The surreal feeling of Sang Yan suddenly appearing at the noodle shop surged once more with his words, nearly overwhelming Wen Yifan's thoughts and leaving her dazed.
Wen Yifan stared blankly at the person before her. The anxiety that had plagued her all night was replaced by another emotion. Her nose tingled, and her lips trembled slightly, but she found herself unable to speak.
It was like an unexpected surprise she had never dared hope for, a longing she had never allowed herself to entertain, suddenly descending upon her without warning. She couldn’t believe it, so much so that she didn’t even have the courage to reach out and accept it.
Afraid that if she reached out, everything before her would vanish in an instant.
In that moment, Wen Yifan recalled the time at the end of last year when she unexpectedly ran into Sang Yan at the "Overtime" bar. When he had treated her like a stranger and maintained an indifferent attitude, she had done her best not to let it bother her.
Because she thought it was understandable, even expected.
Everything was the natural consequence of her own actions.
Wen Yifan was the one who had hurt Sang Yan.
So in his precious memories, someone like her didn’t deserve a place. To him, she was just an insignificant presence, all traces of her easily overwritten by someone else who came along.
She had thought that was all she was to him.
But at this moment, Wen Yifan truly realized—
Maybe it wasn’t like that after all.
Perhaps he had met many different people along the way.
Perhaps his feelings for her had long since faded.
But he had never forgotten her.
After all these years, everything had changed.
Yet I still only like you.
Wen Yifan stared at him without blinking.
Suddenly, she wished human memories could be like film reels, divided frame by frame with a device. If that were possible, she could preserve this moment forever.
Never to forget, never wanting to forget.
Seeing her remain silent, Sang Yan pressed his lips together, looking somewhat uncertain.
"Hey, say something."
His words snapped her out of her thoughts. Wen Yifan took a soft breath, feeling she ought to respond with something romantic. But now that she had received this surprise, she wanted to handle everything with care. "If you think saying these things is cheesy—"
Sang Yan lowered his gaze to her.
Wen Yifan finished earnestly, "Then I’ll say them from now on."
At her words, Sang Yan’s expression stilled.
Like a child holding an incredibly precious toy, Wen Yifan’s ears grew warm. Unsure how to react, she weighed every word with utmost caution. "But right now, it’s a little hard for me too."
Sang Yan watched her, the corners of his lips curling slightly.
After she spoke, silence fell again.
Wen Yifan pondered for a moment, realizing she hadn’t actually responded to his confession. She glanced at him, feeling the conversation wasn’t quite over yet—there was still some procedure to follow. "So now we’re—"
"Hmm?"
"Mutually in love."
"…"
Hearing this, Sang Yan seemed unable to hold back any longer. He lowered his head and laughed.
Another low chuckle escaped him.
Wen Yifan wasn’t sure what he found so amusing, but since the procedure wasn’t complete, she steered the conversation back on track. "So, starting now, you’re my boyfriend?"
Sang Yan was still laughing. "Yes."Wen Yifan looked up to see the man before her smiling.
The dimple on the right side of his lips deepened as his brows and eyes relaxed into an expression of pure delight.
For some reason, the corners of Wen Yifan's mouth also curved upward.
That sense of unreality hadn't faded in the slightest—if anything, it had grown stronger.
Yet she still felt incredibly happy because of it. She only wished this illusion, where only the things she wanted to happen occurred, would continue like this forever without any changes.
......
The sudden shift in their relationship left Wen Yifan unsure how to interact with him in the short term. She didn't speak again, simply staring at his face so close to hers, where the faint Demon mark on his eyelid stood out clearly.
Gradually, Wen Yifan lost herself in thought again.
This unease made her wonder if some monster had taken his form in this rainy night to deceive her.
The next second.
Sang Yan's laughter subsided slightly as he spoke again, his tone teasing: "This happy?"
Wen Yifan: "Hmm?"
"Oh, right." Sang Yan studied the curve of her lips and drawled, "Getting a man as peerless as me is indeed worth celebrating for eight to ten years."
"......"
Sang Yan said magnanimously, "Fine, go ahead then."
Wen Yifan licked her lips and quietly retracted her earlier thought.
Probably no monster could be this shameless—
The temperature in Beiyu was slightly lower than in Nanwu, and with the ongoing rain, the wind carried a biting chill. Though it was only just past eight, most shops on the street had already closed, leaving only a few open-air food stalls still operating.
The two continued walking.
Wen Yifan asked proactively, "Did you book a hotel?"
Sang Yan: "Not yet."
Wen Yifan instinctively looked at him and immediately noticed the rainwater on his shoulders. His waterproof jacket hadn't let it seep through, and the droplets were sliding down the fabric. She automatically reached out to brush them off, then asked, "Have you had dinner?"
"Nope." As he spoke, Sang Yan grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Why are you touching it? Isn't it cold?"
Wen Yifan pointed out, "Move the umbrella over more—look, your clothes are getting wet."
"Wen Shuangjiang," Sang Yan's fingertips were warm as they moved slightly upward to briefly cover her rain-dampened hand before letting go, "When someone's doing you a favor, don't make so many demands. Got it?"
"......"
Wen Yifan stared at her still-raised hand for several seconds before slowly withdrawing it. Though it had only been a moment, the places he'd touched seemed to burn.
Dispelling the chill left by the rain.
She loosely clenched her hand, then for some reason, tucked it back into her pocket.
They walked most of the way in silence. But within that quietness, an ambiguous tension wrapped around them, enveloping them both.
