TIMO - Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Fu Zhao froze, not knowing what to say.
How could she express the feelings that were overflowing, too full to be contained?
For the past two years, she had mentally rehearsed her confession countless times, planning to tell Shi Nan everything once she returned.
She was supposed to confess.
But suddenly, she couldn't say a word.
It was strange. Although she hadn't hesitated to take a knife for Shi Nan in her past life, now, when it was time to confess her feelings, she was hesitant. She was always trying to find the most suitable opportunity, the most appropriate words, to express her emotions.
As if only then would it be perfect.
Fu Zhao fell silent, staring blankly at Shi Nan. The heat on her cheeks and the gentle gaze meeting hers made her part her lips.
"I-"
"Silly~~"
Shi Nan interrupted her, pinching her cheek before letting go. A beautiful curve formed on her lips. "You were very well-behaved last night. You didn't do anything to offend me."
"You didn't release any pheromones you shouldn't have, and you didn't do anything you weren't supposed to do."
"This morning, you just gave me a small hug."
As she spoke, Shi Nan removed the hand propping up her cheek, sat up, and got out of bed. She added nonchalantly, "We haven't seen each other in so long. A hug like that is nothing."
The soft, fluffy bed lightened as Shi Nan got up. Fu Zhao, as if waking from a dream, lifted her head, her gaze following Shi Nan's movements. She bit her lip, wanting to say more, but just as the words were about to come out, she felt the urge to carefully consider her phrasing again.
"Swish-"
Before she could find the right words, the curtains in the room were suddenly drawn open, and a blinding white light instantly filled her vision.
Outside was a world of ice and snow. A layer of white covered everything in the courtyard, and the surrounding trees were bathed in the vast whiteness. Light, small snowflakes still seemed to be falling, fluttering and dancing in the air.
"It's snowing?" She was stunned for a moment before realizing the fact.
"It started last night," Shi Nan said, looking over. She leaned against the window, her posture relaxed and comfortable. "Right when I landed."
"Last night?"
Fu Zhao repeated the words, still unable to recall what had happened. The splitting headache from her hangover made it more uncomfortable the harder she tried to remember.
"Alright, stop thinking about it."
A warm palm rested on her head, gently rubbing it a few times. A soft, languid voice sounded from above. "I'll go have the housekeeping robot make some hangover soup."
With that, the hand on her head lifted, and the warm touch dissipated.
Fu Zhao subconsciously grabbed the descending hand. When Shi Nan paused and looked back at her, her fingertips trembled, and she let go.
"I..."
She had to say something in response to Shi Nan's "Instead of an apology, I'd rather have your confession." She also needed to respond to the promise she made years ago to "give an answer when Shi Nan returns to Nanke Island."
Fu Zhao took a deep breath to calm herself.
"I'm a bit awkward, and I get nervous when I have to say something important. You know that, right?"
"I know." Shi Nan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a smile on her lips.
"So I-"
"I'll be back for a week this time." Shi Nan spoke first, raising an eyebrow. "The initial phase of the Qixing Project has officially concluded. In a week, I have to return to the headquarters on RT Planet to start as a project manager, work on other projects, and coordinate the Qixing Project from there. In other words, I won't be running all over the galaxy anymore. My work will be on RT Planet, with occasional business trips, but only occasionally."
"That means I won't be unreachable for over two years like before. I'll come back to Nanke Island at least once a month."
Shi Nan paused deliberately after speaking, giving Fu Zhao some time to digest these facts.
Fu Zhao was still a bit dazed after hearing all this. She asked hesitantly, "So what do you mean by all this?"
"It means..." Shi Nan couldn't help but chuckle, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She tilted her head slightly, letting a few strands of hair tucked behind her ear fall forward, framing the exquisite lines of her profile.
"If you're going to confess, you have one week left."
"But if you're not ready within this week, you can wait until I come back to Nanke Island next month."
"There's no rush."
