Zhou Yining arrived just after nine in the evening. She called A Ming immediately. “Where are you guys?”

A Ming was delighted to hear from her. “Miss Zhou, you’re actually here?”

“Mm.” Zhou Yining was wearing a mask and a hat, dragging her suitcase toward the exit. “Tell me which hotel you’re at. I’m coming over.”

“Dong-ge is recording a show,” A Ming said. “It’ll be about another hour. We’re at the Hyatt. You should go back and rest first.”

Zhou Yining thought for a moment. “Fine. You haven’t told him, have you?”

“No, I wouldn’t dare!”

Zhou Yining laughed softly. “Good. Which room is he in? Alright, got it. Have Yang Xun come find me first.”

After hanging up, Zhou Yining took a taxi to the Hyatt. She had just finished a bath and dried her hair when A Ming sent a WeChat message: We’re heading back to the hotel from the TV station now.

Zhou Yining opened her suitcase and hung her clothes in the wardrobe. She picked out her most provocative dress: a black, backless one with a low-cut neckline. After changing and doing her makeup, she dug out a wig from her suitcase. It was a flaxen-colored short bob she had bought for Alice’s party.

When Yang Xun and A Ming knocked on the door, Zhou Yining was putting on her earrings. She pinched the jewelry as she went to open the door. Both men froze when they saw her outfit. A Ming’s eyes widened. “Miss Zhou, you cut your hair?”

Zhou Yining teased him. “Yeah. Don’t recognize me?”

A Ming scratched his head. He felt that after not seeing her for over a month, she had become even more beautiful. He was almost too embarrassed to look. “I can recognize you from the front, but maybe not from behind.”

Yang Xun cleared his throat. “Let’s go inside to talk.”

Zhou Yining nodded and turned around. Her snow-white, graceful back was fully exposed to them. A Ming’s eyes went straight. Was the little witch dressed like this specifically to seduce Dong-ge? Zhou Yining walked to the table to put on the other earring, then looked at Yang Xun. “How do you plan to go public?”

“I originally planned to have you pick him up at the airport tomorrow,” Yang Xun said. “We’d have reporters take photos and let the news break naturally. But since you’re here, we need to change the strategy.”

Zhou Yining raised her chin with a playful smile. “I have an idea.”

After hearing her plan, Yang Xun looked at her in shock. What was this woman thinking?

“Don’t you want to make this big?” Zhou Yining asked. “This will be sensational enough.”

A Ming was dumbfounded. Most people couldn’t come up with a method like this. He truly had to hand it to her.

Ji Dongyang was leaning against the sofa, scrolling through his phone. He hadn’t been able to get through to Zhou Yining for the past two days. Her phone had been off last night and this morning. She had only sent him a single text message in the afternoon, which left him feeling inexplicably restless.

He stared at the message, then tried calling her again. It rang.

No one answered.

Ji Dongyang pressed his lips into a tight line. Was she angry? Angry that he hadn’t given her an explanation?

He pulled open the door and went out to knock on A Ming’s door. A Ming opened it. “Dong-ge, what’s wrong?” Has the little witch not gone to find him yet?

Ji Dongyang walked in and turned to face him. “Be honest. Did Zhou Yining ask you anything? What did you tell her?”

A Ming met Ji Dongyang’s eyes. He struggled for a few seconds but couldn’t withstand the pressure. “She asked how the current situation was. I told her the truth. She didn’t say anything else.”

So she was back in the country.

A Ming felt a bit anxious, worried that Zhou Yining might knock on his door while he wasn’t there. That would be bad. “Dong-ge, I really didn’t say anything else. Why don’t you give her another call?”

Ji Dongyang nodded expressionlessly and walked out with his phone.

While fishing for his room card, a business card accidentally fell out and mixed with two small solicitation cards on the floor. Ji Dongyang was already annoyed. He knelt to retrieve his card just as a text message arrived. He glanced at it. Zhou Yining: Are you asleep?

