Chapter 21

It was early autumn evening, the sky gradually darkening, and a cool evening breeze blew across the tree-lined avenue. Feng Ling had finished a long day of internship. Her shoulders were aching from the weight of her laptop bag, and her spirit was exhausted from the intense work. She walked back to school with a slightly heavy step, her mind still swirling with the details of her unfinished project plan.

Just as she was approaching the school gate and there were more and more people around, a deep and familiar voice, yet with a hint of strange magnetism, clearly penetrated the noise and fell into her ears.

"Seal the spirit."

Her heart skipped a beat. This voice... She turned her head suddenly and looked in the direction of the sound.

Beneath the dense shade of a nearby sycamore tree, a figure stood silently. He wore a simple black silk shirt and matching slim-fit trousers, accentuating his tall and slender figure. A black cap was pulled low over his shoulder-length, freshly dyed flaxen-blond, slightly curly hair. A tight black mask obscured his features, almost completely concealing them. Yet, even this simple attire couldn't conceal the exceptionally superior head-to-body ratio, the product of rigorous training and camera work, and the cool, alluring aura that emanated from him.

Even though he covered his eyes so tightly, Feng Ling recognized them at a glance - under the shadow of the hat brim, they were still surprisingly bright, like stars immersed in a cold pond, now staring at her steadily, without blinking.

"An Hesu!" Feng Ling opened her eyes wide in surprise. Almost subconsciously, she rushed over in a few quick steps. Without thinking too much, she grabbed his slightly cold wrist and lowered her voice, "Follow me!"

She almost half-pulled, half-dragged him, quickly leading him away from the busy main road and into a dimly lit, deserted alley next to the school gate.

Only after confirming that the deep alley was safe and there was no one around did Feng Ling let go of his hand, he breathed a long sigh of relief, turned around, and with a bit of fear and anger, met the pair of eyes that became even deeper in the dimness.

"Why did you come here like this? Aren't you afraid of being discovered?"

Ankhsu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he raised his hand and slowly removed his mask. His face, completely revealed beneath the brim of his hat, had lost the last trace of his youthful immaturity. His features were more defined, his skin was cold and pale, and his handsomeness was almost aggressive. He looked at her with a gaze like a still lake, yet undercurrents surged deep within.

"Long time no see." He spoke, his voice a little deeper than he remembered, with a pleasant and magnetic tone that came from professional training.

Feng Ling looked at his familiar yet unfamiliar face, feeling mixed emotions. She tried to raise a natural smile: "Yes, welcome back."

"Are you okay...being alone?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face carefully, as if confirming something.

Feng Ling was stunned, and keenly caught the message in his words: "How do you know I'm alone?"

An Hesu was silent for a moment before calmly stating, "I was in Korea and met Qiqi."

Hearing the name uttered by the person before her, Feng Ling's heart tightened, a belated, familiar pang of bitterness rising. But she quickly caught her breath, trying to maintain a relaxed expression, even shrugging. "Oh. I'm fine. Internship, thesis, very busy and fulfilling."

She didn't want to dwell on this topic, so she immediately changed the subject, jokingly imitating the enthusiastic tone of fans online, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "I know, you're good too. Our Nyan is the most handsome~ He's simply insane!"

Seeing her deliberately annoyed expression, Anhesu's expressionless face twitched slightly, forming a very faint but real arc. His usually cold eyes seemed to thaw, and a hint of imperceptible warmth seeped out.

This subtle change did not escape Feng Ling's eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere finally became less tense.

"You..." She hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "Are you okay running away secretly? Won't your agent look for you?"

"I have an hour of free time." He said briefly, his eyes still lingering on her face, as if he couldn't see enough. "I wanted to come see you."

The straightforward words moved Feng Ling's heart. She looked at him. The young man before her had long since shed his former gloom and fragility, becoming strong and dazzling. However, the persistence hidden beneath his silence seemed to have never changed.

"I saw it, so lively and energetic." Feng Ling smiled and pointed at himself, "Don't take such risks in the future. It will be troublesome if you get photographed."

An Hesu didn't comment, but took out his mobile phone from his pocket, operated it a few times, and then handed it to her. There was a brand new QR code on the screen.

"Here's my personal contact information," he said, his tone brooking no refusal. "Use this."

Feng Ling looked at the QR code, then at the undeniable determination in his eyes, knowing this wasn't a negotiation. She pulled out her phone, silently scanned the code, and sent a friend request. Almost the next second, a notification chimed, signaling he'd passed verification.

"In the future...if you need anything at work, or if you encounter any trouble, you can come to me." He put away his phone, and his tone returned to his usual calmness, but he found the most reasonable and least likely to be rejected excuse for his next words.

Feng Ling looked at him, understanding clearly. He was using his own way to rebuild a bridge between them. A bridge that belonged to the adult world, a more stable and more private one.

"Okay, got it." She didn't expose him, but just nodded, "Big star, please take care of me in the future."

As the night deepened, the streetlights at the alley entrance shone in obliquely, outlining a hazy edge of light on his body.

"I should go back." An Hesu put on his mask again, leaving only a pair of deep eyes looking at her.

"Well, go back quickly and be careful." Feng Ling waved at him.

He looked at her deeply, as if he wanted to engrave her at this moment in his mind again, then he turned around and disappeared calmly into the shadows at the alley entrance, as quietly as he had come.

Feng Ling stood alone in the dim alley, staring at the brand new chat box on his phone labeled "An Hesu," feeling a mixture of emotions. The gears of fate seemed to slowly begin turning once again the moment he took off his mask.