Lin Jue glanced at him coolly, not directly answering his question. In a calm tone, she asked back,
“So, what do you think?”

Ji Yu lowered his eyes, and a shadow of darkness slowly crept across them.

After a moment, she spoke again, this time tinged with puzzlement.
“I feel like the more you grow up, the more distant you become from us.”

At that moment, the cold wind lifted the strands of hair on Ji Yu’s forehead, causing a subtle shift in his expression—imperceptible to most—until Li Xunan appeared, breaking the strange atmosphere between them.

“Why are you all outside?”

“Auntie, hello.”

After briefly greeting Lin Jue, he casually draped an arm over Ji Yu’s shoulder while sneaking a glance inside.

Seeing this, Lin Jue couldn’t continue talking to Ji Yu, so she forced a smile, gave a few final instructions, and left.

Once she was gone, Li Xunan patted Ji Yu on the shoulder with a self-satisfied grin.
“Good thing I got here in time. Otherwise, you’d be getting a lecture from your mom.”

Ji Yu shot him a glance, lips curling slightly, and deliberately asked,
“Did you come to my house for dinner?”

Li Xunan gave him a light push and teased,
“Yeah, came to see you.”

They exchanged a knowing look and laughed. Finally, Li Xunan couldn’t resist asking,
“What about your girlfriend?”

“She has a slight fever. She’s resting inside,” Ji Yu replied with a slight nod. His expression stiffened, and his eyes darkened with worry.

Li Xunan listened thoughtfully, chuckling softly, and then got to the point.
“Xin Yuan just messaged me saying you were being cold to her.”

After saying this, he pulled his hand from his pocket, looking as if he was ready to come after Ji Yu.

Ji Yu furrowed his brow and, after a moment, muttered,
“Boring.”

By the time Li Xunan realized, Ji Yu had already walked into the house, leaving him to call after him,
“Why are you walking so fast?”

Soon it was time for dinner, and everyone started to sit down. Lin Jue scanned the room and asked Ji Yu,
“Where’s Shi Xing?”

Ji Yu hadn’t planned to sit down either and replied lightly,
“She’s a little unwell.”

Just as he was about to head upstairs, Ji Minghao called out,
“Where are you going?”

“To be with her,” Ji Yu replied matter-of-factly.

The expressions around the table subtly changed. Xu Xinyuan’s hand holding her chopsticks turned pale, her breathing grew heavier, and she stared at Ji Yu’s departing back with a complicated expression.

Ji Minghao was a little displeased but didn’t say anything, letting out a heavy sigh instead.

When Ji Yu reached the room, Shi Xing was already stirring from light noises, waking up groggily. She drank some water, feeling a sore throat, and rasped,
“Is it time to start eating?”

He reached out to check her forehead, answering at the same time,
“Not yet. We’ll eat in a bit.”

Shi Xing looked up at him, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
“Let’s go downstairs. We can’t keep your parents waiting.”

But still half-asleep, her mind was foggy. She had barely taken a few steps when Ji Yu pulled her back. For once, his tone was stern as he said,
“It’s fine if we skip this meal. Once you’re ready, I’ll take you out to eat.”

Shi Xing froze for a moment. Ji Yu lowered his eyes to meet hers and said seriously,
“It’s just one meal. It really isn’t a big deal.”

His tone was firm, carrying an unyielding certainty.

Her mind involuntarily recalled his earlier words, and her eyelashes trembled. She suddenly realized that she had spent her entire life living in anxiety.

In elementary school, she worried about being punished for forgetting her red scarf. In middle school, she feared failing exams and not getting into a good university. In college, she worried about not finding a job due to the poor employment situation.

Looking back as an adult, she realized that what seemed like huge problems back then were really not so serious. She also saw how living in constant anxiety had caused her to miss many beautiful moments.

She gently pushed his hand away, nodded firmly, and said in a hushed voice,
“I’ll go change my clothes.”

Ji Yu paused for a moment as she pushed him away. He stared at her retreating figure, slowly falling into thought.

Shi Xing changed into a white coat and wrapped a scarf around herself. Because of her lingering fever, her cheeks were flushed, and her breath carried warmth.

Ji Yu’s gaze followed her. Before she even realized it, he had grabbed her hand tightly.

She looked at him briefly, then looked away, letting him hold it.

As they walked downstairs, only a few servants were tidying up; the rest of the house was empty. When they stepped outside, he asked casually,
“Why did you get out of the car so quickly today?”

