Chapter 1375: You’ve Become Scheming Too (8)

It wasn’t a short walk, they’d been walking for almost two hours before they finally got there.

The sky that had only been brushing the edge of darkness was now completely dark.

Along the way, Xiao Rou and Zhou Qi did chat, but mostly about this and that, nothing in particular.

After walking for almost two hours, for someone like Xiao Rou who doesn’t usually exercise much, she felt her calves were practically shaking.

Even though it was a high‑end complex with good security, Zhou Qi still walked she all the way downstairs.

The light in front of the entrance cast over both their faces.

"Go on up, get some rest early."

Zhou Qi said with a smile. Xiao Rou pressed her lips together; her calves really were jelly now, but she really didn’t want to just go upstairs like this—she had no idea when their next meet‑up would be.

Thinking back to the last time, when Zhou Qi brought her that cake, wasn’t it exactly because her parents were home that it wasn’t convenient to invite him up?

But now it was different.

Of course Xiao Rou knew that inviting a man up to her place this late at night was a bit ambiguous—in a lot of adults’ games, it was basically a signal.

But Zhou Qi was different.

Yes, Zhou Qi was different. Xiao Rou didn’t even know why she felt he was different, but he just was.

This completely illogical logic somehow felt very logical to her.

So, after two seconds of silence, Xiao Rou spoke: "Do you want to come up and sit for a bit? Take a look at my newly tidied place."

Zhou Qi’s expression shifted for a brief moment, but his usual easygoing smile, the kind that looked like nothing ever bothered him, quickly returned. He really wanted to decline; he knew he should decline.

But how was he supposed to refuse Xiao Rou’s invitation?

Countless voices in his head were warning him, Refuse, refuse, refuse!

Yet once the words reached his lips they turned into, "It’d be my pleasure."

Seeing that he was still so at ease, not feeling that her offer was over the line or suggestive at all, Xiao Rou let out a quiet breath.

She gave a gentle smile, walked up to the entrance, and reached out to punch in the code.

With a click, the lock released. Xiao Rou was just about to reach for the door when a large hand beside her had already pulled it open.

Zhou Qi’s gentlemanly manners were always meticulous down to the tiniest detail; after getting to know him over this period of time, Xiao Rou had completely gotten used to it.

They went upstairs together, and Xiao Rou took out her key and opened the apartment door.

No one knew better than Zhou Qi what this apartment looked like.

The units here were sold already fully finished; he’d simply hand‑picked every piece of furniture inside.

But now, looking at everything in the apartment, Zhou Qi suddenly felt a trace of unfamiliarity.

There were a lot more things inside now, especially on the little balcony connected to the living room, which was crowded with plants. The whole place looked much more alive.

"Have a seat, I’ll go make some tea."

Xiao Rou said to Zhou Qi, then ran into the little kitchen, took out the fruit tea she’d bought the other day and made him a cup, and washed some cherry tomatoes.

Zhou Qi noticed that the cup and plate she brought out were very delicate and distinctive, not like the mass‑produced sets you see everywhere in the supermarket, and he smiled: "Cheng Chen is always saying you live with a lot of care. I can see what he means now."

"It’s okay. I just finished tidying this place up—give it a couple days and it’ll be a mess again."

The apartment wasn’t big; you could see the kitchen directly from the living room. Zhou Qi’s gaze swept once over the countertop there and he asked, "You bought all these seasonings—planning to cook for yourself?"