CHAPTER 1: FRUIT CANDY

At exactly seven o’clock the next morning, Ruan Zhizhi dragged herself out of her apartment, dark circles under her eyes so heavy that even two layers of foundation couldn’t hide them. Pulling along a small white suitcase, she flagged down a taxi and headed straight to the main campus gate of the university where Gu Nian worked.

The moment she stepped out of the cab, she spotted a bright, conspicuous long-distance tour bus parked outside the entrance of A University.

Truthfully, she wasn’t thrilled about going on a long trip right in the middle of her internship. But… she’d never been to Yunnan before, and since it was winter break, plus the fact that Gu Nian had already transferred the spot to her, Ruan Zhizhi figured it’d be a waste not to go. After struggling with the decision until two in the morning, she’d finally resigned herself to it and hastily packed her luggage.

According to Gu Nian, the trip would last five days and four nights, with stops in Kunming, Lijiang, and Shangri-La.

However, Gu Nian also mentioned that the trip was actually a special year-end reward organized by the university — exclusively for first-tier professors.

Ruan Zhizhi imagined for a moment: professors with silver hair, thick reading glasses, maybe even a bit hunched over… and couldn’t help letting out a long sigh.

Aside from Gu Nian, that EQ monster, she honestly didn’t believe anyone else could manage to become a first-tier professor at the country’s top university by the age of twenty-seven.

Dragging her suitcase, she walked toward the bus. A few people were standing near the door, checking in one by one. Since she wasn’t in a hurry, she found a bench under a tree and sat down.

The sun was bright today, but the cold was still biting.

Tugging her bright red scarf tighter around her neck, Ruan Zhizhi glanced around idly — and her gaze accidentally landed on a man standing just a few steps away, half-hidden in the shade, smoking.

It was below freezing, yet he was only wearing a thin white knit sweater and beige khaki pants. He was tall — tall enough that she’d have to tilt her head way back just to see his face.

Unfortunately, his head was lowered slightly, so she couldn’t get a clear look.

A cigarette dangled loosely from his lips, smoke curling lazily around his features. A few stray locks of hair fell messily over his forehead, casting shadows on his eyes. There was something in the way he stood — something languid, careless, faintly decadent.

Ruan Zhizhi decided she must still be half-asleep. Otherwise, why on earth would she be staring at a complete stranger smoking… and finding the sight so captivating?

She watched him pinch out the cigarette, tossing the butt into a nearby trash bin with effortless precision, before walking toward the bus with an expressionless face.

…Could he be one of the first-tier professors going on this trip?

From her rough estimate, he couldn’t be older than twenty-seven. Maybe even younger.

Well. So Gu Nian wasn’t the only freak of nature in the world after all.

After sitting for a while longer, Ruan Zhizhi checked the time, got up, brushed the dust off her coat, and wheeled her suitcase over to the bus. After checking in and reporting her personal info, she climbed aboard — only to spot that same man sitting in the front row by the window.

The loose sleeves of his sweater were pushed up lazily to his elbows, his head lowered slightly as he slowly unwrapped a piece of fruit candy. Sunlight filtered through the glass window, glinting off his clean, jet-black hair. It looked so soft, carrying a faint, airy brightness, completely different from his languid, decadent vibe from moments ago.

Out of courtesy, Ruan Zhizhi didn’t stare for long. After a quick glance, she withdrew her gaze and scanned the bus for empty seats.

Since she’d arrived late, there was only one seat left — directly behind him. Figuring there was no harm in having a nice view of a handsome guy, she happily settled into the seat.

Looking around, she realized everyone else on the bus seemed to be at least thirty-five or older, looking very much like stereotypical university professors.

Unlike him.

He looked like he’d stepped off the wrong set — like a movie star who’d accidentally wandered into a research conference.

Then again, having a professor who looked like that probably guaranteed a packed classroom every semester.

Settling in, Ruan Zhizhi adjusted her bag and took out a bottle of water. Just as she twisted the cap open, a young man stumbled onto the bus, panting heavily. His shirt buttons were undone, a piece of toast still clamped between his teeth, his whole face frazzled.

He glanced around quickly, then without hesitation plopped into the seat beside the man with the candy, muttering between bites of toast:

“Ah Yan, didn’t we agree you’d call me this morning to wake me up? I almost missed the bus!”

“Forgot,” the man said flatly, his voice muffled around the fruit candy in his mouth. It was low, rough, slightly husky — the kind of voice that carried an effortless, sensual rasp. The sound made Ruan Zhizhi’s heart skip before she even realized it.

Scrolling idly through Weibo, she was drawn to that voice and instinctively lifted her head to glance at him.

And then her gaze lingered for half a beat.

Because… he looked familiar.

Wasn’t this the man she’d brushed past in the café yesterday?

