Chapter 5  

He Yang was initially reluctant. After all, nothing had happened yet—maybe those people hadn’t noticed the car?  

But He Cheng didn’t think so. There was always a chance of the unexpected, and even the slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. Not to mention, those people had blood on their hands—who knew what they might do?  

He Yang had no choice but to agree and give He Cheng a ride to his home.  

After He Cheng settled onto the back seat, He Yang asked, “Where do you live?”  

He Cheng had already notified Uncle He to hurry back and arrange for a bicycle. He closed his phone and replied, “I live at Tianhe Grand Residence.”  

He Yang couldn’t help but let out a quiet “Wow.” Tianhe Grand Residence—a place where every inch of land was worth a fortune. Unable to curb her curiosity, she asked, “Then what brought you all the way out here?”  

He Cheng lifted his gaze, meeting hers in the rearview mirror.  

He Yang wasn’t dressed heavily—just a thin jacket with the zipper undone. The weather was chilly, and the night wind even colder, yet she radiated heat like a furnace, her cheeks flushed and a sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead, which she wiped away with her sleeve.  

Sitting pressed against her back, even through layers of fabric, her warmth seemed to seep straight into his skin. He wore a thin white down jacket, his head slightly bowed, the sharp line of his chin tucked into the collar as he shifted slightly. Strands of the girl’s hair brushed against his cheeks.  

He Cheng’s gaze remained gentle, his dark, bright eyes fixed unwaveringly on the rearview mirror.  

Under his intense stare, He Yang’s cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her eyes. She twisted the handlebars—since no one was chasing them, the speed wasn’t too fast.  

The wind stung He Cheng’s face, but his chest burned with warmth. He blinked, as if searching for the right words, and after a long pause, finally seemed to steel himself. “I don’t have any friends.”  

He Yang was taken aback. “Huh?” She didn’t quite understand why he was telling her this, but when she caught sight of the boy’s dejected expression in the mirror, she kept quiet.  

He Cheng continued, “I’m often sick. No one around me wants to be friends with me. I was just… bored…”  

He Yang was stunned. “So you came all the way to the west side of the county alone?”  

Though He Yang currently had the body of a high school senior, her soul was that of a woman in her twenties. In her eyes, even college students were young, let alone a high schooler like He Cheng—he might as well have been a child.  

He Cheng had striking features—sharp yet softened by slightly downturned eyes that gave him an air of gentleness. His lips were petal-like, delicate and inviting. Even though he stood half a head taller than her, from He Yang’s perspective, he looked every bit the well-behaved honor student.  

Her heart softened a little.  

“Even if you’re bored, you can’t just wander around like this. This area is dangerous, especially in the evening—anything could happen. Don’t do this again.”  

Unconsciously, He Yang slipped into the lecturing tone of an adult scolding a child. Realizing this, she felt a bit awkward, worried He Cheng might take offense. She remembered how much she had hated adults who talked down to her at that age, acting like they knew everything.  

She glanced back and saw He Cheng with his head lowered, his expression unreadable. Unsure what he was thinking, she cleared her throat. “Um…”  

He Cheng said, “My name is He Cheng.”  

The bike screeched to a halt.  

He Yang was utterly bewildered. “What did you say?”  

Though puzzled, He Cheng patiently repeated, “My name. He Cheng.”  

He Yang was at a complete loss for words.

She had just been wondering if this person was perhaps too soft-spoken, often bullied at school, which was why he had no friends.  

She had even thought about comforting him.  

But then he said his name was He Cheng.  

…It was He Cheng!  

He Cheng was a top student, with a good family background and a great personality. Countless people surrounded him—it was only a matter of whether he wanted them around or not. How could he possibly lack friends?  

But these thoughts stayed locked in He Yang’s mind. Everyone had their secrets.  

The higher one stood, the colder the wind. Even with a second chance at life, someone like her—just average in academics—could never understand the mind of a top student.  

But one thing was certain: He Cheng’s personality was genuinely good!  

Before meeting him, He Yang had assumed He Cheng was the aloof type—polite because of his upbringing, but arrogant because he had the capital to be.  

Yet after their brief interaction, she realized he wasn’t like that at all.  

He was shy, often lowering his eyes when speaking to her. Occasionally, when their gazes met, his eyes sparkled like little stars—so beautiful.  

He Yang steadied her racing heart and restarted the bike. “My name is He Yang.”  

He Cheng chuckled softly. “I know.”  

The whisper was lost in the wind, unheard by He Yang. She had already forgotten that he had called her name back at the old house. Her thoughts were a mess. The moment she heard the name “He Cheng,” everything that had just happened flew out of her mind, replaced by an obsessive curiosity about what connection this person had to her.  

Why did her head inexplicably ache twice upon hearing his name?  

Yet when she heard him say it himself, she felt nothing.  

Was she overthinking it?  

From the west side of the county to the east, the electric bicycle ride took nearly an hour.  

By the time they reached the gates of Tianhe Grand Residence, the sky had darkened.  

A bright moon hung high, dotted by a few scattered stars.  

He Yang followed He Cheng through the gates, her eyes landing on a wide, clear spring flanked by jagged rock carvings. A massive stone slab bore the engraved words “Tianhe Grand Residence.” She marveled silently.  

When they arrived at a standalone villa, Uncle He was already waiting at the entrance with the electric bicycle. Seeing them, he stepped forward. “Young Master.”  

He Yang stood stiffly. Though she had lived a few extra years, she had never witnessed such a scene. She was just an ordinary person—terms like “Young Master” only existed in TV dramas, not real life.  

