Zhou Qinyao had just arrived home.

A long-time friend had come by the shop today, and they had talked for a bit longer than usual. When he returned, Wu Zhiyu handed him the umbrella and mentioned that Tang You had come to return it.

As the old lady put it: “The girl is really pretty, so petite, and she looks so lovely when she smiles.”

Zhou Qinyao raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Am I not more attractive than her?”

“Go away,” Wu Zhiyu scolded him playfully. “You brat.”

The umbrella was still a bit damp. Zhou Qinyao planned to hang it up in the yard to dry. When he opened it, a small pink-wrapped snack fell out.

He paused for a moment, picked it up, and at the same time, his phone rang.

“Hello—” A girl’s voice on the other end sounded urgent but somewhat disoriented. After a few seconds, she stumbled over her words and asked, “Are you… uh, are you Cool Guy?”

“……”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Zhou Qinyao thought it might be another late-night prank from some kid. He was about to hang up when the caller suddenly mentioned living at No. 7 Huai Tree Street.

Zhou Qinyao’s hand froze in mid-air.

It was at this moment that he recognized the familiar voice. Despite the disbelief and confusion, when Tang You’s voice grew desperate and tearful, he responded in a deep, reassuring tone:

“I’ll be right over.”

After hanging up, Zhou Qinyao briefly felt a sense of bewilderment. He squeezed the pink candy in his hand and sighed helplessly:

“Damn it, what do I owe you…”

Meanwhile, upon seeing Cheng Xuan’s WeChat messages, Tang You’s mind went blank with shock and confusion—

Cool Guy is Zhou Qinyao?

Zhou Qinyao actually agreed to help?

What does he mean by this…

Tang You felt a surge of panic, but another gush of water from the pipe quickly jolted her back to reality. She immediately dialed the correct plumber’s number, but was met with: 【The number you dialed is no longer in service.】

……

The water had already filled the kitchen and was slowly spreading into the living room. Tang You felt powerless to control it. At this point, all she could do was keep pressing towels against the pipe and hope Zhou Qinyao would arrive soon.

Finally, the doorbell rang.

Despite the mix-up, Zhou Qinyao had become Tang You’s last hope in the dead of night. Without thinking, she rushed to the door.

The door creaked open.

Soft, calm light illuminated the figure of the girl standing in front of him.

Zhou Qinyao’s gaze softened as it settled on Tang You.

She was shivering, drenched from head to toe, with water all over her face, looking both pitiable and somewhat amusing.

“Yao, Yao Ge,” Tang You spoke softly, “I’m sorry, it’s…”

She intended to explain that Cheng Xuan had mistakenly given the wrong number, but before she could finish, Zhou Qinyao interrupted her, “Stay still.”

“……”

The first floor was already covered with a thin layer of water, and Tang You was still running around.

Zhou Qinyao stepped inside, carefully searching the living room for something.

Soon, he found the electrical panel behind a painting.

With a click, he turned off the main power, plunging the area into darkness. Fortunately, the dim streetlights outside provided enough light to make out the indoor layout.

Tang You stood shivering at the door, realizing just in time that the house was flooded with water. If there was an electrical short, the consequences would be dire.

She bit her lip, her heart racing as she looked towards Zhou Qinyao, who was heading for the kitchen.

Tang You had never been in a relationship or had feelings for anyone, but strangely, even though she couldn’t see what Zhou Qinyao was doing, knowing he was there with her gave her a sense of inexplicable security.

The kitchen was nearly a small flood zone. Zhou Qinyao turned on his phone’s flashlight and went inside, getting partially drenched by the water spray.

Fortunately, he quickly found and turned off the main water valve behind the refrigerator, stopping the torrent of water. However, the damaged pipe would still need a professional repair the next day.

Zhou Qinyao breathed a sigh of relief and then wondered why the girl had fallen silent.

He frowned and looked back towards the door—

Tang You was standing obediently at the entrance, not moving an inch.

Seeing him turn around, she cautiously asked, “Yao Ge, can I move now?”

The girl’s loose nightgown was clinging to her wet body, outlining her youthful curves, her exposed skin glistening with water in a misty, alluring way.

From a distance, this sight was enough to make any adult man’s adrenaline surge uncontrollably.

No man can resist a woman in wet clothes.

With the faint light Zhou Qinyao had, it seemed to illuminate the whole world at that moment.

His heart skipped a beat uncontrollably, and he turned his face away awkwardly. “Go change your clothes, don’t catch a cold.”

“Oh, wait for me a moment.”

Tang You went upstairs to change, while Zhou Qinyao opened all the drains downstairs to speed up the water removal.

When the girl came down in new clothes, she brought a dry towel with her.

She handed it to Zhou Qinyao, her voice soft: “You should dry off too.”

The towel was a soft pink, with a hint of citrus and a faint, indescribable fragrance.

It was clearly Tang You’s.

Zhou Qinyao paused, took the towel, and wiped his hands and face but refrained from wiping his body.

He was afraid that touching it might make him lose control.

“Is there no one else at home?” He changed the subject.

“Auntie had something to do today and took the day off.”

“And your parents?”

“They’re away on a business trip and haven’t returned yet.”

“……”

What a poor little thing.

Zhou Qinyao placed the towel on the table and didn’t ask further.

Tang You handed him a cup of water. “Yao Ge, have some water. Thank you for tonight.”

She added, remembering something: “And thank you for yesterday too. Anyway, really, thank you.”

Zhou Qinyao was amused by her continuous thanks. He suddenly remembered the candy he found when he opened the umbrella and asked her:

“What was that thing you left in my umbrella?”

Tang You blinked and recalled.

She said, “It was a cotton candy.”

“Cotton candy?”

“Yes, thank you for lending me the umbrella.”

In the dimly lit living room, Zhou Qinyao lightly curved his lips and set the water cup down:

“Just a piece of candy and that’s it?”

“……”

“Just a cup of water and you’ve said thanks?”

“……”

Feeling a bit embarrassed for causing so much trouble, Tang You asked, “What do you want me to do to thank you…”