In the silent room, all the fervor vanished in an instant, leaving only their intertwined breaths echoing the dripping sound from the living room.
After a moment of stillness, Xu Huaisong released his grip and took a step back.
Without his support, Ruan Yu’s knees buckled, nearly sliding down the wall, but he steadied her just in time.
She didn’t understand why he had suddenly lost control, but that brief minute of intimacy made her realize—this was no longer eight years ago.
They were no longer at an age where holding hands while strolling down the street felt like having the whole world.
Perhaps it had started long before, with that kiss the night he left—this kind of adult emotion had already taken root.
But after nearly a month apart, the physical connection had cooled, so when they reunited, Ruan Yu hadn’t adjusted in time and instinctively called a halt to his sudden advance.
Only now did she belatedly feel the tension, along with a strange, lingering tingle rising within her.
Her face flushed crimson, her gaze darting aimlessly before finally settling on the tip of her nose.
Xu Huaisong’s lingering gaze and the undone clasps at her back left her utterly flustered.
Just as she hesitated whether to reach back and fasten them herself, she saw him move first—his hand reaching around to her back.
His palm was scorching, making her flinch, but his touch was meticulous.
Unlike the earlier storm, he now traced the wet fabric of her clothes, locating the clasps, pinching them between his fingers, and gently rubbing to discern their shape—as if intending to refasten them.
Before this, Ruan Yu had never imagined that in such a situation, a man wouldn’t hastily retreat to the bathroom to "cool off," but instead patiently tidy up the "mess" left behind.
Clumsy yet tender.
It felt like a heavy blow to her heart, leaving it aching and soft.
Realizing her earlier reaction must have hurt Xu Huaisong, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him while he was still struggling with the clasps.
Xu Huaisong paused, looking down at her.
Ruan Yu mumbled softly, "You can’t fasten them like this..."
His fingers still held the clasps. "What?"
"You can..." She buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled against his shirt, "You can reach inside to fasten them..."
Xu Huaisong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He gave a low "Mm," then slipped his hand beneath her clothes again, carefully avoiding her smooth skin as he tried to locate the clasps directly.
But it wasn’t easy. Perhaps afraid of triggering her rejection with another intimate touch, he hesitated.
In the suffocating silence, Ruan Yu’s heart pounded wildly. Gritting her teeth, she whispered, "You can touch me..."
Xu Huaisong swallowed again, then murmured another "Mm" before finally letting his fingers explore.
The moment their skin touched again, both shuddered simultaneously.
Once the clasps were secured, Xu Huaisong withdrew without explaining his earlier actions. Instead, he said quietly, "You should shower first. I’ll clean up the living room—if we leave it too long, the water might leak downstairs."
Ruan Yu nodded and turned away.
When she came out again, the chaotic living room had been restored to order.
Xu Huaisong was using a hairdryer on a stack of heavily annotated manuscripts she’d left on the coffee table.
Noticing her damp hair, he turned off the hairdryer and held it up, shaking it slightly.Ruan Yu walked over and was about to take the hairdryer when she suddenly saw him pull his hand back, saying, "Sit down."
She sat on the chair, tilting her head up to ask, "Are you going to dry my hair for me?"
Xu Huaisong gave a quiet "Mhm," turning on the hairdryer with his right hand and setting it to medium heat. His left hand gently combed through her hair, smoothing it strand by strand.
Ruan Yu, like a pampered cat under his care, closed her eyes contentedly, resting her head against his arm.
Xu Huaisong didn’t seem bothered either, silently continuing to tend to her hair.
When the noisy hum of the hairdryer finally stopped, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Xu Huaisong."
His mood still seemed subdued. "Mhm."
"You're so good to me."
His gaze flickered slightly. "Maybe others would be just as good, but they never got the chance to treat you this way."
Ruan Yu frowned, about to ask what he meant, but he set the hairdryer aside and said, "It's late. Go to bed."
She was indeed very tired, yawning as she asked, "What about you?"
"I'll take a shower and then sleep too." Xu Huaisong pointed toward the guest room. "I just finished tidying it up."
Ruan Yu followed his gesture, pausing slightly before watching him turn and head into the bathroom. A faint sense of unease settled in her chest.
