[Cheng: Goodnight.]
She really was a gentle child.
When she was in pain, a soft touch to her head would bring that sweet smile back to her face. She seemed like an entirely different person from the girl at the club that night, the one who had snatched his phone and smashed it against Zhou Hui.
Cheng Shenzhi sighed inwardly.
He truly wished Hiiragi Yu would make some demands of him, even something unreasonable, rather than acting like this. It only made him feel less human.
Silence descended upon the car once more. Hiiragi Satoru rolled over, nearly tumbling off the seat, which startled Hiiragi Yu into quickly catching her. His sister’s sleeping posture had always been terrible, he couldn’t help but wonder who she took after.
He reached out to touch her hand and found it icy cold. Without hesitation, Hiiragi Yu took off his coat and draped it over her, carefully tucking her stray hands underneath.
Just as he finished, he felt a weight settle on his shoulders, accompanied by the faint, subtle scent of sandalwood, so delicate it could easily be mistaken for a hallucination.
Hiiragi Yu turned around in surprise.
“Be careful not to catch a cold,” Cheng Shenzhi said gently.
The car had just crossed an intersection, where the warm orange glow of the streetlights spilled through the windows. Those deep black eyes were fixed intently on him.
Hiiragi Yu hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the collar of the coat slipping from his shoulders and silently mouthed, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Hiiragi Yu’s fingertips tightened on the fabric. He rarely experienced anything like this, the feeling that no matter how quiet his actions or how subtle his movements were, they were immediately noticed and acknowledged.
Suddenly, a small object was extended toward him. He looked up instinctively.
Cheng Shenzhi gestured for him to take it.
Receiving it, Hiiragi Yu realized it was a small bandage. He stared at it blankly before following the other man’s gaze downward.
Cheng Shenzhi had only noticed Hiiragi Yu’s injured ankle when he watched him get into the car earlier. The cut wasn’t deep, but because it hadn’t been properly cared for or perhaps because it was fresh, it had stopped bleeding but had yet to scab over.
The edges were relatively smooth, meaning it hadn’t been caused by a bite.
After getting into the car, Cheng Shenzhi had pondered it for a long time before coming to this conclusion. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, only to frown again moment later. He was discharged from the hospital barely half a day ago, how did he end up with another injury?
Prompted by the man’s gaze, a dull, stinging pain belatedly registered on Hiiragi Yu’s ankle. He couldn’t be blamed for noticing so late, ever since he opened his eyes today, not a single part of his body had felt comfortable.
He recalled that it must have been from the glass Pan Wang threw at noon. Although it hadn’t hit him directly, the shattered shards had grazed his ankle.
Embarrassed, he pulled his leg back slightly.
【Thank you…】
It felt as though ever since meeting Mr. Cheng, he had been endlessly alternating between “thank you” and “sorry for the trouble.”
This realization brought a surge of annoyance at himself. Hiiragi Yu pursed his lips, tore open the bandage, bent down to lift his pant leg slightly, and fumbled to apply it.
Sitting beside him, Cheng Shenzhi followed his movements, his gaze settling on the exposed patch at the back of Hiiragi Yu’s neck, a site looking far more concerning than the injury on his ankle.
He knew how those marks had come to be.
Cheng Shenzhi hesitated, a rare occurrence for him. “That wound…”
【It was an accidental cut.】
Cheng Shenzhi didn’t believe it, but sensing Hiiragi Yu’s reluctance to elaborate, he didn’t press the matter. He recalled the document mentioning that eight years ago, Pan Youzhi had brought home an illegitimate Alpha son named Pan Wang. That son despised Hiiragi Yu, and even the recent accident had been orchestrated by him.
Could it be him? His eyes darkened slightly.
The car had left the bustling city center, and the road conditions gradually deteriorated. It jolted lightly over small pebbles, causing Hiiragi Satoru to stir groggily. “Brother…” she murmured softly.
Hiiragi Yu immediately caught her, gently patting her back.
After a couple of soothing pats, Hiiragi Satoru whimpered softly, becoming a little more coherent. Instinctively, she hugged him, burying her face against his chest while mumbling incoherently. Hiiragi Yu lowered his head to listen, but couldn’t make out her words.
Once out of the city, the vehicle picked up speed. Hiiragi Yu had been mentally preparing himself, and as they approached their usual drop-off spot, he took a deep breath, pointed toward a stretch of the roadside, and signaled for the car to pull over.
The driver glanced at Cheng Shenzhi’s reflection in the rearview mirror before slowly coming to a stop at the indicated location.
Cheng Shenzhi frowned. It was still a considerable distance from the Pan family residence.
Was it out of caution, not wanting him to know where they lived? Or was it to avoid drawing Pan Wang’s attention?
Countless possibilities flashed through Cheng Shenzhi’s mind in an instant. Though his own family life could barely be called harmonious, he had witnessed more than enough open and covert conflict among wealthy relatives.
By now, Hiiragi Satoru had fully woken up. She pulled on her brother’s arm, ready to step out, when a familiar voice spoke up behind them.
“Take the umbrella with you.”
Huh?
Confused, she turned around and recognized the man from the coffee shop earlier. “Did you drive us back?”
Hiiragi Satoru was genuinely surprised, she had assumed her brother hailed a taxi.
