Chapter 36.1

“I hope my A-Yin will always stay by my side.”

The words “my A-Yin” were spoken with particular tenderness, yet Yun Yin still heard them.

The chandelier above cast its light upon Yun Yin’s pale skin and into her eyes, scattering into shimmering fragments.

“I really like this necklace,” Yun Yin murmured, her fingertips trembling slightly.

“I’m glad,” Pei Yu replied, his voice low and deep as he nodded. “All your wishes will come true.”

Yun Yin’s heart tightened abruptly. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his.

Perhaps it was the stillness of the night, or perhaps Pei Yu’s gaze was too dark and profound, like an unfathomable ocean concealing unpredictable dangers beneath its calm surface. One careless glance could send her tumbling into its depths.

Neither spoke. The silence in the living room stretched, amplifying every sensation.

Yun Yin felt her heart beating faster and heavier than usual. If it were any quieter, she might hear its relentless rhythm.

Unable to hold his gaze any longer, she let her eyes drift downward to Pei Yu’s wrist.

There, he still wore the watch she had given him.

She remembered that earlier that day, he had also worn the gold-rimmed glasses she had gifted him. Just as she had imagined, they suited him perfectly.

She didn’t know how to face Pei Yu like this. It felt as though an invisible thread had wrapped itself around her heart, tightening imperceptibly.

****

The night deepened.

Although Yun Yin’s foot had almost fully healed, Pei Yu insisted on carrying her upstairs.

After placing her on the bed and preparing to leave, Yun Yin called out, “Pei Yu, wait.”

Pei Yu turned and looked at her.

Yun Yin got out of bed, slipped into her slippers, and retrieved a gift box from a nearby cabinet. She walked over to Pei Yu and handed it to him. “For you.”

Pei Yu accepted the box but didn’t open it immediately. Instead, he looked at her and asked softly, “This is for me?”

“Mm-hmm.” Yun Yin nodded, then paused as if remembering something. Her eyes lit up. “I saw this when I was out the other day and thought it would suit you.”

“I hope you like it.”

“I do,” Pei Yu replied.

“You haven’t even looked at it yet, and you already like it?” Yun Yin pursed her lips slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction in her expression.

Hearing this, Pei Yu opened the gift box. Inside was a pair of cufflinks.

After a few seconds, he looked up, his dark eyes fixed on her. Thoughtfully, he said, “Is this… an exchange of gifts?”

Yun Yin swallowed nervously, trying to appear calm. “Sort of.”

Not really. She had simply seen the silver cufflinks while picking up her record that day and suddenly thought of Pei Yu.

That was all.

But then the incident from a few days ago had happened, and Pei Yu was still upset with her. She had completely forgotten about the cufflinks.

It wasn’t until Pei Yu gave her the necklace tonight that she remembered.

Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. He quietly observed her before repeating, “I really like them.”

His tone was sincere, and his gaze was unusually focused and gentle.

After finishing her shower and getting ready, Yun Yin lay down in bed. It was already midnight, a time when she would normally be asleep, but tonight, she felt wide awake.

The silence in the bedroom was oppressive, and Yun Yin felt inexplicably restless. After tossing and turning for what seemed like an eternity, she gave up on sleep and got up to put on a record.

Her fingers paused over the record. This record player had been a gift from Pei Yu, brought back from one of his overseas business trips. She loved it dearly.

The record spun slowly, and a deep, husky voice filled the room.

The silence was broken.

Yun Yin lay back down, closed her eyes, and tried to relax. The low, steady music gradually calmed her.

Boom!

A thunderclap exploded outside the window, and Yun Yin’s eyes snapped open.

The record player continued to spin, the husky voice still singing.

Yun Yin didn’t need to look to know it was pouring outside. Through the window, she could hear the wind whipping the rain against the glass, the sound amplified in the dead of night.

The relentless rain and howling wind seeped into her ears, and Yun Yin’s heart began to pound.

It felt like the end of the world was imminent.

She sat up in bed, hugging her knees to her chest, her face momentarily blank as another thunderclap shook the room.

The thunder grew louder, and the downpour showed no signs of letting up.

After what felt like an eternity, a daring thought suddenly surfaced in Yun Yin’s mind.

Yun Yin, clutching her small blanket, walked to Pei Yu’s door and gently knocked. There was no response; it seemed he was already asleep.

She stood motionless in the doorway for a moment.

