Shao Wenbai nodded. "Yeah."

  She took a deep breath. "Thanks, I feel much better now."

  Seeing her quickly adjust her emotions, Shao Wenbai also felt a little relieved.

  "Are you hungry? I remember there's a good Sichuan restaurant nearby."

  Su Yumian thought for a moment and didn't refuse. The highlight of a Sichuan restaurant was, of course, the spicy hotpot. Shao Wenbai couldn’t handle spice well, so he ordered a dual-fvor hotpot.

  The fiery red broth bubbled and steamed, making it look incredibly appetizing.

  Su Yumian was still feeling a little down, but the lively atmosphere around her eased her frustration.

  The beef ribs were tender and fvorful, the vegetables fresh and vibrant. Even though she had no appetite before, the aroma soon had her eating enthusiastically.

  Outside, the storm raged on, but inside the restaurant, it was warm and cozy.

  The chatter from all directions filled the space—not too close, not too distant—helping Su Yumian gradually return to her usual self.

  She looked up and noticed the man sitting across from her barely touched his food. His slow, deliberate movements didn’t seem like those of someone hungry. It felt more like he brought her here just to comfort her.

  She recalled that dark, rainy night when he had quietly stayed by her side just like this. Su Yumian felt genuinely grateful.

  "Today… thank you." She never expected to be caught in such a humiliating situation. If Shao Wenbai hadn’t appeared, she might not have been able to escape on her own.

  "For me, that scene was nothing short of a nightmare."

  Even if she told herself not to care, how could she truly be unaffected?

  She snapped out of her daze and met Shao Wenbai’s clear, calm gaze. Suddenly, she smiled. "Luckily, you appeared—like a savior from the heavens."

  "A savior? That’s not how the word is used." Shao Wenbai chuckled.

  Su Yumian stared at his eyes beneath his gsses, and his voice echoed in her mind—

  "You’re far stronger and more resilient than you think."

  He didn’t say those words just to comfort her; he meant them sincerely.

  Su Yumian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly ughed. "Your gsses are all fogged up. Can you even see?"

  The lenses of his gsses were completely covered in steam, making him look a bit funny.

  Shao Wenbai sighed and took them off, wiping them with a tissue. "This is exactly why I don’t come to hotpot restaurants often."

  Su Yumian raised an eyebrow, propping her chin on her hand with a grin. "So you don’t like hotpot?"

  "It’s not that I dislike it—just that it’s inconvenient." He put his gsses back on after cleaning them.

  Su Yumian nodded, recalling the times he had eaten at her pce. He had never shown strong preferences for or against anything.

  Seeing her lost in thought again, Shao Wenbai picked up a piece of beef. "This beef is pretty good. Try it."

  Su Yumian smiled. "Thanks, but I’ll get it myself."

  Shao Wenbai had to return to the b, so he only dropped her off downstairs.

  The rain had stopped, leaving the pavement damp with a lingering chill in the air. Su Yumian shivered slightly and instinctively pulled her coat tighter, catching a familiar scent of woodsy warmth.

  She looked down and realized she was wearing a dark-colored coat—not hers.

  She ughed softly, remembering that Shao Wenbai now only had a thin turtleneck sweater left on him. Hopefully, he'll be fine…

  However, the next day, when she heard him sneezing non-stop, she concluded—he wasn’t as resistant to the cold as she thought.

  "I sent your coat to the dry cleaners. It should be ready in a few days."

  Shao Wenbai waved a hand dismissively. "No rush."

  It was just a coat. He had plenty more in his wardrobe.

  "I just came back to grab a few changes of clothes. I’m heading back to the b soon."

  His voice was thick with congestion, and he was even wearing a mask—it was clear his cold wasn’t mild.

  "Wait a second."

  Su Yumian turned and went inside. When she came back, she was holding a thermos.

  "This is ginger tea I made yesterday. Drink it while it’s hot."

  At the mention of ginger, Shao Wenbai’s brows twitched slightly, but Su Yumian didn’t notice. She just added, "There’s also cold medicine in the bag. They’re common ones, and the instructions are on the box."

  Shao Wenbai rarely got sick, so when he heard her say this, he hesitated for a moment—he actually wanted to return the thermos.

  But then he heard her say, "After all, you got sick because of me."

  His hand, which was about to refuse, withdrew.

  Checking his watch, he realized he was running out of time.

  "Thanks. I’ll drink the ginger tea and take the medicine."

  Watching him stride away, Su Yumian finally closed the door and went back inside.

  There was still a paper she needed to finish. She had been researching information on various websites for days.

  On top of that, Professor Ouyang had assigned her books and papers—all in German. While her German was good enough for daily conversations, academic jargon still took time to look up.

  Engrossed in her research, her brain worked rapidly as she took notes. Just then, her phone rang. Her train of thought was interrupted, and she sighed in frustration before picking up.

  "Hello?"

  "I’m really sorry about yesterday, but there are some things I still want to say to you in person."

  It was Shen Shiyan.

  Su Yumian was silent for a few seconds. That was fine—she wanted to clear things up, too. They set a time and pce, and she ended the call.

  Jiang Yihuai’s angry face fshed in her mind for a moment, but she shook her head, pushing the thought away. She refocused on her paper.

  —

  The meeting pce was the same café they had been to before, not far from B University.

  When she walked in, she immediately spotted Shen Shiyan sitting in the same seat as st time. His back was to the entrance, but as soon as the bell rang, he turned his head.

  His coat was pced beside him. Dressed in a Gucci business shirt, the slightly open colr revealed his Adam’s apple and part of his colrbone—

  Which drew the attention of a few girls at the next table, who kept sneaking gnces at him.

  Ignoring them, Su Yumian sat across from him. Shen Shiyan asked what she wanted to drink. She wasn’t in the mood for coffee, so she got straight to the point. "I came here to finish what I didn’t get to say that day."

  Shen Shiyan caught the meaning in her words but didn’t seem upset. Instead, he smiled. "And I want to say—I meant every word I said."

  Su Yumian frowned. "Then you should know that I don’t like you. There’s no chance between us."

  Shen Shiyan shrugged. "I’ve long understood that in this world, no one is invincible, and nothing always goes smoothly. But as long as the outcome is good, isn’t that enough?"

  He had always been persistent. Once he set his sights on something, he wouldn’t stop until he achieved it. And he was patient. He could wait—wait for Su Yumian to soften.

  Just like how Jiang Yihuai had pursued her back then—relentlessly.

  And in the end, didn’t he win her over?

  Jiang Yihuai could do it.

  So why couldn’t he?

  xiaoxingxing