When the servant bowed and entered, Jin Zongmin was standing by the window feeding the birds. He held a feeding stick between his fingers, leisurely picking at the worm bait. The thrush fluttered its wings in the cage and let out a crisp chirp.
"Sir, Miss Xu is here."
His fingers paused. He set down the feeding stick, wiped his hands with a towel, and walked toward the study.
Jin Zongmin leaned back in the single armchair by the window, casually lighting a cigarette, his gaze fixed on the doorway.
Soon, he heard footsteps, drawing closer bit by bit from the end of the hallway.
Finally, the door was pushed open gently—very slowly, as if the person pushing it had summoned great effort.
He raised his eyes. Xu Youqing stood at the door.
She was drenched through, her face pale. Her coat was dark, so it was hard to tell how soaked she was, but her whole appearance was disheveled and broken, like a flower bud on the verge of snapping after being battered by a torrential storm.
Jin Zongmin watched her. The cigarette between his fingers had burned down a stretch, the ash falling into the ashtray. His face betrayed no expression, but his eyes grew darker and darker, as if something was churning beneath the surface, held down by a layer of restraint.
Angry. And pained. She had reduced herself to this for the sake of that man? It wasn't as if he had refused to see her—did she not even have time to grab an umbrella?
Xu Youqing stood at the door, looking at Jin Zongmin, unsure whether she should step inside. His expression didn't look particularly good; his jaw was taut, and she couldn't tell whether it was displeasure or something else.
He made no move to speak to her either, simply leaning back in the armchair, the cigarette between his fingers burning quietly.
She bit her lip. She was the one asking for a favor—she should take the initiative.
"Mr. Jin…" Xu Youqing began, her voice hoarse and strained.
Jin Zongmin stubbed out the cigarette, his gaze sweeping inch by inch across Xu Youqing's pale face.
He gave a gentle smile. "So you're willing to see me now?"
Xu Youqing stared at him without speaking, her fingertips digging into her palms.
She had made up her mind before coming—no matter what he said, she wouldn't provoke him again. She would go along with his wishes, and even… whatever he asked of her, she wouldn't refuse. As long as he was willing to help.
"Mr. Jin," she spoke up, "could you… help me?"
Jin Zongmin glanced at her sidelong.
"With what?"
"My boyfriend—" The moment those three words left her mouth, she saw Jin Zongmin's eyes darken, and she quickly corrected herself, "Han Zheng… he's offended a man named Ji Zhongyun."
She paused, her nails digging in deeper.
"They said you could resolve this."
Jin Zongmin leaned back in the armchair, his posture relaxed and idle. He looked at her, then suddenly let out a faint laugh.
"You didn't even bother to find out who Ji Zhongyun is?"
He paused, his gaze settling on Xu Youqing's face as if to gauge her reaction. "Do you really think I have powers that reach the heavens?"
Xu Youqing stood rooted to the spot. Was he… going to refuse?
For a moment, she didn't know what to say. If even Jin Zongmin said it couldn't be done…
Jin Zongmin suddenly rose to his feet.
Step by step, unhurriedly, he walked toward her.
Xu Youqing instinctively took half a step back, her spine pressing against the doorframe.
"It's not entirely without a way." Jin Zongmin stopped in front of her.
She looked up. Jin Zongmin's body blocked the light, his features half-hidden in shadow and half in light. His eyes were bright, and she seemed to see her own reflection in them.
Jin Zongmin suddenly took off his jacket, and the coat, mingled with the scent of pine resin, wrapped around her trembling shoulders.
He leaned down, gently drawing her into his arms.
Xu Youqing's body jolted violently.
His nose grazed the dampness at the top of her head, and his deep, magnetic voice pressed down slowly, coaxing:
"Cut ties with him, and everything can be discussed."
Xu Youqing froze, her mind going blank for a moment.
Seeing that she showed no reaction, Jin Zongmin loosened his arms slightly, pulled back a little, and looked down at her face.
"Not agreeing?"
Jin Zongmin gave a faint smile and lowered his hands from her. "I'm just offering you a choice. Whether to take it is up to you."
He turned sideways, as if about to leave.
Jin Zongmin's hand had just touched the door handle.
"I agree."
Xu Youqing closed her eyes.
