Yu Zi was really tempted by his suggestion.
She did not have many shortcomings but lazing in bed was definitely one of them.
It could be because of her constantly having to work overtime. She slept quite late at night and she does not start to get sleepy until late. Most of the time, she would still be wide awake at two or three in the morning. This ends up with her being unable to wake up the morning after.
This habit developed into a routine for her. She found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, which left her not much time to prepare breakfast.
Her breakfast had always been quick meals. Sometimes, it would be a bowl of instant noodles with a braised egg added into it. Sometimes, she would head to the supermarket and buy herself a loaf of bread to bite on while she headed to her office.
However, it would not be healthy for her to continue having her breakfast this way for the long term. She would eventually get tired of having the same thing every day. When she was still living at home, there was a housekeeper who prepared a nice, hot breakfast every morning.
Her family would sit around the table with hot congee in front of them. There would also be fried noodles, buns, and fried dough fritters. There would be something different to eat every day. The day always felt better when you start it with a good breakfast.
However, her house was much too far from her office, which was why Yu Zi was staying here. Breakfast was the only time she did not indulge herself. She was sick of having instant noodles but also found bread to be too dry and cold.
She missed the bacon and fried eggs she had this morning at Yan Huaian’s place.
Yu Zi did hesitate on the offer. Would it be too inappropriate to spend this much time with him?
After all, apart from work, they were nothing more than neighbors when it came to their personal relationship with one another.
Yan Huaian, however, said, “There’s no need to stand on ceremony with me. I will still need to make breakfast for myself. It won’t make much of a difference if I have to make an extra portion. Judging by the timing this morning, I’m guessing you usually wake up late and don’t really have time to prepare breakfast.”
Yu Zi blushed. She did not really want him to think that she was a lazy person.
Yan Huaian smiled. “I’m used to waking up early in the morning and always insist on having a good breakfast. You don’t need to worry about giving me any trouble. We’re neighbors. There’s no need to draw such a fine line between us.”
Yu Zi gave it a thought and agreed with him. He had helped her so much just now. They were not just neighbors, but they could also just be friends. Besides, they were both living alone, there was nothing wrong for them to take care of each other. So, Yu Zi accepted his offer.
After dinner, Yan Huaian wanted to help with the dishes, but Yu Zi did not allow him as she told him that since she would be going over to his place for breakfast, he would need to wash his dishes then anyway. There was no need for him to get anxious over helping out at her place.
Yan Huaian had no choice but to agree. He wanted to find an excuse to stay longer but could not come up with anything reasonable. He remembered that Yu Zi had brought home many files after work and knew she had a lot of work to do, so he took his leave.
There would be more opportunities in the future.
Yu Zi cleaned up the kitchen and dining room and went to the laundry room. Her clothes were ready to be ironed.
She opened the washing machine and took out the clothes to place them in the laundry basket. She carried the basket toward the balcony to hang them up to dry.
Something did not seem right when she got to the balcony. The balcony seemed a little different from when she was there in the morning.
She held on to the laundry basket for a while before suddenly realizing what had been different about it.
The balcony of her house was actually connected to Yan Huaian’s balcony just next door!
Yu Zi watched the gate between the balconies with her mouth agape. The balconies of their houses were considered quite near but there was still a distance of a meter between them. The distance between both balconies had been filled up with cement and sealed tight. It looked like they were meant to be connected.
The two railings between the balconies were also removed. They were connected into one railing, which connected both balconies, turning it into one big balcony. It was a long balcony that connected from her end of the house to Yan Huaian’s house.
There was a short door installed in the middle, right between both balconies.
Yan Huaian had long legs and did not even need to open the door. All he needed was to step over the door. It was probably installed for her to push the door open more conveniently.
What was convenient about that?!
Yu Zi could not pinpoint her feelings about it. There were plenty of mixed emotions.
She was unable to get angry at the thought of Yan Huaian’s warm, gentle-looking face. She could not bring herself to confront and scold him for this.
