Chapter 18

The scent of roses is wonderful...

In the middle of the night, Pei Yanxi gently pulled Yun Zhan into her arms. Yun Zhan's face was pressed against her chest, and she could feel his breath rising and falling beneath the soft satin, one breath after another, like the waves crashing on the shore.

She didn't want to bury herself there, but Senior Pei's...that place...was actually quite comfortable.

Yun Zhan's eyelashes trembled violently, his ears burned, and his whole body stiffened in the quilt, unsure whether he should move or not—afraid of waking Pei Yanxi, but also not wanting to be covered by the big white rabbit.

Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum, and she was afraid that Pei Yanxi would hear her, so she became careful with her breathing.

She noticed Yun Zhan's unusual behavior and chuckled softly, her voice like honey melting in the night: "What's there to be nervous about? I'm not going to eat you."

As she spoke, she tightened her arms around him, causing Yun Zhan's head to sink into her shoulder.

Pei Yanxi's long hair fell down, carrying a warm fragrance, covering Yun Zhan's profile like a soft net.

She sighed contentedly, her eyes curving into crescents, even her breath trailing off. This little guy, Yun Zhan... he's quite comfortable to hold.

Yun Zhan in her arms stiffened for a moment, but eventually softened little by little under her rhythmic patting. She didn't dare to disobey Pei Yanxi, after all... she was the one who hurt Pei Yanxi, so let's leave it at that for tonight.

Yun Zhan snorted inwardly, biting his lip, thinking he'd let her have her for one night, and next time he wouldn't be drowning in face wash... In the end, Yun Zhan became obedient, like snow falling into warm water, only the red tips of his ears stubbornly shining.

...

Yun Zhan didn't sleep all night. When the morning light broke through the sky, she realized that the person next to her had let go of her and gotten out of bed. After a while, Yun Zhan pretended to rub her eyes, yawned, and got out of bed.

Pei Yanxi wore black patent leather high heels and a black long dress that hugged her body. The neckline opened up to two fingers below her collarbone, and her fair skin shone with a porcelain-like luster under the light.

Today, she didn't tie her long hair up, but let it cascade down to her waist. The straight black hair carried a certain weight, sliding between her shoulders and back with each step, like a silent tide lapping against the shore. The ends of her hair brushed past her waist, occasionally catching the extremely thin metal chain on the side of her skirt, making a barely audible tinkling sound.

21: Wow, dressed so elegantly and sexily first thing in the morning, I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful woman!

Yun Zhan: ...Didn't I tell you to turn off your phone?

Yun Zhan turned his gaze back to Pei Yanxi: "Senior, is there anything important on your mind today?"

Pei Yanxi raised her hand to brush her hair, her long nails were jet black, and her fingertips brushed past her ears, revealing ice diamond earrings that hung above her collarbone: "There is an event you need to attend this morning, so I will take you back to school first. Study hard at school, especially in the afternoon, make good use of your time."

The cool light from the vanity mirror reflected into her slightly upturned, narrow eyes, and her lips were still a matte, dark red like ripe berries.

She looked at Yun Zhan's expression through the mirror and told him to study hard in the afternoon... hoping that Yun Zhan could understand what she meant.

"Okay, I will definitely study hard."

Yun Zhan agreed very quickly.

Pei Yanxi smiled slightly, nodded gently, and after having breakfast with Yun Zhan, she took her back to school.

After a while, a dark graphite Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate quietly parked under the sycamore trees by the school gate. The length of the car was not ostentatious, but it cast a long and restrained shadow in the morning light. The owner had discreetly removed the hood ornament, leaving only a palm-sized star emblem. Several older female students recognized it at a glance as Pei Yanxi's car.

Yun Zhan got out of the car as soon as he arrived at the door.

Before leaving, Pei Yanxi gave a few more words of advice: "Remember to study hard and don't get distracted."

"Okay, okay."

Yun Zhan waved to her and jogged into the classroom. After attending a few classes attentively, the senior students who had asked her to clean the resource room last time appeared at the door of her classroom.

Jiang Yanmo nudged Yun Zhan: "Those senior girls won't come looking for trouble with you again, will they? Last time during the holidays they made you clean up."

Jiang Yanmo wanted to help Yun Zhan, but Yun Zhan declined, as she didn't want to owe him a favor.

"I'll go out and see for myself."

The senior female students were no longer as imposing as before. When they saw Yun Zhan come out, they immediately stood in a group and put on a fawning expression.