Hiiragi Yu gave her a gentle nudge.
Without even looking up, Hiiragi Satoru immediately understood that her brother thought she was being impolite. “I’m sorry,” she apologized quickly. Then, tilting her head in deep thought for a moment, she finally recalled his surname and added very politely, “Thank you, Uncle Cheng.”
Cheng Shenzhi: ?
Cheng Shenzhi: “You’re welcome.”
Turning back to Hiiragi Yu, he noticed the boy was about to take off the coat he had just put on. Cheng Shenzhi frowned slightly. “Keep it on. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Hiiragi Yu hesitated.
It was still raining outside, and the temperature in the suburban area was quite low. If he went out dressed like this, he would almost certainly come down with a fever tonight. But taking someone else’s clothes just like that felt improper…
Noticing his reluctance, Cheng Shenzhi offered a slight smile and lightened the mood with a gentle joke: “You’ve already borrowed my umbrella, taking a coat won’t make a difference.”
That actually makes sense…
Convinced, Hiiragi Yu offered another grateful look. Feeling a bit self-conscious, he thought for a moment before hesitantly pulling out his phone.
【I’ll return it to you after I wash it… May I have your contact information?】
“Of course.”
Hiiragi Yu let out a breath of relief and saved the contact details.
【We’ll be heading off now, then.】
“Alright, be careful on your way.”
The car door slowly slid shut, but Cheng Shenzhi stayed motionless. He watched as Hiiragi Yu, holding the umbrella with one hand and guiding his sister with the other, walked toward the dimly lit villa in the distance, illuminated only by a few faint lights.
Only after they safely entered the house did Cheng Shenzhi speak up. “Let’s head back.”
The car executed a smooth U-turn and drove off into the night.
When they arrived home, the first floor was pitch black.
Hiiragi Yu carefully surveyed the surroundings. Confirming that no one was around, he waved for his sister to follow. The two tiptoed upstairs, first escorting Hiiragi Satoru to her room before Hiiragi Yu slipped safely back into his own bedroom.
Only then did Hiiragi Yu finally breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed Pan Wang wasn’t home.
Fearing that Pan Wang might discover the umbrella and coat, items that clearly didn’t belong to their household, he had brought them straight into his room.
After changing and washing up, Hiiragi Yu stood by his bed, staring at the neatly folded coat resting on the chair with a sense of helplessness. The washing machine was downstairs, and given Pan Wang’s persistent, malicious nature, he would definitely notice it. But hand-washing it would be a challenge…
After deliberating for a long time, he collapsed onto the bed.
Forget it, I’ll figure it out tomorrow. I’m too exhausted tonight.
He lay there for a while before forcing himself to sit up, noticing his phone screen light up. He picked it up to see a message from Mr. Cheng.
[Cheng: Have you reached home safely?]
Mr. Cheng’s profile picture was a solid black square, and his display name was simply “Cheng” a minimal style that suited his calm demeanor.
Hiiragi Yu hugged his soft pillow and typed back conscientiously. [Yes, I’m home and just finished settling in.]
[Cheng: Get some rest.]
Hiiragi Yu rolled over on his bed, his eyes drifting back to the coat on the chair. He typed out. [Okay. I’ll clean the coat as soon as possible. How should I return it to you?]
On the other end, Cheng Shenzhi was browsing through Hiiragi Yu’s social media page.
The boy didn’t seem to post much about his daily life, there were only two public updates available.
The first was a photo taken at the university entrance during enrollment. The young man stood beside the ancient, imposing gates, holding his freshman welcome bag while smiling at the camera.
The second was a candid shot taken in a classroom. Behind rows of cramped high school desks, a slightly younger Hiiragi Yu rested his chin on his hand, gazing quietly out the window at the blue sky.
Because of his posture, a slight soft puffiness was visible on his cheek. Cheng Shenzhi knew there was a small dimple hidden right there.
His thumb brushed softly over the screen. Then, Cheng Shenzhi noticed a small detail in the photos he hadn’t caught before.
The same hand appeared in both photos, slender, with distinct knuckles, and a tiny black mole on the side of the index finger.
It belonged to a boy. And judging by the physical structure, he wasn’t an Omega.
The background report Assistant Tao provided had mentioned several of Hiiragi Yu’s acquaintances, but for someone to be close enough to attend both high school and college together… Cheng Shenzhi already had a vague idea of who it might be.
A notification sound interrupted his thoughts. Tapping back into the chat interface, he looked down at the screen, his focus landing on the profile picture at the top.
Hiiragi Yu’s profile picture was a simple, slightly crooked doodle of a small fish swimming in a transparent sea, surrounded by a few strands of blue seaweed at the bottom. Cheng Shenzhi guessed it was likely drawn by his sister, the two clearly shared a close bond.
However… his gaze shifted upward.
What did the display name “o<” mean?
He searched his mind, but couldn’t find a direct link between the symbol and Hiiragi Yu’s name.
[Cheng: No rush. I live nearby, so you can reach out whenever you’re free.]
Seeing the reply, Hiiragi Yu let out a sigh of relief and typed back earnestly.
[Alright. I’m heading to sleep now. Goodnight, Mr. Cheng, please rest early too!]
[Cheng: Goodnight.]