Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Tricky Client 05

A basin of cold water poured straight down over her head.

Qiao Shan sat in the bathtub, jolting awake. She wiped the water from her face and glared furiously at the person who’d dumped it on her, her eyes blazing with anger.

Just as Zuo Yi thought she was about to leap up and sink her teeth into him, the woman’s chin knocked against the edge of the tub. Her eyelids drooped, and she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Zuo Yi still clutched the basin, staring at the woman who was now soaked through and snoring softly in the tub. For a moment, he had no idea what to do with her.

He stood there in silence for a few seconds, then set the basin down on the edge of the tub. Grabbing her shoulders, he half-dragged, half-carried her back to the living room and dumped her onto the sofa.

Zuo Yi called the on-duty female security guard from the complex and asked her to help clean Qiao Shan up.

Her house keys weren’t in her pocket, and the guard wasn’t thrilled about taking a drunk woman to a hotel. Zuo Yi had no choice but to let her crash on his sofa for the night. As the guard left, she gave him a weird look, then mumbled, “Mr. Zuo, couples fight all the time—it’s normal. But no matter how mad you are, your girlfriend’s this wasted… you shouldn’t take it out on her, right? Just take good care of the poor girl.”

Zuo Yi bristled. “Who said she’s my girlfriend?”

The guard said, “Oh, come on, don’t deny it. That little lady was mumbling your name the whole time.” She glanced at the sofa in the living room and added, “Making a girl sleep on the couch? That’s on you, even if…”

Before she could finish, Zuo Yi slammed the door with a loud bang.

The guard thought he was being unreasonable—downright ungentlemanly, even. No wonder she’d never seen him with a girlfriend before. And now that he finally had one, this was how he treated her?

Instead of taking the elevator, the guard decided to patrol down the stairs. At the corner of the hallway, she spotted a man leaning against the wall in the shadows.

He was utterly silent, giving her such a scare that she nearly yelped.

Ying Shengnan moved quickly, pulling her into his arms and pinning her against the wall. He clapped a hand over her mouth and cleared his throat lightly. The motion-sensor lights flickered on, and only then did she get a clear look at his face.

“Shh…” Ying Shengnan made a hush gesture at her. “Don’t scream.”

He released her, a smile glinting in his eyes as he explained, “That drunk girl? She’s my cousin.”

Now that the guard could see his face clearly, it rang a bell, though she couldn’t quite place it. Straightening up, she said, “Oh, so you’re worried Mr. Zuo might bully your cousin? Don’t stress—he’s her boyfriend. Couples bicker, but he won’t go too far. Still, your cousin’s got it rough. How’d she end up with a guy like Mr. Zuo? Zero chivalry, making a girl sleep on the couch like that.”

“Sleep on the couch?” Ying Shengnan muttered to himself. “Better than the floor, at least.”

“What’d you say?” The guard thought she’d misheard.

“Nothing.” Ying Shengnan flashed her a grin. “It’s getting late—I should head out. See you around, beautiful.”

The guard froze at the sight of his smile. “S-see… see you.” It wasn’t until he stepped into the elevator that it hit her—whoa, was that… Ying Shengnan?

Yeah, had to be.

Who else in Jin Yang could rock stubble like that and still look so damn handsome?

*

The next morning, Qiao Shan woke up, blinking at the ceiling fan overhead. It felt unfamiliar.

She rolled over and tumbled right off the sofa, landing face-first on the floor. Her nose stung like fire. Scrambling to her feet, she realized her clothes had been swapped for a man’s shirt. A bad feeling washed over her.

Clutching the blanket, she sat there on the floor in a daze for a few seconds, scanning the living room. It looked familiar—wait. Her whole body jolted. This wasn’t… Zuo Yi’s place?

She rubbed her temple, but her memories from last night’s drunken haze were a total blur. She vaguely recalled Ying Shengnan dropping her off at home, and then Dudu helping her change and wipe down.

Hold up. Why the hell would Dudu be changing her clothes and wiping her down?

The sizzle of something frying in a pan drifted from the kitchen. Qiao Shan’s eyes widened as she peered into the open kitchen, spotting Zuo Yi’s back. Panic rooted her limbs in place.

