Chapter 37: I’ll Take A Glance

The kiss that landed on Lu Huaiyan’s temple was light, but it strangely carried the sensation of a soft, intimate brush of the ears.

After the kiss, he grabbed his bathrobe from the side and put it on. Passing by the kitchen, he took a bottle of cold water from the fridge and drank half of it. Only then did he go to the entryway to pick up the intimate clothes Jiang Se had left on the shoe cabinet.

Han Xiao had been waiting outside for a while without any movement, not daring to swipe his card to enter. Just as he was about to call Lu Huaiyan, the door suddenly opened with a “click.”

“Bro! Happy Birthday!” Han Xiao greeted enthusiastically, holding a long wooden box containing wine in one hand. With the other hand, he pushed the door open to step inside. “I wanted to come give you your birthday gift the day before yesterday, but I was in Beicheng, and then my mom arranged a blind date for me. If I didn’t go, she’d peel my skin off.”

Lu Huaiyan caught his hand that was pushing the door. His gaze briefly swept over the wine in Han Xiao’s arms before releasing his wrist to snatch the wine away. “I’ve accepted the gift, but you can leave now.”

The door was only open a small crack, and Lu Huaiyan, acting as a human barricade, blocked the rest of it. Han Xiao couldn’t push the door open to go inside, so he had to say, “Bro, I haven’t had breakfast yet. I came straight to find you after getting off the plane. At least let me have some breakfast before I go.”

“I’m busy. You can eat downstairs.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “Give me the other key card. You don’t need this one. Next time, call me before you come.”

Han Xiao: “…”

Although he wouldn’t dare to casually open his brother’s door even if he had the key card, his brother had clearly implied before that he could distribute an extra key card. Otherwise, he would’ve taken it back long ago.

Reluctantly, Han Xiao took the card out of his pocket, opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask something, but before he could speak, Lu Huaiyan had already snatched the card from his hand, saying indifferently, “Go rest for two days. I won’t let Li Rui arrange any work for you in the next couple of days.”

Han Xiao instantly felt better, and he didn’t murmur anymore. Just as he was about to say something nice, he heard a “click” sound, and Lu Huaiyan had already closed the door.

“…”

After sending Han Xiao away, Lu Huaiyan returned to his room.

Jiang Se was washing up in the bathroom. When she saw him come back, she glanced at him briefly before turning her attention back to brushing her teeth.

Lu Huaiyan stood at the bathroom door, glanced at her, and then stepped inside. He casually tossed the intimate clothes she had left at the entryway into a wicker basket, then picked up an electric toothbrush from the counter on the other side.

They both used the same brand of toothbrush—one green and one black.

Jiang Se noticed her intimate clothes lying alone in the wicker basket through the mirror. She lowered her eyelashes, nonchalantly spitting out the foam in her mouth.

After rinsing her mouth, she stepped past Lu Huaiyan and walked toward the shower. She took off her nightdress and pushed open the glass door to enter.

Lu Huaiyan braced himself against the counter. As he looked up, he caught a glimpse of her back in the mirror. Her snow-white waist bore several red marks, like petals, which he had left last night.

The man lowered his gaze, suddenly realizing that the half-bottle of cold water he just drank was pointless.

In the shower, the sound of water pattering could be heard, like the sudden fall of rain.

Jiang Se looked up at the fine droplets, almost as if they were strung together. Her throat began to dry.

Soon, the soft sound of water was interrupted by a vibrating sound—the sound of his electric toothbrush.

She glanced outside. Beyond the frosted glass door, there was a vague silhouette of Lu Huaiyan—tall, black-clad, and imposing.

Jiang Se pulled her gaze away and took a step forward, letting the warm water pour over her head.

After finishing her shower, when she came out, Lu Huaiyan was no longer there. Jiang Se grabbed a bathrobe and was about to put it on when the man returned, now dressed in a shirt and trousers.

His gaze lingered on her damp hair for a moment. Lu Huaiyan took a hairdryer from the drawer, patted the white counter, and said, “Come over, I’ll dry your hair.”

Jiang Se walked over, sitting on the counter as she had before.

Lu Huaiyan unbuttoned his cuffs, rolled up his sleeves to his elbows, and skillfully turned on the hairdryer.

After drying her hair, he put the hairdryer down, then took her delicate white ankle from beneath the counter, pulling it up to rest on the surface.

“I’ll take a look.”

