Zero slowly blinked, looking at Jingliu, who had just said "destroy the world."
For a moment, he didn't know whether there was something wrong with him, or something wrong with this world.
Zero hesitated as he spoke, "You mean… this is normal?"
Jingliu nodded and gently comforted him, "This is completely normal. You don't need to think there's something wrong with you just because you run into something or have a negative thought."
As if she felt that wasn't convincing enough, she immediately started giving examples, "For instance, if someone gets their pay docked by their superior, they complain. Or if they fail an exam, they curse about it. Oh, and Dan Feng..."
Jingliu brought up Dan Feng, whom they both knew.
She said indifferently, "Dan Feng often says he's sick to death of those Dragon Lord and wishes they'd molt and reincarnate the very next day."
She paused, then added, "And there's me, too. When I interrogate serious criminals in the Ten-Lords Commission, I'm not like I am now."
As soon as Zero heard that, his interest was piqued.
Speaking of the Ten-Lords Commission… he really hadn't seen his subordinates interrogate serious criminals before.
Only when his subordinates submitted interrogation reports would Zero learn about their situations.
He was genuinely curious. "What are you like when you interrogate serious criminals in the Ten-Lords Commission?"
Jingliu refused to say more. She just smiled and said, "If I told you, I'd probably only scare you. All right, aside from destroying the universe, what else do you want to do?"
As she finished speaking, her gaze was gentle as she looked at Zero, as if encouraging him with her eyes, encouraging him to say what was on his mind, as if no matter how outrageous it was, she would accept it.
Zero, "..."
If he kept going, wouldn't Jingliu end up treating him like a rebellious kid going through a phase?
He decided to skip this topic. After thinking for a moment, he spoke with some difficulty, "Sometimes, I might… make certain decisions on my own."
Jingliu nodded thoughtfully.
That part was true.
The two of them had agreed that no matter what happened, they would tell each other right away.
But the jewelry Zero had bought on his own had happened before they confirmed their relationship.
They had already discussed this issue before, and Jingliu didn't plan to dig up old accounts.
Jingliu knew very well that Zero was extremely good at playing word games.
This time, she wanted to properly hear how Zero would explain this house.
Calm and unhurried, Jingliu asked, "We agreed that we'd tell each other right away if anything happened. This time, you broke your promise."
As soon as Zero heard that, he instantly became righteously confident.
He shook his head, his tone light. "You said, 'Whatever you want.'"
Jingliu thought about it for a long time but still couldn't recall it clearly.
Seeing the hint of confusion on her face, Zero reminded her, "It was the day we had dinner with Dan Feng."
"After that meal, you said, 'Whatever you want.'"
Jingliu, "..."
She finally remembered that line.
Back then, after Jingliu said that, Zero had replied thoughtfully that he understood, then immediately turned around and left.
Embarrassed and annoyed by his lack of romance, Jingliu had no choice but to help her colleagues at the Ten-Lords Commission interrogate serious criminals.
She took a deep breath and asked the question that confused her the most, "We'd only been together for such a short time then. How did you already think about giving me a house?"
Zero thought for a moment, then answered sincerely, "Actually, at first I just wanted to give you some clothes. Then I thought about your residence and felt it was too empty…"
At the beginning, he simply couldn't appreciate Jingliu's clothing style and wanted to pick out some clothes according to his own taste. Then he thought of Jingliu's empty home.
Compared to a home, it felt more like a temporary place to stay.
Since he was already going to give her clothes, rounding it off meant just giving her a house.
Although it did feel a bit like making dumplings just to use up vinegar… it wasn't a big problem.
As for the vinegar, Zero hadn't forgotten about it.
He could just fill those few walk-in closets with all kinds of clothes.
Zero continued, "I also asked other people, and in the end decided to just give you a house."
After hearing this, Jingliu didn't feel angry at all.
She realized she was gradually getting used to Zero's overly jumpy way of thinking.
Thinking back over their conversation, Jingliu realized that this time, Zero hadn't played any word games.
Still uneasy, she pressed on. "And then?"
Earlier, Zero had misjudged things, thinking Jingliu wouldn't be angry, and had specially brought the house's gift agreement with him.
He had just managed to calm her down, if he took it out now… she'd probably get angry again, right?
Zero hesitated, unsure how to bring it up. Jingliu crossed her arms and stared at him, clearly not planning to let it go without a full explanation.
He studied her expression, hesitating.
At a glance, Jingliu could tell Zero definitely had some other strange idea again.
He was afraid she'd get angry.
Jingliu raised an eyebrow. "What? Afraid I'll get mad? Just say it."