Jin Zongmin smiled faintly, released the handle, and stepped back.
He lowered his head, leaning close to her ear. "Don't leave tonight."
Xu Youqing had thought of the worst outcome. Before coming, she had already rehearsed it countless times in her mind.
Jin Zongmin would definitely set conditions; he wouldn't help for nothing.
But facing it for real, she was more afraid than she had imagined.
Her voice trembling, she said, "Alright, I'll stay."
"Go take a shower and change your clothes."
Jin Zongmin spoke.
Xu Youqing nodded, but her body was as taut as a drawn bow.
Jin Zongmin glanced at her. Her face was deathly pale, and she was shaking badly.
"Change out of the wet clothes and take a hot shower," Jin Zongmin said, pausing before adding, "No other meaning behind it."
Xu Youqing took a long time in that shower.
Water fell from the showerhead, drenching her cold body, and it took a while before she warmed up. She stood under the stream, eyes closed, but her mind would not stop racing. What exactly did Jin Zongmin want? What was she supposed to do later?
Jin Zongmin sat in the study, a document spread open on his lap, not a single page turned. He raised his hand to check his watch, then called for a servant. "Go check on her. Make sure she hasn't passed out in there."
The servant went and came back to report that Miss Xu was still washing.
After a while, Xu Youqing emerged from the bathroom, wearing the pajamas the servant had prepared. Her hair was still damp, with a few stray strands clinging to her cheeks.
Her face had regained a bit of color from the steam. The servant had been waiting at the door and hurried over as soon as she came out, saying she would take her to the guest room to rest.
She hesitated, then asked in a small voice, "…Where is Mr. Jin?"
"The master is in the study."
As she followed the servant down the hallway, the study door was ajar, with only a sliver of light leaking through the crack.
The servant led her to the guest room.
The room was large, the bed soft, the blankets warm. She tossed and turned but dared not close her eyes, her ears alert to every sound outside.
Her throat was parched, as if something were stuck in it, and her head felt heavy and groggy. She threw off the covers, wanting to go out and find some water.
The moment she pulled open the door, she ran straight into Jin Zongmin, who was walking out from the direction of the study. He seemed to have just finished his work, still wearing the same clothes as before, with a trace of weariness between his brows.
Seeing her, Jin Zongmin paused mid-step, his gaze landing on her face, which was flushed with an unnatural redness. He walked over and, very naturally, reached out to touch the back of his hand to her forehead.
It was scorching hot to the touch.
"Why are you still running a fever?" He frowned.
He reached out again to touch her cheek, to see if it was hot.
Xu Youqing instinctively turned her head away to dodge.
Jin Zongmin's hand hung in the air for a second, then he withdrew it.
Seeing Xu Youqing's wary expression, Jin Zongmin spoke: "I'm no gentleman, but I wouldn't go so far as to… take advantage of a sick person."
He paused, then asked with irritation: "Why aren't you sleeping properly? What are you doing out here?"
"Thirsty… wanted some water."
Jin Zongmin tilted his head and called out toward the end of the hallway: "Bring a cup of warm water over."
Then he looked back at Xu Youqing. "Go back and lie down."
Xu Youqing was burning with fever, dazed and groggy, and truly lacked the strength to argue. She obediently lay back down, feeling her eyelids grow heavier and heavier.
Soon, a servant brought the water in. Jin Zongmin took it, tested the temperature, and held it to her lips. Xu Youqing drank a few small sips from his hand.
He took her temperature—38.5 degrees.
She really did have a fever. Having been drenched in such heavy rain, and with the shock and fear on top of it, it would have been strange if she hadn't fallen ill.
Later, her fever climbed higher. She grew delirious and began muttering nonsense, her body curling up and trembling slightly.
Her consciousness was hazy. She only remembered someone coaxing her to open her mouth, and something cool being placed under her tongue. She also vaguely felt someone gently patting her back—a warm palm, light strokes, one after another, like how her father used to soothe her to sleep when she was little.
In the middle of the night, she turned over in a daze and edged closer to that warm place. Something wrapped around her—loose, as if afraid of constricting her, yet also tight, as if afraid she might slip away.
She sank into a deep sleep within that warmth, dreamless through the night.
