Before long, heat surged through his body; it was truly… lethal.

He had intended to take her back immediately, but his current state made that a difficult task. Qi Yan had no choice but to have the driver turn the car around and return to the old house first.

His hand supported her soft body, trying his best to keep her at a slight distance, yet the warm fragrance unique to a young girl kept drifting toward his nose. It was impossible to resist.

The few minutes on the road seemed to stretch out inch by inch, becoming exceptionally grueling. Qi Yan looked out at the dark woods of the night and took a deep breath.

The car finally came to a halt.

As the door opened, the cool breath of early autumn poured in. Qi Yan stepped out first, then reached in to lift the soundly sleeping girl.

The driver remained in his seat, eyes fixed straight ahead. Once the car door closed, he slowly started the engine and drove away.

Qi Yan planned to carry her to the guest room first. He was a grown man, and she was asleep; no matter how he called, he likely wouldn’t be able to wake her. He couldn’t exactly change her clothes, so perhaps they would just have to make do for the night.

He pondered this as he climbed the stairs.

He tried to keep every step steady, but when he was just a few steps from the second floor, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his head. It felt as if most of his strength had been drained away. His knee struck the ground heavily, and he could no longer hold the person in his arms.

A clear, heavy thud echoed through the night.

Ruan Mian sat up while rubbing the back of her head, her eyes brimming with innocent tears as she looked at him. “It hurts.”

The pain seemed to be only momentary. Qi Yan used the railing to stand up, feeling that aside from a bit of dizziness, there was nothing else wrong.

Ruan Mian sniffled and stood up with the help of his hand, looking around in confusion. “Why am I here?”

“You tell me,” he chuckled, his tone sounding almost indulgent. Then Ruan Mian felt a gentle flick on her forehead. “No drinking in the future, do you understand?”

Her cheeks grew warm, and she offered a quiet, weak rebuttal. “I didn’t know it was alcohol.” After all, her mother had been strict and never allowed her to touch such things.

The girl’s voice was soft and sweet. She kept her head down but peeked at him from the corner of her eye, likely trying to gauge his reaction.

Once a certain thought took root, it was difficult to control. However, he did not currently have any intentions of acting on it. Even if they were to have a different kind of relationship, it would have to wait until after she started university.

She also needed time to figure out exactly what kind of feelings she had for him.

“I will take you home in a moment.”

Since the girl was awake, keeping her here would seem like he had ulterior motives. Although he was never one to care about the opinions of the world, he had to be cautious whenever it concerned her.

She looked up and noticed a complicated emotion in his deep eyes that was hard to put into words. The words at her lips were swallowed back down, and she could only nod. “Okay.”

“Wait for me in the living room for a moment,” he said, turning to walk upstairs. His figure soon disappeared into the master bedroom.

Ruan Mian obediently went downstairs and sat on the sofa for a while. Seeing that he hadn’t appeared yet, she remembered that there might be a rerun of today’s award ceremony. She stood up and turned on the television.

She used the remote to flip through the channels until she found Z City Satellite TV. An advertisement for milk was playing, but the screen suddenly flashed, and a steady male voice came through. “We interrupt with an important news bulletin. According to the National Meteorological Center, the powerful typhoon ‘Carp’ has changed direction. It is predicted to strike our city head-on tonight. Maximum wind speeds may reach level 16; citizens are advised…”

She looked out the window. The night was gentle and calm; it didn’t look like a typhoon was about to make landfall at all.

Footsteps approached from behind. Ruan Mian turned her head to see the man walking toward her. His short hair was slightly damp, and he had changed into fresh clothes: a black shirt and black trousers. He looked exceptionally striking under the soft orange light.

Had he just taken a shower?

Ruan Mian also realized that she had never seen this man wear anything other than black, white, or gray. Of course, he had a great figure and looked good in anything, but the colors were a bit monotonous. Also… had he never worn a suit?

She wondered what he would look like in a suit. She couldn’t quite imagine it. So far, her favorite look was the white shirt and black trousers. He always managed to make those two simple items look pleasing to the eye. Moreover, in that attire, he didn’t seem quite so cold or distant.

Qi Yan picked up the car keys from the coffee table. “Let’s go.”

Ruan Mian sensitively caught the faint, cool scent on him as he passed by, and she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

The weather wasn’t even that hot; why take a cold shower? Especially since he had just been discharged from the hospital not long ago.

He had already reached the door. Seeing that she hadn’t followed, he looked back, and she immediately ran over.

The wind began to pick up outside. The night was churning in the treetops, and the air gradually became stifling.

Fortunately, the two houses weren’t far apart. They arrived in ten minutes.

Ruan Mian unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.

Qi Yan looked up at the house wrapped in darkness. “Is no one home?” he asked in a deep voice.

Ruan Mian shook her head and added, “It is very safe here. I will lock all the doors in a moment.”

He frowned. “Will you be afraid sleeping at home alone?”

“I’ll leave the lights on while I sleep,” Ruan Mian smiled. “Then I won’t be afraid.”

“If you are scared, call me. No matter how late it is.”

Ruan Mian nodded obediently.

She stood there looking at him with eyes like clear water. The wind blew her white dress and long hair, making her look as beautiful as a painting.

Qi Yan felt a certain spot in his heart begin to soften. A faint, almost imperceptible curve appeared on his lips. “Go inside.”

“Mm.” Ruan Mian took a few steps, then turned back. “Goodnight.”

The man did not leave immediately as he had implied. When Ruan Mian reached her room and pushed open the window, the black car was still parked below, almost merging with the night.

They were too far apart, and it was too dark; she couldn’t see his face. She could only lock her gaze on a tiny speck of crimson light between his fingers.

