His physiological preference

Qin Yuzheng deleted the photo. His finger swiped across the screen, and the photo disappeared without his hesitation.

Because he trusted Yang Zhiyan, and he trusted his own judgment. When she discussed the design with Xu Yun, the smile on her face was directed at the design draft.

Even if it were someone else, she would still smile just as happily. Qin Yuzheng knew how passionate Yang Zhiyan was about cheongsam design.

Every time she finished a drawing she was satisfied with, she had that same expression: a smile playing on her lips and bright eyes.

He had seen it too many times—in the studio, at the dining table in Shengshi Tianxi, and on the sofa in this small building in Beijing.

He believed that Yang Zhiyan liked him too. Because when she looked at him, her eyes shone with light and joy.

He also believes his love is presentable. He has flaws: he's older, divorced, and busy with work.

But he will provide her with financial support and help her build connections.

He would even massage her stomach during her period, showing her meticulous care and attention.

Their sexual relations were unusually harmonious.

Although the first time wasn't perfect, he found his rhythm the second time, and she relaxed as well.

The two people are like two puzzle pieces. At first, they seem like the teeth don't fit together, but after trying a few more times, they find that they actually fit perfectly.

He discovered a completely new Yang Zhiyan in bed, someone who blushed and made alluring sounds in his ear.

That voice fascinated him; he wanted to hear more, and he wanted her to make more of it.

He started missing her as soon as they parted.

Qin Yuzheng set a goal for himself: to handle official business well these next few days, attend the meetings that needed to be attended, sign the documents that needed to be signed, and meet the people that needed to be met.

Flying to Beijing on Friday night. Not a single day can be late.

Yang Zhiyan was quite down on the first day after Qin Yuzheng left.

When she woke up in the morning, she reached out and touched the spot next to her; it was cold.

The quilt was folded neatly, the pillows were placed upright, and there wasn't a single wrinkle on the sheets.

She lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a while, then got up to wash, change clothes, and take the subway to the training base.

On the subway, she took out her phone and glanced at Qin Yuzheng's chat window.

During the training course, the teacher talked about the three-dimensional tailoring of cheongsams.

Yang Zhiyan listened, took notes, and drew sketches, but she always felt that something was missing.

In the past, when she was drawing at Shengshi Tianxi, Qin Yuzheng would sometimes look at documents beside her. The two of them would do their own thing without speaking, but they felt at ease.

Now... Luckily, my schedule is packed with classes, assignments, and group discussions. Once you're busy, you don't have time to think about anything else.

Yang Zhiyan discovered that each conversation with Xu Yun sparked different inspirations.

When they discussed the design drafts, Xu Yun would approach the issue from a completely unexpected angle.

Some ideas were too advanced for her to accept; others she thought made sense, so she went back and revised them, and the results were indeed better than before.

The two have become good friends, eating together, exchanging training experiences, and discussing design concepts.

The other students in the training course all thought they were dating.

It was noon on Wednesday. The three of them were eating in the training base's cafeteria. Yang Zhiyan and Xu Yun sat opposite each other, and Su Wan sat next to them.

Su Wan ate her meal while watching the two people opposite her move in unison.

"Do you two have to be so inseparable?" Su Wan pointed at them with her chopsticks. "We're already full from eating so much dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection)."

Yang Zhiyan was drinking soup and almost choked.

She put down the soup bowl and looked at Su Wan.

"What do you mean? We're just normal friends."

Her tone was earnest and clear, as she didn't want to be misunderstood.

Su Wan looked at her, smiled, and looked a little embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, it was a misunderstanding. You two are always seen together, and I thought you were developing a relationship quickly."

Yang Zhiyan shook her head.

"Don't get me wrong, I have a boyfriend. He's in Haicheng, and he was in Beijing with me a few days ago."

Xu Yun paused for a moment, her hand holding the chopsticks still. She felt a little disappointed.

Su Wan noticed. Xu Yun put down her chopsticks, picked up the water glass on the table, and took a sip of water, drinking very slowly, as if she was using the act of drinking to cover up something.

Su Wan glanced at him, said nothing, and lowered her head to continue eating.

Xu Yun remained silent. He didn't know what to say.

When she mentioned him, her tone was excited and natural.

Xu Yun swallowed the saliva; it tasted bland.

There will be a group project presentation on Thursday. Su Wan, Xu Yun, and Yang Zhiyan will form a group and the three of them need to work together to complete a cheongsam design proposal.

Su Wan was in charge of fabric selection, Xu Yun was in charge of creative design, and Yang Zhiyan was in charge of pattern making and craftsmanship.

The three of them often discussed their homework together.

Su Wan is straightforward and says what she thinks, Xu Yun's ideas are imaginative and unconventional, and Yang Zhiyan is responsible for bringing those imaginative ideas to life. The three of them work together very well.

On Friday, Qin Yuzheng broke his promise.

He messaged me in the afternoon: "Baby, there's an economic summit in Haicheng on Saturday, and I have to attend. I can't come this week."

When Yang Zhiyan saw the message, she was cutting a piece of fabric in her studio.

The scissors hissed as they followed the chalk lines. After reading the message, she placed her phone face down on the table and continued cutting.

After she finished cutting the hair, she picked up her phone and typed two words: "It's okay."

After sending it, she added, "You go ahead with your work, I'm doing fine here."

Her finger paused on the send button for a moment, then pressed it.

Qin Yuzheng was signing documents in his office when he saw those two messages.

The last message was: "Video on Friday night."

Yang Zhiyan replied with an "okay".

On Friday night, she agreed to go out to dinner with Su Wan and Xu Yun.

The three of them arrived at a popular barbecue restaurant. The restaurant was crowded and steaming, with the air filled with the smell of grilled meat and the aroma of charcoal.

Waiters carried trays, weaving through the crowd; sizzling, oily slices of meat emitted an enticing aroma.

The three of them found a seat by the window and ordered a lot of dishes.

The three chatted and laughed. Su Wan talked about embarrassing things that happened to her in college, Xu Yun talked about his nervousness when he participated in the previous competition, and Yang Zhiyan talked about her daily life being scolded by Teacher Mu in the studio.

The meat sizzled on the grill, oil splattered, and landed on the charcoal fire, creating a small string of flames.

Yang Zhiyan picked up a piece of grilled beef brisket, dipped it in sauce, wrapped it in lettuce, and took a bite.

The crisp lettuce and piping hot meat meet in your mouth, and juices burst out.

Aside from Jiang Siya, Yang Zhiyan has almost no friends.

Back in Haicheng, her life consisted of going back and forth between her studio and home, occasionally having meals and shopping with Jiang Siya.

She has no time or inclination to make friends.

She felt very lucky to have made friends like Su Wan and Xu Yun during this training trip to Beijing. A slight smile curved her lips.

It was almost nine o'clock when the three of them finished their barbecue. Su Wan suggested going for a drink, but Yang Zhiyan said it was too late.

Xu Yun agreed. The three of them parted ways in front of the barbecue restaurant. Su Wan and Xu Yun lived in the same direction, while Yang Zhiyan walked alone towards the subway station.

The wind was strong in Beijing at night, so she zipped her coat all the way up and hunched her shoulders.

There were fewer people on the street, and the streetlights stretched her shadow very long, trailing it across the sidewalk.

She took out her phone and glanced at it; there were no messages from Qin Yuzheng. She put her phone back in her pocket and continued walking.