Wen Ruan, full of vitality, engaged in an animated discussion about the script with Fu Jingbai, the conversation flowing effortlessly. However, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, a chill creeping down her spine, as if someone's gaze was drilling into her back—an undeniably unnerving sensation.
Unable to bear it any longer, she turned around.
To her surprise, it was a face she hadn't expected to see.
He Zhanxi, tall and imposing, was casually leaning against the back of a sofa in the hotel's reception area, his head slightly lowered, fingers absentmindedly swiping through his phone.
It seemed he sensed her gaze and, meeting her eyes, lifted his head. Their gazes locked.
With his silver-rimmed glasses perched atop his high-bridged nose, he appeared both regal and languid.
It was the same as their first meeting—his deep-colored shirt, untied collar, and two buttons left undone. There was a meticulous air about him, yet a sense of ease, his long legs strikingly noticeable, almost too alluring, too captivating.
Wen Ruan's heart tightened, her breath caught in her chest.
Fu Jingbai's voice called out to her from the phone, breaking the trance. She snapped back to reality. "Teacher Fu, something's come up on my end. Let's talk later."
She ended the call, her bright eyes fixed on He Zhanxi. She blinked twice, almost as if to assure herself this encounter was real.
"Have you forgotten me?" He Zhanxi asked with a faint smile, pocketing his phone and standing upright, his stature towering as he walked toward her.
"How could I forget? Mr. He is on a business trip here?" she responded, smiling politely, though internally taken aback by the coincidence of running into him.
He Zhanxi nodded slightly. "I recall someone mentioning they were merely sightseeing in Kyoto. How did you end up in Ji City? Or has Ji City been annexed into Kyoto now?"
"…?" Wen Ruan was about to explain when a bellboy approached.
"Miss Wen, your check-in has been completed. May I assist you with your luggage?"
"Thank you. Let's head upstairs," Wen Ruan replied, handing the bellboy a stack of bills. She smiled courteously at He Zhanxi. "Mr. He, I'll head upstairs now."
He Zhanxi gave a slight nod, a gesture that seemed to say, "As you wish."
Once she reached her floor, she was surprised to see He Zhanxi stepping out of the elevator across from her.
For a moment, she froze, her gaze meeting his once again. He appeared equally unprepared for their encounter.
It wasn't too unusual, given that they had both likely booked multiple suites across several floors in advance.
Neither spoke.
Just as they were about to continue on their way, the hotel's floor manager rushed over, flustered. "Mr. He, my sincerest apologies. The front desk made a mistake with the floor assignment."
Without commenting on the error, He Zhanxi glanced at Wen Ruan and then, with a cool tone, added, "There's no need to trouble her. Miss Wen and I are old acquaintances."
The manager, eager to avoid any misunderstanding, immediately turned to Wen Ruan. "Miss Wen, due to the hotel's oversight, we've caused you unnecessary trouble. Please accept our sincerest apologies. We'd like to offer you a discount of 20% on all your charges and a complimentary VIP card. Would this be acceptable to you?"
Wen Ruan, not needing the discount but wanting to avoid any further awkwardness, agreed to the room change. "I'd prefer to switch rooms, thank you."
He Zhanxi spoke up, his tone lightly dismissive, "There's no need to bother at this hour. We're old acquaintances."
It was a subtle, nonchalant gesture that seemed to smooth over the situation.
Wen Ruan quietly agreed and was handed another room key. As she entered, the cold air greeted her. Though the temperature was manageable for most, it was too chilly for her.
Her brows furrowed. She hadn't even crossed the threshold before He Zhanxi's voice came from behind her.
"The heating will take some time to warm up. Why don't you come to my room and warm up a bit?" He Zhanxi paused, then added, "I need to speak with you about something."
Wen Ruan, caught off guard but curious about the conversation, followed him toward his suite.