Inside the bathrobe, she wore nothing. Jiang Se, startled by his sudden action, had to place her hand behind her to steady herself. The hem of her bathrobe slid down from her knees, pooling on the counter.

Her reaction was calm, without the slightest trace of embarrassment or discomfort. Her eyelashes lowered slightly as she coldly looked at Lu Huaiyan.

The man glanced at her, then let go of her ankle and adjusted the bathrobe around her legs.

“Better, the swelling has gone down a bit.”

Jiang Se: “…”

Lu Huaiyan lifted his gaze to meet hers and smiled, “Did you think I was going to do something?”

Jiang Se couldn’t be bothered to answer him. She looked him over, then asked, “Are you leaving?”

Lu Huaiyan replied with a sound of affirmation, “I need to check on the film studio project. I’ll leave after breakfast. This room card—”

He paused, then took the room card he had placed on the counter and handed it to Jiang Se. “Take it. You can come here anytime. The house in Beicheng uses a smart system. I’ll record your fingerprints and iris scan when you’re free.”

The room card was a black metal piece, cold to the touch.

Jiang Se had seen it when she first arrived. She traced the edge of the card with her fingers and asked Lu Huaiyan, “The one Han Xiao had earlier?”

Lu Huaiyan nodded, then explained, “Han Xiao came to give me a birthday gift.”

At this, he laughed, adding, “He didn’t really need to bring a gift. He’s already given me something much more practical.”

Jiang Se looked at him as he brushed the hair at her temple and leaned down to steal a quick kiss from her lips, laughing as he said, “The box of condoms on the nightstand was what he prepared for me when I came to Tongcheng. We’ll be set for a while.”

Han Xiao might not have any talent for business, but he was certainly good at spending money. He was especially meticulous with his choices, even down to the contraceptive supplies—he had stocked up in every size.

Jiang Se wasn’t surprised by Han Xiao’s actions at all. She lowered her head and smiled softly.

Lu Huaiyan stared at the smile on the corner of her lips, then lifted her down from the counter, saying, “Miss, it’s time to pick out breakfast.”

Jiang Se didn’t get to have breakfast, and even the red tea that Lu Huaiyan brewed remained half-drunk.

Zhang Yue had been in a car accident. After receiving a call from He Miao, Jiang Se hurriedly went to the First City Hospital.

When she arrived at the hospital, He Miao was in the middle of paying the medical fees for Zhang Yue. Upon seeing Jiang Se, she tried to hold back her tears and said, “I’m sorry, Miss Jiang. I didn’t know who else to turn to, so I had to come to you.”

Jiang Se took the payment slip from her and said, “Don’t panic, just pay the fees first. After that, we’ll talk about what happened.”

Jiang Se’s appearance undoubtedly reassured He Miao. After paying, her emotions calmed down, and she explained, “A motorcycle suddenly came out of nowhere, and that jerk hit someone and fled. Fortunately, the doctor said that Master only broke her leg and suffered a mild concussion. There’s no danger to his life.”

Jiang Se’s gaze flickered for a moment, and she nodded before heading to the hospital room with He Miao.

The woman on the hospital bed had not woken up yet. Her left leg was in a cast and suspended high. Her pale face was even thinner than it had been two days ago.

Jiang Se glanced at her for a moment before taking out her phone to call Fang Shang.

Fang Shang was the person Lu Huaiyan had arranged for her earlier. He was a big shot in Tongcheng with extensive connections. Within an hour, he had tracked down the hit-and-run driver.

“He’s an ordinary office worker. In a rush to avoid being late, he took a shortcut. After hitting someone, he fled because he was afraid of paying for damages. He thought he could escape by relying on the remote alley and the lack of surveillance cameras.”

Fang Shang sent her the driver’s photo and even managed to find a short piece of surveillance footage. The video clearly captured the driver fleeing in a panic, looking completely flustered.

In the video, Zhang Yue had not yet lost consciousness after the collision, but instead of calling the police, she had called He Miao.

Jiang Se turned off the video and put her phone back in her pocket before returning to the hospital room.

She stared at Zhang Yue’s gaunt face and muttered softly, “It really was an accident. I thought…”

She didn’t finish her sentence. After standing silently by the bed for a while, she walked over to the window and took a few deep breaths of the cool air outside.

Zhang Yue did not wake up the entire day. Jiang Se alternated with He Miao to stay with her in the room.

