiye tightened his arms around her abruptly, his knuckles whitening as he pressed them against the wall. He swallowed hard before suppressing the hoarseness in his voice: "Just playing around? Yunxia, you're calling everything that happened these past two months just playing around?"
He looked down at her, his eyelashes casting shadows, and his tone carried a hint of urgency he himself didn't realize: "When I had my assistant bring you stomach medicine, you said I was just playing around? Last time you worked overtime until midnight, I went out of my way to wait for you downstairs at your company just to hand you a cup of hot milk tea, was that just playing around too?"
Yunxia turned her face away: "Otherwise what? Zhou Chiye, those are just extras for you when your novelty hasn't worn off yet. If your fans knew you were entangled with an ordinary person like me, would you still want your career?"
"Besides, you're not the kind of person who can settle down, Zhou Chiye. I'm not interested in digging into the truth or falsehood of those rumors in your circle, but I know you've never been the kind of person who would stay for anyone."
Yunxia finally turned her head, her eyes no longer showing the impatience from before, but only a cool and clear-headed look: "We agreed from the beginning that it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and we shouldn't involve feelings. Now that the novelty has worn off, isn't it better to cut our losses in time?"
She raised her hand to push away his arm that was around her, but as soon as her fingertips touched his wrist, he grabbed her hand.
Zhou Chiye's palm was incredibly hot, gripping her so tightly it hurt her knuckles. He looked down at her, his eyes churning with emotions like a turbulent deep pool: "Novelty? Yunxia, look at me."
His Adam's apple bobbed even more rapidly, and his voice became a little hoarse: "You're different from those people. When I brought you stomach medicine and waited for you after get off work, were any of those things fake? Can't you really tell?"
Yunxia's wrist tightened under his grip, but she didn't struggle anymore. She simply looked up to meet his gaze.
The emotions surging in his eyes were too hot, as if they would burn a person through, but she insisted on pulling out a bit of coldness: "So what if you can see through it? Zhou Chiye, you live in the spotlight. What I want is a life where I can walk steadily under the sun. What you give me is hot milk tea that can't be talked about in the middle of the night, and stomach medicine hidden in a package."
"These things may keep you warm for a while, but can they sustain you for a long time?"
Zhou Chiye's grip on her wrist loosened slightly, but not completely. The emotions that had surged within him subsided, leaving only a slight bitterness: "Can't we live like this?"
His voice was so low it sounded like it was being squeezed out from the depths of his throat: "Then what do you want me to do? Put all those things that are hidden out into the sunlight? Yunxia, just say something, as long as you say it, I can do it."
"Are you crazy, Zhou Chiye?" Yunxia abruptly pulled her hand back, the spot on her fingertips where he had gripped her still red.
"Do you know what it means to say those words? Your fans, your team, your entire company—by exposing our affairs, you're pushing yourself into a fire pit."
She took a half step back, her back pressed against the cold wall. She wanted to create distance, but the chill climbed up her spine, making her more clear-headed instead: "I'm not like you. I've never lived in the spotlight and don't want to bask in it, but I know how hard it was for you to get to where you are today."
"Zhou Chiye, you can't do this for me, and I don't need to..."
"What happened to you?" Zhou Chiye interrupted her, taking half a step forward. The shadow fell back on her, and the sting in his eyes was replaced by an almost stubborn brightness: "Yunxia, I'm not the kind of person who would stay for anyone, but I've stopped here with you."
He suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with self-mockery and stubbornness: "You always say we started out as a mutually beneficial arrangement, but I stopped caring a long time ago, Yunxia, could you... stop caring just this once?"