SM Chapter 39

Chapter 39: A Plan Within a Plan “What’s going on? Are you two together now?…”

That night, they went to sleep separately, but neither of them rested well.

Zhu Shihao had a restless sleep, tossing and turning countless times throughout the night. Meanwhile, Tan Zhi Xu lay in bed, unable to drift off until almost five in the morning.

He woke up after only three hours of sleep. He picked up the breakfast he had ordered early in the morning and took a cab to Ruili.

Standing at the door, he paused for two seconds before entering the password.

As the door opened, he saw Zhu Shihao in her loungewear, shuffling towards him in slippers. Her long hair was loose, swaying from side to side.

At that moment, his heart calmed down.

Zhu Shihao stopped in front of him, looking up and carefully studying his expression. Seeing his usual raised eyebrows and slight smile, the anxiety that had plagued her all night finally eased.

“Zhi Xu.”

She didn’t realize that her eyes still betrayed her nervousness.

Regret washed over him intensely. He didn’t want to see her like this at all.

Tan Zhi Xu didn’t show it on his face. He simply glanced at her casually, changed into slippers, and said, “I got you the porridge and crystal shrimp dumplings you wanted, plus three side dishes. After we eat, we’ll take a nap together.”

He didn’t ask why she was up so early. They both knew the reason. Since they had decided to move on, there was no need to dwell on it.

Zhu Shihao smiled at him, “Okay.”

He placed the breakfast on the table, “I’ll go wash my hands first.”

“Alright.” Zhu Shihao took over, setting out the food one by one.

They both tacitly avoided mentioning what happened last night. As if there had been no hidden conflicts or unhappiness. They both chose to forget about it and return to their previous state.

After cleaning up the leftovers and putting them in a bag, Tan Zhi Xu led her back to the bedroom.

They even re-washed and changed back into their pajamas.

Zhu Shihao snuggled into his arms. Tan Zhi Xu, as usual, willingly raised his hand to accommodate her. He even thoughtfully wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, adjusting her to a comfortable position.

She raised her chin and looked at the man embracing her, “Zhi Xu, won’t you kiss me?”

She was still a little uneasy and urgently needed something to tell herself that their relationship hadn’t become strained and was still continuing.

Lifting his eyelids and looking down at the person in his arms, Tan Zhi Xu didn’t answer. He simply took action, bending his neck and kissing her lips, savoring the lingering minty taste in her mouth.

His expression and movements weren’t rushed, but the kiss was deep and intense, sometimes forceful, sometimes gentle.

It was his consistent style.

It made her confused, made her revel in it.

“I listened to you, now I’m getting seduced.” When kissing, he always liked to speak while caressing her lips, “Shihao, you have to take responsibility.”

“Hmm?” she asked.

Tan Zhi Xu chuckled softly, his voice magnetic and alluring, “Put out the fire.”

As he spoke, he flipped over, supporting himself on his arms on either side of her, so as not to crush her. Almost habitually, Zhu Shihao’s hands, which had been resting on his chest and waist, changed to hug his neck.

She tightened her arms slightly, using the leverage to kiss his lips.

“Zhi Xu.”

Enjoying the other’s initiative, while also taking her own. They both wished they could be more passionate, embrace more tightly.

To prove it.

Tan Zhi Xu pressed his thumb on her rosy, moist lips, his fingertip disappearing into that red. His eyes were deep, his dark pupils clearly reflecting the woman beneath him.

She was dazed, she was swaying, she was whimpering and coquettishly complaining, she was sobbing and calling his name intermittently.

She was Zhu Shihao.

The only Zhu Shihao in this world, from childhood until now, the softest spot in his heart.

“Yes, Shihao is so good.”

“I’m here, I’m here. Shihao, relax.”

His sweat gathered, and droplets fell on her body, scalding hot, burning into her heart.

“Zhi Xu, Zhi, Zhi Xu…”

Apart from kissing her, Tan Zhi Xu showed no other mercy.

“Yes, it’s me. It’s me loving you, Shihao. Do you want me to love you even harder?”