As evening fell, He Miao brought over a military coat for Jiang Se. “Miss Jiang, you should go rest now. I’ll stay with Master tonight.”

Jiang Se nodded and took one last glance at Zhang Yue on the bed. She picked up her phone from the table and left the room.

Parking at the First City Hospital was always tight. She had parked her car in the parking lot across the street when she arrived.

As she exited the inpatient building and was about to turn left to cross the street at the traffic light, her phone suddenly vibrated.

She looked at the screen and answered the call: “Lu Huaiyan.”

The man’s voice was close to her ear. He simply hummed and said, “Look to your right.”

Jiang Se instinctively stopped and turned to look to her right.

At the bustling street corner, light snow gently fell. He stood under the dim streetlight, his gaze calm and steady as he looked at her. The usually cold expression in his eyes was softened by a hint of a smile.

“Are you hungry? Let’s go eat the noodles we missed last time.”

---

The noodle shop they missed before, due to the joy of the host, was called Donglaishun, named after the owner, whose surname contained the character “Dong.”

Because of the daughter’s wedding, the shop had been closed for two days, but today, they were lucky—it was open when they arrived.

On a snowy day, there were plenty of people out eating hot noodle soup.

Jiang Se and Lu Huaiyan were lucky enough to find a small, empty two-person table in the corner.

They both ordered the shop’s signature beef noodles. When placing the order, Lu Huaiyan specifically reminded, “One bowl without green onions or cilantro.”

Jiang Se was unwrapping her chopsticks and, hearing this, looked up at him.

That bowl without green onions or cilantro was for her—she had never liked strong-flavored condiments since she was a child.

The noodle shop was small, and the crowd was large. Voices rose and fell, making it seem like a busy market.

It was clear that most of the people eating there were regulars, familiar with the shop. Several tables of customers were congratulating the owner on his daughter’s marriage. At a diagonal table, an elderly man shared an amusing story, saying that on the day of the wedding feast, someone had handed a red envelope into the shop.

“Old Dong took the red envelope and asked around, but no one knew who had given it. There were just two characters on it: ‘Yan’ and ‘Se.’”

As the old man spoke, Jiang Se’s noodles were just served. The owner’s wife placed the bowl in front of her, then turned to the old man with a smile, saying, “My husband and I were guessing which newlywed couple had just moved here. Old Dong said, since we couldn’t find out, we might as well call them Mr. Yan and Miss Se.”

“I heard,” the old man continued, “Old Dong said the handwriting on that red envelope was so beautiful it could be framed. They must be cultured people.”

The cultured person, Lu Huaiyan, was currently pouring vinegar into Jiang Se’s bowl of noodles. As they ate, neither of them spoke much, keeping their heads lowered, quietly listening and quietly remaining detached from the lively conversation around them.

Someone became curious and insisted on seeing the characters on the red envelope. The owner’s wife actually brought out the red envelope for people to see, showing the words “a hundred years of happiness” and the signature: Yan, Se.

The atmosphere became lively, with the long and thin red envelope passing through many hands.

No one knew that the owner of the red envelope was sitting right there.

They were the instigators of this lively scene, yet they were also just passersby in it.

Jiang Se didn’t finish her noodles. In the end, Lu Huaiyan finished the remaining half of her bowl.

At the checkout, the owner’s wife gave them two mint-flavored wedding candies.

Though Jiang Se usually liked to add rock sugar to her tea, she rarely ate candy, especially hard candy. However, when she took the wedding candy, she remembered how the owner’s wife had just praised Miss Se, so she broke her usual habit and unwrapped a piece to pop into her mouth.

As they pushed the door open to leave, the cold wind made the wind chimes at the entrance ring, clanging loudly.

Once they got in the car, neither of them said anything.

The black sedan slowly turned into a quiet, narrow alley. As they passed under the dense shadow of trees, Lu Huaiyan suddenly slammed on the brakes.

He pulled the handbrake, unbuckled his seatbelt, placed his hand on the center console, and leaned in to turn her face toward the window.

“Did you hear that? The people inside were all saying Miss Se is beautiful and kind-hearted.” The man lowered his head, kissing her lips, his tongue gently teasing the minty sweetness from her mouth. He smiled and said, “They’re complimenting you, Miss.”

Chapter 38: Shall We Meet Tonight?

The noodle shop was close to the financial district and the hotel, but Jiang Se didn’t return to the hotel with Lu Huaiyan. She had him drop her off on Fuchun Street, and then she went to “Wangchuan.”

