Shi Xi rented a one-bedroom apartment with a living room, featuring a semi-open small kitchen but no balcony.
She drew the curtains shut, scanned the living room, and finally walked over to the wooden shoe cabinet.
Setting her cane aside, she stretched her limbs, preparing to move the shoe cabinet.
She had a hunch—based on her memories of Bai Fan’s personality—that he was highly likely to come looking for her.
Suddenly, the curtains billowed in the wind, and a dark figure abruptly appeared outside the window.
Beneath the black baseball cap was a handsome, refined face.
He gripped the windowsill, effortlessly leaped inside as nimbly as a cat, without making a sound.
Unaware of the situation behind her, Shi Xi remained focused on the shoe cabinet.
Bai Fan glanced around the room, dusted off his hands, and then lifted his gaze to watch the figure busily working by the doorway.
With her leg inconvenient, she couldn’t exert much force and could only push the shoe cabinet bit by bit, occasionally pausing to catch her breath with hands on her hips. It looked… quite strenuous.
So, she had recognized him.
And she was planning to hide from him.
“Need some help?”
A clear male voice suddenly echoed in the room.
Ah!
Shi Xi jumped in fright, turning around in shock.
The youth in the baseball cap leaned casually against the window, arms crossed leisurely. Only half of his face was visible under the brim, his lips curved in a faint, ambiguous smile.
Having such a large person suddenly appear in the room was truly unsettling.
“Bai Fan!”
When—when did he get in!
Wait, did he climb up?
This was the third floor.
Perhaps reading her shock and confusion from her expression, Bai Fan tilted his head slightly and said lazily, “Didn’t I tell you? I not only know how to pick locks, but I can also climb buildings.”
Shi Xi shook her head slowly. “You only said you could pick locks, for a hundred yuan each.”
She actually answered him earnestly.
Bai Fan gave a cool, detached smile, took off his cap, and tossed it casually onto her sofa. “Well, now you know.”
He stepped closer to her, pinched her chin, and lifted it.
Like adjusting a doll, he turned her face left and right.
Whether she was being too obedient or too scared to resist him, she simply let him examine her quietly.
But at the same time, she was observing him too.
Without the cap obscuring his features, his attractive eyes and brows were fully revealed beneath his messy bangs.
His eyelashes were long and straight, his pupils a light hue, his nose bridge high, and the hint of a smile at his lips had vanished.
Perhaps from too many sleepless nights, the dark circles under his eyes were prominent, lending him a somewhat gloomy air when he wasn’t smiling.
His gentle, harmless demeanor was overshadowed by the chill he exuded. Bai Fan tightened his grip on her chin, forcing her to look up.
Two words escaped his thin lips: “Liar.”
He despised people like her the most—those who never spoke a word of truth, who disappeared without any explanation.
“I’m sorry.”
Shi Xi apologized immediately, with sincerity.
In her past interactions, the haughty and arrogant undertones in Lu Mingzhe and Chi Xuan’s words had made the original owner keep her distance.
But when dealing with Bai Fan, she felt much more at ease and even enjoyed it.
Bai Fan had mentioned that his family was well-off, he had plenty of pocket money, and he knew how to earn his own—even bringing up his side gig of lock-picking.
So, the original owner hadn’t hesitated at all to accept his red envelopes.
But in reality, everyone knew Bai Fan was short on money and a workaholic.
Case in point: he’d just been working as a designated driver.
Shi Xi felt that the original owner indeed owed him an apology.
She said solemnly, “I’ll pay you back the money.”
No sooner had she spoken than she felt a sharp pain in her chin.
His voice grew even colder. “You think this is about money?”
Shi Xi internally: It has to be about money!
She asked, “Then what do you want me to do?”
Bai Fan remained silent for a moment.
Then he said, “Oh, I don’t agree to break up.”
These were the same words Chi Xuan had said to Shi Xi in the car earlier.
Shi Xi suspected Bai Fan was doing this deliberately.
“So, you’re willing to be my boyfriend… one of them?”
As soon as she said this, she saw the boy’s face visibly darken.
