In the pitch-black night, under the streetlights, the rain continued to fall incessantly.

The neon lights in the distance are colorful and vibrant, a scene of bustling prosperity.

Jiang Fei hurriedly left the restaurant, walking alone in the rain, looking dazed, pale, and her slightly curly hair was soaked by the rain.

Across from the restaurant, a black sedan was parked on the side of the road, its hazard lights flashing intermittently.

Jiang Cuo sat in the back seat of the car, slowly observing the girl who came out of the restaurant and the couple who had just hugged inside. His gaze finally settled on the boy in the white shirt and black pants, and he gave a harmless laugh after a long while.

So, this is what rich heiresses like?

"Young Master, are you still going to follow us?" the driver in the front seat suddenly asked. "Mr. Jiang is probably almost home. What if he finds you haven't gone back yet..."

Jiang Cuo snapped out of his reverie upon hearing the words "Mr. Jiang," his disgust vanishing in an instant. After a moment of contemplation, he picked up a black umbrella from the side, got up, and got out of the car.

Jiang Fei only felt that the rain had stopped.

She looked up blankly, and a black umbrella was held over her head. Turning her head, she saw Jiang Cuo looking at her cautiously, her delicate eyebrows and eyes filled with obedience: "Sister?"

Jiang Fei pursed her lips. She had already heard the system report that Jiang Cuo was nearby, and after a little thought, she guessed that he must be following her.

Seeing the boy blocking her way, she still showed utter surprise and lowered her head, not wanting anyone to notice her sadness: "What are you doing here?"

“I was on my way home when I ran into my sister,” Jiang Cuo smiled and tilted his head. After a moment of thought, he asked with concern in his eyes, “Are you alright?” He reached out to wipe the raindrops from his cheek.

Jiang Fei realized what was happening and quickly took a half-step back: "I'm fine."

Jiang Cuo's hand remained frozen in mid-air, her expression showing no sign of unease. She smiled quietly and withdrew her hand, then, after a moment's thought, placed the umbrella in Jiang Fei's hand, saying, "I need to go home. Sister, please take this umbrella for now."

Jiang Fei was taken aback.

Jiang Cuo pointed to the black sedan with its lights flashing in the distance: "The driver is still waiting for me."

Jiang Fei pursed her lips: "Thank you."

Jiang Cuo shook his head and watched her leave.

Just as he reached the corner ahead, Jiang Fei suddenly turned around, holding her umbrella, smiled at him with her eyes crinkled, and then turned away, her figure disappearing completely around the corner.

Jiang Cuo narrowed his eyes slightly, and for a moment, he seemed to see the little girl who had turned around and smiled at him ten years ago.

The world was gloomy and dark, but she was like a ray of dazzling sunlight, barging into his eyes and becoming a thorn in his side for the past ten years.

Jiang Cuo's favorability rating: -35.

It's dropped again.

Jiang Fei listened to the system's voice and sneered inwardly.

Jiangcuo, a person with an extremely twisted mind, cannot bear to see anything or anyone beautiful.

It's hopeless.

He's only putting on an act for her now in order to ruin her.

It's so boring to just destroy someone directly. Let her enjoy tenderness and favoritism first, and then strip her of everything and throw her into hell. That's much more satisfying.

What a coincidence.

That's what she thought too.

When Jiang Fei returned home, her father was already back and was discussing something with Aunt Wen in the main hall. Hearing the door open, the two of them looked at her almost simultaneously, and after seeing her appearance, they frowned.

"Jiang Jiang, what happened?" Aunt Wen stood up and looked at her worriedly. "Why are you all wet? Go take a shower first..."

“I’m fine, Aunt Wen,” Jiang Fei shook her head, smiled at Aunt Wen and her father, and handed the umbrella to Aunt Wen. “I forgot to bring my umbrella today. This umbrella was given to me by Xiao Cuo when we met on the road.”

Wenjuan was taken aback when she heard this. She turned her head and exchanged a glance with Jiang's father, and saw relief in each other's eyes.

No one wanted the two children to get along better than they did.

"Dad, can I talk to you about something?" Jiang Fei pursed her lips and looked at her father.

Jiang's father looked at Jiang Fei, who was rarely so downcast, with concern and nodded.

Jiang Fei paused for a moment, then said, "Dad, I don't want to go to school before the final exams."

Father Jiang asked in surprise, "What happened?"

Jiang Fei shook her head: "It's just that... I've finished all the courses, so I can review them at home."

