Qi Yan caught a full embrace of soft warmth. The impact was significant, and coupled with his body not being fully recovered, he stumbled back two steps before the two of them steadied themselves.

Ruan Mian instinctively wanted to wrap her arms around his waist. Remembering her hands were stained with paint, she quickly pulled them back. Her cheek brushed against the slightly cool fabric of his shirt, and her nose was filled with his pleasant scent.

She used two relatively clean fingers to lightly pinch his arm. With such a real sensation, this couldn’t possibly be a dream, could it?

Qi Yan couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up. “It is me.”

The person in his arms looked up, staring at him without blinking, her face showing a hint of embarrassment.

This man must have noticed her childish little movement just now. Ruan Mian’s first reaction was to push him away in embarrassment, yet she couldn’t bear to. Sigh, maybe I should just hold him a little longer.

The wind in the corridor was quite strong. The two of them happened to be standing in a drafty spot, and since Ruan Mian was dressed thinly, she couldn’t help but shiver when the wind blew.

Qi Yan frowned. “Put your jacket on first.”

Only then did she remember her work. The mural still needed its final touches, and she couldn’t leave it unfinished. But she truly didn’t want to let go, not even a little bit; she was afraid that once she let go, he would disappear again.

“I still have to paint later, I’m afraid I’ll get my clothes dirty.”

It was indeed inconvenient to paint in a jacket. On the other hand, she usually wore her school uniform, and she only had a few winter jackets. If they got stained with paint, they were hard to clean. Sometimes she preferred to endure the cold; her constitution was good, and she wasn’t afraid of catching a cold.

Qi Yan did not agree. “Put it on. If the clothes get dirty, we can buy new ones.”

Ruan Mian gave an “oh” and stepped back from his embrace, walking to the side to pick up her jacket from the chair and put it on.

She needed to finish the last few details quickly so he wouldn’t have to stand there waiting.

From the first moment she saw him, she noticed he was much thinner than a few months ago. His face carried an unusual paleness, likely because he was too busy to rest. Now that he was back, did it mean the matters over there were settled?

Would he leave again?

Ruan Mian stood on the ladder and looked down again. The man, who was on the phone, sensed her gaze and looked over, nodding to her.

The meaning was clear: Don’t worry, he wouldn’t leave, he would wait for her here.

Her heart finally settled back into her chest. She composed herself and began to paint seriously.

Across from her, Qi Yan ended the call. He walked over, steadying the slightly swaying ladder, and looked up at the slender figure right before his eyes. His gaze deepened.

There were two things he hadn’t told her.

The first was that at the end of December last year, he had planned to return home for her parents’ meeting, but he had been in a major car accident on the way to the airport. It was later found to be malicious retaliation from a business rival. Although the other party received a more painful lesson immediately after, because his body was already severely exhausted, his heart had stopped twice on the operating table. Fortunately, the surgery was a success, but he had been in the hospital for nearly three months; even now, his health had not fully recovered.

The second thing was that he had used his status as a “guardian” to get the dates and locations of her individual art exams from her teacher. He had returned specifically two days early, and on the day of her exam, he had been waiting outside the test center. Seeing her walk out with a boy in a school uniform, he hadn’t called her. Watching their receding figures, he had suddenly thought of a question: perhaps the girl couldn’t yet distinguish whether her feelings for him were more about dependency or romantic love, or perhaps boys of her own age were more suitable for her.

These two things had forced him to reconsider the issue seriously and cautiously: should he take their relationship a step further?

If there had been any hesitation before, then just now, when he held the girl in his arms and felt her heartbeat, that question no longer needed an answer.

On New Year’s Eve, he had just been moved from the ICU to a regular ward. A previous bout of malignant high fever had sent him to death’s door once again. He had lain in bed, listening to the sound of falling snow outside, feeling irritable. He even had the thought that it wouldn’t really matter if he didn’t make it back; perhaps his mother was waiting for him in another world.

Once a thought takes root, it is hard to control.

But just then, her message arrived.

He looked at the content, and his breath nearly hitched. She wished him a Happy New Year. On this day of family reunions, in that home she had long wanted to escape, what kind of mood was she in when she sent that message?

He had called back immediately.

