The next time I saw Zhang Heren was in the northern city.

Qin Tang had to stay in the northern city for a year due to work.

It was already past ten in the evening when she arrived on a cold October night. Shortly after arriving at the airport, she received a call from Zhang Heren asking for her location.

"At exit A."

"I'll be there soon."

Before long, Qin Tang saw a tall man approaching in the distance, dressed in training attire. He looked more composed and mature, with neat short hair and distinct facial features. His jaw was tight and serious, giving him a recognizable face, especially his eyes, which conveyed a sense of distance hidden beneath a calm exterior.

Qin Tang's heart tightened; it had been so long since she last saw Zhang Heren that it was impossible not to feel nervous.

His gaze fell heavily on her as he spoke in a deep voice, "Have you been waiting long?"

Qin Tang maintained her composure, but inside she was already flustered. "No, I just arrived."

It was now past ten at night, and the temperature in the northern city varied greatly between day and night. She was dressed lightly, and her small face was red from the cold, with her eyes glistening, giving her an innocent appearance.

Zhang Heren stared at her, his eyes dark and calm but exuding an inexplicable pressure. "Let's go."

He took her suitcase and walked outside.

Qin Tang hurried to catch up. "I'm sorry for bothering you to pick me up."

"No need."

Once they got into the car and turned on the heater, it finally felt a bit warmer. However, Qin Tang felt uneasy, her back stiff and her hands neatly resting on her knees.

As Zhang Heren drove away from the airport, he asked, "Are you going to stay in the northern city for a year?"

"Yeah."

"Have you arranged your accommodation?"

"I'm staying at a hotel for now, and the hospital will assign me a dorm later."

Zhang Heren paused slightly as he held the steering wheel. "I have an apartment in the city center. I rarely go back; you can stay there."

Instinctively, she didn't want to live in his place and began to refuse. "It's really not necessary..."

Zhang Heren glanced at the rearview mirror, his tone firm. "That apartment is not far from the hospital; it's a ten-minute walk."

Qin Tang curled her fingers uncomfortably. "I really don't need to, I..."

He interrupted her. "Your family asked me to take care of you."

The implication was clear: he was helping her out of obligation to her family, with no other motives.

Their relationship was indeed that of elder to junior. Qin Tang bit her lip, instinctively wanting to distance herself. If her family hadn't arranged for Zhang Heren to pick her up, she wouldn't have wanted to inform him of her arrival. Instead, she said, "What if your girlfriend comes over... it wouldn't be convenient for me to stay at your place."

If she remembered correctly, Zhang Heren had a girlfriend.

Zhang Heren asked, "Who told you that?"

Qin Tang stammered, "N-no one told me."

He paused, his tone slightly heavier. "You can stay; it won't be inconvenient."

Qin Tang replied, "Then I'll pay you rent and utilities every month, if that's okay?"

After all, they weren't a real family and had no blood relations, so she felt uncomfortable taking advantage of him.

"Qin Tang." He suddenly called her name with a weight that felt heavy on her heart. Her heartbeat quickened at the sound of his deep voice. "When did you become so polite with me?"

Qin Tang's heart tightened, and her instinct was to retreat. In the end, she only moved her lips but said nothing.

He didn't say anything further and turned his attention back to driving. His hand rested on the steering wheel, the veins on his forearm prominent, giving an impression of strength. After a while, he asked, "Are you hungry?"

She replied, "Not hungry; I ate on the plane."

He fell silent again, and they drove in silence until they arrived at the place an hour later.

The apartment was a spacious three-bedroom unit with heating, clean and tidy, decorated in cool tones of black, white, and gray, which suited his usual style.

Zhang Heren carried her suitcase upstairs, then returned to tell her, "You'll be staying in the room upstairs. The cleaning lady comes by regularly, and there's a spare key hanging on the wall. If you need anything, just let me know."

She stiffened slightly and maintained her politeness, saying, "Thank you, I don't need anything."

Zhang Heren's gaze was like ink, hiding an imperceptible aggressiveness beneath his calm demeanor. "Get some rest; I'll take my leave now."

Qin Tang replied, "Okay, take care."

With a soft click, the door closed. Just then, her friend Zhuo An called to ask, "Have you arrived? Settled in?"

"I'm settled in."

Zhuo An asked, "Did Heren come to pick you up?"

"How did you know?"

"Of course, he asked me about you. Since you'll be in the northern city for two years and Heren is also there, I figured if you need his help in the future, I might as well mention it."

Qin Tang felt a moment of panic and paused, saying, "Please don't tell him anything about me, don't mention anything."

"What's wrong? Don't you like him?"

Qin Tang's heart tightened. "Don't ask me about it..."

"Alright, I won't ask." Zhuo An then recalled something, "By the way, has Zhou Kaiyue contacted you?"

At the mention of Zhou Kaiyue, Qin Tang didn't react much. "No."

Zhuo An tentatively asked, "Did you really break up with him?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

If she had to give a reason, it was that Zhou Kaiyue didn't take her seriously.

Three months ago, on Zhou Kaiyue's birthday, she had prepared a thoughtful gift to bring to their gathering. Before she even entered the room, she overheard one of his friends ask him, "When are you planning to marry Qin Tang? She's been pursuing you for so long; it should be soon, right?"

Zhou Kaiyue replied, "Just because she's pursuing me doesn't mean I have to agree. She should know her own worth."

"Wow, you're harsh."

His friends laughed and teased, while Zhou Kaiyue casually remarked, "A woman who's too proactive is cheap."

"Exactly, a woman should value herself more."

That night, she discarded the gift and sent a breakup message to Zhou Kaiyue, then deleted him from her contacts, cutting off all ties.

Before deleting, their chat history had only been filled with birthday wishes, hopes for success, and dreams coming true.

He never replied—not even once.

Just then, the door suddenly sounded, the lock clicking open startled Qin Tang. Instinctively, she turned to look; it was Zhang Heren returning.

She felt as if she'd been caught doing something wrong and hurriedly hung up the phone.

Had he overheard what she said?

The soundproofing in this place shouldn't be that bad...

Zhang Heren appeared unfazed, his expression calm and cool. "I came back to get something."

"Okay."

She quickly composed herself, though her eyes betrayed her anxious emotions.

Zhang Heren didn't mention it, went into the room, and when he came back out, Qin Tang was still standing in place, her hands behind her back, pressed against the wall, still feeling tense and uneasy.

Zhang Heren's gaze was heavy as he said, "If you need anything, you can call me."

Qin Tang lowered her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze. "Okay..."

He treated her like an elder would treat a junior, with no other implications.

Meanwhile, Qin Tang's demeanor suggested that she was unfamiliar with him and somewhat afraid.

Zhang Heren didn't say anything else, averted his gaze, and left.

After he closed the door, he stood in the hallway for a moment, lit a cigarette, and took a slow drag. The milky white smoke quickly dissipated into the air. He had heard everything Qin Tang said on the phone, and as expected, she indeed didn't think much of him.

Not only did she avoid him, but she was also clearly drawing a line.