For a moment, Jiang Shihuai’s face clouded with a complex mix of emotions. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses his eyes looked exposed, painfully seen through.
He had never expected Wen Zhi to say that. The words he’d kept locked away in the darkest corner of his heart—words he’d never dared speak—slipped out of her mouth with careless ease.
Seeing his expression, Wen Zhi felt something inside her go utterly cold. As Jiang Shihuai sank into his own tangled thoughts, he didn’t notice the shadow that had just crossed the tearful look in her eyes.
She couldn’t understand where it had gone wrong. Lu Ziqiu had always been like this, and now—now that little bitch Wen Yin had somehow lured Jiang away. Wen Zhi ground her teeth so hard she thought she might break them. A chill ran through her from head to toe.
She knew, with painful clarity, that if she wanted to hold Jiang close she couldn’t waste any more time.
“Zhi… actually I—” Jiang began, hesitating. His mind was a mess; even he couldn’t tell himself what exactly he felt for Wen Yin.
Just as he felt on the verge of collapse, Wen Zhi’s soft, boneless hand slipped into his big one. Warmth flowed steadily from her palm.
Dazed, Jiang looked up. Where there had been tears, Wen Zhi now lifted a fragile, sweet smile toward him. The wetness around her eyes read like consolation.
“Senior, it’s okay,” she said. The smile came straight from her heart. She looked at him steadily. “To be honest, I’m a little jealous of my sister. To be liked by someone as excellent as you—well, that’s something I envy.”
Jiang couldn’t help looking at her. Guilt and worry filled his gaze. His Zhi had always been so sensible.
Wen Zhi simply held his look, and tears sprang to her eyes again, impossible to control—so small and making her all the more pitiable. Large drops fell from her lashes, yet she forced her lips into a smile and spoke as if nothing were wrong.
“Senior, after you and my sister are together, don’t forget about me, okay?” She stuck out her tongue playfully; the gesture should have been cute, but there was a sorrow threaded through it.
For a heartbeat, Jiang’s expression softened. Wen Zhi seized the moment, curling her lips into a coaxing smile that added a touch of vulnerability.
“No matter what happens… I’ll always be your Wenwen.” Her voice was small but steady.
At those words, Jiang could no longer hold back. The usually gentle lines of his handsome face folded with remorse.
“I am too,” he said slowly, his voice thin and hoarse with an almost imperceptible ache. “No matter what, I’ll be Wenwen’s support.”
In that instant something in him hardened into resolve.
Wen Zhi saw that she had achieved her aim. She stopped the sobbing, and with a motion she signaled Jiang to switch both of their microphones back on. Retreating to advance—that was the best way to keep him.
She closed her eyes, letting the sting in them ease from her earlier crying. She had no idea that this would be the single move she would come to regret most.
—
Wen Yin and Shao Yinan stepped out of the car. She stood there a moment, a little startled, and then looked up into a pair of warm, smiling peach-colored eyes. When Shao Yinan smiled, his whole aura softened—like a fresh breeze after rain.
“The amusement park?” she asked.
He nodded with an affectionate flicker in his features. “It’s the biggest one in the capital. It suits today’s Ayin.”
Wen Yin blinked in puzzlement. She’d chosen a white floral puff dress on a whim—an outfit entirely unlike her usual style. The skirt was short, showing off her pale, slender legs, and her normally loose black hair had been pulled into a half-bun, giving her a lively, playful look.
“You planned this?” she asked.
Her clear eyes curved slightly, like two small crescent moons—there was no trace of disdain at the childishness of it all.
The livestream chat immediately blew up.
“AHHH THIS IS A COUPLE OUTFIT! He literally changed into a white hoodie just now!”
“Right? It’s totally couple-matching!”
“White skirt with a white hoodie—so pure!”
“They look like they belong in a teen romance show!”
“They’re so perfect together!”
“Did anyone else see them swap clothes before going into that little heart booth? They totally matched on purpose!”
“‘Only Heartbeat’ is canon!”
“Wen Yin’s doing light makeup—who else is dying over this?”
Fans who shipped them were loud and numerous. After a few episodes, Shao Yinan’s followers had warmed to Wen Yin; their faces together were undeniably harmonious.
“Never thought anyone in the entertainment world could match Shao Yinan’s looks—turns out it’s Wen Yin!” one comment read.
“She may be low profile, but she’s gorgeous,” another chimed.
“Honestly, she’d make a great sister-in-law,” someone else said admiringly.
But not everyone approved. A few of Shao’s hardcore fans scoffed.
“Wen Yin? Are you serious?”
“Guys, don’t forget how much baggage she’s got.”
For a while the chat turned into a battlefield of opinions. Inside the car, however, neither of them seemed to notice.
Shao had just come back from the ticket line when a little girl with a balloon appeared by Wen Yin’s side. She looked about ten, clutching a bouquet of colorful inflatables, and when she saw the two of them she launched into a sales pitch.
Both wore masks, so she didn’t recognize them.
“Big brother, do you want to buy a balloon for your girlfriend?” the girl asked, pointing to a heart-shaped balloon. “This little heart is the prettiest—couples like it the most. Why not get one for your sister?”
Wen Yin was about to refuse when Shao Yinan already had his phone out and scanned the code.
“Thanks. My girlfriend will like it,” he said in a low voice. The girl beamed at having made a sale.
Wen Yin felt dazed. Shao didn’t seem to notice her staring; he didn’t contradict the girl, either.
“You two look so perfect together. I hope you last a long time!” the girl chirped.
Shao’s mouth twitched into an involuntary smile as he handed the balloon to Wen Yin. “Ayin, here.”
The girl’s words had left her ears warm. Wen Yin’s cheeks flushed without thinking.
“Ayin?” Shao said when she froze, and with his free hand he lifted hers. The palm of his big, warm hand pressed against hers and stayed. Wen Yin felt heat bloom through her skin—sudden, unmistakable, and very close.