She hadn’t been home for two days. Although she used the excuse of accompanying the elders at Han Mountain Temple, every few hours, Jiang Chuan would send her messages. They were just ordinary things, asking if she had eaten, whether she brought enough clothes, and if the blanket was thick enough for sleeping.

These endless messages always made Jiang Se think of Aunt Zhang and Uncle Tong.

She had sent a message to Yu Shiying right before getting off the car. After getting out and walking a few steps, she ran into Jiang Chuan, who had come to pick someone up.

The lights on Fuchun Street were always bright, with a row of floodlights under the trees, and a few red lanterns hanging from them.

The surface of Fuchun River was covered with a thin layer of ice, the still water flowing quietly and deeply without a sound.

Jiang Se couldn’t help but glance back.

The low-key black sedan was still there. The passenger side window was rolled down, and the man had one hand on the steering wheel, leaning lazily against the back of the seat, his head turned to look at her.

After Jiang Se glanced at him indifferently, he seemed to smile, lowered his head, and picked up his phone.

The moment Jiang Se turned away, her phone in her coat pocket vibrated, but she didn’t rush to check it. She entered the bar with Jiang Chuan, chatted with Yu Shiying for a while, and only after returning to her apartment did she slowly take out her phone and open WeChat.

Lu Huaiyan: [I’ll pick you up to go to the hospital tomorrow morning.]

Following this message was a voice note.

Jiang Se placed her phone on the shoe rack, clicked on the voice note, and listened to Lu Huaiyan’s smiling voice slowly fill the quiet, dim space: “Good night, Miss.”

The light on the screen quickly faded, and Jiang Se hung up her coat. She remembered there was a mint-flavored candy inside, so she took it out.

The mint candy was small, shaped like a pink heart.

Earlier in the car, the half piece of candy left in her mouth was taken by the man. He found it troublesome and, after biting it, brought his minty sweet tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers.

Jiang Se unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. As she entered the living room, she casually placed a record on the turntable.

After one song finished, the mint candy in her mouth melted into a sweet, sticky syrup.

She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up. Before turning off the lights to sleep, she remembered the bottles and jars on her bedside table, so she got up, poured a large handful of pills, and flushed them down the toilet.

The white pills quickly disappeared as the swirling water carried them away.

She watched indifferently, waiting for the bathroom to return to silence before turning off the lights and leaving.

The person who came to pick her up the next day was Li Rui.

As soon as Jiang Se got into the car, Li Rui took the initiative to explain, “There was an issue with the land approved for building the film city. Young Master Lu had to leave early to meet with a geological expert from Beicheng, so he asked me to pick you up.”

Jiang Se had already received Lu Huaiyan’s voice message when she woke up, so she simply nodded and said, “Thank you, Assistant Li.”

Li Rui quickly responded with multiple reassurances of “It’s no trouble at all.” He had gone through such a long-winded explanation mainly for Young Master Lu’s sake—worried that the lady might misunderstand and be upset.

Having worked for Lu Huaiyan for so many years, this was the first time he had seen him take an interest in a woman. Naturally, he hoped his boss could successfully start a relationship. After all, a leader in love would be more humane and, in turn, kinder to his subordinates.

After dropping her off at the hospital, Li Rui immediately took out his phone to report back to Lu Huaiyan.

The background noise on the other end was filled with the rumble of heavy machinery. After listening, Lu Huaiyan simply asked, “Did she have breakfast?”

Li Rui was momentarily stunned. “I didn’t ask.”

He quickly added, “I’ll go buy something for Miss Jiang right away. Even if she’s already eaten, she can save it for a morning snack.”

Lu Huaiyan gave a soft acknowledgment. “There’s a bakery near the hospital that should be quite well-known. Get it from there.”

—

When Li Rui arrived with the bread and coffee, Jiang Se had just finished her handover with He Miao.

“Young Master Lu was worried you hadn’t eaten breakfast, so he asked me to bring you something.”

Jiang Se was slightly surprised to see him. Hearing this, she glanced at the large paper bag of bread and immediately recognized it as being from a bakery she had bought from before.

She nodded, took the bag, and said calmly, “Thank you.”

Li Rui instinctively looked at her. Young Master Lu had been so thoughtful, remembering her breakfast even while being so busy. Any ordinary woman would have been touched by such consideration, yet Jiang Se’s face showed no emotional fluctuation at all.

