After sending it, she tapped on the person’s WeChat profile avatar for two seconds. The photo featured someone in a black snow suit holding a snowboard with one hand, face obscured, but she recognized who it was in a split second and frantically hit recall.
J.
Ji Siming?
Good grief…
When on earth had they added each other?
And why, pray tell, did this guy feel the need to report to her the second he got home?
She wasn’t his girlfriend.
She tapped open his Moments; his banner background was a starry night sky.
Not a single post in sight.
A low-key romantic pervert… ugh, scratch that, the mental gymnastics of a low-key romantic professor were far too bizarre. Too lazy to overthink it, she collapsed onto her bed and fell right asleep.
The next morning she had no classes, but a call came through from the production team announcing that the main cast for Demons and Nights had officially been finalized alongside the premiere shooting schedule.
As the lead screenwriter, she needed to arrive early to participate in script-reading sessions, production preparation meetings, and other logistical gatherings.
The crew staff member assigned to liaise with her was named Qian Xiang, an exceedingly chatty young lady. Once they exchanged phone calls, they added each other on WeChat, and Qian Xiang promptly sent over the detailed schedule and workflow.
Qian Xiang: “Teacher Yun, I’ve sent all the specifics your way. Feel free to reach out anytime if you have questions, and drop me a message when you’re almost here so I can wait for you downstairs~”
Yun Qingwu: “Got it, thanks a lot.”
Today was the day Lin Lan and Gu Jian flew abroad.
During lunch, Yun Qingwu noticed Lin Lan’s eyes kept turning red.
Lin Lan hated to leave her behind, and she felt precisely the same heartache.
When she had first arrived at the Gu household, the sudden dislocation combined with the lingering grief of Yun Ying’s passing left her drowning in insecurity, causing her skin hunger to flare up almost daily.
This affliction was psychological at its core, devoid of any targeted miracle cure.
Certain antidepressant medications could dull the agony of an episode slightly, but the relief was marginal at best.
When an attack struck, her entire body would itch relentlessly, robbing her of sleep as she invariably scratched her skin raw in a desperate, helpless cycle until she simply had to ride out the storm.
Watching her suffer like that had reduced Lin Lan to tears nearly every day. Eventually, Lin Lan started sleeping in the same room with her, often spending entire nights wide awake alongside her.
Through that constant companionship and sheltering warmth, she gradually built a sense of security and reliance, and her condition slowly began to mend.
In time, Lin Lan became her medicine; whenever an attack flared up, she would simply seek her out for a hug to swiftly soothe the symptoms.
Though her condition had relapsed recently, she didn’t dare tell Lin Lan.
If she spoke up, Lin Lan would undoubtedly scrap her travel plans entirely just to stay behind for her.
Yet Uncle Gu’s health was fragile, burdened by a cocktail of ailments that required proper care. Moreover, driving a wedge between a married couple by forcing them into a long-distance separation purely on her account made no sense whatsoever.
“Gu Yi, your dad and I are heading out, so you need to look after your sister properly. If I find out you neglected her because you were busy playing lovey-dovey with your girlfriend, I won’t let you off the hook.”
Lowering his gaze, Gu Yi murmured, “Understood. Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll take good care of her.”
“Sweetie, I’ve arranged for a live-in housekeeper to stay with you so you won’t have to feel scared at night. Whenever you miss me, just come find me, alright?”
“Okay.”
Yun Qingwu knew that Lin Lan, fearing that being left entirely alone in the house would dredge up painful memories and trigger a relapse, had purposefully arranged for a resident nanny.
She was always so unfailingly thoughtful.
With time running out, Gu Yi drove Lin Lan and Gu Jian to the airport.
At the terminal, Lin Lan offered a flurry of final reminders before she and Gu Jian boarded the aircraft.
Yun Qingwu stepped outside the terminal building, watching the plane lift into the sky.
A stinging heat prickled behind her eyes.
Her arms began to itch. She gave them a scratch, but it brought no relief. In a flash, the sensation consumed her entire body, and even drawing a breath grew slightly labored.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Uttering a brief reply, she climbed into the car and settled into the back seat.
Through the rearview mirror, Gu Yi watched her stare unblinkingly out the window.
“Qingwu, even if we… there’s no need to act so distant.”
A bitter, humorless laugh threatened to escape Yun Qingwu. “Brother, if the person I loved had a gorgeous, non-blood-related sister living under the same roof with whom they were exceptionally close, I’d mind it too.”
“Actually, the way things are between us right now is pretty good.”
“You have your life, and I’ll have mine. Let’s just go back to our respective places.”
A pang of ache twisted in Gu Yi’s chest. “What place?”
Yun Qingwu: “The place a brother and sister are supposed to occupy.”
At that, Gu Yi fell completely silent.
Even though this was the exact outcome he had pushed for, his chest felt suffocatingly heavy.
The rest of the ride passed in absolute silence.
As they neared the house, Wu Yuxuan messaged her: “Babe, I’m hammered, can you come pick me up?”
Xuanxuan: “I’m at [Haven] V8102, love you loads~”
Wu Yuxuan was an absolute lightweight when it came to liquor; Yun Qingwu had rescued her from similar situations on numerous occasions.
“Pull over, Brother. I need to go grab Xuanxuan.”
“Where is she? I’ll drive you.”
