A bit after five in the afternoon, Feng Ning packed up her things, getting ready to head home. Today was Wednesday, the end of this week’s tutoring session.

She wrote out the homework tasks for the next few days for Jiang Yurou, and also put together a detailed study plan for her.

Even though this was just a short-term part-time job, Feng Ning was being paid quite generously, so naturally she took her work seriously.

Coming downstairs, Jiang Yuyun was on the lawn in the yard playing with the dog. Feng Ning stopped, politely saying goodbye to her.

Jiang Yuyun’s hair fell in large waves, makeup exquisite, smiling with dazzling charm: “Heading home?”

The great beauty’s smile was captivating; Feng Ning nodded along.

Jiang Yuyun lifted her wrist, checked her watch, and said to her: “Wait a moment, we’re about to head out too, we’ll give you a ride since it’s on the way.”

The driver brought the car out of the garage, stopping at the gate. Jiang Wen, carrying Jiang Yurou with one arm, pulled open the back door, not reacting for a moment.

Feng Ning was in the car too, staring straight at them.

Jiang Yurou grew excited, calling out sweetly: “Tutor sister.”

The car pulled onto the road.

At a bit of distance, Feng Ning could still smell the scent of Jiang Wen’s shower on him. She put her hands in her jacket pockets, touching the cold coins there. She shifted her position slightly, trying to scatter that faintly romantic image in her mind.

No one spoke; the car fell quiet for a while, then Jiang Yurou’s young voice rang out: “Brother, were the strawberries good?”

Jiang Wen froze at the question, seemingly thinking of something, stammering slightly before forcing a nod.

Jiang Yurou sought credit: “I was the one who had sister bring them to you, did you eat them?”

Feng Ning’s gaze swept over too.

Jiang Wen, lingering anger not yet faded, avoided her eyes, trying his best to act like nothing had happened, “Ate them.”

His unusual demeanor was quickly noticed by Jiang Yuyun, who asked casually: “You’re not feeling well?”

Jiang Wen maintained his current posture, lips moving, “I’m okay.”

“Did you check your temperature just now, has your fever gone down?”

“More or less.”

Almost all of this generation’s side branches in the Jiang family were boys; Jiang Yurou had almost no female cousins. Jiang Yuyun was usually busy, rarely having time to stay home. Over the past few days spent together, Jiang Yurou had grown fond of Feng Ning. Right now she pulled at her affectionately, “Tutor sister, in a bit I’ll put on a pretty princess dress to show you.”

She assumed Feng Ning was coming along with them to try on clothes too.

Feng Ning said she’d see it next tutoring session, but Jiang Yurou wouldn’t accept that, tearing up as she hugged her arm, fussing and insisting she come along too.

With New Year’s approaching and running into evening rush hour, the streets were packed with traffic, the roads difficult to navigate. Feng Ning wasn’t the type to want to trouble others; not wanting the driver to take a detour and waste time, she rubbed Jiang Yurou’s head, “Alright then, sister will go with you to try them on.”

The car stopped at an entrance to a CBD mall—a place Feng Ning knew quite well.

—She had no idea how many times the security guards there had chased her off.

They entered a high-end custom clothing store; the interior was decorated exquisitely and elegantly, even the signage looking cold and noble. Several staff members stopped what they were doing to greet them eagerly.

Jiang Yuyun set her bag aside, went to sit down in the lounge area with familiar ease, crossing her legs, instructing: “Take the two of them in to try on clothes.”

Feng Ning also sat down on the sofa.

With nothing else to do, she started chatting with Jiang Yuyun. Her mouth was quite the talker, extremely easy to get along with. She made “Sister Jiang” laugh out loud from time to time, and the atmosphere never grew cold.

Jiang Yuyun had always appreciated this kind of lively, witty girl, “No wonder Xiaorou likes you so much.”

Feng Ning scratched her head: “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Making a living in society required knowing how to work a room. She’d forced herself to read a lot of books for this, deliberately memorized a lot of jokes. Every time before dealing with customers she’d run through her lines in her head, and over time she’d become quite skilled at it.

