The moment Su Wei turned her head, she saw Zhou Xi’s exaggerated expression and frowned slightly. “What are you doing?”
“Damn!”
“???”
Utterly bewildered, Su Wei stared at Zhou Xi. What was with this sudden dirty joke? Zhou Xi instantly realized her slip had revealed something. Explaining would only make it worse. Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she playfully wrapped an arm around Su Wei.
“What’s wrong? Has this sovereign’s beloved consort grown shy?”
“Go play somewhere else!”
True to Zhou Xi’s hope, Su Wei didn’t overthink it and simply pushed her aside. Relief and disappointment tangled inside Zhou Xi—a quiet sorrow pulling at her heart, unnoticed by Su Wei.
“Didn’t you say there’d be delicious food? Where is it?”
“Coming, coming…”
Zhou Xi forced a faint smile, clapped her hands. From a side passage, maids entered the hot spring carrying large wooden trays. They set them floating on the water’s surface, securing each with thin ropes.
“You rich people really know how to enjoy life.”
Su Wei’s eyes lit up. Soaking in the hot spring while eating? Pure bliss. The luxuries of wealth were truly unimaginable. This palace held far more than just a hot spring—badminton courts, tennis courts, even a golf course… Every recreational facility one could dream of was here.
That day, Su Wei cast aside all distractions, nearly forgetting the software she’d poured months of sweat and soul into. Or perhaps she chose to forget. No one ignores a creation that feels like their own child. Yet she refused to dwell on gains or losses.
As the old saying goes: *Do good without seeking reward; leave the future to fate.* She had done her part. Now, she entrusted the rest to destiny.
So Su Wei played freely. Zhou Xi, too, felt joy—she hadn’t laughed this carelessly with Su Wei in ages. That night, tucked in bed, Zhou Xi turned sideways, gazing at Su Wei’s profile, utterly enchanted.
“Weiwei, you’re so beautiful.”
Su Wei gave a gentle smile, then turned with an exaggerated look of despair. “I thought you admired my fascinating soul… not just this pretty face.”
Zhou Xi knew Su Wei had grown playfully bold with familiarity. Unoffended, she countered smoothly, “Isn’t there a saying online? *Attracted by appearance, captivated by talent, loyal to character.*”
“What character?” Su Wei chuckled. “How can you truly know someone in just a few months?”
“True…” Zhou Xi’s voice softened, tinged with melancholy. “Everyone wears different masks for different people. Who in this world has no secrets? Who isn’t bound by circumstance?”
“Are you feeling okay?” Su Wei pressed a hand to Zhou Xi’s forehead, baffled. “Why say all this out of nowhere?”
“Nothing. Just read too many melodramatic young adult novels lately.”
“Ew… Stop reading those. They’ll rot your brain.”
They chatted deep into the night until drowsiness claimed them. Zhou Xi, fighting sleep, waited until Su Wei drifted off. Then, slowly, she turned and pressed a feather-light kiss to Su Wei’s lips.
…
“Mmm…”
Su Wei stretched with a sigh. She hadn’t slept this deeply in ages. Since entering Zhaoge Royal Academy, dreams were filled with code and study. During software development, a sudden insight or bug fix would jolt her awake for all-night sessions. Waking naturally felt like a forgotten luxury.
“You’re awake, little sleepyhead.”
Zhou Xi lay on her side, eyes brimming with tenderness. “You’ve been exhausted. Never seen you sleep till noon.”
“Already noon?” Su Wei’s voice was still drowsy. A few more nightgown buttons had slipped loose. Zhou Xi swallowed hard, forcing her gaze away.
“Yep. I was debating whether to wake you.”
“Mmm… Best sleep ever.”
Su Wei sat up, changed swiftly. “When do we leave? Won’t the trip take hours?”
“Don’t worry. We won’t be late. Eat first.”
“Alright.”
Trusting Zhou Xi wouldn’t detain her, Su Wei ate, then followed her around for over two hours before finally blurting,
“Xi, if you don’t take me now, I’ll miss my flight.”
“Why rush?” Zhou Xi pouted. “So eager to leave me?”
“What even…” Su Wei gave a wry smile.
“Fine. Want to go? I’ll take you.”
Zhou Xi stomped ahead, pouting. Su Wei followed helplessly. Their winding path led farther from the garage. She bit back questions to avoid upsetting Zhou Xi—until they reached a helipad. A camouflaged stealth armed helicopter sat silently.
Su Wei froze, face pale with shock.
“We’re not taking *that*, are we?”
“Yep.”
Zhou Xi strode over, opened the cockpit, and slid in. Peeking out at Su Wei’s stunned silence:
“Get in.”
“You’re flying it?”
“Yep.”
“Are u sure?”
“Sure!”
“Alright then.”
Su Wei took a shaky breath and climbed into the co-pilot seat. Unlike civilian planes, this military helicopter had cramped space, brutal ergonomics, and a dizzying array of controls. She stared blankly at the button-covered panel.
“Uh… If I panic, I won’t accidentally fire a missile, right?”
“Impossible. No missiles onboard.”
“Thank goodness…”
“But it *does* have a machine gun…”
“…”
Su Wei managed a smile more pained than a frown. “Are you freaking kidding me? Once airborne, you’re *sure* the Grand Zhou Air Force won’t shoot us down?”
“Impossible.”
Zhou Xi shook her head with a laugh. With practiced ease, she tapped a rapid sequence of buttons, pulled the lever—and within seconds, the helicopter shot straight up into the sky.