What was this girl doing, texting instead of calling?

He finally felt a sense of relief.

Ji Dongyang stood up with the card and dialed her number. She answered quickly this time, her voice lazy. “Not asleep yet?”

Ji Dongyang pushed the door open and entered his room. “No,” he said deeply. “What have you been doing these past two days?”

Zhou Yining leaned against the bathroom door, looking at herself in the mirror. She curled her lips into a smile and told a lie. “Nothing much. I met with Mike today. My dosage has been reduced.”

The last part was true. During her time in Edinburgh, her mood had been calm. Aside from not being able to see him, she had been quite happy most of the time.

Ji Dongyang poured a glass of water, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, and took a drink. “That’s good. Give me another half a month, and I’ll come find you.”

“I can’t wait,” Zhou Yining said.

“…”

“I miss you,” she added.

After a long pause, Ji Dongyang said in a low, helpless voice, “Wait a little longer.”

Zhou Yining chuckled. “Alright.”

After hanging up, she fixed her hair in the mirror and pursed her lips. To be honest, after not seeing him for over a month, she really did miss him.

…

Ji Dongyang had just entered the bathroom and turned on the water when he heard a knock at the door. He threw on his white bathrobe, tied the belt, and went to open it.

Outside the door stood Zhou Yining with her chic short hair, pinching one of her earrings and staring at him with crescent eyes. Seeing him frozen, she reached out and pushed against his chest, walking inside. She leaned her back against the door to shut it and felt his firm chest. “Opening the door before your clothes are even on properly? How provocative.”

Ji Dongyang stared at her intently, catching her restless hand. “Why didn’t you tell me you were back?” he asked with a frown.

Zhou Yining raised her chin. “If I told you, would you have let me come?”

Ji Dongyang didn’t answer. He reached out to pat her head, but his movement paused. The next second, he pulled off her wig and removed the hairnet. Her silky, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spreading over her shoulders.

“…”

She ran her fingers through her hair, looking at him innocently. “Is short hair not pretty?”

Ji Dongyang stroked her long hair and said, “Wigs aren’t as soft as the real thing.”

He had known it was a wig the moment he touched it.

“…”

After saying this, Ji Dongyang turned back toward the bathroom. Zhou Yining hugged him from behind. “Are you angry?”

Ji Dongyang took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of heat in his heart. “No.”

His anger had only lasted a second. Seeing her standing right in front of him after so many days, even the greatest temper would have been quelled.

He squeezed her hand at his waist. “I need to finish my shower first. Be good.”

Zhou Yining obediently let go. “I’ll wait for you in the room.”

“Mm.”

Zhou Yining circled the room once and sat on the sofa to wait. She pulled a hair tie from her bag to tie her hair up, revealing her slender, jade-like neck.

After a while, the sound of water stopped.

Zhou Yining walked over and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response, she twisted it open. There was no steam in the bathroom; he had taken a cold shower.

Ji Dongyang had a towel wrapped around his waist, his well-defined abs facing her. Zhou Yining walked over and hugged him. He was very cold, which felt refreshing on a summer night. She looked up at him. “Did you miss me?”

He didn’t speak. His eyes were as dark as ink, staring at her fixedly.

Zhou Yining moved first. Her hand slid down his abs, grasping and kneading. Very quickly, she felt his most primal reaction.

Ji Dongyang’s breathing grew heavy.

The next second, he pressed her against the cold tiles. Zhou Yining shivered from the chill. Ji Dongyang’s hand moved to her waist, feeling the smooth, delicate skin beneath his touch. He stared into her eyes, his hand sliding from her waist to her shoulders—unobstructed, a field of soft silk.

Then, his hand moved from the side to her soft chest.

Nothing underneath. You little demon.

Zhou Yining stood on her toes to kiss his lips. Ji Dongyang leaned down to cooperate, kissing her even more forcefully.

They hadn’t seen each other in so long; neither could hold back.