The one who’d bought the last box of macarons.

Maybe her stare was too obvious, because he seemed to sense it. He turned his head slightly, casually meeting her gaze — then looked away almost immediately, expression unreadable.

What kind of eyes were those?

Cold. Brooding. Composed. With a subtle weariness, as though the world itself bored him. His irises were pitch-black, like a vast ocean swallowing everything… except emotion.

Ruan Zhizhi shivered faintly under that look.

And then, just as abruptly, he withdrew his gaze.

Too abruptly. Almost… deliberately.

The movement caught the attention of the young man beside him. Swallowing the last bite of toast, the guy turned around and spotted Ruan Zhizhi sitting behind them. His eyes lit up instantly.

“Whoa, since when did our university have such a young, gorgeous professor? How have I not seen you before?”

Caught off guard, Ruan Zhizhi quickly waved her hands and explained, “I’m not from your university. My friend couldn’t make it, so she transferred her spot to me.”

“Oh, I see.” He grinned, his smile bright and clean, oddly reminiscent of Li Sichen. “Still, I guess that makes it my honor to be traveling with such a beautiful lady. Hi, I’m Chen Jiayan. And you are…?”

Her mind blanked for a split second at the familiar resemblance before she offered a polite smile. “Hello, I’m Ruan Zhizhi.”

“Then I’ll just call you Zhizhi,” Chen Jiayan said cheerfully, his eyes curving into crescents as he smiled. He pointed at the man beside him and added, “Let me introduce this one here. The guy who looks like he’d be impossible to deal with? That’s Shi Yan — the most famous, most difficult-to-please professor in our department.”

Then, lowering his voice just a little, Chen Jiayan leaned closer conspiratorially:

“Fair warning, Zhizhi — don’t get fooled by that face. Cold, weird personality, super hard to handle. Any woman who’s fallen for him… let’s just say it’s never ended well.”

Ruan Zhizhi: “…”

This Chen Jiayan was way too familiar. Had she ever said she was attracted to him?
Besides, yesterday, when she needed it the most, he snatched that macaron right out of her hands.

Speechless, she lifted her head — only to find Shi Yan looking down at her.

In his pitch-black pupils, there was a faint, tangled emotion she couldn’t read, like a thin layer of transparent mist. Its outline was so faint, it felt like it would vanish into the air at any second.

A vague thought roared through her mind and disappeared in a flash.
Ruan Zhizhi narrowed her eyes slightly as she stared at him, suddenly uncertain —
Had they… met somewhere before?

Because those eyes were too unique. Too unforgettable.

The bus soon started up slowly. From here to the airport, it would take about an hour.
Ruan Zhizhi put on her earphones, leaned quietly against the seat, and planned to take a short nap to recharge.

About halfway there, she started feeling dizzy.
She unzipped her backpack with practiced ease, reaching inside and groping around for a while — but came up empty-handed.

She must have packed too hastily and forgotten to throw in a few pieces of candy.

For so many years, she had relied on candy, cakes, and other sweets to replenish her energy.
Now, without them, she was at a loss.
Her head felt heavy, her mind foggy. She frowned slightly in discomfort.

Just then, out of nowhere, a man’s hand appeared in front of her.

Thinking she was seeing things, Ruan Zhizhi blinked hard and reopened her eyes —
but the hand was still there.

Slender, distinct joints.
In his palm lay a single, brightly wrapped fruit candy, catching the sunlight streaming in from the window and scattering tiny, glittering reflections.

His long, elegant fingers hovered steadily before her eyes.

“Want it?”
The man’s voice was low, slightly hoarse — devastatingly sexy.

Ruan Zhizhi looked up at him.
His gaze was hidden in the blinding sunlight, utterly unreadable.

She didn’t even have time to wonder why he would suddenly hand her candy at this exact moment.
Her body reacted on instinct — she murmured a soft “thank you” and reached out to take it.

Unwrapping the candy, she popped the orange-flavored sweet into her mouth.
Her restless heart finally began to calm, and drowsiness crept over her.

When she woke up, the bus was already slowing to a stop at the entrance of Terminal 3.

Yawning, Ruan Zhizhi straightened up, listening to the tour guide chatter into a loudspeaker about meeting up with the local guide after arriving in Kunming, Yunnan.

She rubbed her eyes and started slowly gathering her backpack and suitcase.

It wasn’t until she followed the group into the airport that Ruan Zhizhi finally had time to look around at the people she’d be spending the next five days with.

A quick headcount — about twenty-five in total.
Three or four girls around her age, probably traveling with their professor parents.
Then there was Shi Yan, dazzling as ever, with Chen Jiayan glued to his side.
The rest were mostly older professors and scholars.

She wondered…
Would these five days and four nights go smoothly?