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When Qin Xiao saw that she had agreed, he nodded and said, “Sleep.”
She lowered her eyes and softly responded.
As Qin Xiao stepped out of the door, his emotions finally surfaced. His anguish was as dark as ink, brewing something terrifying within him.
She had said, “I will die too.”
She had said, “If I can only live to be twenty-four.”
He closed his eyes and sneered.
Stop thinking about it. It was just something she said casually; why take it so seriously? He was several years older than her—shouldn’t he be the one to die first?
Su Ling didn’t sleep all night. She thought about many things, her mind heavy with sorrow.
Whenever she thought of her grandmother, her nose tingled with sadness.
She had lost her last remaining family member.
By the time the sky began to lighten at dawn, she was already awake. She had originally planned to quietly return to the Ni family home and help them handle her grandmother’s funeral arrangements.
But as soon as she opened the door, she saw the man not far away.
At that moment, the morning light was faint, and his silhouette was blurred in the dimness.
There was a faint smell of smoke in the air. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he leaned against the wall outside her door, exuding a chilling indifference that made her heart race.
Qin Xiao heard the door open and seemed surprised that she was up so early—it wasn’t even five o’clock yet.
He extinguished the cigarette, his voice hoarse: “Awake?”
She nodded. As she got closer, she could smell the scent of smoke on him.
She couldn’t sleep because she had lost a loved one—but what about him?
He turned to look at her, his eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t decipher: “I had a dream last night.”
His gaze burned with a touch of madness. Perhaps it was the cold morning air, but she felt a chill seep into her bones.
A sudden wave of fear rose in her heart: “I need to go.”
As she walked past him, Qin Xiao grabbed her arm. Her wrist was delicate, and though he hadn’t intended to grip her too tightly, he found himself tightening his hold uncontrollably.
Qin Xiao chuckled lowly: “Do you know what I dreamed about?”
Su Ling paused for a moment before softly asking, “What?”
He stared at her face, as if trying to memorize every inch of her into his very bones. She winced slightly from the pain of his grip.
Qin Xiao loosened his hand, a hint of self-mockery in his expression: “Never mind, it was all fake.”
Su Ling looked at him. He lowered his eyelids, hiding his emotions from her view: “Don’t you need to go? Let’s go.”
He walked ahead, and Su Ling could only follow behind.
As an outsider, he could only escort her to the entrance of the Ni family home.
It was November, and winter was approaching. She wore more layers, no longer as slender as she had been in summer. But she looked cuter with a hint of roundness.
His gaze followed her, full of longing.
Qin Xiao watched her figure disappear before his expression turned cold. He had woken up at two in the morning, startled awake by a nightmare.
Sometimes dreams lack context, leaving only a jarring sensation.
Perhaps it was because of what she had said earlier—he really dreamed of losing her.
She was twenty-four, her body gradually growing cold.
He held her in his arms, kissing her icy lips with endless despair.
Even after waking up, Qin Xiao couldn’t shake off that feeling. Though he knew it was just a dream, he still ended up waiting outside her door until she opened it, finally breaking free from that terrible coldness.
“It’s just a dream,” he told himself. Yet in the next moment, he kicked the flower bed hard, venting his uncontrollable rage.
Two days later, everything regarding Su Ling’s grandmother was finally settled.
She had left in a hurry. Tang Zi and the others knew about her family’s situation and were handling things in M City.
The day Su Ling and Qin Xiao flew back, the sun came out, and the airport was bustling with people, lively and noisy.
He wore a black trench coat, which made his already impressive height stand out even more.
Su Ling wore a simple black sweater and jeans. Her hair fell past her shoulders, soft and straight without styling, curling slightly at the ends.
Her sweater was bought hastily in L City, the sleeves a bit long, completely covering her hands when they hung down. She looked irresistibly cute.
She rarely smiled these days and mostly stayed silent.
Qin Xiao asked if she was cold or hungry. She often remained silent for a long time before gently shaking her head. She seemed to have lost all strength, unwilling to resist anything.
In the past, there was disgust in her eyes when she looked at him. Now, there was only a dazed emptiness.
Su Ling was now a fairly famous star, so she wore a mask when going out.
Her mask was pink, with a soft, adorable bunny in the corner.