Shi Xing froze, meeting his intense gaze, and instinctively denied,
“I didn’t.”

But Ji Yu saw right through her immediately, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“You know, you have this little habit.”

“What?”

“Blinking when you lie.”

Shi Xing panicked, trying to pull her hand back, but he held it firmly.

His tone carried a trace of helplessness.
“You’re my girlfriend. Why can’t you just throw a little tantrum at me?”

He leaned closer, eyes locking with hers, and continued,
“I’d rather you scold me a bit than not say anything at all like this.”

Streetlights hung low on either side of the road. Ji Yu wore a black coat that stretched his shadow long. Snow fell lightly all around, and a red double-decker bus passed slowly by.

The distance between them wasn’t too close, but not far either.

Shi Xing felt a strange tightness in her chest. Ji Yu hadn’t done anything wrong, but once her stubbornness kicked in, she didn’t feel like talking.

She finally spoke slowly,
“I’m not mad at you…”

Her head lowered, her voice trembling as she added,
“I just…”

She became embarrassed, her voice fading until she fell silent.

The atmosphere grew tense. Fortunately, Ji Yu noticed her discomfort and didn’t push further. He changed the subject,
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to a restaurant I often go to.”

Shi Xing nodded, letting him hold her hand as they walked.

The restaurant wasn’t far. It was different from the refined downtown places—they had a minimalist style and few people inside.

Ji Yu ordered like he knew the place well and asked carefully if there was anything she wanted. Shi Xing casually pointed out a few items. When they reached a quiet corner, he wiped the table clean in front of her.

Outside, the streets were bustling, but none of it mattered to them.

Seeing her quiet, Ji Yu took the lead in breaking the silence, offering his phone,
“Want to go here the day after tomorrow?”

She glanced at the itinerary he handed her—mostly small, niche spots with a detailed plan. He must have prepared it in advance.

She still refused calmly,
“No, I don’t really feel like going.”

Ji Yu pursed his lips, eyes darkening slightly.

During the meal, he mostly kept the conversation going, while she only responded occasionally.

When they returned home, Ji Yu felt restless and heavy in the chest. Taking advantage of the moment Shi Xing emerged from the bathroom, he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Shi Xing tensed immediately, unable to move. The room lights dimmed slightly. His warm body pressed against hers, his heat brushing her forehead, making her shiver.

She tried to push him away, but he held her firmly. Rarely, he sounded almost aggrieved,
“You haven’t talked to me for almost two hours.”

Shi Xing instinctively protested,
“I have… I mean…”

He interrupted her,
“If you count ‘uh-huh’ and ‘oh’ as talking, then I have nothing to say.”

Already feeling guilty, she touched her nose awkwardly but still stubbornly said,
“I just don’t want to talk.”

Ji Yu didn’t get angry. Instead, he pressed his head against her cheek and whispered,
“Then I’ll talk. Listen.”

“I’m not listening. I want to sleep,” she said, sounding as if she were deliberately sulking.

Ji Yu had predicted this. He wrapped her around his waist, grinning, and said loudly,
“Then sleep together.”

Shi Xing realized she had fallen into his trap. By the time she tried to struggle, he had already lifted her onto the bed.

He gently bit her cheek, ignoring her resistance, kissing from her forehead down to her collarbone.

In the next second, he bit her lips in playful retaliation. Under his teasing, Shi Xing’s gaze became dazed, letting out a soft “oooh.” Her head grew heavy, and she could only lean helplessly against his arm. Their noses touched, and their breaths intertwined with an intensely intimate atmosphere.

After a long time, Ji Yu finally let go. Shi Xing’s face was flushed, she bit her lip lightly, and the two were so close she could hear his faint heartbeat.

Swayed by his charm, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gently kissed him. Their clothes fell to the floor, and their entwined bodies cast shadows on the curtains under the dim light.

Outside, snow fell gently, covering the ground. Inside, the warmth grew, and the subtle atmosphere gradually filled the air.

In the middle of the night, a fiery heat ran through Shi Xing from head to toe, a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead. Ji Yu held her tightly, leaving scattered kisses along her hair.

After a long while, Shi Xing cupped his face and whispered,
“I’m not in a good mood today.”

“Mm,” he replied, seemingly unconcerned.

“I’ve said it before—I’m willing to take on all your little moods,” Ji Yu said seriously in the dark.

Shi Xing met his gaze, her heart wrapped in a tangle of complex emotions.

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