TIMO - Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Fu Zhao’s breath hitched.
Just as she expected, Kong Weiyan’s answers always managed to be frustrating.
She pressed a hand to her forehead and looked at Shi Nan. “Let’s get out of the car.”
“Wait a minute!” Kong Weiyan held Fu Zhao back. “I have something to tell you.”
“Should I get out first, then?” Shi Nan’s gaze shifted between the two of them. She was a little confused but didn’t say anything more.
Fu Zhao glanced at Shi Nan, then at Kong Weiyan’s sincere expression, and pursed her lips. “You’d better have something truly important to say.”
“Of course!”
Kong Weiyan, slightly displeased with Fu Zhao’s tone, huffed through her nose. “This is of great importance. We need to discuss it.”
Fu Zhao eyed Kong Weiyan suspiciously, wondering what important matter needed to be discussed away from Shi Nan. But seeing Kong Weiyan’s earnest expression, she relented and said softly to Shi Nan, “You go on ahead with Jiang Wenqing and the others. Kong Weiyan and I will bring the luggage in a bit.”
“Got it~~” Shi Nan drew out the last syllable and pinched Fu Zhao’s cheek again before saying anything else.
After Shi Nan got out of the car and walked away.
Fu Zhao’s gaze fell on Kong Weiyan’s serious face, a hint of scrutiny in her eyes. “What is it?”
“Did something happen on this trip to RT Planet…” As she said this, her brow furrowed. Kong Weiyan’s business trip was just to attend an interstellar summit. Since Fu Zhao had only recently taken office, Kong Weiyan was still primarily responsible for foreign relations.
Could something have gone wrong at the summit?
As this thought crossed Fu Zhao’s mind, she pressed her lips together. Just as she was about to say more, Kong Weiyan pointed to her own seatbelt and said with a straight face,
“Aren’t you going to unbuckle me?”
“…” Fu Zhao closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her tone was pleasant. “You kept me here just for this?”
“Of course not.”
Kong Weiyan exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, then rolled her eyes. “What kind of person do you take me for? Why would I do something like that??”
“Must I look at you with a disappointed face?”
“Do you really have to be like this, Fu Zhao?” She bit her lower lip gently, her eyes glistening as if tears were about to well up.
Fu Zhao was momentarily dazzled by Kong Weiyan’s much-improved acting skills. She moved her lips, completely unmoved by the few tears Kong Weiyan had managed to squeeze out, and said flatly, “What is it?”
“It’s nothing, really.” Kong Weiyan’s expression changed in an instant. The tears that had seemed ready to spill over moments ago vanished. She wiggled her fingers. “Come a little closer, and I’ll tell you.”
Fu Zhao was getting a headache. She rested her hand on her forehead. “There are only two of us in the car. Why do we need to be so close?”
Kong Weiyan frowned in thought for a few seconds, then snapped her fingers. “Good point!”
“Then I’ll just say it.” She tilted her head conspiratorially, coughed lightly to clear her throat, and her eyes darted around. “I heard you’re planning to confess?”
Fu Zhao stared at Kong Weiyan’s gossipy face, then decisively opened the car door and got out. She felt Kong Weiyan was being ridiculous, and she herself was just as ridiculous for actually believing Kong Weiyan had something serious to say.
She knew full well how unreliable this person was.
As soon as she opened the door, snowflakes drifted onto her cheeks, bringing a biting chill along with the whistling wind.
In the distance, Shi Nan’s figure had shrunk to a tiny dot.
Fu Zhao ran a few steps, wanting to catch up, but she slowed down upon hearing the sound of footsteps chasing after her and Kong Weiyan’s excited voice.
“Hey! Don’t go!!” Kong Weiyan called out, running over breathlessly.
Fu Zhao turned back, locked the car with a clean click, and quickened her pace again.
She was just locking the car, not waiting for Kong Weiyan.
“Hey, what I mean is…” Kong Weiyan grabbed her, looking dissatisfied. “I can help you.”
Fu Zhao stopped and glanced sideways at Kong Weiyan. “How did you know I was going to confess?”
“Xiao Qing told me,” Kong Weiyan answered readily, selling out Jiang Wenqing in seconds. She then trotted alongside Fu Zhao. “Instead of agonizing over this alone, you might as well let a professional like me help you.”
She gestured with her chin toward Shi Nan in the distance, her tone light as she winked. “With my professional expertise as the Head of the Literature and Art Propaganda Department, I think you can trust me.”
Fu Zhao looked up at Kong Weiyan. “So that’s what the three of you were talking about when you were walking so slowly outside the car just now.”
“What’s your plan?” she asked, looking at Kong Weiyan. Kong Weiyan’s expression could only be described as smug, and Fu Zhao couldn’t help but add another sentence.