The girl in the lead had a fake apology in her eyes. She bent down slightly and said softly and gently to Yun Zhan, "I'm sorry, junior. It was our mistake to ask you to clean the archives room before. That was our job. We won't trouble you anymore. Also, this is a small token of our appreciation. We hope you can accept it."

The girl handed Yun Zhan a luxury handbag; it contained a bag from a certain luxury brand.

Yun Zhan glanced at the logo; it looked to be worth several hundred thousand. There was still a risk in accepting it.

"I accept the apology, but I won't accept the gift. I can't accept something for nothing." Yun Zhan was about to turn around and go back when several senior female students became anxious.

They grabbed Yun Zhan's sleeve in a panic, almost crying: "Junior Sister Yun, if you don't accept it, we're doomed!"

Senior Pei called this morning specifically to tell them, word by word, that they needed to "apologize!"

Yun Zhan noticed the fear in their eyes; it seemed that no one but Pei Yanxi could frighten them so much. After Yun Zhan accepted the gift, the senior students finally showed expressions of relief; this little incident was over.

In the afternoon classroom, Yun Zhan lay on the desk, his body exuding a faint minty scent.

Wen Sixue sat in the front row, but kept glancing at Yun Zhan's location. Suddenly, she made up her mind and put her canvas bag upside down on her lap.

A thin ticket stub was held between the fingertips, as if afraid it would fly away, yet not daring to hold it too tightly.

Wen Sixue, dressed in a long dress, quietly stood beside Yun Zhan. The breeze lifted the hem of her dress, and a faint jasmine fragrance filled the air: "...Tomorrow night, Chunxi Garden."

Wen Sixue's voice was as soft as if she were testing a microphone, but the last syllable spun quietly and landed on the wooden floor.

When she handed it over, the back of her hand turned red first.

The ticket was light pink with gold foil trim, but she pinched it so that it curled slightly, like a newly opened peony, as if afraid that people would see the stamen.

She lowered her eyelashes, leaving only a slit to peek at Yun Zhan's expression—her eyelashes fluttered, then fluttered again, like two small fans, fanning the room with her barely concealed anticipation.

Sister Yun took it, and Wen Sixue's knuckles unconsciously rubbed against Yun Zhan's palm, like a cat tentatively extending its paw.

"If...if you're not free, or—"

Before she could finish speaking, Wen Sixue shook her head, her ears turning even redder, and her voice so low it was almost inaudible, "Come whenever you have time."

After saying that, she put her hands behind her back, twisting the ribbon of her skirt with her fingertips. She said, "I'll come whenever I have time," but Yun Zhan noticed that her eyes were bright, and the starlight in them made it clear that she didn't seem indifferent at all.

When Wen Sixue looked at her, she only saw her reflection, and even through the crowd, she insisted on seeing Yun Zhan alone.

Yun Zhan smiled and put the ticket in his pocket: "I will definitely come, don't worry."

After visiting Wen Sixue's home last time, Yun Zhan rented an apartment for Wen Sixue in an upscale neighborhood the next day. He also installed surveillance cameras and a security door. He would go over every few days to cook for Wen Sixue and help her clean.

Yun Zhan felt that Wen Sixue was getting closer to him, which made him quite happy. He felt that he was one step closer to completing his mission.

When school was over, 21 reminded her, "Didn't you promise Senior Pei you'd study hard? You went to see Wen's performance again, huh~"

"I've been studying hard, I listen attentively in class, and my grades have been pretty good lately." Yun Zhan snorted lightly before saying, "Watching the performance is for a balance between work and rest, and Wen Sixue is the female lead, so I also need to fulfill my promise to her."

Pei Yanxi told Yun Zhan to study hard, and he did.

Wen Sixue asked her to come see him, and Yun Zhan had to do the same.

In short, Yun Zhan believed that everyone should be treated equally.

21: "You're amazing, a master of impartiality. You'd better be careful not to let Pei Yanxi find out."

Chunxi Theater - First performance not yet started.

The theater was unusually lively today, especially around the stage on the first floor, where a row of camera lenses, with telephoto and telephoto lenses all aimed at the stage, leaned against the newly painted vermilion railing.

Yun Zhan overheard someone nearby saying that Wen Sixue was going to perform a classic opera today.

The photographers in vests passed cigarettes to each other, and with a hiss of a match, the light ignited the excitement in their eyes: "We heard that after tonight's performance, Miss Xue will be doing an interview in a cheongsam. We're in for a treat!"

