Chapter 32 is even crazier, hugging her sweater and smelling it.

The temperature rose as their skin touched, each burning hot spot sending out a dangerous signal.

Yin Xiao shrank her neck and inadvertently caught a faint fruity scent, along with the smell of alcohol deliberately masked by the fruity aroma.

She turned her head suddenly, burying her face in Yi Zhiyan's shoulder, "You've been drinking?"

He had a faint smell of alcohol on him, so he probably showered and changed his clothes before coming over.

"Hmm..." His voice was hoarse, like it was mixed with sand. "I used the citrus-scented shower gel that you said smelled nice. I used a lot of it. Does it still smell of alcohol?"

Yin Xiao paused for a moment, then said, "A little bit."

"Just a little bit..." Perhaps because he was drunk, his voice was slurred, and the rising tone at the end sounded somewhat aggrieved, "But you smell so strongly of alcohol."

Yin Xiao's shoulders stiffened, and she coughed guiltily, "Uh, I was so happy to see my old classmates that I had a few drinks. My mind is perfectly clear..."

Yi Zhiyan released her, held her thin shoulders, looked down at her vacant eyes for a long time without exposing her clumsy lie, and then suddenly sensed something, looked up past her and glanced at the boy a few steps away.

His alcohol-numbed brain reacted slowly; it took him a few moments of being blinded by the glass lamp before he recognized who it was.

It's his wife's childhood friend who keeps haunting him.

"Yin Xiao." Yi Zhiyan withdrew his gaze, raised his hand to cup her cheeks, and gently traced the lingering blush on her face with his fingers. "Shall we go home?"

Yin Xiao thought for a moment, "Okay, it should be almost over. I'll go in and get my coat and bag, and say hello to the class monitor. You wait here for me for a few minutes."

She turned to leave, but Yi Zhiyan grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go. Suddenly, his hand moved down with practiced ease, wrapping around her waist. The force wasn't strong, but it effectively stopped her from leaving.

"Wait."

Yin Xiao had time to turn around and see that a large suit jacket had already been draped over her shoulders. The familiar woody scent filled her breath and clung to her body as if it were a tangible substance.

"Wear it."

Yin Xiao met his dark eyes in confusion, unable to figure out what he was thinking.

Could it be that he disliked the smell of alcohol on her?

The heavy coat was draped over her shoulders. She was stunned for a moment, then reluctantly raised her hand to pull up her sleeves. Looking down, she smelled the crisp scent of wood.

The smell of alcohol was masked; she smelled only of him.

—

When we returned to the banquet hall, the atmosphere was still lively. The students were divided into several groups and crowded on the sofas playing card games, their shouts reaching the ceiling.

Yin Xiao stood at the door for a while, rubbing her ears, and waited until she could adjust to the volume before going inside.

Passing by the dining area, she grabbed a small blueberry cake and popped it into her mouth. She then walked alone to the corner sofa, picked up her coat and handbag, and straightened up. Turning around, she looked around the room, searching for her class monitor, Xia Yu.

Not seeing Xia Yu, Jin Siya suddenly waved to her and walked over with a plate of sliced ​​oranges.

"Are you leaving?" Jin Siya's curious gaze lingered on the suit jacket on her shoulder for a second, but she wisely refrained from asking and handed over the plate.

Yin Xiao waved her hand, refusing the orange offered to her. "Well, the party should be over soon. I'll ask the class monitor."

"Class monitor?" Jin Siya's mouth was stuffed full, her eyes widened, she chewed a few times, swallowed, and then spoke, "He just went out with you, didn't you see him?"

Yin Xiao recalled, "No."

"What about He Sen?" Jin Siya put the plate on the table and pointed to the door. "He went out to look for you too."

"He Sen is looking for me?" Yin Xiao was a little surprised. "I didn't see him."

Just as she finished speaking, her phone vibrated. She picked it up to check the message from Yi Zhiyan.

There are no words; it's an animation of a little bear running towards a wooden house.

Yin Xiao smiled and said casually, "I'm leaving now. I'll tell the class monitor on WeChat later. Bye-bye."

"Yin Xiao!" Jin Siya suddenly called out to her loudly, catching up anxiously. "I want to say sorry to you."

"What?" Yin Xiao stopped.

"I actually knew about that game today. I didn't stop him because I wanted to help He Sen. I didn't know you were married! I only found out he'd liked you for many years when I bumped into him drunk last time. I thought there was a possibility you two could become a couple..."

Jin Siya's voice grew softer and softer as she nervously twisted the silver bag strap between her fingers.

Yin Xiao understood what she meant halfway through the conversation, and reached out to press her wrist. "It's okay. It was because I hid my marriage from the beginning that all the messy misunderstandings happened. It'll be fine once it's been explained."

Jin Siya looked at her handbag sheepishly, opened it, reached inside and felt around, then asked hesitantly, "Have you explained things clearly to He Sen now?"

"There's no need for that now. I've made things clear to everyone today."

Jin Siya bit her lip, gritted her teeth, pulled out a mini photo album from her bag, and shoved it into Yin Xiao's hand.

