The boundless night enveloped everything, with only the car headlights illuminating the road ahead, dispersing a fraction of the darkness.

The atmosphere inside the car was particularly tense. Song Shixi, sitting in the passenger seat, dared not even breathe heavily. She truly couldn’t figure out why these two siblings had called her into the car. Were they trying to make themselves uncomfortable?

After all, these two disliked her—each more than the other.

But no matter how uneasy she felt, no one gave her an answer. It wasn’t until she got out of the car and entered the main gate that Song Shixi felt utterly bewildered. Unable to resist, she glanced back and saw Qin Yue and Qin Zhiyi still standing in the yard, not even sparing her a glance.

Unable to make sense of it, Song Shixi decided not to overthink it. She simply assumed they had acted out of kindness, not wanting the guard to have to walk back alone to his post after escorting her home late at night, and had given her a ride instead.

Setting aside her chaotic thoughts, Song Shixi quickly made her way upstairs.

Outside the main gate, Qin Yue subtly glanced at the now-empty staircase landing before withdrawing his gaze. “What is it?” he asked.

Hearing this, Qin Zhiyi released the grip on his sleeve, pressed her red lips together, and asked, “Brother, why did you let her into the car earlier?”

Though her tone was relatively steady, the faintly rising inflection at the end betrayed a hint of irritation and accusation.

She didn’t want to share the same space with Song Shixi at all!

Qin Yue looked at Qin Zhiyi but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he countered, “Zhiyi, what time is it now?”

Qin Zhiyi frowned slightly. Though she didn’t understand why he was asking, she instinctively raised her wrist to check the time on her watch. “10:15,” she replied.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she paused, then belatedly looked up at Qin Yue. The moonlight cast a glow on his tall figure, making him appear even more unapproachable.

Every year, her brother attended Tsinghua University’s May Day gala as a sponsor and distinguished alumnus, afterward giving her a ride home. This year was no exception. They could have returned earlier, but they had run into her brother’s university mentor in the parking lot and ended up chatting longer than planned.

On the way back, she had been so absorbed in sharing her joy about winning an award that she hadn’t noticed the time. She never expected it to be so late, let alone that they would run into Song Shixi on the road.

After dark, no matter how heavily guarded the compound was, it wasn’t entirely safe for a woman to be out alone. And given Song Shixi’s striking beauty, if there were any danger, the likelihood of something happening to her would only be greater.

Understanding the meaning behind Qin Yue’s words, Qin Zhiyi felt a pang of remorse. As a woman herself, no matter how much she resented Song Shixi, she wouldn’t wish harm upon her.

“Get some rest early,” Qin Yue said.

Seeing that Qin Zhiyi had understood, he reached out and patted her arm, then turned and walked toward the house. As he turned, half of his face was hidden in shadow, masking an unreadable expression.

Letting Song Shixi into the car was partly because their father held her in high regard—she couldn’t afford to have anything happen to her. As for the other reason…

Qin Yue rubbed his fingertips against his palm, feeling inexplicably irritated.

Just as he reached the third floor, he saw someone step out of her room, humming an unfamiliar tune, seemingly in high spirits.

Perhaps because she was in a familiar environment, she had unbuttoned the top two buttons of her pink qipao, revealing a slender section of her neck. Her hair was disheveled and cascaded down her back, with a few strands slipping through the open collar and disappearing into the shadowed crevice beneath.

She had also changed out of her leather shoes into house slippers. Her fair, almost glowing feet were nestled inside, so small he could have held them in one hand.

The longer he looked, the darker Qin Yue’s expression grew.

Was she doing this on purpose? Or was it unintentional?

If it was the former, it meant she hadn’t given up on trying to win him over. From start to finish, she had been outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, still scheming to seduce him.

If it was the latter, she was sharing a floor with a member of the opposite sex yet lacked even the slightest sense of caution. He didn’t know whether she was naive or foolish. If someone ever took advantage of her, she’d probably still be helping them count the money.