The red light dimmed and brightened, then dimmed again. Before long, a faint blue flame flared up. She caught a glimpse of his sharp jawline and slightly pursed lips before the light went out, leaving only the small red ember.

She didn’t know how long she stood there. Her back began to ache slightly, yet she couldn’t bear to leave the window. It felt as if as long as she could watch him like this, even from a distance, she would have the courage to face this long night alone.

The phone on the desk vibrated. Ruan Mian snapped back to reality and reached for it. Just as she was about to open the message, the sound of an engine starting came from below. Her gaze hurriedly followed, but the car soon disappeared from sight. A sense of loss filled her heart, but seeing the content of the text, she couldn’t help but feel happy: Rest early. See you tomorrow.

She put down the phone and took her pajamas into the bathroom.

By the time she came out, a gale was howling outside. Ruan Mian steadied herself, ran to the door to confirm it was locked, and then climbed into bed with an English book. She planned to memorize some vocabulary before sleeping.

After finishing about a page of words, drowsiness finally arrived. She moved to the innermost part of the bed, bunched up the quilt to act as a barrier on the outside, and fell asleep while hugging a small monkey plush.

In the middle of the night, Ruan Mian was woken by the sound of torrential rain. She opened her eyes to total darkness. She couldn’t see a thing. It took her a few seconds to realize what was happening.

Were the lights off?

She clearly remembered leaving them on before sleeping. Could it be… another power outage?

The window had been blown open by the wind, banging loudly. Rain kept drifting in, and a large patch of the floor was already wet.

Ruan Mian turned on her phone’s flashlight, got out of bed, and walked over to close the window.

Unexpectedly, the moment her hand touched it, the entire precarious window fell out. It struck the ground with a massive crash that left her ears ringing.

Ruan Mian returned to the bed and tried to calm her heart. She had to admit that being home alone on such a dark, rainy night during a power outage was terrifying. she wasn’t as brave as she had imagined.

Her hand accidentally pressed her phone. Almost the moment the screen lit up, the name “Yan” appeared on it.

A continuous vibration: an incoming call.

She answered, her slightly heavy breathing transmitted to the other end.

“The power is out. Are you afraid?”

“…No.”

The other side was silent for a few seconds. “Come down and open the door.”

Ruan Mian gave an “oh,” then belatedly realized what he meant. she practically leaped off the bed.

“Slow down. There is no rush.”

How could she listen to that now?

Ruan Mian held her phone and ran downstairs, her footsteps deng deng deng. she opened the front door, and the scent of wind and rain rushed at her. she immediately saw the man standing outside. she was both surprised and filled with an indescribable joy. she hurried to pull him inside.

Most of Qi Yan’s shirt was soaked. she found a towel for him, then ran into the kitchen to pour a cup of warm water.

He sat on the sofa watching her busy herself.

He had gone home earlier. The television in the living room was still on, and he had inadvertently glimpsed the scrolling news bar at the bottom. Knowing the typhoon was making landfall tonight, he could indeed feel the stifling oppression in the air when he came in from outside. In this kind of weather, the girl was all alone at home…

After thinking it over, however, he felt that some moderate hardship was necessary for her. Thus, he dismissed his initial thought and went upstairs to his study. He had a cross-timezone meeting in half an hour.

He didn’t expect the meeting to be interrupted. It was likely due to a line failure caused by the typhoon; the entire surrounding area had lost power.

Qi Yan then remembered her feigned calm: “I’ll leave the lights on while I sleep, then I won’t be afraid.”

A certain spot in his chest actually felt a faint pang of pain.

Hardship could wait until next time; the girl was so afraid of the dark…

When he saw her walking out of the darkness holding a candle, the weak light illuminating her small face and tracing the soft smile on her lips, he smiled. A flicker of light moved in his ink-black eyes.

They sat facing each other. The candle was placed on the table, its flame flickering.

“Are you still afraid?”

“Not anymore.”

She heard him laugh and smiled along with him. Her heart was already blooming with joy.

Ruan Mian remembered reading a sentence once: Often, one sees the most beautiful scenery in the deepest despair. It was just like her meeting this man.

After her mother died, she felt the only starlight in her world had dimmed. But at that time, she didn’t know she would meet him—meet another entire world.

Qi Yan saw her staring at him, her gaze drifting. He asked in a low voice, “Do you want to sleep for a while?”

Ruan Mian gave a soft “mm.” she hadn’t dared to sleep deeply earlier, and she was truly exhausted now. she lay down on the sofa but was reluctant to close her eyes.

What if this was a dream?

Qi Yan raised his hand and blew out the candle. The living room fell into total darkness.

Now, whether her eyes were open or closed, she couldn’t see his face. Ruan Mian sighed in her heart and obediently went to sleep.

Qi Yan, however, was not sleepy. Hearing her breathing gradually become steady, he also closed his eyes to rest his mind.

The rain slowed to a pitter-patter. The grandfather clock chimed three times. Before the sound faded, the lights clicked on. He opened his eyes almost instantly.

The girl was sleeping peacefully on her side facing him. Her oversized pink pajamas had slipped from her shoulder, revealing a patch of snowy white skin. Her sleeping face was serene and completely unguarded. she had no idea that from this angle…

Qi Yan stood up and pulled the thin blanket back over her, tucking her slender arm inside as well. After ensuring she was covered securely up to her collarbone, he grabbed the cigarette case from the table and walked out the door.

Half an hour later, once the scent of smoke had mostly dissipated, he came back inside. He found it impossible to fall back asleep. He picked up a math reference book from the table and flipped through it. His brow furrowed slightly. He took a pen and, relying on his vague memory, began to write on the paper.

By dawn, he had essentially marked out all the key exam points in the entire book.

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