Chapter 61 Nature

Chapter 61: Instinct

Xiao Wang seemed startled by her action, or perhaps surprised by her boldness.

He didn’t react, only gaping at Zhou Zuofei in disbelief.

But this only convinced Zhou Zuofei further that this must be a dream.

Heart pounding, she dragged her fingers, tracing a path from the corner of his lips. Her fingertips could clearly feel the texture of his lips—soft but with a faint, tantalizing roughness that left a deep impression.

Her fingertip dipped slightly, carrying a hint of moisture. She could even sense the searing warmth of his breath escaping between his teeth.

This had to be a dream, as if Xiao Wang belonged to her alone.

At the mere thought of such a possibility, a feverish shiver raced up her spine, spreading to her hazy thoughts.

She finally understood why she had been both craving Xiao Wang’s affection and resisting it at the same time.

Because she wasn’t satisfied with just that. She wanted to become the greediest, most selfish version of herself, hoarding his attention for her alone.

Yet she also knew this was impossible.

First, because of Xiao Wang’s nature—he was always gentle and considerate toward everyone and everything. Expecting him to change was delusional, just like how Wang Zicheng had once tried to change her.

Second, it was her own fault—she was the one chasing a pipe dream, coveting something that didn’t belong to her.

Such things probably only happened to protagonists.

Zhou Zuofei rarely focused on the divide between herself and Cen Huan because she knew life was inherently unfair, and she had to learn to accept it. But she wasn’t a saint without desires—there were moments when she couldn’t help seething with resentment.

Like now.

—She kept stroking Xiao Wang’s lips until their pale lips bloomed crimson.

Why didn’t he pull away? Why was he letting her act so recklessly?

Xiao Wang remained silent, his gaze unwavering, soft yet steady. It was precisely because of his endless patience—his willingness to accept whatever she did—that she could never bring herself to walk away for good.

"If you still don’t move away…"

The rest of her words faded into a whisper as she leaned forward, closing the distance until not an inch separated them, their breaths audible to each other.

At some point, Xiao Wang’s breathing grew ragged and uneven, his Adam’s apple bobbing uncontrollably, his eyes dark, flickering with panic.

Even so, he never resisted.

Fueled by drunkenness, Zhou Zuofei steeled herself and pressed closer.

She thought to herself—whether this was a dream or reality, Xiao Wang was miles better than Wang Zicheng could ever be.

That thought emboldened her.

Just as she was about to close the final gap, he turned his head away, evading her.

Zhou Zuofei stalled, thrown off balance.

"You’re drunk," Xiao Wang’s voice sounded softly by her ear, warning her. "Don’t do something you’ll regret."

Her heart plummeted, and the drunken fog lifted.

She shifted slightly in her seat, causing the towel on her lap to lose support and fall, sending the ice inside skittering across the floor.

She didn’t so much as look at the mess on the floor, took a deep breath, and answered, forcing calm into her voice, “Secretary Xiao, you should leave now.”

Hearing Zhou Zuofei switch to calling him by his title, Xiao Wang could only sigh helplessly.

Of course, he’d have welcomed her closeness, but he couldn’t take advantage of her in this state.

From Zhou Zuofei’s earlier behavior, it was clear she hadn’t fully thought through her actions—it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. He certainly didn’t want their relationship to start so carelessly.

"Get some rest. We’ll talk when you’re sober."

But Zhou Zuofei had already shut down, refusing to engage. What was there left to discuss? Things had gotten this far, yet she was still rejected—didn’t that mean she’d imagined everything between them?

Or was Xiao Wang simply toying with her?

Whether it was the former or the latter, overthinking it would just make it worse.

"No need. I understand. I drank too much and mistook you for someone else."

Zhou Zuofei lowered her head, fiddling with her phone, pretending to be absorbed, though it was just a way to distract herself.

In her heart, she wished Xiao Wang would leave sooner so she could drink herself into oblivion, sparing herself the crushing weight of embarrassment and shame.

Mistook him for someone else? Xiao Wang rolled those words around in his mind.

Zhou Zuofei might be drunk, but he wasn’t. If it hadn’t been him who entered just now, would she have acted the same way?

Clearly, she didn’t realize how dangerous her current situation was. Letting a man into her room was reckless enough, let alone while intoxicated.

Xiao Wang’s gaze swept over Zhou Zuofei—her elegant neckline as she sat sideways, her long legs crossed in a way that invited attention, everything about her radiated a vulnerable kind of appeal she seemed oblivious to.

"You shouldn’t have let me in," he couldn’t help but say.

"Yeah, I shouldn’t have let you in," Zhou Zuofei repeated. She’d thought about it, of course. She was far more guarded than Xiao Wang realized, yet she had still opened the door.

But to Xiao Wang, the emphasis in her words fell on the word "you."

"What if it were someone else?" Just the idea of it put him on edge. "Would you have opened the door for them too?"

"Probably wouldn’t have been so troublesome," Zhou Zuofei muttered.

Her mind suddenly drifted to Jiang Shen—if it had been him, he wouldn’t have hesitated.

Noticing her distraction, Xiao Wang frowned, annoyed by her reply and the tension between them.

He patiently explained, "You don’t understand. Things like this, once they start, don’t just stop."

He knew men’s nature all too well. Zhou Zuofei might just be seeking comfort in a moment of weakness, but a man would push for more—and by then, she wouldn’t be able to call it off.

But Zhou Zuofei’s attitude made it clear that reasoning with her normally wouldn’t work. He needed to make her understand.

Perhaps he needed to prove it to her.

He took a step toward her, but she didn’t react, still engrossed in her phone.

Xiao Wang sighed inwardly and spoke softly, "Zuofei, listen to me, okay?"