After delivering the bread, Li Rui was about to leave when Jiang Se called out to him, “Are you heading back to Lu Huaiyan now?”

“Yes.” Li Rui had always been good at reading people, so he quickly asked, “Would you like me to pass on a message to Young Master Lu?”

Jiang Se took a red bean bun from the bag and said, “This is the bakery’s most famous item. Please bring one to him for me.”

After Li Rui left, Jiang Se sat by the hospital bed, unwrapped a red bean bun, and slowly ate it. Once she finished, she asked the nurse to watch over Zhang Yue for a while and went to the psychiatric department to get a prescription.

When she returned, the nurse glanced at the medication in her hand, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn’t say anything. She only offered a gentle reassurance, “Boss Zhang should wake up sometime today.”

Jiang Se smiled, thanked her, and placed the new prescription into her bag.

Zhang Yue regained consciousness in the afternoon. Seeing Jiang Se by her side didn’t surprise her, but when she tried to speak, she found her throat unbearably hoarse.

Jiang Se got up, closed the door to the hospital room, poured a cup of warm water, and helped Zhang Yue sit up as she spoke, “Drink some water, eat a little something, and then we’ll talk.”

Zhang Yue looked at her, silently mouthed a “thank you,” and took the cup.

Jiang Se patiently waited for her to finish a full cup of water and eat a bowl of porridge that He Miao had brought in a thermal container. Then, she turned, pulled two signed documents from her bag, and placed them in front of Zhang Yue.

“One is the demolition agreement for No. 38 Jinxiu Xiang, and the other is the deed of gift for the new No. 38 Jinxiu Xiang. As long as you sign this deed, the contract will take effect, and the new No. 38 Jinxiu Xiang will still be yours.”

Zhang Yue took the documents, looking slightly surprised that Jiang Se would return the shop to her so easily. She immediately lowered her head to skim through them.

Jiang Se let her read but then slowly pulled the contract back from her hands. “Tell me about Zhao Zhicheng, and the contract is yours.”

Zhang Yue’s eyes locked onto the contract in Jiang Se’s hand.

Jiang Se met her gaze and continued, “You were hit by a car but didn’t dare to report it. You refused to let He Miao take you to the hospital. In the eight years since you moved to Tongcheng, you rarely go out. Even when you do, you only ever use cash. Did Zhao Zhicheng teach you to do all this?”

Zhang Yue lifted her eyes. “What are you trying to say?”

“It’s because of the murder case ten years ago, isn’t it?” Jiang Se said calmly. “Ten years ago, you were drugged in Rongcheng—by your boss and a coworker. They assaulted you and then claimed you were willing, didn’t they? Later, Zhao Zhicheng killed them for you, and you both fled Rongcheng. Two years later, you arrived in Tongcheng with a sum of money and bought No. 38 Jinxiu Xiang, while Zhao Zhicheng vanished. You’ve been waiting for him to come back to you, haven’t you?”

She paused, watching Zhang Yue intently. “Boss Zhang, do you want to know where Zhao Zhicheng went after that?”

At the mention of the past, Zhang Yue’s expression flickered, her breath turning shallow. Her fingers trembled as she clenched them. After a long silence, she asked, “Where did he go?”

“Three months after you arrived in Tongcheng, he appeared in Beicheng. He and two other habitual criminals kidnapped a sixteen-year-old heiress.”

Zhang Yue’s face froze as she stared blankly at Jiang Se.

Jiang Se smiled faintly. “You guessed it. The heiress he kidnapped was me.”

Zhang Yue was silent for a moment before asking, “So, are you here for revenge?”

“Why would I seek revenge on you? You weren’t the one who kidnapped me.”

Jiang Se stood up, placed the contract back into her bag, poured herself a glass of warm water, and leaned against the table as she looked at Zhang Yue. Her voice was gentle. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t take revenge on you or hurt you, even though you were the woman Zhao Zhicheng loved. Not only will I not harm you, but I’ll also help you protect your lighthouse, as much as I am able. And this isn’t just because of our deal.”

Zhang Yue gazed at her.

The young woman before her had clear, sincere eyes, as if every word she spoke came from the depths of her heart. She truly did not hate her. She truly wanted to help her.

“But why would you help me?”

