Volume One, Chapter 12: My Heart Belongs to You Alone

Xia Xiyin followed Zhou Yu’an back to the CEO’s office. Upon entering, the aroma of freshly cooked food greeted them.

“Come wash your hands,” Zhou Yu’an said, heading toward the restroom.

Xia Xiyin obediently followed him, and they stood before the sink. Warm water flowed from the faucet, wetting their hands.

Lowering her gaze as she rubbed her hands together, Xia Xiyin began to explain, “Yu’an, that woman just now was my aunt. She went ahead and arranged a blind date for me without telling me in advance, even inviting the person here to the company. I had no idea beforehand.”

Zhou Yu’an pressed some hand soap into his palm, rubbed his hands together twice, then took hers, washing them together.

“Has your aunt frequently set you up on blind dates before?” he asked.

“After I graduated from university, she introduced a few men to me. Then, after Xiao Man’s incident, things settled down for a while. Who would have thought it would start up again?” Xia Xiyin replied.

Their fingers intertwined as they worked up a lather.

“Are you angry?” she asked, lifting her eyes to look at him tentatively.

Zhou Yu’an turned on the water, helping her rinse her hands, and said, “I was a bit upset back then, but now that I’ve heard your explanation, I’m not angry anymore.”

“Really?” Xia Xiyin leaned closer, wanting to see if he was sincere.

After all, in a situation like this, any boyfriend would feel some unease.

Zhou Yu’an met her gaze, seeing the cautious look in her eyes, a pang of affection stirring within him. He stepped forward, kissed her gently on the lips, and said earnestly, “Really, I’m not angry.”

Relieved, Xia Xiyin smiled and playfully flattered him, “That’s why I say my boyfriend is so magnanimous—he wouldn’t get upset over something so trivial. Amazing!”

Zhou Yu’an chuckled softly, turned off the faucet, grabbed a towel, and began drying her hands. “Don’t flatter me. Tell me, why didn’t you tell your aunt from the start that you have a boyfriend? Don’t I deserve to be acknowledged openly?”

Xia Xiyin was startled—he had noticed that after all.

“Yu’an, there’s a reason I didn’t tell her about you. It’s not because I don’t want to make our relationship public.” She then shared all her previous concerns with him.

They left the restroom and sat back down on the sofa.

Zhou Yu’an opened the takeout container and said, “If your aunt causes trouble again, just tell me. I’ll handle it, so you don’t have to worry.”

“No need. It’s all minor stuff—I don’t want to trouble my boyfriend,” Xia Xiyin said lightly, not wanting to burden him.

Zhou Yu’an handed her chopsticks, looking at her deeply but said nothing. He knew she was holding back, but he wouldn’t let his girlfriend suffer. If something serious came up, he’d step in without hesitation.

After a morning of work, Xia Xiyin’s stomach was growling fiercely. Now faced with delicious food, she ate heartily.

“This dish is delicious—where’s it from?” she asked as she picked up a piece of beef and placed it in his bowl.

“Packed from Shen Village. I guessed you’d like it—that means I was right,” Zhou Yu’an said, taking a bite himself.

Smiling while eating, Xia Xiyin said, “How do you guess so well? I do love it.”

“If you love it, then eat more.” He added another helping to her bowl.

More than half an hour later, both were full. Xia Xiyin slumped on the sofa while Zhou Yu’an stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, digesting and taking a call from abroad.

Suddenly, Xia Xiyin’s phone rang. Lazily picking it up, she saw it was her aunt again. Instinctively, she didn’t want to answer and hung up immediately.

“Lunch break is almost over. I’ll head downstairs first,” she said, rising from the sofa and walking toward him.

Zhou Yu’an turned, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He swayed slightly and said, “If you don’t see me all afternoon, will you miss me?”

Xia Xiyin hugged his waist, resting her head against his chest, teasing, “Will you miss me? You’re so busy.”

“I’ll steal moments to think of you,” Zhou Yu’an said plaintively.

Curious, Xia Xiyin asked, “What do you think about when you miss me?”

“What else? I think about you—whether you’re tired from work, whether you’re thinking of me.”

“Aren’t CEOs supposed to be clear-headed? But from what you’re saying, you sound like you’re lovesick,” she teased with a smile.

Zhou Yu’an held her shoulders, tapped her forehead with his finger, pretending to scold, “Are you mocking me? Calling me lovesick?”

“No, no,” Xia Xiyin laughed, dodging his finger. “Who would dare look down on President Zhou?”

Before she finished speaking, he gripped her shoulders, lowered his head, and kissed her lips.

Caught off guard, Xia Xiyin instinctively tried to pull back but Zhou Yu’an held her firmly, allowing no escape.

When the long kiss ended, he caressed the corner of her mouth with his thumb, his voice low and husky: “Xinyin, I’m only lovesick for you.”

Flustered by his kiss and words, her face flushed crimson. Hearing his sweet nothings in her ear, her heart fluttered wildly, unsure how to respond.

“Um... I’ll head down now. You keep busy,” she said, lowering her head and hurriedly running off.

Zhou Yu’an watched her flee like a frightened rabbit, shaking his head with a smile.

Exiting the CEO’s office, Xia Xiyin patted her chest twice, exhaled deeply, and then walked toward the elevator.

Passing by the chief secretary’s office, Zhou Yu’an’s chief secretary greeted her warmly: “Sister Xiyin, I specially bought you some fruit tea. Take it downstairs to drink.”

Xia Xiyin paused, smiled gently at Secretary Chen, who was a few years older, and accepted the tea. “Thank you, Secretary Chen.”

“You’re welcome,” Secretary Chen accompanied her to the elevator and pressed the down button.

As the elevator doors opened, Xia Xiyin nodded politely and stepped inside.

The doors slowly closed. Secretary Chen watched the elevator descend, muttering with a hint of reluctance, “What does the CEO see in her? I really don’t get it.”

Inside the elevator, Xia Xiyin looked down at the fruit tea in her hands and smiled wryly. With a change in status, the treatment changed immediately.

That afternoon, she was busy discussing an interstellar technology project with her team. It was quite challenging, and they worked nonstop until just before the end of the day.

Some colleagues stayed late to work, and Xia Xiyin had intended to do the same, but Zhou Yu’an messaged her saying he was waiting outside the company. She had no choice but to leave in a hurry.

Shen Wei lifted her head from her desk, watching Xia Xiyin’s retreating figure with a venomous glare.

This project was supposed to be hers, but Zhou Minghao, the sycophant, had given it to Xia Xiyin instead. She was furious and vowed she would have her revenge.