The sounds of insects and the wind that occasionally drifted by carried an eerie quality.
Xia Liyou was afraid of the dark, had been since she was a child because her biological mother once locked her in a room for an entire day without daylight. The light bulb coincidentally chose that day to die out, so since that day, she had been terrified of staying alone in small, pitch-dark spaces.
Every now and then, she would hear an odd noise that threw her off balance.
Ou Chengtian was oblivious to this since when someone was with Xia Liyou, she felt slightly better. He also noticed she was always somewhat edgy in his presence so it was only natural for him to underestimate what role her surroundings really played in her discomfort.
Xia Liyou drew back her gaze, choosing not to look outside. In the car, at least, there was faint light that calmed her nerves.
She nervously clenched her hands, realizing they were all sweaty. Lifting her eyes for a moment to look at Ou Chengtian, she saw him patiently waiting for her response.
Observing his face, she felt a slight daze.
This man, when not furrowing his brow, carried a tender charm that was rather captivating.
When Xia Liyou only stared at him without speaking, Ou Chengtian made a delicate snort from his nose, intimating that she was mistaken if she thought remaining silent was going to get her off the hook. He was not so easily dealt with.
Xia Liyou, taken by surprise, looked away and explained quietly, "It's for work."
Work requirements dictated her dressing as such and parading around many men?
Ou Chengtian disagreed markedly with her reasoning and the disgruntled grunt he emitted came off even harsher.
He could have locked Xia Liyou at home and prevented her from going filming, but her passion for work made him unable to bear such drastic measures.
She was no longer her past self and he could not let Xia Liyou continue to drift further away. Otherwise, one day, her genuine emotions would never come back to him.
So, he allowed her late-night and early-morning work and her tireless efforts for it, all silently enduring her share of hardships. But he would never accept others looking down on her, bullying her, or her being intimate with other men.
That is why during her two years in the industry, Xia Liyou has acted in few trivial roles, always a mere spectator.
Yet, following that one glimpse of her, people found her hard to forget.
But what could the directors do despite their remembrance? None dared to cast her in a significant role, as Xia Liyou had inadvertently offended an important person they too feared to offend. Thus, despite their yearning to cast her, they were powerless.
"If you don't take that work, would you have any job left?" Ou Chengtian asked sternly, his face hidden due to the light behind him.
However, Xia Liyou could guess that he was displeased since she had again defied his wishes.
Xia Liyou didn't want to say that it was just a job opportunity because Ou Chengtian, a man who always had his way, would not understand the worth of an opportunity.
Xia Liyou blinked listlessly, her eyes unfocused.
"Do you know what today is?" Ou Chengtian softly murmured —it felt like a flitting swallow's whisper.
His gentleness permeated deep into her heart.
Xia Liyou started. A trace of bewilderment flickered from the corners of her eyes as she suddenly recalled what Ai Wei had mentioned in the car.
It was her birthday today, but again, what of it?
Could it be that Ou Chengtian actually cared about her birthday?
A bitter smile crops up at the corner of her mouth as she asked in an unnaturally calm voice, "Why, is today important?"
Aware of the emptiness in Ou Chengtian's life beyond his vanity, Xia Liyou decided to preserve this pitiful scrap of self-awareness without misunderstanding anything.
How could Ou Chengtian possibly remember her birthday? After all, she was nothing more than a person he had bought with his money.
At her question, Ou Chengtian's gaze deepens.
His penetrating eyes sharpened as they lay fixed on Xia Liyou's side profile. His expression steadily darkened, resembling an ancient quiet pond about to be stirred up into a whirlwind of freezing, biting cold.
"Today isn't important, not in the least," he replied coldly, his words sounding more like a reminder to himself than to Xia Liyou.
If even she did not attach any importance to the day, why should he bear it so heavily in his heart?
This self-consoling thought, however, only made his heart heavier and his displeasure more glaringly obvious.
The icy aura he exuded filled Xia Liyou with a sense of dread, causing her body to tremble slightly. The long lashes casting a desolate shadow over her eyes seemed a reflection of her loneliness.
It was unclear whether it was the chilling night or the stifling tension in the car that caused Xia Liyou to sneeze.
Despite her best efforts to suppress it, the sound was clearly audible in the enveloped silence.
Xia Liyou stirred a little and rubbed her nose.
The coat Ou Chengtian had offered was damp from contact with her cocktail dress.
She instinctively clutched the coat tighter, praying fervently she didn't catch a cold.
Director Wang's film was not yet complete, and payment was still pending. Getting a cold now would mean no pay at all.
Her purse had been empty for quite a long time, and now her little party dress was stained with red wine. Sending it for dry cleaning would incur an additional cost.
At this juncture, she did not even have the money for dry cleaning.
Ou Chengtian suddenly moved closer to a still daydreaming Xia Liyou, sending her heart leaping in alarm as if skipping a beat.
Even before her brain had processed the situation, he had already embraced her.
"Cold?" he asked gently.
He wrapped an arm tenderly around her, trapping her between him and the car seat.
His warmth flooded over her, scented uniquely — warm and inviting.
Xia Liyou buried her head in his chest, avoiding his gaze.
Yet her reaction seemed to irk him. He tightened his grip around her causing her slight discomfort. She crinkled her brows and looked up into his eyes.
And the moment she did, Ou Chengtian kissed her.