Lan Nuan met Shen Jingyuan again in the chilly October of Anyang City.

For work, she would be staying in this unfamiliar city for a year. Just past ten o'clock on her arrival night, she received a call from Shen Jingyuan the moment she stepped into the airport.

"Which exit are you at?" he asked.

"Exit A," she replied.

"Be right there."

Before long, Lan Nuan spotted a tall figure striding toward her from a distance. Dressed in simple athletic wear with neatly cropped hair and sharply defined features, he carried an air of aloofness that made him seem unapproachable. His expression was stern, his gaze distant—enough to make Lan Nuan's heart clench involuntarily.

"Did you wait long?" Shen Jingyuan's deep voice broke the silence.

Lan Nuan forced composure, though her nerves were already frayed. "Not at all. I just got here."

The late-night chill of Anyang had settled in, the temperature dropping sharply. Underdressed, Lan Nuan's cheeks were flushed red from the cold, her eyes glistening with a faint sheen of moisture. Shen Jingyuan's penetrating gaze lingered on her, carrying an unspoken weight.

"Let's go," he said curtly, taking her suitcase and walking ahead without another word.

Lan Nuan hurried to keep up, murmuring, "I really appreciate you coming all this way to pick me up."

"No trouble," he replied indifferently.

Inside the car, the heater gradually chased away the cold, but Lan Nuan remained stiffly upright, her hands folded primly on her lap, tension radiating from her posture.

As they drove, Shen Jingyuan suddenly asked, "You're staying in Anyang for a year?"

"Yes."

"Have you settled on a place to stay?"

"Just a hotel for now. The hospital will arrange a dormitory later."

Shen Jingyuan's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. "I have an apartment in the city center. I rarely stay there. You can live there if you'd like."

Lan Nuan instinctively wanted to decline. Softly, she said, "No need to trouble yourself. The hotel is fine."

Most importantly, she didn’t want to owe him any favors.

Shen Jingyuan glanced at the rearview mirror, his tone leaving no room for argument. "That apartment is only a ten-minute walk from the hospital where you’ll be working."

Lan Nuan nervously twisted her fingers together, still hesitant. "No, really… It’s too much trouble."

He cut her off bluntly. "Your parents specifically called and asked me to look after you."

The implication was clear—he was only doing this out of obligation to her family, nothing more.

Right now, that was all they were—family acquaintances, nothing deeper. Lan Nuan bit her lip, instinctively wanting to retreat.

If not for her parents arranging for Shen Jingyuan to pick her up, she wouldn’t have even wanted him to know she was coming to Anyang City. She changed tactics. "But… what if your girlfriend visits? It’d be awkward for me to stay there."

If she remembered correctly, Shen Jingyuan already had a girlfriend.

His brows furrowed sharply. "Who told you that?"

Lan Nuan stammered, "N-No one told me, exactly..."

Shen Jingyuan paused, his tone growing heavier. "Just settle in comfortably. There's nothing inconvenient about it."

Lan Nuan hesitated before saying, "Then I'll pay you rent and utilities on time every month, okay?"

After all, they weren’t truly family. She couldn’t bring herself to live in his house for free.

"Lan Nuan." His voice suddenly sharpened, her name dropping like a hammer, sending her pulse into disarray. His low, steady tone carried an unspoken weight. "Since when have you become so distant with me?"

Her chest tightened, and she instinctively wanted to retreat. But the words tangled in her throat refused to come out, leaving the car engulfed in silence.

Fortunately, he didn’t press further, shifting his focus back to driving.

His hands rested on the steering wheel, veins faintly visible beneath his skin, his forearms lean and defined. The edge of his wristwatch obscured part of the taut muscle. After a while, he asked, "Hungry?"

She shook her head. "No, I ate on the plane."

He didn’t speak again, and the rest of the hour-long drive passed in quiet.

Their destination was a modern three-story duplex—spacious, bright, and minimally designed. The cool-toned palette of black, white, and gray reflected the owner’s refined taste.