So that meant the one who’d changed her clothes and wiped her down last night was… Zuo Yi?

Oh god, was this a dream? A dream? A dream?

Lost in her spiraling thoughts, she watched as Zuo Yi turned, sliding a fried egg onto a plate. He glanced at her coolly and said, “The security guard changed your clothes. Don’t overthink it.”

Qiao Shan flushed with embarrassment, her eyes darting around. She snatched her backpack and bolted.

She dashed to her own door, fumbling in her bag—only to realize her keys were gone…

The door behind her hadn’t latched shut yet. She slunk back, defeated, and plopped down at the dining table, staring pitifully at the man bustling in the kitchen.

Zuo Yi emerged with his fried egg and a glass of milk, giving her a look before saying, “Sorry, I figured you wouldn’t wake up for a while, so I didn’t make yours.”

Qiao Shan paused, then replied, “No worries—you can always make me one now.”

Zuo Yi hadn’t expected that. Her shamelessness was really throwing him off his game.

She pressed, “What’s up? Not willing? I treated you to dumplings once. You can’t even buy me breakfast? I lost my keys—can’t get into my place. And you know the area around here; no breakfast spots nearby, so…”

Zuo Yi cut her off. “There’s stuff in the fridge. You can borrow the kitchen.” The implication was crystal clear.

Qiao Shan said, “But all I know how to do is boil frozen dumplings… You don’t want me setting your kitchen on fire, do you?”

Zuo Yi snorted. “So that plate of ‘handmade dumplings’ you fed me? They were frozen ones?”

“Yeah, I boiled them myself. Doesn’t that count as handmade?” Qiao Shan shot back.

Zuo Yi was so exasperated he couldn’t even respond. He shoved his breakfast plate toward her and stalked back into the kitchen.

Qiao Shan watched him relight the stove but didn’t touch her food. Instead, she stood and asked, “Mr. Zuo, mind if I borrow your bathroom to wash my face?”

Zuo Yi cracked an egg against the bowl’s edge, whisking it briskly without looking up. “Help yourself,” he muttered.

And Qiao Shan did—grateful for the permission, she hopped up and headed straight for the bathroom.

It was a bachelor pad, after all, designed for one. The path to the bathroom took her past Zuo Yi’s home office. She turned on the faucet, then tiptoed back out to snoop around his office and bedroom.

The office doubled as a home gym. Next door was the bedroom.

One bookshelf held anime figurines and photos; another wall sported an erhu and a guitar. Qiao Shan noticed he’d taken down that childhood photo of hers—where’d he stash it? It wasn’t on the dining room shelf anymore, or in the office.

Zuo Yi’s bedroom had crisp white linens, the quilt folded into perfect tofu blocks, spotless as could be. It didn’t feel lived-in; more like a hotel room.

A single guy’s bedroom this tidy? Either he’s gay or he’s got OCD.

He didn’t strike her as obsessive-compulsive… so, gay? Qiao Shan filed that away slyly, then leaned over the bed for a sniff. No cologne, no odd scents at all.

Of course, some gay guys might skip the perfume.

The room was sparse—no extra knickknacks. Just two nightstands and a built-in closet. She eased open the closet door: several identical black suits on hangers, shirts neatly stacked on shelves alongside workout gear.

All the while, Qiao Shan strained to hear the kitchen, ears perked. The moment the frying sounds stopped, she retreated to the bathroom.

So when Zuo Yi wandered over, he found her just shutting off the faucet.

Qiao Shan spun around, spotting him in the doorway, and beamed a friendly smile.

Zuo Yi’s gaze was impassive. Seeing no water droplets on her face or hands, it clicked for him in an instant. His expression darkened as he strode past her, yanking down several towels and tossing them straight into the trash.

Qiao Shan blinked, then got it—he thought she’d used the towels, so… he was grossed out by her?

Pissed off, she stormed toward the door. Zuo Yi stepped aside to let her pass.

But she didn’t watch her step and tripped over his foot. On instinct, he grabbed her arm to steady her.

She twisted to look at him, exhaling in relief. Then he seemed to snap out of it and abruptly let go.

Her body was still off-balance. With that release, she pitched forward—straight into a face-plant on the floor…