She didn’t dare let her eyes wander, but since the electric bicycle was meant for her, she fixed her gaze on it. She could faintly sense Uncle He’s eyes on her—his stare odd, sending a chill down her spine.  

He Cheng said, “He Yang, this is your electric bicycle.” He pointed to the one she had been pushing. “Leave this one here for now. Would you like to come inside?”  

Such polite invitations were meant to be declined. He Yang shook her head decisively. “It’s too late. I should get home.”  

He Cheng lowered his head, lashes trembling. “Then… then won’t you at least have some water?”  

Again, He Yang refused. “I’m not thirsty. Don’t dwell on what happened today—just sleep it off. But remember what I said: don’t go back there unless you have to.”  

He Cheng still wanted to keep her, but He Yang had already mounted the new electric bicycle, ready to leave. She waved, about to twist the handle, when He Cheng suddenly stepped in front of her.  

“I… can I come see you sometime?”

He Cheng was slender, dressed in a white thin down jacket that reached his knees, with a pair of sneakers on his feet. His soft, dark hair fell over his forehead as he lowered his head. The gentle moonlight cast a glow on the back of his head, and his pitch-black pupils shimmered with flickering light, as if hiding a secret anticipation.

What was he…?

He Yang was momentarily stunned.

He Cheng himself wasn’t cold or aloof at all. On the contrary, he was very sweet and gentle.

She simply couldn’t resist such a beautiful young man blocking her path, asking her with sparkling eyes—

“Can… can I come find you in the future?”

Recalling what He Cheng had said earlier—that he had no friends—He Yang automatically assumed he wanted to befriend her. Of course, there was no reason to refuse!

He Yang smiled brightly. “No problem!”

With that, she waved her hand. “It’s too late. I’m heading home now.”

The smile on He Cheng’s lips lingered as he watched the girl’s figure disappear from sight. Then, his expression returned to blankness, as if the sweet and gentle boy from moments ago had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

“Uncle He, follow her and make sure she gets home safely.”

Uncle He swallowed his many questions and drove after her.

After Uncle He left, a look of frustration surfaced on He Cheng’s face.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket, opened the weather app, and stared at it intently. After a while, he muttered angrily, “It was supposed to rain tonight! Why didn’t it rain just now?!”

His fingers tapped impatiently on the screen. “No rain, no rain…”

Because of this, he didn’t even have a reason to keep He Yang with him.

But…

He Cheng’s eyes suddenly brightened. It wasn’t a complete loss.

He opened his palm, revealing the tissue He Yang had casually used to wipe his sweat earlier. She had been sweating from going up and down the stairs and assumed He Cheng was also feeling the heat.

The thin, neatly folded tissue lay perfectly intact in his palm. With an excited heart, he stepped inside.

Inside, Jiang Xuehui stood on the stairs, holding a glass of water. “So the young master went out. I’ve been looking for you. It’s time for your medicine.”

He Cheng remained lost in his thoughts, his left hand gently clutching the tissue while his right hand clenched and unclenched, as if he could still feel the touch of He Yang’s hand.

“Leave it there. I’ll take it later.”

With that, he went straight upstairs. The door closed behind him, cutting off the prying eyes from below.

A while later, the door opened again.

Jiang Xuehui looked up, her eyes brightening with joy—only to freeze when she saw He Cheng’s icy expression. “You went into my room?”

Her heart skipped a beat. She knew about the young master’s fastidiousness—his room was never to be cleaned by others, and even if it had to be cleaned, it had to be done under his supervision. Nothing was to be touched without permission.

He was usually good-tempered, and those who worked for the He family enjoyed many benefits. But if he got angry, the consequences were severe. Jiang Xuehui knew this well. She wouldn’t dare touch anything in his room—except the safe by his bed had been too conspicuous, and curiosity had gotten the better of her.

“Young Master, I’ve taken care of you for so many years. You know what kind of person I am. It was time for your medicine, and I thought you might have fallen asleep in your room. I went in to check, but you weren’t there, so I left immediately.”

He Cheng’s face paled as he took the medicine from her hand and drank it in one gulp.

Jiang Xuehui had been working in the He household since He Cheng was very young. She knew his temperament well and wouldn’t dare to touch anything in his room without permission. Earlier, he had quickly glanced around—nothing seemed disturbed except for the stuffed toy placed atop the bedside safe, its position slightly altered.  

It must have been accidentally bumped.  

He Cheng set down the water glass and turned back toward his room.  

Jiang Xuehui watched his retreating figure, pursing her lips subtly.  

Inside the room, black curtains shrouded the entire window.  

No lights were on except for a small lamp on the bedside table, casting a dim, yellowish glow.  

Beside the bed stood a square safe, atop which rested an exquisitely crafted cartoon plush toy.  

He Cheng picked up the stuffed toy, adjusted its position, then pressed his index finger against the fingerprint scanner. The safe door clicked open—  

Revealing an assortment of small trinkets inside.  

And photographs of a young girl, sometimes smiling, sometimes pouting.  

He Cheng’s thumb traced the girl’s cheek, lingering tenderly before his touch turned rough, his expression twisting into something feral—like a beast caged and unable to vent its fury.  

After a long moment, he carefully placed a tissue over the photo, his gaze lingering as a low sigh escaped his throat.  

In the past, when he couldn’t have her, even these paper images were treasures.  

But now, having felt He Yang’s vibrant presence up close—her lively eyes, her animated expressions—these lifeless substitutes no longer sufficed, no matter how many times he looked at them.  

It was… never enough.  

He Cheng shut the safe door, exhaled deeply, then chuckled softly under his breath.  

“He Yang, He Yang.” In the darkness, he whispered her name over and over.