Even in the biting cold of Anyang City, the underfloor heating kept the entire house comfortably warm.

After helping carry her luggage upstairs, Shen Jingyuan turned to her. "The room on the right side of the second floor is yours. The housekeeper comes regularly, and the spare key is on the hook by the entryway." His voice was steady. "Let me know if you need anything."

She forced composure, replying politely, "Thank you for your help. I don’t need anything for now."

His gaze was like an unfathomable abyss—calm on the surface, yet turbulent beneath. With a faint nod, he said, "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

Lan Nuan nodded gently. "Alright, take care."

The moment the door clicked shut, her phone rang. It was her best friend, Lin Han. "You landed yet? Did you find a place to stay?"

"Just sat down. It's been a long day," Lan Nuan replied, exhaustion lacing her voice.

Lin Han pressed on, "Let me guess—did Jingyuan pick you up?"

"How’d you know?"

"He asked me about you. Since you’ll be in Anyang for two years, I figured you might need help, so I told him a little."

A flutter of panic rose in Lan Nuan’s chest. After a pause, she said firmly, "Don’t mention me to him again. Not a word."

"What’s wrong? Not into him anymore?"

Lan Nuan’s breath hitched. "Drop it..."

"Fine, topic skipped," Lin Han relented, shifting gears. "By the way, any news from Wei Jiawen?"

At the mention of his name, Lan Nuan’s expression turned icy. "No."

Lin Han hesitated before asking, "So… it’s really over between you two?"

"Yes."

"But… what happened?"

If she had to pinpoint one reason they didn’t work out, it was simple—Wei Jiawen never truly cared about her.

Three months ago, on Wei Jiawen's birthday, Lan Nuan had carefully prepared a gift to attend his party. Before she even entered the private room, she overheard someone ask him:

"So when are you going to marry Lan Nuan? She’s been chasing after you for so long—don’t you think it’s time?"

Wei Jiawen scoffed. "Just because she’s throwing herself at me, I have to say yes? She should at least be worthy of me first."

"Man, you really don’t know how to appreciate a woman’s affection," one of his buddies teased, laughing.

Wei Jiawen shrugged, indifferent. "Women who come crawling to me are just boring. No challenge at all."

"Exactly. Girls should know their place and play hard to get."

That night, Lan Nuan tossed the gift into the trash, sent Wei Jiawen a breakup text, and blocked him without hesitation—never contacting him again.

Before blocking him, the last message in their chat was her wishing him a happy birthday, success in his career, and all his dreams coming true.

He never even bothered to reply—not even with an emoji.

Just then, the lock clicked, startling Lan Nuan. She whipped her head around—only to see Shen Jingyuan walking in.

Caught like a thief in the act, she fumbled to hang up the phone.

*Did he hear what I just said?*

*The walls can’t be that thin…*

Shen Jingyuan’s expression was calm, but his gaze was icy. "Just came back to grab something."

"Oh… okay."

She tried to maintain her composure, but the unease in her eyes betrayed her.

Shen Jingyuan pretended not to notice as he walked past her into the room. When he came back out, Lan Nuan was still rooted in the same spot, her back pressed against the wall, hands clasped behind her, visibly uncomfortable.

His gaze was deep and unreadable as he spoke, "If there's anything you can't handle, you can call me."

Lan Nuan kept her head down, avoiding his eyes. "Mm-hmm."

His tone carried the detached guidance of an elder speaking to a junior—nothing more.

Yet Lan Nuan’s reaction suggested not just distance but something close to fear.

Shen Jingyuan didn’t press further. He withdrew his gaze, opened the door, and left.

Once the door clicked shut, he paused in the hallway, lighting a cigarette. He took a slow drag, exhaling smoke rings that dissipated quickly into the air. Every word of Lan Nuan’s earlier phone call had reached his ears—unsurprisingly, she held no fondness for him.

Not only that, she was deliberately keeping her distance.