Iris at Dusk

On the drive back, Lin Li turned to look at Zhou Han for a long moment before finally saying, "I never realized you were such a good actor." Zhou Han glanced at her, then turned his eyes back to the road ahead. With a faint, half-smile playing on his lips, he said, "I’m a businessman; I value efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Getting it right the first time is always better than having to make endless revisions later." Lin Li nodded, adding with a touch of sarcasm, "True enough—one-and-done, right?" Zhou Han didn't turn his head; he kept his focus on the road. The atmosphere inside the car shifted abruptly, becoming heavy and stifling. Lin Li felt inexplicably out of sorts—agitated and uneasy. She knew her foul mood stemmed not just from her parents' departure, but also from the encounter with Cheng Xiang’s mother at the airport. After a long silence, Zhou Han spoke first, a hint of a smile in his voice: "It seems your judgment is truly terri...

Lin Li was somewhat surprised to run into Cheng Xiang’s mother here, but out of courtesy, she stood up and gave a slight nod. Mother Cheng walked over and stopped in front of her. She glanced briefly at Lin Li’s parents—who were seated nearby—before fixing her gaze back on Lin Li’s face. Without betraying much emotion, she asked, "So, you’re getting ready to leave Jiangcheng with your parents?" Lin Li looked at her; having no desire to answer the question, she simply asked in a cold tone, "Is there something you need?" In truth, Lin Li knew that Cheng Xiang’s mother had never liked her. It was only because Cheng Xiang had insisted on being with her that his parents had reluctantly agreed to the relationship.  Consequently, even though she and Cheng Xiang had been together for ten years, he rarely took her to his family home; he usually went back alone for the holidays. Although the Cheng family eventually stopped opposing the relationship, she had never truly won th...

Lin Li turned around, rubbing her head, to see Zhou Han standing in the bathroom doorway; he had already washed up and changed into fresh clothes, his hair combed meticulously. It was only then that Lin Li remembered how her mother had forced her to switch rooms the night before; not wanting to let "someone" take advantage of the situation, she had ended up sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor. Rubbing the back of her head, Lin Li climbed up from the floor with a grimace. Once on her feet, she realized her whole body ached terribly—as if she were falling apart—and she felt uncomfortable no matter how she stood. Zhou Han stood leaning against the bathroom doorframe with his arms crossed, watching her with a look that hovered between a smile and a smirk. "I told you yesterday I didn't mind you sleeping in the bed," he said—his tone clearly suggesting he was amused by her predicament. Lin Li glared at him and retorted irritably, "Then why didn't you sh...

Lin Li stared at him blankly, unable to react for a long moment; it felt as though time itself had suddenly frozen, coming to a complete standstill. The two of them locked eyes, neither speaking nor making the first move. If only time *could* truly freeze or stop—but, of course, it couldn't. The hot breath against her ear was palpable; they were pressed so close together that the slightest movement from either of them would be instantly felt by the other. After an indeterminate amount of time, Lin Li finally snapped out of the shock caused by Zhou Han’s words. Perhaps realizing just how awkward their position was—and how "dangerous" her situation had become—she dared not make another rash move. Instead, she offered a nervous, awkward laugh and said to Zhou Han, "You... you're joking, right?" Zhou Han leaned closer, his voice low and husky as he asked, "Do I look like I'm joking right now?" The sensation of that searing heat pressing firmly agai...

Hearing this, Lin Li was alarmed; terrified that her mother might notice something amiss, she frantically winked at Zhou Han and mouthed a silent warning for him not to say the wrong thing. Zhou Han smiled, turned to look at Lin Li’s mother, and shook his head. "It’s nothing. Mom, why aren't you asleep yet at this hour?" Lin Li’s mother looked at her and asked tentatively, "I thought I heard Lin Li shout just now while I was in my room. Did you two have an argument?" Zhou Han smiled and glanced at Lin Li, raising his eyebrows. He then pulled her out from the doorway, wrapped his arm tightly around her waist to hold her close, and said to her mother, "No, Lin Li was just teasing me. I’ve just finished up some work, and we were getting ready to turn in." "Heh, yeah, exactly," Lin Li agreed, nodding. "Mom, you should go back and get some rest too; there’s nothing wrong here." As she spoke, she reached behind him and gave Zhou Han a vic...

Zhou Han felt a surge of heat suddenly rush upward from within his body—a sensation so intense it felt as though it were about to burst out. Whether it was due to the bathroom's heat lamp and the hot water, Zhou Han felt a wave of heat washing over his entire body. Lin Li was stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality; she glanced down at herself, then up at him, and let out an instinctive shriek: "Ah!"  She hurriedly grabbed the large bath towel hanging on the nearby rack to cover her chest, while instinctively snatching up whatever was within reach and hurling it at Zhou Han. Before Zhou Han could fully process the situation, he saw an object flying toward him. Muttering a curse—"Shit!"—he instinctively raised his arm to block it. The object struck his arm and fell to the floor with a loud *crack*. Only then did Zhou Han see what it was: a soap dish, now split in two on the ground, with the soap itself having popped out. "Get out! Just get out!...