Chapter 4

Uncle Li’s electric bike was a single-seater, resembling a motorcycle in appearance and faster than the two-seater models. When He Yang twisted the throttle to maximum speed, both wheels spun rapidly over the gravel road, emitting a harsh, grating noise.

She pulled off the jacket covering her face, clutching it with one hand while glancing at the rearview mirror. Seeing no pursuers behind them, she exhaled in relief and slowed down.

“Are you okay?”

No answer came from behind. She asked again, “Hey, classmate?”

He Yang checked the rearview mirror.

The reflection showed a face flushed pink, its owner seemingly entranced by something unseen. He must have been terrified—his chest rose and fell powerfully with each breath, occasionally brushing against her back with cool, fleeting touches.

She thought little of it.

The rear seat was mostly occupied by a food delivery box, and the slightly upward-tilted design meant anyone sitting there would naturally slide forward. A few accidental bumps were nothing noteworthy.

Besides, He Yang recognized him.

He was the kind stranger who’d lent her an umbrella on her very first day here.

Noticing his dazed expression, she assumed he was still shaken.

This neighborhood had poor security, with frequent brawls and altercations. Having lived here, she knew which areas to avoid—but this boy clearly wasn’t from around here. That day, he’d left in a private car, indicating his family was either wealthy or influential, likely from the east side of the county. What was he doing here?

The west side housed migrant workers, troublemakers, and all sorts of unsavory characters—a chaotic mix with barely any proper shopping centers, just shabby little stores.

Not one to pry, He Yang didn’t press further when he remained silent. Still, abandoning him here wasn’t an option. If those thugs caught up and spotted him, her earlier rescue would’ve been pointless.

She decided to finish her delivery first, taking a shortcut back to the residential area.

The journey passed in near silence, broken only by the hum of wheels.

A cool breeze swept against their faces.

In that chilling wind, He Cheng’s blush spread from his ears across his cheeks. Before him was He Yang’s slender back, her high ponytail swaying as black strands occasionally brushed his face, carrying the fresh scent of her hair.

An uncontrollable restlessness surged from his core—thick, coiling vines entangling his body, screaming to wrap themselves around the girl.

His gaze remained fixed on her. The bike’s design gave him an elevated vantage point, yet he dared not look elsewhere, focusing instead on her hand gripping the black handlebar through the fluttering hair.

Could this truly be real?

He Cheng barely dared to hope, holding his breath.

One wrong move, and this beautiful dream might shatter.

He’d first met He Yang in middle school, though his actual school attendance had been sporadic. His reclusive nature left him friendless.

During summer break, he’d returned to Yangkui, his hometown. By then, the elders were gone, leaving only a nanny and chauffeur in the cavernous, echo-filled house that felt more like a haunted mansion.

Wandering aimlessly down the street, he’d lost track of time until the scorching midday sun dominated his vision. That’s when He Yang appeared—leaping from a low wall and knocking him to the ground. The pain had been sharp, but he’d been grateful. Because that incident led her to spend an entire afternoon with him, even buying him candy with all the money she’d carried.

Only later did he realize that the money for the candy was meant for her bus ticket home. She didn’t like it here—she wanted to go back. But in the end, the money bought candy, and she had no choice but to stay in Yangkui.  

He Cheng continued to stare at that hand.  

Under the warm sunlight, the girl’s fair and smooth hand bore a tiny red mole at the base of her index finger, fluttering in the breeze as if inviting him. He swallowed hard, forcing his gaze away, his dark eyes suppressing a storm.  

He had always walked alone in the night, never craving companionship. No matter how much desire festered in his heart, he refused to let it control him, resisting time and again with futile defiance.  

When they met again, He Yang had forgotten him.  

It saddened him, yet he was relieved for her. Someone like him didn’t deserve to stand by her side. But while he could control the desires in his heart, he couldn’t resist the greedy urge to see her—just from afar would be enough.  

He never expected that a single, fleeting encounter would ignite a blazing fire in his chest, one that threatened to consume him entirely, unrelenting even unto death.  

Naturally, He Yang had no idea what kind of lurid thoughts the boy behind her harbored. When they arrived, she parked the bike, lifted the lid of the delivery box, and grabbed two meal containers, glancing at the gentle-faced boy.  

There weren’t many orders today, and they happened to be concentrated in this residential area. Normally, she’d deliver them one by one, but today there was a slight hiccup. As the one responsible for that hiccup, it was only fair he helped out a little, right?  

He Yang flashed a practiced smile. “Hey, classmate.” Worried he might not hear her again, she waved a hand in front of his face, successfully catching his attention.  

Then she continued, “Mind giving me a hand? Could you carry these upstairs?”  

He Yang had delicate features—her eyes like pools of moonlit spring water, a playful smile tugging at her lips, tiny fangs peeking out as she spoke. She was as lively as a fluttering butterfly, its wings trembling mid-flight before landing softly in his heart.  

He Cheng held his breath.  

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*  

His chest felt like it might split open. The more turbulent his emotions, the calmer his expression became. Only the burning tips of his ears betrayed the storm inside.  