“Break it off with the others. Clean.”
“Bai Fan, do you like me that much?”
“…” Bai Fan couldn’t say he liked her all that much.
After her identity was exposed, he remembered that senior – the one who used to hunch over from extreme insecurity, walking with her head perpetually bowed.
In that moment, he did feel shock and anger, but at the same time, he experienced a strong sense of dissonance.
The Lin Shi Xi he knew shouldn’t have been that timid, shrinking figure. She should be like she was in her livestreams – confident, sunny, understanding.
After suffering Chi Xuan’s retaliation, she had gone into hiding.
He got her home address from the school, but when he went there, no one was around. Her parents’ phone numbers were disconnected.
By sheer coincidence, his first ride-sharing job today led him right to her.
At first, he didn’t recognize her, thinking it was just some dramatic love triangle scenario.
Because her demeanor now was so different from how she was at school.
She still wore those inconspicuous clothes and leaned on a cane, but she stood straight-backed between two imposing men without being overshadowed.
“Bang bang bang.”
Urgent knocking sounded from outside.
Both of them froze.
A magnetic, deep voice came through the door. “Lin Shi Xi.”
Recognizing Huo Yao’s voice, Shi Xi was surprised. Why would he come looking for her now?
Just as she was about to speak, Bai Fan covered her mouth with his hand.
“Mmph mmph!”
“Which one is this outside?” Bai Fan asked ominously.
Shi Xi: “…” You’re not letting me speak.
“Boom!”
After a heavy impact, the door was kicked open.
Shi Xi watched as Bai Fan was pinned against the nearby wall by Huo Yao in just a few moves.
Well, he was being treated like a home invader.
Bai Fan was stunned too.
With his hands restrained behind his back and his head pressed against the wall, he was subdued like a criminal.
“Who are you?”
Huo Yao demanded sharply.
Bai Fan struggled a few times but couldn’t move at all.
He could only look at Shi Xi. “Her boyfriend.”
But Shi Xi quickly shook her head, distancing herself. “No.”
Bai Fan: “…”
Don’t think he didn’t see that glint of mischief in her eyes.
She pointed at the window and said, “He’s my ex-boyfriend. He climbed in through the window.”
She lifted her head, showing off her reddened chin, and tattled, “He even pinched me, refusing to accept the breakup when there’s clearly no love left!”
Bai Fan: “…” The hell there’s no love left.
How could she possibly know what he was thinking?
Bai Fan couldn’t argue a single word, grinding his teeth until they creaked.
Seeing this situation, Huo Yao released Bai Fan.
His tone somewhat ambiguous, “Quite the climber.”
Bai Fan realized then that his earlier wall-climbing had been noticed.
Considering the other’s swift and forceful moves, he hesitantly asked, “Are you a police officer?”
Huo Yao nodded.
Bai Fan: “You know Lin Shi Xi? Online romance?”
“No.”
“Then what are you—”
Huo Yao cut him off, taking control of the situation. “It should be me asking the questions now.”
Shi Xi leaned against the wall, watching the scene with exasperation.
What kind of mess was this…
How did they even start chatting?
But as she looked at Bai Fan’s defeated expression, she suddenly remembered he had originally wanted to apply to police academy, but his family forbade it. In a fit of anger, he had randomly chosen another school.
No wonder Bai Fan’s eyes held a touch of respect after confirming Huo Yao’s identity.
Yet Huo Yao remained strictly businesslike, his handsome face cold as he interrogated him.
Bai Fan couldn’t quite handle it, glancing sideways at Shi Xi. “S-senior, my fault for s-scaring you.”
Shi Xi: “It’s fine, but don’t let it happen again.”
Bai Fan put his cap on resentfully, gave her a deep look, and left.
Huo Yao glanced toward the window and reminded her, “Remember to close the window.”
Shi Xi pointed toward the door. “Then… what about the door?”
Huo Yao: “…”
The door was already broken from his kick.
Huo Yao walked over and fiddled with the lock a few times. “I’ll replace the lock for you. Where’s the nearest hardware store?”
