As soon as the words fell, Sang Yan’s brow twitched, and he stopped fidgeting with his phone. The atmosphere grew tense.
Wen Yifan suddenly realized that her words seemed even more direct than the example Zhong Siqiao had given. She stared into his pitch-black eyes for two seconds before calmly averting her gaze.
The last time something similar happened was during their first meeting at the “Overtime” bar. Back then, Wen Yifan thought Sang Yan wouldn’t recognize her. Coupled with the difficulty of explaining the situation, she had recklessly blurted out, “That’s quite a shame,” assuming they’d never meet again.
But this time, both were sober and familiar with each other.
There was no hiding it.
Unsure whether her probe was successful or a misstep, Wen Yifan decided to leave it at that. She stood up, maintaining a neutral expression, and said, “You should be more careful in the future. I’m going to rest now.”
She took a few steps.
From behind, Sang Yan called out, “Wait a moment.”
Wen Yifan pressed her lips together, composed herself, and then turned back.
“Tell me,” Sang Yan said, looking directly into her eyes as he sat up straight, his tone playful, “What crime are you afraid of committing?”
“…” Wen Yifan steeled herself and replied, “I was just following up on what you said.”
Implying that she wasn’t sure what crime he was referring to when he mentioned being tempting.
“Oh,” Sang Yan nodded in understanding. “You want to ki—”
“…”
Kiss?
A flicker of unease passed through Wen Yifan’s eyes. She hadn’t thought that far ahead, only intending to gauge his current attitude towards her based on his words.
She was about to object when Sang Yan finished his sentence: “—kidnap me.”
“…”
Oh.
Not kiss, but kidnap.
You want to kidnap me.
Wen Yifan: “…”
It felt like a massive weight had suddenly crashed down on her.
Stunned, Wen Yifan frantically searched for words to deflect, trying to make him understand that the “crime” she mentioned wasn’t nearly that serious.
Before she could find the right words.
The next moment.
Sang Yan abruptly tossed his phone aside and leaned back in his chair. He tilted his head up, staring directly at her. Wisps of black hair fell across his forehead, his dark pupils reflecting the light from the living room. His expression seemed both challenging and blatantly alluring.
“Come over here if you dare.”
…
Back in her room.
Wen Yifan closed the door and leaned against it, slowly letting out a breath. She composed herself, went to the bathroom to wash her face, and felt like she could only hear her heart pounding.
It took a long time to calm down.
Wen Yifan turned off the faucet and grabbed a paper towel to dry her face. Staring at herself in the mirror, she found herself lost in thought again. Sang Yan’s last four words seemed to be glued to her brain, impossible to shake off.
“Come over here if you dare.”
How could she dare?
She didn’t have that kind of courage!!!
Thinking about this, Wen Yifan washed her face again, trying hard to regain some rationality.
Wen Yifan remembered barely managing to say, “That’s not what I meant,” before turning and heading back to her room without hesitation. But even though it happened just minutes ago, she couldn’t recall how well she had controlled her emotions.
Had she remained calm and composed?
Or had it seemed like she was fleeing in panic?
Wen Yifan sighed, unsure if her recent behavior could be considered a momentary impulse.
Ever since parting ways with Zhong Siqiao, on her way home, Wen Yifan’s mind had been preoccupied with Sang Yan’s blind date situation. Even though it had nothing to do with her.
This was entirely Sang Yan’s business.
His family thought he was of age and arranged for him to meet potential partners—all perfectly reasonable. She should have just listened and let it go, as she had done before. There was no need to inquire or interfere too much.
But because of tonight’s events, Wen Yifan suddenly realized that many behaviors were uncontrollable.
Even if she always thought it wasn’t right, that she shouldn’t act this way, certain things would still break through that safe distance. It turned out that her words and actions, the emotions she displayed, couldn’t always be rational.
She had emotions too.
And unexpected possessiveness.
She wanted to get a little closer to him.
But she feared the distance was insurmountable.
Sang Yan came from a good family and was exceptionally handsome. At a young age, he had already opened a bar, and his current job was more successful than his peers. Whatever he wanted to do, he could achieve effortlessly, never encountering any setbacks.