Fu Zhao's heart skipped a beat, as if her ears had been scalded by Shi Nan's words. After not seeing each other for so long, she was a little unaccustomed to Shi Nan's overly frank attitude. Who talks about a confession like this, discussing it as if they were picking out cabbage at the market?
She had to pick a suitable date and create an unexpected surprise.
With this thought, Fu Zhao grew even more eager to see a surprised look on Shi Nan's face. She had to choose a moment when Shi Nan was unprepared.
So, she feigned composure, her ears turning red. "Who said I was going to confess? Maybe I'm waiting for you to confess. What if I've been waiting for you all this time?"
"Pfft-"
Shi Nan laughed out loud, her eyes dancing as she spoke softly.
"Alright, let's just say that's the case."
"Then you'd better be careful..." She blinked, her gaze fixed on Fu Zhao's face, and a sly smile played on her lips. "Because I might confess at any moment."
Fu Zhao was completely stunned, finally understanding what it meant to be a novice meeting a master. She averted her gaze as if burned by Shi Nan's stare, but still put on a brave front. "You too."
"Mhm~~"
Shi Nan nodded lightly, ripples of amusement in her eyes. "I'll be waiting."
She walked out, then paused, turned back, and glanced at the tips of Fu Zhao's crimson ears, unable to hide the smile on her lips. "But it's best if it's within this week, or when I come back next month..."
"Otherwise, the month after that will be my third time back on Nanke Island."
"Although there's no rush, you should also know..."
"There's a saying that a matter shouldn't go past the third time."
Is that how you use that saying?
After Fu Zhao finished washing up and drinking the hangover soup, that sentence was still stuck in her mind. She wasn't sure if that was the correct usage, but she felt that Shi Nan's application of "a matter shouldn't go past the third time" here was perfectly fitting.
After all, she felt the same way. She couldn't drag this on any longer.
A week was just right.
But she still needed to catch her by surprise.
How exactly could she do that?
As Fu Zhao pondered this, she was on edge all morning, her heart fluttering. Occasionally, fragments of last night's memories would surface, but they were all disjointed, flashes that couldn't be connected into a coherent timeline.
Snowflakes drifting in the sky, a clamor of noisy voices...
"Hey! What are you doing?!"
"You've poured out all the water!!"
A crisp and lively female voice sounded in her ear. The water glass in her hand was suddenly snatched away. Fu Zhao snapped back to reality and looked toward the source of the voice. Two people stood before her: one was a bright, beautiful girl with her hair in a high ponytail, revealing a full forehead, and the other was a handsome youth with soft bangs and gentle features.
"Jiang Wenqing... Ye Er..."
Fu Zhao was dazed again. Her eyes scanned the two of them, blinking in confusion. "When did you two get back? And how did you get in?"
"Last night~" Jiang Wenqing tapped the side of the glass, felt that the water Fu Zhao had poured was the perfect temperature, and drank it all in one go. The glass made a clattering sound as she set it on the table.
"Sister Shi Nan just opened the door for us."
Ye Er casually pulled out a tissue for Jiang Wenqing and added concisely, "Actually, we arrived at the starship port with Sister Shi Nan. The three of us came back together."
"What a shame~~" Jiang Wenqing clicked her tongue and pouted with dissatisfaction, pointing to herself and Ye Er. "All the Little Island Master could think about was Sister Shi Nan. She didn't even spare us a glance last night."
Shi Nan happened to walk over just then. Hearing this, the corners of her eyes curved, and she didn't deny it. "Have you two packed your things?"
"Of course!" Jiang Wenqing nodded, pointing to two suitcases by the door. "We're ready."
Ye Er nodded and, noticing Fu Zhao's still-confused expression, kindly explained, "Sister Weiyan said she booked a hot spring villa for two days and one night. We're going today."
"We?" Fu Zhao asked subconsciously.
"Mhm." Shi Nan smiled and looked over, pointing to herself and Fu Zhao. "You and I. We."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Jiang Wenqing looked indignant. "So, me, Ye Er, and Sister Weiyan have been kicked out of the 'we' team?"
