They hadn’t seen each other for ten days.

Cheng Wanyue instinctively ran toward the door, but remembering they were still fighting, she tightened her hand on the banister. Zhou Yu linked arms with her, which kept her from turning to go back upstairs.

Why did he bring such a large suitcase…?

Had he lost weight?

“Cheng Yuzhou, whose side are you on anyway?”

“Yours, of course. Yesterday, you said, ‘Don’t try to guess a girl’s thoughts,’ but sometimes words should be interpreted in reverse. Besides, Qing Hang had already heard your voice. If I leave him outside, how would I explain that to Mom and Dad? He brought plum blossom cakes, kept them warm inside his clothes. If we wait any longer, they’ll get cold.”

Cheng Yuzhou closed the door. “Mom, Dad, Qing Hang is here.”

Everyone was present, and Qing Hang wasn’t a stranger.

Cheng Wanyue watched her aunt go to the kitchen to ask the housekeeper to prepare more dishes, while her uncle familiarly invited Qing Hang into the living room to play chess. It was no different from when Cheng Yanqing visited.

Cheng Yuzhou went to the study to find the chessboard, and Zhou Yu was making tea. Only Cheng Wanyue had nothing to do. As Qing Hang spoke with her uncle, he frequently glanced in her direction. Her uncle, being experienced in such matters, teasingly remarked that their brief separation only made their reunion sweeter.

When Qing Hang placed the plum blossom cakes in her hands, she could still feel their warmth through the food bag.

“I bought them from a street vendor. Not sure if they’re authentic.”

With elders present, she wasn’t excessively cold. “The ones sold on the street are all similar. A few old shops make better ones.”

“One day you can take me there, so I’ll remember,” Qing Hang had encountered someone selling plum blossom cakes near the subway station and bought a few. “They’re red bean paste filling. Try one.”

Cheng Wanyue had only mentioned it casually, but Qing Hang had taken it to heart. Her aunt said dinner would be ready soon and told her not to eat too much, but she still ate two. Judging by her expression, Qing Hang could tell she didn’t frown, so they probably weren’t bad.

They were halfway through the chess game when the kitchen called everyone to dinner.

Last night, Cheng Wanyue had sat alone, but today someone occupied the seat beside her. Qing Hang served her food, and she ate it; he poured soup for her, and she drank it. But as soon as the elders went upstairs, she turned cold.

Qing Hang didn’t stay overnight but returned to the Cheng family home the next evening.

Cheng Yuzhou opened the door again.

Cheng Wanyue seemed to know he would come; she had been waiting in the living room before dark. Meiqiu jumped down from beside her, arched its body with a few shakes, its tail held high.

Today, the entire city experienced a sharp drop in temperature, colder than the snowy day in Beijing. The cold wind gusted through the door cracks into the house, and even Meiqiu was reluctant to approach the door.

Cheng Yuzhou looked back at Cheng Wanyue. She pretended not to care but whispered, “Let him in.”

“She doesn’t want to see you. Even if you freeze to death outside, it won’t help. You’d better go home early,” Cheng Yuzhou gave Qing Hang a meaningful look before closing the door.

Cheng Wanyue:?

Zhou Yu was the pregnant one, so why was Cheng Yuzhou showing the symptoms?

Cheng Wanyue coughed twice. “Call him in.”

“Whoever feels sorry for him can call him in,” Cheng Yuzhou deliberately locked the door. “If you don’t want to forgive him, his presence will only be unwelcome. Better not to see him.”

Zhou Yu played along. Qing Hang is quite stubborn. He might wait until tomorrow. It’s so cold outside, windy, and rainy. How miserable! Even the healthiest body can’t withstand such torture.”

Cheng Yuzhou: “True. I’ll tell him to leave.”

Zhou Yu: “You just said Wanyue doesn’t want to see him, and no amount of persuasion will help. Today is the coldest day since winter began. He’s going to suffer.”

Cheng Yuzhou: “Ignore him. Who told him to make Wanyue cry? Not beating him up yesterday was already giving him face.”

The two of them continued talking as they went upstairs. After Cheng Wanyue heard the door close upstairs, she got up. She opened the front door a crack and gently pushed Meiqiu with her toe.

