First Frost

As the words left her mouth, Sang Yan's brow twitched, and his fingers stilled on his phone.

The atmosphere froze.

Wen Yifan suddenly realized that her statement might have been even more direct than the example Zhong Siqiao had given earlier. Meeting his dark eyes for two seconds, she calmly averted her gaze.

The last time something similar had happened was during their first meeting at the "Overtime" bar.

Back then, Wen Yifan had assumed Sang Yan wouldn't recognize her. Coupled with the difficulty of explaining the situation, she'd adopted a devil-may-care attitude, thinking they'd never meet again, and blurted out—"That's a real shame."

But this time, both of them were sober and fully aware.

No pretenses.

Unsure whether her probing had succeeded or backfired, Wen Yifan decided it was time to stop. She stood up, her expression unchanged, and said, "Then you should be more careful in the future. I'm going to rest now."

After taking a few steps,

Sang Yan's voice came from behind her. "Wait."

Wen Yifan pressed her lips together, steadying her emotions before turning around.

"Let's hear it." Sang Yan sat up straighter, his tone teasing as he met her gaze. "What crime are you afraid you'll commit?"

"..." Wen Yifan forced herself to reply, "I was just following your lead."

The implication being—

I don't actually know what kind of 'crime' you're referring to.

"Oh." Sang Yan nodded in understanding. "You want to ki—"

"..."

Kiss?

A flicker of discomfort crossed Wen Yifan's eyes. She hadn't considered anything that far ahead—she'd only been testing the waters to gauge his current attitude toward her.

Just as she was about to refute,

Sang Yan finished his sentence: "—dnap me."

"..."

Oh.

Not kiss, but kidnap.

You want to kidnap me.

Wen Yifan: "..."

It felt like a boulder-sized accusation had just landed on her shoulders.

Stunned, Wen Yifan scrambled for a response, desperate to clarify that her mention of 'crime' hadn't been nearly that extreme.

Before she could formulate a reply,

Sang Yan suddenly tossed his phone aside and leaned back in his chair. Tilting his head up, he stared directly at her. Strands of black hair fell across his forehead, his dark eyes reflecting the living room light. His expression was both challenging and blatantly provocative.

"Dare to come over."

......

Back in her room,

Wen Yifan closed the door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly. She took a moment to steady her breathing before heading to the bathroom to splash water on her face. The pounding of her heart echoed in her ears.

It took forever to calm down.

Turning off the faucet, Wen Yifan dried her face with a tissue. Staring at her reflection, her mind wandered inexplicably. Sang Yan's final four words clung to her thoughts like glue, impossible to shake off.

—"Dare to come over."

How could she dare?

Since when did she have that kind of audacity!!!

At this thought, Wen Yifan splashed more water on her face, trying desperately to regain some rationality.

She vaguely remembered managing to say, "That's not what I meant," before turning and retreating to her room without hesitation. Yet despite it having happened mere minutes ago, she couldn't recall at all how well she'd controlled her emotions this time.

Had she remained perfectly composed?

Or had it been more like fleeing in defeat?

Wen Yifan sighed, unsure whether her earlier actions had been a momentary lapse in judgment.After parting ways with Zhong Siqiao, Wen Yifan couldn't stop thinking about Sang Yan's blind date situation on her way home. Even though it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

This was solely Sang Yan's business.

It was completely reasonable for his family to arrange meetings for him now that he'd reached the appropriate age. She should treat it the same as before - hear it and let it pass. No need to inquire or interfere too much.

But because of tonight's events, Wen Yifan suddenly realized that many behaviors were actually uncontrollable.

Even if she always thought this wasn't good, that she shouldn't act this way, certain situations could still break through that safe distance. It turned out her words and actions, the emotions she displayed, couldn't all be rational.

She had emotions too.

And unexpectedly, possessiveness too.

She also somewhat wanted to move a little closer to him.

Yet feared this distance might be insurmountable.

