Chapter 32: Addicted to Her Warmth — Like a Puppy Being Fed by Its Owner, Perking Up Its Ears in Joy…

On the other side, Jiang Tingwan’s room was completely dark.

Pei Yunzhe removed his safety goggles. “The fiber optic connector broke. Taping the fiber to the flange is only a temporary fix. You’ll need to get someone to reinstall it properly.”

Jiang Tingwan took off her goggles too. “Okay, thank you.”

“Mhm. Please have someone fix the network by 2 PM tomorrow. Don’t let it delay my meeting.”

With that, Pei Yunzhe dusted off his clothes and turned to leave. After all, the bonfire dance was about to start, and Zhong Yang was still waiting for him.

He had finished his work and left on time, only to run into a flustered Jiang Tingwan after a few steps.

“The campsite’s Wi-Fi suddenly went down! I’ve tried everything, but I can’t fix it… Can you help me? We need internet for the music at the bonfire party!”

No music meant no dancing, and no dancing would disappoint Zhong Yang.

Thinking of this, Pei Yunzhe paused. “I can help.”

Fixing the Wi-Fi was usually simple—most often a power issue or a software/config problem. It shouldn’t have taken long.

But after checking everything in the room, he discovered it wasn’t either of those—it was a hardware failure.

Diagnosing the issue took longer than Pei Yunzhe expected. Add in the time to temporarily fix the fiber, and now he was officially late.

As he walked out, he prayed Zhong Yang wouldn’t be mad at him…

Just as he was about to step through the door—

“Yunzhe, can you help me switch the circuit breaker back on? I-I can’t reach it.” Jiang Tingwan was on her tiptoes, struggling to reach the panel.

“Don’t call me that,” Pei Yunzhe replied impatiently, walking over quickly. “Step aside.”

“Oh…” Jiang Tingwan reluctantly stepped back half a step.

He flipped the switch, and the room lit up instantly. Without another word, Pei Yunzhe turned and left.

Jiang Tingwan jogged after him. “The bonfire party’s about to start—let’s go together!”

Outside, the music from the central speaker shifted from a mix of pleasant and off-key singing to a cheerful Mongolian dance track. Some staff members dressed in ethnic attire began pulling people toward the roaring bonfire.

The emcee hyped up the crowd: “Come on, everyone! Join hands and form a circle! Let’s kick off the most exciting moment in Jindian!”

The music was loud. Jiang Tingwan leaned close and shouted into Pei Yunzhe’s ear, “Isn’t this fun? We’ve held lots of events like this! Come on, I’ll take you to dance!”

People were gathering quickly, forming rings around the bonfire. When they saw the two of them, they exchanged curious glances.

But Pei Yunzhe wasn’t paying attention to them. His eyes scanned the crowd anxiously—he was looking for Zhong Yang.

Seeing he didn’t respond, Jiang Tingwan spoke again. “Yunzhe, how about we go over there?”

Just then, Pei Shize squeezed through the crowd and dragged Jiang Tingwan away. “Sure, Boss Jiang, let’s go over there!”

Caught off guard, Jiang Tingwan stumbled along but kept her eyes fixed on Pei Yunzhe. “Hey, wait, I—”

Sparks floated gently through the air, painting the night with flickers of red.

People were already dancing in rhythm to the music, but Pei Yunzhe felt completely out of place—everything was too loud, too chaotic.

He grabbed someone. “Excuse me, have you seen—”

He stopped mid-sentence. His gaze shifted behind the person, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He found her. Far away, in a quiet corner, sitting alone beyond the noise—Zhong Yang.

He ran over, getting a clearer look. Zhong Yang was bundled up in a thick black down jacket, curled up in a camping chair. Her fair, delicate face peeked out as she watched the crowd with a blank expression.

When he approached, she stared at him for a few seconds and said, “Pei Yunzhe, you’re late.”

Pei Yunzhe squatted in front of her, looking up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be. The Wi-Fi broke, and I helped fix it. Took longer than I thought.”

Zhong Yang leaned in and sniffed. “Smells good… I heard you were secretly meeting the pretty boss lady?”

Pei Yunzhe frowned. “That’s not true. Who made that up? I just went to help fix the Wi-Fi.”

“I also heard that Jiang Tingwan clung to your arm when you went inside. Then you turned off the lights. Just the two of you, all dark, alone.”

“She tripped before going in and grabbed my sleeve instinctively. I didn’t move. The lights were off because you need to cut fiber in a no-power state. I turned them back on after the repair.”

He tugged on her sleeve. “Can you not be mad? I really didn’t do anything.”

Zhong Yang didn’t budge. “Then why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

Pei Yunzhe quickly pulled out his phone and showed her. “Sorry—I had it on silent. I didn’t see them. I didn’t read and ignore you.”

Zhong Yang leaned closer. Her chat was pinned to the top, her profile pic a little black cloud, and he’d marked her name with a red heart emoji.