In a corner, an elderly audience member in a long gown set up a tripod, still holding the lens cap on, and pressed the shutter on the beautifully decorated stage, his face crinkling with laughter: "Miss Xue is going to sing 'The Matchmaker' tonight, we must record it carefully."

Yun Zhan silently sipped the wine on the table. She sat in the VIP section when a male voice suddenly came from beside her: "Miss Xue is so beautiful. You couldn't forget her after just one meeting. After the event, why don't you ask her out?"

The man who was called was impeccably dressed in a suit, with a pen clipped to his lapel. He smiled, took a sip of his drink, and replied, "Miss Xue is hard to get an appointment with, unlike the other women you've encountered."

Yun Zhan felt a little uncomfortable listening to this, and just as he frowned, he received a call from Wen Sixue.

Wen Sixue's voice was like the first snow falling into a warm porcelain cup, melting at the slightest touch.

"Yun Zhan...I'll come to see you soon..." Wen Sixue called her name, first a very thin breath, cool with mint, quietly slipping out from between her teeth.

Further down, it's like a flute on a spring night, its low notes penetrating deep into the heart, and its melodious tones suddenly softening with a touch of sweetness.

The man beside her looked up, paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Are you Miss Xue's friend? Or something else...?"

The atmosphere in Yue Du is open, and Miss Ting Xue's voice doesn't sound like a friend... more like she's being coquettish.

The man was Song Qi, an editor at a newly opened newspaper in Yue Du. He had recently written three articles titled "To Miss Xue," each line incredibly sensual and provocative. Hearing Wen Sixue address Yun Zhan like that naturally made him uncomfortable.

Song Qi was carrying a bottle of unlabeled foreign liquor, with water droplets clinging to the bottle. He raised his chin and asked, "Want a drink?"

Yun Zhan's temper flared up as well, and he simply pushed the glass in his hand forward: "It's just foreign liquor, of course I can drink it."

The two people each occupied a corner of the small square table at the alley entrance. The light bulb was hung low, making their shadows short.

Song Qi poured first, and the amber liquid "plop" into the coarse porcelain cup, filling it to the brim, the overflowing wine trickling down the cracks in the table.

Yun Zhan didn't even lift his eyelids as he also poured—the glasses clinked together with a crisp "clang," and the wine splashed up, shattering into gold dust under the lamplight.

Yun Zhan downed her first glass in one gulp. The strong liquor rolled down her throat, and the burning sensation made her throat tighten. The bottom of the glass hit the table, making the light bulb filament sway.

With a smile that held a hint of sarcasm, Song Qi said, “Miss has a good capacity for alcohol, have another cup.”

Yun Zhan raised his hand, his sleeve slipping down to reveal an old scar on his arm—a scar from when he shielded Wen Sixue from boiling water. Yun Zhan tilted his head back and downed the cup, then turned it upside down, the wine dripping between his fingers.

For the third cup, Song Qi slowly unscrewed the second bottle, and with a "pop," white steam rushed out.

"I heard Miss Xue is going to sing 'The Flower and the Matchmaker' today," he paused, his gaze sweeping over the high walls of the theater, "and guess who she's singing it for?"

Yun Zhan finally looked up, then chuckled softly, "Anyway, it's not for you."

Yun Zhan stopped drinking and instead grabbed Song Qi's bottle neck. With a sharp crack, he broke off a piece of the bottle neck with his bare hands, the glass shards flashing coldly in his palm: "I've already had so many drinks. If you don't drink, you won't be able to leave tonight."

Before the wine was poured again, the air had already ignited.

Song Qi's smile froze at the corners of his mouth, and his knuckles turned blue.

He crushed the wine bottle with his bare hands. Song Qi had no choice but to drink these few cups of wine, so he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I'll drink it."

Yun Zhan released his grip and poured the rest of the wine into his glass. The broken glass fell onto the table, making a soft "tinkling" sound.

Wen Sixue's gaze passed through the bright gas lamps on the stage, swept over the many figures below the stage, and landed right in the center of the audience, where Yun Zhan was.

Yun Zhan stood with his back to the stage, holding a rough porcelain cup in his hand. Opposite him was Song Qi, who was tilting his head back and chugging wine, the rim of the cup clinking crisply.

Wen Sixue's heart suddenly felt empty, and her eyes widened. Why was Yun Zhan drinking with someone else...?

