The moment the two of them stepped out of the door, they ran into Chen Jiayu head-on.

 

Ji Yu stood casually with his hands in his pockets. He lifted his brows slowly, the corners of his lips curling slightly as he asked with apparent concern,
“Did you sleep well last night?”

 

“Pretty well. No need to worry about me,” came the reply.

 

Just two brief exchanges, yet the tension between them was unmistakable.

 

Seeing this, Shi Xing tugged lightly at Ji Yu’s sleeve and whispered, “Let’s go.”

 

At that moment, her scarf slipped off because of her movement. Against her fair neck, even the faintest mark was strikingly visible.

 

Chen Jiayu’s expression darkened further. When Yan Jing came out of another room and saw the two of them walking away side by side, he frowned and asked curiously,

 

“I’m really curious. You fell for her in just a few days? You don’t even care that she already has a boyfriend?”

 

Chen Jiayu pressed his tongue against his left cheek. His expression remained unchanged, his thick lashes lowering slightly. After a long pause, he finally said,

 

“I didn’t think much of it at first. But now… isn’t this kind of situation more challenging?”

 

Yan Jing shot him a sidelong glance and shook his head.
“You’re insane.”

 

Ji Yu rented a car and followed the navigation toward the western coastline. Shi Xing leaned against the car window, gazing at the scenery with quiet curiosity.

 

The locals had said that the weather had been bad lately, so there was no guarantee the aurora would appear. Still, they decided to take a chance.

 

The drive was long. The scenery shifted from dense forests to mist-covered snow mountains. By the time they arrived at their destination, night had already fallen.

 

When Shi Xing got out of the car, there was no one else around—only the two of them. From here, the entire city below was lit up like a sea of lights.

 

The aurora had not appeared yet, but she was not discouraged. She took out her camera and tripod from the trunk and set them up, ready to record at any moment.

 

Seeing how serious she looked, Ji Yu curved his lips slightly and stepped closer. With gentle fingertips, he brushed the snow off the ends of her hair.

 

“Do you think there’ll be a shooting star later?” Shi Xing asked with a smile as she looked around.

 

Ji Yu chuckled softly and replied casually,
“What do you want to wish for? Tell me. I’m more reliable than a shooting star.”

 

Shi Xing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
“I hope my boyfriend will tell me everything in the future, no matter what happens.”

 

Ji Yu raised his brows lightly.
“Is that aimed at me?”

 

“You said you’re more reliable than a shooting star,” she muttered.

 

Ji Yu nodded indulgently.

 

Just then, Shi Xing suddenly felt the surroundings growing dim. When she lifted her head, she froze in astonishment.

 

The night sky deepened. A vast wash of dark emerald spread overhead, slowly shifting from soft green into a rare crimson hue. Mist and light intertwined as the aurora gathered into curtains, then scattered like drifting clouds.

 

She turned to look at Ji Yu.

 

The shimmering light fell across his face, soft and elusive, making his features appear faintly cold beneath the shadows.

 

For a moment, it felt as though the air between them had come to a standstill.

 

The next second, Ji Yu lowered his head and kissed her.

 

Shi Xing froze briefly, then lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck, returning the kiss.

 

It was a moment that belonged only to them—above them, a sky full of stars and aurora; below them, countless glowing city lights.

 

After a long while, he finally released her. Her breathing was unsteady as she looked up at him.

 

Ji Yu seemed reluctant to stop, but she gently pushed him away.

 

“Let’s wait a bit longer… maybe there’ll be a shooting star,” she whispered.

 

Unfortunately, no shooting star appeared.

 

On the way back, Shi Xing felt a little disappointed. After all, she had no idea when she would have another chance to come here.

 

When they returned to the hotel, Ji Yu received a last-minute call from Instructor Su and started a video meeting in the room. After dinner, Shi Xing took Xi Yu downstairs for a short walk to digest.

 

By coincidence, a group of local teenagers came over and struck up a conversation with her. Seeing that she was Asian and alone, they exchanged glances and began teasing her.

 

Shi Xing was surrounded by them. Just as she was about to take out her phone to ask for help, someone snatched it away. Nearby residents saw what was happening but dared not step in, which only made the group more brazen.

 

Xi Yu barked repeatedly beside her, but it failed to scare them off. The poor dog was even kicked several times for no reason.

 

At that moment, Shi Xing heard a familiar voice.

 

She turned around and saw Chen Jiayu standing beside her.

 

He said something to the group in Norwegian, but no one took him seriously. A few hot-tempered boys were already ready to start a fight.

 

Chen Jiayu’s lips pressed into a straight line. Under the streetlight, his figure looked especially striking. The instant someone swung a punch, he reacted quickly, grabbed the man’s arm, and—

 

crack.

 

A sharp sound was followed by a piercing scream.

 

The group stared at one another in shock, then fled in panic.

 

Shi Xing hurriedly thanked him.

