Wen Yifan remembered that Sang Yan hadn’t said a word at the time, so quiet that not even the faintest sound of breathing could be heard. The two of them spent about half a minute in silence before she wiped away her tears and hung up the phone.
From that day onward.
The two of them no longer had any interaction at school.
Later, Wen Yifan moved to Beiyu with her uncle’s family and consequently transferred schools. Just when she thought she would completely lose contact with Sang Yan, she began receiving text messages from him about his grades.
Continuously.
One after another at regular intervals.
And then.
During holidays or weekends, Sang Yan would occasionally come to Beiyu to see her. It wasn’t frequent—at most once a month—and he always asked for her opinion in advance.
Every time, they went to the same noodle shop.
The shop was small, with old-fashioned decor. The noodles were ordinary and unremarkable, so business wasn’t great. Whenever they went, the place was quiet and deserted, with only the owner sitting at the cash register watching TV.
After going there often enough, the owner recognized them. Without needing to order, he would get up and head straight to the kitchen when he saw them.
Leaving just the two of them in that little space.
Because of her words, Sang Yan became quieter around her. His demeanor remained as arrogant as before, yet it also seemed more cautious, no longer as unrestrained as it once was.
As if by unspoken agreement.
Neither of them ever brought up that phone call again.
……
Honestly, Zhong Siqiao had rarely ever seen Wen Yifan lose her temper, so she was a little curious now: “What did you do? With your personality, are you sure whatever you did could actually hurt him?”
This time, Wen Yifan didn’t answer and just lowered her head to eat her noodles.
“Maybe you’re just overthinking it. It might not even be a big deal to him—something so minor it wouldn’t even scratch an itch,” Zhong Siqiao said, playing the role of a comforting older sister. “Or maybe he really did care about it, but if you apologize and explain, he might just let it go.”
Wen Yifan’s lips curled slightly: “It’s been so long.”
“So what? It’s never too late to apologize,” Zhong Siqiao said. “The words are yours to say—you can say whatever you want. That’s your right. It’s just that the right to accept or not lies with the other person.”
Whether or not she took it to heart, Wen Yifan only smiled.
And that was the end of the topic.
After finishing their noodles, the two got up and left the shop.
Zhong Siqiao slung her bag over her shoulder and brought up something else. Midway through, she suddenly went “Huh?” and pinched Wen Yifan’s arm. “Dian Dian, have you gained a little weight?”
“...” Wen Yifan looked up. “Huh?”
“Before, you were so thin it was like you were nothing but bones. Even leaning against you felt uncomfortable,” Zhong Siqiao said seriously, studying her face. “But now I feel like you’ve got a bit more meat on you.”
Wen Yifan hadn’t noticed. “Really?”
Zhong Siqiao teased, “Have you been living too well with Sang Yan as your roommate?”
“...”
Only then did Wen Yifan belatedly realize that since Sang Yan had moved in, she’d been eating more.
Originally, she didn’t have the habit of eating dinner, but because of his tendency to cook excessively without adjusting portions, she had inadvertently become a garbage disposal for his leftovers—The two chose a meeting spot roughly midway between their residences, so neither could stay out too late. After dinner, they each headed home.
Unlocking the door and stepping inside, Wen Yifan kicked off her shoes and, as usual, spotted Sang Yan sprawled on the couch playing games. The TV was playing some unfamiliar drama at a moderate volume, creating a lively background noise.
Over time, Wen Yifan had inexplicably started feeling like she was keeping a pet at home. No matter when she left or returned, this "pet" was always lounging around in a carefree manner.
Shaking off the thought, Wen Yifan sat by the couch to drink some water and glanced at him a few times. Remembering Zhong Siqiao's words, she opened and closed her lips several times before finally mustering the courage to call out, "Sang Yan."
Without looking up, Sang Yan responded, "Speak."
"..." Wen Yifan suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
After so many years, he might not even remember that incident.
Bringing it up now would probably just seem random and confusing.
But calling someone and then staying silent was also odd. Seeing his relaxed demeanor, Wen Yifan casually brought up another topic: "Is being a bar owner your main job?"
"Side gig."
Wen Yifan thought for a moment. "I remember you said you majored in computer science in college?"
"Yeah." Only then did Sang Yan look up, smirking. "Why?"
"Nothing, just curious," Wen Yifan said. "You never seem to go to work, so I was just wondering."
"Switching jobs. Too many companies fighting over me—they're still battling it out." Sang Yan yawned, his tone cocky and shameless. "I'll decide after they're done."
"..."
Wen Yifan couldn't tell if he was bragging or if he genuinely had companies vying for him. She didn't comment on that and instead brought up the roommate situation: "By the way, have you checked on your apartment's renovation progress?"
Sang Yan averted his gaze. "Yeah."
"How's it going?"
"Not done yet. Workers are off for the New Year." His tone was matter-of-fact. "Even after it's finished, I can't move in right away. Might have to delay a bit."
Wen Yifan paused. "So you're not moving out in a month? You'll be staying longer?"
"That's the idea." Sang Yan glanced at her. "Relax, no need to look so thrilled."
"..."
Wen Yifan nodded and fell silent, mentally noting that Su Tian's friend would have to find another place. After all, she couldn't just kick Sang Yan out. Sipping her water, she absentmindedly watched the TV.
After living together for a while, Wen Yifan realized Sang Yan never actually watched the TV—he just turned it on for background noise.
