Autumn had completely faded, and winter had settled in deeply.

Yet the winter in Xicheng carried a certain softness to it, unlike the piercing, bone-chilling cold of Yancheng.

The stars shimmered faintly overhead as the cool night breeze drifted quietly through the streets.

By the time Lu Shijing arrived home, it was already afternoon.

After resting for a night, the swelling around Gu Nansheng’s eyes had mostly disappeared. She looked at the address Lu Shijing had sent her, and Xuanxuan estimated the drive would take about an hour.

After getting herself ready, Xuanxuan drove her there.

When they were almost at the destination, Gu Nansheng messaged him. Lu Shijing came out to meet her at the entrance, and she quickly put on a hat and mask before getting out of the car.

“Nansheng-jie, should I come pick you up later tonight?” Xuanxuan asked before leaving.

“No need. She’s staying here tonight.” Lu Shijing answered before Gu Nansheng even had the chance to speak.

“OK! Got it!” Xuanxuan immediately wore an expression that screamed I understand everything and absolutely won’t disturb your romantic alone time before driving away.

“Hey, I never said I was staying here…” Gu Nansheng tried to protest.

Lu Shijing completely ignored her objection and simply held her hand as he led her inside.

After entering the house, Lu Shijing brought out a pair of slippers for her.

They were pink, fluffy, and had little rabbit ears on them.

“Brand new,” he explained.

“So cute. Did you buy these for me?”

“Mm.”

He crouched down, took off her boots himself, and carefully helped her put on the slippers.

“You deserve a reward.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Mwah~”

A huge lipstick mark was left behind on his face.

“It should be here instead.” He lowered his head and kissed her lips.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, the familiar scent of rosemary making her dizzy with comfort.

Her slender waist was pulled tightly into his embrace as his arms gradually tightened around her, leaving no distance between them.

Only when she could barely breathe anymore did he finally let her go.

“You ate all my lipstick,” she complained weakly while leaning against his shoulder.

“Mm. Very sweet.”

“……”

Lu Shijing removed her coat, hung it up properly, then held her hand and led her into the living room.

Gu Nansheng quietly looked around his home.

The interior style was completely different from the apartment they shared in Yancheng. Back there, she had chosen a minimalist modern design. Everything from the sofa to the curtains and decorations carried a sleek contemporary feeling.

But this house had a deeply traditional Chinese aesthetic.

The layered wooden structures, elegant carvings, and richly textured furnishings gave the entire space an atmosphere of refinement and cultural sophistication.

“What do you want to drink?”

She sat down on the sofa.

“Hot water.”

Lu Shijing went into the kitchen and poured her a cup.

“Where are Uncle and Auntie?”

“They’re still away on business.”

“Oh…”

Thank heavens.

They really were not home.

Gu Nansheng silently rejoiced inside. She truly was not mentally prepared yet.

Watching her curious eyes darting all around the room, Lu Shijing found himself wanting to laugh.

“Want to see my room?”

“Can I?” Her curiosity was instantly piqued.

He looked at her indulgently. “You can.”

Lu Shijing brought her upstairs to his room.

The moment the door opened, Gu Nansheng was completely stunned.

Books.

Books everywhere.

An entire wall was filled from top to bottom.

The shelves were also lined with countless certificates and trophies.

Gu Nansheng randomly pulled out a book.

Being and Time.

Too profound.

She quietly put it back.

Then she picked up one of the certificates and opened it.

“First Prize, National High School Chemistry Competition.”

Looking at the younger version of Lu Shijing in the attached photo, she burst into laughter.

“Why do you look so serious in this picture?”

“Do I?”

“How old were you here?”

“Maybe eleven or twelve. I don’t really remember.”

He had won too many awards. It genuinely did not leave much of an impression on him anymore.

“Wow. My boyfriend is amazing.” She carefully placed the certificate back where it belonged.

“Do you write diaries? Like the kind filled with little secrets?”

“No.”

“How is that possible?! I used to keep diaries when I was little. I had tons of secrets in them.”

She had secretly hoped to uncover some embarrassing private stories about him.

“What kind of secrets?” he asked patiently.

“Like which boy from the class next door was handsome, which one was ugly… and who confessed to me, um… things like that.” Gu Nansheng wisely shut her mouth midway through the sentence.

“……”

Such a typical lovestruck little girl.