Zhou Yining twisted her body against his, hooking her arms around his neck and jumping onto him. Her slender legs wrapped around his waist. Ji Dongyang leaned in to catch her.

He pressed her against the wall, kissing her cheeks and neck with raw intensity. His hand touched the slickness below, and he let out a short laugh. He didn’t even need foreplay; she really had missed him.

Pushing aside the tiny string of her underwear, he entered forcefully. After a few powerful thrusts, she clung to his neck, letting out a soft moan.

His body became burning hot. Amidst the rising and falling rhythm, Zhou Yining looked at him with moist eyes and called his name. “Ji Dongyang.”

Ji Dongyang slowed down, breathing heavily, his voice low and raspy. “Mm.”

“How does it feel?” she asked.

Ji Dongyang closed his eyes and said nothing. He thrust deeply. Zhou Yining’s breathing hitched, and she didn’t ask again.

She hung on him like a koala, trembling.

Ji Dongyang carried her out and lunged forward to press her onto the bed. With a sharp thrust, Zhou Yining’s head snapped back. She arched her waist, her fingernails scratching his back. A long cry escaped her. She bit her lip with reddened eyes, whispering, “Be gentler!”

It had been too long. Ji Dongyang couldn’t handle her seductive appearance. He reached for her eye mask and put it on her without allowing refusal. The next second, he kissed her lips.

In the darkness, she could only perceive his deep panting. The physical intimacy became even more sensitive and electric.

Zhou Yining felt like a boat floating in a violent storm, about to be destroyed by him.

…

Early the next morning, Ji Dongyang woke up at the first sound of the alarm. He had to rush to the airport.

Last night, with Zhou Yining there, he had no self-control to speak of. He had only slept for two or three hours, yet he didn’t feel tired. All the stress, helplessness, and annoyance of the past few days had been fully released through that night.

Zhou Yining didn’t have it so easy. She lay on the bed like she was half-dead. Ji Dongyang rubbed her hair and asked, “Coming back with me?”

Zhou Yining kicked him. “No.”

She had been on a long flight and hadn’t slept well for two nights. Right now, she didn’t even want to move.

Ji Dongyang laughed. “I have to head back first. Someone will come to clean the room soon after I check out. Are you sure you want to stay here?”

Zhou Yining glared at him, pushed herself up, and clutched her hair in frustration. “I’m going back to my own room.”

Ji Dongyang pulled a shirt from the wardrobe and threw it at her. “Wear this.”

Zhou Yining looked at the T-shirt. She put it on without a word. What did he say last night? “Don’t wear such revealing clothes outside in the future.”

She wasn’t actually going braless in public; it was just for him. When she got off the bed, her legs nearly cramped. She picked up her dress and sat on the bed to pull it on, tucking the oversized T-shirt in. She tied a knot in the shirt and checked herself in the mirror. It looked decent.

Ji Dongyang leaned against the wall, watching her. After she finished tidying herself and put on her heels, she glanced at him. “I’m going.”

“Wait,” Ji Dongyang called out. “When are you returning to B City?”

Zhou Yining didn’t look back. “Not sure.”

She pulled the door open and peeked out. It was still very early. There was no one in the corridor, but she ran straight into A Ming. A Ming quickly waved at her, signaling for her to leave fast.

Zhou Yining walked away, fishing her room card from her bag to enter her room at the end of the hall.

Ji Dongyang finished packing his luggage. After he washed up, A Ming knocked on the door. “Dong-ge, can we go? It’s about time.”

Ji Dongyang walked to the door. “Mm, let’s go.”

On the way, Yang Xun was constantly checking his phone, waiting for the time.

Eight-thirty.

A news story broke on Weibo that shocked the entire entertainment circle.

Ji Dongyang picked up a solicitation card at a hotel door and made a call. Within ten minutes, a woman with a graceful figure entered the Best Actor’s room and didn’t leave all night!

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