TIMO - Chapter 71

Chapter 71

This was Fu Zhao's first time asking for a date.

After she got back, she thought about it and felt that the most suitable activity for her and Shi Nan was still a “walk” or a “drive”- this was what they did most often before Shi Nan left.

When she couldn't think of any other activities, redoing things they had done together before might bring more pleasant surprises.

Unfortunately, it was winter now, so going for a drive wasn't really suitable.

So she settled for the next best thing and chose a walk.

But a walk seemed like an activity that hadn't been prepared with much thought.

Fu Zhao's gaze fell on the pocket of Shi Nan's coat. Inside was a warm, soft hand, a hand she should be holding right now, not one that should be left alone in a coat pocket.

But...

She stared for a good while before silently averting her gaze and clearing her throat discreetly. "Will you be bored? Since it's just a walk."

"Not at all~~"

Shi Nan glanced over, her eyes reflecting a smile. "Before, I was either rushing around on the road or in endless meetings. To have time for a walk is already very satisfying."

"That's good," Fu Zhao replied, glancing at the hand Shi Nan still hadn't taken out. She pursed her lips. "I thought..."

"That I didn't do a good job on our first date."

"Why do you think that?" Shi Nan raised an eyebrow.

Fu Zhao didn't speak. After a moment of silence, she tried to keep her expression calm, to keep her face straight and her heart from pounding, as she slipped her hand into Shi Nan's coat pocket.

Their warm fingertips touched, but she still couldn't help but tremble slightly.

She paused for a moment but didn't retreat. Instead, she clasped that soft palm right there in the pocket, their fingers intertwining.

"My hand is a little cold," she said, not answering Shi Nan's question but finding an excuse for herself.

"Pfft-"

A gentle chuckle sounded by her ear, followed by a lazy, soft voice, "In that case, your own pocket might be warmer. Your coat is thicker."

As soon as she finished speaking, their joined hands were taken out together, moving from one pocket to the other.

The distance between them closed.

Shoulder to shoulder, step in step, hand in hand.

Amidst the noisy crowd and wandering gazes, they were like the most ordinary of young couples.

If only it were true... that she wasn't the Island Master of Nanke Island, that she wouldn't be unable to go to RT Planet because of psychological trauma. If so, she and Shi Nan wouldn't have to maintain a "long-distance relationship."

For a moment, this immature thought surfaced in Fu Zhao's mind, only to be overturned by reason the next second.

Restrained yet impulsive.

She sighed silently in her heart. After a moment of silence, she finally broached the subject. "In a few days... how about I go to RT Planet to see you?"

The person beside her paused her steps, pulling Fu Zhao, who had stepped forward, back with her. She stared at her fixedly. "No."

Fu Zhao knew this would be Shi Nan's answer, but the desire to struggle still arose. Her gaze met Shi Nan's as she said in a small voice, "I'll have to go to RT Planet eventually... I can't avoid it forever."

The moment the thought of persuasion surfaced, Shi Nan saw through it. Her palm was squeezed punishingly, a light stinging sensation.

"Then let's talk about it in two years." Shi Nan stared at Fu Zhao in silence for a moment. Catching the look of anticipation in her eyes, her heart softened a little, but she didn't relent.

"Two more years." She gently closed her eyes. "When the time comes, you can come whenever you want, go wherever you want... anywhere is fine."

Confusion colored Fu Zhao's eyes. "Why two years?"

"If it's just because I can't acclimate..." Her voice trailed off, tinged with a bit of guilt, "two years won't make a difference."

"Actually..." She bit her lip and mustered the courage to say, "if it's about acclimating, I'd need to go there more often to get better."

"Isn't that right?"

Perhaps because her voice was too soft and her confidence had waned, Shi Nan's lips curved into a smile. She raised her arm and gently, with a light touch, ruffled her hair.

Her palm was soft, her movements gentle.

But the words that came out were still two cruel and merciless ones: "No."

Fu Zhao deflated. She wasn't unaware of what Shi Nan was worried about- it was undoubtedly the things that had happened the first time she went, which had made Shi Nan uneasy. But Lu Jingmo was already locked up, and not being able to acclimate was something that could be overcome.

To Shi Nan, these two things shouldn't be enough to make her so resolute.

To Fu Zhao, the most important thing was what had happened in her past life. But two years had already passed, and everything was different from before. The entire timeline, all the events that were supposed to happen, had completely changed.

Even the peony in her yard, which had never bloomed in her past life, was recently showing signs of flowering.

Then that purely accidental event from her past life would, by rights, not happen.

Based on reasonable speculation, she had reason to believe that the time node had long since shifted, that the original trajectory of time had already been altered.