At the time, his body was extremely weak, yet he couldn’t let her hear anything unusual. He tried his best to keep the conversation focused on her. During that hour-long call, she did most of the talking while he listened quietly; he wanted to know everything about her.

The girl’s sweet, soft voice had pulled him out of that heavy darkness. Even her name seemed to have magic; reciting it in his heart reduced the pain in his body.

From then on, he didn’t dare to have such gray thoughts again, nor could he.

If he were gone, what would his little girl do?

If he were gone and his little girl was bullied, who would protect her?

If he were gone…

The mere thought was unacceptable.

The mural was finished two hours later. Ruan Mian let out a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to climb down the ladder, she couldn’t help but look back at the man. Their gazes met, and he rose from his chair to walk toward her.

Ruan Mian had an illusion that every time she turned back, she would meet his gaze, as if he were always watching her.

Qi Yan glanced at the mural, then looked at her. “Finished?”

“Mm.”

She wasn’t used to looking down at him from above, so she carefully climbed down the ladder and stood beside him, unable to resist looking at him from the side.

Hmm. Just how tall is he?

Why hadn’t she noticed such a big height difference before? When he was holding her earlier, she seemed to only reach his chest.

“What is it?”

Ruan Mian bit her tongue in embarrassment. “I think you’re very tall.”

She heard him laugh softly, and then an unusual sensation came from the top of her head. Her entire body froze. It took a long while before she realized he was patting her head.

This was the first time he had “proactively” made such an intimate gesture toward her. Her ears turned red with overwhelming speed.

“Eat more, you’ll still grow taller in the future.”

Eh?

He indeed took her to eat in an elegant private box within this club. As soon as they sat down, a waiter came in and placed dishes on the table.

Were these ordered in advance?

Every plate had a gold-threaded fish tail design, not to mention the exquisite food served on them. Ruan Mian looked at them while calculating in her heart, her cheeks puffing out in annoyance. The money she earned from two days of hard work painting likely wasn’t even enough to pay for this single meal.

Qi Yan calmly appreciated her cute expression, feeling incredibly pleased. He wanted to tease her. “Don’t worry, I have shares in this club. We can eat for free.”

“Really?” She became a bit happy again. “In that case, does that mean I’ve indirectly earned your money?”

Although the amount of money wouldn’t change, the thought that the money came from him made it feel like it wasn’t ordinary money.

So happy, so happy.

Qi Yan lightly traced the rim of his teacup. “I suppose so.”

If that makes her a little happier.

He lowered his head to take a sip of tea and swallowed. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. “Ruan Mian, I remember giving you a card before I left.”

Likely due to the tea, his voice sounded exceptionally refined and warm. “Why haven’t you used it?”

Ruan Mian almost didn’t dare look into his eyes.

That supplementary card under his name had a staggering balance, and a sum was deposited into it regularly every month. Just holding that thin card made her nervous. She had wrapped it in layers of paper and pressed it under her pillow, checking every night before sleep if it was still there.

“Because…” She hesitated, unable to give a clear reason to his face.

Because we aren’t in that kind of relationship where I can comfortably use your money.

In the end, she found a lame excuse. “Because there is too much money in it.”

He had left in such a hurry back then, thinking only to ensure she had no worries in that regard, and hadn’t considered this point. Besides, the girl’s mind was too sensitive. Qi Yan thought to himself that he must find another way to make her accept it willingly.

The relationship definitely had to be formalized, but absolutely not at this time. She was in the final critical period of her studies and shouldn’t be distracted; his body also needed a period of recuperation.

Ruan Mian wanted to change the subject, but couldn’t think of anything. She picked up a spoonful of the silken tofu and crab roe soup in front of her and put it in his bowl. “This tastes quite good.”

Only after she sat back did she realize the spoon she used was the one she had been eating from. Just as she was about to remind him, he had already taken the spoon and put the food into his mouth. “It is indeed quite good.”

What to do, what to do?

Her face felt like it was about to catch fire.

When they left the club after dinner, it was already late. The driver was waiting outside, and the two of them got into the car, merging into the traffic.

The lights were just coming on, reflecting the spring scenery of the city.

Ruan Mian withdrew her gaze from the window. “My father’s company… was it because of you?”

She had heard from Pan Tingting that Wang Linlin’s family company had gone bankrupt during that financial crisis, yet the even weaker Ying Industrial had luckily escaped. She found it hard not to connect this anomaly to him.