However, even if she could not be angry, it would not be right for her to brush this off just like that.
What sort of game was he playing?!
He did not even discuss the matter with her before connecting both balconies!
This… This was… This was really too much from him!
It was as if both of them were a family!
The very thought of that made Yu Zi blush furiously.
She took a few deep breaths before she was able to keep her temper down. She had to calm herself first.
Yu Zi lowered her head to look at the laundry basket in her hands. She lowered the portable clothes hanger and hung her clothes up one by one. Her gaze then fell onto that little door once again.
The height of the door was just slightly below her waist but was slightly higher than her hip.
It was an awkward height that was neither high nor low. She could not simply cross over to the other side and would definitely need to use the door if she wanted to do so.
Yu Zi remained expressionless as she wondered whether to praise Yan Huaian for that.
She placed her hands on the door. The railing was made out of metal. After being exposed to the wind for quite a while, all she felt in her hands was the touch of cold steel.
The door was not locked. She tried giving it a push and it immediately opened.
Yu Zi froze on the spot. She wondered if she should walk across.
All she needed was one step and she would be in Yan Huaian’s house.
This door really made it too convenient.
As she was hesitating, the glass door connecting the balcony next door to the living room suddenly opened.
Yu Zi stood frozen where she was. Yan Huaian walked out with a wine glass in his hand. He was about to admire the scenery when he noticed Yu Zi standing right there. He turned to her with a look of pleasant surprise.
Yu Zi’s mouth twitched as her hand trembled a little, still holding onto the door. She asked, “What… What is this about?”
Yan Huaian did not feel guilty about it at all as he replied honestly, “Didn’t you say this morning that it feels like you need to go really far to get to the door? I gave it some thought, and I thought you were right, so I got my assistant to drop by during the day. He got someone to help connect the balconies. If you need anything, you don’t need to go all the way to my front door to reach me. Just push this door open directly and come over to my house.”
He saw the expression on Yu Zi’s face and realized she must be a little angry about this.
He had renovated her balcony without consulting her.
However, it was just Yan Huaian being selfish as he wanted to get closer to her.
Initially, he had wanted to move next door to her so he would get to see her every day. This alone would have made him more than happy. However, when he did move in and got closer to her, he could not help but get a little greedy. He wanted to get closer to her, much closer.
That was why he had arranged for the balcony to be renovated without saying a word.
He did not dare come over to Yu Zi’s house without her permission, but if he could get Yu Zi to form a habit of coming over to his house all the time, it would be really great.
The way Yan Huaian explained the situation made it difficult for Yu Zi to lose her temper at him.
She did say those words in the morning. Who would have thought that he would really do what she said?!
Besides, it was already renovated. So…
Yu Zi looked at both sides of the connected balcony with some difficulty and for some strange reason, she suddenly said, “Is the middle strong enough? Will it fall off…”
Yan Huaian’s lips twitched. He really wanted to laugh out loud, but he saw the immediate regret on Yu Zi’s face as she got embarrassed about what she had just said. So, he suppressed his laughter and said, “Don’t worry. A sturdy frame has been added to the bottom so it’s quite safe. Jiamu had even gotten someone to test it out. There would be no problem if two people stood on it and jumped up and down.”
Yu Zi did not know what else to say. After a long while, she finally voiced out, “Even though it’s more convenient now that both sides are connected, you’re not allowed to come over without my permission.”
She has been used to staying alone and even though she did not have the habit of walking around her house nude, she was used to wearing really big t-shirts. When the weather was warmer, she would wear clothes with short sleeves and short pants. When it was cooler, she would put on clothes with long sleeves and long pants.
She adored wearing basic white t-shirts that did not have any prints on them. She usually buys the biggest size as it would be comfortable wearing them at home. She could even use them as pajamas.
Yu Zi was not that particular when it came to pajamas. She did not go for exquisite designs nor the most expensive ones. She likes simple, soft white t-shirts that are comfortable to sleep in.