The room was already warm, pre-heated to a comfortable temperature. He Zhanxi handed her a pair of new slippers and, noticing the purplish hue of her exposed leg, remarked, "You're still wearing such light clothing despite being afraid of the cold?"
"I'm fine," she replied quickly, though her legs were freezing. Her thin knit top should have been enough, but she had miscalculated the weather.
"Are you allergic to wool?" he asked suddenly as he stepped into the bedroom.
"What?" she hadn't quite caught that, but He Zhanxi didn't repeat himself.
Sitting down on the sofa, Wen Ruan wrapped herself in a thin blanket that He Zhanxi handed to her. "The hotel's wool blankets are usually a bit too much for me," she explained, "but this one's fine."
"It's no problem. I've had it specially treated. It won't cause any issues," He Zhanxi said as he crouched down, adjusting the blanket around her.
A rush of warmth seeped into her body. Her frozen legs felt much better, the discomfort slowly ebbing away.
"Thank you. It's really not that serious. My allergic reactions were from childhood, after all," Wen Ruan said with a light laugh. "When I was little, I used to hug this big white goose named Bai Bai, and I got sick from breathing in the feathers. It was diagnosed as an allergy to fur, but I wasn't about to tell the doctor I'd been cuddling Bai Bai for hours."
He Zhanxi smirked. "You didn't want Bai Bai to be taken away, did you?"
Wen Ruan's eyes twinkled. "That's right! I came to you for help, asking you to take Bai Bai in, but you wouldn't even see me!"
He Zhanxi's memory stirred. "I do recall that you were pretty upset, crying your eyes out."
"Well, I had every right to cry!" Wen Ruan exclaimed. "That night I even ended up in the hospital."
"Then what happened to Bai Bai?" He Zhanxi asked, genuinely curious.
Wen Ruan's face dimmed slightly, her voice softening, "Bai Bai was... stewed by Cheng Lian and the others. They kept it a secret from me for months. When I found out, I was sick for two weeks, and then I went to the South to live for a while."
He Zhanxi, now feeling guilty, didn't say anything further.
The room was warm now, and Wen Ruan had almost forgotten about the chill. She had wrapped herself in the blanket, her mind wandering back to the memories of Bai Bai and childhood.
Suddenly, her phone rang, jolting her from her thoughts. It was her mother, Min Qing.
Wen Ruan froze, unsure of why she felt so anxious. Without thinking, she quickly ended the call. Min Qing, confused, tried again, but Wen Ruan answered with a video call.
Her mother appeared on the screen, dressed in her nightgown with a face mask on. "What's going on? Why are you dodging my calls?" Min Qing scolded, her tone mixed with concern and annoyance.
"Just, uh, using the restroom," Wen Ruan said, trying to sound casual. "Why aren't you resting, Mom?"
Min Qing huffed, "You should be keeping in touch with me more, you know. It's been days and not even a message. How could you be so carefree?"
Wen Ruan quickly changed the subject. "Look, Mom, this is a big hotel room. Very spacious. And the air's great, I'm perfectly fine here." She waved the phone around the room, showing her mother.
"Is Fu Jingbai staying in the same hotel?" Min Qing asked, catching her off guard.
"???" How did that come up?
"Oh, come on. I know why you're there. You're meeting him, aren't you?" Min Qing seemed to read her like a book.
Wen Ruan, now desperate to deflect, lied with a grin. "Yes, yes. He's staying next door. But he's still filming, so we haven't met yet."
"Good. I'm happy you two are close," Min Qing said. "Just be careful. Make sure you don't neglect your commitments, and handle things with He Zhanxi first."
Wen Ruan's mind raced. "Mom, I've told you before, He Zhanxi and I are a thing of the past."
Min Qing sighed, "I know, but the matter with Fu Jingbai is different. You should talk to your grandparents about him."
Wen Ruan, panicked, quickly tried to steer the conversation in another direction, but her mother was persistent. She'd never let her go easily.