“Don’t bother. Aren’t you supposed to go pick up your girlfriend? Hurry along.”
Zhuang Wan had already placed two phone calls while they were still on the road. Saying nothing further, Gu Yi pulled over and let her step out of the car.
They frequented [Haven] often enough that she navigated the familiar corridors straight to the private lounge with ease.
Yet the moment she pushed the door open, she was greeted by a thoroughly revolting sight.
Taking a few steps back without actually entering, she stationed herself in the hallway.
Xuanxuan lay sprawled across the sofa, dead to the world, likely having had these messages dispatched after those people unlocked her phone using her fingerprint.
Sun Lang had been dogging her footsteps with unwanted pursuits and harassment ever since her freshman year, before getting straightened out by a harsh lesson from Gu Yi.
She never expected to cross paths with him in a place like this, but she wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
Six years prior, following that fateful incident, Lin Lan had enrolled her in martial arts classes specifically so she could defend herself. As it turned out, she possessed a natural aptitude for it and had even hauled in a collection of competition trophies.
Handling a wastrel like Sun Lang? Absolute child’s play.
“Hand Xuanxuan over.”
“Sure thing. Come with me, and I’ll have someone send her home.” Fixing his gaze on the face he had been fantasizing about day and night, Sun Lang reached out to hook her chin.
Sidestepping out of reach, Yun Qingwu grabbed his fingers with one hand and sharply twisted. With a crisp crack, she had literally snapped his finger out of joint!
“Aghhh… you fucking bitch!” Sun Lang roared, sheer malice flashing in his eyes. “I want to sleep with you, which is the highest honor of your life—don’t push your luck!”
Retreating until her back hit the hallway wall, Yun Qingwu sneered, “You know what you look like right now?”
“You look exactly like some cheap inflatable doll where the user gets halfway through before getting stuck, completely unable to finish, and ends up blowing up the doll’s internals out of sheer, pathetic rage—a total waste of space.”
“Yun Qingwu!” Sun Lang bellowed as he lunged forward to swing at her. Just as she braced herself to counter, a tall figure flashed past, stepping squarely in front of her to send Sun Lang crashing into the opposite wall with a vicious kick!
“Who the hell…” Completely disoriented from the impact, Sun Lang scrambled to lift his head, but the moment his eyes landed on the man’s face, he instantly deflated into an obedient coward.
“Th-Third Master Ji!”
Third Master Ji?
Peeking out from behind the man’s broad frame, Yun Qingwu lifted her gaze and found herself staring directly at Ji Siming’s cool, sharp profile.
Ji Siming had been simmering with irritation, but upon sensing her gaze, he lowered his head to look back at her.
Meeting her fluffy, disheveled head of hair, his annoyance instantly evaporated, softening his tone entirely. “To hit trash like that—aren’t you worried it’ll dirty your hands?”
Yun Qingwu pouted. “They kidnapped my friend.”
Without a word, Ji Siming swept a chilling glance across the room.
Sun Lang hastily ordered his lackies to haul Wu Yuxuan out. “A misunderstanding, Third Master, it’s all just a misunderstanding.”
Inspecting Wu Yuxuan up and down to confirm she was completely unharmed, Yun Qingwu finally exhaled a breath of relief. “Thanks a lot, Professor Ji.”
Glancing down at her, Ji Siming replied flatly, “I don’t accept verbal expressions of gratitude.”
“…” Yun Qingwu paused mid-step. “Then I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”
Noticing she had dropped the formal “you,” Ji Siming’s expression lightened considerably. “Alright. I’ll drive you two back.”
Since her physical condition was already acting up and she was saddled with a drunken lightweight, Yun Qingwu didn’t bother standing on ceremony and gave a nod.
His assistant thoughtfully scooped up Wu Yuxuan and carried her away.
With the snow thawing, the pavement remained slick in patches.
Fearing a slip, she walked with utmost caution.
Watching her wobble back and forth like an unsteady little penguin, Ji Siming chuckled softly and extended a hand. “Let me steady you.”
“No need—” Just as the refusal left her lips, her foot gave a treacherous slide. Instinct took over, and she lunged forward, clutching onto Ji Siming’s arm with a death grip.
The instant their skin made contact, the gnawing physical discomfort inside her body miraculously began to recede.
Was she imagining things?
He steadied her and started to pull his hand back, only for her to instantly snatch right back onto him!
The moment her fingers closed around his wrist, the psychological anxiety and physical malaise genuinely eased away!
He could treat her illness?
Wait, how on earth was that even possible?!
This was only their third time meeting each other!
Back then, even Lin Lan had required over a month of sleeping side-by-side with her before being able to soothe her episodes.
Even Gu Yi, with whom she shared such an intensely close bond, had never been able to alleviate the agony of her flare-ups.
Yet why could he?
Noticing her erratic movements and assuming she was in pain, Ji Siming reached out and tapped her forehead lightly with two fingers. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt? Should we go to the hospital?”
Yun Qingwu’s flare-up had started the moment she left the airport, torturing her throughout the entire journey.
Ordinarily, she would have gritted her teeth and powered through it. But with the cure sitting right in front of her, the desire to endure suddenly vanished.
After all, she had already hugged him twice anyway.
Clutching his hand tighter, she raised her head to look into his handsome face and spoke with absolute earnestness: “Can I have a hug?”