Settling herself, Jiang Yuyun sized her up: “Xiao Wen said your grades are very good?”

“They’re alright.” Feng Ning was surprised, blurting out: “He praises me too?”

“You two don’t get along that well?” Jiang Yuyun understood her own brother’s personality quite well. “He’s been spoiled by the family since childhood, likes to throw childish tantrums. He seems hard to get along with, but actually his mind is very simple and pure.”

Feng Ning agreed very much with this, “I understand, Classmate Jiang doesn’t talk much, but he’s cold on the outside and warm on the inside.”

“Mm, do you find studying stressful at school normally?”

“Not stressful, I’m used to it.”

The manager personally brought over water, handing each of them a cup, the service attentive and thoughtful.

Jiang Yuyun took a sip and asked: “What does your family do?”

“My mom runs a mahjong parlor.” Feng Ning said this quite openly. “My dad passed away when I was very young.” Jiang Yuyun, though surprised, showed nothing on her face. She apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Feng Ning didn’t mind at all. After a silence, she changed the subject: “Sister, why is it that you and Yurou both have three-character names, but Jiang Wen only has two?”

Jiang Yuyun explained to her: “Our generation all share the character Yu. His actual birth name is Jiang Yuwen, but Grandpa thought it sounded too much like a girl’s name, so he dropped the middle character.”

“Jiang Yuwen, that’s quite nice-sounding.” Feng Ning smiled, showing a few teeth.

A few minutes passed, and suddenly a low murmur of discussion arose. Jiang Yuyun stood up, and Feng Ning turned to look too.

Jiang Yurou had come out. She wore a white poofy tulle dress, revealing an arm as pale and smooth as a lotus root. Being carried by someone, her chubby, rosy-pink face made her look like a porcelain doll from a display window, utterly adorable.

Feng Ning immediately pulled out her phone, snapping several photos. Scheming to herself, next time she ran into that chubby kid, she could sell him a photo for five yuan.

At the same time, on the other side, the semicircular curtain was also pulled open, mirrors surrounding all four sides. Under the soft lighting, an outrageously handsome face was revealed. Staff members were gathered around, carefully adjusting the hem of his clothing.

Surrounded by several people, Jiang Wen wore a single-breasted suit with a subtly patterned tie. He was tall, broad-shouldered, already able to fill out the light-colored dress shirt; his waist was cinched slim, his shirt tail tucked in, the suit trousers wrapping around a pair of long, straight legs. There was something between boyish youth and mature manhood in his handsome bearing.

Someone teased Jiang Yurou, “Look at your brother, is he handsome?”

Jiang Yurou nodded, “Brother’s handsome, when Xiaorou grows up she wants to marry brother.”

The innocent remark from the child made all the adults laugh. Jiang Yuyun laughed too, gently pinching her little sister’s mouth, “What nonsense are you saying.”

Feng Ning was chatting with Shuang Yao, glancing over that way, and quickly snapped a photo when no one was paying attention, having already photographed the little sister, now the brother too.

Ugh, these two siblings, why were they both so easy on the eyes.

Within ten seconds, her phone buzzed repeatedly. Shuang Yao’s messages popped up one after another in a frenzy:

Shuang Yao: OH MY GOD!!

Is this Jiang Wen!!!!!!

He’s so handsome!!!!!!

Oh my god!!!!!!!!

His body is so good!!!!!

A row of exclamation marks was more than enough to show just how excited she was right now.

Feng Ning grumbled inwardly, yeah, he’s pretty good alright. Heaven only knew she’d already appreciated the sight of him wearing absolutely nothing earlier. Unconsciously her thoughts kept drifting along those lines, thinking about the lines of his waist and abdomen, and further down… she forced herself to cut the thought off.

Silently cursing herself in her heart, damn, why was she getting more and more perverted.

Feng Ning held her phone close, engrossed in the conversation.

