Wei Yu's tone softened little by little, which also softened Ji Junyao's glare.

He lessened his grip, but still didn't let go of her.

She stopped struggling and obediently let him hold her in his arms, like a lazy little kitten, both obedient and stubborn.

"You only speak to me so kindly at times like this." The man released her, his tone tinged with helplessness, and gently stroked her hair with his large, warm hand.

She used an excellent hair dye, and although it had been on for some time, the color remained so pure, but it masked her original, most authentic self.

Wei Yu ignored his words, not wanting to dwell on such a meaningless topic, and asked, "Can I leave now?"

Ji Junyao nodded: "Mm."

Wei Yu turned and left without hesitation, but after only two steps, she was restrained. Ji Junyao's hand was still holding her wrist. Although the force was very light and she could not feel it, she just could not break free.

"Hmm?" She turned her head, puzzled. "Is there anything else you want to say?"

Ji Junyao said affirmatively, "Yes."

"Then tell me quickly, I have to go back after I tell you."

Wei Yu stood still, not going back. The two of them spread their arms wide, creating a large distance between them.

Anyone could come into the bathroom at any moment. With each sound, Wei Yu's tension increased. She silently counted down the seconds in her mind: one second, two seconds, three seconds... She couldn't count down for more than ten seconds. "Just say what you want to say!"

She hates people who dawdle the most.

Why are you pretending to be silent, you grown man?

Annoying!

Seeing her anxious expression, as if she wished he would disappear immediately, Ji Junyao asked, "How can I continue the conversation when you're so agitated whenever you see me?"

Wei Yu: "..."

If you just tell me already, I won't be annoyed anymore.

The more you act like this, the more annoyed I get.

I'm so annoyed!

"No way! I was just worried that everyone had been waiting for me for too long. You know, this isn't an ordinary competition, it's a variety show. What is a variety show? It's about showing another side of yourself in front of the camera, right? I've been living under the camera for the past two weeks, so I have to maintain my image at all times and can't show even the slightest bit of something wrong, right?"

Wei Yu forced a smile and said these words with great difficulty.

Ji Junyao knew her better than he knew himself. Her smiles were either a shallow layer that didn't reach her eyes, polite and distant, or like this now, a forced smile, self-deprecating yet stubborn, as if she always wore a mask, covering herself up completely and keeping people at a distance.

Looking at her like this, he felt somewhat helpless, and a certain spot began to ache again. "Wei Yu, I know you don't want to see me, but I... I want to see you, so I came."

I want to see her, I'm going crazy with longing.

Returning to the empty house, filled with her presence yet unseen and untouchable, he compressed his work and worked day and night, buying the earliest available plane ticket to fly here. Even knowing she didn't want to see him, he still came. Just seeing her, regardless of her expression, was enough to satisfy him.

“You…” Wei Yu withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyes, and her long, butterfly-like eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes. “Now that you’ve seen me, shouldn’t it be alright?”

How can it be just a fleeting glimpse?

He pulled her back to me and held her tightly in his arms.