Born with exceptionally advantageous conditions, he had every reason to be proud.
But she was completely different.
Although Wen Yifan didn’t have a strong concept of her appearance, she knew from others’ comments that she was indeed quite attractive. However, she didn’t consider this a particularly advantageous condition.
After all, there were plenty of good-looking people out there.
Besides a proper job, Wen Yifan had nothing. She lived frugally. Her once-praiseworthy dancing had long been abandoned, and even her personality was plain and unremarkable, boringly ordinary.
Wen Yifan never thought she was someone worth remembering for years.
She didn’t know if Sang Yan’s current slight change towards her was due to their interactions since reuniting, or simply because she was a hurdle he hadn’t yet overcome.
From tonight’s probing alone, Wen Yifan couldn’t discern Sang Yan’s thoughts.
But he didn’t seem too resistant, nor did he deliberately change the subject. Instead, he seemed to “rise to the challenge.” She wasn’t sure if he could understand the intentions behind her behavior.
Wen Yifan really couldn’t tell.
Was he thinking she was just mimicking his words, or had he genuinely noticed something unusual?
Did she need to test the waters a few more times?
In this area, Wen Yifan was just a novice, completely inexperienced.
She sighed.
Wen Yifan left the bathroom.
She thought again about Sang Yan’s expression and tone when he said those last words.
Indeed, he was quite…
Alluring.
The Frost’s Descent solar term doesn’t always fall on the same date; it occurs between October 23rd and 24th.
This year, Wen Yifan’s birthday was the day after Frost’s Descent. In previous years, she would either spend the day lounging at home or have a simple celebration dinner with colleagues after work.
Wen Yifan happened to end her break on this day and left early for work. By the time she finished overtime and boarded the subway home, it was nearly eleven at night.
She had told Sang Yan in advance that she’d be home late.
Sang Yan had only replied: [Okay]
Apart from that, there were several unread messages in her inbox.
All my birthday wishes.
Wen Yifan thanked each one, leaving only Zhao Yuandong’s unopened. She held onto the hanging strap, looking at her indistinct reflection in the window. It took her a while to realize she had grown a year older.
Twenty-four already, without even noticing.
Sang Yan was the same age as her.
Twenty-four shouldn’t be considered old, right?
Why had he started going on blind dates?
She wondered if he had met any girl he found suitable.
Wen Yifan’s mind wandered the entire journey. It wasn’t until she got home that she snapped back to reality. It was late, and fearing she might disturb Sang Yan, she quietly closed the entrance door and locked it.
Turning to look at the sofa, she realized Sang Yan was still in the living room, looking down at his phone.
Wen Yifan didn’t disturb him, intending to go straight to her room.
The next moment, Sang Yan called out to her: “Wen Yifan.”
Wen Yifan: “Hm?”
“Help me out,” Sang Yan said leisurely. “Get the box from the fridge for me.”
“Okay.” Wen Yifan hung her bag nearby and headed to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, scanned its contents, and spotted a cake box on the top shelf. She paused before reaching out to take it.
The paper box packaging concealed its contents.
It looked like a birthday cake.
Wen Yifan stared at it for a moment, then carried the cake box back to the living room. She placed the box on the coffee table, unsure if the cake was meant for her, and hesitated for a few seconds: “Can I go rest now?”
“…”
Sang Yan looked up, his gaze steady: “Let’s eat together.”
Wen Yifan let out an “Oh” and sat down on the sofa. She awkwardly scratched her head, glanced in his direction, and calmly asked, “Did you buy this for me?”
Sang Yan leaned forward to open the cake box, saying nonchalantly, “Just bought it on a whim.”
This seemed like an indirect confirmation.
Wen Yifan blinked: “Thank you.”
Inside was a strawberry cake, about six inches in diameter.
It looked exceptionally beautiful, with white cream topped with a ring of strawberries and rose-like flakes scattered on top. There was a small sign that read “Happy Birthday.”
Sang Yan took out the candles and placed them quietly, without saying a word.