Shuang Yao: [I have a bold, depraved idea]

Feng Ning: [What?]

A voice message came flying across from the other side; Feng Ning tapped it open, and Shuang Yao’s voice burst out like a flood: “I want to see Jiang Wen kneeling in formal wear!!”

She replied back:

[What’s kneeling in formal wear, is that some kind of BDSM thing?]

Shuang Yao: [You don’t even know what kneeling in formal wear is???!!]

Feng Ning: [Don’t know]

Shuang Yao: [It’s him wearing an ascetic white dress shirt and black suit pants, hands bound behind his back, kneeling in front of you!!!!!!]

[Wuwuwuwu who could withstand that, it’s way too tempting, just imagining it feels so intense, so seductive~]

Feng Ning pictured Jiang Wen’s face in that scenario, imagined the scene, and said with heartfelt sincerity: “I have to say, you really are a pervert.”

As she said this, she couldn’t help looking up at Jiang Wen again, and that damned mental image instantly sprang up again.

Unconsciously swallowing, Feng Ning lowered her voice and added: “Even though it’s a bit perverted, it does seem pretty hot.”

Qi Lan called Feng Ning several times, urging her to come home for dinner. Jiang Yuyun stayed to help Jiang Yurou change clothes, asking Jiang Wen to come out to see Feng Ning off.

This was the bustling downtown area, the lights from every storefront’s floor-to-ceiling windows casting beautiful reflections. Not far off, the square was playing a gentle love song. He stood by the roadside, calling the driver.

Feng Ning stopped him, “No need, I’ll get a taxi myself.”

He glanced at her, ignored her.

“Really, no need.”

After a couple exchanges on the other end, Jiang Wen said, “Never mind.” He hung up the phone, raised his hand, ready to help her hail a car.

Actually, alone together, the atmosphere was still a bit awkward and stiff. Bouncing on the spot a couple of times, Feng Ning brought up on her own: “This is where we first met, you know.”

Jiang Wen’s expression showed nothing, he made a sound, “You still have the nerve to bring that up.”

His voice carried a good mood only he himself could detect.

Feng Ning said naturally, “I have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

He turned his head to ask: “Where’s my jacket?”

Feng Ning was being shameless, starting to provoke him again: “Didn’t I say? To block the rain! This might be the most expensive umbrella I’ve ever used in my life.”

Jiang Wen turned his face away.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you in my whole life,” she laughed, “able to write ‘contempt’ all over yourself from your hair down to your feet.”

Jiang Wen was displeased, mocking: “Who told you to look like a beggar.”

Night fell, traffic flowed by; Jiang Wen held his phone, hailing a car while talking with Feng Ning at the same time.

Not far away, someone wearing a mask and hood was slowly walking toward them. Neither of them noticed, still mocking each other back and forth.

Just as the person drew close, without any warning, the man in black suddenly rushed forward, snatched Jiang Wen’s phone right out of his hand, and turned to flee.

Both of them froze for a moment.

Feng Ning was the first to react, shouting loudly: “Robbery!” She tossed her bag onto Jiang Wen and took off running after him.

Jiang Wen only then snapped back to his senses, shouting anxiously after her: “—Hey!”

Feng Ning had swept up every long-distance and short-distance running award at every sports meet since elementary school. She’d even run a marathon over summer break; running was her go-to exercise whenever she had free time, and she ran faster than most boys.

Just like in a Hong Kong action film, car horns blaring, Feng Ning and the phone-snatching thief in black raced one after the other through the streets and alleys. It was the busy hour; the man in black kept bumping into pedestrians as he ran, with Feng Ning biting down and chasing relentlessly behind.

Jiang Wen’s clothes and shoes made running difficult; too many things blocked his view ahead. He craned his neck, staring at Feng Ning’s retreating figure, watching as he was about to lose sight of her, his heart burning with anxiety.

“Catch the thief—”

Feng Ning shouted toward the front, and while shouting, she grabbed whatever was at hand and hurled it viciously at the man.

