At night, Jiang Yihuai had just finished handling his backlog of work when Cheng Zhou called:"Brother Jiang, it's been a while since we gathered. Want to go out for a drink?"

  "Sure."

  Jiang Yihuai left his study, changed clothes, and headed downstairs. Just as he reached the bottom, he saw Shi Muxi entering through the front door, changing her shoes in the entryway.

  Their eyes met, and both froze for a moment.

  Jiang Yihuai: "Why are you here?"

  Shi Muxi: "Baby, are you going out?"

  Jiang Yihuai: "Yeah."

  The girl bit her lip awkwardly. "Then… did I come at a bad time?"

  The man didn’t respond.

  "I-I just came after css. I didn’t skip… Last night, you were too rough, and I—um—I'm a bit infmed down there. I’ve been uncomfortable all day…"

  "I didn’t dare go to the pharmacy alone to buy medicine—I was afraid people would ugh. Then I remembered that the vil’s first aid kit has some anti-infmmatory ointment, so I came over…"

  She stammered through her expnation, afraid he’d find her troublesome.

  "I-I’ll go back to school now!" Shi Muxi, not receiving a response, bit her lip and turned to leave.

  She had only taken two steps—

  Jiang Yihuai: "Come here."

  A smile tugged at her lips, but she quickly suppressed it as she turned back. "Baby…"

  Jiang Yihuai took out the medical kit, found a few ointments, read the instructions, and said, "None of these will work. You can’t use them there."

  Shi Muxi looked like she was about to cry. "Then what do I do? Go to the pharmacy? But… how do I even ask for something like that…"

  She was beyond embarrassed.

  Jiang Yihuai sighed and stood up. "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."

  "No, it’s fine… I don’t want to waste your time—"

  Jiang Yihuai picked up his car keys. "It’s nothing urgent. Cheng Zhou just invited me for a drink. I can go ter."

  "Then… after seeing the doctor, can I go with you?"

  Jiang Yihuai: "Yeah."

  When they left the hospital, Shi Muxi’s face was as red as an apple.

  Jiang Yihuai: "Sorry."

  "It’s okay, I… I like it. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy no matter what we do." Her bright eyes shone with innocence, almost foolishly so.

  The more carefree she seemed, the more uneasy Jiang Yihuai felt.

  After all, it was his mistake that led things to this point. He couldn’t imagine how much she’d cry if he mentioned breaking up now.

  "Get in the car." Jiang Yihuai opened the driver’s side door.

  "Huh?" Shi Muxi blinked in confusion. "Where are we going?"

  "Didn’t you say you wanted to come with me to Cheng’s gathering?"

  "Oh." The girl nodded obediently and got into the passenger seat.

  —

  In the lively private room, heavy metal music bred. Cheng Zhou, holding a wine gss, was swaying to the beat.

  "One da-da, two da-da…"

  Gu Yizhou kicked him. "Move. Stop writhing in front of me. It's disgusting."

  "Tsk! You don’t get it. I just learned this new disco move. Try it out—"

  "No thanks, I have no interest in embarrassing myself." Gu Yizhou dodged immediately, practically writing "stay away" all over his face.

  "Where’s Huai-zi? Didn’t you call him? Why isn’t he here yet?"

  Cheng Zhou shrugged. "Dunno. But if he said he’d come, he’ll definitely show up."

  Gu Yizhou hesitated. "Did you invite Shen Shiyan?"

  "Yeah."

  "You’re pying with fire!"

  Everyone knew that Jiang Yihuai and Shen Shiyan had fallen out. Inviting both was asking for trouble.

  "Do I look stupid?" Cheng Zhou scoffed. "Yan-ge said he wasn’t coming, so I called Jiang-ge instead. Oh—speak of the devil, here he comes…"

  Cheng Zhou ran to the door to greet him—

  Only to freeze.

  Jiang Yihuai walked in, arm-in-arm with… Shi Muxi?

  Wait a minute!

  Cheng Zhou inhaled sharply.

  Jiang Yihuai’s expression remained neutral. "Cheng-zi."

  "Jiang—Jiang-ge! You’re here! Have a seat, have a seat…" He scrambled to pour drinks and offer fruit.

  Later, while Shi Muxi was in the restroom, Cheng Zhou finally spoke up. "Bro, what’s going on? Didn’t you break up with her? Why bring her here again?"

  Two drinks in, Jiang Yihuai’s gaze was slightly hazy. "She’s still young. Take it slow. She might not be able to accept it all at once."

  Cheng Zhou nearly gagged.

  Seriously?

  She’s in college. How is she still "young"?

  Jiang-ge, you’re really losing it!

  "Then… what about Yumian-jie? You’re not pnning to win her back?"

  If that were true, Shen Shiyan would be over the moon.

  At the mention of Su Yumian, Jiang Yihuai felt a sharp sting in his heart. "Who said that?"

  "Then this…" Cheng Zhou gnced toward the restroom. "Are you two-timing?"

  "No rush. Once things are settled with Shi Muxi, I’ll make it up to Mianmian."

  Cheng Zhou hesitated.

  He wanted to say that opportunities don’t wait. By the time he "settled things," Yumian might already be gone.

  But seeing Jiang Yihuai’s confident expression, Cheng Zhou decided to keep his mouth shut and avoid unnecessary trouble.

  —

  Near midnight, the gathering finally ended.

  Cheng Zhou was half-drunk but still forced himself to get up and pay the bill before being helped into a car by nightclub staff.

  The designated driver ensured he got home safely.

  Gu Yizhou was in better shape. He didn’t drink much, but he smoked a lot, so he reeked of cigarettes.

  He had a suite booked at a five-star hotel nearby, so he went straight there.

  That left Jiang Yihuai and Shi Muxi standing by the roadside, waiting for their driver.

  Shi Muxi tentatively clung to his arm, pressing her body against his. "Baby, it’s so te. Let’s just go back to the vil?"

  The implication was clear—she was willing to stay the night. But Jiang Yihuai stayed silent.

  Two seconds ter—

  "You have css tomorrow. It’s better if I take you back to your dorm."

  Shi Muxi’s lips tightened, disappointment flickering in her eyes, but she still responded sweetly, "Okay, whatever you say."

  Jiang Yihuai’s expression eased slightly. After dropping her off at the university gate and watching her go inside, he finally looked away.

  The driver asked, "Sir, where to next?"

  Jiang Yihuai looked out the window for a moment before suddenly opening the door and stepping out. "Drive my car back for me. I’ll walk around for a bit."

  He wandered aimlessly until he unknowingly arrived at the gates of B University.

  He knew this pce all too well. Back then, to pursue Su Yumian, he often waited for her here. Sometimes he’d see her within minutes. Other times, he’d wait for hours—half a day, even—without catching a glimpse.

  But he never minded. He never got tired of it.

  Making his way through a narrow alley, he soon reached the pce where Su Yumian lived now. Without hesitation, Jiang Yihuai went upstairs. It was pitch bck, and he kicked over beer bottles and trash several times along the way.

  Ignoring the foul smell, he finally reached the door.

  Knock, knock, knock—

  "Mianmian, it’s me."