…
Jin Zongmin leaned against the headboard, half-reclining in his clothes, with Xu Youqing curled up at his side.
Her eyelashes were long, still trembling faintly even in sleep. Her breath brushed against his jaw—warm and ticklish.
Jin Zongmin hadn't closed his eyes all night. She'd talked in her fever, her voice soft and fragmented, the words unintelligible. But every time she frowned, he would reach out and gently pat her back until she quieted again.
He had never taken care of anyone before, never soothed anyone like this. It was the first time.
He used to think there was nothing in this world he couldn't do, but now he realized that soothing her was something he simply wasn't good at.
He wanted to hold her in his arms, to shield her from all the wind and rain, and never let her stand helpless in a storm like that again.
…
The next morning, Xu Youqing woke up. She shifted and realized she was encircled by something warm.
An arm rested across her waist—loose, yet undeniably present. Her back was pressed against a warm chest, and through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could feel a heartbeat—steady, one beat after another.
She snapped fully awake, sitting up abruptly and pushing him away.
Jin Zongmin let out a muffled grunt from the shove and opened his eyes.
His first reaction wasn't anger—it was checking whether her complexion had improved. Fortunately, she looked much better, though still pale.
Xu Youqing looked down at her clothes and realized they weren't the ones from yesterday. She was now in clean cotton pajamas.
"Who changed my clothes?" Her voice was tight.
"The maid did," Jin Zongmin replied, his voice hoarse with just-woken sleepiness. "You sweated through your clothes during the night."
Xu Youqing sat there, clutching the blanket, still looking tense.
Jin Zongmin threw off the covers and got out of bed, his tone flat: "I'll go change. You get some more sleep."
With that, he left the room without looking back.
The door closed.
Xu Youqing gripped the blanket and let out a breath of relief.
Half an hour later, the servant brought breakfast—congee, pastries, and side dishes, covering half the table.
Xu Youqing sat on the bed, staring at the food with no appetite at all.
Jin Zongmin came over after showering and changing. Seeing the breakfast on the table barely touched, he sat down across from her. "Not to your taste? I'll have them bring something else."
Xu Youqing shook her head. "I don't want to eat."
She looked up at him. "Can I go back now?"
Jin Zongmin was silent for a moment, looking at her pallid face. "Han Zheng is still locked up inside. If you want him out sooner, you should think about how to please me."
He pushed the bowl of congee in front of her.
"You have to eat."
Xu Youqing froze for a moment. She took the bowl, lowered her head, and forcing down her emotions, began drinking the congee in big mouthfuls with the spoon.
Jin Zongmin sat across from her, watching her force herself to swallow, feeling as if something was twisting hard in his chest.
He reached out and took the bowl from her hands. "That's enough."
"Your fever just broke, and your body is still weak." He paused. "How can you go without eating anything?"
After finishing, Xu Youqing set down the bowl and said in a low voice, "I still have classes at school. I want to—"
"I've already requested leave for you." Jin Zongmin looked at her. "Go back once you've rested."
She still wanted to ask about Han Zheng, but she wasn't sure if now was the right time to bring it up.
Xu Youqing hesitated, then couldn't help asking anyway. "Then… what about Han Zheng…"
She never forgot to worry about that man.
Jin Zongmin suppressed the slight irritation rising in his chest. "Even going through the proper procedures will take several days. It won't be that fast."
Seeing Xu Youqing still frowning, Jin Zongmin said in a low voice, "I promise you, he'll come out completely unharmed."
He looked into her eyes. "Is that enough?"
Xu Youqing nodded.
Her body truly was still weak. After breakfast, Xu Youqing slept a bit more. When she woke in the afternoon, she felt much better and insisted on returning to school.
Jin Zongmin didn't force her to stay.
The car stopped on the quiet roadside by the side gate of Jing University. Xu Youqing reached for the door handle, but her wrist was caught by a warm palm.
She turned back in surprise.
Jin Zongmin leaned over—unlike last time's roughness, this was a feather-light kiss.
He whispered by her ear, "Sealed with a stamp. From now on, you're mine."
Xu Youqing was stunned.
Jin Zongmin stroked her hair, gazing at her. "Think about where you'd like to live. I'll have Old Chen come pick you up."