After a while, she pressed the door handle. The door wasn’t locked and swung open easily.

The lights in the room were off, and the curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out every sliver of light. The room was pitch black, the only sound the steady drumming of rain.

Yun Yin stood in the doorway, leaving the door ajar. Using the light from the hallway, she tiptoed to Pei Yu’s bedside.

The room was so dark that Yun Yin accidentally stumbled and sat down hard on the edge of the bed. The sudden movement startled her, and she instinctively held her breath, afraid to move.

Just as she was about to exhale, the wall lamp beside the bed flickered on.

Pei Yu sat up, his voice hoarse with sleep. “What’s wrong?”

Yun Yin’s heart leaped again. Her eyes filled with guilt. “I’m sorry for waking you.”

Even in the dim light, Yun Yin could hear the unmistakable tension and concern in his voice. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Yun Yin didn’t answer his question, only saying, “It’s raining.”

“Hmm?”

“The thunder is too loud,” Yun Yin said, clutching the small blanket in her arms. “My heart feels a little uneasy.”

Pei Yu gazed at her, his voice low and deep. “Is it serious? Should we go to the hospital?”

Yun Yin shook her head, signaling him not to worry. “It’s just the thunder making me feel a bit unwell. It’s not serious.”

Pei Yu lowered his eyes. Under the dim yellow glow of the wall lamp, Yun Yin’s skin resembled fine white porcelain—fair, delicate, and smooth. Her listless expression as she looked at him made her seem like a fragile ceramic figure, as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.

“Afraid of thunder?” Pei Yu asked again.

Yun Yin pressed her lips together. After a few seconds, she nodded.

“I’ll stay with you.”

Yun Yin nodded again.

Pei Yu stood up and effortlessly lifted her into his arms, cradling her like a child. He strode out of his room.

He gently placed her on the bed, sat beside her to tuck in the blanket, and whispered, “Go to sleep.”

“What about you?” Yun Yin asked, burrowed under the covers, blinking.

“I’ll go back once you’re asleep,” Pei Yu replied.

But it was already very late.

Yun Yin’s hand, hidden beneath the covers, slowly tightened into a fist. After a long hesitation, she bit her lip and whispered, “It’s getting late.”

“Do you want me to come up and sleep with you?”

The moment the words left her lips, Pei Yu’s gaze darkened.

He didn’t respond, and the air hung thick with silence.

Yun Yin couldn’t tell how much time had passed—perhaps only seconds, perhaps minutes.

Suddenly, Pei Yu lifted his head. Before she could react, he slowly leaned closer.

Pei Yu was tall, his shadow blocking the bedside lamp. Yun Yin couldn’t make out his expression in the dimness.

As he approached, Yun Yin sensed a dangerous aura. Instinctively, she shrank further beneath the covers, leaving only her bewildered eyes visible.

She heard Pei Yu’s low voice: “Do you want me to keep you company while you sleep?”

The fleeting sense of danger emboldened her slightly. Yun Yin reached out and grasped the corner of Pei Yu’s shirt, asking softly, “Can you?”

Pei Yu’s expression remained calm. “No.”

Yun Yin’s delicate brows furrowed. She tugged at his shirt, her clear, innocent eyes fixed on his face. “Why not?”

Before Pei Yu could answer, a sudden clap of thunder boomed outside the window. Yun Yin instinctively clutched the corner of his shirt, her expression timid, clearly startled.

The bedside lamp remained lit, casting a warm, amber glow across the room. In the midst of the torrential rain, it created an unusual sense of warmth and tranquility.

Pei Yu lay on the edge of the bed when Yun Yin’s soft voice whispered in his ear, “I suddenly thought of a name for that song.”

“What name?”

“Call it ‘Yu Yu’,” Yun Yin turned to face him, her eyes shining brightly in the darkness. “Is that okay?”

Yu Yu?

“Yes,” Pei Yu replied, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he spoke with earnest sincerity.

After a moment of silence, Yun Yin added, “Don’t worry, I sleep very well. We can each sleep on our own side, and I won’t disturb you.”

A long while later, Pei Yu quietly watched the sleeping girl skillfully bury her face in the blanket, then turn and wrap herself tightly in it.

Remembering her words before falling asleep, Pei Yu sighed silently. He gently tugged the blanket away from her chest, exposing her face to prevent her from suffocating, and then slowly closed his eyes.

The torrential rain outside continued unabated.