So, did she really have to wait two years?

Even if she had to wait, it should just be until after her 25th birthday. Then everything would be settled.

"Your birthday is in a few days. What gift do you want?" As if hearing her thoughts, this question suddenly sounded by her ear.

Fu Zhao snapped back to her senses and met Shi Nan's beautiful, hazel eyes. She blinked blankly, and a moment later, her eyes flickered as she stated the gift she wanted most.

"The gift I want most is permission to go to RT Planet to see you."

Shi Nan stopped walking and turned her head to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "We'll talk about that later."

"What about others? More tangible gifts, like a car, a house, or a private starship..."

Fu Zhao watched Shi Nan for a moment. The other woman had completely changed the subject and clearly had no intention of discussing it further. She had no choice but to give up, think seriously, and answer Shi Nan's question.

"I have all of those. It's useless to have so many."

"Then what do you want?" Shi Nan seemed determined to get an answer, pressing the issue.

Fu Zhao closed her eyes absently. She knew Shi Nan wouldn't allow her what she truly wanted, but besides that, there seemed to be nothing else she desired.

She possessed more than she wanted.

Her family was alive and well, and their relationship was close, without any complicated entanglements.

Her friends were right here by her side, available to meet whenever she wanted. They gathered often, each pursuing their own ideals.

Her lover was in love with her, and their pace and progress were just right. Even if it was a long-distance relationship, which had its downsides, it was still within an acceptable range.

Nanke Island was stable and peaceful, the years were quiet, and the islanders were safe and happy. The crime rate was so low it was almost negligible.

So what else was there to want?

Fu Zhao thought it over and gave Shi Nan an answer that best fit her current situation.

"I already have what I want, and I'm already working hard on the things I want to do, so there's no particular gift I want right now..."

"But as long as it's from you, I'm sure I'll like it."

---

In the three days before Shi Nan's departure, two days before Fu Zhao's birthday, Fu Zhao became exceptionally busy.

She was almost never seen at home during the day.

And she always returned by moonlight after work in the evening.

So after that walk, they never managed to find time for another date.

Even on her birthday, Fu Zhao couldn't get off work on time.

It wasn't until the moon had crept up past the window that there was a knock on her office door.

"Come in-"

Fu Zhao didn't look up, only saying that one word.

The sound of light footsteps approached, and an exquisitely wrapped gift box came into view. It was a square box, tied with a soft silk ribbon.

"Happy birthday, my dear Island Master~~"

A cheerful, lighthearted voice rang in her ear. Fu Zhao froze for a moment and looked up. A person stood before her, wearing a lake-blue knit sweater, a bright purple skirt, and...

Her originally short, fine black hair had been transformed into long, flowing, curly red hair.

Striking and eye-catching.

"..." She couldn't help but look Kong Weiyan's outfit up and down. After a long moment, she pursed her lips and said, "Thank you."

Kong Weiyan blinked, flicked her flowing red hair, and pouted. "Why don't you open it and see?"

Only then did Fu Zhao tear her gaze away from Kong Weiyan's dazzling outfit and move it to the gift box before her. She reached out to untie the ribbon. "What is this?"

"See for yourself," Kong Weiyan answered vaguely.

A flicker of suspicion crossed her mind. Fu Zhao glanced at Kong Weiyan, her hands slowing considerably. "It's not some kind of prank, is it?"

Kong Weiyan rolled her eyes and replied with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "So that's what you think of me."

"Am I the kind of person who would cause trouble on your birthday?"

Fu Zhao thought about it carefully, then nodded with a relaxed tone. "Yes."

"..." Kong Weiyan huffed through her nose. "Relax, it's nothing indecent. It's very normal."

Kong Weiyan's confident assertion only made Fu Zhao more uneasy. She paused but unwrapped it anyway. "It better not be. If it is, I'll throw it out directly."

"...Suit yourself." Kong Weiyan sighed and shook her head. "To think we've known each other for so long, yet there isn't even this little bit of trust between us."

"Do you think that's right?!"

"Thump-"

Fu Zhao glanced up and, with a deadpan expression, pulled the book out of the box. 《Alpha Susceptibility Period and Marking Precautions》. It was very thick, looking to be several hundred pages, and it made a dull thud when she tossed it on the desk.

"The fact that I didn't throw it in the trash can in front of you," she added succinctly, "is out of respect for you."

"What's there to throw away? What's not normal about this?" Kong Weiyan looked utterly baffled, declaring openly, "Isn't this knowledge that every Alpha should learn?"

"I was just afraid..." She leaned in, her voice dropping. "What if an unexpected situation arises and you don't know what to do? That would be a huge embarrassment."