It had been years since she’d received a birthday cake.
Wen Yifan stared at the cake, then looked up and asked softly, “Can I take a picture?”
Sang Yan glanced at her: “Go ahead.”
Taking out her phone from her pocket, Wen Yifan carefully took several photos of the cake.
Sang Yan watched her actions from the side. After she finished, he inserted a candle into the cake. He took out a lighter from his pocket, lit the candle, and said in a flat tone, “Make a wish.”
Wen Yifan brought her thoughts back to the present, tilted her head in thought for a moment, and then quickly blew out the candle.
Sang Yan casually asked, “What did you wish for?”
Wen Yifan: “Isn’t it said that if you tell, it won’t come true?”
“If you don’t tell me,” Sang Yan smiled, “how can I help make it come true?”
“…”
Looking at his expression now, Wen Yifan’s heart began to race. She licked her lips, deliberately avoiding his gaze, and picked up the cake knife, saying offhandedly, “It’s related to my work.”
“Oh,” Sang Yan pulled out paper plates from the bag, his tone teasing, “I thought you might have wished for me to be your boyfriend.”
“…”
Hearing this, Wen Yifan’s movements stopped, and she didn’t look at him. She didn’t respond to his comment, only placing a piece of cake on a paper plate and setting it in front of him: “Is this enough for you? It’s not good to eat too much cake so late at night.”
Staring at her expression, Sang Yan’s face took on a thoughtful look.
After a long moment, he just hummed in agreement and didn’t say anything more.
Time was approaching midnight.
Wen Yifan finished her piece of cake and cleaned up the table. She put the remaining cake back in the box and stood up, holding it: “It’s almost midnight, you should get some rest soon.”
Sang Yan: “Alright.”
Back in the kitchen, Wen Yifan returned the cake box to its original place. She came out to the living room, about to head back to her room, when she ran into Sang Yan, who was also planning to return to his room.
Sang Yan stopped in his tracks, blocking her path.
Wen Yifan also came to a halt.
Sang Yan called out to her again: “Wen Yifan.”
Wen Yifan: “What is it?”
Three seconds of silence.
Sang Yan glanced towards the wall clock.
“The gift is under the coffee table,” Sang Yan tilted his chin, lazily tossing out the words, “Go get it yourself.”
Wen Yifan didn’t react immediately.
The next second.
Sang Yan suddenly bent down, looking her in the eye. Their gazes locked for two seconds. Then he carelessly raised his hand and ruffled her hair forcefully.
“Happy birthday.”
…
After saying this, Sang Yan withdrew his hand, turned around, and went back to his room.
Just as he closed the door, the phone in his pocket started ringing. He took it out, strode to the bed, and sat down, then casually glanced at the caller ID.
It was Su Hao’an.
Sang Yan answered the call.
“Come out for drinks tomorrow night, I’m in love,” Su Hao’an said with a grin. “My girlfriend’s friends are pretty good-looking too. Come on, let daddy introduce you, so you can get yourself a girlfriend soon too.”
“Oh, why should I care?” Sang Yan said, “Hanging up now.”
“Are you even human? Tell me what you’ve been up to lately! How long has it been since you came to ‘Overtime’?” Su Hao’an was very displeased. “Hurry up, if you don’t come out tomorrow, I’ll storm your place.”
“I’ve been confirming something lately,” thinking of what had just happened, Sang Yan was in a good mood, “I won’t have time for a while. As for you, love if you want to love, drink if you want to drink, just don’t fucking bother me.”
Su Hao’an: “What the hell?”
Sang Yan smirked, not saying anything more.
“Confirm what?” Su Hao’an’s curiosity was piqued, “Tell me, let your brother give you some advice.”
Sang Yan still didn’t say a word.
After asking a few more times without getting a response, Su Hao’an got angry: “Are you going to fucking tell me or not?”
“Fine,” Sang Yan reluctantly said, “I’ll say a little bit then.”
“?”
“Recently, there’s this girl who wants to hook up with me,” Sang Yan drawled, dragging out his words, “I don’t have time to deal with anyone else, understand?”