Sang Yan came from a good family and was exceptionally handsome. He'd opened a bar at a young age and now his career surpassed his peers. Anything he wanted to do, he could accomplish effortlessly, never having experienced any setbacks.

Born with extraordinary advantages, he had ample capital for arrogance.

While she was completely different.

Although Wen Yifan didn't have strong opinions about appearances, judging from others' comments, she knew she was indeed quite good-looking. But she didn't consider this any particular advantage.

After all, there were plenty of attractive people.

Apart from a decent job, Wen Yifan had nothing, living frugally day by day. The only thing she could once boast about - dancing - had long been abandoned. Even her personality was bland and unremarkable, utterly uninteresting.

Wen Yifan never thought someone like her would be worth remembering for years.

She didn't know if Sang Yan's current slight difference in attitude toward her...

Was because of their interactions since reuniting;

Or simply because she remained an unresolved issue from his past.

From tonight's probing, Wen Yifan still couldn't discern Sang Yan's thoughts.

But he didn't seem too resistant, nor did he deliberately change the subject. If anything, he appeared somewhat "ready to engage." She also didn't know if he could understand the intentions behind her behavior.

Wen Yifan truly couldn't tell.

Did he think she was just mimicking his speech, or had he genuinely noticed something unusual?

Would she need to test the waters a few more times?

In this area, Wen Yifan was just a novice, completely inexperienced.

She sighed.

Wen Yifan exited the bathroom.

Again recalling Sang Yan's expression and tone when he said those last words.

Ah, he really was...

Quite the top performer-

The date of First Frost varies each year, occurring between October 23rd and 24th.

This year, Wen Yifan's birthday fell the day after First Frost. In previous years, she'd either spend the day lounging at home or have a simple celebratory meal with coworkers after work.

Coincidentally, Wen Yifan's day off ended on her birthday this year, so she left early for work. By the time she finished overtime and boarded the subway home, it was nearly 11 PM.

She'd informed Sang Yan in advance about returning late.

Sang Yan only replied: [Mhm]

Beyond that, her message list contained several unread notifications.

All birthday wishes.

Wen Yifan thanked each sender individually, leaving only Zhao Yuandong's unopened. Holding onto the subway strap, she studied her faint reflection in the window. After a long moment, it struck her that she'd grown another year older.

Unconsciously, she'd turned twenty-four.

Sang Yan was the same age.At twenty-four, she shouldn't be considered old yet.

So why was he already going on blind dates?

Had he met any girls he thought were suitable?

Wen Yifan's mind wandered the entire way home, only snapping back to reality when she stepped inside. It was late, and not wanting to disturb Sang Yan, she quietly closed the front door and locked it.

When she turned to glance at the sofa, she realized Sang Yan was still in the living room, eyes lowered as he scrolled through his phone.

Not wanting to interrupt him, Wen Yifan headed straight for her room.

But the next moment, Sang Yan called out to her, "Wen Yifan."

Wen Yifan: "Hmm?"

"Do me a favor," Sang Yan said leisurely. "Get the box from the fridge for me."

"Okay." Wen Yifan hung her bag on the side and walked into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and scanned the contents, spotting a cake box on the top shelf. She paused for a moment before reaching for it.

The box was wrapped in paper, so she couldn’t see what was inside.

It looked like a birthday cake.

Wen Yifan stared at it for a while before carrying it back to the living room. She placed it on the coffee table, unsure if the cake was meant for her. After hesitating for a few seconds, she asked, "Should I go rest now?"

"..."

Sang Yan lifted his gaze, fixing it on her. "Have some with me."

Wen Yifan let out an "oh" and sat down on the sofa. She scratched her head awkwardly, glancing in his direction before asking calmly, "Did you buy this for me?"

Sang Yan leaned forward and unwrapped the cake box, his tone indifferent. "Just bought it randomly."

That seemed like an implicit yes.

Wen Yifan blinked. "Thank you."

Inside was a strawberry cake, about six inches in size.