She thought to herself that word games were the easiest thing in the world.
After all, she hadn't personally promised that she wouldn't get angry.
Sure enough, Zero misunderstood her meaning. Without further hesitation, he stood up and said to her, "I left it in the reception room. Wait a moment."
Jingliu stood up as well and followed right after him.
"I'll go with you."
The two left the courtyard, walked for a bit, and arrived at the reception room.
Zero picked up the document envelope casually placed on the sofa. He stopped, looked at Jingliu, and was about to speak and confirm again when Jingliu reached out and took the envelope from his hand.
She opened it and saw four large characters on the cover, "Gift Agreement."
She had originally wanted to tell Zero that it wasn't just him who could play word games, she could too.
But the moment the gift agreement appeared… Jingliu's mind went completely blank.
She stood there stunned for quite a while, then suddenly asked, "The signatures you asked me for before…?"
Zero didn't answer. He took the document from Jingliu, sat down on the sofa, and patted the seat beside him, urging her to sit.
Only after Jingliu stiffly sat down did Zero open the file to the page that needed signing, take the pen from the coffee table, and place it in the middle of the document.
He raised his hand and pointed to the blank space on the gift agreement.
Jingliu repeated her question, "…What about those signatures of mine?"
Zero still didn't answer. He just said, "Sign it."
How could Jingliu not understand what Zero meant?
Whether she signed today or not, this house was hers anyway.
She picked up the pen and signed, pressing so hard she nearly tore through the paper.
Zero pointed out each place that needed a signature, and Jingliu coldly signed them one by one.
After she finished signing, Zero put the documents away with satisfaction and spoke to comfort her, "As for those signatures, when our relationship, um…"
He paused, then said, "Anyway, you'll know in the future."
Jingliu was so angry she laughed instead. She quickly steadied herself, then swung a leg over and straddled the person beside her.
Zero was startled at first, then wrapped an arm around her waist.
Jingliu examined the person in front of her. Aside from that brief moment of surprise, he quickly adjusted his expression.
Still gentle and harmless, as if he weren't holding his partner at all, but… doing something utterly ordinary.
Compared to how she looked when getting close to Zero, he seemed far too composed.
Jingliu took a deep breath.
'Now isn't the time to think about that.'
She lifted her gaze and met his eyes.
Zero didn't care about how much he gave, but he cared deeply about how much others gave him.
If that was the case…
Jingliu had an idea. She softly said, "In a few days, I'll draw up a gift agreement and give my house to you. Remember to sign it."
Just as she expected, Zero froze, showing an expression she'd never seen on him before.
Jingliu reached up and pinched his cheek, staring at him as she asked, "Why is it that when I treat you the same way you treat me, you're so…"
She paused, then said slowly, word by word, "So flustered and overwhelmed by favor?"
Zero looked even more confused. He was stunned for quite a while.
Flustered and overwhelmed? Was he? Why would Jingliu use that idiom? It seemed the language teacher's standards were questionable.
Honestly speaking, there were some things he could do himself but couldn't accept when others did the same to him.
Zero pulled his thoughts back, adjusted his expression, and calmly skipped over Jingliu's question, smiling as he said, "No need to give me real estate. I prepared this gift for you to make you happy, I didn't expect it to get things backward… I'll be more careful next time."
Seeing this, Jingliu didn't press the issue and very cooperatively dropped the topic.
She pinched Zero's cheek and said in a deliberately stern tone, "There won't be a next time."
Zero let her do as she pleased. Lowering his gaze, he realized that the way he'd changed the subject earlier had been too abrupt, so he had to find another topic.
He sighed and looked up at her, "When we confessed, you beat me to it."
He hinted pointedly, "Next time, you won't be allowed to beat me to it again."
Jingliu's hand slid down from his cheek, her palm pressing against his chest.
Smiling, she drawled, "You said next time?"
She deliberately paused, then lightly shook her head, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
"I can't promise that."
Zero, "..."
Good thing he'd had the proposal ring custom-made ahead of time.
It really was time to put proposing on the schedule.
He couldn't let Jingliu beat him to it then, right?
As he was thinking this, Jingliu pressed her hand to his chest and gently pushed him.
Zero went along with the force and leaned back against the sofa.
The next moment, soft lips pressed against his.
Zero raised a hand to cradle the back of her head, deepening the kiss.
Only when Jingliu was breathing lightly and tapped his shoulder did they finally pull apart.
Zero tugged on the blue hair ribbon on Jingliu's head and gently undid the knot.
Jingliu's chest rose and fell. Before she could collect herself, Zero wrapped an arm around her waist and effortlessly reversed their positions.
