Volume One, Chapter 34: I Performed Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation on You.

Today, Xu Zhi truly felt a sense of vindication. She followed Liang Jinmo, ignoring Liang Muzhi entirely. That man must be furious by now.

But... in the long run, she wasn’t truly ready to sever ties with Liang Muzhi for good.

After all, their families had known each other for years; there were so many things holding her back. She even thought of Fu Wanwen—if Fu Wanwen found out she was working for Liang Jinmo, she would surely be upset as well.

Seeing her silent, Liang Jinmo spoke: “I understand.”

Xu Zhi became anxious, lowering her hands. “What do you understand?”

“You still choose Liang Muzhi,” his tone was calm, devoid of emotion. “It’s within expectations.”

“No, that’s not it!” Xu Zhi hurriedly protested. “It’s not just about him. I haven’t figured out my own plans for the future yet. I need time.”

Liang Jinmo replied, “Around next March, I need to finalize the founding team. I can’t wait forever. If you don’t come, I’ll need to find someone else.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhi’s fingers curled slightly on her knees, her voice growing softer. “Then… then you should go ahead and look for someone else. I don’t want to hold you back.”

There was a hollow emptiness in her heart, though she couldn’t quite say why.

Then, a faint sense of frustration welled up. He was the one who’d offered her time to think, and now he was the one saying he wouldn’t keep waiting for her. She wanted to argue with him, but she didn’t really have a leg to stand on.

He had no obligation to save a spot for her; he needed a translator for work, and if it wasn’t her, there would be someone else.

Still, the thought left her vaguely unsettled.

Liang Jinmo glanced at her, picked up his phone, and made a call.

Xu Zhi overheard him instructing someone to keep an eye out for reliable translators and send him any promising résumés.

The call dragged on for quite a while, eventually veering into other work topics.

Xu Zhi finished a small piece of cake, then quietly rose and wandered around the study.

That was when she discovered, behind the bookshelf, a hidden wine cabinet.

So, Liang Jinmo did have some private reserves. Judging by the labels, these were wines from all over the world.

She picked up a bottle; the label was in French.

“Thinking of having a drink?” Liang Jinmo had ended his call at some point and now stood behind her.

Startled, Xu Zhi turned to look at him. “My tolerance is terrible. I’d better not.”

“Your tolerance… leaves much to be desired,” he agreed.

Both of them recalled her drunken escapade last time, though their thoughts diverged.

Liang Jinmo remembered that sudden, impulsive embrace of hers.

Xu Zhi, on the other hand, was determined to keep up her act. She already knew the foolish things she’d done while drunk, but she was adamant he must never find out.

Liang Jinmo glanced at the bottle in her hand. “It’s all right, this is fruit wine—very low alcohol content. Want to try?”

“I won’t get drunk?”

“Not if you only have a little. Give it a taste.”

He took the bottle from her, opened it, and fetched a glass from the cabinet, pouring only half a glass for her.

The wine was a pale pink, rather pretty. She took a tentative sip, and her eyes brightened. “This is much tastier than tequila.”

Liang Jinmo poured himself a different bottle.

“What’s that you’re drinking?” Xu Zhi asked.

“An adult’s drink. Children shouldn’t be curious,” he replied.

Xu Zhi was taken aback, her eyes wide. “I’m not a child—I’m already twenty-two!”

Liang Jinmo lowered his gaze to hide a smile.

They settled easily onto the small sofa beside the wine cabinet, drinking together.

After finishing half a glass of fruit wine, Xu Zhi poured herself another half.

Her phone vibrated ceaselessly in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at it.

Liang Muzhi’s latest message read: “Zhi, don’t get involved with someone like Liang Jinmo just to spite me. Do you really think someone like him would genuinely want to be your friend? He’s only using you to get back at me. He’ll end up hurting you.”

Though the fruit wine was mild, Xu Zhi was still a lightweight. Her actions outpaced her thoughts as she thrust her phone screen toward Liang Jinmo. “Look, Liang Muzhi says you’re only getting close to me to retaliate against him.”

She had leaned in too close.

She probably hadn’t realized it herself, but the little sofa barely fit two or three people. They’d been sitting at opposite ends, a distance between them. Now, she’d scooted right up next to him.

She was almost pressed against his side.

He caught the sweet scent of fruit wine in the air, and as his gaze drifted over, the first thing he noticed was her lips moving as she spoke—blushing pink, with a soft sheen from the wine.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly; the alcohol seemed to stir restlessly in his veins.

He looked at her phone screen and saw the message, but his reaction was minimal. Instead, he asked, “So, do you think I’m trying to get close to you?”

Xu Zhi finally sat back, tilting her head in thought. “Not really. It always seemed like we met by chance—except… today, I was the one who messaged you.”

She pouted. “You’re actually quite aloof.”

Liang Jinmo took a sip of his drink, thinking that with a tolerance like hers, she really shouldn’t drink in public again.

She wasn’t as drunk as last time, but it was clear she was already acting differently, saying whatever came to mind.

“I always thought you disliked me,” she rambled on. “Because I tore up your test paper when we were kids. I… I didn’t mean to. I actually wanted to apologize later, but you were always so fierce, I never dared talk to you…”

He asked, “You wanted to talk to me?”

Xu Zhi took another sip of wine, pondering. “I’m not sure. I just always felt guilty and wanted to be nicer to you… but you never appreciated it.”

Liang Jinmo watched her continue drinking. Perhaps he should have stopped her, but he didn’t.

“I have to tell you, that time you jumped into the water… you scared me to death. Afterwards, when I was sick with a cold, I kept having nightmares about it, always dreaming of you jumping in…” Her long lashes trembled. “When I woke up and realized I had a fever, I was actually relieved—the fever proved I’d saved you, at least you were safe.”

“I even wanted to ask if you’d caught a cold, but…” she pouted, “every time I ran into you after that, Liang Muzhi was there… I couldn’t talk to you.”

“Mm, you’re always like that,” Liang Jinmo finally spoke. He’d long noticed that Xu Zhi, when around Liang Muzhi, always seemed like a dutiful little wife, following his lead.

Suddenly, Xu Zhi turned to him. “But today, I’m different!”

She seemed a bit excited. “From now on, I won’t avoid talking to you just because of him. I’ll even tell him that you and I are actually great friends—let it drive him mad.”

Liang Jinmo was completely at ease, leaning back with one hand propped against his temple as he asked, “How great?”

“I’ve thrown up on you before, isn’t that great enough?”

Liang Jinmo: “…”

“If that’s not enough, there’s more. I’ve even hugged you.”

So she remembered everything…

Liang Jinmo asked, “Didn’t you say you didn’t remember?”

“Zhou He showed me the video,” Xu Zhi confessed, unable to hold back at all now. “You even patted my head.”

“Oh, and also, you probably don’t remember, because you were unconscious then…” She looked at him. “When I pulled you out of the lake, I gave you mouth-to-mouth.”