After sending Jin Zixuan back home, the group went upstairs to offer incense to Mrs. Jin.
Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan were the first to leave the Jin household, while Xiao Xue stayed behind to help Jin Zixuan with some follow-up matters.
Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan were walking one behind the other down the stairwell when suddenly the ground shook, and the floor beneath them became unsteady.
Although there were motion-sensor lights in the stairwell, they were old models that flickered with any disturbance. When the lights went out, everything turned pitch black, and the tremors stirred up dust in the dilapidated stairwell.
Xiao Zhan had never experienced something like this before and silently mourned his luck—so bad it now included natural disasters?
Countless news reports about earthquakes flashed through his mind. Xiao Zhan turned pale with fear. As another tremor hit, he lost his footing and began to fall backward. But Wang Yibo, reacting quickly, spun around and grabbed Xiao Zhan's arm tightly.
He held on with such strength that, even in his fright, Xiao Zhan felt a twinge of pain. The nearby light buzzed and flickered back on.
Xiao Zhan looked down. First, he saw Wang Yibo's hand gripping his arm—pale knuckles curled tightly, veins on the back of his hand standing out starkly from the strain.
The light flickered off again, plunging them back into darkness. In that moment, Xiao Zhan heard Wang Yibo say to him:
"Don't be scared. I'm here."
The Wang Yibo in his memory had never been particularly brave—afraid of bugs, the dark, and ghosts. If that version of Wang Yibo had been in this stairwell now, who knows how scared he would've been?
Xiao Zhan wasn't sure if he'd matured, or if he was just putting on a front—but that sentence had been steady and sure.
Xiao Zhan heard his own voice, uncertain and shaky.
"I'm not scared. I think it's stopped shaking."
As soon as he spoke, the sensor light flickered back on. This time, Xiao Zhan clearly saw Wang Yibo's face—his elegant features a little pale, staring intently at Xiao Zhan, as if afraid the ground might suddenly open up and swallow him.
Wang Yibo still hadn't let go of Xiao Zhan's arm, and strangely, Xiao Zhan didn't pull away either.
They remained in that position until Xiao Xue's footsteps and voice echoed from above.
"President Wang, Zhan Zhan, are you guys okay? I think that was a minor earthquake just now!"
At the moment Xiao Zhan pulled back his arm, Wang Yibo released his grip.
And just like that, the moment passed—indescribable, yet quietly significant.
They said nothing on the way back from the Jin household to the company.
By the time they arrived, it was late—well past Xiao Zhan's usual clock-out time, and most colleagues had already left. Xiao Xue seemed to have a date, and with a quick goodbye, he rushed off. Xiao Zhan chuckled, shaking his head, and tucked into a corner to pack up his things.
Just as his computer shut down, Wang Yibo walked out of his office and stepped in front of Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan found a beautifully wrapped box thrust into his view. Inside was a wristwatch he couldn't be more familiar with.
He looked up, stunned. "Wang Yibo, what are you trying to do?"
Wang Yibo pushed the box closer, casual and unconcerned.
"The receipt and warranty card are inside. If you have questions, you can call Omega's customer service."
Xiao Zhan's lips pressed into a line as he squeezed out a few words.
"I won't accept it. You and I are neither family nor friends—this is intentional."
Wang Yibo chuckled, though the smile held a trace of coldness.
"So, what if it's intentional? You wore a fake watch for so long without shame, and now you won't accept a real one? What's there to be uncomfortable about? If you're not used to it, just pretend it's still fake. At least it won't make Yunshen look bad."
Xiao Zhan wasn't afraid of getting hurt either—he snapped back with cold sarcasm.
"President Wang, if I'm not mistaken, the watch you're wearing was also a gift. How do you know it's real?"
Wang Yibo's voice was calm. "I can vouch that mine is genuine. Can you say the same for yours?"
Xiao Zhan glared at him, furious.
Wang Yibo placed the box on Xiao Zhan's desk, deliberately.
"So, why haven't you worn your watch to work lately?"
Xiao Zhan wanted to argue—even if the watch Jiang Cheng gave him was fake, so what? He hadn't said anything. Why couldn't Wang Yibo let it go?
But deep down, he knew.
He knew why this meant so much to Wang Yibo. Like a shadow that had lingered in his heart ever since Wang Yibo returned from abroad, since that first moment he saw that diamond-studded watch on his wrist.
Outside, it was already dark. The workday long over.
Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo and suddenly asked,
"The watch you're wearing—who gave it to you?"
In the dim light, Wang Yibo gazed at him for a moment.
His voice was low.
"It was from Mo Ran."
***
Mo Ran.
It was as if the final missing puzzle piece had been found—those vague, lingering doubts in Xiao Zhan's heart finally had answers.
The day Nie Huaisang went to the airport to pick Mo Ran up, who was the third person taking photos of them? Later that night, at the bar—whose slender wrist had been raising a glass in a toast? During the years Wang Yibo had spent in the U.S., he hadn't contacted anyone, hadn't left a trace. But Xiao Zhan remembered what Nie Huaisang once said: Mo Ran had told him that life at the American business school wasn't as lonely as one might expect. And when flipping through the paper to read horoscopes, Mo Ran had once asked him about Leo's forecast.
In the heavy atmosphere, silence fell—until Xiao Zhan asked that question.
"That watch is so expensive. Why would Mo Ran give it to you? What's your relationship with Mo Ran?"
There were only a few employees left in the company. The hallway where Xiao Zhan stood was especially quiet.
Night had fallen, and from the window, only the reflection of indoor lights could be seen.
Wang Yibo paused, then looked straight at Xiao Zhan. His voice was calm.
"I've slept with Mo Ran."
There was silence. After a while, Xiao Zhan asked, "Once?"
Wang Yibo hesitated again. "More than once."
Xiao Zhan laughed. "Is it still ongoing?"
Wang Yibo carefully chose his words, but didn't shy away.
"I don't know what standard your question is based on. Mo Ran and I have the kind of relationship where we spend the night together. If you find that kind of relationship ridiculous or unacceptable, then you can take it as us being a couple."
There wasn't the slightest hint of embarrassment—Wang Yibo's tone was composed, unapologetic.
Xiao Zhan felt a mess of emotions rising in him, thoughts swirling chaotically. He hadn't even had time to react when he saw someone approaching them down the hallway.
Tall and slender, stylishly dressed, with a perfectly measured and charming smile.
The newcomer saw them too, and that smile deepened as he called out warmly,
"Yibo!"
Wang Yibo turned—it was Mo Ran walking toward him. Xiao Zhan stood at the end of the corridor. As Mo Ran drew closer, the three of them found themselves converging in the narrow hallway, just like it had happened once before.
Everything felt both familiar and strange, as if time itself had turned back, quietly flowing in reverse.