He rubbed her head with no gentleness, as if scrubbing a rag, and the warmth of his touch seemed to linger even now. Only after the sound of the door closing did Wen Yifan belatedly reach up to touch her own head.
She stood there for a while before finally turning her gaze toward the coffee table.
The cake alone had already surprised her.
She hadn't expected there to be a gift as well.
The living room lights were still on, their bright white glare somewhat dazzling. The coffee table had been neatly cleared, holding only a thermos and a few cups, alongside some newspapers and magazines.
From this angle, she couldn't see what might be beneath the table.
Wen Yifan walked back and crouched beside it to peer underneath.
There were many items stored there, arranged somewhat haphazardly in a jumbled mess. Among piles of milk powder and fruit cereal, a powder-blue gift bag sat conspicuously at the front, standing out starkly.
The gift bag wasn't a solid color—it was dotted with small white flowers, sparsely scattered and not too dense.
After staring at it for two seconds, Wen Yifan reached in and pulled it out.
Peering inside the bag, she saw a deep black box. As she stood up, she inexplicably felt the item in her hands was like a hot potato, as if she'd taken something she wasn't supposed to have.
She didn't open it immediately. First, she went to the entryway to turn off the lights before returning to her room.
Placing the bag on her bed, Wen Yifan took out the box inside.
It had a substantial weight to it, slightly larger than her hand. Even before opening it, she could detect a faint, unique fragrance—sharp yet laced with subtle sweetness.
After a moment's hesitation, she carefully opened it.
Inside was a bottle of perfume.
A transparent, slightly pink rectangular bottle with a dark bow tied around its neck.
Engraved on it in black lettering were two English words:
—First Frost.
Shuangjiang.
Her childhood nickname.
Wen Yifan's heart gave a heavy thump.
Whether this was coincidence or something else, she couldn't help but recall how Sang Yan used to call her "Wen Shuangjiang" in the past. She licked her lips, pulled out her phone, and searched online for the brand.
The perfume was quite niche, not particularly well-known.
Not being very knowledgeable about such things, Wen Yifan skimmed through the information without delving deeper. Her gaze returned to the perfume bottle, where the engraved letters stood out clearly, as if carved by a knife.
Running her fingertip lightly over the engraving, she was reminded of the past.
It must have been during their first semester of high school.
During a casual conversation with classmates, Wen Yifan had mentioned offhandedly that because she was born on First Frost (Shuangjiang), her childhood nickname was also Shuangjiang. At the time, her classmates had simply acknowledged it without giving it much thought.
She hadn't paid it much attention either.
It seemed only Sang Yan had taken note of this fact.
She couldn't remember exactly when it started, but during their private interactions, Sang Yan stopped calling her "junior" or using her given name, switching instead to "Wen Shuangjiang."
It was the first time someone had used her nickname while still including her surname.
At first, Wen Yifan wasn't accustomed to it, but since how he addressed her was his prerogative, she didn't make an issue of it. Over time, she grew used to it and even came to find the way he said it rather pleasant.
After their reunion, she had never heard Sang Yan call her that again.
She had assumed he'd long forgotten about this nickname.After snapping the lid back on, Wen Yifan hugged the box and flopped backward onto the bed. She stared at the blindingly white ceiling for a long moment before freeing a hand to touch her own head.
The man's actions had been rough yet intimate.
Wen Yifan recalled Sang Yan's eyes meeting hers at eye level just moments ago.
In that instant.
An intense thought surged through Wen Yifan's mind.
She suddenly wanted to fall in love.
With Sang Yan.
She wanted, she thought, to fall in love with Sang Yan.
Wen Yifan rolled over, trying to calm her mind, but found herself utterly unable to shake off this notion.
Her birthday wish this year hadn't been too grand, after all.
There were many things Wen Yifan felt she shouldn't forcefully pursue if they weren't meant to be hers. She only wished for enough courage—to throw caution to the wind just once, to run toward that person without overthinking anything.
If that person was Sang Yan.
Wen Yifan felt she could make an effort, striving to become the passionate one in this equation.
If because of this.
She could obtain the outcome she desired.
That would be wonderful.
But if not.
Then she would simply walk back.
