Tang You was still wearing the white dress she had worn to the banquet, while Jiang Ding followed behind her.

“Yomei,” he teased, as he always did, “How about I stay over at your place tonight?”

“There’s no room at my house.”

The excuse was so flimsy that Jiang Ding didn’t even bother to call her out on it. He just squinted and smiled, “Then tomorrow when I come to your school to promote my movie, will you at least hold up a banner for me or give me some flowers?”

Tang You replied, “I’m not a fan.”

“You won’t even show up to support your Ding-ge?”

“No time.”

“Hey, what’s up with you, little girl?”

…

Jiang Ding was outgoing and loved to joke around. On the quiet street, his playful laughter could be heard now and then.

But to the man hidden behind the wall, it made his fists itch, and he wanted to hit someone.

After teasing Tang You enough, Jiang Ding finally got back into the car, and Uncle Yang drove him to the hotel where the film crew was staying.

“Go inside already. See you tomorrow.”

Tang You stood at the entrance and waved at him symbolically. Only after the car had driven away did she take a deep breath.

After being restrained for two days, she could finally relax.

She didn’t go inside right away but instead looked straight across the street at the darkened alley.

It was already 11:30 PM, and the people in the alley had long since gone to sleep.

Her eyelashes fluttered gently, and her thoughts were written all over her face.

She hadn’t seen Zhou Qinyao in two days… she wondered if he had tried to find her.

As the night grew colder, a breeze made Tang You shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself and turned to go inside.

But just as her hand touched the doorbell, before she could press it, a shadow suddenly emerged from the darkness. Before Tang You could see clearly, a pair of hands grabbed her.

She was terrified, thinking she had run into a bad person, and instinctively tried to scream. But when she felt the warmth of the hands holding her, the sound caught in her throat.

She recognized that warmth.

Within just two seconds, she was swiftly pulled into the dark corner of the villa. Only a faint beam of light illuminated the spot, but Tang You could see everything clearly.

She widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked at the man in front of her.

“You—”

“Where have you been?” Zhou Qinyao’s deep voice cut her off.

“…”

For a few long moments, Tang You’s mind went blank.

The person she had been thinking about suddenly appeared in front of her. She couldn’t tell if it was real or just her imagination. It wasn’t until she felt the man’s warm breath close to her that she realized—

It was real.

The man’s eyes were dark, a mix of restraint and suppressed emotions: “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

Tang You felt a bit flustered. “Let go of me first—”

“Why did you turn off your phone?”

Zhou Qinyao’s voice rose slightly. He gripped Tang You’s wrist firmly, with no intention of letting go.

Faced with his pressing questions, Tang You looked at him in confusion.

She had never seen him like this before—completely devoid of his usual calmness, grasping her without any sense of propriety or reason.

In that moment, Tang You suddenly realized that it was nearly midnight.

So why was he at her doorstep?

Was he waiting for her…?

The thought flashed through her mind, and she slowly began to grasp the possibility, but she wasn’t quite sure.

So she hesitated, and the words she had originally intended to say turned into:

“I… went out to have some fun.”

As expected, Zhou Qinyao’s eyes darkened even more. “With that man who was just here?”

Tang You’s heart pounded as she tried to pull her arm away from his grasp, but this only made him tighten his grip.

“Zhou Qinyao.” She frowned, calling him by his full name for the first time. “Let go of me.”

Then she questioned him, “Can’t I hang out with other men?”

Zhou Qinyao froze for a moment, looking at her in the light and shadow. He hesitated, then released her hand.

Of course, what was he doing, trying to express this ridiculous sense of possessiveness?

They were nothing to each other.

All the suppressed emotions of the past two days had exploded uncontrollably when he saw her with another man.

Zhou Qinyao realized that he was jealous.

Insanely jealous.

After a long silence, he pushed down the turmoil in his heart, regained some calm, and took a step back. “I’m sorry.”

In the unclear light, he noticed how thin her dress was and couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

He took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. His hand lingered at her collar, then slowly dropped as he asked, with a tinge of bitterness:

“Did you have fun?”

Feeling the warmth of his jacket, Tang You’s suspicions became more certain. She bit her lip, looked up at Zhou Qinyao, and smiled brightly. “Yes, I did.”

Zhou Qinyao: “…”

After two days of frustration, it turned out to be nothing but his own wishful thinking.

A storm raged in his heart, but he nodded, forcing himself to appear calm. “Good, I’m glad you had fun.”

He paused, then added with a complex mix of emotions, “It’s late. You should go inside.”

But Tang You didn’t move.

Her eyes sparkled softly, clear and bright as she looked at him. “What about you?”

Zhou Qinyao was taken aback. “What?”

The girl slowly stepped forward, her finger gently tapping the left side of his chest, her voice tender as it merged with the night:

“Are you happy here, right now?”

Under the silvery moonlight, her eyes shone like stars, more captivating than any diamond he had ever seen.

The shifting breeze carried subtle hints and reminders.

Zhou Qinyao only hesitated for two seconds before realizing her playful intent.

It felt like being suddenly pulled from a dark abyss into a place filled with bright light. The rapid shift in emotions made his blood rush to his head, and for a moment, he lost control. He grabbed her hand that was resting on his chest and pressed her hard against the wall.

His breath was warm against her ear, his voice low and husky:

“Then you tell me.”

“I’m not happy right now. What should I do?”