Chapter 4

From Monday to Friday, Du Li would wait for her at the door every morning.

Before going out, Youyi would check the situation outside on her mobile phone. When she saw Du Li waiting outside, she sighed in annoyance and almost wanted to give up.

But she had classes in the morning and couldn’t avoid going out.

So, to others, it seemed like she was going to class with Du Li every day for a week.

The old lady downstairs, who did square dancing, even asked her if Du Li was her boyfriend.

No matter how much Youyi explained, it didn’t help.

The old lady thought she was just being shy. After all, Du Li waited downstairs every day, got up early to buy her breakfast, and walked her to class. He was consistently reliable.

He was really good to her.

The old lady had a granddaughter in her twenties who was a high school teacher. She asked Youyi about the young man living next door, inquiring if he had a girlfriend.

Youyi felt embarrassed and said she didn’t know.

“He’s tall and has a strong presence. He looks like someone people would like.”

“Could you help me find out? I want to introduce my granddaughter to him.”

After saying this, the old lady smiled at Youyi and added, “The young man has worked hard, pursuing you so seriously. Just agree to it.”

No matter how much Youyi denied it, the old lady thought she was just being modest, while Du Li was quite happy, thinking he was making progress.

He was determined to keep trying.

On Saturday, Youyi stayed home all day, and Du Li was still waiting outside in the morning.

When Youyi checked the camera, she saw that Du Li left around nine o’clock, and a few minutes later, Fu Cheng returned.

She spent the entire day at home, completing her experimental homework and following online tutorials to bake some cookies.

Now that she lived on her own, she had the opportunity to start learning things she was interested in.

Fortunately, the house was spacious enough for her to experiment with.

The house was a three-bedroom apartment facing south. The owner had renovated it two years ago and had gone abroad, so it was only now available for rent.

The master bedroom was quite spacious, featuring a floor-to-ceiling window that extended around a corner, with double-layered linen curtains. The sunlight filtering through was a soft golden hue. The bedding, which she had just bought, was light blue with a delicate blue-and-white porcelain pattern—elegant and simple.

Adjacent to the master bedroom was a small room that served as a walk-in closet. With Youyi’s extensive wardrobe, this closet was just right.

On Sunday afternoon, after seeing Du Li leave, Youyi went to the supermarket to buy some fruits and vegetables.

There was a large supermarket nearby, about a ten-minute walk away. Including shopping time, it took her almost an hour for a round trip.

As she was heading upstairs with her bags, she saw Du Li again as soon as she exited the elevator.

He was holding a large bouquet of roses, their bright red color standing out. In his other hand, he carried a small gift box. Upon seeing Youyi, he eagerly handed her the flowers.

“Youyi, you’re back.”

Youyi halted, noticing that he was blocking her door. With her hands full and the bags heavy, leaving red marks on her palms, she was unable to open the door.

“Well… I didn’t give you flowers last time because there were too many people, and you weren’t happy.”

He had previously confessed to her on the playground, which had upset her. This time, he thought he would try again with just the two of them.

“I got you a gift.” The box was from Gucci, carefully chosen by him.

Girls usually can’t resist these things.

“Youyi, I really like you. From the first moment I saw you, I liked you a lot.”

Du Li continued, “I may have done things that upset you before, but it was unintentional. I won’t do them again in the future.”

“Meeting you is truly fortunate for me. I’ll make you the exception to all my preferences. Youyi, could you give me a chance?”

He stepped forward, and Youyi instinctively took a step back.

She wasn’t at all pleased by the confession. Instead, her frown deepened as she warily watched Du Li, afraid he might come closer.

“I’ve said it before. I don’t like you. You don’t need to spend any more time on me.”

Youyi knew that she should respect others’ feelings, but she had already rejected Du Li many times. His persistent behavior felt more like harassment than affection.

As she tried to move sideways to get to her door, Du Li blocked her path again. He was taken aback by her direct rejection, feeling that his genuine feelings were being trampled on and ignored.

“Ding Youyi, after chasing you for so long, don’t you have any feelings at all? I get up at six every morning to buy you breakfast and wait for you to take you to class. How many people in the world can do what I do?”

Du Li was getting increasingly agitated.

He had invested a lot of time and energy into pursuing her, and now felt like his sincerity was being dismissed.

His frustration seemed to peel away his polite facade, revealing a more intense, possibly dangerous side.

In the narrow hallway, Youyi’s heart raced. The bags in her hands felt heavier, pressing down on her arms and causing pain.