"Although I don't agree with his actions, it's very ungentlemanly and disgusting to bother you knowing you're getting married, but I think... he should let you know about all the years he liked you."

Yin Xiao held the photo album in one hand, listening to her regretful tone, and hesitated whether to open it or not. The album was only the size of a palm, with a crayon-drawn panda in the corner, and a few faint scratches on the plastic cover, all signs of being flipped through repeatedly.

She hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly flipped through the photos, one by one. The room was filled with pictures, from kindergarten to high school, group photos in different seasons and backgrounds, with He Sen and her always at the center.

She had forgotten that they had taken so many photos together. Perhaps because they had known each other since childhood, they were used to each other's presence in their lives. He Sen was like a strict yet gentle older brother, a friend who had been with her for a long time.

"This... you can keep it." Jin Siya's eyes darted away. "I found it on the table, but I think it's better to give it to you."

Yin Xiao closed the photo album and returned it to Jin Siya without hesitation.

“Give it back to him; after all, it’s his.”

Jin Siya opened her mouth and, looking at Yin Xiao's retreating figure, blurted out, "But he gave it to you."

Yin Xiao turned around, "He gave it to me?"

Jin Siya awkwardly reached out her hand, "Oh dear, to tell you the truth, he gave this to me before he left, asking me to give it to you. I didn't want to agree at first, but he said he wouldn't be satisfied until he gave it to you..."

Yin Xiao pursed her dry lips, stared at the photo album for a while, and then opened her phone to start typing.

[Miki, thank you. I've always felt happy to have you as a friend. You occupy most of my memories of my school days, and those memories are very precious to me.]

She paused for a moment, then sent another message.

[But the photos in this album are your memories, not mine. This album should be returned to you.]

After sending the message, she gently nudged Jin Siya's wrist. "Help me return it to him. What would it look like if I accepted it now..."

“Okay.” Jin Siya didn’t refuse again, and sighed, “I hope he can figure it out on his own after a while.”

Yin Xiao nodded, lowered her eyes, turned and walked towards the door. Just as she reached the corridor, her phone rang twice.

[He Sen: If I had given you the photo album earlier, would you have accepted it?]

[He Sen: Accept me.]

Yin Xiao stopped in her tracks, her mind flashing through many scenes from her student days. In those scenes, she was laughing happily, but she could tell that it was the feeling of being with friends, not with someone she might be attracted to.

[Won't. ]

After successfully sending the message, she turned off the screen, put the phone in her pocket, and breathed a sigh of relief.

It's best to draw a clear line between ourselves and He Sen as friends.

"Yin Xiao, is that the guy I saw downstairs at your house last week?" Jin Siya followed her out of the banquet hall, suddenly nudged her with her elbow, and exclaimed in realization, "He wouldn't happen to be your husband, would he?"

Yin Xiao looked up and immediately saw Yi Zhiyan leaning against the wall with his head tilted back. He was holding his phone silently, his brows furrowed, and he irritably unbuttoned a few buttons on his shirt before letting his arm hang down and reaching into his pocket to rub it.

Her heart tightened for no reason, and she stared intently at his strong forearm, her gaze following it as it moved.

His forearm suddenly tightened, his fingers curled, and he pulled a golden sphere from his pocket.

Yin Xiao came to her senses and unconsciously loosened her clenched fingers little by little.

That's a chocolate, not a mint.

“Yes, it’s him.” Yin Xiao lifted the handbag that had slipped down to her arm, turned her head and pointed to the photo album in Jin Siya’s hand, and smiled gratefully, “Then I’ll go first, thank you for helping me.”

After saying goodbye to Jin Siya, she tiptoed around and was about to go to a corner to wait for Yi Zhiyan when he suddenly hung up the phone and turned to look at her.

The moment their eyes met, he curled the corners of his lips into a smile, and the ambient light on the wall shone obliquely on the side of his neck, casting a soft halo around it.

"Going home?"

Yi Zhiyan walked up to her, naturally put his arm around her, and led her outside.

"Hmm, you're driving? Should we call a designated driver?" Yin Xiao asked worriedly.

“Hu Jiaojiao has a car. I just sent him a message asking him to come back and take us home.”

Yin Xiao shook her head and sighed, "When I first met him, I really didn't expect that you two actually had a pretty good relationship."

"He's just a little kid."

Yi Zhiyan led her to the glass window by the door, and took out another golden chocolate from his pocket. "Want some?"

Yin Xiao smiled, raised her chin, and took the chocolate. Just as she unwrapped it, she suddenly heard someone call her name. She crumpled the candy wrapper and turned around.

"Cen Yiting? The party's over?" Yin Xiao looked at the group of girls walking towards her from behind, somewhat puzzled.

“It’s not over yet.” Cen Yiting, who was standing at the front, shook her head and glanced at the door with a smile. “My husband is waiting for me outside and keeps urging me, so I’m leaving first and will give them a ride home on the way.”

Her gaze then drifted back to what was in front of her, her bright eyes sweeping over Yi Zhiyan before she chuckled knowingly.

"This is your husband, Carter?"

When the nickname she had secretly changed was read aloud in public for the first time, it took Yin Xiao a while to react before she remembered to turn around and explain to Yi Zhiyan. As soon as she turned her head, she saw a hint of confusion in his delicate eyes.