"No," Shi Nan replied smoothly and agreeably. "It's me and Fu Zhao, taking you three kids along."
"Kong Weiyan is going too? Isn't she still away on a business trip?" Fu Zhao couldn't help but laugh as she processed this. "Does she know you've grouped her with Jiang Wenqing and the others?"
"She doesn't know." Shi Nan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the time. It was already four in the afternoon.
"Let's go. It's time to pick her up."
In her memory, it rarely snowed on Nanke Island, and a heavy snowfall like this was even rarer.
The moment they stepped outside, they were greeted by a vast expanse of white covering every building in sight. It was magnificent and pure, dazzling and ethereal, with some snowflakes still curling through the air in light, graceful arcs.
The sports car was useless again.
Fu Zhao had no choice but to take out the inauguration gift she had received before-the new car from Fu Wanqing, which was perfect for this trip.
"Wow, this is cool. Even cooler than a sports car," Jiang Wenqing chattered as soon as she got in, her ponytail swinging back and forth in admiration.
Ye Er carefully placed their luggage in the trunk. He had a habit of bringing a large supply of inhibitors whenever he went out, just in case. This time was no different; he had prepared inhibitors for both Alphas and Omegas.
"I'm ready," he said, buckling his seatbelt after getting in.
"Okay." Fu Zhao nodded, her gaze falling on the courtyard gate. "Let's wait for Shi Nan."
"She hasn't finished packing."
"Okay~" Jiang Wenqing made an OK gesture, obediently buckled her seatbelt, and rolled down the window. Watching the snowflakes drift outside, she couldn't resist reaching out to catch them in her palm. Unafraid of the cold, she simply waited for them to melt in her hand.
"I've seen so much snow out there, but the snow on Nanke Island is still the most beautiful," she said softly.
Fu Zhao followed her gaze. The snow was indeed fluttering outside, a rare and beautiful sight on Nanke Island. She raised an eyebrow. "You never seemed that homesick when you were away, flying between planets and seeing so many beautiful sights. Do you still think the snow on Nanke Island is beautiful?"
"Of course!" Jiang Wenqing retorted quickly, frowning. "On other planets, when it snows, people don't care. They just treat it as ordinary weather. More importantly, I had other things on my mind."
"Mhm," Ye Er nodded gently in agreement. "When you have too much to do, you naturally don't have the mood to care whether it's snowing or not."
"Only when we come back to Nanke Island do we feel relaxed. We can talk about anything and everything without restraint. Every word we say, everything we do, even if it's meaningless and has no central point, won't be seen as a waste."
"Exactly," Jiang Wenqing said with composure. "Like right now, if I say the snow is so heavy and the ground is so white, using such barren adjectives, no one will say I'm not fit to be a reporter."
Fu Zhao was in a daze for a moment. Her gaze swept over the two of them. More than two years had changed many things. The two kids who were once young and impetuous in her eyes had officially become adults-capable adults who were even more impressive than she had imagined.
But as soon as they returned, they became the Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er she knew again.
Perhaps she should be grateful that, in front of her, these two were just Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er.
She parted her lips and let out a soft breath. "You've worked hard."
Just as she finished speaking, a sound came from the distance, and a figure emerged.
"She's coming, she's coming," Jiang Wenqing muttered under her breath.
Fu Zhao looked over and was momentarily dazzled by the figure slowly descending the steps.
A dark brown duffle coat stood in sharp contrast to the white, snowy backdrop. The hood was lined with white, and a belt tied at the side accentuated a slender waist. A simple scarf wrapped around her neck added to the snowy atmosphere.
Her figure was tall, and her long hair was curled into beautiful waves that fell beside her face, fluttering gracefully when the wind blew. With snowflakes occasionally landing on her shoulders and hair, she captured everyone's full attention the moment she appeared.
Bright and dazzling, yet soft and warm.
"Wow, Sister Shi Nan is so pretty," Jiang Wenqing exclaimed beside her, using very simple adjectives.
Fu Zhao's heart fluttered, feeling as if Jiang Wenqing had spoken her thoughts aloud.