“Because what happened to you almost happened to me.” Jiang Se slowly blinked. “There were three kidnappers who took me back then. The other two had even more crimes on their records than Zhao Zhicheng. I was held for three days. On the first night, they couldn’t hold back. They said they had never had a socialite before and forced me to drink the same drug you once drank. In the end, it was Zhao Zhicheng who stopped them in time. Maybe he did it because of you—because when he looked at me, he saw you.”

Jiang Se spoke with an indifferent expression, her voice so calm it was as if she were recounting someone else’s story, not her own.

Zhang Yue’s tears had already started falling. She stammered, “He wouldn’t work with those kinds of people. He told me—he said that whenever he saw someone like that, he would kill them. He promised me he would come back. We agreed that once we got to Tongcheng, we could start over…”

She repeated those words blankly, then, as if suddenly consumed by overwhelming pain, wiped her tears away and asked, “He’s dead, isn’t he? Ah Cheng… is he dead?”

“No, he’s not dead. He killed the other two kidnappers and escaped.” Jiang Se picked up a box of tissues and handed it to Zhang Yue, speaking gently. “Boss Zhang, you know him best. You must understand why he never came back for you—because he was afraid of putting you in danger. You were right. A man like him would never work with the kind of people he hated. He must have been forced.”

Tears rolled down Zhang Yue’s face as she repeated, “You think he was forced?”

“There had to be a fourth person behind that kidnapping. He’s afraid that person will harm you, so he doesn’t dare to appear. And I want to catch that person. Boss Zhang, Zhao Zhicheng saved me from those two men. I don’t hate you, and I don’t hate him. I just want to find out who the real mastermind behind my kidnapping was.”

Jiang Se gazed at Zhang Yue’s lost and desperate eyes, coaxing her with quiet conviction. “If you help me find that person, I will issue a letter of forgiveness. I will testify that he killed them to save me. I promise you—I will protect your lighthouse. When he gets out of prison, you two will be able to live under the sun, without running, without fear.”

When people are sick or facing a crisis, their willpower is always weaker than usual—especially someone who has spent years relying on another as their guiding light, as their savior.

Jiang Se took a few tissues from the box and placed them in Zhang Yue’s hands. “For now, just focus on healing your leg. We’ll deal with the rest after you’re discharged.”

She lifted her gaze, her eyes filled with sincerity and determination. “When you’ve recovered, if you’re willing, we’ll find that person together.”

---

Upon hearing that Zhang Yue had woken up, He Miao rushed to the hospital.

Jiang Se didn’t stay. Her car was still parked in the lot across from the inpatient wing. Exiting the building, she turned left, but just as she approached the streetlight, she instinctively turned her face and glanced toward the right side of the hospital, toward the street.

It was still crowded. Fine snow drifted down through the hazy yellow glow of the streetlights.

She slowly withdrew her gaze and merged into the flow of people heading home from work, crossing the street to retrieve her car.

The vehicle had been parked there for a full day and night, its surface covered in a thin layer of frost. Jiang Se got into the driver’s seat but didn’t start the engine right away.

In the dim cabin, shadows flickered across her face.

A dull pain spread from the severed tendon in her left pinky finger. She remembered how, back then, her hands had been tied behind her, those two men prying her jaw open to force the drug down her throat. That was when she had felt the broken, rusted nail.

She knew that drug would make her lose a chunk of her memory.

But she wouldn’t allow herself to forget.

She needed to remember exactly how they had hurt her.

So she had driven that broken nail deep into her flesh. At that moment, she had thought—if she could survive, if she could just live, she would make sure to catch them and repay the pain an eye for an eye.

If Zhao Zhicheng hadn’t kicked away the half-fed bowl of drugged liquid and pulled her from their grasp, she might have lost more than just a severed tendon.

Seven years had passed, and the wound had long since healed. But the pain still remained.

Jiang Se let out a slow breath, started the car, and headed toward Fuchun Street.

Yet, midway, she suddenly veered off into a commercial district and came to an abrupt stop in the parking lot.

She stared at the snowflakes densely falling outside the windshield, then pulled out her phone and dialed Lu Huaiyan.

The phone rang twice before he picked up. She licked her dry lips and asked softly, “Lu Huaiyan, do you want to meet tonight?”

There was a two-second silence on the other end. Then she heard his voice—low, tinged with a smile, carrying clearly through the howling wind around him.

“Fifty minutes. No—forty-five minutes. Se Se, we’ll meet in forty-five minutes.”

Ending the call, Jiang Se turned the car around and drove toward Junyue.