It wouldn't, after all, be such a big deal.
Just as Zhong Siqiao had said.
She wanted to chase him.
She wanted to give it a try.
Wen Yifan sat up and grabbed her phone.
Through the black screen, she noticed the corners of her lips had curled up at some point without her realizing. Pausing briefly, she composed herself before opening WeChat and locating her chat window with Sang Yan.
After much deliberation.
Wen Yifan couldn't think of what to say, finally typing: [Thank you for the gift ^_^]
But then she felt the emoji looked a bit silly.
Wen Yifan deleted it with a tap.
In the end, only the words "Thank you" remained.
His reply came swiftly.
Sang Yan: [?]
Sang Yan: [What time is it.]
Sang Yan: [Go to sleep.]
Wen Yifan: [Okay.]
After a moment's thought, she added: [When your birthday comes, I'll return the favor.]
That would be next January.
If he agreed, this statement would mean that even if Sang Yan moved out in the meantime, Wen Yifan could extend their connection until then. And afterward, she'd still have reasons to talk to him.
Sang Yan: [Oh.]
That single word was all he sent.
Instantly killing the conversation.
Unsure how to respond, Wen Yifan hovered her fingers over the screen before ultimately giving up. She set the phone aside and was about to get up for a shower when—
The phone chimed again.
Picking it up, she saw.
Sang Yan had sent another voice message.
His tone was lazy, his voice slightly hoarse, carrying a faint weariness.
"69 days left."
Wen Yifan listened to it several times, quite fond of him sending voice messages like this. After some hesitation, she tentatively typed: [If possible, could you count down for me every day?]
Sang Yan: [?]
Wen Yifan fabricated a reason: [I'm afraid I might forget.]
Three more voice messages followed.
Sang Yan sounded both amused and exasperated: "Where'd you get such thick skin from."
Sang Yan: "Could you show some sincerity?"
Sang Yan: "You should be keeping this matter close to your heart at all times, not having me remind you daily. Got it?"
"..."
His words made Wen Yifan immediately realize how unreasonable her request had been. She backtracked: [Sorry.]
Wen Yifan: [I'll keep it close to my heart.]Putting her phone down, she continued to ponder for a while.
Although Wen Yifan had already decided she wanted to pursue Sang Yan, she had never done anything like this before. So she had no clue how to go about it or where to even start.
If she just tested the waters with words and gradually revealed her feelings, Wen Yifan felt it wouldn’t be very effective. After all, Sang Yan had said plenty of similar things himself.
It might just make him think she was fed up with his remarks and couldn’t resist retaliating in kind.
But if she directly approached him with actions…
Wen Yifan was afraid Sang Yan would think she was sexually harassing him.
Even though, based on Sang Yan’s previous comments, she had already done quite a few things bordering on harassment while sleepwalking. But doing something like that while fully conscious—Wen Yifan didn’t think Sang Yan would let her off so easily this time.
And judging by how Sang Yan had treated Cui Jingyu back in high school…
He didn’t seem to like the overly enthusiastic, extroverted type.
After thinking for a long time, Wen Yifan still hadn’t come up with a solution.
…
The next morning at eight, Wen Yifan woke up naturally.
As usual, she got up, washed up, and changed clothes out of habit. Just as she was about to leave the room, she suddenly caught sight of herself in the mirror on the vanity. Her gaze lingered, staring at her reflection.
The woman had fair skin, eyes with an inner curve and outer tilt, and lips as red as rouge. Her face was bare, without a trace of makeup. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she wore a simple tracksuit jacket with fitted pants.
Her appearance seemed casual, yet it also exuded a striking, alluring sharpness.
Wen Yifan silently sat down at the vanity and applied some light makeup. Spotting the perfume she had left aside the night before, she picked it up, hesitated, then spritzed some behind her ears and on her wrists.
Only after the scent had dissipated slightly did she step out into the living room.
It was the weekend, so Sang Yan didn’t have work. But he was already up, dressed in casual loungewear, making breakfast in the kitchen. He still looked like he’d rather not be disturbed in his half-asleep state.
Noticing Wen Yifan’s movements, he glanced over briefly.
Then paused.
