Shen Wanci's hand rested on his chest: "I have something to tell you."

Bo Jingzhou's breath was quick and disordered, his eyes slightly red, an uncontrollable surge of masculine hormones accompanied by a kind of impulsiveness surged to the top of his head. In the throbbing blood vessels, it was as if sparks were spreading and colliding.

Although Shen Wanci pressed against his hand with some force, if Bo Jingzhou really wanted to push through, this amount of strength wouldn't stop him at all. But he didn't.

He spoke in a low voice, "Are you sure you want to tell me this now?"

Bo Jingzhou grabbed Shen Wanci's hand and moved it to the area below his abdomen: "The contestants have been decided, there's me."

"Can you not go?" Bao Jingzhou also knew it was impossible. And he couldn't bear for Shen Wanci to give up her dream for him, nor would he break her wings just to keep her by his side, turning her into a canary caged in his own aviary. So he just said it casually.

Shen Wanci hesitated for a moment: "I'm still considering it."

This answer was completely beyond Bo Jingzhou's expectations. He could sense that Shen Wanci wanted to ask, "Why?"

Could it be that you're reluctant to let him go?

Just thinking about this possibility, Bo Jingzhou's lips couldn't help but curl into a smile. Even if there was only a one percent chance, he was very happy.

Shen Wanci hugged his waist, her face pressed against his chest, able to clearly hear the man's rapid heartbeat: "Probably because of you."

Since she knew about the competition, she really wanted to participate. But for some reason, when the headmaster actually asked her, she hesitated.

At that moment, she didn't know what she was hesitating about, it was just a kind of—a woman's intuition, perhaps.

“Really?” Upon hearing this, Bo Jingzhou’s heart skipped a beat. In that instant, all his reluctance and grievances were swept away, replaced by a jolt of electricity that surged from his toes to the top of his head, exploding with countless fireworks of joy in his mind. His whole body was filled with an indescribable sense of ease.

Just with that one sentence, he felt that even if Shen Wanci really had to stay abroad for a month or two, he could bear it.

Bo Jingzhou hugged the person tightly into his arms. His body still reacted obviously, even swelling to the point of pain, but at this moment, there was no trace of that thought in his heart. All he wanted was to hold her like this.

Just hold her like that, don't do anything.

The living room was silent, the two of them embraced in a quiet moment of companionship, warmed by the soft light that shone into Bo Jingzhou's eyes, softening his usually sharp features.

In this atmosphere, Shen Wanci's gaze became scattered, her mind was muddled, she closed her eyes, so sleepy, she really wanted to sleep.

But this posture couldn't be maintained for long, it was bound to be uncomfortable. So, while she hadn't completely slacked off yet, she poked Thin Jingzhou's belly with her finger: "Put the bowl in the kitchen, I'm tired."

Bao Jingzhou was still immersed in that tsunami-like emotion. When Shen Wanci poked him, the physiological impulse he had been suppressing surged over him in an instant. He let out a muffled groan and almost surrendered immediately.

But it was just an impulse, he didn't act on it. Otherwise, the label "he's not capable" that Shen Wanci placed on him would be impossible to remove.

Bao Jingzhou carried his bowl to the kitchen. Shen Wanci lay on the sofa waiting for him, but soon couldn't resist the heavy drowsiness and closed her eyes.

"Slap..."

Shěn Wǎncí was awakened by the sound, she suddenly sat up from the sofa. There was still some confusion in her eyes, but she immediately looked towards the kitchen.

The sound came from there, very crisp, the shattering of a bowl.

She couldn't remember if she had closed the kitchen door earlier, but at this moment, the door was closed and she didn't see Bo Jingzhou.

"Jingzhou?"

She lounged back against the sofa, her chin resting on the top of it, and called out towards the kitchen.

It was just a broken bowl, Shen Wanci didn't initially think much of it, but after waiting for a while and hearing no response from Bo Jingzhou, she became a little panicked.

She lowered her eyebrows, got up from the sofa, and ran to the kitchen without even bothering to put on her shoes: "Jingzhou, what's wrong with you?"

The kitchen was dark, with no lights on.

Just as Shen Wanci was about to reach out and push the door open, she heard a 'snap', and a hand appeared in the reflection of the glass on the door. It was Bo Jingzhou's.

He braced the door open. "It's nothing, I accidentally broke a bowl. Don't come in yet, you might get hurt by the glass shards. Let me clean it up first."

His voice was unusually hoarse, seeming to be mixed with a faint, barely perceptible panting. Shen Wanci wasn't sure if she had misheard, but she felt that things were definitely not as lighthearted as Bo Jingzhou said.

If she was only afraid of getting cut by broken glass, wouldn't she just stay outside the door? Why would she close it?

One person was inside the door, and the other was outside, neither moving.

Shen Wanci's hand was still on the door, her voice a bit low: "Why don't you turn on the lights?"

"Thinking about it, I just put a bowl down for a second, and then I didn't open it. As a result, I didn't see clearly and ended up putting it empty."

The next second, the kitchen lights turned on. Bao Jingzhou’s hand was still pressed against the door, but she only saw that hand; the rest of him was blocked by the wall.

Shen Wanci: "Bo Jingzhou, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"No, you weren't just pretending to be sleepy? Go upstairs and wash up first, I'll come up after I finish sweeping."

Shen Wanci didn't believe him, she kept saying he was sweeping the floor but never actually did. She just held her hand against the door and wouldn't let go.

She pulled on the door with a cold face, and Bo Jingzhou also felt it. He said helplessly: "Wan Wan, listen to me."

Whoever proposes gets to call the shots, Bo Jingzhou, open the door. Don't force my hand.

"...."

There was no response inside, and Shen Wanci couldn't push the door open. Anxiety, anger, fear, and grievance all mixed together, leaving her mind in turmoil, tears welling up in her eyes.

She urged, "You've lied to me many times already. If you lie to me again this time, I won't forgive you. I'll marry someone else..."

Bao Jingzhou sighed, retracted his hand, and opened the door a crack, looking rather dejected: "Don't come in, and don't... laugh."

Shen Wanci frowned and stared at him. The man's face was somewhat pale, with a hint of sweat on his forehead.

She said, "Mm, no laughing."

Hearing her affirmative answer, Bo Jingzhou only then fully opened the door, revealing his disheveled self before her.

His chest was soaking wet, the dark shirt clinging to his body. It was stained with ramen and dried scallions. Coupled with his pitiful expression at the moment, he perfectly embodied the "Tragic Yet Powerful" look: “I accidentally spilled it on myself, didn't want you to see it, so I blocked the door to keep you out. Who knew you would be so emotional that you even said something about marrying someone else.”

Shen Wanci's eyes flickered slightly, but she still stared at him: "Then why is your face so pale?"