The man beside her stretched out his long legs. The lights shone in and then passed away, and his sharp profile flickered in and out of the light. “Only this way can you live a more stable life.”

Ruan Mian suddenly understood his meaning.

If she hadn’t brought it up, he certainly wouldn’t have told her. This man was just like that: he never said anything, but he always thought of everything for her in the background.

“Mm.”

She remembered that this was how she answered him in the end.

The next day, Ruan Mian arrived at school very early, wanting to move her things before most people arrived. She had missed too many lessons and couldn’t keep up with the progress of her original class; the art class had specialized teachers and a targeted review plan.

Unexpectedly, Pan Tingting and Zeng Yushu were also there.

“Hey,” Pan Tingting came over and took her hand. “Soft Cotton, long time no see.”

“I didn’t expect that as soon as we meet, you’re moving to another class.”

Ruan Mian also felt some reluctance, forcing a smile. “We’re still in the same school. It’s not like we’ll never see each other again.”

Pan Tingting hugged her. “Mm, I truly can’t bear to let you go.”

“Zeng Yushu, do you want to come and give a hug too? Our Golden Bottom Triangle is going to be disbanded from now on.”

Zeng Yushu glared at her, but his ears quietly turned red. “Boring!” He began to help Ruan Mian move her books.

Pan Tingting pulled Ruan Mian to sit down and said in a low voice, “Don’t look at his awkward manner. Actually, he can’t bear to let you go either. You’ve been studying art for the past few months, and he’s wiped your desk every single day. During exams, when people had so many books and didn’t want to take them back to the dorm, they wanted to use your desk. He roared them all back every time…”

“He likes you, did you know that?”

“Huh?!” Ruan Mian couldn’t believe it. “How is that possible?”

“Soft Cotton, I knew it,” Pan Tingting sniffled. “You’re always too dull in this regard. Didn’t you feel it at all? He peeked at you every single class…”

Pan Tingting’s words lingered in Ruan Mian’s heart. When she saw Zeng Yushu at the school gate after school, she felt a bit strange. She greeted him and hurriedly rode away.

Qi Yan had sent a message asking her to come to his place after school.

When she arrived at the old house, a light rain began to fall. It was fine as needles, and Ruan Mian hurried inside.

The heating in the living room was high, and after sitting for a while, her whole body felt warm. She took off her jacket, folded it neatly, and placed it to the side.

After waiting for a few minutes, Qi Yan came down from upstairs, holding a stack of documents. “Take a look at this. If there are no issues, sign it.”

“What is this?”

He tilted his chin slightly, signaling her to look for herself.

Ruan Mian quickly scanned the document, and a few minutes later, she stared at him with wide eyes.

“You mean, you want to be my art agent?”

The document detailed various generous conditions. He would act as a partner and unconditionally provide her with every convenience, including but not limited to university tuition, all art-related expenses, and even a section covering every aspect of her life. The only thing in his favor was a single clause: for every painting she sold in the future, he would receive ten percent of the profit.

There were too many uncertain factors in the future. This contract, no matter how one looked at it, leaned heavily in her favor. After all, he was the one providing the hard cash first.

“What if, what if none of my paintings ever sell in the future?”

He laughed softly. “Don’t worry about that.”

“Ruan Mian, you should know that this is an investment. A shrewd and insightful businessman doesn’t engage in a losing business.”

Ruan Mian blushed slightly at his words.

While she was still lost, he had already defined the outline of her future, so clear and so beautiful.

And once she signed this contract, her future would be directly linked to his.

Qi Yan saw her looking down, the corners of her eyebrows curving up uncontrollably, and he couldn’t help but smile as well.

It was indeed best to solve it this way.

“I want to modify the content a bit, is that okay?”

He raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat surprised. “Which part?”

Ruan Mian took a deep breath, her expression serious. “I want to change the ten percent profit you get in the end to fifty percent…”

Half for him, half for her. That would be so much better.

Qi Yan rubbed his forehead with his finger, feeling somewhat helpless.

In truth, he didn’t care at all how much profit he would eventually get. Based on his understanding of her, to make it easier for her to accept, he had specifically raised the initial three percent to ten percent. He hadn’t expected her to proactively ask to raise it to fifty percent.

This silly girl.

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