Sang Yan’s gaze was blatant and undisguised as he openly scrutinized her. Leaning against the countertop, he tapped his fingers twice and asked nonchalantly, “Got plans today?”
Wen Yifan peeked into the pot and answered honestly, “Work.”
Sang Yan raised a brow, studying her for another moment. Soon, as if he’d figured something out, the corner of his lips quirked slightly. He averted his eyes and deliberately drawled, “Ohhh.”
Wen Yifan remained composed, showing no trace of discomfort. As if this was all perfectly natural.
Sang Yan turned off the stove. “Get the bowls.”
“Okay.” Wen Yifan opened the nearby cabinet and added, “Should I make breakfast tomorrow?”
“You’ll wake up in time?”
“I will… probably.” Wen Yifan wasn’t entirely sure but remarked, “Your routine’s pretty healthy. Out of everyone I know, you’re the only one who never skips breakfast.”
Sang Yan tilted his head, his tone lazy yet pointed. “Why do you think I’m healthy?”
The question seemed to echo what she’d just said, but Wen Yifan patiently played along. “Because you eat breakfast every day.”
“…”
Sang Yan had only made a simple meal of porridge and eggs.The porridge was still a bit hot from cooking, so Wen Yifan ate slowly. Sang Yan finished faster and got up to change his clothes. When he came out, she glanced up at him.
Once again, he was dressed entirely in black.
He looked cold and detached, like a hitman heading out for a mission.
After swallowing the last spoonful of porridge, Wen Yifan asked, "Are you going out?"
"Yeah," Sang Yan said. "Meeting a friend."
Wen Yifan didn’t press further. Noticing it was almost time, she also stood up. She followed him to the entryway and, while he put on his shoes, grabbed a baseball cap from the coat rack and placed it on her head.
The moment she put it on, she sensed something was off.
This didn’t seem to be her hat.
It was noticeably looser.
At the same time, Wen Yifan met Sang Yan’s gaze.
He stared at the cap on her head for a few seconds before his eyes slid down to meet hers.
There was an accusatory glint in them.
Wen Yifan suddenly understood. She glanced back at the coat rack and, sure enough, spotted a black cap still hanging there. After a brief pause, she reached up and took the hat off.
With the intention of returning it to its rightful owner, she tilted her head up and hesitantly placed the cap back on his head.
As she did, Sang Yan bent slightly forward.
The distance between them closed in an instant.
Everything around them blurred. His eyes were a deep, bottomless black, carrying an almost magnetic pull. Wen Yifan didn’t blink, acutely aware of his warm breath brushing against her skin.
A hint of something ambiguous seeped into the air, uncontrollably thickening and spreading like fine threads.
Perhaps under some kind of spell, Wen Yifan averted her gaze and, as if bewitched, raised her hand to smooth the stray strands of hair at his forehead. Only when her eyes met his again did she pause, then slowly retract her hand.
Wen Yifan took a step back and said with forced composure, "Your hair was messy. I just fixed it for you."
Sang Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
Before he could speak, Wen Yifan lowered her head to put on her shoes and added stiffly, "You’re welcome."
After another beat of silence,
"Oh," Sang Yan suddenly laughed. "So you’re saying I should thank you?"
"..."
Wen Yifan pretended not to hear. She grabbed the keys nearby and said calmly, "I’m heading to work now."
But before she could step out, Sang Yan straightened up and blocked her path. He glanced to the side, lazily picked up the remaining cap from the coat rack, and placed it on her head—as if returning the favor.
His movements were swift and decisive.
Wen Yifan’s head tilted up slightly.
Sang Yan studied her face, then leisurely tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. Though it only took a few seconds, it felt drawn out into minutes. When he was done, he lowered his lashes and drawled in a teasing tone, "Cat got your tongue?"
"..."
"Still figuring out what to say?"
Wen Yifan snapped out of it. "...Thanks."
They left the house together.
Sang Yan gave her a ride to Nanwu TV Station.
After getting out of the car, Wen Yifan steadied her emotions and walked into the office. The moment she sat down, she noticed a bottle of strawberry milk and a small cake on her desk.
She turned to Su Tian. "Xiao Tian, whose are these?"
