The man lifted his eyelids to look at her, his gaze pausing half a second on the graceful area below her collarbone, his voice slightly huskier than usual. “What do you want?”

“Ha.” Yan Yunning was so annoyed she laughed. “What time is it? You climbed through my window without a word, then stole my clothes? And you’re asking what I want??”

“The dress you’re wearing — take it off and give it to me.” Xuan Yanyu answered her question directly, his trailing tone still carrying an undissipated hoarseness.

Yan Yunning let out a breath. “Get out of my room. Thank you.”

“Yan Yunning.” Xuan Yanyu lowered his gaze and looked at her with a complicated expression. “Did you put a gu hex on me?”

When he hadn’t seen her, he had only wanted to see her at most. Now that he had, he found that he couldn’t stand for her to leave his sight for even a moment.

Especially today — he had video-called her, seen her in that immodest clothing, thought about how Yan Ruijing was also at the villa, and couldn’t sit still for even a second before he was already climbing through windows.

“……” Yan Yunning put on a fake smile. “Have you had your head examined?”

The man nodded. “I have.”

Yan Yunning: “……”

“Are you going to change or not?” Xuan Yanyu slowly stepped closer. As the distance narrowed, the sweet fragrance on the girl’s body drifted into his nostrils, and the man’s throat bobbed almost imperceptibly.

“Bro— mmph——” Her waist was encircled and her mouth and nose were covered. Yan Yunning stomped hard on the man’s foot.

It felt like being tickled. Xuan Yanyu let out a low laugh. “Should I change it for you?”

Yan Yunning twisted his arm and struggled a few times — not only completely useless, but she ended up being held even tighter by the man.

“Fine.” She conceded with a nod, using her eyes to signal him: let go of her, she would change herself.

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow and reached into his suit pocket, producing two boxes of the “little umbrellas” Yan Yunning had given him. He stared straight at her. “When would you like to use them?”

Yan Yunning’s eyes went wide, and a layer of pink crept up over her ears. It hadn’t even occurred to her that there were still two boxes of them.

Gu Jingye, that infuriating wretch!!!

“Hm?” Xuan Yanyu’s ink-black eyes met Yan Yunning’s startled pupils. The girl’s dazed little look made his heart itch.

Yan Yunning shook her head.

The corners of the man’s mouth curved into a smile. “Now?”

Yan Yunning: “……”

Young and already going blind.

“Alright, I agree.” Xuan Yanyu curved a smile, and his slender hand slid away from her waist as he tore open the packaging.

“Mmph——” Yan Yunning pushed hard against the man standing before her.

Knock knock.

Someone rapped at the door, and Yan Yunning startled with a jolt.

“Ningning, the boutique staff just said you ordered some clothes and had them delivered. It was getting late, so your brother had them leave everything downstairs.” Yan Ruijing’s warm and mellow voice drifted into Yan Yunning’s ears.

Yan Yunning blinked and looked at Xuan Yanyu. She hadn’t ordered any clothes — so it had to be him.

“Ningning?” Two more knocks at the door. “Is this a good time? Your brother has something to say to you.”

Xuan Yanyu lowered his eyelids, his voice quiet and low. “Put your clothes on properly before you open the door.”

With that, he released Yan Yunning, turned to open the wardrobe, took out a jacket, and slipped it over her, pulling the zipper all the way up.

He then kicked the black packaging bag on the floor under the bed. And then — while Yan Yunning looked on fully expecting him to climb back out the window — he went into the bathroom instead.

Yan Yunning: “……”

“Ningning?” Yan Ruijing saw the light on through the gap at the bottom of the door and, receiving no answer, called Yan Yunning’s phone.

“Brother, coming.” Yan Yunning tidied her hair, smiled, and opened the door. “I fell asleep just now and forgot to turn the light off.”

“Going to bed this early?” Yan Ruijing walked over and dropped into the swivel chair, leaning back.

Yan Yunning gave a little “Mm,” then asked, “Was there something you wanted, Brother?”

“Get up a bit early tomorrow. I’ll send you the restaurant address. Be there by ten in the morning — and it’s not like I’m saying you have to agree to anything, just get to know him first.”

“Oh.”