"So it's better to learn early."

"Let me tell you, I searched through tons of reviews to find this. Everyone says it's a book that combines theory and practice..."

When Kong Weiyan got started on these topics, she was always like an open floodgate, talking endlessly.

It was true that Alphas needed to learn this knowledge, but Fu Zhao felt that Kong Weiyan's words were becoming pointed. She cut her off in time. "I'm an Alpha who hasn't entered a susceptibility period yet."

"I can't listen to this."

"What's wrong with that?" Kong Weiyan whispered devilishly in her ear. "Your first susceptibility period, isn't this perfect?"

"It's perfect so that those unopened inhibitors of yours can stay unopened."

Fu Zhao was silent for a moment, feeling her heavy eyelids grow even more tired. She pushed Kong Weiyan away, her expression unchanging. "When are you leaving?"

"Also... why are you suddenly wearing so many colors?"

To keep Kong Weiyan from continuing the topic, Fu Zhao gently closed her eyes to rest. After a thought, she decided to switch to the question she'd wanted to ask from the beginning. She paused. "It's like you've run into spring..."

Kong Weiyan pouted with great regret, lamenting Fu Zhao's unwillingness to be enlightened. She waved her hand and answered Fu Zhao's question, "I wore black, white, and gray before to seem more mature and steady, right?"

"But now I think this is more memorable."

"It helps people remember me."

"Who can't remember you?" Fu Zhao lazily lifted her eyes, seizing the key point. "I've never seen anyone fail to remember you before."

"Oh..." Kong Weiyan waved her hand again, answering vaguely, "No one, I was just kidding."

"I just wanted to wear more colors and play to the strengths of my beauty, after all..."

As she rambled on, her gaze discreetly fell on Fu Zhao's face. Sure enough, Fu Zhao had already closed her eyes, as if she were listening, but also as if she had fallen asleep.

Kong Weiyan sighed softly, picked up a nearby blanket to gently cover Fu Zhao, and turned up the heat a little.

"Clatter-"

As she moved, she bumped into something on the desk, and it seemed to have fallen.

Kong Weiyan turned back. It was a document.

The document stated that, in view of Department Head Kong Weiyan's outstanding performance in multiple events, the vineyard in the West Archipelago was now being gifted to Department Head Kong Weiyan as a reward.

Her fingertips holding the document tightened.

This kid.

Kong Weiyan murmured softly, then couldn't help but sigh again. The number of sighs she'd heaved these past few days could probably circle the entire solar system. She glanced at Fu Zhao, who was fast asleep in her chair, and placed the document back on the desk at the exact same angle.

Then she shook her head, slowly walked out, and closed the office door behind her.

---

Fu Zhao didn't know when she had fallen asleep.

The moment she realized it, she snapped her eyes open, momentarily disoriented as to where she was.

But the next second, a soft, delicate touch on her shoulder pressed her back into the chair, letting her continue to nestle in it. The chair was an office chair Shi Nan had carefully selected for her; it was ergonomic and exceptionally comfortable to lean back in.

Warm, soft fingertips rested on her temples, their gentle heat massaging them, soothing much of the dizziness from just waking up.

"Awake?"

A familiar voice, lazy and pleasant, drifted into her ears. It was the most reassuring sound she had heard lately, easing the panic of being startled from a dream.

"Mmm..." She closed her eyes in contentment and spoke softly, "There's probably been too much to do. I've been a bit tired lately. I didn't even notice I'd fallen asleep in the office."

"You need to balance work and rest."

The simple reminder floated into her ears and seeped into her heart. A curve unconsciously formed on Fu Zhao's lips, and she felt increasingly at ease. "I know."

"Good," Shi Nan replied softly. The movements of her hands grew even gentler, accompanied by a deliberately slowed breath and the faint hint of a smile. "Was someone here just now?"

"Kong Weiyan was here."

Fu Zhao answered absently, then asked back as if in casual conversation, "How did you know?"

The movements on her head didn't stop, slowly circling her temples. The warm, soft body behind her drew closer, bending down slightly. Strands of long, curly hair fell, carrying a fragrant scent.

Then came a soft, gentle laugh, like a warm breeze from the coziest winter stove, now floating in the air, enchanting and light.

The laugh made Fu Zhao feel a little thirsty, her mouth growing increasingly dry. She unconsciously asked again, "What is it? What are you laughing at?"

Then the breathing from above her slowed considerably, and the voice that came had a lilt at the end, a lazy, lingering smile in its tone.

"The book on your desk... you couldn't possibly have bought it yourself, right?"

Get instant access to all the chapters now.

Previous Table of Contents Next