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With no one around, Pei Yu’s passionate gaze was unrestrained, making anyone who met his eyes flush with heat.
A week ago, his resolute words still echoed in her mind. Chen Shuyin covered her lips, her voice muffled like it was wrapped in cloth, “No means no. You and I don’t even have a good relationship.”
“You’ve only met them twice, and your relationship with them has already surpassed our six years together?” Pei Yu caught onto her evasiveness and played along, speaking with a knowing look. “So, we’re in a ‘bad relationship but can still kiss’ kind of situation?”
“I wanted to,” Chen Shuyin, always adept at handling his shamelessness, replied smoothly. “What’s wrong with adults sharing a kiss? I’ll just pretend I got bitten by a dog.”
“Alright then, I won’t bite you next time. Want to test that out?” Pei Yu, fully embracing his role, placed his hand over hers, which was still covering her lips. “Otherwise, if I don’t get my gift, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
He refused to leave. “The air here is fresher than mine. I’ll stay over—shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
“If I give you a gift, will you leave?” Chen Shuyin blocked his way as he attempted to step inside.
Pei Yu pretended to consider it seriously. “Two minutes ago, that was the deal.” Then he changed his tune. “But now, no. Besides the gift, I also want—”
Already knowing how he pushed his limits, Chen Shuyin didn’t even let him finish before anticipating his next move. She stood on tiptoe and pecked his cheek.
A crisp “pop” echoed in the spacious room.
It was barely a kiss—more of a hurried collision. Her soft lips grazed his cheek, her teeth even knocking against him slightly, and when she pulled away, a faint wet mark was left on his skin.
Pei Yu froze for several seconds before realizing what had just happened. He turned his face, raising a hand in disbelief to touch his cheek.
“I’ll give you the actual gift later.” Her expression remained indifferent and perfunctory, as if she were a heartless player walking away after a casual encounter. “Satisfied now? You can go.”
Pei Yu, knowing when to stop, coughed lightly. “I’ve got something for you. Wait here.”
He grabbed onto the window frame and leaped back to the neighboring building. For a moment, Chen Shuyin’s heart clenched. She rushed to the window, and just one glance downward made her legs weak. There were no safety measures—if he fell, he’d at least end up disabled.
Gripping the doorframe tightly, she didn’t even realize her fingers had turned white.
Moments later, he reappeared, carrying a bulky, rectangular hiking backpack. With agile movements, he jumped back across, landing smoothly in a slight crouch—like a night prowler.
She withdrew her gaze, her tone laced with sarcasm. “Jumping through windows so skillfully, Mr. Pei, you must’ve done this plenty of times before?”
Halfway through unpacking, his damp hair fell over his brows, partially concealing one eye. He flipped his hair up, revealing a smooth forehead, and chuckled. “That tone sounds a little jealous. Chen the Reporter, are you secretly envious?”
The air carried a faint scent of eucalyptus—his signature fragrance, crisp and refreshing yet subtly playful.
Chen Shuyin’s lips twitched as she watched him kneel to unzip his bag. Inside, neatly arranged, was a small, delicate gift box. He pulled it out along with a bottle of essential oil, then zipped the bag back up. From his pocket, he retrieved a silver lighter, flicking it open to ignite a tiny flame. The light flickered, reflecting in his dark eyes.
“The rest of the stuff in here is for your daily use,” he said casually. “Even though it’s cold now, there are still mosquitoes around. I brought this to keep them away.” He set the bottle of essential oil on her nightstand. “The slippers the show provided aren’t non-slip, and the bathroom floor is easy to fall on. I got you a new pair—they’ve been sanitized, and I added grip pads to the soles—”
“Pei Yu.” Chen Shuyin suddenly felt uncomfortable. “You don’t have to be this thorough.”
Her voice was soft, but the unspoken words between them created a vast, unbridgeable silence.
For a fleeting second, she thought she saw a trace of loneliness in Pei Yu’s gaze. But he quickly brushed past her, placing the mosquito repellent on her nightstand.
Turning back, he stood before her, one hand in his pocket, the other holding the gift. “Take it.”
Chen Shuyin didn’t reach for it. If she did, he’d find another excuse to linger. Instead, she crossed her arms, hugging the box against her chest. “I didn’t even get you anything. Why are you giving me this?”
A quiet chuckle rumbled in his chest. “I’m not the kind of person who keeps score, alright?”
“You gave gifts to others but didn’t plan on giving me one. Did you even consider keeping one for yourself?” He tilted his head slightly. “The people outside never thought of returning the favor, did they?”
“It’s just a courtesy. I don’t expect anything in return.”
His words were clear, but something inside Chen Shuyin twisted. It felt like a foreign emotion, something unfamiliar, pressing uncomfortably against her heart.
He noticed her blank expression and pinched her cheek lightly. “I’ll be the first and only one to give you something back. Sound good?”
The action was teasing, and before she could react, he had already walked toward the window.
“Pei Yu.” She rubbed the smooth, pearl-like surface of the gift box, her voice sharper than before. “If you’re only doing this because of what I said earlier, there’s no need.”
“The past is the past. Once time moves forward, it shouldn’t be mixed with the present.” She spoke firmly. “Just think of it as listening to me describe a dream. Dreams and reality are opposites.”
“But weren’t both the dream and the reality still about you and me?” Pei Yu turned slightly, leaning against the window. The oversized bathrobe he wore billowed slightly in the wind, casting shifting shadows across his striking features. He looked like the protagonist of a childhood manga—someone who could soar into the sky at any moment.
“Chen Shuyin, don’t try to talk circles around me with your logic and fancy wordplay. If the dream is fake, then I’ll just make it real.”
“What’s your goal this time?” she asked, irritated by his relentless persistence.
He liked playing mind games—sometimes without even realizing it.
Perhaps it was an innate talent. Life had given him an unfairly beautiful face, so it also granted him weapons to protect and retaliate.
“Don’t play dumb with me now,” Pei Yu said, his intentions crystal clear. “I don’t need to compete or fight with you. I don’t lack anything, and I don’t care about material things.”
“But you keep doing it!” Chen Shuyin’s voice suddenly sharpened.
In an instant, he stepped closer. His face blurred at the edges before coming into sharp focus. He lifted her chin, closing the space between them. His breath was warm, laced with the sweet scent of winter pastries. His lips hovered mere millimeters from hers, making her skin tingle.
“Do I need to kiss you to make you understand?”
Chen Shuyin stiffened, her entire body turning rigid.
Then, just as abruptly, he pulled away. His voice was colder now. “Forcing you is no fun. But if this method isn’t direct enough, I’ll keep trying—next time, and the time after that.”
The room fell silent again.
She slammed the window shut, collapsing onto the floor. Carefully, she untied the ribbon and unwrapped the layers to reveal the gift inside.
A custom-made microphone.