When passing a fruit stand, Wen Yifan suddenly stopped.
Sang Yan looked at her: "What?"
Wen Yifan: "Need to buy something."
Without asking what, Sang Yan said lazily, "Mm, go get it."
Wen Yifan went in and picked only two apples. As she brought them to the counter to pay, Sang Yan had already taken out his phone to scan the QR code.
The shop owner bagged the apples and handed them over.
Sang Yan took them and asked casually, "Wanting apples?"Wen Yifan pointed at the apple, then at him, succinctly stating, "I said I'd give you something tangible."
"..." Sang Yan responded with an "Oh."
After leaving the fruit stall, Wen Yifan bought Sang Yan dinner nearby.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the hotel where Wen Yifan was staying. She walked toward the front desk and suggested, "Why don’t you stay here tonight too? You can ride back to Nanwu with us tomorrow."
Sang Yan replied, "Sure."
Wen Yifan checked with the front desk and booked a room on the same floor as hers using Sang Yan’s ID. While doing so, she glanced at the photo on his ID—it showed a slightly younger version of him, his brows slightly raised, his innate arrogance unmistakable.
Judging by the date, it seemed to have been taken during his college years.
She couldn’t help but look a little longer.
Sang Yan glanced at her. "What are you doing?"
Wen Yifan was about to explain.
But when she looked up, she met his face—now even more arrogant with the passage of time.
She swallowed her words. "Nothing."
After the front desk completed the check-in, Sang Yan took his room key and ID. They then headed toward the elevator. He pocketed the key but casually handed his ID to her.
Wen Yifan took it, puzzled. "What’s this for?"
Sang Yan said leisurely, "Look if you want to."
"..."
Caught off guard by his gesture, Wen Yifan froze. She lowered her gaze to the ID photo of Sang Yan, then after a few seconds, looked up at the real Sang Yan standing beside her, hands in his pockets, waiting for the elevator.
He wasn’t looking her way, just staring at the floor numbers.
Wen Yifan averted her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
They reached the third floor.
Following the signs on the wall, Wen Yifan pointed. "Your room should be that way."
Sang Yan said matter-of-factly, "Take me there."
"Okay." Once she led him to his room, Wen Yifan hesitated, unsure if she should enter. "Should I head back to my room now?"
Sang Yan turned his head. "Do you have work?"
Wen Yifan: "No."
Sang Yan: "Something else to do?"
Wen Yifan: "No."
"Then why go back?" Sang Yan found it absurd and directly pulled out his room key, handing it to her. "Go in yourself."
"..."
Wen Yifan took the key, opened the door, and entered. She sat on the chair by the bed. Sensing his displeasure, she quietly explained, "Since we just confirmed our relationship, I didn’t want to intrude on your personal space and make you uncomfortable."
Sang Yan set his things on the table. "You sound like such a gentleman."
"..."
"Who would’ve thought," Sang Yan turned back, his tone lazy and teasing, "you’ve already touched every inch of me."
"..." Wen Yifan wanted to defend herself but realized he wasn’t wrong. She didn’t respond, only reminding him, "You should eat first. It’s late."
At this, Sang Yan asked, "Have you eaten?"
Wen Yifan nodded. "I had noodles."
As they spoke, Sang Yan walked back to stand in front of her. He studied her for a moment, then suddenly frowned. "What kind of job is this?"
Wen Yifan: "Huh?"
"Can you be reasonable?" Sang Yan’s tone was displeased. "All the effort I put into making you gain a little weight—gone in just half a month on a business trip?"Wen Yifan was slightly bewildered and about to speak.
The next second, Sang Yan's gaze paused as if he had noticed something. He sat down beside her directly, reaching up to tuck the hair behind her ear. His movements were light and lingering, not touching her skin.
But the proximity still made Wen Yifan freeze. "What's wrong?"
Sang Yan had spotted the wound behind her ear, the curve of his lips gradually fading.
"What happened?"
Wen Yifan didn’t react immediately, asking belatedly, "Huh?"
Sang Yan lowered his lashes, his thumb brushing uncontrollably over the wound. "How did this happen?"
Hearing this, Wen Yifan suddenly remembered the minor injury she had sustained at the scene. Several days had passed since then, and the wound had already scabbed over without any lingering pain. She had nearly forgotten about it.
"It got scraped by some debris," Wen Yifan said, a little nervous from his touch. "It's not serious."
Sang Yan didn’t touch her again but continued staring at the spot behind her ear.
"It's just a scratch, nothing else." Wen Yifan deliberately shifted the topic. "By the way, why did you come to Beiyu? Didn’t I tell you I’d be back tomorrow? I even ordered a cake for you."
Sang Yan lowered his hand and said nonchalantly, "I came to collect my gift."
Wen Yifan let out a soft "Ah." "But the gift I prepared for you is still at home."
After a long pause.
Sang Yan drawled out an "Oh."
Wen Yifan added, "I’ll give it to you when I get back."
"Mm." Sang Yan stared at her lips and suddenly said, "Hand me my phone."
Wen Yifan glanced over but didn’t see his phone on the table. She turned back to tell him it wasn’t there, but before she could speak, Sang Yan—who had been keeping some distance—leaned forward abruptly.
Almost right into her previous position.
Unable to stop in time, her lips brushed against the corner of his mouth.
Wen Yifan stiffened.
Sang Yan also remained frozen in place, unmoving. Watching her flustered expression, his gaze was unreadable. After two seconds, the corner of his lips curled slightly as he murmured, "Thanks."
"..."
"Now I’ve received it."
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