After chasing through two streets, at the corner of some alley, the man in black was tripped by a group of people who’d just finished eating and were coming out of a restaurant.

He rolled on the ground a couple times; Feng Ning rushed up after him, came to a sudden stop, and picked up the phone that had fallen nearby.

She stood there, hands on her knees, gasping heavily for breath.

Jiang Wen barely managed to catch up with them. Pushing through the crowd of onlookers, his sharp eyes caught sight of the man in black, who’d fallen to the ground, getting up and secretly pulling a fruit knife out of his pocket.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he shouted with all his might: “Feng Ning, watch out!” A person in extreme terror is unable to move; Jiang Wen stood several meters away, his breathing nearly stopped entirely.

Feng Ning turned around, catching a flash of white light out of the corner of her eye. She dodged nimbly to the side, and at the same moment, the several warmhearted passersby who’d just helped swarmed forward too, quickly subduing the robber.

A bystander called the police.

In the process of dodging just now, Feng Ning had moved too hastily, lost her balance, and stumbled, falling down. Dust covered her body; she knelt in a rather pathetic posture, looking quite disheveled. The skin on the back of her hand was scraped, oozing a bit of blood. After finally catching her breath, she got up from the ground. Feng Ning shook her hand, hissing in pain. She limped over, handed the phone to him, “Here.”

Jiang Wen’s face was deathly pale, cold sweat breaking out on his back, still not recovered from what had just happened. He felt wave after wave of heart palpitations, standing frozen in place.

Feng Ning held the phone out toward him again.

His vision was still filled with the image of that man closing in on Feng Ning with a knife; Jiang Wen’s rationality was on the verge of collapse. He breathed rapidly, lowering his head to sneer at her: “Feng Ning, do you really love playing the hero, is that it?”

Feng Ning was confused, “Hm?”

His hand clenched into a fist, nails digging into his palm, so angry he was nearly losing his mind, yet not knowing how to let it out: “Do you think you’re something special?”

Feng Ning was stunned: “What are you being so sarcastic about?”

The two of them, one tall, one short, argued heedlessly right there on the busy street, not caring about their image at all. Amid the noisy chaos, the shorter one looked slightly disheveled, while the taller one, dressed in luxury from head to toe, looked like some rich young master who’d slipped out in the middle of a banquet.

“Did I ask you to chase him?” Jiang Wen asked again. His jaw tightened, tilting up slightly, repeating word by word: “Did I ask you to chase him? You think I’d thank you for this?”

“……”

Unbelievable, no good deed goes unpunished.

Feng Ning’s temper flared, tone impatient: “I can’t be bothered dealing with you.”

“Do you know how dangerous that was just now?”

She couldn’t hold back her temper any longer, “What was so dangerous about it, aren’t I fine? What are you making a fuss about?”

“You think this phone matters that much to me?”

Jiang Wen completely lost control, his throat bobbing slightly, chest heaving. He glanced at the phone, and the next second, hurled it away with force.

—The phone traced an arc through the air, hit the ground, and shattered into pieces instantly.

Feng Ning was simply speechless, so angry she nearly died on the spot: “Fine, just consider it me being a nosy busybody then.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

He wouldn’t let her go, stepping forward to block her path.

“What exactly do you want?” Feng Ning was furious, forcefully shoving Jiang Wen’s hand away, continuing forward, when she was suddenly yanked back by the arm. She stumbled a couple of steps, nearly crashing into Jiang Wen’s chest.

“What are you going crazy for?” She pushed him.

Jiang Wen staggered back two steps from her push, “I don’t care about the phone.” He knew he’d gone too far just now, and was now regretting it deeply. His mind was in chaos, feeling utterly lost.

“If you don’t care, then you don’t care, what’s it to me!” Feng Ning said sarcastically, “You’re so high and mighty anyway, what would you even care about? Just consider it me, this poor nobody, making a fool of myself for nothing.”

Jiang Wen shouted, on the verge of breaking down, “I care about you.”