The baby slapped me, and I said, "Sit on my lap and slap me."

Wen Yu turned and went into the bedroom, took out a medicine bottle from deep inside the bedside table, poured out two pills, and swallowed them dry.

The cold pill slid down his throat, gradually suppressing the murderous intent that was about to burst forth.

The turbulent emotions were forcibly suppressed back into the deep pool, the surface of the water returned to calm, but the undercurrents at the bottom of the pool remained turbulent.

When I looked up again, my eyes were filled with a cold, clear-headed gaze.

He swiped his phone, and the tiny red dot on the map was still moving at a steady speed; it was the taxi Su Qingyao was in.

Immediately afterwards, Qin Yue sent new photos.

In the back seat of the car, she lowered her head, her profile looking blank and dazed against the street scene, like a frightened little animal that hadn't yet regained its senses.

Wen Yu hovered his fingertip above the screen for a few seconds, then pressed and held to save.

Along with all the helplessness and loss of control she showed for him today, she stored them in a corner where only he could see them.

He dialed the number, his voice devoid of any of the previous hoarseness and coaxing, only cold indifference remained.

"Protect her well, and don't let her find out."

"Also, have someone keep a close eye on Zhou Yibei. I need to know his every move, who he's met, and what he's said."

He paused, each word seeming as if it had been chilled to the bone.

"He is absolutely forbidden from appearing within a kilometer of her sight, not even in the slightest possibility."

He hung up the phone, picked up his car keys, and left.

The apartment door closed gently behind me, shutting out the lingering, ambiguous warmth of the room.

The motion-activated lights in the corridor turned on and off with the sound of his footsteps, casting alternating shadows on his face, revealing a calm yet unsettling countenance.

-

The street scene outside the taxi window blurred into a streak of light, but Su Qingyao's face was burning hot.

The lingering touch on his fingertips, his lowered eyelashes, and that sigh of frustration…

The scene kept replaying in my mind, and even my ears felt like they were burning.

She was distracted during the entire day of tutoring, and the students' questioning looks made her even more flustered.

Finally, the day ended, and the sunset had already painted half the sky.

She took out her phone; the screen was so clean it was almost blinding.

No news.

Not a single one.

This is very unusual.

At this time of day, Wenyu's messages would usually be overflowing with notifications, with dozens of unread messages being the norm.

Sharing small things, asking gentle questions, or simply calling her "baby," constantly telling her how much he misses her.

Today, however, all is quiet.

My heart felt like it was tightly bound by a thin rope, a dull and astringent feeling.

A thought suddenly surfaced in my mind.

Did she agree too quickly this morning, making him think... she was frivolous?

But then Wen Yu's extremely serious face reappeared.

Something's probably wrong, don't overthink it, Su Qingyao.

She shook her head, took a deep breath, hovered her fingertip over the screen for a moment, and finally mustered the courage to open the pinned chat box.

A soft, fluffy rabbit cautiously waved towards the screen.

Su Qingyao sat on the bus back to school, staring down at her phone screen. The adorable rabbit icon remained alone at the bottom of the chat window, offering no response.

When she got off at Kyoto Station, the screen was still dark.

Disappointment washed over my ankles like a tide, slowly enveloping me.

Just as she was walking through the ginkgo avenue, her phone suddenly rang.

It wasn't a message notification tone, but a piercing telephone ring.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she frantically pulled her phone out of her pocket.

She lit up the screen almost instantly, but the light in her eyes dimmed the moment she saw the number.

A string of unfamiliar numbers.

It's not Wenyu.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she swiped to answer the call.

"Feed?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a gentle male voice, "Is this Su Qingyao?"

The voice was polite and clear, with a familiar quality, but she couldn't immediately recall where she had heard it before.

A gentle chuckle came from the other end of the phone.

"I am Song Yunyan, Yaoyao. Do you remember me?"

The name was like a pebble, stirring up complex ripples in her heart.

Her memories were pulled back to the beautiful, happy, and carefree Qitongyuan, her former home.

The Song family and their family were neighbors, their two villas separated by only one wall. In addition, the two families had close business dealings and a very close relationship.

From the time Su Qingyao could remember until junior high school, the most familiar figure by her side was Song Yunyan.

He was five years older than her and always took care of her patiently like an older brother, accompanying her through the happiest and most beautiful years of her youth.

It wasn't until the second year of junior high school that the Song family shifted their business focus overseas, and the family moved abroad.

At first, they kept in touch frequently, calling each other across time zones to share what was happening in their lives.

But gradually, due to time differences, distance, and different social circles, they had less and less contact and eventually lost touch.

Later, the Su family suffered a sudden misfortune, and her life hit rock bottom.

Song Yunyan somehow found her contact information.

During that time, his messages would always arrive at the right time, like a warm ray of light shining on her.

He talked to her, listened to her complaints, and gradually pulled her back from the brink of despair.

She relearned to smile, and even developed a vague dependence and affection for him.

However, this goodwill she expressed a year ago disappeared without a trace, and slowly faded away after that.

The girl's sensitive feelings eventually sank into silence, and she stopped trying to contact anyone.

I never expected to receive a call from him after so long.

Hearing his voice again, Su Qingyao felt a mix of emotions.

Aside from those faded and expired feelings of goodwill, I feel mostly grateful for his past companionship.

The gratitude of having your hand held tightly in the dark.

Su Qingyao's voice was filled with excitement, "Brother Yunyan, it's you? Of course I remember you."

A low laugh came from the other end of the phone: "It's good that you remember. It's been five years since we last met. I was worried you'd completely forgotten me."

"How could that be?" she said seriously. "I've always remembered the help Yunyan gave me back then."

"Yaoyao has grown up and can speak politely now."

He replied in a gentle voice, paused, and then softened his tone even more.

"I'm going back to China in a few days. Do you have time to meet me? Let me see what that little girl who always followed me around looks like now."

Su Qingyao couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, send me your flight information, I'll come pick you up."

"Shall I add you on WeChat? Is this the right number? I'll send you the flight details."

She was slightly taken aback by his words. "You changed your WeChat account? Aren't you using your old 'YY' account anymore?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. When the other person spoke again, their tone was very casual: "Um, no need."

Su Qingyao held her phone, many questions welling up on her lips.

Why didn't you tell her you changed your WeChat account?

Why did you suddenly lose contact, and then reappear a year later in such a relaxed and casual tone?

But before she could speak, a casual glance from her eyes froze all her turbulent thoughts in an instant.

Not far away, Wen Yu was jogging towards her.

His bangs were a little messy, and his breathing was noticeably rapid.

Those beautiful peach blossom eyes now reflected undisguised anxiety and tension.

His gaze was fixed on her, as if to confirm that the treasure was intact.