Kong Weiyan huffed and said righteously, “Even though you were completely disrespectful to me just now, I’m so much older, so I won’t stoop to bickering with a kid like you.”
Fu Zhao didn’t know how Kong Weiyan, who was the same age as her, could say something like “adult and kid.” Besides, compared to her, Kong Weiyan was more often the one who acted like a child.
Immature, amusing, and not much different from the Jiang Wenqing of their childhood.
But sometimes… Kong Weiyan did indeed see things more clearly than the rest of them.
Speaking of childhood, was the young Kong Weiyan like this too?
The thought suddenly occurred to her, but before she could find an answer, the corner of her coat was tugged forcefully, pulling her from her daze back to reality.
Before her was Kong Weiyan’s suspicious gaze. “Why did you zone out while we were talking?”
Fu Zhao shook her head. She suddenly had the urge to hear Kong Weiyan’s opinion. She glanced toward the villa again. Shi Nan’s figure had already disappeared through the villa’s entrance, hidden by the vintage-style wooden door.
The door wasn’t completely closed. A few figures moved about in the snow inside, accompanied by the gently falling snowflakes and the soft sway of the dim yellow lights, creating a hazy, dreamlike glow.
“So, what’s your plan?” She retracted her gaze and fixed it on Kong Weiyan’s face, her eyes brightening slightly. “Do you have a way to make it unexpected and a pleasant surprise for her?”
Seeing the look of anticipation in Fu Zhao’s eyes, Kong Weiyan let out a soft breath and gave a sheepish smile. She swallowed unconsciously and voiced an idea that even she felt was unreliable.
“My plan is… for everyone to brainstorm a plan together later.”
As expected, the moment she finished speaking, the light in Fu Zhao’s eyes flickered abruptly. The expression on her face vanished, and she turned and walked away.
Her slender, tall figure, wrapped in a camel-colored coat, seemed to merge with the swirling snow.
Kong Weiyan stood there watching for a moment, then looked up at the sky distractedly. It was almost evening. The warm white clouds were thick, with faint glimmers of golden light peeking through the gaps, only to vanish in the blink of an eye. Snowflakes danced gently in the air, landing on the surrounding trees. A few drifted slowly into her palm, melting and disappearing.
It had been almost three years. Heavy snow was a rare sight on Nanke Island.
She remained silent for a long time, then sighed softly and called out a name,
“You win.”
The main purpose of their trip to the hot spring villa was to soak in the hot springs.
So, almost as soon as they entered the villa, Kong Weiyan and Jiang Wenqing were clamoring to go.
The trip was for two days and one night, and Kong Weiyan had arranged a tight schedule. Barbecue and hot springs tonight, climbing a mountain at three in the morning to see the sunrise, and after coming down from the mountain, a half-day rest before going skiing.
Almost every moment was filled, which would likely result in complete mental and physical exhaustion.
The first step was the hot springs.
The villa had three pools. After some discussion, they decided to divide them by gender: one for Ye Er, one for Shi Nan, and the other for the three female Alphas.
The yukatas were of a simple, standard style. The three of them kept their distance, so it wasn’t too awkward.
“Alright, now that we have the chance, let’s think about Fu Zhao’s confession,” Kong Weiyan said, chatting idly as she soaked in the water. “I have an idea. We could put on a huge fireworks display, take Shi Nan to see it, and then you confess directly. How about that?”
“No.” Fu Zhao’s rejection was swift. Her closed eyelids lifted slightly to shoot Kong Weiyan a look. “Shi Nan has seen countless fireworks displays. It’s too cliché.”
“Cliché?” Kong Weiyan’s eyes widened in anger, and she nearly jumped up. “You’re calling me cliché?”
Fu Zhao lazily raised her eyes. “Yes, I’m talking about you.”
The water temperature was very comfortable, easing the tension of the past few days and her physical fatigue. She simply leaned against the edge of the pool and closed her eyes to rest.
“How is it cliché!!” Kong Weiyan was clearly not convinced, splashing about in the water with a flurry of sounds.
“Then how about this?”
Jiang Wenqing stroked her chin, seemingly in deep thought. “Just like in those TV shows and movies, Island Master, why don’t you just cut out your kidney and give it to Sister Shi Nan?”
“Cough, cough… cough, cough…”
A series of coughs erupted. Kong Weiyan and Fu Zhao had both choked on their saliva at the same time. Kong Weiyan stared at Jiang Wenqing in horror. “Xiao Qing, what kind of movies have you been watching? We can’t do that.”
Fu Zhao finally managed to calm her coughing fit. She raised a hand to touch her own waist, the solid feel of it bringing her a sense of relief.
It wasn’t that she was unwilling… to give up a kidney.