Shi Xi pulled out her phone. “I’ll have a delivery service bring one.”
Huo Yao: “I’ll go buy it.”
“That’s too troublesome. The ones near the residential area might already be closed. Delivery can get it here in half an hour.”
Since she insisted, Huo Yao had to agree.
He still had to take responsibility for today’s door incident.
“But Captain Huo, why are you here so late?”
At this, Huo Yao stepped outside and brought in a bag.
He said seriously, “Can’t take even a needle or thread from the people.”
“…” Shi Xi looked at the bag of fruit.
Great, he’d brought it back to her.
Huo Yao used his brute strength to easily move her shoe cabinet back against the wall.
Turning around, he saw the girl still leaning stupidly against the wall. He gestured toward the sofa. “Go sit down.”
Shi Xi nodded, her gaze still fixed on him.
There was simply no opportunity to get close to him.
Huo Yao met her eyes, staring directly back at her. His pupils were dark and profound, radiating a heavy deterrent force.
Usually in the interrogation room, few suspects could withstand this kind of pressure.
After all, he’d even scared off several blind dates.
Yet several seconds passed, and Shi Xi still hadn’t looked away.
That rainy night, he’d only noticed her large eyes, dull and lifeless.
Now he realized her eye shape was actually quite beautiful – shallow double eyelids, slightly wider at the outer corners, tilting upward with a natural charm.
Instead of intimidating her, he found himself drawn to the faint light in her eyes.
His heart skipped a beat.
The air around them suddenly seemed to accelerate, warming up as something strange began to grow and release.
This was definitely the first time Huo Yao had been defeated.
He turned to look at her door. “Your door is too fragile. If possible, ask your landlord to replace it with a better one.”
His voice showed little fluctuation, but his Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to dispel that inexplicable restlessness.
Having forcibly regulated his irregular heartbeat, he lowered his gaze and fiddled with the loose door lock. “Do you have a screwdriver?”
Shi Xi nodded. “Yes, I’ll get it.”She walked a bit too hastily, accidentally stumbling and falling straight to the ground.”
Fortunately, the floor was carpeted.
Huo Yao reached her in two or three steps, scooping her into his arms and carrying her to the sofa before quickly withdrawing his hands. “Where is it? I’ll get it.”
He warned himself internally – this was the last time…
Shi Xi pointed toward the cabinet under the TV.
Huo Yao stood up to search for something.
She rubbed her knees while staring intently at Huo Yao’s retreating figure.
His broad, straight back and taut, well-defined muscle lines exuded an indescribable masculinity and resolute temperament—hopelessly seductive.
His sense of responsibility was too strong, which often worked to his disadvantage.
He could have stopped involving himself in her affairs, yet he repeatedly responded to her requests.
Shi Xi asked the System, “System, System, what are my chances… of successfully seducing him into bed tonight?”
A thousand hours of contact seemed overwhelmingly difficult.
She didn’t want to take up too much of Huo Yao’s time. If she could lure him to bed just once, that would be ideal.
The System replied, “Too low to be worth considering.”
Shi Xi was speechless.
Was she really that unattractive?
Then she glanced down at her legs and dismissed the thought.
While waiting for him to finish his task, Shi Xi prepared two glasses of strawberry juice.
Huo Yao stared at the crimson drink, reminded of the corpse he’d seen at the abandoned factory during the day—surrounded by splatters of blood, with more pooling around the body.
Shi Xi cradled her glass, taking small sips that stained her pale pink lips with a moist crimson sheen.
She absolutely adored the taste of strawberries.
Noticing his hesitation, Shi Xi asked, “Don’t you like it?”
Huo Yao glanced at her face and voiced his earlier association.
He then watched as the curve of her lips stiffened.
She set down her glass, no longer smiling. “I suddenly don’t feel like drinking it anymore.”
Huo Yao let out a low chuckle.
His sharp, sculpted features softened with a touch of warmth.
He downed the 200ml juice in one go—overwhelmingly sweet.
Just who was the one who loved this stuff anyway?