To his self-satisfied assumption, Shen Ruoxi gave not an inch: “Which word I said was concern for you?”

“None of them, perhaps—but I feel like even your punctuation marks were expressing concern for me.”

Shen Ruoxi wanted nothing more than to send him four words: shameless and brazen.

“Let me look at your injury.” Xie Yan made as if to lift her clothing.

Shen Ruoxi immediately backed away, watching him with sharp wariness. “There’s no need for you to look.”

“What are you afraid of? You’re injured—do you really think I’d take advantage of you?”

“Would even you believe that yourself?”

Xie Yan’s brow creased slightly, and before Shen Ruoxi could react, her lips had already received a bite. She winced with a muffled grunt. “What are you doing?”

“I promised I wouldn’t bully you—but surely one bite is acceptable?” Xie Yan looked at her with a smile in his eyes. “Don’t glare at me. If you’re not satisfied, bite me back.”

He pointed to his own lips. “If that’s inconvenient for you, I’ll offer them up to you.”

With that, he thrust his handsome face forward toward her.

Shen Ruoxi barely restrained herself from giving him a slap. How could there be such a shameless, brazen person in this world?

“Move away.” Shen Ruoxi leaned back. “Weren’t you going to buy dinner?”

“Someone’s already gone to get it.”

“When?” Shen Ruoxi hadn’t seen him give anyone any instructions.

“If my subordinates lack even that much initiative, what use do I have for them?”

The words had barely left his mouth when a knock sounded at the door. Xie Yan gave her a look that said “what did I tell you?” and rose to answer it.

When he returned, he was already carrying a food carrier.

Inside the carrier, there was not only food but also a tier of fruit.

“Grapes?” Shen Ruoxi was surprised. “Where did you find grapes at this time of year?”

“I had someone build a greenhouse in the countryside—kept at the same temperature year-round. All kinds of fruit are grown inside, so even in winter, summer produce is available.”

Shen Ruoxi thought to herself: the world of the wealthy really is something else. A greenhouse sounds simple enough, but maintaining a constant temperature throughout all four seasons must take an enormous amount of manpower and resources.

A single bunch of those grapes was worth their weight in gold.

“I’ll take you there someday—fruit you pick yourself tastes best.”

Shen Ruoxi paid no real attention to his words and simply picked up her chopsticks to eat. She was genuinely hungry.

“Today’s person who tried to harm you was an acquaintance, wasn’t it?” When they had eaten their fill, Shen Ruoxi finally spoke.

Xie Yan didn’t answer, but turned the question around: “How did you know?”

“Whoever it was knew your movements and knew when you’d be taking the elevator. If it weren’t someone close to you, how could they have tracked your whereabouts so precisely?” Shen Ruoxi analyzed carefully. “You were playing mahjong in the club at the time, and no one knew when you’d be leaving. So the most suspicious people would be the ones at that mahjong table.”

Xie Yan looked at her, then set down his chopsticks and gave a slow, deliberate clap. “Miss Shen’s analysis is quite accurate. Would you care to guess which of the three it was?”

“That I can’t guess—I have no idea what business dealings you have with them or what disputes might have arisen between you.” Shen Ruoxi averted her eyes. “Are you eating or not?”

Xie Yan spread his hands. “Eating.”

After the meal, someone brought the day’s newspaper. Xie Yan sprawled on the sofa and read through it.

Shen Ruoxi went back to her room to write out musical notation, practicing a new song.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she came out to get some water and found Xie Yan still there. The newspaper had been read and tossed carelessly aside.

“When exactly are you leaving?” Shen Ruoxi issued a direct order for him to go.

The words had been out for quite some time with no response. She walked over and found him lying there with his eyes closed, his dense black lashes resting like little fans against his eyelids.

Shen Ruoxi silently remarked on why a man should be blessed with such long, lovely lashes, and then reached over to tug his clothing. “Stop pretending—I know perfectly well you’re not asleep.”

The man on the sofa not only refused to open his eyes, but also lazily turned over, his face now pressed against the back of the sofa.

Shen Ruoxi: “……”

As they say, you can never wake a person who is pretending to be asleep. So how does one drive away a person who is pretending to sleep in your home and refusing to leave?

“Xie Yan.” Shen Ruoxi gave his shoulder a firm pat. “Get up—it’s time for you to go home.”

She called several times without effect, the man unmoved. Left with no choice, Shen Ruoxi had no option but to let him continue lying there.

Because he had behaved well before, Shen Ruoxi had let her guard down. But she forgot—this was, after all, a wolf who had only briefly worn a sheep’s pelt.

When Shen Ruoxi woke in the middle of the night and rolled over to feel something soft beside her, her heart lurched, and she came fully awake.

When she saw clearly that what lay beside her was a person, that scream nearly flew from her lips.

“Shen Ruoxi, what are you hitting my face for?” Xie Yan muttered drowsily, then his long arm swept out and pulled her tightly into his embrace. “I won’t hold it against you—go to sleep.”

Shen Ruoxi couldn’t sleep at all. She wanted to glare at him, but with her head pressed against his chest, she couldn’t move.

“Xie Yan, what did you say before? How can you go back on your word like this?”

“I haven’t done anything to you, have I? I’ve been sleeping perfectly quietly. You’re the one who woke me.”