Pei Yunzhe added, “I promise, I’ll reply right away next time.”

Zhong Yang stared at him, saying nothing.

She never really believed the gossip anyway. If Pei Yunzhe really wanted something with Jiang Tingwan, why now? With all the noise outside, even the boldest person would be put off.

Plus, he wore a charcoal hoodie and a black bomber jacket, his hair styled in a trendy American crop, his voice low and soft, paired with a sharp, cold face…

Okay fine.

Zhong Yang suppressed the smile tugging at her lips and said with mock generosity, “Alright, since you’re so handsome, I won’t hold it against you.”

Pei Yunzhe’s eyes lit up immediately. “Thank you. You’re so kind.”

He looked just like a dog perking up after being fed by its owner—pure joy.

Zhong Yang burst out laughing. “Seriously, Pei Yunzhe, you’re the first person who’s ever said I have a good temper.”

“Of course.” He asked, “Why didn’t you join the dancing crowd? Why sit here alone?”

“Because—science, logic, free will. My joy is priceless.” She stood and pulled him up. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

Pei Yunzhe struggled to follow her thought process. “Huh?”

“I don’t know. I suddenly didn’t feel like it. It’s boring.”

She kicked a pebble aside and thought: No way I’m telling him I lost the mood because he didn’t reply to my messages…

“Wait a second.”

“What is it?” Zhong Yang looked up at him.

He gently tucked a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear and smiled. “Okay, all set.”

Touchy again…

Zhong Yang looked away, tucking her chin into her down jacket.

They walked quietly through a secluded path by the guesthouse. Suddenly, Zhong Yang said, “Oh right, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? But the food’s all cold now…”

The barbecue grill had long been shut down, and what remained was cold leftovers.

Pei Yunzhe: “It’s fine. I have instant noodles in my room.”

“That’s what you’re eating?”

The whole crew enjoyed a lavish barbecue, and the investor dad who paid for it all ends up eating cup noodles at midnight? Unacceptable.

Zhong Yang thought for a moment. “Come find me after this ends. I’ll make something for you.”

She quickly added, “Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s only because you’re dressed like a college guy.”

Pei Yunzhe hesitated, then asked, “…Do I usually look that old?”

“Not old, just… intimidating. Like, makes people nervous? Scared to get close?”

She held up two fingers. “To me, ‘President Pei’ and ‘Pei Yunzhe’ feel like two totally different people.”

Pei Yunzhe asked, “Which one do you like better?”

“No contest. ‘President Pei’ is my boss. As an employee, I wouldn’t want to talk to my boss for more than three sentences!”

She gestured to the space between them. “And I definitely wouldn’t stand this close.”

…

When the two returned, the bonfire party was wrapping up. Everyone was getting ready for a group photo.

They snuck into the crowd separately, trying not to draw attention.

Pei Shize had been calling for them from the center spot. “Where’s Zhong Yang? Where’s President Pei? We need to take the photo!”

“I’m here!” Zhong Yang appeared to his left.

“Over here.” Pei Yunzhe appeared to his right.

Pei Shize: “…Perfect timing.”

Most of the male lead’s scenes in Wusu took place in the city. The grassland scenes were few, so Ruan Yu wasn’t due to join filming until midway.

With no male lead on set yet, Zhong Yang stood alone at center—flanked by the investor and the director.

She and Pei Yunzhe acted distant, nodding and shaking hands as if they’d just met.

The photographer counted down. “Three, two, one—”

Everyone shouted: “Big box office success!”

Zhong Yang raised her hands with the others, cheering, “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

Pei Yunzhe couldn’t stop glancing at her, his eyes full of warmth.

---

At 10:30 PM, after a long night, the crew went to bed early to rest for tomorrow’s shoot.

In the quiet of the night, Pei Yunzhe mimicked Zhong Yang’s cautious behavior and looked around before knocking on the door next to his.

The moment he stepped in, he smelled the aroma of egg noodles.

“Ingredients were limited, but it’s still healthier than instant noodles.” Zhong Yang sat across from him, cradling a script and hot milk. “Eat up. I’ll go over tomorrow’s scenes.”

“Thanks.”

Pei Yunzhe was hungry, and her cooking, as always, was delicious. He devoured the meal in no time, even finishing the soup.

The room was quiet, with only the occasional sound of wind slipping through the window frame. It felt peaceful.

Zhong Yang studied her script seriously. Pei Yunzhe watched her just as seriously.

He stared at her furrowed brows, the delicate bridge of her nose, her long lashes, her soft lips slightly parted to reveal neat teeth, and the way her hair cascaded over her shoulders…

This was the second time someone had cooked for him out of fear he wasn’t eating properly.

The first time was also Zhong Yang.

He’d never forgotten that meal under the warm yellow light, with rain tapping softly outside the window—it had splashed into his chest and rippled something deep within.

Since then, Pei Yunzhe had become addicted to her warmth.

The kind that was gentle, fresh like the air after rain.

The kind that felt like home.