Qin Xiao walked off the plane with her and noticed her glance to the side.
Following her gaze, he saw a little girl holding a SpongeBob helium balloon.
The little girl realized someone was looking at her and smiled sweetly: “Uncle, sister.”
Her mother was embarrassed and quickly corrected her: “Honey, call him ‘big brother.’” If they were a couple, such an age-related title would be awkward.
The little girl blinked and said seriously: “He’s an uncle.”
Qin Xiao sneered.
When he frowned, he looked quite intimidating. The little girl hid behind her mother, clutching her leg. Peeking out with her big, grape-like eyes, she stared at Su Ling.
Su Ling’s eyes curved into crescent moons.
The little girl was delighted. Though the uncle looked like a villain from TV, the sister seemed so gentle.
Qin Xiao wasn’t petty enough to argue with a child. He pointed at the helium balloon and asked the girl’s mother: “Where did you buy that?”
“There’s an old lady selling them outside the airport, near the main gate.”
Su Ling vaguely knew what Qin Xiao was planning. Feeling awkward, she said, “Qin Xiao…”
He turned around: “Hmm?”
“I…” She was already twenty. Besides, it was just a passing glance. When she was little, she had wanted one, but she knew it wouldn’t be useful. Though she envied other children who had them, she wished her grandmother wouldn’t work so hard instead.
Still, she finished softly: “I don’t want it.”
He chuckled lowly: “I like it. Is that okay?”
“…”
He went ahead and bought one. His taste was typically masculine—he returned with a pink bunny balloon that looked a bit ugly to her.
It matched her mask, and Su Ling thought he had a unique sense of aesthetics.
A mature man, dressed in a cool trench coat, holding a pink balloon—it was embarrassing for her.
But Qin Xiao didn’t care. He looked down at her and smirked: “Baby, call me ‘uncle,’ and I’ll give it to you.” Clearly, he was still hung up on the little girl’s earlier address.
The airport was bustling, and those nearby couldn’t help but chuckle secretly. This handsome guy sure knew how to play around.
Su Ling was mortified, but thankfully, her mask hid her face. Her cheeks burned as she stammered: “Qin Xiao, behave yourself.”
He snorted softly: “Who the hell wants to be called ‘uncle’? But if you call me that, I’ll accept it.”
Su Ling was dying of embarrassment from his shameless aura.
He was telling the truth.
This man didn’t like children. His family was small, but he did have a niece-like little girl named Qin Xi, who was cute and well-behaved. However, Qin Xiao found her annoying.
The little girl knew her uncle didn’t like her, so whenever she saw Qin Xiao, she acted carefully, wishing she could sink into the ground. She obediently called him “Uncle Qin.”
Qin Xiao never spared her a glance.
But Su Ling liked her. Su Ling remembered that in her previous life, when she was with Qin Xiao, she peeled chocolate for Qin Xi, and the little girl immediately smiled: “Thank you, sister.”
Qin Xiao lounged with his legs crossed, smirking coldly: “Qin Xi, call her ‘auntie.’”
Calling her “sister” felt inherently incompatible with him, which irritated him.
Qin Xi was afraid of him and timidly said: “Auntie.”
Su Ling couldn’t help but speak up for Qin Xi: “What does it matter what we call each other? I don’t mind.” Back then, she hadn’t planned to stay by Qin Xiao’s side for long.
Qin Xiao flicked Su Ling’s chin: “I mind.” He chuckled and told Qin Xi, “Go play over there.”
Qin Xi quickly ran off, leaving Su Ling alone, her scalp tingling.
He braced his arms on either side of her: “Lingling.”
“Wh… what?”
“You want to be her sister, hmm?”
“No,” she turned her face away, softly denying it.
Qin Xiao’s eyes crinkled with laughter, his expression mischievous: “Being her sister is fine too. Or how about you call me ‘uncle’ and let me hear it?”
She naturally didn’t call him that—it was too embarrassing.
Deep down, Su Ling was conservative. Qin Xiao was just teasing her. The person from her past life overlapped with the one before her now. Her feelings were complicated—shameless people were always the same, no matter when.
As Qin Xiao’s helium balloon swayed back and forth, she pursed her lips and remained silent.
Qin Xiao clicked his tongue: “Just a joke. Here, take it.”
