Chapter 43: Fuzzy

“What did I lie to you about?” Jun Nanye’s deep voice echoed in the dark room.

Cheng Yuan immediately shot back, “Your jade pendant can’t actually bring you in here, can it?”

Jun Nanye paused, caught off guard by her directness. After a beat, he replied calmly, “Is that so? Then how am I here now?”

He kept his eyes closed as always, but he could ‘see’ her presence with his mind, his tone unbothered.

“Then why have you never tried to come in on your own?” Cheng Yuan asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Because I was afraid you’d suddenly disappear,” he said smoothly, putting on a facade of concern.

Cheng Yuan frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. If you were really worried, you would’ve at least tried once. But you never did.”

“So, do you want me to try?” Jun Nanye raised an eyebrow.

His unflappable composure only made her more suspicious. Something felt off—but he looked so calm, she started to question her instincts. Too tired to argue, she changed the subject. “Do you know where to fix a Walkman in Hai City?”

“Fix… a Walkman?” Jun Nanye repeated, clearly taken aback.

Ever since he’d become financially independent, fixing things himself was beneath him.

“Yeah. Mine broke. I’m not sure if it can be repaired.” Cheng Yuan’s tone softened. “My dad gave it to me. It means a lot.”

“Why not just get a new one? Give me your address—I’ll send you the exact same model,” Jun Nanye offered quickly, eager to learn her location.

Cheng Yuan shook her head. “It won’t be the same. It won’t be the one my dad gave me.”

Jun Nanye: “……”

A gift from that old man? I wouldn’t even touch it—it’s filthy. He couldn’t understand her sentimentality.

“So… do you know a repair shop or not?” Cheng Yuan pressed. If she didn’t need help, she wouldn’t have asked him.

“I do,” Jun Nanye replied. “Where is it?”

“I forgot to bring it in. Close your eyes while I go get it.”

As soon as she spoke, Jun Nanye looked at her suspiciously. “You’re coming back, right?”

“Of course!” Cheng Yuan replied firmly. But his skeptical expression annoyed her. She got up, leaned in, and pinched his cheek. “Tao An, don’t push it. I helped you when you were hurt!”

In the real world, she’d never dare act like this. But in the dark room—where he couldn’t see her face, didn’t know her name, or where she lived—her boldness grew. She pinched his cheek again and growled, “You’re burning bridges!”

“Classmate Cheng!” Even without seeing her, Jun Nanye grabbed her wrist precisely.

No one had ever dared pinch his face before. Yet this girl kept poking and squeezing it like it was nothing.

Cheng Yuan struggled. “What? Did I say something wrong?” she snapped. “Tao An, you’re a liar! A big liar!”

Her voice fired off like a string of firecrackers, giving Jun Nanye a headache. Without warning, he opened his eyes, left the dark room, and returned to his own space—yet her voice still echoed in his ears: “Tao An, you liar!”

Tao An…

He wasn’t Tao An.

Every time he heard that name, it grated on his nerves.

Soon, drowsiness pulled at him. He tried to fight it off, but then realized—if he truly wanted to resist, he wouldn’t have entered the dark room in the first place.

With that thought, he gave in and fell asleep.

The moment he arrived in the dark room again, Cheng Yuan was already there, muttering, “What took you so long this time?”

Jun Nanye: “…” I resisted on purpose. What do you think?

“Jun Nanye, please—you have to fix my Walkman,” Cheng Yuan said, handing him the bag. “Don’t lose anything inside.”

“Got it,” he replied, setting the bag aside before stretching out on the ice-cold bed. Lately, he’d been sleeping straight through the night here, and he was starting to get used to it.

Cheng Yuan yawned, then lay down beside him. Hugging her pillow, she drifted into a deep, restful sleep. The icy bed maintained a perfect temperature—not too hot or cold. It even seemed to improve her memory and sleep quality.

If I’d known it was this comfy, I would’ve ditched my old creaky wooden bed ages ago, she thought.

At six o’clock, the alarm rang. Jun Nanye reached for the bag Cheng Yuan had given him and opened his eyes.

Back in his room, morning light spilled through the windows. He stretched lazily and took a deep breath, feeling fully recharged.

After breakfast, he opened the bag. It had no label and contained a shattered Walkman—completely wrecked.

“Brother Nan, this thing’s totaled. Is it even worth fixing?” Tao An asked, grimacing at the sight. “Where’d you even get it?”

Brother Nan hadn’t touched a Walkman in years. Seeing one now felt surreal.

“Fix it,” Jun Nanye said, handing the bag over. “Don’t replace it. Just repair it.”

“The shell’s busted. What’s left to fix?” Tao An muttered, clearly reluctant. Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy a new one?

“Just do it,” Jun Nanye said firmly. Then, recalling how Cheng Yuan kept calling him “Tao An,” he added coldly, “Or maybe you should change your name.”

“Huh?” Tao An looked at him, confused. “What’s wrong with my name?”

Then he paused, eyes narrowing. “Brother Nan, what’s going on with you lately?”

He glanced at the desk—Jun Nanye’s usual stack of business documents had been replaced by senior year exam prep materials. A chill crawled up Tao An’s spine.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Jun Nanye frowned. Tao An’s gaze was making him uncomfortable.

Tao An leaned in, whispering with a serious face, “Brother Nan… should I bring in a Taoist priest?”

Jun Nanye: “……”

“I’m serious. Lately, it feels like there’s a high schooler hiding in your house!” Tao An’s expression grew grave. “You’ve been acting really strange…”

Smack!

Jun Nanye flicked his forehead.

“Ow!” Tao An rubbed his head. “I’m just saying… I know everyone around you. There’s no high school girl here, unless…” His voice dropped. “Unless it’s… something unclean.”

“With an imagination like that, why aren’t you writing horror novels?” Jun Nanye snapped. “I’ve been sponsoring a student. She’s in her final year of high school. That’s what the prep materials are for. The Walkman’s hers too.”

“You should’ve said so earlier!” Tao An collapsed onto the couch, drenched in cold sweat. “You scared the hell out of me these past few days!”