The next day was a workday.
At first light, Wei Zijin's body clock went off right on schedule, and she instinctively tried to get up. She had been getting up early lately.
She had barely moved when a strong arm scooped her back and held her tightly against his chest.
"Sleep a little longer." Wang Xiaoliang's voice was still thick and nasal, his eyes not even open.
"I can't. It's the final installment. I have to..."
"The final what?" Wang Xiaoliang hugged her tighter and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "You're taking today off."
"What day off? It's Thursday..."
"Because I said so. I'm giving you the day off." Wang Xiaoliang finally opened his eyes, his tone leaving no room for discussion. "Look in the mirror. You've got dark circles. You haven't had a break in almost three weeks, and every day's been like a battle. Today, you are taking a day to relax."
Wei Zijin still wanted to struggle, but her body's exhaustion told the truth. Held in his warm embrace, she felt her eyelids growing heavy again.
Her struggles weakened until she simply gave up, nestled back into his arms, and found a comfortable position.
She slept until the sun was high.
When Wei Zijin woke again, Wang Xiaoliang was no longer beside her.
She got up and had barely left the bedroom when she caught the aroma of food. Wang Xiaoliang had already bought breakfast and was sitting at the dining table scrolling through his phone.
"What are you up to?" Wei Zijin asked, rubbing her eyes in her pajamas.
Wang Xiaoliang looked up at her voice and tipped his chin toward her. "Go wash up and put on something pretty. I'm taking you out for some fun today."
"I need to watch