She went to the kitchen to heat a glass of milk and handed it to him when he came out. "Are you in a bad mood? Did something happen in the U.S.?"
Before he could answer, she dismissed her own question.
His mood had shifted only after she went to the 15th floor. So it couldn’t be related to anything earlier.
Xu Huaisong ruffled her hair and smiled. "No, just tired from the flight." He picked up the milk and walked toward the guest room. "Get some rest."
Left with no choice, Ruan Yu returned to her bedroom. Once under the covers, she grew restless, tugging at her hair with a frown. Unable to sleep, she reached for her phone charging on the nightstand and unlocked it with her fingerprint.
Her eyes immediately landed on seventeen missed calls.
All from Li Shican.
Ruan Yu froze.
Checking the call timestamps and scrolling through the call log, she let out a quiet, "Ah."
When she had come back from the 15th floor, Xu Huaisong had been in her bedroom. And during that exact time, Li Shican had bombarded her with calls.
One glance at this call record, and everything became clear.
She sighed in frustration, her face scrunching up.
She should have realized sooner.
Sitting there for a moment, Ruan Yu decided this couldn’t be left unresolved.
This was a man who would rather write 327 text messages than say "I like you" outright. She absolutely couldn’t expect him to bring up such matters on his own.
But if things continued like this...
He’d bottle himself up to death first, and then suffocate her along the way.
Mustering her resolve, Ruan Yu got out of bed. Just as she was about to open the door, she hesitated.
He had just endured a long flight, dealt with the property management, and cleaned the living room. Could he already be exhausted and asleep?
She softened her movements, tiptoeing to his door and pressing her ear against it.
After listening for a while without discerning any movement, she debated whether to wait until tomorrow. But then Xu Pipi, the night owl, suddenly appeared at her feet, letting out a long "Meow."
She immediately shushed him, but Xu Huaisong had already heard the noise. "What's wrong?" he asked from inside.
She cleared her throat. "Can I come in?"
Hearing his affirmation, she turned the doorknob.Xu Huaisong had just sat up and turned on the bedside lamp when he saw her take a deep breath, close the door, rush over, and jump onto his bed.
He paused in surprise: "Can't sleep?"
Ruan Yu nodded.
"What should we do then?"
She was already on his bed—what did he think they should do?
Ruan Yu had already thrown caution to the wind. She took another deep breath and said, "Aren’t you going to invite me under the covers…?"
Xu Huaisong shifted slightly and lifted the blanket.
Ruan Yu slipped in.
"Will you be able to sleep like this?" he asked.
She nodded and lay down.
This was the first time the two of them had truly shared a bed and blanket. But after Xu Huaisong reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, he kept a half-arm’s distance between them, as if maintaining an unspoken boundary.
Ruan Yu felt stifled, wondering how to break the silence. After a while, she said, "Do you know what happened on the fifteenth floor?"
He hummed in acknowledgment. "I can guess. You handled it well."
"Do you know who the other person was?"
Xu Huaisong seemed momentarily taken aback, turning his head toward her. "Someone I know?"
She shook her head. "I haven’t mentioned this to you before—he’s the producer of my movie."
Xu Huaisong fell silent, frowning in the darkness where she couldn’t see.
Until now, he had thought this was just an ordinary act of bravery that had already been resolved. But since the other party was the producer of her movie, the aftermath might be more complicated.
However, Ruan Yu’s thoughts weren’t aligned with his at the moment.
She explained, "The reason Li Shican barged into the break room last time was because Director Wei and I were on the same floor. He warned me not to get too close to this person. So when I ran into trouble today, my first instinct was to call him and ask about Director Wei."
"I thought since he knew Director Wei, he might have a way to help. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have called him."
Xu Huaisong’s hand under the blanket trembled slightly before clenching into a fist. He turned fully toward her, his tone turning firm: "With someone like that around, why didn’t you tell me sooner?"
His tone had grown assertive. Clearly, the knot in his heart had loosened.
Ruan Yu thought to herself, Finally. She pouted and said, "You were in the U.S. Wouldn’t telling you just make you worry unnecessarily? I made sure to avoid contact with him—see, nothing happened before today. And after today, you’re here with me."
Xu Huaisong closed his eyes briefly, as if haunted by what could have been. After a moment, he pulled her into his arms. "From now on, tell me about things like this immediately. Whether I’m in the U.S. or Siberia, I need to know right away."
