Chapter 8 – Different Ways of Life

The cigarette between Li Hanye’s fingers had nearly burned down, but he didn’t notice at all—his eyes were locked onto his phone screen.

The night wind on the balcony carried a chill, only adding to the restlessness already simmering in his chest.

Finally, the screen that had been silent for so long lit up with a soft chime—a sound that, to him, rang clear and sharp.

He snatched up the phone almost instantly, his fingertips turning slightly pale from the force he used.

He opened it—request accepted.

The corner of Li Hanye’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly into a smile. Hah, his little girl finally added him back.

He glanced at the time: 11:00 p.m. Not too late.

After a moment’s thought, he sent his first message:
[Still awake?]

She replied quickly:
[Applying a face mask.]

In an instant, his mind conjured up the image of Si Tiantian’s stunningly delicate face with a mask on, looking adorably serious. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and his eyes darkened.

She must smell sweet and feel soft all over.

He replied simply:
[Mm.]

Then followed up with:
[Do you have class tomorrow morning?]

[Yes, I have to get up early.]

[I’ll pick you up.]
This time, his tone came with an unmistakable sense of command.

But the screen lit up with another refusal:

[No no no, the family driver will take me. No need to trouble you, Mr. Li.]

“Tsk.”
A soft grunt of displeasure escaped Li Hanye’s throat. That little thing rejected him again. And that ‘Mr. Li’—he frowned. Too distant. Too formal.

When could he finally hold her in his arms, rightfully and openly, and hear her call his name in that sweet, gentle voice?

He tapped into Si Tiantian’s Moments and began scrolling through them one by one. His girl was indeed adorable—her feed was full of vibrant snippets of her life:

A newly discovered dessert shop, a lazy kitten she bumped into on a street corner, a rainbow stretching across the sky after a rain shower, and selfies filled with bright, blooming smiles.

Every word, every picture, felt like a refreshing spring slowly nourishing the barren land of his long-isolated heart.

He yearned to be a part of her world. He wanted to claim all of that sweetness as his own.

Every photo that featured even a trace of Si Tiantian, he saved into his phone album—one by one, without missing a single one.

His fingertip gently brushed over her smiling face on the screen. That inexplicable emptiness in his heart seemed to ease a little.

He stared at the chat interface with her. His finger hovered over the input bar for a long while, wanting to say something more—but afraid she might think he was being annoying.

This kind of anxious, cautious hesitation… in all of Li Hanye’s twenty-six years, he had never experienced before.

Raking his hair in frustration, he dialed Yan Chengyang’s number.

“Hello? Han-ge? Bro, what’s up? It’s late—what are your orders?”
Yan Chengyang’s voice came through with a noisy background—clearly he was out somewhere, probably at some entertainment venue.

“Shut up. Let me ask you something—how do I get a girl to stop rejecting my offers to pick her up and drop her off?”

On the other end of the line, Yan Chengyang clearly froze for a few seconds, before bursting into exaggerated, unrestrained laughter.

“Pfft—hahaha! No way, Han-ge, who’s the lucky lady? Don’t tell me it’s the one you were holding the other day? This is easy! Just unleash that overpowering aura of yours! Who dares turn you down?”

The vein on Li Hanye’s temple throbbed in annoyance. “Say something useful.”

“Ahem, alright, something useful,” Yan Chengyang held back his laughter and cleared his throat. “Maybe she just thinks she’s not familiar enough with you yet. Or… maybe she simply doesn’t want you to pick her up. You have to take it step by step. Try showing her some gentleness—like small surprises, asking about her classes or daily life…”

Li Hanye couldn’t take it anymore and hung up.

Gentleness? That word didn’t exist in his dictionary—only taking and possessing.

But when it came to Si Tiantian, he just couldn’t bring himself to be forceful.

---

Meanwhile, Si Tiantian had just peeled off her facial mask. She patted her dewy cheeks in front of the mirror with satisfaction, in a pretty good mood.

She picked up her phone and opened the chat with Li Hanye. Just a few brief lines.

She had instinctively rejected him earlier. Not because he was a bother—just that… they weren’t close. Not really.

And his ostentatious luxury car? She had no desire to become the center of attention on campus just because of a ride.

More than that, Li Hanye’s overwhelming presence made her feel a constant pressure. Being alone with him made her nervous for no reason.

She exited the chat and—almost on impulse—clicked into Li Hanye’s Moments.

“Pfft.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle aloud.

Just as she expected—his feed was as boring as he was… distant and cold.

The latest updates were all about the Li Corporation’s business expansion:
[Li Corp successfully expands its presence in the European new energy market.]
[Southern District’s large-scale commercial complex project completes and goes into operation.]
[Strategic acquisition deal signed with XX multinational group.]
…Every post spaced out by ten to fifteen days, like clockwork.

The pictures? All corporate events—boardrooms, groundbreaking ceremonies, signing ceremonies. Not a single personal life photo. Not even a landscape. And certainly not a selfie.

“What kind of life is this?” Si Tiantian muttered under her breath.

“Even my workaholic brother’s feed is more fun than this. At least he posts gym selfies or vents about work every now and then.”

Is this what life looks like at the top of the food chain?
So dry. So dull. Nothing but work, work, and more work. Not a trace of human warmth.

She pouted without realizing it. She and Li Hanye really did seem like people from two completely different worlds.

One world was vibrant, steamy with life, full of small, joyful details.
The other was lofty, untouchable—like he didn’t belong to the same earth.

She tossed her phone onto the nightstand and decided not to think about that overly domineering, slightly strange man anymore. She had class early tomorrow—getting a good night’s sleep was the priority.

---

It was already 11:20 p.m.

Li Hanye figured she was done with her face mask by now and should be heading to bed. Staying up late wasn’t good for her.

So, his long fingers tapped the phone screen twice:

[Tiantian?]

He stared at the two characters—甜甜—sitting quietly in the chat box. His deep eyes flickered with an emotion even he hadn’t noticed: a hint of anticipation.
It was the first time he’d called her that.

---

Just then, Si Tiantian was about to fall asleep when her phone chimed again.

Guessing it might be from Li Hanye, she instantly reached for it on the nightstand—and sure enough, it was a message from him.

“Tiantian?”

She had grown up hearing that nickname, but seeing it come from his chat window—paired with that cold, sharp face of his and the way he always looked at her with burning intensity…

Her cheeks flushed hot in an instant.

He calls me that too?
It sounded… a little too intimate.