Seeing Yun Zhan being forced to drink made Wen Sixue panic. She was a little anxious, and her singing got stuck in her throat, leaving only half a breathy sound.

Wen Sixue heard that her clapperboard had skipped a beat, so she quickly bit her tongue and dragged out the last sound to cover it up.

Cheers erupted from the audience, but she couldn't smile—

The cinnabar mole between her eyebrows glowed red under the light, like a drop of blood about to fall.

Her breathing was shallow, her chest rose and fell slightly, and her fingers, hidden in the thick folds, tightened the ribbon concealed in her water sleeves, her knuckles turning white.

The drummer urged her again, and she had no choice but to turn around, but she used the angle of her turn to peek again:

Yun Zhan tilted his head back and drank it all. A little bit of wine splashed onto the back of her hand. Wen Sixue seemed to be burned. Her fingertips suddenly curled up in her sleeve, and her water sleeves trembled slightly, like the surface of a lake ruffled by the wind.

The plot was about to reach a turning point. Wen Sixue forced herself to look away, raised her hand again, and sang softer than usual, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly, like cracks hidden in the snow.

The audience thought Wen Sixue was shy and timid, but they didn't know that the tears in her eyes were all fixed on the slender and tall figure walking in the center.

She first sang the remaining two lines of "Looking at each other with dignified composure," drawing out the last syllable for an extremely long time; then, with a turn of her back to the audience and facing the darkness backstage, she quickly uttered a line in a breathy voice that only the manager could hear:

"Keep a close eye on the lady in the center—if the man next to her makes a move, immediately ask him to leave."

The person in charge of the back office was taken aback for a moment, then immediately nodded.

As the performance ended, the audience's cheers grew even louder; taking advantage of the opportunity to go down from the stage to offer a toast, she went directly to the center of the audience—the seat closest to Zou Yunzhan.

Wen Sixue, wearing a veil, faced Yun Zhan directly. Her palm, hidden beneath her sleeve, covered the back of Yun Zhan's hand, and she softly called out, "Yun Zhan... I won't drink anymore."

The voice was so low that it could barely be heard, yet it was like a thin thread that cut through the noise and landed precisely in Yun Zhan's ear.

Yun Zhan was already a little drunk. He raised his cup to drink, when the veins on the back of his hand bulged. He turned around and met her half-hidden eyes—there was no reproach in those eyes, only a silent plea:

"Be good, okay? I can't take care of you while I'm on stage."

Yun Zhan loosened his grip, and the cup fell back onto the table, the wine splashing into a small flower.

Song Qi raised an eyebrow, his face dark and unpleasant.

Yun Zhan leaned back in his chair, head tilted back: "She won't let me drink anymore, you heard that, right?"

Song Qi: "You!..."

"Sir, please do not force ladies to drink in the theater." The manager also came up and stood in front of Yun Zhan.

Seeing this, Song Qi lost face. He pointed at Yun Zhan and said, "Fine, fine, I forced you to drink, didn't I? You wanted to drink it yourself, so stop pretending!"

"Please leave, don't cause trouble here." The manager was quite shrewd. Wen Sixue was the pillar of their theater, while Song Qi was just a junior editor. They would never offend a key employee for the sake of a newspaper editor.

Song Qi was eventually asked to leave, and he was still cursing as he left.

After the play ended, Yun Zhan was drunk and felt a little down. She was taken backstage by the manager, and Wen Sixue rushed to her side after removing her makeup.

Wen Sixue had just removed her makeup, and the ends of her hair were still damp, like a young girl with willow branches wet with dew at night.

Her gaze pierced through the sea of ​​people and landed precisely on Yun Zhan.

The light in that gaze was brighter than any words of thanks: "Sweetie, don't be sad, okay? I've already kicked him out."

"Hmm? I'm fine... just my stomach isn't feeling too good."

Yun Zhan didn't admit that she was unhappy; just now... she was indeed a little out of it.

"Then come home with me, okay? Yun Zhan, come home... I'll take care of you and make you comfortable." Wen Sixue looked at her drunken state, and a few delusions flashed through her mind.

The girl's lips parted slightly, then she quickly closed them again, as if afraid of letting out even a whisper of her mismatched heartbeat. Her fingertips gripped the hem of her skirt, twisting it delicately until the cotton fabric creased with tiny wrinkles, as if trying to hide all her shyness within the folds.