In the March weather, both of them were drenched in sweat, but that clear sense of existence made them incredibly satisfied. They knew that this was the person they wanted.

Their lives didn’t change much. The relationship between friends and bedmates was so stable that Zhu Shihao felt like it could last a lifetime.

Speaking of which, not only had things been calm between them recently, but that ex-girlfriend who loved to show off in front of her had practically disappeared. If it weren’t for still seeing her posts on WeChat, she would have thought something had happened to her.

April had brought completely warm weather.

There were many more recreational activities to do, like now, Tan Zhi Xu said he would take her for a ride.

The vehicle was a motorcycle that had been gathering dust in his garage for a while. Of course, it was impossible for his garage to only have this one. Thanks to him, even if someone talked to her about Harley Davidson, Indian, Kawasaki, Ducati, or Augusta, she could chime in with a few words.

Seeing him heading straight towards her, Zhu Shihao stood still, not budging an inch, not even moving her toes.

When Tan Zhi Xu stopped in front of her, she lowered her eyes to look at the distance, no more than a palm’s width away from her, and faintly raised her eyes.

“Brother, why don’t you just drive into my mouth?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, taking off the helmet hanging on the bike and tossing it to her, “Sure, still as bold as ever.”

He had too much free time in college, and his family was really rich. After graduation that summer, he didn’t have to find a job because he was recommended for postgraduate study. He was free and rich, so he had to find something to do. That’s how he became familiar with He Siming.

Back then, when they just started riding, Wei Wang and the others said they were as useless as horses and had to cherish their lives.

He scoffed, dismissively, “Who wants to ride with you? You’re dreaming.”

Only Zhu Shihao, knowing that Xu Ting and Tan Meng had repeatedly told him to pay attention to safety and not mess around, secretly tugged at his sleeve.

“Zhi Xu, you take me.”

How could Tan Zhi Xu dare to take her drag racing? He just took her for a ride in a proper manner, without any speed or passion. But Zhu Shihao hugged his waist, her voice mixed with the wind, muffled by the helmet.

“You should speed up.”

He slowly became serious, and regardless of whether she could hear him or not, he replied, “Okay.”

She exclaimed behind him, the arms wrapped around his waist tightening, but he could hear that she was happy.

When the car stopped, he took off his helmet and turned around, only to see her frozen. So, he took off her helmet for her, revealing her slightly messy hair and sparkling eyes.

Tan Zhi Xu was stunned for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he curled his lips, “Still pretty brave.”

“Wasn’t that what you wanted to do?” Zhu Shihao looked at him, her eyes and tone very serious, “Don’t worry about me. If I’m with you and you can’t have fun, then I’d rather not come.”

He reached out and smoothed her hair. After a while, he gently “Mm”ed.

At that time, he thought, it was better for her to come. He found that as long as Zhu Shihao was there, even if he rode like a small electric scooter, he would still be very happy.

“With He Siming and them?” Zhu Shihao made a familiar gesture.

“Yes.” Tan Zhi Xu didn’t turn his head, looking down at the hands wrapped around his waist, the corners of his mouth turning up to show his good mood, “Ready?”

Zhu Shihao pressed her face to his back, tightening her grip on his clothes, “Yes, I’m ready.”

Since he was playing with He Siming and the others, it wouldn’t be just a simple cruise, but a special place.

From a distance, they could see the group waiting there.

Seeing him stop, He Siming smiled, “You’re here.”

Taking off his helmet, Tan Zhi Xu shook his head, and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”

Someone joked in a strange tone from behind, “Oh, Tan is bringing someone today?”

Hearing these words, Zhu Shihao paused in taking off her helmet. Before she could continue, the job was taken from her hands. Tan Zhi Xu ignored that person, holding her helmet with one hand and smoothing her hair with the other.

As soon as her true face was revealed, someone immediately kicked that person lightly.

That person also recognized her, this was Tan Zhi Xu’s pretty childhood sweetheart. Even though she didn’t come to play with them often, she was very well-known, rumored to be fiercely protected.

At first, they didn’t take it too seriously, just an ordinary pretty woman.

Later, they discovered that she was really pretty, but she was also unusually perceptive.