As the t-shirt size was big, its collar was huge too. When she wore it, it gave her an off-shoulder look.
On top of that, white t-shirts tend to be more transparent than other colors. She was not fond of wearing her undergarments at home. As there was no one else staying with her, it was only natural that she dressed as comfortably as she could. However, when the lights shone on her at night, one could actually see every inch of her body through the t-shirt.
The effect was strangely more seductive than wearing nothing at all.
As she knew that she was having Yan Huaian over, Yu Zi had put on normal clothes but did not dress as casually as she did on normal days. She dressed casually but appropriately.
The thought of her habit at home made her worry about the possibility of Yan Huaian dropping by without informing her. If he came by at the wrong time without her knowing, how could she ever face Yan Huaian again?
Yan Huaian smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely inform you before I come over. This is mainly for your convenience. You can come by my place anytime you want. There’s no need to inform me in advance.”
Yu Zi cursed silently. When he put it this way, it made it seem like she was the petty one.
However, Yu Zi was not about to return that particular courtesy. This was her home and it would be tiring having to be cautious all the time. It would be best to draw a line with him.
Yu Zi suddenly realized that she had completely forgotten to be upset with him over what he did to the balcony. She really had no idea how he had managed to avoid the confrontation.
She had actually unintentionally agreed to leave the balcony as it was. Both of them were now in agreement with how the balcony will be used.
Yu Zi’s lips twitched. She may not be able to stand independently on her own as a lawyer, but she did pass the bar and was now a licensed lawyer. She was also quite capable when it came to debating in court.
Yet, she seemed to have lost her ability when facing Yan Huaian. She did not even have the opportunity to retort with logic and reasoning. Just like that, she lost the battle with him.
That was why experience counts. The older you were, the wiser you would be.
If Yan Huaian knew what Yu Zi was thinking, he would definitely come for her angrily in the middle of the night. He would want her to know that he was wise, but definitely not old!
Things had been settled and Yu Zi had no choice but to let it go.
Once she let things be, she lifted her head to look at Yan Huaian. He was holding onto his wine glass and looked elegant and comfortable. He was standing with great posture and yet, she could tell that he was relaxed.
No stars could be seen in the night sky, but his eyes were shining bright as he looked at her.
For some reason, Yu Zi did not feel cold tonight at all. His gaze had warmed her, raising her body temperature.
She lowered her head quickly as if she had been burnt, and she started to stutter, “I… I still have work to do. I’ll head home first.”
Yan Huaian nodded, but he was unwilling for her to leave. “I’ll stay here for a while more.”
Yu Zi opened the door and got into the house. She did not lock the glass door on her balcony. She still trusted Yan Huaian to an extent.
However, she did pull the curtains close in her house.
The lights that were shining from her house onto the balcony were blocked and the balcony darkened in an instant. Only the lights on the side of his house slipped inside.
Yan Huaian turned to look at the French windows of Yu Zi’s living room. The moon-white curtain had an exquisite pattern sewn onto it and it was half-transparent from the lights shining through from the living room. There was a hazy, gentle atmosphere of lighting around her house.
Shadows could be seen about. He could almost see Yu Zi moving about in her house.
Yan Huaian was not in a hurry to go inside. He leaned against the railing on the balcony as he swirled the red wine in his glass. He sipped away at it slowly as he watched the bright lights coming from Yu Zi’s room. He could not shift his gaze away from her.
Yu Zi had no idea that Yan Huaian was still outside. She now felt nervous because of the connecting balcony. It felt like Yan Huaian could come by anytime and her heart beat faster than usual at the thought of it.
She turned to look outside the window, but the curtain was blocking her sight and she could not see anything.
She wondered if Yan Huaian was still outside. She had no idea what came over her. She found herself constantly thinking about him.
“It must be because it feels like he is standing outside my house, which is why I keep thinking about it,” Yu Zi mumbled to herself.
Before she realized what she was doing, Yu Zi had already walked to the windows. She wondered if Yan Huaian had returned to his home since she had already left the balcony.