Looking at her pale face, Mr. Jiang guessed that something must have happened, but seeing her unwillingness to talk about it, he didn't press her further and nodded again: "Dad will hire a tutor for you to help you review your lessons at home."

Jiang Fei smiled and said, "Okay."

Mr. Jiang patted her arm: "By the way, Jiang Jiang, in a few days your father and Aunt Wen are discussing going to stay at the house in Dongcheng for a holiday. It's closer to Xiao Cuo's house there, so he won't have to travel across half the city all the time. What do you think?"

Jiang Fei's eyes lit up slightly: "Okay."

It came without any effort.

Coincidentally, they avoided Song Yan and were not far from Jiang Cuo.

...

Near the restaurant.

Song Yan stood in the rain, clutching that familiar umbrella, and glanced around.

Jiang Fei has disappeared.

I just saw him with Ruan Tang, and he even lied to her about going to work tonight. She must be angry, right?

After an unknown amount of time, Song Yan stared blankly down at the umbrella in his hand.

It's raining tonight, and she was worried he'd get wet on the way, so she came to bring him an umbrella.

Just like that rainy night, she came out to find him and delivered the rest of his takeout.

"Song Yan..." Ruan Tang finally caught up from behind, panting, and held a floral umbrella over his head. "Why didn't you use an umbrella..."

Song Yan almost reflexively moved aside.

Ruan Tang paused for a moment, then stopped talking abruptly.

Song Yan said in a low voice, "From now on, don't waste your energy on me anymore."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Ruan Tang was left alone, staring straight at his retreating figure, her eyes brimming with tears.

She couldn't understand why her seven years of feelings for him were so easily rejected.

When Song Yan got home, the clock had just struck ten.

Grandma was already asleep; the narrow room was dark and silent.

Song Yan turned on the light and immediately saw the towel Jiang Fei had used to apply a hot compress to her grandmother's legs, neatly folded, on the coffee table.

He stepped forward, gently touched the towel, and smiled inexplicably. It was obviously folded by Jiang Fei.

In fact, apart from forcing him to stay by her side and compelling him to do intimate things, she didn't do anything excessive.

She cured her grandmother's eyes, never pitied or regretted his work, would bring him lunch, bringing laughter to the house that had been silent for more than ten years, and would even... cook lean meat porridge for him.

Lying in bed, Song Yan thought to himself before falling asleep, "I'll explain this to her properly when I get to school tomorrow."

He will not have any further contact with Ruan Tang until he has repaid her debts.

The next morning, Song Yan prepared two breakfasts and went to the classroom early.

This is the first time he has brought breakfast since the matter was "written off".

However, the room remained empty, and when class started, Jiang Fei still hadn't appeared.

Song Yan stared blankly at the seat next to him, feeling inexplicably uneasy.

He was alone at lunchtime as usual.

Jiang Fei did not appear all day.

In the evening, Song Yan rode his bicycle home. The back seat was empty; no one was there to ignore his resistance and insist on putting their arms around his waist anymore.

After preparing the ingredients for dinner, Song Yan went to work. When he returned, only his grandmother asked him in confusion, "Why didn't Fei Fei come?"

He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer, so he fled back to his room as if in a panic.

The room was dark and empty.

He thought, let's wait a little longer.

It's the end of the semester now, and Jiang Fei wouldn't skip school at this time.

But the next day, the third day...

Jiang Fei never appeared at school again, and her cell phone number became disconnected.

The seat next to him was empty; apart from Jiang Fei, no one insisted on sitting next to him.

fine.

He must feel very relaxed.

He only needed to work hard to earn enough money so that when he saw Jiang Fei again, he could settle all the accounts one by one and pay her back. From then on, this forced relationship would be a thing of the past, as if nothing had ever happened.

However, there was no relief; he was even in a daze every day, with Jiang Fei's shadow everywhere.

During class, when she was bored, she would forcefully grab his hand and casually play with his fingers;

During breaks, she would hold up books to block the view of those around her and "diligently" engage in what she called "practice" with him.

During lunch, he sat behind the rockery, and sometimes when he looked down, he felt that she was still resting her head on his knees, wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, and urging him to lower his head to be affectionate.

After school, she would ignore everyone's gaze and put her arm around his waist;

When she gets home, she sits on the sofa with her grandmother, chattering and laughing in her clear voice, making the old woman smile from ear to ear;

While working, he would play the piano and unconsciously glance at the nearest dining table. She used to sit there quietly watching him, but now someone else was there...