This person could always immediately get Tan Zhi Xu to leave, without even needing a phone call, just a WeChat message. After many times, they understood that Tan Zhi Xu didn’t listen to his parents this much.

Suddenly leaving without saying goodbye, of course, some people were unhappy, “Why do you leave as soon as she calls? Aren’t we friends?”

Tan Zhi Xu gave them a look as he stood up, succinct and concise, “How can you compare to her? Have some self-awareness.”

After leaving everyone speechless, the young master Tan said “Let’s go” and quickly left without looking back.

“Shihao is interested in coming along today.” He Siming looked at the woman sitting behind Tan Zhi Xu, smiling, and greeted her kindly, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

Zhu Shihao wore a polite smile, nodded at him, “Yeah, I’m here with Zhi Xu today to relax.”

Seeing He Siming wanting to say something, Tan Zhi Xu interrupted, “Why are you talking so much today?”

He Siming’s raised smile stiffened for a moment. He seemed to have only said two sentences, and one of them wasn’t even directed at him.

Zhu Shihao found it funny in her heart, but said nothing. She just listened to them talk, occasionally answering a few words, and talking to Tan Zhi Xu.

This night was more passionate than usual. The adrenaline rush, the feeling of a racing heartbeat and accelerated breathing made her excited, her eyes shining. After they were done, they didn’t rush to leave, and went to a high-end club with this group of young masters for a late-night snack.

Seeing her go to the restroom, He Siming nudged Tan Zhi Xu with his elbow, his voice only audible to them both in the noisy environment.

“What’s going on? Are you two together?”

He was the first to notice the change. Even the usually indifferent Tan Zhi Xu couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. He didn’t deny it, but instead asked.

“How can you tell?”

Not answering was no different than admitting it.

He Siming laughed, his tone teasing, “I can tell with my eyes.”

Facing the other man’s calm gaze, he spread his hands, “Okay, I’m just trying to sound profound.”

“It feels like you’re closer than before. Zhi Xu, between men and women who aren’t related by blood, that kind of intimacy is called flirting, to put it nicely, and messing around, to put it bluntly. But knowing how much you treasure Shihao, I don’t think it’s either of those.”

Although he could tell they were close before, he’d seen him put his arm around her waist, hold her hand and stroke her hair several times today. It had obviously gone beyond the limits of friendship.

He didn’t believe Tan Zhi Xu would do something like messing around with Zhu Shihao. So, it could only be that they were together.

Tan Zhi Xu pinched the bridge of his nose, and didn’t answer, but simply reminded, “Don’t say anything yet.”

He Siming raised an eyebrow, and didn’t ask anything else, just nodded, “OK, rest assured.”

So, sometimes, being too close can blind you to the closeness. At least, neither Wei Wang and the others, nor Zhu Shihao herself, seemed to have noticed anything.

Thinking of this, a sense of helplessness arose in Tan Zhi Xu’s heart.

She had such beautiful eyes, but her eyesight was really bad.

He seemed to be stuck in a dead end. If he maintained things as they were, Zhu Shihao would think there was no change between them, and that him taking care of her was natural after more than twenty years of friendship. But now, with the closeness and intimacy, she would think it was just an added bonus from their bedmate relationship.

Thinking about it, he should just tell her directly, tell her that “I like you, I love you” is the only reason I treat you well and do things for you.

However, there was still that unknown love letter recipient between them. Even if Tan Zhi Xu was sure that he was more important, he couldn’t deny that there was a difference between important and love.

He was greedy. He wanted both, and he wanted to be the only one and everything in that love.

A person who had always been free and self-willed would one day be afraid.

Afraid that once Zhu Shihao knew about his feelings, she might back away because of the burden.

He knew her too well. She wouldn’t love someone just because she was loved. She would only feel guilty, but would decisively distance herself. However, this was something Tan Zhi Xu absolutely couldn’t accept.

From beginning to end, Tan Zhi Xu had never thought about Zhu Shihao being away from his life.

In the past, she was a combination of many roles in his life. Later, she became the leading role that couldn’t be replaced in his life.