Qin Yue frowned deeply, about to say something, when he saw her skip toward the bathroom, humming her song without even glancing in his direction.

Soon, the sound of running water came from inside.

At this, Qin Yue’s face darkened completely. He felt an inexplicable tightness in his chest and took several deep breaths before finally heading to his room.

The closer he got, the louder the sound of water became.

The wind blowing through the window at the end of the corridor seemed to carry a hint of scalding dampness. He quickened his pace, forcefully shutting his door behind him to block out everything else.

But the sound of gurgling water persisted, refusing to let him rest.

…

The next day was bright and sunny, with rising temperatures that carried a hint of midsummer heat. Song Shixi disliked the heat but feared getting tanned even more. After some thought, she settled on a fitted floral-print short-sleeved top paired with slim-fit trousers. Grabbing a light jacket, she headed downstairs.

As soon as she reached the first floor, she ran into Qin Yue and Qin Boyuan talking near the staircase.

“Uncle, Brother, good morning,” Song Shixi greeted them softly and politely before quickly slipping toward the dining room to give them space.

“That girl is becoming more and more sensible,” Qin Boyuan remarked, reflecting on Song Shixi’s recent changes with a hint of admiration.

At some point, she had started greeting him sweetly whenever they met, and her words and actions had become more measured and polite. She seemed more poised overall.

Satisfied, Qin Boyuan turned to continue discussing business with Qin Yue, only to find him staring at something with a deep frown and an unpleasant expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Despite his words, Qin Yue’s gaze remained fixed on Song Shixi’s retreating figure.

Today, she wore a pink floral blouse and tight jeans. Whether it was because the clothes were too small or intentionally designed that way, the fabric clung tightly to her body, accentuating her curvaceous and sexy figure—full chest, slender waist, long legs…

The outfit was stylish and charming, and paired with her delicate, flower-like face, it gave off an indescribable allure that made it impossible to look away.

But the longer Qin Yue looked, the darker his expression grew. After holding back repeatedly, he finally couldn’t resist striding toward her.

“A-Yue?” Qin Boyuan looked surprised as Qin Yue suddenly walked away. He called out, but the latter didn’t look back, merely tossing out a “I’m going to get water” before disappearing around the corner.

An inexplicable anger simmered in Qin Yue’s chest, growing stronger the closer he got to her.

But just as he was two steps away, an accident happened.

He slowly came to a halt.

“Comrade Song, are you okay?”

“It’s fine, I’ll just go upstairs and change,” Song Shixi replied, looking down at the soup stains on her collar and pants with a helpless smile.

Auntie Yang had made soup dumplings today. The aroma had tempted her to try one, but the moment she took a bite, the broth had gushed out like a dam breaking, leaving her no time to react.

Song Shixi sighed. Thinking she still had time, she decided to go upstairs and change before returning for breakfast. But as she turned around, she nearly collided with Qin Yue, startling her into taking a few hurried steps back.

When had he come over? How had he made no sound? Luckily, she had reacted quickly, or they would have bumped into each other.

Heart still racing, she patted her chest and looked up to see Qin Yue already walking past her into the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

She glanced at him briefly but didn’t dwell on it, then hurried upstairs. This time, she changed into a long dress. By the time she came back down, everyone else was already seated at the dining table.

She quickly took her seat and began eating breakfast.

Just as she carefully took a bite of a dumpling, Qin Yue, who was usually quiet, spoke up unexpectedly.

“Zhiyi, what you’re wearing today looks nice.”

The comment made everyone look up in surprise at Qin Zhiyi. She was wearing a cream-colored cardigan and a light green long skirt, which made her look dignified and elegant—it truly suited her.

But she had worn this exact outfit just a few days ago, and Qin Yue had seen it then without saying a word. His sudden mention of it now felt strange.

