Maybe he felt her gaze on him, because Lu Yan suddenly turned and looked in Shi Han’s direction.

He paused, surprised—clearly not expecting to run into her in a place like this.

She’d been anxious just moments ago when she couldn’t find him. But now that the person she’d been searching for was right in front of her, Shi Han found herself at a complete loss for how to react.

After a brief hesitation, she walked over to him.

She was wearing a soft gray tracksuit, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders with the ends curled slightly. Stray strands brushed against her ears, her lips a soft red beneath her dark hair. It was hard to put into words, but she looked… stunning.

Lu Yan lowered his gaze, masking the shadow in his eyes. A moment later, a pair of sneakers appeared in his line of sight.

Shi Han was standing right in front of him.

“What a coincidence.”

“Mm.” His eyes drifted upward, catching sight of the bandage wrapped around her hand. A flash of coldness flickered through his dark pupils.

“You hurt your hand.”

“Oh… it’s nothing. Just a little scratch,” Shi Han replied, waving it off casually while her eyes lingered on his face.

She asked, “Are you here to visit your grandma?”

“Yeah.” Lu Yan forced himself to look away from the bandage, his voice low and a bit hoarse.

In truth, the two of them weren’t exactly close. Their only real connection was the house. So, without thinking, Shi Han brought it up.

“How long will it take for the property deed to be finalized?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them—it sounded like the only reason she’d come over was to ask about the house.

She wanted to crawl into a hole.

“I’ve already followed up. It should be done within five days. You’ll get a call when it’s ready.”

“Oh.”

The two of them fell into silence again.

Lu Yan started walking, but when he noticed Shi Han hadn’t followed, he turned his head slightly and asked, “Want to come upstairs with me? You could meet my grandma.”

“…Sure.”

Shi Han quickly caught up. Lu Yan slowed his pace on purpose so they could walk side by side.

Why does this feel like I’m meeting the parents or something?

Shi Han shook the strange thought out of her head and took the initiative to ask, “How… how’s your grandma been lately?”

“She’s still the same. In a vegetative state,” Lu Yan replied, lips pressed into a tight line. Then he glanced at her and asked, “What happened to your hand?”

“Oh, that? I just wasn’t being careful.”

“Be more careful from now on,” Lu Yan said, his eyes falling gently on the top of her head.

“You… you’re a girl. You shouldn’t be getting hurt so easily.”

“…Okay.” Shi Han’s wide eyes blinked slowly, flicking up toward him.

Lu Yan seemed like he was in a low mood.

But the weird thing was—this was only the second time they’d met, and somehow she was already following him to see his grandmother. The thought made her heart skip, just a little.

The mood between them grew quieter as they walked, until eventually Shi Han moved slightly ahead, with Lu Yan trailing just behind.

Then, suddenly—a crowd of people rushed toward them, clustered around a stretcher being wheeled down the hallway.

Shi Han instinctively stepped back, but someone behind her accidentally tripped her—and she stumbled straight into someone’s arms.

Lu Yan caught her, stepping back just enough to brace her soft form against him. The corners of his lips lifted faintly.

Shi Han wasn’t short, but standing in Lu Yan’s arms, it felt like he completely enveloped her. One arm circled firmly around her waist, while the other—still holding the breakfast—shielded her protectively from the crowd.

This was the first time Shi Han had ever been this physically close to a man.

Instinctively, she grabbed onto the forearm that was shielding her.

So close, she could feel the muscle beneath his thin skin, and the warm breath brushing against her ear.

What…

Her breathing quickened slightly, her thoughts turning to mush.

How did she end up in Lu Yan’s arms?

She could’ve sworn she’d looked down and watched her step. But somehow, she still tripped. If she had known, she would’ve been more careful—way more careful.

And now…

Would Lu Yan think she did it on purpose?

Shi Han quickly pulled away, flustered. Her fingers tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she rushed to explain, “…I didn’t do that on purpose. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Lu Yan was still frozen in the posture of holding her, before he awkwardly retracted his arm.

Her eagerness to clarify… Did it mean she didn’t want to be associated with him?

Or maybe—maybe he hadn’t played his part well enough.

Was he not pathetic enough?

=^_^=