She lay on her back on the sofa, looking up at her lover, who was impeccably dressed, gazing down at her gently with the same expression he always wore.
Zero carefully folded the blue hair ribbon and placed it on the nearby coffee table.
Then he lowered his head to look at Jingliu. Judging by her expression, it seemed she was… angry?
Zero didn't understand why. "What's wrong?"
Jingliu stared at Zero's gloved hands.
The gloves and the ring on his index finger were both gifts from her.
Zero always wore the gifts she gave him. From that alone, he was undoubtedly a qualified romantic partner.
But compared to him, she looked far too disheveled.
Zero seemed far too at ease, his collar perfectly neat, and he was even… still wearing gloves.
Zero tried to touch Jingliu's cheek to soothe this unexplained anger, but she bit down on his fingertip.
She soon released him.
Zero lowered his gaze, first looking at the reddened corners of her eyes, then at the tongue faintly visible between her lips.
Understanding dawned on him, and he asked softly, "You don't want me to wear gloves?"
Jingliu just stared at him without saying a word.
Zero smiled, removed the ring from his right index finger, and pressed his gloved fingertip between Jingliu's lips and teeth.
"If you don't like it, then take it off."
Jingliu's eyes widened. After hesitating for a moment, she gently bit down on the fabric at his fingertip and slowly, little by little, pulled the glove off.
Zero quietly watched her. After one glove was removed, he offered his other hand.
He put the gloves away and leaned down to kiss her again.
Jingliu raised her hand, lightly brushing the skin at the back of his neck with her fingertips. As she brushed, her touch shifted to kneading his earlobe, then moved forward to touch his Adam's apple.
As they drew closer and closer, Jingliu realized something and stiffened instantly.
Zero stopped and quickly stood up.
He scanned the surroundings, didn't see any cushions, and could only take off his coat and drape it over his legs.
Zero couldn't help letting his expression turn cold, but he quickly adjusted it and softly comforted Jingliu, "Don't be nervous. Relax."
"There are no flowers here, no candles, no shared ceremonial wine, no hair-binding ritual…"
"I said it before. Before marriage, I won't cross the line."
Jingliu didn't look at him, her voice barely audible. "What about you? Aren't you uncomfortable?"
Zero didn't care. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."
This was nothing.
Anything was better than getting stabbed straight through the chest, right?
Jingliu didn't say anything. She got up and rummaged around the reception room somewhere, eventually pulling out a jar of wine.
She opened it, tilted her head back, took a sip, then bent down and fed that sip to him.
She fed him wine for quite a while.
"Today, I'm very angry."
This time, Zero finally stopped maintaining that smile that made her embarrassed and furious.
Jingliu chuckled softly. "What? Did I ever say I wasn't angry?"
Using the haze of alcohol as cover, she pretended to stay calm and pulled open the coat on Zero's legs.
"You acted on your own this time. I'm going to punish you."
———
Jingliu glanced at herself in the mirror, her cheeks flushed.
She turned on the faucet and washed her hands with her head lowered.
After washing her hands, she walked back to the reception room. Zero was sitting on the sofa, frowning, carefully wiping his clothes with tissues.
Hearing the almost inaudible footsteps, Zero stopped and slowly looked up, only to be met with another mouthful of wine.
In the end, all the wine in the jar went into Zero's mouth. His body swayed, clearly drunk.
Zero struggled against the drunkenness and stood up, intending to head for the bathroom.
Seeing this, Jingliu quickly stopped him.
Zero fell silent for a moment, then said very slowly, "I want to take a shower."
Jingliu refused outright, first guiding him into the bedroom, then turning back to get a towel and wiping him down.
Zero took several deep breaths, trying his best to fight the drunkenness.
Before completely losing consciousness, he raised his hand and pointed in a direction for Jingliu, enunciating each word, "There's another master bedroom over there. Some rooms have passwords, the password is your birthday. Go rest."
With that, Zero collapsed into sleep.
Jingliu slowly raised her hand and, with very gentle force, brushed her palm against his cheek. After standing there and watching him for a while, she turned and walked in the direction he'd pointed.
She found the master bedroom… but where were the blankets?
Jingliu went into the walk-in closet of the master bedroom and saw it filled with all kinds of pajamas.
She casually picked one, changed into it, then went out into the hallway and opened the nearby doors one by one, first another closet, then a gym, and finally a media room.
After opening three doors in a row, she opened the fourth and found it full of glass display cases showcasing all kinds of jewelry.
'Forget it. No more searching.'
Tonight, she'd just make do and stay in the same room as Zero.
Jingliu thought to herself.