Yu Zi was really tempted by his suggestion.
She did not have many shortcomings but lazing in bed was definitely one of them.
It could be because of her constantly having to work overtime. She slept quite late at night and she does not start to get sleepy until late. Most of the time, she would still be wide awake at two or three in the morning. This ends up with her being unable to wake up the morning after.
This habit developed into a routine for her. She found it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, which left her not much time to prepare breakfast.
Her breakfast had always been quick meals. Sometimes, it would be a bowl of instant noodles with a braised egg added into it. Sometimes, she would head to the supermarket and buy herself a loaf of bread to bite on while she headed to her office.
However, it would not be healthy for her to continue having her breakfast this way for the long term. She would eventually get tired of having the same thing every day. When she was still living at home, there was a housekeeper who prepared a nice, hot breakfast every morning.
Her family would sit around the table with hot congee in front of them. There would also be fried noodles, buns, and fried dough fritters. There would be something different to eat every day. The day always felt better when you start it with a good breakfast.
However, her house was much too far from her office, which was why Yu Zi was staying here. Breakfast was the only time she did not indulge herself. She was sick of having instant noodles but also found bread to be too dry and cold.
She missed the bacon and fried eggs she had this morning at Yan Huaian’s place.
Yu Zi did hesitate on the offer. Would it be too inappropriate to spend this much time with him?
After all, apart from work, they were nothing more than neighbors when it came to their personal relationship with one another.
Yan Huaian, however, said, “There’s no need to stand on ceremony with me. I will still need to make breakfast for myself. It won’t make much of a difference if I have to make an extra portion. Judging by the timing this morning, I’m guessing you usually wake up late and don’t really have time to prepare breakfast.”
Yu Zi blushed. She did not really want him to think that she was a lazy person.
Yan Huaian smiled. “I’m used to waking up early in the morning and always insist on having a good breakfast. You don’t need to worry about giving me any trouble. We’re neighbors. There’s no need to draw such a fine line between us.”
Yu Zi gave it a thought and agreed with him. He had helped her so much just now. They were not just neighbors, but they could also just be friends. Besides, they were both living alone, there was nothing wrong for them to take care of each other. So, Yu Zi accepted his offer.
After dinner, Yan Huaian wanted to help with the dishes, but Yu Zi did not allow him as she told him that since she would be going over to his place for breakfast, he would need to wash his dishes then anyway. There was no need for him to get anxious over helping out at her place.
Yan Huaian had no choice but to agree. He wanted to find an excuse to stay longer but could not come up with anything reasonable. He remembered that Yu Zi had brought home many files after work and knew she had a lot of work to do, so he took his leave.
There would be more opportunities in the future.
Yu Zi cleaned up the kitchen and dining room and went to the laundry room. Her clothes were ready to be ironed.
She opened the washing machine and took out the clothes to place them in the laundry basket. She carried the basket toward the balcony to hang them up to dry.
Something did not seem right when she got to the balcony. The balcony seemed a little different from when she was there in the morning.
She held on to the laundry basket for a while before suddenly realizing what had been different about it.
The balcony of her house was actually connected to Yan Huaian’s balcony just next door!
Yu Zi watched the gate between the balconies with her mouth agape. The balconies of their houses were considered quite near but there was still a distance of a meter between them. The distance between both balconies had been filled up with cement and sealed tight. It looked like they were meant to be connected.
The two railings between the balconies were also removed. They were connected into one railing, which connected both balconies, turning it into one big balcony. It was a long balcony that connected from her end of the house to Yan Huaian’s house.
There was a short door installed in the middle, right between both balconies.
Yan Huaian had long legs and did not even need to open the door. All he needed was to step over the door. It was probably installed for her to push the door open more conveniently.
What was convenient about that?!
Yu Zi could not pinpoint her feelings about it. There were plenty of mixed emotions.
She was unable to get angry at the thought of Yan Huaian’s warm, gentle-looking face. She could not bring herself to confront and scold him for this.
