The Interview

It was quiet outside. The door to the next room was shut tight, and not a sound came from within. Gu Jiani had probably gone to sleep long ago.

Zhang Yang was finally relieved. He went straight into the bathroom and started showering.

Amid the rush of water, he enjoyed a thorough shower, then unhurriedly stood in front of the mirror to dry his hair.

A moment later, his hair was all fluffy. Satisfied, he set down the hair dryer and walked out of the bathroom.

At some point, the living room light had been switched on.

Zhang Yang emerged from the bathroom bare-chested and immediately spotted Gu Jiani standing by the table, drinking from a glass of water.

Uh...

Under the light, Zhang Yang stopped in his tracks, the glow falling across his incredible physique.

Gu Jiani froze, holding her glass perfectly still.

His dark hair, the perfectly defined muscles across every inch of his body—he looked like a Greek statue.

She gulped down a mouthful of water and immediately started choking.

Good grief, good grief, good grief. I never imagined Zhang Yang would have a body like that under his clothes! Her thoughts were a complete jumble. Why does he even wear clothes... No, no, why isn't he wearing any?

The visual impact was so overwhelming that even now, with her eyes closed, she couldn't get the image out of her head.

Her envy had reached its peak.

Bei Wei was so lucky to have a boyfriend like him!

Zhang Yang had money and was generous with it. At most, that had made her marvel in amazement. But right now, faced with this sight, Gu Jiani was genuinely envious.

"You just took a shower?" Gu Jiani's face was burning, and she looked a little flustered, but she still forced herself to stay calm.

After all, if she turned and ran now, she'd look far too guilty. She might as well pretend she hadn't noticed and enjoy the view a little longer.

With that in mind, she seized the opportunity to sneak a few more glances at the figure before her.

"Yeah, just finished. Um... take your time with your water. I'll head back in." Zhang Yang was a little embarrassed too.

He wasn't an exhibitionist or a narcissist. Getting caught shirtless in a woman's home really was pretty indecent.

They tacitly agreed not to mention it, exchanged a couple of awkward pleasantries, and went back to their rooms.

As soon as Zhang Yang got into bed, Bei Wei sleepily snuggled up to him.

"Zhang, why did you take so long?"

"Not that long. I just dried my hair." Zhang Yang held Bei Wei, easily finding her smooth, silky skin.

Curled up in his arms, Bei Wei mumbled, "Zhang, hurry up and hold me while I sleep... Mm... You're so annoying..."

Early the next morning, Zhang Yang got up and ran into Gu Jiani, who was up early too.

"Morning." He was a man, after all. Though things had been a little awkward last night, he looked perfectly at ease this morning.

"...Morning." Gu Jiani's eyes darted over Zhang Yang, and her cheeks turned slightly red.

Gu Jiani had gone downstairs to buy breakfast ahead of time. Thanks to her, she'd brought some back for Zhang Yang and Bei Wei too, and laid out a small tableful.

Gu Jiani still had to go to school after breakfast. As for Zhang Yang, he had an interview to attend today—to work as a fashion model.

Of course, only he knew about it. No one else had a clue.

Only Bei Wei, the lazybones, was still sleeping soundly. Zhang Yang hadn't bothered to wake her when he got up.

The atmosphere at the table was a little quiet as they ate breakfast.

"Um... Zhang Yang, about what happened before... I... I wanted to apologize." Gu Jiani stirred the red bean rice dumplings with her spoon, then finally managed to get the words out.

"Mm..." Zhang Yang replied casually, waiting for her to continue.

"And... I was wondering..." Gu Jiani looked at Zhang Yang with hopeful eyes. "Could Bei Wei maybe wait a little before moving out?"

"Oh, that?" Zhang Yang gave a vague reply. "We'll see."

Whether they moved out was between him and Bei Wei. There was no way he was going to give her a definite answer. Basically, they could move whenever they wanted. It was up to him.

But Gu Jiani completely misunderstood him.

"I understand. Thank you, Zhang." Gu Jiani was overjoyed. She suddenly stood up and gave him a solemn bow. "Thank you for being so magnanimous, for not holding a grudge or taking offense at me."

Zhang Yang looked at Gu Jiani, genuinely surprised this time.

With her temperament...

"Zhang, take your time eating. You're always welcome to come by." Gu Jiani happily went back to her room. A little while later, she came out in a spaghetti-strap dress, looking like a glamorous senior.

"I'm heading out, Zhang." She slung her Hermes bag over her shoulder, smiled and waved at him, then left first.

Zhang Yang finished breakfast at his own pace, then went to Bei Wei's room.

"Sleepyhead, are you awake?" He pinched Bei Wei's nose.

"Still sleepy..." Bei Wei mumbled. Her fair face rested against her dark hair, and she drifted into an even deeper sleep.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, bent down to kiss Bei Wei on the cheek, then turned and left.

Half an hour later, Bei Wei slowly woke up.

"Zhang... Zhang Yang? Where are you?" She touched her cheek and looked out at the brilliant sunshine. Then she saw the message Zhang Yang had left on her phone, and her eyes crinkled with a sweet smile.

Barefoot, Bei Wei got out of bed and drew back the curtains. She closed her eyes slightly and embraced the May morning, her heart brimming with happiness.

After going back to change clothes, Zhang Yang headed straight to the company's offices at a fashion magazine.

The event was being held in a Grade A office tower in Lujiazui, Pudong. The place was packed, with handsome, tall young men everywhere.

Aisha Fashion Weekly was holding auditions for fashion models there today. It was said that male models who performed especially well might have the chance to sign on as regular models for Aisha Fashion, with excellent pay. As a result, a great many people had come after hearing the news.

When Zhang Yang arrived and saw all the gorgeous men and women around him, he couldn't help but marvel.

The fashion industry really was full of handsome men. Good looks seemed like the bare minimum here. If your features weren't defined and you weren't good-looking, you wouldn't even meet the entry-level standard.

How should he describe his looks now? His hair was excellent, his eyes bright, and his features well-defined. On top of that, his complexion had become fair and smooth. All in all, he was handsome.

But in a place full of handsome men, he honestly wouldn't have minded being called average-looking.

There were ways to stand out here on looks, though.

Either you had looks that outclassed everyone else, or you looked absolutely terrible.

He could forget about outclassing everyone else. To have looks that stood out in a crowd of handsome men, you'd have to be some kind of immortal. That was pretty much impossible.

Standing out by looking awful, on the other hand, was quite realistic.

In a way, the fact that Zhang Yang didn't stand out here was already something to be proud of. At least it meant he was about average among all these male models.

"Zhang Yang, right? You're in the sixth group. Go wait over there." The staff member managing the interview and directing the applicants registered Zhang Yang and told him his turn.

Zhang Yang followed the staff member's gaze.

"Yikes, this group doesn't look very welcoming."