Chapter 412, Zero's Secret

Zhuo has recently adapted to working until sunset before going home. He jogs home on the night road, using it as exercise.

If you walk around in your school uniform during this time, you might be questioned by the police, so Zhuo changed into sportswear after get off work. For safety reasons, he also put a reflective cloth on his shoulders. This outfit is not good-looking, but there is no way to ensure safety at work.

After taking the train back to the station near his home, Zhuo jogged towards the apartment while paying attention to vehicles and pedestrians. When he got home, he was almost at the hotel, and this point would be over in three hours.

Under normal circumstances, it would be time for everyone to get together after dinner.

Since Zhuo used to go home directly after school, this busyness gave him a strange feeling, but it was not a bad thing.

One of the reasons was that he didn't join any clubs, and he was lazy before he met Zero. Or, it could be said that he didn't change much after they met, and in a sense, he became even lazier. The two of them mostly spent time together in a daze or spending time together leisurely, and they didn't schedule their schedules too full.

Although it may feel a bit restrictive, it is also fulfilling to schedule your life like this and follow the plan.

"I am back."

Although I have gradually gotten used to it, I still feel tired physically and mentally. Zhuo opened the door with a little lassitude and shouted. The house was lit, but there was no one inside.

Zhuo thought Ling had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him, but when he took off his shoes and walked into the house, he didn't see Ling in the living room.

Further into the kitchen, there was a pleasant smell and a covered pot on the stove.

The food in the pot seemed to be ready. It seemed that Zero had prepared dinner before leaving the house.

Zhuo doesn't think Ling has to stay at home, and thinks it's a good thing for her to have her own time, but he still can't help but think "this is really strange."

Before going home, Zhuo sent a message saying that he was going back. Should I send another message? ——The moment this thought came to my mind, there was a hurried sound of unlocking the door behind me.

"Zhuo, you're back..."

"Someone else is in charge of the cleanup today, and I increased my running speed a bit... Sorry, you seem to be doing your own thing, should I slow down a bit?"

"No, I also want to see you sooner."

Ling shook her light blonde hair and shook her head. Zhuo watched her hair swaying lightly with her movements, and replied with a chuckle: "That's good."

Hearing her say such a lovely speech, Ling Zhuo couldn't help but smile. But Ling didn't seem to mind his smile, looking at his feet awkwardly, his blue eyes unfocused, as if thinking about something.

"zero?"

"Hmm? I'm just thinking about something, please don't mind me. Now that you're back, I'll go get dinner ready. I'll have it ready while you take a bath. The bath water is already ready."

"Ohh, thank you so much... huh?"

Ling's behavior seemed to be a little more purposeful than usual, which made Zhuo feel puzzled. When he was about to walk past Ling, he noticed a faint sweet fragrance wafting from her.

Although she usually exudes a strange fragrance, it is fundamentally different from the fragrance floating around now. It is not the fragrance of shampoo or herself, but feels like a sweet fragrance that comes from outside.

"What's wrong."

"...No, I just think your scent is different than usual, a sweet smell like dessert."

"...Oh...it's because...I ate some snacks." "Really? Try not to eat snacks before meals. Isn't that what you always tell me? If you eat before meals, you won't be able to eat, right?"

lie.

Or rather, because the pause was too long, Zero obviously hadn't thought about it beforehand, so there was such a long gap between thinking and speaking on the spot. This kind of improvisational lie was not something she was good at because she disdained to make up lies.

Zhuo, who saw through all of this, did not choose to expose it, but continued with what Ling said.

"No problem, I can eat it...you go take a shower first."

"Mom, come on, I'm really starving."

"After you shower, dinner will be ready."

Seeing Ling pushing his back as if trying to hide something, Zhuo became more certain that something was wrong, but still followed her wishes and went to the room to get clothes.

……

It seemed like Zero was hiding something from him.

Every time I got home from get off work, my suspicion grew stronger. I said suspicion, but in fact I was convinced that she was doing something secretly.

This was the case only when Zhuo was not at home. On days when he was not working, there was nothing unusual.

So, this means that there is something she doesn't want Zhuo to see.

(…Ah, it’s just one of those things.)
Zero is basically a person who is not good at hiding things and secrets. To be more precise, he is the type who disdains to hide things, and if he really agrees to keep something secret, he will never give in.

However, this kind of condition cannot be applied to Zhuo. Usually, if Zhuo reveals a little doubt about something, Ling, who always observes him silently, will immediately explain it in her best toneless and faint voice. But this time, she tried her best to perfunctorily deal with Zhuo, acting as if nothing had happened.

And Zero, who was determined to hide something, was absolutely thorough in his actions.

So far, Zhuo has not noticed any difference in the home he is used to.

Just from this point, Zhuo could be sure that there was something she didn't want him to know.

The painter said so, if he asked Ling, she would definitely tell him, but since Ling wanted to keep it a secret, Zhuo didn't want to force her just for his curiosity. Ling might have her own considerations, maybe it's something related to gender.

Considering all this, it would be rude to keep asking questions. So even though Zhuo was curious, she didn't ask directly.

By the way, Zhuo checked the house based on his guesses. He specially chose the time when Ling was taking a bath. Zhuo carefully observed all the rooms except the bathroom, but he didn't find any traces or smells. As for the bathroom, it was a place he had just used, so there would be nothing left there. In other words, except for the day when Zhuo came back early and smelled something, Ling really did a perfect job.

Zhuo felt that if the target was not himself, and if welcoming him was not more important to Ling than hiding the secret, the doubts that day would probably not have arisen, and Ling would have kept the secret secret forever.

Zhuo was somewhat uneasy about being excluded, but he knew he had to trust Ling absolutely, so he said nothing in the end.

……

(End of this chapter)