"Whose else?" Su Tian whispered. "That little puppy left them for you."
"...""Are you two in that ambiguous stage now? Or is it just one-sided on his part? His feelings for you are becoming more and more obvious," Su Tian said. "Why don't you give it a try? This little puppy is quite obedient, and with looks like his, it wouldn't be a loss."
Wen Yifan didn't respond. She simply stood up and walked over to Mu Chengyun's desk.
The office was nearly empty at this hour.
Mu Chengyun greeted her with a smile. "Good morning, Yifan-jie."
"Mm, good morning," Wen Yifan replied gently, placing the breakfast back on his desk. "Thank you for the breakfast. But I always eat before coming to work, so I'm not hungry now."
Mu Chengyun's lips moved slightly.
Wen Yifan smiled. "You have it. There's no need to buy any more in the future. Thank you."
"..."
After speaking, Wen Yifan returned to her seat.
Su Tian immediately leaned in again, curious. "What did you say? That little puppy looks completely deflated now."
Wen Yifan shook her head. "Nothing much."
"But he's really too passive. Who chases someone like this—" Su Tian suddenly paused, sniffing the air before changing the subject. "Yifan, did you wear perfume today? It smells really nice."
Wen Yifan touched behind her ear. "Yes."
Su Tian stared at her. "Something's off about you."
"..."
"Are you dating someone?"
"No," Wen Yifan denied. After a moment's thought, realizing Su Tian wouldn't know Sang Yan anyway, she decided to be honest. "I'm pursuing someone."
Su Tian was stunned. "Huh? You're pursuing someone?"
Wen Yifan nodded. "Yes."
"...Are you sure you even need to pursue anyone?" Su Tian said. "Yifan, you should know—men are visual creatures. Just crook your finger, and they'll come running without you lifting a finger."
Wen Yifan: "Not him. He's very good-looking."
Su Tian: "How good-looking?"
Since they were near the Street of Vice, and Wen Yifan worried Su Tian might have heard of the 'Sign of Fallen Street' title, she chose her words carefully. "Good enough to be—"
Su Tian: "Hmm?"
"The King of Ducks."
"..."
When Wen Yifan got home, Sang Yan hadn't returned yet. It wasn't even eight o'clock. As she entered the kitchen, she received a text from Sang Yan saying he'd be back late tonight.
She replied with an "Okay."
After making instant noodles, Wen Yifan sat at the dining table, chewing thoughtfully as she reflected on the day's events.
Judging by Sang Yan's behavior today, Wen Yifan felt he probably had some feelings for her too—though how much, she wasn't sure. After all, he was the most unpredictable person she'd ever met.
In fact, upon further reflection, she wondered if today's events could also be explained by Sang Yan's mindset of "You took advantage of me, and I don’t let anyone get the better of me.""
She wanted to be absolutely certain. Because if she made her feelings clear and he didn't actually feel the same way, their current living arrangement would likely become untenable.
For some reason, Wen Yifan rather liked things as they were now.
After finishing her meal, she washed the dishes and returned to her room. Completing her bedtime routine, she lay in bed, idly scrolling through news apps.
It took her a while before she finally opened Weibo.Accidentally tapping into the message list, Wen Yifan paused slightly when she saw the anonymous confession blog and clicked to open it. Staring at her previous submission, she hesitated for a moment before starting to type in the input box.
[Anonymous post: How to pursue someone you've offended?]
After sending it, Wen Yifan exited Weibo.
Setting her phone aside, her mind wandered through a jumble of thoughts. She curled up on her side, drowsiness gradually enveloping her.
Just as she was about to drift into sleep, Wen Yifan heard her phone vibrate.
The sound was especially clear in the quiet room.
Half-asleep, she opened her eyes and reached for her phone, glancing at it absently.
It was just a few minutes past midnight.
A voice message from Sang Yan.
She had no idea why he'd message her at this hour.
Still half-closing her eyes, she rested her head on the pillow and tapped to play it.
Sang Yan seemed to still be outside—the background noise in the voice message was chaotic, filled with crackling sounds. His deep, magnetic voice stood out distinctly amidst the clamor.
"68 days left."
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