She shook her head, her eyes clear: “I already said I don’t want it.” It was so embarrassing—the balloon was ugly too.
Qin Xiao chuckled, “Su Ling, think about it. Does it look right for a grown man like me to be holding this thing?”
She countered, “You bought it yourself.”
He leaned down, “I regret it now. So please, give me some face, alright?”
She hesitated, her fingers peeking out from her sleeves—pale, delicate, and fragile.
He smiled, not handing over the balloon but instead grasping her fingers.
His fingers were cold, while hers were warm. Su Ling hadn’t expected him to be so shameless and froze for a moment.
Qin Xiao chuckled softly, “So warm.”
Realizing what was happening, she quickly tried to pull her hand back, her ears turning red: “Qin Xiao, let go.”
He released her hand, knowing when to stop. In truth, he found it amusing how difficult it was just to touch her. He admitted candidly that he wanted more—he wanted to kiss her, to possess her.
This time, Su Ling didn’t help him hold the balloon, and Qin Xiao didn’t intend to discard it either.
With one hand in his pocket and the other holding the ridiculous balloon, they parted ways.
Their paths diverged.
Qin Xiao had to transfer flights to return to B City, while Su Ling still had filming left to complete in M City.
Deep down, Qin Xiao harbored thoughts of not wanting Su Ling to continue acting. Wouldn’t it be better if she stayed by his side? He would willingly give her everything.
But he no longer dared to voice such thoughts—not because he didn’t want to, but because he was afraid. A woman who already didn’t love him would only be pushed further away by his domineering obsession.
Thus, when she left, Qin Xiao simply smiled and said goodbye.
Her eyes held a trace of relief; she thought he had become much more normal, less terrifying than before.
A smile and a farewell—it was almost impossible in the past.
Perhaps people truly change over time.
Her eyes curved slightly, and though grateful for his companionship during her most painful time, she sincerely said, “Goodbye.”
The moment she turned around, the smile in his eyes vanished, replaced by a faint mockery.
Goodbye? As if he was letting her go.
Fooling you, that’s all.
By late December, Prisoner was nearing its completion.
On Christmas Eve, everyone was in high spirits.
The storm surrounding Su Ling’s “ungrateful” incident had completely passed. Lin Qing had done an excellent job with public relations, and Su Ling’s aunt eventually apologized to her.
This incident made Su Ling’s fans sympathize deeply, while those who initially mocked her felt foolish.
Zheng Xiaoya was furious, though not entirely stupid. She hadn’t made any bold moves, merely playing a role in pushing things forward. She had assumed no one would trace it back to her. But mid-month, her agent informed her that she wouldn’t be considered for Best Actress in the year-end awards.
Someone had issued her grandfather an ultimatum, and Zheng Xiaoya didn’t even know who it was. Furious and humiliated, she had no choice but to behave herself.
On Christmas Eve, the entire cast came out to celebrate.
Bundled in thick coats, under the warm yellow lights, they enjoyed barbecue in a very down-to-earth manner.
After the collective cold they had caught before, Dong Xu stopped scheduling morning and evening shoots, causing the production to drag into the new year.
He was an outstanding director, meticulous about his work but not overly demanding in daily life.
Someone teased, “Director Dong, it’s Christmas Eve. Is it too much to ask for something from the crew?”
Everyone laughed.
Dong Xu, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, paused: “China doesn’t really celebrate this holiday.”
The youngest member of the crew, a sixteen-year-old boy who played a student, emboldened by the cheerful atmosphere, chimed in: “Director Dong, we do something for it at school. You studied abroad—you should celebrate it even more!”
“Director Dong, were you always this antisocial abroad?”
“Director Dong, protest!”
“We’re all going to part ways soon. Can’t you leave us with some good memories?”
Su Ling bit into a potato chip, watching the commotion and curving her lips slightly.
Dong Xu’s eyes softened: “Alright.”
Then he made a call to arrange gifts.
Whispering among themselves, the crew guessed: “Wow, our random teasing actually worked.”
The young actor added, “Actually, we don’t celebrate it at my school either.”
“What do you think Director Dong will give us, Su Ling?”
Su Ling paused, then answered honestly: “Apples, probably.” Surely not cards.
“...”
