When Gu Congli had been invited to Experimental High School No. 1, he hadn’t anticipated encountering such a troublesome complication.

By the time he left, he thought it was over—just another fleeting encounter.

He’d met a somewhat troublesome girl, pretty and persistent, but that was all.

Or so he had thought.

This girl, who should have left no lasting impression on him, turned out to be unforgettable. Try as he might to recall, every detail about her lingered vividly in his mind.

Her laughter, her tears, her moments of helplessness, her stubbornness and determination—all of it stayed with him. Even the first time he saw her, standing on the rooftop bathed in the dim glow of a lantern, turning to look at him with those piercing eyes.

In the endless expanse of night, she had been the only light.

Though she had been the one to approach him first, now she wanted to escape.

How could Gu Congli possibly let her go?

No matter what, she wouldn’t get away.

In the dim room, his lips brushed against the delicate skin of her neck, leaving faint bite marks along her pulse. Effortlessly, he lifted her and carried her toward the bed.

As her body suddenly floated in the air, Shi Yin let out a soft cry, instinctively wrapping her limbs around him like a panda clinging to bamboo.

Her head nestled into the crook of his neck, hands resting on his shoulders. She leaned close to his ear and whispered playfully, “Are you my bamboo?”

“No,” he murmured against the corner of her lips, his voice rough and low. “I’m your man.”

His bite was too forceful, unrelenting, and Shi Yin whimpered in pain, struggling to push him away. Her lips quivered as she pouted, “I’m a panda. I don’t want a man. I want bamboo.”

Gu Congli gazed down at her, his voice soft yet commanding. “No bamboo. Do you want me instead?”

Shi Yin, lost in the moment, stared at him quietly for a while before whispering, “You are my cold moon over a still pond.”

Gu Congli didn’t understand what she meant—and perhaps she didn’t either. A second later, she suddenly turned her head, rubbing her cheek against the soft pillow and giggling. “I’m lying in the clouds.”

She shifted restlessly, the mattress bouncing slightly beneath her.

Gu Congli found himself quite satisfied with the hotel’s bed.

“You’re in the clouds,” he said patiently, tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. Lowering his gaze, he asked softly, “Do you like me?”

Shi Yin turned her face away, avoiding his eyes. The curve of her profile was exquisite, her earlobe exposed and porcelain-white. Her voice was barely audible. “Like…”

“You’re obedient,” Gu Congli chuckled, gently kissing her earlobe. His tone was coaxing, almost hypnotic. “Do you want me?”

She fell silent, emitting a long, muffled moan that sounded like a sob.

It was nearly identical to the sound she made in his dreams when she lay beneath him.

Unable to resist, unwilling to hold back—the psychological defenses he had built crumbled the instant he laid eyes on her.

Gu Congli pinned her wrists above her head, pressing his other hand against her slender collarbone. Starting from her temple, he kissed his way downward inch by inch.

His heated fingertips slipped under the edge of her shirt, tracing her waistline before moving to her flat abdomen.

But then, Gu Congli froze. He raised his head.

The girl beneath him lay quietly on the bed, her head tilted to the side, eyes closed, brows furrowed. Her breathing was heavy, as though she were on the verge of sleep.

Perhaps uncomfortable from his kisses, her hands wriggled under the restraint of his palm, small and restless like a fish. Her slim waist twisted slightly, trying to evade his hand as it slid beneath her clothes.

Gu Congli released her, rolling off to the side.

She reached up, scratching the spot on her ear where his kisses had left an itch. Then, she rubbed her chin absently, stretched her long legs out, rolled over, and buried her face entirely in the fluffy pillow, letting out a soft groan.

Gu Congli sat beside her, watching as her lithe legs sprawled across most of the bed. Under the moonlight, her skin gleamed like porcelain.

He exhaled deeply, covering half his face with one hand and lowering his head. A muttered curse escaped his lips.

Shi Yin slept deeply.

Around three in the morning, she stirred, slowly sitting up on the bed. Groggy, she looked around at the unfamiliar, dim surroundings, momentarily disoriented.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? What did I just do? What time is it? Questions swirled in her mind.

Slowly, she scooted backward, leaning against the headboard. After a moment of reflection, memories of earlier events began to surface.

Turning her head, she noticed a figure sitting in the armchair by the window.

A shadowy silhouette bathed in silver moonlight revealed sharp features—an elegant brow, thin lips, and a jawline defined by angular precision.

Under the moonlight, he appeared eerily haunting.