However, even if she could not be angry, it would not be right for her to brush this off just like that.
What sort of game was he playing?!
He did not even discuss the matter with her before connecting both balconies!
This… This was… This was really too much from him!
It was as if both of them were a family!
The very thought of that made Yu Zi blush furiously.
She took a few deep breaths before she was able to keep her temper down. She had to calm herself first.
Yu Zi lowered her head to look at the laundry basket in her hands. She lowered the portable clothes hanger and hung her clothes up one by one. Her gaze then fell onto that little door once again.
The height of the door was just slightly below her waist but was slightly higher than her hip.
It was an awkward height that was neither high nor low. She could not simply cross over to the other side and would definitely need to use the door if she wanted to do so.
Yu Zi remained expressionless as she wondered whether to praise Yan Huaian for that.
She placed her hands on the door. The railing was made out of metal. After being exposed to the wind for quite a while, all she felt in her hands was the touch of cold steel.
The door was not locked. She tried giving it a push and it immediately opened.
Yu Zi froze on the spot. She wondered if she should walk across.
All she needed was one step and she would be in Yan Huaian’s house.
This door really made it too convenient.
As she was hesitating, the glass door connecting the balcony next door to the living room suddenly opened.
Yu Zi stood frozen where she was. Yan Huaian walked out with a wine glass in his hand. He was about to admire the scenery when he noticed Yu Zi standing right there. He turned to her with a look of pleasant surprise.
Yu Zi’s mouth twitched as her hand trembled a little, still holding onto the door. She asked, “What… What is this about?”
Yan Huaian did not feel guilty about it at all as he replied honestly, “Didn’t you say this morning that it feels like you need to go really far to get to the door? I gave it some thought, and I thought you were right, so I got my assistant to drop by during the day. He got someone to help connect the balconies. If you need anything, you don’t need to go all the way to my front door to reach me. Just push this door open directly and come over to my house.”
He saw the expression on Yu Zi’s face and realized she must be a little angry about this.
He had renovated her balcony without consulting her.
However, it was just Yan Huaian being selfish as he wanted to get closer to her.
Initially, he had wanted to move next door to her so he would get to see her every day. This alone would have made him more than happy. However, when he did move in and got closer to her, he could not help but get a little greedy. He wanted to get closer to her, much closer.
That was why he had arranged for the balcony to be renovated without saying a word.
He did not dare come over to Yu Zi’s house without her permission, but if he could get Yu Zi to form a habit of coming over to his house all the time, it would be really great.
The way Yan Huaian explained the situation made it difficult for Yu Zi to lose her temper at him.
She did say those words in the morning. Who would have thought that he would really do what she said?!
Besides, it was already renovated. So…
Yu Zi looked at both sides of the connected balcony with some difficulty and for some strange reason, she suddenly said, “Is the middle strong enough? Will it fall off…”
Yan Huaian’s lips twitched. He really wanted to laugh out loud, but he saw the immediate regret on Yu Zi’s face as she got embarrassed about what she had just said. So, he suppressed his laughter and said, “Don’t worry. A sturdy frame has been added to the bottom so it’s quite safe. Jiamu had even gotten someone to test it out. There would be no problem if two people stood on it and jumped up and down.”
Yu Zi did not know what else to say. After a long while, she finally voiced out, “Even though it’s more convenient now that both sides are connected, you’re not allowed to come over without my permission.”
She has been used to staying alone and even though she did not have the habit of walking around her house nude, she was used to wearing really big t-shirts. When the weather was warmer, she would wear clothes with short sleeves and short pants. When it was cooler, she would put on clothes with long sleeves and long pants.
She adored wearing basic white t-shirts that did not have any prints on them. She usually buys the biggest size as it would be comfortable wearing them at home. She could even use them as pajamas.
Yu Zi was not that particular when it came to pajamas. She did not go for exquisite designs nor the most expensive ones. She likes simple, soft white t-shirts that are comfortable to sleep in.
