CHAPTER 333: CHAPTER 288: RISING PHASE: 124

"Cohabitation? You two are planning to cohabit? Have you lost your minds?"

Zhou Lan reacted as if a dancer suddenly had a bucket of cold water thrown on them.

Zhou Yun hastened to clarify, saying, "We’re not moving in together right away. He wants me to move in with him, and I’m here seeking your opinion. Why the rush?"

Zhou Lan gave her a stern look and said, "You’re seeking my opinion? If you didn’t want to go, you wouldn’t even be here asking; you would have refused! Don’t I know you?"

Zhou Yun: "..."

Sure enough, Zhou Lan knew her well.

Zhou Yun asked, "Do you think I shouldn’t move in with him?"

Zhou Lan said, "How long have you known him? You’re moving in together so quickly, what if you start arguing and conflicts arise later on?"

Zhou Yun: "Don’t all couples argue?"

"Do you think you’ve reached the stage where you can live together? Do you know him well enough? Does he know you well enough?" Zhou Lan said, "I’m not against you two dating, I’m not against you spending more time together, but cohabitation... to be honest, Xiao Yun, when two people live together, seeing each other day in and day out, even if both of you are busy and the actual time spent together isn’t much, living together exposes a lot of flaws."

"Everybody has flaws."

"Of course, that’s true, but knowing everyone has flaws doesn’t mean you can tolerate everyone’s flaws," Zhou Lan said. "Can you?"

Zhou Yun: "I like him."

"That’s because right now, you’re both showing only the best sides of yourselves to each other," Zhou Lan said. "Why not spend more time to get to know each other better, let your relationship develop further before moving in together?"

"Do you really think so poorly of my relationship with him?"

"Just like the reason you initially didn’t want to start a relationship with Song Chi at this time," Zhou Lan sighed deeply and said earnestly, "The spark between two people can happen in an instant, mutual admiration can be fostered within One Day, love can sprout from a hormonal rush, and starting a relationship just needs a romantic holiday. But for two people to get along, to keep getting along, it’s a very long process."

"You initially didn’t want to start a relationship with him because you lacked the confidence to expose your love under the public scrutiny and media’s relentless coverage. So how can you now be confident that you can brave the thorny path together, overcoming numerous problems that many couples fail to resolve after getting together?"

"To tell you the truth, Zhou Yun, don’t think that all Celebrities are like you just because you don’t have many issues and are generally easy-going. The biggest takeaway I’ve got from this industry is that ninety-nine percent of Celebrities have problems like narcissism, arrogance, ignoring others, being self-centered, etc. I don’t think you’re at the stage where you can wholeheartedly make concessions for each other."

Zhou Lan’s serious words struck deep chords within Zhou Yun.

After a long silence, she said, "Song Chi said that we’re both usually very busy and hardly get to spend time together. Because we want more time with each other, the only thing we can do right now is to live together."

Zhou Lan remained silent.

"Sister Lan, love that knows more partings than meetings is bound to end. That’s what I believe. He and I are just ordinary people. If our love is separated by mountains and seas, we can hold on for six months, a year, but can we endure for many years separated by mountains and seas?" Zhou Yun smiled listlessly, "You know, for at least the next five years, I won’t have a break, and neither will he."

Zhou Lan: "I know."

"So I understand what he means, to maximize the time we can be together." Zhou Yun smiled as she looked down, "Sister Lan, let me tell you a secret, but you mustn’t tell anyone, especially don’t secretly tell Song Chi."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know why I think what he’s saying is right? Because this time in Venice, deep down I actually resented, albeit briefly, and I know it’s really wrong of me to think this way, and I know that no one would think it’s right if I voiced it out, but I still couldn’t help but resent that if only Song Chi could drop his work, come and be with me regardless of everything. You know? When I realized I had this thought, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning. And then I thought, actually, it’s not that I haven’t wished for Song Chi to visit me more often, why couldn’t he spend more time with me? He’s already so successful and has achieved so much, couldn’t he take on less work for my sake? Such selfish thoughts, right? Although I’d feel guilty for not being able to spend time with him, most of the time I would still blame him, often not even realizing that I was blaming him. So, if we keep going like this, I think we would soon break up."

Zhou Lan looked at Zhou Yun in astonishment.

"I had no idea that the issues between you two were this serious. I thought your romance was at a stage where you couldn’t bear to be apart."

Zhou Yun: "It’s not that serious, I was just describing some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind, rarely occurring, but they have, and inevitably, as we continue to be this busy, and spend so little time together, eventually there will be promises of dates that get postponed due to other commitments, standing each other up, once or twice might be forgivable, but after repeated times, understanding cannot stop the feelings of resentment from cropping up, whether it’s towards him, or towards myself."

Zhou Lan: "Having heard that, I suddenly feel like your decision to move in together might be the right one."

Zhou Yun started to laugh.

"It’s so tough, cohabiting means facing the challenge of exposing each other’s flaws, not cohabiting means dealing with the challenge of being apart more than together, this doesn’t feel like dating, this feels like playing Truth or Dare."

Zhou Lan: "I never thought a young couple’s dating could sound so weary and aged."

"What do you think I should do?"

"Don’t ask me, make your own decision," Zhou Lan said. "Make a decision and let me know. I’ll prepare the public relations plan for you."

As they were discussing, suddenly, Zheng Xiaojue knocked on the door, poking her little head in, and said, "Sister Lan, Sister Yun, President Yao is here."

Yao Yuanfeng?

Zhou Lan and Zhou Yun exchanged a glance.

What’s Yao Yuanfeng doing here at this time?

Having arrived, they had no choice but to put aside their conversation and greet Yao Yuanfeng outside.

Yao Yuanfeng had brought his wife along.

Seeing the two of them, Zhou Lan breathed a sigh of relief.

She smiled and asked, "President Yao, what brings you to us at this late hour? Do you have something to say?"