Lu Huaiyan arrived precisely on time. With one minute left until their appointment, he strode out of the elevator, pulled out his keycard, and with a soft “beep,” unlocked the door.

The room was warmly lit, and her coat hung by the entrance.

Lazy, vintage music flowed from the record player. She was sitting on the sofa in the living room, flipping through vinyl records. Her long, slightly messy hair cascaded over her shoulders. Hearing the door open, she paused and glanced toward him with cool, clear eyes.

Lu Huaiyan took off his gloves and coat as he walked toward her, saying, “I spent the whole day out in the dirt—got covered in dust. I won’t hug you.”

When he stopped in front of her, Jiang Se tilted her face up to look at him.

He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, now streaked with grayish-white dust. He wasn’t exaggerating—he truly was covered in grime.

She wrinkled her nose, shifting back slightly. “Go take a shower first.”

But just as she moved, he leaned down, grinning. “Don’t dodge, or I won’t be able to kiss you.”

He tilted his chin forward and brushed his lips lightly against hers, sucking gently before murmuring, still smiling, “Don’t worry, I just drank some water. My lips are perfectly clean.”

The water must have been ice-cold because his usually warm lips carried a chilly touch.

His breath, too, held the crisp, wintry air, as if he had hurried through the wind and snow just to see her.

Jiang Se’s eyelashes fluttered. This time, she didn’t retreat. Instead, she parted her lips, letting his tongue slip inside.

She wore a dark green camisole dress, draped with a light green long cardigan. The faint scent of layered mist clung to her skin—the fragrance of the body wash from his bathroom, a clear sign that she had already showered.

Lu Huaiyan kissed her deeply for a while before finally straightening up. His voice was husky as he chuckled, “I’ll go shower now.”

Jiang Se hummed in acknowledgment, lowering her head to continue flipping through the vinyl records. Once she had made her choice, she placed the record onto the player before turning and heading into the master bedroom. She pulled open a cabinet on one side and retrieved an already opened box from inside.

Just as Lu Huaiyan had said, the cabinet was stuffed to the brim with an overwhelming supply of condoms, nearly overflowing.

They were all from the same brand, yet varied in color, type, and size—clear evidence that even Han Xiao wasn’t entirely sure of Lu Huaiyan’s usual preference, nor what size he used.

Jiang Se curiously flipped over the box in her hands, glancing at the text on the packaging. Suddenly, she understood why the last time had been so painful.

Even though she had prepared herself, it had still hurt far more than Guo Qian had described.

Lu Huaiyan hadn’t actually indulged himself fully last time. Although she hadn’t stopped him and had even encouraged him to continue, in the end, he had restrained himself, his movements controlled and deliberate.

With a calm expression, Jiang Se pulled out one from the box. After a brief moment of thought, she took another before getting up and walking toward the bathroom.

Lu Huaiyan had just stepped out of the shower, water still dripping from his hair. He was wearing a black bathrobe, his hands moving to tie the belt around his waist.

Catching a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, he looked up and asked, “What do you want for dinn—”

Before he could finish his sentence, his gaze landed on the items in her hand. His brow lifted slightly. “Right now?”

Jiang Se placed what she was holding onto the sink counter and met his gaze in the mirror. “Can we?” she asked.

Lu Huaiyan’s fingers briefly paused on his robe belt. Instead of answering, he posed another question, “Here?”

She gave a small hum in response, then repeated, “Can we?”

With that, she stepped past him, turned on the shower, and as the steady stream of water began to fall, she closed the glass door and walked toward him, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his in an offering.

Lu Huaiyan tilted his head down and kissed her in return. Soon, he let go of his robe’s belt, lifted her into his arms, and casually pulled a towel to lay on the counter before setting her down on it.

Usually, when they kissed, it was always him who initiated, him who cornered her, but tonight, it was the other way around.

She was fervent, as if trying to melt into him.

Lu Huaiyan had never restrained his desire for her. As long as the setting was appropriate, even the faintest touch from her could ignite him like lightning striking dry earth, setting everything ablaze.

Yet tonight, despite every muscle in his body being wound tight with tension, he did nothing.

Instead, he cupped her face gently in both hands. As their kiss ended, he lifted his head slightly, his right index finger brushing over her lashes, his gaze locking onto her damp, glistening eyes.

“What’s wrong today?” he asked, his voice husky and low. “Our little princess—why is she unhappy?”

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