 

“This is the second time, isn’t it?” Chen Jiayu looked at her with an unreadable expression.

 

“The second time what?” she asked, confused.

 

“The second time you’ve thanked me.”

 

Shi Xing laughed awkwardly.

 

Chen Jiayu shrugged casually.
“Instead of just saying thanks, you could show some real appreciation.”

 

She thought he made sense. Looking around, she noticed a café at the corner and suggested,
“Then I’ll buy you a drink.”

 

They walked into the café one after the other. Shi Xing was about to ask what he wanted, but he gestured for her to order for him. She pointed to the café’s signature drink and also bought a small cup of pet cream for Xi Yu.

 

When she returned to the table, Chen Jiayu began chatting with her.

 

“Where are you from? Jinggang City?”

 

She shook her head and told him her hometown. From their conversation, she learned that he was two years younger than her and was currently studying for a master’s degree abroad.

 

She looked at him in disbelief. He really did not look like the academic type.

 

Noticing her gaze, he snorted lightly.
“Didn’t expect that, huh?”

 

She nodded with a smile, then suddenly remembered something.
“What about your friend?”

 

Chen Jiayu laughed meaningfully.
“He’s afraid I’ll drag him into trouble, so he didn’t come with me.”

 

Shi Xing let out a puzzled “Oh.”

 

The staff brought over their drinks. Xi Yu eagerly circled around her feet.

 

As she fed the dog the pet cream, Chen Jiayu leaned lazily against the back of his chair and remarked pointedly,

 

“This dog is pretty greedy.”

 

Shi Xing smiled awkwardly and defended it.
“Puppies this age are all like that.”

 

At some point, Ji Yu suddenly appeared behind them.

 

“You really do have a lot of free time.”

 

His voice was cool, with a faint hint of mockery.

 

Chen Jiayu tugged at the corner of his mouth, his expression changing instantly.

 

Shi Xing turned to look at the two of them and was about to smooth things over when Ji Yu called her back.

 

“You go upstairs first. I need to take care of something.”

 

He swallowed, his gaze darkening.

 

She wanted to say something, but when she met his unquestionable look, she fell silent. At the same time, Chen Jiayu spoke calmly,

 

“Go upstairs. This is between the two of us.”

 

Before leaving, Shi Xing could only remind them worriedly to stay calm.

 

After she left, Chen Jiayu narrowed his eyes, tossed his cigarette case onto the table, and said lazily,

 

“Let’s talk?”

 

Ji Yu glanced at him and frowned slightly, amused.
“About what?”

 

“Let’s compete fairly.”

 

Chen Jiayu stood straight, his eyes carrying a hint of arrogance.

 

Ji Yu scoffed.
“She has a boyfriend.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Then you should get lost.”

 

Coldness flashed in Ji Yu’s eyes.

 

Chen Jiayu lit a cigarette and exhaled smoke indifferently.

 

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with fair competition. You only met her before I did. If we were standing at the same starting line, the person beside her right now might not be you.”

 

The tension between them thickened, sharp and volatile.

 

Fortunately, Yan Jing found the café in time and prevented the situation from escalating.

 

After Ji Yu left, Yan Jing finally snapped at Chen Jiayu,

 

“You’re crazy. Aren’t you afraid her boyfriend will beat you up?”

 

Chen Jiayu lowered his eyelids and smirked.
“Who wins and who loses isn’t decided yet.”

 

Yan Jing rolled his eyes.
“You should be glad you’re a man. If the genders were reversed, you’d be drowned in public scorn.”

 

When Ji Yu returned to the room, Shi Xing immediately stepped closer and examined his face carefully. Then she relaxed.

 

“You didn’t fight?”

 

“You were hoping we would?” Ji Yu narrowed his eyes, danger flickering in his gaze, his voice low and hoarse.

 

Shi Xing shook her head, looped her arms around his neck, and explained sincerely,

 

“When I went out for a walk earlier, you weren’t there. I got surrounded by a group of people, and he helped me out. I only bought him a drink to thank him. I don’t have any other feelings for him, and I don’t want this to affect us. Ji Yu, I really, really like you. Let’s not let this misunderstanding carry over to tomorrow, okay?”

 

She finished in one breath, her calm face rippling slightly with emotion.

 

After everything they had been through together, she did not want distance to grow between them again.

 

“Okay.”

 

Ji Yu’s gaze softened as he answered quietly.

 

Just when Shi Xing thought she had finally soothed him and was about to relax, a playful glint appeared in his eyes. He studied her and asked,

 

“You checked my face the moment I came in—were you afraid it was hurt?”

 

Her heart skipped. He noticed that?

 

She laughed awkwardly.
“No… I was just worried about you.”

 

Ji Yu ignored her explanation and murmured to himself,

 

“Looks like I should take better care of my face from now on—just in case someone changes her mind.”

 

Shi Xing turned her head away.

 

Now he had found yet another reason to be narcissistic.