Once, when he had the TV on, she'd followed along for a bit.
A woman on screen was crying while eating, her sobs utterly heart-wrenching. Not knowing the context, Wen Yifan felt a pang of sympathy and asked, "What happened to her?"
Sang Yan lazily lifted his eyes to glance at the screen. "Probably just hungry."
"..."
So now, even though she still couldn't follow the plot, Wen Yifan didn't bother asking him.
She just watched quietly on her own.This time, Sang Yan seemed genuinely interested in the show. He soon put away his phone and started watching along. A few minutes later, he even began discussing the characters' behavior with her: "What's up with this guy?"
It was a suspense drama.
At this point in the show, it was the dead of night, and the lighting was dim. A man appeared to wake from sleep, slowly changed his clothes, bundled himself up tightly, and then left the house.
Wen Yifan guessed, "Split personality, maybe."
"I think—" Sang Yan turned to look at her, enunciating each word, "it looks more like sleepwalking."
"Really?" The term made Wen Yifan pause. She glanced back at the TV. "I can't really tell the difference. Does the primary personality in split personality disorder not know what the secondary personality does? I only know that sleepwalkers don't remember."
Sang Yan asked, "How do you know that?"
"Because," Wen Yifan admitted honestly, "I used to sleepwalk too."
"..."
Since they lived together, Wen Yifan didn't think it was something she needed to hide. Noticing his expression, she realized her condition might be a bit unsettling and added, "It only happened when I was little and during my university dorm days. I haven't had an episode in a long time."
Sang Yan pointed out the logical flaw: "How do you know you haven't had an episode in a long time?"
"Ah," Wen Yifan hesitated, then gave a reasonable explanation. "No one's told me I've been sleepwalking."
"So after graduation," Sang Yan chuckled, "have you lived with anyone else?"
Wen Yifan thought for a moment. "Only Wang Linlin, but we only lived together for a week. It wasn't until I came to Nanwu that I started sharing a place. Before that, I never had that kind of experience."
Silence fell.
Feeling there was more to his words, Wen Yifan had a vague suspicion and hesitantly asked, "Have I sleepwalked in front of you?"
"..."
The thought that she might still be sleepwalking filled Wen Yifan with panic.
Because it happened when she wasn't conscious, everything was out of her control, and she had no idea what she might do. It was a fear of the unknown and a sense of helplessness.
For some reason, her sleepwalking had resurfaced when she first started university.
The first time she sleepwalked in the dorm, she scared a roommate who had gotten up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. For days afterward, Wen Yifan was afraid to sleep, worried she might frighten someone again.
When her three roommates found out, the four of them had a talk.
The girls were all very kind and said they could handle it. Plus, Wen Yifan didn't do anything alarming while sleepwalking, so over time, they got used to it.
When he didn't answer, Wen Yifan asked again, "Have I?"
Sang Yan countered, "Did you know when I came back last night?"
This was the second time he'd asked this question.
Wen Yifan found it odd. "I went to bed pretty early yesterday. I didn't hear you come back."
Sang Yan stared at her intently, as if gauging the truth of her words.
"..." Suddenly understanding, Wen Yifan fell silent before tentatively confirming, "You saw me leave my room when you came back last night, didn't you?"
Leaning back in his chair, Sang Yan tilted his head and casually acknowledged with a faint "Mhm."
To Wen Yifan, this was like a bolt from the blue. Unsure how to react, she could only stammer, "Then... did I do anything?"Sang Yan was honest enough, gesturing with his gaze, "Just sat here for a while, then went back."
Wen Yifan felt a bit embarrassed, "Did I scare you?"
"Scare me?" Sang Yan laughed, "Wen Yifan, get this straight. There's nothing in this world that scares me. What could you possibly do while sleepwalking to frighten me?"
"As long as you weren't scared." His tone was as annoying as ever, but Wen Yifan actually felt relieved. "My college roommate told me I don't do anything unusual when sleepwalking. If you see me again, just pretend I'm not there."
Sang Yan let out a meaningful "Oh."
Wen Yifan added, "As long as I sleep well, I shouldn't sleepwalk. It probably won't bother you much."
Sang Yan replied, "Alright."
"Oh," Wen Yifan suddenly remembered a crucial question she hadn't asked yet and cautiously inquired, "Last night was the first time you saw me sleepwalk, right?"
Sang Yan said, "Of course."
Wen Yifan relaxed, "Then—"
Before she could finish, Sang Yan leisurely added two words, "Not really."
"..." Wen Yifan was stunned. "Huh? There's more?"
The corner of Sang Yan's lips curled slightly as he sat up straight, calmly pouring himself a glass of water. Then, he lifted his gaze and patiently informed her, "There was one more time."
"Then," Wen Yifan had a bad feeling and hesitantly asked, "What did I do that time?"
"What did you do?" Sang Yan drawled, as if trying to recall. "Let me think—"
Wen Yifan waited patiently.
If it took this long to remember, it probably wasn't anything major.
After a long pause, Sang Yan finally said, "Ah, I remember now."
Wen Yifan prompted, "What?"
Sang Yan studied her thoughtfully, "You suddenly ran out and hugged me."
"..."
Wen Yifan's expression froze, completely unable to believe her ears. "Huh? What?"
She thought that was already shocking enough.
Little did she know something even harder to accept was coming next.
Sang Yan raised an eyebrow and casually added, "And you kissed me."
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