She was just afraid of the pain.
“Lots of movies and TV shows have that plot, right?” Jiang Wenqing blinked blankly. “Like 《The Domineering CEO A Falls for Me》, 《I'm Crazy for the Beautiful O》, and that one, 《The Beautiful O Seduced Me and Then Stole My Kidney》…”
“Xiao Qing!” Kong Weiyan stopped Jiang Wenqing from reciting the list of movie titles. “Watch some good movies. If you can’t, then just focus on your work. Don’t watch this garbage.”
Jiang Wenqing pouted, about to say something more, but her phone, which was placed by the side of the pool, chimed. She picked it up and tapped it open. Her fingertips paused, and she glanced at Fu Zhao without a word, then swiped her finger lightly to look at other messages before clearing her throat.
“It’s Ye Er. I just asked him if he had any good ideas.”
“He said he can’t think of a good way for the Island Master to confess, but if it absolutely has to be unexpected, you could skip the confession step.”
“And propose directly.”
Her words were a wake-up call.
Fu Zhao’s eyelids lifted. She met the gaze of Kong Weiyan, who was stroking her chin thoughtfully beside her, and found herself faintly thinking that this idea might actually be feasible.
Compared to a confession that Shi Nan would be prepared for, if she proposed directly, it would certainly be unexpected.
But in the next second, she dismissed the thought.
A proposal was a major event. She couldn’t guarantee that skipping the dating stage and going straight to a proposal wouldn’t put Shi Nan in a difficult position.
Even if they already had a marriage contract.
“That doesn’t seem appropriate.” She gently closed her eyes again. “The pace is too fast. I’m afraid it would make things awkward for her, and… who knows what will happen to us in the future?”
“But-” Jiang Wenqing wanted to say more but was interrupted by Kong Weiyan.
“I think Fu Zhao has a point.”
Unexpectedly, Kong Weiyan, who was always clamoring to see their sweet moments, sided with Fu Zhao this time. “Let’s confess first. The thought of Fu Zhao getting married and becoming an adult right away still feels a bit strange to me.”
“At least give me a little buffer period,” she added. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t support your marriage. I support it very much, don’t get me wrong.”
Although Fu Zhao didn’t agree with Kong Weiyan’s reasoning, she thought about it and echoed her sentiment.
“Let’s confess first. We’ll think of another way.”
She didn’t open her eyes; keeping them closed seemed to help her think of an effective plan.
Not a proposal.
Within a week.
Under the circumstance that Shi Nan knew she was going to confess at any moment.
And successfully make it unexpected.
It was a difficult problem, but before she could finish thinking, another sound reached her ears.
“Ding-dong-”
Another phone notification, followed by Kong Weiyan’s voice. “Mine, mine. It’s work stuff, let me see.”
“Alright.” Jiang Wenqing’s voice was a little dejected. She didn’t say anything else, but it sounded like she was getting out of the pool, accompanied by the splashing of water. “Since we’re not proposing, then I think the biggest surprise comes when there’s no expectation.”
Jiang Wenqing was right.
But the question was, how could she make Shi Nan stop expecting it?
“Let’s talk about it when we get back to the West Archipelago. My brain is mush from the heat right now, I can’t think of any good ideas,” Kong Weiyan said again. “I’m going to get ready first. Oh, and don’t soak for too long, Fu Zhao, or you’ll get dizzy.”
Fu Zhao lazily lifted her eyes. The room was hazy with steam, making it hard to see clearly. She closed her eyes again. “Got it. I’ll be out in a bit.”
“Mm,” Kong Weiyan replied, her tone calm.
Then came the sound of footsteps, presumably leaving.
Without Kong Weiyan, Jiang Wenqing seemed to have quieted down as well. There was silence for a good while, with only the sound of trickling water.
She rested peacefully against the edge of the pool.
Thinking about the confession she needed to prepare.
Surprise… surprise…
What would truly count as a surprise?
As Fu Zhao thought this, she tilted her head back and unconsciously murmured aloud.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wenqing didn’t respond. Only the sound of gently sloshing water reached her ears. Then, it seemed to get closer and closer. A rush of mist brushed against her, followed by the slow current of moving water.
Warm, moist fingertips touched her cheek, brushing aside the damp strands of hair by her face.
Fu Zhao’s eyes flew open, but she froze instantly. The next second, she met a pair of smiling, tea-brown eyes. The corners of the eyes were slightly curved, the lashes delicately curled. Black hair was tied up in a bun, with damp strands clinging to a fair, translucent neck.
She was looking at her sideways.
Her voice seemed to have been moistened by the humidity in the air—melodious and soft, carrying a lazy, enchanting smile.
“Does this count as a surprise?”
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