Startled, Shi Yin nearly leapt up, stifling a scream in her throat.

After a few seconds of silence, she realized he was asleep.

Gu Congli reclined in the chair, his head tilted back slightly, elongating his neck. His prominent Adam’s apple stood out sharply.

Shi Yin crept cautiously to the edge of the bed, craning her neck to observe him.

This man was truly handsome.

Beautiful in motion and equally striking at rest, like a painting brought to life.

The air conditioning maintained a comfortable temperature, though the room felt slightly dry. It was spacious, with some distance between the bed and the armchair by the window. After staring for a while, her neck grew stiff, and she retreated back to the bed.

She debated whether to wake him. Sleeping like that would surely leave him sore in the morning.

Licking her lips, she winced as her tongue grazed the tender spots.

Shi Yin: “….”

She rarely drank to the point of blacking out. As a woman, she usually exercised caution when alone.

This time, however, she had allowed herself to indulge recklessly—perhaps because Gu Congli was there.

Lost in thought, the figure in the chair suddenly opened his eyes, raising his head.

His light brown irises appeared darker in the dim lighting, his brow slightly furrowed. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Awake?”

Shi Yin pressed her fingers to her sore lower lip, sitting silently on the bed, staring blankly at him.

“Want some water?”

She nodded.

Gu Congli pressed a hand to the back of his neck, rotating it slightly before standing. He retrieved a bottle of mineral water from the nearby cabinet, switched on the bedside lamp, and handed her the opened bottle.

Parched, Shi Yin drank greedily, thanking him softly before exhaling deeply after gulping down half the bottle.

He took the bottle back, screwed the cap on tightly, and placed it on the nightstand. Tilting his head, he gazed down at her.

The young woman knelt on the bed, calm and composed—a stark contrast to the silly, clingy version of herself from hours ago who had asked, “Are you my bamboo?”

They say women become more alluring when drunk.

For her, it seemed to bring out only her silliness.

The most terrifying part was that even when she had been drunk and babbling nonsense, he still found her irresistibly alluring, like a siren luring him in.

Gu Congli felt utterly hopeless.

After a brief silence, he finally spoke. “Go back to sleep.”

Shi Yin didn’t move. Her body remained tense, and she avoided looking at him.

Gu Congli assumed she was afraid.

His gaze darkened slightly, and he took a step back. In a calm voice, he said, “I’ll be in the next room if you need me.” With that, he turned to leave.

But just as he took a step forward, a soft hand gently caught his index finger.

Her touch was delicate and light, tugging at his finger and pulling him back.

Gu Congli stopped in his tracks and turned around.

Shi Yin bit her lip, lifting her head to look at him. Her voice was barely audible. “I remember.”

Something inside his chest slowly exploded into tiny sparks, crackling faintly.

“Remember what?” he asked softly.

She averted her gaze, reaching out to pinch and roll his fingertip. “Just… everything.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Gu Congli pressed her shoulders down onto the bed again. Kneeling on one knee at the edge of the bed, he leaned over her. “Then shall we continue?”

Shi Yin nearly choked on her own saliva. She pushed at him, wriggling to escape. “No continuation! This is way too fast! Do you think this is like rushing through a comic draft or something?!”

Gu Congli chuckled lowly, lowering his head once more to bury it deeply into the crook of her neck.

The warmth of his breath against her skin made her squirm. Shi Yin shrank away instinctively, her entire body stiffening under his proximity.

After a moment, he lifted his head, pressing a warm kiss to her eyelids. “Then we’ll take it slower. I’ll wait for you.”

She blinked. “I haven’t removed my makeup. You’ve already eaten half my mascara.”

“Mm, I’ve consumed enough. A little mascara won’t make a difference.”

Blushing furiously, Shi Yin pushed his head up, glaring at him. “Why did you bite me? It hurt.”

“I wanted to bite. Couldn’t help myself.”

It wasn’t just biting—he wanted to tear her apart, consume her whole, and weave her essence into his very bones.

Gu Congli lowered his head again, kissing the spot on her lips where he had bitten her earlier. Then he straightened up, pulling the blanket over her. “Sleep. I’ll come wake you in the morning.”

Shi Yin let out a muffled “Oh,” rolled over in the blankets, and buried her face back into the pillow. Pulling the covers over her head, her voice came out muffled. “Good night.”

“Good night.” His quiet voice drifted from beside the bed. After a brief pause, the sound of the door opening and closing followed.

