Night Rose

She had no recollection of the fact that she was the one who hadn't replied to Zhou Zheng first.

Zhou Zheng didn't answer the phone, and she didn't reply to his messages. She didn't want to delve into which was worse; she just wanted to grab Zhou Zheng and beat him up to vent her anger.

Feeling down, Su Jin thought back to when she was dating Lu Mingzhou. Why didn't she ever feel this anxious and tormented?

She and Lu Mingzhou could discuss everything peacefully, unlike her and Zhou Zheng, who couldn't wait to bite each other after just a few words!

She waited patiently until the afternoon, then stayed home waiting for Ling Keke to get off work.

However, Ling Keke's business trip schedule was completely unpredictable, and she didn't receive a call from her until 7 p.m.

"I'm so sorry, baby! I've been too busy to message you. The client's gone crazy and made us work all night to finish the proposal! I can't come back today, but I've already made a reservation at the restaurant, you absolutely have to come! It's a really nice restaurant!"

Su Jin was a little disappointed. She had been waiting at home for Zhou Zheng's news all day, but she hadn't received any. Now, Ling Keke couldn't have dinner with her, so she had to eat dinner alone.

Not wanting to put Ling Keke in a difficult position, she smiled and replied, "Okay, I'll go. If it's delicious, we can go together next time. Take it easy on yourself while you're working overtime; you barely slept yesterday."

"Okay! Go eat dinner, I have to work overtime and don't have time to chat. See you tomorrow!" Ling Keke kissed the phone.

Su Jin smiled and hung up the phone. The room fell silent and became quiet.

Let's go out; at least it'll be more lively outside.

She changed into a light green sundress with thin straps hanging on her shoulders. The fabric draped smoothly, and irregular ruffles spread out at her calves, making her skin appear even whiter.

Before leaving for New York, she was still wearing a shirt to cover up the bite marks left by Zhou Zheng.

Those marks had long since disappeared, but she still couldn't help rubbing the area around her collarbone. Her skin was fair and easily left marks, and a red patch appeared after just a little rubbing.

The restaurant Ling Keke had booked was quite far away, and Su Jin took a while to get ready before heading out. Just as she got into her car, her phone rang again.

She had long, smooth, black hair draped over her shoulders. Looking down, she saw the name Zhou Zheng flashing on the screen.

An indescribable itch rose in my heart, as if ants were crawling on it.

Should I answer? He's already missed two calls.

If you don't accept, then the stepping stone between the two of you will disappear.

Two little voices were battling in Su Jin's head. The angel voice, with a glowing halo, looked on with a loving expression: "He wasn't answering the phone because he was angry, right? Put yourself in his shoes. If you heard a woman's voice on his end, you'd be angry too, wouldn't you?"

The little devil, with red horns sprouting from its head and holding flames, shrieked, "Why won't he listen to my explanation? I'm clearly innocent! He's just overthinking things!"

Neither of the two little figures could convince the other, so they grabbed each other's little hands and started fighting, completely disrupting Su Jin's train of thought.

The phone kept ringing. She sighed softly, picked it up, and answered without speaking first.

Zhou Zheng saw that the call was connected, but there was no response on the other end, so he didn't waste any words with her.

"Where?"

Su Jin felt a nameless anger burning within her. She slammed her fist on the steering wheel, and the car horn blared loudly.

"Zhou Zheng! What's our relationship? Are you checking up on me? You checked up on me yesterday, and you're doing it again today?"

These words almost explicitly revealed the extremely ambiguous relationship between the two. Despite having done everything, she hadn't given Zhou Zheng a formal title.

She heard Zhou Zheng's breathing become even lower, as if he was suppressing something.

"Su Jin, I'm asking for your address."

"Address?" Su Jin blinked, confused.

"The address in New York," Zhou Zheng repeated in a low voice.

Su Jin suddenly held her breath, an unrealistic possibility flashing through her mind.

"You...you didn't come to New York, did you?"

If she guessed wrong, she would probably be ridiculed for wishful thinking, but she couldn't care less about that.

Zhou Zheng paused, his tone slightly raised, "What do you think?"

Su Jin looked around. In a foreign land, it was inevitable to feel the loneliness of a traveler. The image of Zhou Zheng standing alone in the airport immediately popped into her mind.

I'll pick you up from the airport.

"Too much trouble, I'll take a taxi."

"It's no trouble at all..."

"Address." Zhou Zheng repeated, then gritted his teeth and asked, "What? Is there someone else at your house? Is it inconvenient for me to go?"

"..." That's true.

This is not something that can be said over the phone; it's easier to explain in person.

Ling Keke isn't coming back tonight, so it shouldn't be a problem for her to let Zhou Zheng go to her house, right?

Or, could she book a hotel for Zhou Zheng nearby?

"Don't try to fool me with a vague address," Zhou Zheng said.

Su Jin was truly impressed. How could he always catch what she was thinking? She hadn't even said it aloud.

Su Jin sent her home address, so it seemed she wouldn't have to go out for dinner tonight.

She wandered around a nearby supermarket and bought two servings of instant food.

She was still wondering why Zhou Zheng had suddenly come to New York, and whether it would be awkward when they met later. Would he ask about that guy?

That's all easy to explain. The hardest part is that Ling Keke doesn't know Zhou Zheng has come to see her. Should they meet? And what kind of relationship should they have?

Oh no, she shouldn't have asked Zhou Zheng what their relationship was.

Hopefully, Zhou Zheng is only in New York for personal reasons.

No, she meticulously added additional conditions, and that the private matter had nothing to do with her.

When Zhou Zheng called her again, Su Jin had just finished paying and was leaving the supermarket. The two looked at each other from across the street.

After not seeing each other for more than half a month, the two people who were originally very close became a little awkward.

Zhou Zheng has never paid much attention to his appearance. His slightly wrinkled white short-sleeved shirt and black jeans, along with his signature buzz cut and unruly eyes, make him a quintessential rough-and-tumble guy.

He strode towards Su Jin, his eyes tired, and naturally reached out to take the bag from her hand.

He had never seen Su Jin wear this outfit before; the green halter dress was beautiful and sexy, perfectly accentuating Su Jin's figure.

He couldn't help but wonder if Su Jin had also worn the same sexy dress yesterday, weaving through the crowd in the bar, her fragrance enough to make people succumb.

Just imagining the scene made Zhou Zheng grit his teeth, wanting to keep her by his side and want her to always look only at him.

New York is awful; it has Su Jin's ex-boyfriend and so many men who are interested in her.

The two were silent for a moment. After not seeing each other for so long, Zhou Zheng's face was still quite a shock to Su Jin. She stared at his face for a few seconds before remembering, amidst the lingering awkwardness, that they were still in a cold war.

"you……"

Zhou Zheng, with his sharp eyes, noticed the red marks on her neck. His gaze suddenly sharpened, and he ran his fingertips across her collarbone, staring at her with an overwhelming possessiveness.

"Su Jin, who were you with last night?"