She glared at him for a long time before finally finding her voice. “Did you drive all the way from Taipei?”

Driving from Taipei to Hualien isn’t convenient; the Suhua Highway is beautiful but runs alongside steep cliffs, making it not only time-consuming but also dangerous. It’s far better to take the train—if you take the Taroko Express or Puyuma train, you can reach Hualien in just two hours.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I suddenly wanted to come over last night, and since the night trains were all gone, I just drove myself.”

She gasped in disbelief and glared at him. “You actually drove on the Suhua Highway in the middle of the night? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Heh heh,” he chuckled awkwardly.

How could he still laugh? Driving at night can easily lead to drowsiness, especially on such a dangerous road like Suhua Highway…

“You can’t do that again next time. One mistake and something could happen,” she warned seriously.

He caught her in her contradiction and his eyes brightened. “So does that mean you allow me to come over again next time?”

She fell silent.

“Yuan Yuan, can I stay tonight?” he asked quietly, his tone cautious, carrying a hint of hope and an unnoticeable hint of grievance.

She bit her lip, forcing herself not to soften. “If I don’t agree, are you planning to drive back at night again?”

He laughed dryly twice, not denying it.

“You just came back from the brink of death, and you want to go put your life in danger again?” Her tone was sharp.

He didn’t reply, shyly scratching his head.

His slightly childish gesture took her by surprise; in front of her, he had always presented himself as a strong man, sometimes almost arrogant and domineering. She only recalled him showing weakness occasionally when he was sick or drunk. But now, he was clearly coherent…

“Yuan Yuan, I…” He seemed to want to say something, but suddenly felt a tickle in his throat and started coughing.

Once he started, it seemed impossible to stop. He coughed for quite a while, making her feel flustered until he finally managed to stop.

“What’s wrong with you? Did you catch a chill from jumping into the water earlier?” she couldn’t help but ask, her voice slightly hoarse.

“How could I be that weak?” he laughed.

Still saying he wasn’t weak? Did he know how haggard he looked?

She felt both annoyed and distressed, her chest tangled with complex emotions, and had to lower her gaze to hide her feelings.

Seeing her silent and her expression frosty, he suddenly became flustered, asking timidly, “Yuan Yuan, are you angry?”

She bit her lip hard.

“Please don’t be mad. I just wanted to come see you; I won’t do anything. If you’re unhappy, I can leave right away…”

“No need,” she interrupted coldly. “Just consider this a favor for Dongdong; you can stay here for one night.”

“Really?” His face lit up with joy.

She didn’t dare look at his delighted expression and stood up indifferently. “Since you brought so many supplements, let’s make a clear soup with bitter melon and lamb for dinner! Summer is perfect for cooling down.”

“I’ll help you!” Seeing her getting ready to chop the fresh lamb he brought, he eagerly offered to take over.

She didn’t argue with him. After showing him how to chop the lamb neatly, she went off to prepare other ingredients. It was his first time actively entering the kitchen. In the past, she had cooked for him countless times, but he had never thought to lend a hand until now, realizing that cooking could actually be enjoyable.

Although she pretended to ignore him, he could sense her occasional glances toward him, as if she was worried he might accidentally chop his own hand. He couldn’t help but smile, feeling pleased that she didn’t completely hate him, still harboring a hint of concern.

However, that joy vanished in an instant when he saw her absentmindedly brushing her bangs aside, revealing a small scar on her forehead.

That was the injury he had left her with…

“What’s wrong?” She noticed his unusual expression and turned her bright eyes toward him.

He tried to smile casually, but he couldn’t hide the dimness in his eyes.

“You didn’t hurt your hand again, did you?” She walked over to check his hands.

His hands were sticky, and he didn’t want to dirty her, so he quickly washed them with soap before showing her. “It’s fine; don’t underestimate me. Chopping some lamb isn’t difficult.”

Seeing that he wasn’t hurt, she felt relieved, but soon became annoyed with herself for caring about him, her delicate brows furrowing in frustration.

He noticed her slightly knitted brows and couldn’t help but see the scar on her forehead, causing his chest to tighten involuntarily. He instinctively reached out to touch her smooth forehead.

She jumped back in surprise. “What are you doing?”

It was just a brief, gentle touch before he quickly pulled his hand back. “It must have hurt a lot back then, right?”

She stared at his melancholic expression, suddenly realizing what he was asking, a chill running through her heart, like snowflakes swirling all around.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured hoarsely.

She turned her head away. “I’m not blaming you.”

But why not blame him? How could she not?

He felt a strange sense of sorrow; from the moment he saw her bleeding forehead, he had regretted it. He regretted being so impulsive and hurting someone so fragile…

He raised his hand again to stroke the mark that pained him, the warmth of his breath brushing against her. “Yuan Yuan, I know I shouldn’t be saying this to you, but please believe me, I really want to reconcile with you. You’re a good woman, and I didn’t know how to cherish you back then.”

“Stop talking,” she said, her voice trembling, her slender body shaking as well. Even her thick eyelashes fluttered in his view, resembling two crescent moons.

His heart stirred, and when he came back to his senses, his cool lips had already brushed against that small mark.

She was shocked, and so was he. Both of them held their breath, too afraid to move.

It wasn’t until a gust of wind blew in, stirring the wind chimes outside, that their silhouettes against the curtain shyly separated—