The next day, Wei Zijin got up at first light.
A gap remained between the curtains, letting the faint morning light slip in. She sat before the dressing table, meticulously applying her skincare and makeup.
Her movements were unhurried and focused, as though last night's online bloodbath had been nothing but a dream that had nothing to do with her.
Wang Xiaoliang leaned against the bedroom doorframe, his chest painfully tight.
This was far too abnormal.
No tears, no fuss, not even a word of complaint. She was as calm as a deep pool, with no telling how powerful a whirlpool lay beneath.
"How about... not going today?" He walked over and rested both hands on her shoulders. "Take a few days off at home. I'll stay with you. Or come to school with me, like last time, and keep me company at work for a few days. Oh, you should see Xiao Sanzi's knife skills. They're incredible."
Wei Zijin looked at him in the mirror, picked up her lipstick, and carefully traced her lips, each stroke frighteningly steady.
"A bet's a bet." She replaced the cap with a crisp click. "I have to face it eventually. I can hide for a while, but not forever."
She turned around, her makeup polished and appropriate, without the slightest trace of dejection.
Wang Xiaoliang's Adam's apple bobbed. A thousand words clogged his throat, but in the end, all that emerged was a sigh. He raised his hand and used the pad of his finger to wipe away a tiny smudge of lipstick at the corner of her mouth.
"Honey, you're amazing. In this respect, I couldn't catch up with you on horseback. Whenever anything happens, all I think about is hiding."
Wei Zijin smiled and leaned in to peck him on the