After seeing Chen Shiyi and Lu Xuan off, Rong Qian stayed home to wait — and Shen Yi wasn’t gone long. He was back before noon, with Fu Bozhong at his side as always.

The moment she saw him walk in, Rong Qian’s first question was: “How did it go? Did you see your father?”

Shen Yi shook his head.

Rong Qian was thoughtful for a moment and was just about to say something when Fu Bozhong added: “The Master was called away on urgent business and couldn’t make it back. But he called the Young Master.”

“What did he say?” Rong Qian asked.

Fu Bozhong shifted his gaze to Shen Yi — indicating that he didn’t know; Shen Yi had been the one on the call.

“He’s already made arrangements. The police station has given permission for us to visit Lin Feng. As for the rest, it can be sorted out later.” Shen Yi’s tone was utterly flat, giving nothing away about what he was thinking.

Rong Qian nodded. Whatever else was happening, seeing Lin Feng was the priority. She wondered how he was doing.

Shen Yi looked at her. “Let’s go to the police station.”

“Alright.”

And so Fu Bozhong drove them there.

After just one night, Lin Feng was entirely changed. His clothes hadn’t been replaced — Jessie Ni’s blood still marked them. Even his face hadn’t been washed. Overnight, stubble had grown in, and he looked completely hollowed out.

The light in his eyes had gone out.

“Lin Feng.” Shen Yi called his name.

Lin Feng had been sitting with his head bowed. At the sound of the voice, he slowly lifted his face — and the moment he saw Shen Yi and Rong Qian, the rims of his eyes flushed red.

He forced a smile. “I thought I’d never see you two again.”

The detention room was cold. Lin Feng’s clothes were thin, and he had spent the previous night curled up in a corner, freezing. He was still cold all over now.

Without a word, Shen Yi removed his coat and draped it over Lin Feng’s shoulders. Lin Feng reflexively tried to refuse, but Shen Yi was more forceful than he expected — he simply wasn’t allowed to decline.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll get your clothes dirty?” Lin Feng’s eyes were clouded with a dark, muted pain, and there was just a glimmer of something glistening in them. The question clearly carried a second meaning beneath the surface.

Shen Yi gripped him by the shoulder, looking at him with a calm, steady expression — and then tightened his grip, as though meaning to crush his shoulder.

“Hiss — ow! That hurts! What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?”

Lin Feng flinched, bared his teeth, and angrily slapped his hand away.

The corner of Shen Yi’s mouth curved very slightly. “Dramatic self-pity doesn’t suit you. This is better.”

“I was being completely serious!”

Lin Feng said this with exasperated fury — but he had to admit, after Shen Yi’s little interruption, the cloud that had been pressing on his chest had lifted considerably.

Shen Yi smiled a little. “There’s no reason to worry. You’ve always been clean, so you can’t dirty my clothes.”

Lin Feng went still. He stared at him, and suddenly felt a desperate urge to cry.

But a grown man, shedding tears at a moment like this — that was far too undignified. He deliberately made light of it instead: “Ugh, that was nauseating! And another thing — what’s gotten into you today? Why do you keep smiling? You’re like a completely different person!”

Being called out to his face like that, Shen Yi’s expression became ever so slightly uncomfortable.

On the way over, he had been thinking about what frame of mind he wanted to bring when facing Lin Feng, and what he hoped to convey to him.

In the end, Shen Yi had arrived at one conclusion: he wanted Lin Feng to relax. And so he had been deliberately allowing himself to smile, and keeping his manner gentle.

“Shen Yi, I was just teasing you — I’m kidding. The truth is, this is really good. You should keep smiling. Smile more from now on. I love this version of you!” What Lin Feng said came straight from the heart. Today, Shen Yi gave him a sense of steadiness and strength.

Shen Yi put on a straight face, contrarian instincts kicking in, and shot back: “In your dreams.”

“No — wait, I just realized, you really are a different person!”

It was only now that Lin Feng noticed it: Shen Yi was dressed very formally today. Who knew this kid, when he actually dressed up, could look so much like a person of means.

Out of the corner of his eye, he also spotted Fu Bozhong standing to one side. Assuming he was someone Rong Qian knew, Lin Feng asked her: “Rong Qian, who is that?”

Before Rong Qian could answer, Fu Bozhong introduced himself with a smile: “Hello there. My name is Fu, Fu Bozhong — I’m the steward of the Shen household. You’re welcome to call me Butler Fu.”

“The Shen household?” Lin Feng’s first thought was: which Shen household?