“No way!”
Not long after, snow began to fall. White flakes danced in the air, and everyone was thrilled: “It’s snowing!”
This was M City’s first snowfall of the winter.
Su Ling, wrapped in a scarf, joined them in gazing outside.
The snowflakes swirled under the lights, beautiful enough to make one overlook the icy cold of M City’s night.
Dong Xu returned with a large bag of something.
Everyone craned their necks to see, only to groan when he calmly handed out apples: “Seriously?! Apples?! What a letdown!”
“This is so boring.”
As Dong Xu distributed the apples, everyone looked utterly dejected. Being wealthy individuals, receiving just an apple felt insulting. At least a red envelope would have been better, Director Dong!
When it was Su Ling’s turn, she accepted it with both hands, her eyes clear and grateful: “Thank you, Director Dong. Peace and safety.”
She seemed genuinely pleased.
Silly girl.
In truth, Dong Xu had done this on purpose—to retaliate against their teasing. If it were up to him to choose a holiday, he preferred traditional Chinese festivals. Even while studying abroad, he always celebrated the Lunar New Year.
When Su Ling thanked him, Dong Xu suddenly felt that giving just an apple was too stingy.
He coughed lightly, avoiding her eyes, and moved on to the next person.
The gathering ended at midnight, and Su Ling was a bit tired.
Though technically Christmas, most people were accustomed to traditional holidays. After exchanging wishes for peace, they headed back to their hotels.
The crew and assistants were also present, so everyone drove back separately.
When they stepped outside, they realized the snow had intensified, blanketing the ground and tree branches with a thin layer of white.
Tang Zi was suffering from menstrual cramps. Earlier, she had gotten too excited and drank something cold, leaving her sweating and unable to drive.
Su Ling didn’t know how to drive—she hadn’t had time to get a license in either of her lifetimes.
Worried, she said to Tang Zi: “I’ll go see if someone can give us a ride. You should go back and warm up—it’ll only get worse if you stay out here.”
Tang Zi nodded weakly, cursing the cold weather in her mind.
Su Ling stepped out of the car and immediately felt the biting chill outside.
Most of the cast had already driven off, and she grew anxious. She could handle herself, but Tang Zi looked miserable.
At that moment, Dong Xu’s car emerged from the garage. She spotted it and ran after him.
Seeing her in the rearview mirror, Dong Xu quickly stopped the car.
He got out and walked toward her.
The snow was falling heavier now. Without an umbrella, she had run through the cold air, making it hard to breathe. Snow clung to her long hair.
From afar, she looked like a beauty carved from ice and snow.
Panting, she said, “Director... Director Dong, sorry to bother you. Tang Zi isn’t feeling well and can’t drive. Could... could you give us a ride?”
The cold air made her nose ache, and tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke.
She looked pitiful beyond words.
Dong Xu’s heart raced.
His cousin was right—he did harbor some inexplicable feelings for this girl. His friends often teased him about his high standards, saying it would be hard for him to find someone.
But from the moment she stood under the late cherry blossoms, cool and distant, he felt a stir. Privately, he favored her. Her acting wasn’t perfect yet, but she was growing.
Dong Xu didn’t like training actors to grow—he preferred perfection from the start.
Still, he had his biases.
Now, amidst the swirling snow, her eyes shimmered, breathtakingly beautiful.
His carefully suppressed emotions began to stir.
He reached out to gently brush the snow from her hair. It melted into water on his fingertips, cool, while his palm burned hot.
Su Ling was stunned.
Tang Zi, leaning on the driver’s seat, wore glasses but could still vaguely make out the figures in the distance.
She couldn’t see clearly, only knowing it was Director Dong and Su Ling.
But then her gaze shifted.
She noticed a man standing under an old locust tree not far away.
The man stared unblinkingly at them.
Tang Zi’s heart sank, a bad feeling washing over her.
Qin Xiao had been waiting for Su Ling for two hours, from when the snow began to when it thickened. Snow covered his head, and he leaned against the locust tree, numb from the cold.
At that moment, he sneered.
Look what he saw.
The woman he desired so desperately was running toward another man in the snow.
That man was familiar too—his cheap “brother,” Dong Xu.
What a touching scene.
Damn it, did they think he was dead?
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