Ruan Yu bumped her head lightly against his shoulder. "The U.S. isn’t enough—now you’re going to Siberia too?"
"..."
Xu Huaisong pinched her chin, straightening her face toward him. "It’s just an example. I’m serious."
Ruan Yu giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay, I got it. So… are you still upset?"
Xu Huaisong fell silent, his pride as a man stung.
Realizing he wasn’t going to answer directly, Ruan Yu quickly changed the subject. "Is the air conditioning in this guest room not working? What temperature did you set it to? It’s so hot in here."
But this wasn’t the best topic shift.
Xu Huaisong, caught out on another matter, stayed quiet again.
Ruan Yu tried to get up to find the remote, but he pulled her back.
Gritting his teeth, Xu Huaisong said, "No need to adjust it. It’s already at 18 degrees—that’s low enough."
"Then why is it still…"
Ruan Yu trailed off mid-sentence.What else could it be? Asking further would just be foolish.
An unspoken understanding spread between them.
In the silent room, two hearts beat in perfect sync, as if racing.
Yet neither was the first to pull away from the embrace.
In the end, Xu Huaisong won the race.
Ruan Yu asked worriedly, "With your heart rate like this, you won’t just drop dead, will you?"
"..."
He lightly tapped her forehead. "I won’t die."
Ruan Yu hissed in response, sensing how tense he was—clearly struggling. She said, "Maybe I should just go back to sleep in my own room?"
"Have you ever seen a rabbit enter a wolf’s den and then get let out?"
"But the wolf just stares without taking a bite—isn’t that a waste of a good thing?"
Xu Huaisong choked. "Don’t say nonsense."
Ruan Yu froze, then heard him sigh. "The wolf didn’t bring utensils."
Ruan Yu was left reeling from the explosive implications of "didn’t bring utensils," and by the time she recovered, dawn had already broken. She was startled awake by the sound of the doorbell.
She opened her eyes, groggily nudging Xu Huaisong beside her. "Is someone ringing the doorbell?"
He stirred but couldn’t open his eyes—who knew how late he’d stayed up last night? Frowning, he mumbled, "Yeah."
Rubbing her eyes, Ruan Yu threw off the covers and got out of bed, muttering, "Who could it be this early in the morning?"
Xu Huaisong finally forced himself up, stopping her. "I’ll go."
Slipping on his sandals, he went to check the peephole, then turned back to call her. "Someone from the 15th floor." He opened the door.
Ruan Yu hurried over and saw Sun Miaohan standing outside with dark circles under her eyes. Taking in their disheveled, sleepy state, she nodded apologetically. "Sorry to disturb you."
Ruan Yu shook her head to say it was fine and invited her in. "Have you made a decision?"
Last night, she had asked Sun Miaohan what she planned to do—whether to report the incident, stay with Huanshi, or leave. Sun Miaohan had said she needed time to think.
Once inside, Sun Miaohan didn’t sit down. She got straight to the point. "I’ve thought about it. Sis, since I wasn’t actually harmed, reporting it won’t do any good."
Ruan Yu glanced at Xu Huaisong.
His expression confirmed that Sun Miaohan was right.
"What about after this?"
Sun Miaohan lowered her gaze. "I don’t think I’m cut out for the entertainment industry. I won’t sign with Huanshi, and I won’t stay in Hangzhou. I’m going back to my hometown."
Ruan Yu fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Okay." Her face showed regret.
Sun Miaohan smiled. "Don’t feel bad for me. What kind of reputation could a film made by someone like that even have? Maybe not being in it is a blessing."
Ruan Yu seemed puzzled. "Huh?"
"Last night, I overheard Director Wei telling the director that the plagiarism scandal surrounding that IP was something he orchestrated. And he plans to keep using it for publicity, tying it to Li Shican for hype."
Ruan Yu froze. What did she mean—that the plagiarism scandal was orchestrated by Wei Jin?
She blinked blankly a couple of times, then turned to Xu Huaisong, who was also frowning.
Author’s Note:
Sorry, but in all my years as Gu Liao Zhi, this is the first time I’ve seen someone phrase "didn’t bring a condom" so elegantly.
OpenNovel