Jiang Fei was clearly not there, yet Jiang Fei was everywhere.

Even when lying in bed at night, you can still smell that deep and dangerous fragrance.

Song Yan got up angrily and stuffed the pillow and blanket she used to sleep on, along with the white dress she always forgot to return, into the back of the room.

He thought, "That's it, everything will be alright."

This "nightmare" with Jiang Fei will be short-lived and will soon be over.

However, he became increasingly averse to getting close to anyone, including Ruan Tang.

He always stays quietly alone in a corner. He used to say a few words a day, but now he rarely speaks.

When I get home, I often just stare blankly at the ceiling with a blank expression.

On this day, as the semester was about to end, Song Yan went to school as usual and ran into several classmates who were whispering about something. He only vaguely heard the name "Jiang Fei".

He suddenly stopped beside the group, startling them. They looked at him in surprise: "Student Song?"

Song Yan remained silent for a long time before finally hearing his own hoarse voice: "Jiang Fei?"

The man hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "I heard that Jiang Fei won't be coming to school this semester. The Jiang family has hired a tutor, and he's studying at home."

Song Yan nodded his thanks and then left.

As the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, she has the right to be spoiled; she can learn whatever she wants and not learn whatever she doesn't want to.

She's always like that.

Just like how she could treat Shen Fang like a plaything on a whim, and then leave without a second thought when she lost interest.

But he can't.

He has no right to act recklessly.

He and she... were originally from two different worlds.

However, Song Yan skipped class that afternoon.

This is the second time I've skipped class since starting school.

He went to the villa area he had visited many times before.

Back then, I was forced to send her off; this time, I came voluntarily.

The gate to the Jiang family's villa was locked, and the inside was deserted.

It wasn't until he met the cleaning lady who came regularly that he learned that Mr. Jiang's family had some urgent matters to attend to and had decided to move to another place for a while. As for where they went, she didn't know.

They moved away.

Song Yan sat on the stone bench at the entrance of the villa until evening, thinking to himself: as long as I earn enough money to repay her, we will be even, and I won't have to be forced to do anything by her anymore. That's good.

After returning home, Song Yan continued to work, study, take care of her grandmother, and work hard to earn money.

That evening, he went to the restaurant to play the piano again, and someone asked him to play a piece.

prisoner.

Song Yan looked almost immediately at the person who had chosen the piece.

A strange girl.

Song Yan withdrew his gaze, shook his head after a long while, and refused.

He loathed the piece, as if it constantly reminded him that he was Jiang Fei's prisoner.

He never was.

That night, after returning home, Song Yan fell into a daze and fell asleep. In his half-awake state, his phone rang.

He glanced at the time; it was 2 a.m.

A text message simply read: Grandma's eyes are fine now.

Song Yan stared at the text message, gripped his phone tightly, and dialed back almost instantly.

The number is a virtual number.

Song Yan quietly turned off her phone and lay back down on the bed, but she couldn't fall asleep anymore, and even her breathing became rapid.

In his dazed state, he suddenly remembered something Jiang Fei had once said: she said she wasn't very patient.

Her patience was indeed terrible.

She ruined him to this point, and then turned and left without a second thought.

Song Yan, who had been lying upright on the bed, began to curl up. It felt as if feathers were gently tickling his heart, causing him unbearable discomfort, like an addict.

Finally, Song Yan suddenly sat up in bed, staring blankly at the darkness outside the window. After a long while, he walked to the wardrobe, took out the pillowcase hidden at the very back, and gently leaned against it, smelling the scent that had long since faded.

A mixture of resentment and panting came out from between his teeth.

"Jiang Fei."

Song Yan had the best sleep he'd had in a while, and when he woke up the next day, he was still hugging that same blanket.

He stood there stunned for a while before suddenly realizing what was happening. He threw the blanket aside, still not satisfied, and crumpled it into a ball before throwing it back into the corner.

He shouldn't have done that.

He should continue with his life; it doesn't matter whether she's there or not.

He should return to his previous life as soon as possible.

He definitely can do it too!

There was a knock on the door.

After Song Yan straightened his clothes and opened the door, there he was again, the aloof and indifferent boy in a white shirt.

He glanced at the group of well-dressed but respectful men outside the door and frowned slightly: "Who are you looking for?"

The leading man looked at him: "Young Master Song Yan?"

...

Meanwhile, Jiang Fei, who was leisurely eating fruit in his villa in the east of Jiangjia City, heard the system's report:

Song Yan's favorability rating: 80.