He repeated the two words softly, as if holding them in his mouth to confirm, "Carter?"

Cen Yiting noticed his reaction and, as if discovering a new world, exaggeratedly covered her mouth, "Isn't it Carter? Did I say something wrong?"

She pointed at Yi Zhiyan and pressed, "So, is this your boyfriend, or is it Mr. Carter, whom you call your husband? Yin Xiao, you're not lying to two people..."

Yin Xiao felt increasingly uneasy. Were Cen Yiting's words implying that she was a womanizer? Was there something wrong with her deliberately saying things to cause misunderstandings…?

Did she offend this classmate in school, so she's deliberately trying to trip her up? But does she seem like the kind of person who suffers in silence? Ridiculous!

In a fit of rage, Yin Xiao, without thinking things through, waved her arm and retorted, "Stop pretending! Anyone with common sense can tell who he is. What effect are you trying to achieve by saying this? To see us fight? Fine, I'll grant your wish!"

She hooked her arm around Yi Zhiyan's neck and smiled insincerely, "Carter is my husband, sir, what do you think?"

"It's okay, I don't mind." Yi Zhiyan raised his hand and affectionately rubbed her cheek, suppressing her surging anger.

He turned his head again, smiled calmly at the person, "If Mr. Carter you just mentioned minds... that's perfect, he can give me his seat, I'd be more than happy to accept."

Yin Xiao's fake smile almost faltered, her eyelashes trembling rapidly.

What is he saying? He's talking nonsense, even more insane nonsense than she is.

Cen Yiting, sitting opposite her, gaped in shock for a few seconds before slowly managing to utter, "Damn, what kind of people are these..."

Before Yin Xiao could retort, Yi Zhiyan gently pulled her wrist and led her outside. The cold wind outside hit her face, and she instinctively leaned on his shoulder to keep warm.

As soon as Yin Xiao looked up, she saw Hu Jiao running towards her against the wind. The tuft of hair on his head was blown by the wind, making him look like a dandelion taking flight.

"Brother, sister-in-law..." Hu Jiao gasped for breath, "You, you're going to pay my driver's wages, aren't you?!"

“Sure, I’ll transfer it to you tomorrow.” Yi Zhiyan readily agreed and pulled Yin Xiao into the car.

Hu Jiao cheered and sat in the front seat, turning on the stereo. Upbeat electronic music filled the car, making the whole cabin lively.

Yin Xiao found it noisy and raised her hand to press her throbbing temples.

"Keep your voice down." Yi Zhiyan suddenly spoke up, patting Hu Jiao's shoulder without any politeness.

Yin Xiao lowered her hand and turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Yi Zhiyan lowered his head and moved closer. His eyes were bright, but the redness at the corners of his eyes had not completely disappeared, indicating that he was in a state of being half-drunk and half-awake.

"Don't you have anything you want to ask me?" Yin Xiao blinked.

Yi Zhiyan smiled and tapped her phone screen with his finger. "Why did you save my contact as Carter?"

“You know…” Yin Xiao was slightly taken aback, but then laughed when she saw the corners of his mouth turn up. “Guess what? Try saying it a few more times.”

Yi Zhiyan hesitated for a second, then began to mutter in a low voice, his tone flat and serious.

Yin Xiao leaned back in her chair, quietly staring at his focused profile.

"You like cats?" He suddenly turned his head and asked out of the blue.

Yin Xiao didn't react immediately, but nodded, "I like it."

Only after she finished speaking did she see his eyes clearly; they were like bright diamonds filled with water, clear and bright.

She smiled and replied earnestly.

"like."

—

The hot water washed away all her fatigue, and after the shower, Yin Xiao felt completely sober.

Many of Yin Xiao's high school classmates shared photos of today's gathering on WeChat Moments, but she didn't post anything. She just saved a photo of herself with Teacher Jin to her starred album.

After drying her hair, she picked up her phone, turned off the light in her bedroom, and headed towards Yi Zhiyan's room.

She couldn't say for sure if it was because she was worried about her parents coming to Anlin to raid her, but in any case, she had gotten used to sleeping in the same bed with Yi Zhiyan these past few days.

He and she developed a tacit understanding to share a bed.

Pushing open the door, an overly strong citrus scent wafted out from the crack.

Yin Xiao awkwardly raised her hand to cover her nose.

In the bedroom, Yi Zhiyan was still wearing a shirt, standing by the bed with his back to her, holding a light yellow sweater in his hands.

Yin Xiao stared at the sweater, her breath catching in her throat.

This is her sweater. She took it out of the closet before taking a shower, tossed it onto the living room sofa, and planned to wear it tomorrow.

How did it end up with Yi Zhiyan?

and……

Yin Xiao's mind went blank. She mechanically took a few steps forward, trying to confirm that what she was seeing was just an illusion.

But it doesn't seem to be a hallucination.

Yi Zhiyan kept her head down, her face buried in her sweater.

He was holding her sweater... and smelling it?

-----------------------

Author's Note: The next chapter will include the synopsis! Thank you for reading this far, everyone! [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]