Yan Ruijing leaned back in the chair and gave it a spin or two. “Si Hang is one year older than you. He just took over the company — all around, he’s a perfect match for you.”

“Oh.” Yan Yunning pressed her lips together.

Yan Ruijing let out a quiet sigh. “His family name is Chu, given name Si Hang. If you don’t find that a good fit, I’ll find someone else for you.”

Yan Yunning gave a perfunctory nod. “Oh.”

“Oh, oh, oh.” Yan Ruijing rapped her on the forehead, chuckling with a teasing smile. “Hurry up and get a boyfriend. That way your brother here can transfer you a little less money and you can bother him for cash instead.”

Yan Yunning pursed her lips. “Brother, having a boyfriend won’t stop me from asking you for money.”

“……” Yan Ruijing lounged lazily sideways in the swivel chair, one eyebrow raised. “You bought so many clothes — your spending money must be almost gone, right? Come on, beg your brother, your brother will transfer you some — wait, no, Yan Yunning, you’re flat broke right now, aren’t you?”

That half-a-living-room’s worth of clothes — practically every last cent Ningning had must be gone.

Yan Yunning was curious. “How many clothes?”

“Hm? You didn’t count when you bought them?” Yan Ruijing laughed. “Enough to fill our living room and no more — any more and it wouldn’t have fit.”

Yan Yunning shot a glance in the direction of the bathroom.

“Ningning, I’m going on a business trip tomorrow. Not sure exactly when I’ll be back. Will you go home, or stay here?”

“Stay home alone by myself?” Yan Yunning shook her head decisively. “No. I’ll go home.”

“Alright. I’ll have the driver take you back to Yuanjin City tomorrow. Get some rest.” Yan Ruijing stood up and ruffled her hair.

“Mm.” She saw Yan Ruijing out, then locked the bedroom door, walked over to the bathroom, and knocked. “You can come out now.”

The door opened from the inside. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze settling deep and long on Yan Yunning. “Going to meet Chu Sihang?”

Yan Yunning looked at him and nodded.

A shadowy glint flickered through Xuan Yanyu’s eyes. His expression cooled several degrees.

Yan Yunning’s gaze never left him, and she watched the shift in his expression with perfect clarity. “Xuan Yanyu, you’re very strange.”

The man froze. His eyes darkened slightly. Without a word, he walked to the bedside, retrieved his black packaging bag, then came back to stand before Yan Yunning, his tone displeased. “Take it off and give it to me.”

Yan Yunning: “……”

“Go on, hurry up.” Xuan Yanyu pressed her, his face stony.

Yan Yunning stood where she was and didn’t move. Silence stretched through the air, a standoff drawn out for quite some time — until the man picked up the black packaging bag, left behind a single line: “I’ll come back for it tomorrow” — and climbed out through the window.

Yan Yunning turned her head to look out at the window, drew in a quiet breath through her nose, and a look of helpless confusion crossed her eyes.

That night, Yan Yunning again slept poorly. Her dreams were full of Xuan Yanyu.

Scenes of him holding her and coaxing her. Scenes of her acting spoiled and demanding he carry her on his back. Scenes of the first time she had gone to him asking for a place to stay the night…

All manner of scenes wove together, until Yan Yunning could no longer tell where the dream ended and reality began.

The Xuan Residence.

Wearing silk pajamas and lying in bed, Xuan Yanyu also lay awake for a long, long time. His hands were folded behind his head, and no matter how he turned it over in his mind, he couldn’t make sense of how he could have done something like climbing through a window just to retrieve a piece of clothing.

How could he have done that?

——

Because she had dreamed of Xuan Yanyu, Yan Yunning was up early that morning. She saw off Yan Ruijing as he left for his business trip, dressed herself up properly, and headed to the restaurant right on time.

The person who arrived was not the Chu Sihang her brother had spoken of — only his assistant, who offered her profuse apologies and said that Chu Sihang had been called into an emergency meeting without warning and couldn’t get away, but would personally apologize to her next time without fail.

Yan Yunning smiled and said she understood. But if Chu Sihang hadn’t shown up today without Xuan Yanyu having a hand in it, she’d eat her hat.

He clearly had no memory of her — so why was he doing this?