Fu Bozhong smiled pleasantly. “That’s right, the Shen family. You’re a friend of our Young Master — by extension, you’re part of the Shen family too. We won’t let you be framed and locked away.”

Lin Feng blinked. He looked at Fu Bozhong, then at Shen Yi, and Lin Feng’s pupils began to dilate.

Good heavens. This kid really was a rich man’s son.

Before Shen Yi had arrived, Lin Feng had truly believed his life was over. He’d been thinking that even if it came to that, he’d make sure he got justice for Jessie Ni first, and then serve his time.

But Shen Yi had given him hope.

Lin Feng felt certain he must have accumulated considerable merit in a past life to have a patron like Shen Yi appear at his darkest hour. The only pity was that Jessie Ni would never have that chance.

Thinking of Jessie Ni, his heart immediately sank.

Rong Qian stood to the side, watching. She didn’t know whether it was the people of this era who were simply more genuine, or whether Lin Feng just had a particularly pure heart.

She thought most people, in this situation, would probably have blamed Shen Yi for not saying sooner that he was wealthy. If they’d known, Thomas wouldn’t have dared bully them, Jessie Ni wouldn’t have died, and Lin Feng wouldn’t be sitting in a jail cell.

But Lin Feng didn’t say any of that. He was even treating Shen Yi as a benefactor — even though none of this would have happened if it weren’t for Shen Yi’s presence in their lives.

Thinking about it, Rong Qian found herself inclined toward the latter conclusion: it was Lin Feng’s nature.

But it also showed, indirectly, that Shen Yi had an excellent eye for people.

Shen Yi’s arrival was like a tranquilizer shot for Lin Feng. When they were leaving and he watched them go, Lin Feng was smiling.

He believed that Shen Yi would give both him and Jessie Ni the justice they deserved.

On the drive back, no one spoke. It wasn’t until they passed through the square that Shen Yi turned to Rong Qian and said: “Would you like to get out and walk for a bit?”

“Mm?” Rong Qian looked out the car window, and only then noticed how lively it was outside.

Shen Yi said: “Today is Christmas.”

Christmas. Rong Qian had been so caught up in everything that she’d completely forgotten. No wonder there were Christmas trees decorated with all sorts of ornaments everywhere she looked, and children wearing Santa hats in the street. And it was only the afternoon now — the evening would surely be even more festive.

“Young Master, it’s cold outside. You should go back and put on a thicker coat before coming out.” Fu Bozhong was worried about him catching a chill — after all, he had given his overcoat to Lin Feng and not taken it back.

Shen Yi glanced at Rong Qian. She wasn’t wearing much either — and so he nodded.

And so by the time they ventured out again, it was evening.

Fu Bozhong drove them to the most vibrant and bustling stretch of the city center, then let them out.

He and two bodyguards followed at a distance behind them, keeping watch over their safety.

Rong Qian walked with her head slightly bowed, watching her boots pressing into the snow. Every step left a footprint. There was a faint heaviness in her heart.

It had snowed today, and it was several degrees colder outside than usual. The only thick clothing she owned was the outfit Shen Yi had bought for her — she had no choice but to wear it.

She knew perfectly well she wouldn’t cross back tonight. It was just that with leaving in mind, she couldn’t help feeling a touch of reluctance.

She had already decided: she would wait until Lin Feng’s matter was resolved and Jessie Ni’s funeral had been held, and then she would go.

With that thought, Rong Qian told herself to pull herself together and not let Shen Yi notice her mood.

“This Christmas is very cold.”

They had walked in silence for some time before Shen Yi was the first to speak.

Rong Qian turned to look at him. He was wearing a black knitted beanie tonight, and his naturally fair complexion was made all the more striking by the contrast — his lips were red and his teeth were bright. He looked every bit the handsome young man. Coupled with his height and long legs, he had attracted quite a few glances from young girls along the way.

“It really is quite cold,” Rong Qian answered quietly, after a long pause.

This Christmas really was cold. Originally, they had all made plans for where they’d spend it together — and then this had happened.

Ah. Life was full of the unexpected.

The two of them walked side by side, nearly the same height, in companionable silence — and walking alongside each other, they made, unexpectedly, a well-matched pair.

Fu Bozhong, watching from behind, felt a deep sense of warmth and wistfulness. He thought to himself: if only Miss Rong could walk alongside their Young Master for good. But he could only allow himself to think it.

The scene was far too beautiful. Fu Bozhong’s only regret was that he hadn’t brought his camera.

Tomorrow — he absolutely must remember to bring his camera tomorrow.