As Meiqiu ran outside, she hurriedly descended the steps.

Qing Hang was in the yard, scooping up Meiqiu with one hand.

The back of his hand was ice-cold. Cheng Wanyue looked away, remembering that his suitcase was still at the Cheng house, and he probably hadn’t added any extra clothing.

“Its paws are dirty; don’t let it walk around. You… come in first.”

“Wanyue…”

“It’s too cold. If you don’t come in now, I’m closing the door.”

Cheng Wanyue took out a pair of warm slippers from the cabinet and placed them at the entrance before slowly finding a towel to wipe Meiqiu’s paws. Qing Hang, after changing his shoes, also squatted down to help. Meiqiu lay on its back on the mat, and all four paws were wiped several times. Compared to when Qing Hang first brought it from the pet store, it had grown much larger.

“How many days of leave did you take?”

“I didn’t take leave. I resigned.”

As soon as Qing Hang finished speaking, Cheng Wanyue’s expression changed.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve already found a new job. I went for an interview this morning and met the department head. I can start next week. The salary and benefits aren’t worse than before,” Qing Hang patiently explained. “Wanyue, I’ve thought it through. I’m not sacrificing my career for you, nor am I giving up my future. It’s not an impulsive decision either. Working anywhere is the same for me. I’ll encounter difficult patients and unfair situations everywhere. Nanjing is also good. You like it here, and I will too.”

Cheng Wanyue had many friends in Beijing, but friends were just friends, not as close as family.

She had stayed with her parents throughout her four years of university. She would only stay longer in Nanjing when she came for her regular check-ups. Cheng Yuzhou’s parents treated her like their own daughter. With her in Nanjing, her family could be at ease.

“Is it decided? Which hospital?”

“Provincial People’s Hospital.”

Cheng Wanyue was very familiar with this hospital. Her uncle was even more familiar with the hospital director and several department heads. “What if you regret it someday? Will you bring it up again in future arguments? Not only do I make you miserable, but I also affect your income. How terrible of me.”

Qing Hang knew why he had come to Nanjing. He had rehearsed what he wanted to say countless times in his mind, but when he finally stood before her, all his drafts seemed erased.

“Wanyue, I’m sorry. I was wrong that day. My feelings for you are laid bare, without any impurities. What you see is what I am. But at that moment, I became a prisoner of jealousy, and hurtful words slipped out.”

“Jealous of whom? Chi Yue? Why would you be jealous of him?”

“…From a certain angle, he looks a bit like Number 6.”

Cheng Wanyue looked completely confused. “What Number 6, Number 7, Number 8?”

Qing Hang remembered so clearly, ultimately because of jealousy. That Number 6 had effortlessly snatched Cheng Wanyue away from him in such a short time. He had even wondered if she was drawn to Number 6 because he resembled Yan Ci.

“In the second semester of senior year, a vocational high school boy became close to you. He always wore the number 6 jersey when playing basketball on the field.”

Cheng Wanyue’s legs had gone numb before she remembered. “Oh, him! Don’t mention him. He was bad luck, a psycho who nearly left me with psychological trauma.”

Qing Hang lowered his head to conceal the desolation in his eyes. “…I thought you liked him.”

“Like what about him? Like his mental disorder?” Cheng Wanyue got goosebumps. “Ugh, so scary. Running into him was like having eight lifetimes of bad luck. He pestered me daily, and even my classmates suffered because of him. Fortunately, you got early admission and left school in April.”

“If you disliked him, why were you together with him?”

“Who was ever together with that kind of person? Qing Hang, you’re slandering me!”

“…That time at Yongkang Lane, you said I was annoying and sent me away.”

“If I hadn’t sent you away, you might have thrown a brick at his head. You might not have been afraid of losing your early admission opportunity, but I didn’t want to affect you. Who am I? I’m Cheng Wanyue! Dealing with people like him requires some tactics. If others got involved, it wouldn’t be my fault. If you had been disciplined by the school, my father would have beaten me. Being disciplined is different from being made to stand as punishment. I may not be very smart, but I know what’s important.”