Moreover, he wasn’t the type to comment on others’ appearances. This unexpected remark left everyone puzzled.

The dining table fell into an eerie silence.

In the end, it was Qin Zhiyi who snapped out of her surprise first. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear somewhat sheepishly and replied with a dry laugh, “Really? I think it’s quite nice too.”

“Mm, you’re still a student. Dressing like this is very appropriate,” Qin Yue nodded, his face expressionless, but the sidelong glance he cast at the person beside him was full of unspoken meaning.

Song Shixi didn’t notice Qin Yue’s subtle look. She kept her head down, simply thinking he was being rather peculiar today. Was it possible that Qin Yue, having been busy with work in recent years and finally having some time back home, wanted to strengthen his bond with his sister?

She mused randomly but soon decided that, whatever the reason, it was none of her business. She pushed the thoughts aside and focused on finishing her breakfast.

As breakfast was winding down, Zheng Huilan brought up plans to return to the Zheng family for a weekend gathering and short stay. Song Shixi, ever perceptive, proactively offered to stay home and study instead of joining them.

What a joke, she thought. As an outsider, living with the Qin family was one thing, but tagging along to the Zheng family would be entirely inappropriate. Besides, Zheng Huilan certainly wouldn’t welcome her.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Zheng Huilan gave her a rare smile, clearly pleased with her “thoughtfulness.”

Song Shixi kept her head down and continued eating. When she was nearly done, she grabbed her jacket and backpack and headed out. With the sun growing stronger lately, she didn’t dare slack off on sun protection. Every time she went out, she was fully armed: parasol, hat, and face mask all in place. By the time she entered the classroom, Wu Qiuhong almost didn’t recognize her.

“Shixi, what’s with this getup?” Wu Qiuhong watched her unpack her gear with curiosity.

“No choice, gotta protect against the sun,” Song Shixi replied as she took off her jacket, pulled tissues from her bag to wipe off her sweat, then scooped out a dollop of moisturizing cream. She rubbed it between her palms and slathered it generously on her face, neck, and even her arms.

Seeing her apply it so liberally, Wu Qiuhong’s eyes nearly popped. “That stuff isn’t cheap, is it? How can you just put it all over your body?”

“It’s not cheap, but summer’s coming, and the air is dry. If I don’t use it, my skin will peel. This isn’t something to skimp on,” Song Shixi said. She’d always been generous with herself. She even pulled Wu Qiuhong over and dabbed some cream on her face too.

“I don’t need it,” Wu Qiuhong waved her hands hurriedly but couldn’t resist Song Shixi’s insistence. Stroking her now noticeably smoother cheek, she couldn’t help but smile.

The two laughed together, and Song Shixi advised, “From now on, when you go out in the sun, you should carry an umbrella like me. It not only prevents tanning and sunburn but also stops spots from forming, slows aging, and protects sensitive skin. Basically, there’s no downside to using an umbrella.”

This was the first time Wu Qiuhong had heard such advice. Back in her village, everyone ran around freely in the fields and mountains—no one used an umbrella when the sun was out. But seeing the sincerity in Song Shixi’s eyes and her fair, smooth skin, she took the advice to heart and nodded in agreement.

After chatting for a bit, Wu Qiuhong asked about the previous evening’s event. Hearing it had ended successfully, she felt happy for Song Shixi. But when she heard about the Walkman incident, her heart clenched with worry. “I’ll go with you later,” she immediately offered.

Such matters could be minor or serious. Meeting alone, with the physical disparity between men and women, and given that the other party was from Beijing Sports University—meaning he was likely in better shape than the average person—if he had any ill intentions, the consequences could be unthinkable.

Having someone accompany her would add an extra layer of security.

Song Shixi had considered this too. Touched by Wu Qiuhong’s offer, she quickly nodded in agreement.

After class, they had lunch in the cafeteria before heading to the agreed meeting spot at the school gate. As they approached, they spotted the person already waiting near the security office.