“Mm,” he replied.  

He Yang cheered, motioning for him to take the containers before skipping up the stairs with light steps.  

He Cheng followed behind, his gaze dark and unreadable.  

The old building had no elevator—just six floors of peeling walls and rusted railings.  

After delivering the last meal box, He Yang sighed in relief. At least she hadn’t exceeded the promised time. She turned to head back down.  

Her footsteps echoed against the stone stairs, crisp and rhythmic.  

He Cheng trailed behind her, maintaining a distance of two or three steps—not too close, not too far. His gaze drifted downward. He had noticed earlier that the first floor had no residents; further in was likely a basement, its narrow windows pitch-black, obscuring whatever lay inside.  

He began analyzing the differences between himself and He Yang.  

Physical strength, for one.  

He Yang was slender, but she could scale walls and worked part-time every day—she probably wasn’t weak. He, on the other hand, had been drinking medicine since childhood. Though tall, he lacked real strength. Still, men were naturally stronger than women.  

His eyes flickered uncontrollably toward her slender waist, so delicate it seemed he could encircle it with one hand. Her loose clothes hid her figure, but the wind outlined its graceful curves. His fingers twitched at his side, as if grasping at empty air.  

Or perhaps, imagining something else entirely.

……Can she take him inside?

He Yang’s feet touched the ground floor.  

A sudden chill ran down her spine, making her shiver. She turned around and saw only the boy with his gentle smile. Instinctively, she flashed him a grateful smile. “Thank you,” she said.  

He Cheng followed her steps onto the ground, leaving the old house behind. The twilight outside the door made his eyes flinch slightly before quickly returning to normal.  

The dark thoughts in his mind vanished without a trace.  

He lowered his head, his expression shy. “I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t shown up, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me.”  

Seeing his lingering fear, He Yang reassured him, “Those guys are just scum. It’s over now, don’t be afraid. Just stay away from that area in the future.”  

He Cheng gave a quiet hum. “…What about you? You helped me just now. What if they come after you?”  

He Yang hesitated. “I covered my face. They probably don’t know it was me, right?”  

He Cheng didn’t answer immediately, lowering his head in thought. “From what I heard, their leader just got out of prison. He’s probably got blood on his hands. It’s hard to say. What if he remembers your bike?”  

He Yang froze, her expression blank.  

How had she not thought of that? She’d only worried about hiding her face and completely forgotten about her scooter. Thankfully, electric bikes weren’t required to have license plates yet—only the brand name was visible.  

But this was her only means of transportation for deliveries. If she showed up in this area again and those guys recognized her, what if they retaliated?  

At the thought, she wanted to cover her face and let out a long sigh.  

She shouldn’t have acted so recklessly. Calling the police would’ve been the smarter move.  

But at that moment, she hadn’t thought that far. The moment she saw the boy’s familiar face, something in her mind snapped. It was as if, in that instant, she couldn’t care about the consequences—she just wanted to save him.  

Lost in her thoughts, He Yang didn’t notice He Cheng’s gaze lingering boldly on her face. The red sun slowly dipped below the horizon, and the sky darkened around them.  

He Cheng took a step forward and called her name. “He Yang.”  

He Yang responded, “Yeah?”  

The sweetness of those two syllables flooded his mouth. His thick lashes lowered slightly, concealing the secrets hidden in his eyes. His voice was as gentle as a sliver of moonlight in the night. “This happened because of me. You helped me, but now you’re stuck in this mess…”  

“Don’t say that,” He Yang cut in, seeing his guilty expression. Her tone turned indignant. “I refuse to believe they can do anything. This is a society governed by law!”  

Her real worry wasn’t just about those thugs—it came down to money. If she was afraid of her bike being recognized, couldn’t she just get a new one?  

But money was the one thing she lacked the most.  

Her current situation—a high school senior with empty pockets—made buying a new electric bike completely unrealistic. That was the real problem.  

He Cheng knew He Yang’s circumstances. Out of every twenty-four hours, aside from the time he spent sleeping, the rest was either spent following her or thinking about her.  

In his barren life, only one vibrant name remained—He Yang.  

He didn’t want today to become just another forgotten afternoon in her memory. He wanted her to remember him forever.  

Once, he had been afraid to get close.  

He had only dared to watch from afar.  

But now, he couldn’t control it anymore…  

Everything had been on track before.

The rain poured down in torrents as He Yang fell to the ground, her frail body seeming as though it might vanish the next moment. He Cheng couldn’t restrain himself and stepped out of his car to offer her a large umbrella. At that time, He Yang ignored him, much like their countless passing encounters over the years—her gaze never lingered on him.  

Why couldn’t she have acted the same as before?  

It would have been better to pretend not to see him.  

Yet, against all odds, it was she who reached out first, grasping the hand of this demon who should have been left to die alone.  

“I have an unused electric bicycle that I can swap for yours. Since you helped me, consider this my way of repaying you.”  

He Cheng smiled faintly. “Let’s go to my place.”