Faced with his calm, unruffled tone, Shen Ruoxi found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

He was right. He was simply lying here—he hadn’t laid a hand on her.

“Shen Ruoxi, I’m very sleepy. Stop making noise, like a good girl.” He gave her back a gentle pat. “Go to sleep.”

Shen Ruoxi had been burned by this before and wasn’t going to struggle free this time. But lying against his chest, she could clearly hear his heartbeat thudding steadily into her ear, and that made sleep impossible for her.

“Xie Yan.” Shen Ruoxi was mildly exasperated.

“Something wrong?” The voice above her head was lazy and hazy with half-sleep.

Shen Ruoxi couldn’t help but press her lips together in a hidden smile. She couldn’t sleep; he might as well not sleep either.

“Nothing.” Shen Ruoxi said calmly. “I just wanted to see if you were asleep.”

“And what if I’m not? Were you planning to do something to me?”

Shen Ruoxi hastily shut her eyes. “I’m asleep now.”

A soft laugh came from above her head. That slender hand gave her back another light pat. “Are you an idiot, Shen Ruoxi?”

His hand slid gently from her shoulder downward, finally coming to rest at her waist. “Go to sleep. I’m not going to do anything to you.”

Shen Ruoxi hadn’t believed him at first—but she didn’t know if it was because his embrace was too warm or because she was too tired. Listening to his low, quiet murmur above her head, she drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

When she awoke from that sleep, the sky was fully bright.

Shen Ruoxi opened her eyes to an expanse of emptiness before her.

Her body was covered with blankets, her head resting on a pillow—but the spot where Xie Yan had slept was vacant and empty.

She assumed he had simply gotten up to wash, but after wandering through the apartment with her hair still disheveled, she saw no sign of anyone.

“Did he go to buy breakfast?”

Shen Ruoxi went to the window and looked down at the street below. The car was gone too.

At that moment, a knock at the door and Sister Hong’s voice sounded together.

Shen Ruoxi opened the door, and there stood Sister Hong, dressed in bright, cheerful clothing.

Sister Hong saw her and smiled, holding out a plate. “I just made beef-filled flatbreads—here are two for you.”

“You really shouldn’t have.” Shen Ruoxi hurried to decline.

Sister Hong said, “I made too many and can’t finish them myself.”

She pressed the plate into Shen Ruoxi’s hands. “Remember to give me back the plate when you’re done.”

“Thank you, Sister Hong.” Shen Ruoxi quickly steadied the plate. The aroma of the flatbreads, carried on the breeze, slipped playfully into her nose.

“Oh, by the way—Mr. Xie left early this morning. He said to let you know if I saw you.”

Hearing Sister Hong mention Xie Yan, Shen Ruoxi felt her face warm.

Xie Yan spending the night here—Sister Hong knew all about it, and had probably misread the nature of their relationship.

How was she supposed to explain? Tell Sister Hong she wasn’t the woman Xie Yan was keeping?

An explanation like that probably wouldn’t convince anyone. And there was no need for it, either.

Sister Hong seemed to detect her awkwardness and said, “Mr. Xie may not be the most faithful of men, but he never spends the night at a woman’s home.”

Shen Ruoxi was momentarily taken aback, staring at Sister Hong.

Sister Hong raised an eyebrow slightly: “Though of course, this is his home too.”

“That’s right—this is his home. I’m only the one borrowing a room here.”

“Do you know who lived here before?”

Shen Ruoxi shook her head. Though she didn’t know, she guessed it was probably the subject of that painting.

“Mr. Xie came to Shun Cheng many years ago with nowhere to settle. This was the first place he rented once he had a bit of savings—his first real home here, the place that gave him his earliest warmth when he arrived in the city. He is grateful for it and will remember it for the rest of his life.”

Shen Ruoxi asked in surprise, “He used to live here?”

“Yes. When I rented the room to him, he was barely in his teens—a whole head shorter than he is now, and still so young-looking.” Sister Hong recalled the scene from that time, a smile at the corners of her mouth. “That boy was industrious and hardworking. During the day he’d go out to do odd jobs, and at night he’d come back and help clean the whole building. I was fond of him, so I charged him a little less rent and gave him meals morning and evening. Later, he gradually made something of himself. By the time he had money and standing, this block was just about to be torn down for a new building. The developer took advantage of the fact that we had no one backing us and offered a very low price—barely better than robbery. We were furious but powerless, and had no choice but to agree.”

Sister Hong glanced around at the apartment before her. “It was Mr. Xie who stood up to that developer and in the end bought the entire block of apartments himself. He purchased this unit and gave it to me, still letting me run the place as I pleased. The room he once lived in has never been rented out to anyone else since—it’s stayed exactly as it was when he left.”

“To Sister Hong, he must be like a younger brother?”

Sister Hong laughed softly. “How could I presume to call Mr. Xie a brother?”

“But I feel he regards you as family—even if he never says it out loud.”

Sister Hong looked at Shen Ruoxi and smiled gently. “Miss Shen seems to understand him quite well. He really is like that—what comes out of his mouth isn’t always what’s in his heart, and what’s in his heart isn’t always something he’ll put into words. Whatever he feels for someone, he shows it quietly. Even if his face is cold as ice.”

“Does he have no family then?”