Volume One, Chapter 132: On a Night Like This, Neither Wanted to Part.

Liang Jinmo had been lost in thought and hadn't been paying attention to what Xu Zhi was saying on the phone. Seeing her sudden change in demeanor, he felt a bit bewildered.

Nonetheless, he reached out, pulled her onto his lap, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xu Zhi didn't hide anything. "My father's assistant told me an investor approached my father, hoping he would act as a bridge to secure a partnership with you. My father isn't in a position to be forceful anymore, so he's calling my mother to test the waters."

"I see," Liang Jinmo replied. His expression was detached, as if he were accustomed to such things.

Xu Zhi suddenly recalled the email in Spanish—the Colombian company that had specifically sought him out for a partnership. Perhaps he had experienced this many times before. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against his chest. "You’re so incredible that it makes me feel a bit inferior."

She had gradually learned to express her thoughts directly. After all, Liang Jinmo was a man of few words; if she kept everything to herself, it would be easy for issues to arise between them due to a lack of communication.

Liang Jinmo turned his head and kissed her cheek gently. "You are incredible, too."

"Are we just engaging in mutual flattery now?" Xu Zhi teased.

"No," Liang Jinmo said. "Sometimes, I really do think you are quite extraordinary."

"For example?"

"That time at the artificial lake, when you jumped in to pull me out."

At the time, his limbs had been stiff with cold. Given his height and weight, it was truly miraculous that she, slight and delicate as she was, had managed to drag him all the way to the shore.

"My mind was a blank at the time," Xu Zhi recalled. "Once we were on the bank, I felt like I was gasping for air. I don't know how it happened... I just had that much strength."

Later, it wasn't just a cold; her arm muscles had been sore for three or four days. She had once thought it was a surge of potential triggered by the urgency of the moment. "I was just so lucky," she sighed. "Heaven gave me that burst of strength just once, so I could save you. In truth, I don't usually have much strength at all."

"That is why you are incredible," he said.

She understood his implication: she didn't need to feel inferior. Nestled in his arms, she began to enjoy this feeling of idle, domestic chatter. "When I was putting my resume together, why didn't you ask me to join your team?"

Liang Jinmo tightened his grip on her waist. "Now that you are my fiancée, whether you join the team is not important. Whatever work you want to do, or wherever you want to go, it should be entirely up to your own wishes."

Xu Zhi was silent for a few seconds before asking hesitantly, "Then, when you asked me to join your team back then... you had feelings for me from the start, didn't you?"

It felt shameless to ask, and her face flushed as the words left her lips.

Liang Jinmo didn't answer; instead, he lowered his head to kiss her lips. She dodged just as he made contact. She really wanted to know when he had started to fall for her, even if it meant being thick-skinned. Remembering something else, she added, "Zhou He said you have photos of me. Is that true? How could you have photos of me?"

As she chattered on, Liang Jinmo gripped her chin, intending to silence her with a kiss, when the door clicked and was pushed open from the outside.

Zhou He stood in the doorway with his key card, staring dumbfounded at the two of them.

Liang Jinmo didn't move. Xu Zhi was mortified. She quickly pushed his hand away, scrambled off his lap, and stood straight, stuttering, "Did... did you take Yang Xue home?"

Zhou He ignored the question. "Great, my eyes are going to be burned."

Xu Zhi’s face turned bright red. It was uncanny—speak of the devil. If she hadn't mentioned Zhou He just now, would this have been avoided? She couldn't help but feel superstitious; she had finally been having such a nice conversation with Liang Jinmo.

Liang Jinmo’s expression remained calm. "If you're going to live here, you'll have to get used to it."

"Hmph," Zhou He said as he walked inside. "I was planning to move out anyway. You think I enjoy living with a man? You have no idea how many girls are lining up to live with me!"

Zhou He went into the master bedroom. Hearing the sounds of him packing, Xu Zhi panicked slightly and asked Liang Jinmo, "Is he really leaving?"

"He told me he was leaving on the way to the bar today," Liang Jinmo explained. "He was only staying here temporarily for a few days."

So that was it.

Xu Zhi felt a sense of relief, but still felt awkward. She went to the master bedroom and said to Zhou He, "It’s already night; why not wait until tomorrow?"

Zhou He was a rugged man with few possessions; he stuffed everything into a backpack and finished. He zipped it up and looked at her intently. "I'm not leaving because of you; I'm doing it for my brother."

Xu Zhi was taken aback.

"If you aren't good to him, next time, I won't just scold you."

Zhou He had decided to leave after seeing the way Liang Jinmo and Xu Zhi interacted in the study. Liang Jinmo was a man with a heavy, brooding temperament, yet around Xu Zhi, he underwent a subtle transformation, becoming softer.

What else could his brother say? Liang Jinmo was a man who felt world-weary and cynical, but during the time he spent with Xu Zhi, his entire aura had shifted. Besides, once Liang Jinmo had made up his mind, there was no stopping him.

He slung his bag over one shoulder, looked at Xu Zhi, and said, "Don't overthink it. I was only here for a few days anyway. The boss was indeed in a bad mood and drinking heavily those few days, but now that you're here, I don't have to worry about him having no one to take care of him. From now on..." He paused. "I'll leave the boss in your hands."

"Zhou He..." Xu Zhi was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "You sound like a father giving away his daughter."

Zhou He rolled his eyes.

Xu Zhi added, "But don't worry, you won't ever have the chance to scold me again in this lifetime."

As Zhou He walked out of the bedroom and processed her words, he couldn't help but smile.

Once Zhou He left, the previous intimate atmosphere had completely dissipated. The two of them went to wash up separately. While showering, Xu Zhi was distracted; she had forgotten to ask Zhou He about the photos. How could Liang Jinmo have pictures of her? She had never given him any. Liang Muzhi, on the other hand, likely had plenty. But it was clear Liang Jinmo didn't want to talk about it.

After her shower, she put on her pajamas—a fluffy, pink flannel set that Zhao Nianqiao had bought for her a couple of days ago. She dried her hair and stood by the bed for a while before picking up her pillow, intending to head to the master bedroom. Just as she stepped out of the guest room, she ran into Liang Jinmo.

They stood face-to-face, neither speaking. On a night like this, neither wanted to be apart.

After a long while, the man took her hand and led her toward the master bedroom.