Zhou Zuofei remained motionless, like a petulant child.

He could only crouch down again, gently pulling Zhou Zuofei's hand that held the phone away, making sure nothing blocked their eye contact.

"You're drunk right now, some things are..."

Zhou Zuofei suddenly looked up at him, her eyes glassy with drink, glistening with unshed tears. Between the flutter of her lashes, a heat that pulled him in slammed straight into his chest.

For a moment, he was dazed.

His carefully collected thoughts scattered in an instant. He barely even registered what Zhou Zuofei was saying.

"I don’t want to talk right now. Just give me some space, okay?"

Xiao Wang went completely still for a long moment before slowly straightening up. "I understand."

Seeing him prepare to leave, Zhou Zuofei felt both relief and a sharp twist of disappointment.

This was probably better, she consoled herself. Clearing things up now was better than falling in too deep.

She rolled to the other side of the bed, picked up the drink she had mixed earlier but hadn’t yet touched, and took a long pull.

After hearing the latch click behind her, she drank even more urgently, failing to notice that the door hadn’t fully closed.

She took another large gulp and slammed the glass onto the nightstand. The liquor burned all the way down—honestly, it didn’t taste good at all, but Zhou Zuofei found a strange sense of relief in this self-punishing gesture.

The latch clicked again from behind her.

Had he not left?

Zhou Zuofei turned in surprise, only to see Xiao Wang stepping out of the bathroom, his face still wet, water droplets sliding slowly down as he moved.

"Why are you..."

Xiao Wang walked slowly toward her, simultaneously peeling off his suit jacket. He folded it neatly and placed it on the nearby sofa before starting to loosen his tie.

As he tugged, the muscles in his arms flexed, tightening the fabric of his sleeves.

Zhou Zuofei stared unblinkingly at his movements, but her mind was too sluggish to process anything—nor did she want to think anymore.

She simply watched quietly as Xiao Wang draped the tie over the jacket and then approached her.

He stopped in front of her, his gaze drifting until it landed on the glass of alcohol still on the nightstand. He picked it up and knocked it back in one go.

Under her stunned, questioning stare, Xiao Wang set the glass down gently, ice rattling inside.

Before Zhou Zuofei could react, he leaned down, caging her in with his arms, and lowered his face toward hers.

The bedsprings groaned, and she instinctively turned her head away.

*He had his chance earlier and didn’t take it—how dare he now...*

But Xiao Wang didn’t stop. Instead, he took advantage of her movement, pressing his lips to the side of her neck.

Warm breath brushed against her skin, like the brush of a moth’s wing. Zhou Zuofei couldn’t help but shiver.

"You—" Before she could finish, his next action drew a sharp breath from her.

Soft kisses trailed upward along her neck, his breath hot and damp on her skin.

His tongue flicked over her earlobe before sucking gently, like it was something sweet.

Zhou Zuofei tried to make sense of the situation, but the kiss was simply too pleasurable—enveloped in warm, humid breaths, it felt like soaking in a hot spring.

She gave up thinking, occasionally letting out a soft moan, thinking this wasn’t half bad.

And Xiao Wang, hearing her reactions, grew even more passionate.

He clasped her hand, their palms pressed together, fingers intertwined, while his thumb gently stroked the back of her hand—as gently as if he were stroking a cat.

But… she wasn’t a cat.

Zhou Zuofei peeked open her eyes slightly and saw Xiao Wang kneeling on the bed with one leg, his upper body leaning over her. He looked steady but vulnerable, as if a light shove could topple him.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she acted—yanking herself backward suddenly, dragging Xiao Wang down with her. He reacted swiftly, bracing himself on his elbows to avoid crushing her.

Seeing her plan succeed, Zhou Zuofei ignored the dizzying spin and let out a breathy laugh. Score one for her.

The fall also jolted Xiao Wang back to reality. He gasped for air, struggling to compose himself.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

He had only meant to show Zhou Zuofei how it felt when a man got carried away—how impossible it would be for her to resist.

But once he had tasted it, he couldn’t stop.

Repulsed by his own shamelessness yet unable to resist, his lips kept finding every exposed patch of skin.

His senses were overwhelmed by an intoxicating fragrance—creamy-sweet like melted ice cream swirled with chocolate, tangy like apples mingled with the aroma of peaches. It was sweeter than anything he’d dreamed up.

Even Zhou Zuofei’s reactions were mesmerizing—her rising body heat, her shivers, her hitched, shallow breathing…

Xiao Wang wrestled his way back to sanity from the drowning depths of desire.

He could still walk away now.

Now that he had confirmed his feelings for Zhou Zuofei, he owed her words, not this.

Just as he was about to get up, Zhou Zuofei fisted her hand in his shirt.

“What are you doing?”

Xiao Wang tried to break free but didn’t dare use too much force, afraid of hurting her. Instead, he patted her hand soothingly. “Come on, let go.”

“Why should I?” Zhou Zuofei muttered. “Who was it that said once this starts, it’s hard to stop…?”

If it had been earlier, fine—she could’ve drowned her sorrows in booze. But now, worked up like this with no drink left, if Xiao Wang just walked away, what would that make her?

A damn fool, is what.

“If you can’t handle it, I’ll find someone else,” Zhou Zuofei said defiantly, her free hand already groping for her phone.

It wasn’t like she couldn’t find company. Why debase herself like this?

Xiao Wang immediately seized her wrist, his grip turning desperate, terrified she might actually call someone.

He knew she was provoking him on purpose—and yet, he still took the bait.

Zhou Zuofei glared at him, her cheeks burning sunset-red. Knowing he was the reason for that blush made his heart burn even hotter.

Finally, his voice hoarse, he gave his answer.

“Fine.”