Her gaze fell on the approaching Shi Nan, and she suddenly remembered how, back when Shi Nan was still on Nanke Island, she would walk toward her with the same smile, her eyes soft and a gentle curve on her lips.
And that one time, she had suddenly run over, thrown herself at her, and called her "Wifey."
She had to admit, she used to find it a bit cheesy when others used that term.
But now, many thoughts flooded her mind. First, she wondered when she would get to hear Shi Nan use that term again.
Then, reason returned, and she dismissed the thought herself.
She suddenly understood something.
All these years, nothing had changed.
"Thump-"
With a dull thud, the car door opened. Shi Nan got in, bringing with her a flurry of fine snowflakes and a rush of cold wind from outside.
"What were you talking about?" Shi Nan asked, brushing the snow from her hair as she glanced at them. Seeing their dazed expressions, she couldn't help but smile. "Don't tell me you were complaining that I was late and delayed our departure?"
"How could we!" Jiang Wenqing's eyes widened. "We were discussing why Sister Shi Nan is so beautiful!"
"Right?" she said, nudging Ye Er beside her.
Ye Er nodded lightly but became a little shy, lowering his gaze without a word.
"Right."
But the word still came from beside her. A soft handkerchief gently brushed through her hair. Shi Nan looked up and met Fu Zhao's soft, gentle gaze.
She simply let go of her own hand and tilted her head slightly to let Fu Zhao help her.
Fu Zhao was very patient, carefully wiping the snowflakes from her hair and clothes, not even minding when they fell onto the expensive, luxurious car interior.
Shi Nan looked at Fu Zhao, a ripple of amusement in her smile.
"I thought you'd have more to say after 'right'."
Fu Zhao pursed her lips. She probably knew what Shi Nan was thinking and wanted to deny it, but an irrepressible smile still appeared at the corners of her mouth. "You don't think-"
Shi Nan looked over with great interest, her eyes twinkling as she spoke softly.
"Yes, I did think you were going to take the opportunity to confess."
"Pfft-" Jiang Wenqing, who was drinking water, choked and sprayed it out, coughing violently. "Cough, cough... Can you... cough, cough... really say these things... in front of us?"
"Alright, stop talking," Ye Er said, pulling out several tissues for Jiang Wenqing and wiping up the water she had sprayed, a look of disgust on his face. "The more you talk, the more you cough up."
"I know... cough, cough... I will."
Jiang Wenqing was gasping for breath over there.
Fu Zhao didn't seem to mind. After wiping the snow off Shi Nan, she decisively pulled her hand back. She noticed Shi Nan's gaze fixed on her, hot and scorching, as if it could burn a hole through her.
But it had achieved the goal of being unexpected.
She reached out to buckle Shi Nan's seatbelt. As Shi Nan's breath brushed past her ear, she glanced over, staring into Shi Nan's slightly wavering eyes, and said in a relaxed tone, "No, you might have misunderstood."
She retracted her hand the moment she finished speaking.
That should have an effect, she thought. At least it would make Shi Nan unsure of what she wanted to do, unsure of when she would confess. After a few more times, Shi Nan might become numb to it.
Shi Nan's gaze followed her movement. She crossed her arms, not at all annoyed by Fu Zhao's deliberate act. Instead, the curve on her lips widened.
"Alright, I misunderstood."
Fu Zhao nodded lightly and started the car.
She felt as if she were floating, drifting on a cloud that seemed to be telling her: Yay, you fooled Shi Nan! You can be even more unpredictable next time.
She suppressed the impulse in her heart, until she inadvertently glanced at the interior rearview mirror.
And saw her own grin, which was stretching from ear to ear.
The cloud instantly dispersed, and she fell back to the ground.
How could she be so pathetic?
How was this completely different from the effortless composure she had imagined?
"What's wrong?"
A light voice came from beside her. It wasn't even a question, but a confident, affirmative statement. The tone was languid, as relaxed as casual chatter, and tinged with a doting smile.
"Silly~~"
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