Xu Jingyan couldn't hide her joy. She carefully saved Qiu Mang's phone number and then used it to search for the corresponding WeChat account.

Qiu Mang was lying in bed, just about to fall asleep, when he suddenly heard his phone vibrate. He quickly picked it up and looked at it.

It wasn't Lu Yanting, but... but surprisingly, it was Xu Jingyan who added her as a friend?

Almost immediately, Xu Jingyan sent a message: [Qiu Mang, this is Xu Jingyan. I really didn't expect you to still be awake so late. Did I disturb you?]

Qiu Mang rubbed her sleepy eyes, tapped the screen lightly, and replied: "I was just about to go to sleep when I saw your message."

Immediately after, Xu Jingyan's second message popped up: [Qiu Mang, I know you and Yan Ting have a good relationship. Actually, I've always wanted to be friends with you. If you have time in the future, could we go shopping together?]

Qiu Mang stared at her phone screen, feeling somewhat lost. She was shopping with Xu Jingyan?

However, out of politeness, she replied, "Okay."

Xu Jingyan looked at the message on her phone, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Okay, let's meet up another day. It's late, you should get some rest!"

After sending the message, Xu Jingyan put her phone aside.

At the same time, Lu Yanting's phone rang. He answered the call; it was about work, and his expression gradually became serious.

Just as he was about to get up, Xu Jingyan seemed to sense something and suddenly jumped out of bed, grabbing his arm tightly with both hands.

"Yan Ting..."

Lu Yanting paused, took a deep breath, and said, "Jingyan, don't worry. It's just that there are some urgent documents at the company that need to be processed. I'll go back across the street to get my computer and come back to be with you soon. Don't worry."

Xu Jingyan slowly loosened her fingers, nodded gently, and said with a hint of apology in her eyes, "Yanting, I'm sorry. When people get sick and become vulnerable, they unconsciously rely on the people around them."

Lu Yanting nodded slightly. "I know."

Not long after, Lu Yanting returned home, took a quick shower, changed into a loose and comfortable light gray loungewear, and then took his computer back to Xu Jingyan's house.

The moment the door opened, Xu Jingyan looked up, her eyes instantly filling with a smile.

"Aren't you going to sleep yet?" Lu Yanting walked into the room, his gaze falling on her, his face calm.

"Being alone makes me a little anxious, and I can't sleep..." Xu Jingyan lowered her eyes, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible fragility.

"I'm here, you can sleep peacefully." Lu Yanting said as he sat down on the edge of the bed, placed the computer on his lap, and began to work quickly on the keyboard with his long, slender fingers.

Xu Jingyan nodded obediently, lay down on her side, but her gaze quietly fell on the focused expression of the man beside her, and she was momentarily lost in thought.

Suddenly, as if she remembered something, her eyes shifted slightly, and she quietly reached under her pillow, took out her phone, and secretly snapped a photo.

Immediately afterwards, he quickly typed a message on the screen, and after a moment's hesitation, set the visibility to only Qiu Mang.

Meanwhile, Qiu Mang couldn't fall asleep after receiving the last message from Xu Jingyan.

In her distress, she habitually opened her WeChat Moments, and after swiping her fingers for a few seconds, a photo unexpectedly appeared in her view.

In the photo, warm yellow light shines down, outlining the profile of a man sitting on the edge of the bed, working intently.

The man's profile was handsome and strong. His light gray loungewear made him look even more casual yet stylish. His long, slender fingers tapped on the keyboard. Even though it was just a profile, Qiu Mang recognized the person in the photo at first glance.

Qiu Mang slowly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she was trying her best to suppress some kind of emotion. Late at night, Lu Yanting actually appeared in Xu Jingyan's room. A man and a woman alone in a room—anyone who saw this would not believe that their relationship was innocent.

Qiu Mang's gaze returned to her phone screen, landing on the messages Lu Yanting had sent her that day. Every word felt like a sharp needle, piercing her heart with a dense, persistent pain.

It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her throat tightly, a wave of bitterness welled up in her eyes, and her vision instantly blurred with a misty fog. It was as if something heavy was rapidly falling into her heart, ready to shatter it into pieces the next second.

Qiu Mang thought about it all night, remembering the agreement they had made: once Lu Yanting had a girlfriend or a marriage partner, their agreement would end.

Now that I think about it, since he and Xu Jingyan are already together, they should be making an official announcement soon. It's time for me to step aside, isn't it?

So, Qiu Mang sent Lu Yanting a message: "Is our agreement over? It doesn't seem appropriate for me to stay in your house anymore. I'll move out once I find a place."

After sending the message and receiving no response, Qiu Mang put her phone aside, closed her eyes, and forced herself to fall asleep.

This should have been a happy thing, she would soon be free again, but why did she feel a little sad?

The next day, Qiu Li got up early, dressed herself, and ran to Qiu Mang's room.

Upon entering, they found Qiu Mang still asleep.

"Sister! Get up! Get up quickly! Sister! The sun is already high in the sky!" Qiu Li skipped over to the bedside, leaned close to Qiu Mang's ear, and shouted loudly.

Qiu Mang felt a little dizzy and her ears were ringing. She impatiently turned over and pulled the blanket over her head.

"Sister, you lazybones, get up now! If you don't get up, I'm going to pull off the covers!"

Qiu Li's face turned bright red, and she pretended to be angry by frowning. She reached out her little hand to grab a corner of the blanket.

Unexpectedly, when her fingers touched Qiu Mang's forehead, a wave of intense heat instantly washed over her, making her fingertips tremble.

Qiu Li seemed to be frightened by something terrifying. She immediately withdrew her hand, tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, and she burst into tears.

Back in her hometown, she knew that a fever was a serious illness that could make people feel very uncomfortable.

But today her sister has a fever. Looking around, she is all alone in the empty house. Her sister is usually her pillar of support, but now that she has no one to rely on, she is so anxious that tears are welling up in her eyes.

"Oh right, find the big brother, he'll definitely come to help!"

As if grasping at a straw, Qiu Li muttered to herself as she frantically raised her wrist, her fingers trembling as she pressed the familiar number on her phone screen and dialed Lu Yanting's number.