"Miss Zhou, you're very punctual today," Luo Fei said, rising to greet Zhou Yingzi as she appeared at the office doorway.
After a period of treatment, Zhou Yingzi had indeed improved. The most significant change was that she was no longer timid and dared to go out alone during the day.
Zhou Yingzi wore a white knit dress and a matching coat that day, looking intellectual and elegant.
Luo Fei's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. "Please have a seat. Have some tea first."
Luo Fei gestured, then began to expertly prepare tea. He had performed these actions countless times, so to Zhou Yingzi, his movements were quite captivating.
Previously, her entire world revolved around Lu Yanbei, and she wouldn't spare another man a second glance. Now, with her changed mindset, she suddenly realized that there were quite a few charming men in the world.
Luo Fei let her appraise him before handing her a cup of clear tea. "Try it."
Zhou Yingzi cradled the cup and took a small sip.
The tea had a light, elegant fragrance and a sweet aftertaste. It was quite pleasant.
"How is it?" Luo Fei asked.
"It's very good," Zhou Yingzi replied truthfully. "It seems, Mr. Luo, you are quite skilled at this."
"Skilled might be too strong a word. It's just a hobby," Luo Fei said modestly.
This kind of interaction made Zhou Yingzi relax unconsciously. Luo Fei felt more like a friend than her therapist, which made her feel very comfortable.
After finishing her tea, Luo Fei led Zhou Yingzi to a recliner by the window and had her lie down, then began to chat with her.
Initially, Zhou Yingzi was reserved and found it difficult to speak. Later, as her consciousness grew hazy, she answered whatever he asked.
Under Luo Fei's gentle coaxing, he quickly learned about her experiences.
"With such a great figure, you're bound to turn heads walking down the street."
"That waist, those hips, those legs... how stimulating must it be during exercise."
"Tsk... a pity, someone got there first..."
Luo Fei muttered to himself as he stroked Zhou Yingzi's smooth legs.
As expected of someone who spared no expense on upkeep, they were incredibly soft.
He gently lifted her skirt, his hand brazenly caressing her leg. "Wearing no stockings in the dead of winter, I really don't know what you were thinking... You still haven't learned your lesson after suffering a loss!"
"Women like you deserve to be taken advantage of!"
Zhou Yingzi, deep in sleep, was unaware of what was happening.
She slept soundly.
When she woke, it was already dark.
The floor lamp by the window had turned on, casting a warm glow in the room.
"How did I fall asleep?" Zhou Yingzi sat up, holding her head.
Startled, she quickly checked her clothes. Finding nothing amiss, she finally felt a little relieved.
She walked into the outer room, where Luo Fei was reading.
"Awake?" Hearing the movement behind him, he slowly put down the book he was holding.
"How did I fall asleep?" Zhou Yingzi asked, confused.
"Perhaps you haven't been sleeping well lately? As we were talking, you just trailed off," Luo Fei explained calmly. "Remember what I said. Exercise regularly. I'll be checking up on your progress."
The exercise Luo Fei referred to was for Zhou Yingzi to run three kilometers every day. After a vigorous sweat, people would feel a sense of lightness and exhilaration.
Although the process was tiring, the feeling of relief after the run was wonderful.
After a period of persistence, all ailments would disappear.
Zhou Yingzi nodded, indicating that she would make a plan and complete the task daily after returning home.
*
Lu Jingyang and Song Yan were currently in a cold war.
The catalyst was Lu Jingyang visiting Song Yan on the set of her drama. He unintentionally discovered Song Yan behaving intimately with a male actor from the same crew, even sharing a cup of bubble tea.
Seeing this, Lu Jingyang was deeply shaken.
This was in broad daylight and in public, yet they were so careless. If they were somewhere private... Lu Jingyang couldn't bear to imagine what might happen.
"Oh, Young Master Lu is here!" Song Yan having a rich second-generation boyfriend had even trended on hot searches. Moreover, Lu Jingyang was particularly clingy, often hovering around Song Yan. Many people around her already recognized him.
This greeting of "Young Master Lu" finally caused the two people leaning against each other to hastily separate.
"Jingyang, why are you here?" Song Yan was taken aback by Lu Jingyang's sudden appearance.
"You don't want me to come, do you?" Lu Jingyang's eyes were filled with bitterness.
In his eyes, Song Yan had always been exceptionally pure and kind, deeply in love with him. They had fallen in love at first sight in college and had always been the model campus couple, envied by everyone.
Even after Song Yan entered the entertainment industry, she hadn't been corrupted by the environment. She had rejected many inappropriate invitations, consequently missing out on several good roles.
Therefore, Lu Jingyang believed that Song Yan must have loved him dearly.
However, the scene he had just witnessed kept flashing in his mind, as if mocking his foolishness. Song Yan's deep affection and her purity seemed to be a facade.
The Song Yan before him was no longer the one he knew.
Facing Lu Jingyang's question, Song Yan's expression was a little awkward. "That's not what I meant. I was just surprised..."
"What exactly is going on between you and him?" Lu Jingyang finally couldn't hold back and pointed at the male actor, demanding loudly.
"Can you not make a scene here? He and I are just colleagues. Don't overthink things."
"Overthink? You were practically leaning on him!"
"We were rehearsing lines. How could we not sit together? Stop being unreasonable!"
"Does rehearsing lines require sharing a cup of bubble tea?"
"That was... I accidentally grabbed the wrong one! Jingyang, we've been together for so many years, don't you have even this much trust?"
"It's precisely because I trusted you so much..." Lu Jingyang murmured to himself.
He never questioned anything Song Yan did.
He simply kept fulfilling her every need. He found connections and resources for her, helped her sign with a new agency, and spent money to give her the best of everything, designer bags, and jewelry, without batting an eye.
Thinking about it carefully, what had Song Yan done for him all these years?
Lu Jingyang genuinely couldn't recall.
She was busy filming, participating in variety shows, and diligently expanding her network in the industry, growing further and further away from his life. Sometimes, they wouldn't see each other for months.
Recently, she had even stopped letting him be intimate, claiming she was too tired from filming.
He understood her hardship, so he endured.
Looking back now, it seemed all the signs were there.
She was slowly distancing herself from him!
"Let's talk about it when we get back. I have to film soon, and I don't want to slow everyone down." Song Yan used work as an excuse, having her assistant escort him out.
Lu Jingyang stood at the entrance of the small courtyard of the film set, suddenly overcome by a wave of despondency.