It was exceptionally pretty—white cream adorned with a ring of strawberries and scattered rose-like decorations. A small sign next to it read, "Happy Birthday."

Sang Yan pulled out a candle and inserted it into the cake, silent the entire time.

It had been years since Wen Yifan had received a birthday cake.

She stared at it before looking up and asking softly, "Can I take a picture?"

Sang Yan glanced at her. "Go ahead."

Taking out her phone, Wen Yifan carefully snapped a few photos of the cake.

Beside her, Sang Yan watched her actions. Once she was done, he lit the candle with a lighter from his pocket, his tone casual. "Make a wish."

Wen Yifan pulled her thoughts together, tilted her head in thought, and quickly blew out the candle.

Sang Yan asked offhandedly, "What did you wish for?"

Wen Yifan: "Won't it not come true if I say it?"

"If you don’t say it," Sang Yan smirked, "how am I supposed to make it happen for you?"

"..."

Her heartbeat quickened at his expression. She licked her lips, deliberately avoiding his gaze as she picked up the cake knife and mumbled, "It's work-related."

"Oh." Sang Yan pulled out a paper plate from the bag, his tone teasing. "I thought it might be about wanting me to be your boyfriend."

"..."

At his words, Wen Yifan's movements stilled. She didn’t look at him, nor did she respond. Instead, she placed a slice of cake on the plate and set it in front of him. "Is this enough for you? Eating too much cake this late isn’t good."

Sang Yan studied her expression thoughtfully.

After a long pause, he simply hummed in agreement and didn’t press further.

The clock neared midnight.Wen Yifan finished the cake in her hand and tidied up the table. She stuffed the remaining cake back into the box, stood up while holding it, and said, "It's almost midnight. You should get some rest soon."

Sang Yan replied, "Alright."

Returning to the kitchen, Wen Yifan placed the cake box back in its original spot. As she walked out to the living room, about to head to her room, she happened to bump into Sang Yan, who was also on his way back to his room.

Sang Yan stopped in his tracks, blocking her path.

Wen Yifan paused as well.

Sang Yan called her name again, "Wen Yifan."

Wen Yifan asked, "What is it?"

Three seconds of silence passed.

Sang Yan glanced toward the wall clock.

"The gift is under the coffee table," he said lazily, tilting his chin slightly. "Go get it yourself."

Wen Yifan was momentarily stunned.

The next second.

Sang Yan suddenly bent down to meet her eye level. Their gazes locked for two seconds before he casually raised his hand and ruffled her hair roughly.

"Happy birthday."

...

With that, Sang Yan withdrew his hand, turned around, and went back to his room.

As soon as he closed the door, his phone rang from his pocket. He took it out, strode to the bed, and sat down before glancing at the caller ID.

It was Su Haoan.

Sang Yan answered the call.

"Come out for drinks tomorrow night, man. I'm in love," Su Haoan said cheerfully. "My girlfriend's friends are pretty decent-looking too. Come on, I'll introduce them to you so you can finally get out of singlehood."

"Oh? What's that got to do with me?" Sang Yan replied. "Hanging up."

"Are you even human? Tell me what you've been up to lately! How long has it been since you last came to 'Overtime'?" Su Haoan grumbled. "Hurry up, if you don't show up tomorrow, I'm coming to your place."

"Lately, I've been confirming something," Sang Yan said, his mood lifting as he recalled what had just happened. "I won't have time for a while. You do whatever you want—date, drink—just don’t fucking bother me."

Su Haoan asked, "What the hell?"

Sang Yan smirked but didn’t elaborate.

"Confirming what?" Su Haoan pressed, his curiosity piqued. "Spill it, let me give you some advice."

Sang Yan still didn’t say a word.

After a few more unanswered questions, Su Haoan lost his temper. "Are you gonna fucking tell me or not?"

"Fine," Sang Yan relented. "I’ll say a few words, then."

"?"

"Recently, there’s this girl who’s trying to hit on me," Sang Yan drawled lazily. "I don’t have time to deal with anyone else. Got it?"