As the t-shirt size was big, its collar was huge too. When she wore it, it gave her an off-shoulder look.
On top of that, white t-shirts tend to be more transparent than other colors. She was not fond of wearing her undergarments at home. As there was no one else staying with her, it was only natural that she dressed as comfortably as she could. However, when the lights shone on her at night, one could actually see every inch of her body through the t-shirt.
The effect was strangely more seductive than wearing nothing at all.
As she knew that she was having Yan Huaian over, Yu Zi had put on normal clothes but did not dress as casually as she did on normal days. She dressed casually but appropriately.
The thought of her habit at home made her worry about the possibility of Yan Huaian dropping by without informing her. If he came by at the wrong time without her knowing, how could she ever face Yan Huaian again?
Yan Huaian smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely inform you before I come over. This is mainly for your convenience. You can come by my place anytime you want. There’s no need to inform me in advance.”
Yu Zi cursed silently. When he put it this way, it made it seem like she was the petty one.
However, Yu Zi was not about to return that particular courtesy. This was her home and it would be tiring having to be cautious all the time. It would be best to draw a line with him.
Yu Zi suddenly realized that she had completely forgotten to be upset with him over what he did to the balcony. She really had no idea how he had managed to avoid the confrontation.
She had actually unintentionally agreed to leave the balcony as it was. Both of them were now in agreement with how the balcony will be used.
Yu Zi’s lips twitched. She may not be able to stand independently on her own as a lawyer, but she did pass the bar and was now a licensed lawyer. She was also quite capable when it came to debating in court.
Yet, she seemed to have lost her ability when facing Yan Huaian. She did not even have the opportunity to retort with logic and reasoning. Just like that, she lost the battle with him.
That was why experience counts. The older you were, the wiser you would be.
If Yan Huaian knew what Yu Zi was thinking, he would definitely come for her angrily in the middle of the night. He would want her to know that he was wise, but definitely not old!
Things had been settled and Yu Zi had no choice but to let it go.
Once she let things be, she lifted her head to look at Yan Huaian. He was holding onto his wine glass and looked elegant and comfortable. He was standing with great posture and yet, she could tell that he was relaxed.
No stars could be seen in the night sky, but his eyes were shining bright as he looked at her.
For some reason, Yu Zi did not feel cold tonight at all. His gaze had warmed her, raising her body temperature.
She lowered her head quickly as if she had been burnt, and she started to stutter, “I… I still have work to do. I’ll head home first.”
Yan Huaian nodded, but he was unwilling for her to leave. “I’ll stay here for a while more.”
Yu Zi opened the door and got into the house. She did not lock the glass door on her balcony. She still trusted Yan Huaian to an extent.
However, she did pull the curtains close in her house.
The lights that were shining from her house onto the balcony were blocked and the balcony darkened in an instant. Only the lights on the side of his house slipped inside.
Yan Huaian turned to look at the French windows of Yu Zi’s living room. The moon-white curtain had an exquisite pattern sewn onto it and it was half-transparent from the lights shining through from the living room. There was a hazy, gentle atmosphere of lighting around her house.
Shadows could be seen about. He could almost see Yu Zi moving about in her house.
Yan Huaian was not in a hurry to go inside. He leaned against the railing on the balcony as he swirled the red wine in his glass. He sipped away at it slowly as he watched the bright lights coming from Yu Zi’s room. He could not shift his gaze away from her.
Yu Zi had no idea that Yan Huaian was still outside. She now felt nervous because of the connecting balcony. It felt like Yan Huaian could come by anytime and her heart beat faster than usual at the thought of it.
She turned to look outside the window, but the curtain was blocking her sight and she could not see anything.
She wondered if Yan Huaian was still outside. She had no idea what came over her. She found herself constantly thinking about him.
“It must be because it feels like he is standing outside my house, which is why I keep thinking about it,” Yu Zi mumbled to herself.
Before she realized what she was doing, Yu Zi had already walked to the windows. She wondered if Yan Huaian had returned to his home since she had already left the balcony.