She realized that she was trapped—if she went back to the elevator, he would follow. It was a no-win situation.

Youyi pulled out her phone from her bag.

If Du Li made any more extreme moves, she would immediately call the police.

“Even if you’re playing hard to get, there’s a limit! Have you had enough of playing hard to get?”

Du Li shouted at her, his expression fierce and threatening.

Youyi was startled.

The surrounding air was unnervingly quiet, and in such a tense and hot atmosphere, it felt like unpleasant emotions and actions could erupt at any moment.

Youyi’s heart felt like it was about to leap from her chest.

Suddenly, Du Li took a step forward, and You Yi took a step back.

The door to apartment 902 opened.

Fu Cheng stood at the entrance, wearing a black T-shirt. His tall, muscular frame exuded an imposing presence. His eyes were cold and dark, and when he looked down at Du Li, his gaze was so sharp it seemed almost tangible.

He had an overwhelming aura of intimidation, a natural, innate sense of danger.

When Fu Cheng appeared, Du Li’s words faltered. He felt a chill run down his back.

Having seen Fu Cheng a few times while waiting at Youyi’s door, Du Li had sensed his formidable nature, but he hadn’t paid much attention before.

Now, standing at the door with just a glance from Fu Cheng, Du Li felt his legs shaking uncontrollably.

It was the kind of fear that made him almost unable to stand.

Youyi retreated and almost bumped into Fu Cheng.

She stopped and looked back at him. When she looked up, her eyes were red and fear was very obvious in them.

At that moment, she was immensely relieved.

Thank goodness Fu Cheng… was home.

Fu Cheng coldly stared at Du Li, his eyes tinged with anger, and said in a chilling tone, “Try making any more noise.”

Du Li’s legs were already trembling.

Fu Cheng took another step forward.

Du Li almost stumbled backward, retreating in panic.

Fu Cheng positioned himself between Du Li and Youyi, blocking her from view.

“Get lost.” Fu Cheng’s low, dangerous tone suggested he was on the brink of exploding. If Du Li didn’t leave, Fu Cheng would have no qualms about dealing with him directly.

Youyi recalled how Fu Cheng had handled the gun with such precision.

It was quick and decisive, with a bullseye on the target.

At that moment, the only thing missing was the gun.

Du Li didn’t even press the elevator button. He ran down the fire escape, his legs weak and nearly crashing into the railings. It wasn’t until his footsteps faded away chaotically that the hallway fell back into silence.

Youyi seemed to come to her senses.

She felt a sense of relief from the brush with danger, her heart easing. She stared at Fu Cheng, stammering, “Th-thank you.”

If he hadn’t shown up in time, she didn’t know what Du Li might have done.

All her previous attempts to explain had been futile. A single presence and a simple word from Fu Cheng had resolved all her troubles effortlessly.

She was deeply grateful to him.

Fu Cheng looked down at her, seeing the trembling young woman before him with fear in her eyes, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Come inside,” Fu Cheng said, extending a hand to take the plastic bags from her. He gestured for her to enter.

The bags that had been heavy in Youyi’s hands were light in Fu Cheng’s grip. He moved to the side, allowing her to pass.

Youyi hesitated for a moment, then nodded dazedly and stepped inside.

His home, much like his personality, was oppressive and gloomy. Apart from his own shoes, there was a pair of soft yellow slippers by the shoe cabinet.

Still shaken, Youyi moved slowly. After changing her shoes, she stood in the living room, unsure of what to do.

Fu Cheng placed the bags on the coffee table and then looked at Youyi, saying calmly, “Come and sit.”

Youyi took a seat on the nearest sofa, and Fu Cheng poured her a glass of water before sitting down in the chair opposite her.

He rested his hands on his knees, sitting upright, exuding a heavy, commanding presence.

“He’s pursuing you?” Fu Cheng asked. Seeing her silence, he asked again in a low voice, “You don’t like him?”

Youyi shook her head.

It wasn’t just pursuit, it was harassment.

Then she nodded.

Of course, she didn’t like him.

“It hasn’t helped despite many rejections. He’s very annoying. When I was staying in the dormitory, he would wait downstairs every day. Even after I moved here, he found me again.”

Youyi spoke with a sense of grievance. She had been harassed for so long, living in constant fear and being careful whenever she went out or came home. Recently, she had even started having nightmares.

It wasn’t as if she had done anything wrong.

Why did it have to be her?

Youyi blinked, her lashes damp. In just a few words, she conveyed her distress and helplessness.

Fu Cheng’s expression darkened.

“Stay here for tonight,” he said.