Once alone, Shi Yin emerged from beneath the covers, staring blankly at the ceiling for a full minute. Suddenly, she grabbed a pillow, pressed it to her face, and let out a small scream. Wrapping herself tightly in the blanket, she rolled around on the bed repeatedly.

She began to doubt whether she was still drunk or dreaming while intoxicated.

It reminded her of that night years ago on the school rooftop when she dreamed of Gu Congli—gentle, silent, and slightly peculiar.

Shi Yin woke up after eight o’clock the next morning.

Surprisingly, there was no hangover-induced discomfort. After nearly ten hours of sleep, she felt refreshed. She took a shower, applied a hydrating mask to rescue her parched skin, and emerged wearing the hotel’s bathrobe just as someone knocked on the door.

She tiptoed to the door, confirmed who it was, and cautiously opened it a crack, peeking out with her face still covered by the mask.

Gu Congli: “Wow.”

“…”

Shi Yin: “What are you ‘wow’-ing about?”

“Nothing,” he replied, sensing her reluctance to let him in. He made no move to enter, instead handing over two bags from the doorway.

Shi Yin accepted them and quickly glanced inside—they contained clothes and a set of underwear.

Shi Yin: “….”

Hastily muttering, “I’ll be right out,” she slammed the door shut, leaving him outside.

Fifteen minutes later, Shi Yin emerged fully dressed.

Gu Congli was waiting in the adjacent room, the door left open. Seeing her exit, he rose, and the two descended to the hotel’s second-floor restaurant.

Lin Nian was already there, having ordered an array of dishes. Spotting Shi Yin, she waved cheerfully.

Shi Yin walked over.

Lin Nian appeared completely composed, showing no trace of last night’s emotional turmoil. Smiling radiantly, she pushed a glass of juice toward Shi Yin. “Ah, I’m so embarrassed about yesterday. I honestly don’t remember anything after a certain point. Thanks for taking care of me. Let me cover the room charges, and I’ll treat you both to lunch later.”

Normally, Lin Nian wouldn’t be this formal with Shi Yin.

But now, with the aloof Gu Congli sitting beside her, things were different.

Sipping through a straw, Shi Yin casually replied, “It’s fine. I don’t remember much either.”

Gu Congli’s brow twitched slightly as he glanced at her before resuming his usual detached demeanor.

Lin Nian turned to Gu Congli, unable to resist her curiosity any longer, and smiled mischievously. “And who might this be?”

Before Gu Congli could respond—

Shi Yin blurted out without thinking, “My editor-in-chief.”

Gu Congli froze, slowly turning his head to look at her.

Realizing her slip-up, Shi Yin opened her mouth, closed it again, and instinctively shrank back under his gaze, guiltily avoiding eye contact.

Lin Nian blinked, acutely aware of the increasingly tense atmosphere. Displaying remarkable tact, she swiftly changed the subject.

After finishing breakfast, Shi Yin and Lin Nian went upstairs to pack their belongings. Shi Yin finished first and returned downstairs to find Gu Congli leaning against a marble pillar in the lobby, waiting.

Feeling awkward, Shi Yin shuffled over hesitantly, step by step.

Gu Congli raised his eyes, speaking indifferently. “Are you done packing?”

Shi Yin nodded.

He fell silent.

Clearly, he was upset.

But it wasn’t a big deal—she simply hadn’t processed things quickly enough. On some level, she hadn’t fully accepted that she now had a boyfriend.

Shi Yin thought men approaching thirty weren’t quite what she’d imagined. They seemed surprisingly childish in certain ways.

There he stood, silent, his gaze slightly lowered, leaning against the cold marble pillar. He looked lazy, indifferent—a familiar sight—but somehow, inexplicably, he gave off an air of being wronged.

A faint pang of guilt stirred within Shi Yin, making her feel oddly like a heartbreaker.

Yet she hadn’t done anything wrong.

Troubled, she sighed and stole another glance at him. Edging closer, she discreetly tugged at his sleeve before quickly letting go.

He ignored her.

After a dozen seconds, she reached out again, this time grabbing his fingers.

Gu Congli glanced down impassively.

The young woman tilted her head up, blinking innocently. “I didn’t mean it.”

In a placating tone, she gently pinched his fingertips and whispered, “It’s just… it’s all so sudden. I haven’t had time to adjust yet. And besides, when my friends ask, I haven’t figured out what to say. Should I just tell them I hooked up with my high school teacher?”