“When will filming finish this time?” Lu Shijing smoothly changed the subject.

“Probably another month. Then I’ll wrap up filming.”

“And him?”

“Who?” Gu Nansheng looked completely confused.

“Your little brother.” Lu Shijing’s voice was low as he stared at her meaningfully.

Ah.

So this was where he had been waiting all along.

She laughed softly before finally explaining everything clearly.

“He’s Manqing’s younger brother.”

After hearing the full story, Lu Shijing said calmly,

“Stay a little farther away from him.”

“Okay! I promise!”

Teacher Lu finally stopped radiating jealousy…

Gu Nansheng sat down on his bed.

It was very soft.

She touched the plaid bedsheets. They were different from the ones in their Yancheng apartment.

Suddenly, she felt an odd sense of embarrassment, like she had somehow wandered into a boy’s dormitory.

“The bed is sturdy enough.” Lu Shijing noticed her actions before continuing casually, “Can you sleep in my room tonight?”

“Then where are you sleeping?” she asked while looking up at him.

“This is a double bed.”

Oh.

So he meant they would sleep together.

“I… I didn’t bring pajamas.”

Why was she suddenly getting shy…

“Jie-jie, wear mine.”

After that, everything happened naturally.

After showering, Gu Nansheng changed into one of his white dress shirts.

It was far too large on her, just enough to cover her thighs. The sleeves were long as well, forcing her to roll them up.

Meanwhile, Lu Shijing was in the kitchen cooking dinner for her.

Hearing movement behind him, he turned around for a glance.

The loose white shirt hung casually on her body, exposing her long, fair legs. The thin fabric was slightly translucent, vaguely revealing the silhouette underneath in a way that was both subtle and dangerously alluring.

Next time, maybe he should not let her wear his clothes anymore…

“Do you have a hairdryer?” she asked while drying her hair with a towel.

Lu Shijing turned off the stove and went to help blow dry her hair himself.

“You’re going to spoil me.”

As she gathered up her dried hair, she asked,

“What if one day you stop wanting to dry my hair for me?”

“That will never happen.”

“Then I’ll just cut all my hair off!”

“Come eat.” Lu Shijing interrupted her nonsense immediately.

Gu Nansheng looked at the dishes on the table.

Sweet and sour pork ribs.

Braised fish.

Stir-fried lettuce stem.

All of them were her favorites.

“If I eat like this, I’ll gain weight.”

“If you skip dinner, your stomach will hurt again.”

“Then I’ll only eat a little.”

Lu Shijing sighed helplessly and handed her the chopsticks.

Eating a little was still better than not eating at all.

That night, Lu Shijing held her in his arms as they slept.

The next morning, Gu Nansheng had to return to the set to continue filming.

Still half asleep, she woke up only to realize there was nobody beside her.

The room felt slightly cold, so she casually pulled on one of his sweaters.

Then she opened the bedroom door.

Three pairs of eyes instantly turned toward her in the living room.

Gu Nansheng froze for three whole seconds.

Her brain completely shut down.

Lu Shijing walked over to her side, the amusement in his voice impossible to hide as he whispered softly,

“Jie-jie, my parents came home early.”

At that moment, Gu Nansheng felt like she had just been struck by lightning.

Was there any invisibility spell in the world that could make her disappear for five minutes?

Burrowing underground would work too.

Anything that could let her vanish immediately…

Seeing how mortified she looked, Lu Shijing quickly brought her back into the bedroom.

“Right, I need to change first!” Gu Nansheng finally snapped out of her shock.

Then she began applying makeup at lightning speed.

“Jie-jie, don’t be nervous.” Watching her panic and fumble around, Lu Shijing tried comforting her.

“I’m not nervous.” Yet somehow, the worst possible version of herself had still been seen.

“I didn’t know they would come back early,” Lu Shijing explained.

“How do I look? Is this okay?”

“Mm. Beautiful.” He gently tucked the loose strands of hair beside her ear behind it.

Gu Nansheng took a deep breath.

Then silently hyped herself up over and over in her heart.

It’s fine.

Everything’s fine!

“Okay.” She finally nodded.

Seeing her expression like someone preparing for battle, Lu Shijing laughed softly.

“I’m here with you, Jie-jie.”

Then he held her hand and brought her back into the living room once more.