[Hou Zihao, you’re supposed to be a decent person.]

“How did you get here?”

She asked in surprise as she clung to him.

It had only been three hours since their last embrace, but it felt like they’d been apart for ages. Their longing for each other was overwhelming, and this hug was even tighter than the one before.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he murmured, holding her close. “…I wanted to see you.”

That simple sentence was enough to make her heart race uncontrollably.

Zhou Leqi didn’t know what to say. The intense desire to see him that had consumed her just minutes ago was unexpectedly fulfilled. This sudden joy left her feeling giddy with happiness.

But the sweet fluttering in her chest was interrupted when he suddenly noticed she wasn’t wearing gloves or a scarf. Beneath her down jacket, she wore only a collarless nightgown, and her calves were completely exposed.

“Why are you dressed so lightly?” His brows furrowed deeply. “Alright, let’s go back upstairs. Don’t catch a cold.”

He had spent over an hour traveling across half the city in the dead of night to see her, yet now, realizing how underdressed she was, he immediately wanted to end their brief encounter after just a minute.

It seemed he didn’t care at all about wasting his own effort.

But Zhou Leqi did. She also didn’t want this unexpected meeting to end so soon. However, she couldn’t deny how unbearably cold she was—her bare legs were already numb from the freezing air.

Shivering slightly, she said to him, “…Let’s go eat something warm.”

At 1:30 AM, the only place still serving hot food was likely a 24-hour convenience store.

The store had heating, not overly warm but at least not as cold as outside. Hou Zihao bought her a pair of thick knee-high socks to wear and picked up two bowls of instant noodles. They sat together on the high stools by the window, waiting for the noodles to soften.

While waiting, Zhou Leqi didn’t sit idle. Feeling indebted because of the 500 yuan phone recharge, she wandered off to grab some snacks—chicken rice balls, sausages, bottled juice—and even added a plate of spicy mochi from the oden counter. When she went to pay, she realized everything combined cost less than 50 yuan.

…Sigh.

Carrying a pile of snacks back, she amused Hou Zihao, though he still played along. After arranging the items, he said, “You know, I’m actually a bit hungry.”

He hadn’t eaten dinner. Ever since seeing Zhou Leqi leave with Pei Qiming earlier that evening, anger had consumed him. In his fury, he forgot to eat. And after reconciling with her, his mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of their budding romance, leaving no room to think about hunger. Now, the aroma of instant noodles, oden, and chicken rice balls finally made him realize how famished he was.

Zhou Leqi sat beside him, their bodies close. She smiled at him, then unfolded the plastic fork from her instant noodle bowl and said, “I’m a bit hungry too—let’s eat.”

Though she hadn’t dressed up, merely throwing on a long down jacket with her hair loose and unstyled, she somehow looked even more beautiful. Her slightly messy hair gave her a lazy, natural charm. The collarless nightgown revealed her elegant collarbones—a sight that wasn’t inappropriate but stood out especially in winter. Sitting so close to him, he could clearly smell the scent of her shower gel, which reminded him of how she had hugged him earlier…

Stop.

Hou Zihao, you’re supposed to be a decent person.

He took a deep breath to clear his mind, forcing himself to focus. Struggling initially, inspiration struck once they started eating. He began interrogating her: “What did you eat with Pei Qiming today?”

Zhou Leqi was drinking orange juice when he asked, nearly choking on it. While patting her back, he muttered sarcastically, “What? Feeling guilty?”

After wiping her mouth with a napkin and coughing a few times, she replied, “No… We just had some spicy fish soup near school.”

“Spicy fish soup?” He mocked, “Was it good?”

It actually was quite tasty, but Zhou Leqi dared not admit it outright. After a moment’s thought, she said, “It was alright, but not as good as instant noodles.”

A blatant attempt to please him.

Her words pleased Hou Zihao immensely. Satisfied, he speared a spicy mochi ball from the oden and handed it to her. After she took it, he ate one himself and continued questioning, “So, what did you talk about?”

“We just chatted casually,” Zhou Leqi admitted honestly. “We talked about what our old classmates are doing now.”

He didn’t fully believe her. “That’s it? Nothing else?”

Zhou Leqi glanced at him. His stern expression as he interrogated her had an oddly endearing quality, lifting her spirits and sparking a mischievous urge to tease him.

She asked, “What else do you want to hear?”

His dissatisfaction grew. His brows knitted together, his face hardened, and he scolded her, “Zhou Leqi, can you take this seriously? Stop being so flippant.”

This only made her laugh harder.

“So, what else did you talk about?” He was genuinely getting impatient.

Zhou Leqi remained calm and unfazed. She leisurely ate another mochi ball, chewing slowly. After finishing, she tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand, looking both lazy and beautiful. “I told him I have someone I like.”

She paused, then added, “And I told him it’s you.”

Plip.

The plastic fork in Hou Zihao’s hand fell into his noodle bowl.

He didn’t bother retrieving it, focusing instead on maintaining his composure. Fighting back a smile, he feigned seriousness and asked, “Really? Or are you lying?”

“It’s true,” Zhou Leqi laughed, lightly hitting him. “But remember our agreement—we can only be together after we succeed in the college entrance exam.”

This reminder did nothing to dampen Hou Zihao’s mood. He happily sipped his juice, finding the familiar brand unusually delicious today. Feeling even better, he turned to her and said, “I remember. I’ve already thought about it. To prevent any accidents, we need to study hard during this break. I’ll supervise you. Starting tomorrow, let’s go to the library together.”

Every day at the library, every day together.

Zhou Leqi hadn’t expected him to come up with such a clever excuse. Though somewhat speechless, it aligned with her wishes—she had been worried about how to see him more often during the winter break.

She quickly agreed but added, “We can do that recently, but maybe not around the New Year.”

“Why?” His brows furrowed again.

“I need to visit my grandparents in D City with my mom,” she explained, her expression turning somber. “I’ll probably be away for half a month.”

Hou Zihao froze, immediately understanding the change in her expression. She must have been thinking about her family’s upheaval. This would be her first New Year without her father, and perhaps because of that, she couldn’t conveniently visit her paternal grandparents either.

He fell silent for a moment, then slowly reached for her hand. His palm was still warm, comforting her.

“It’s okay,” he said gently, his gaze soft and reassuring. “You still have me this year.”

I’ll always be by your side.

I promise I won’t let you feel sad.

Meanwhile, at 1:30 AM in another budget hotel, the scene was much steamier.

Since her first forbidden encounter with Liu Jun, Luo Siyu had become addicted. She quickly discovered the pleasure in it and became obsessed with the thrill of indulgence. What attracted her more was the aura he shared with everyone from Yi Zhong—an aura she believed only these elite individuals possessed, though in reality, this so-called “aura” was merely a figment of her imagination, born from her own insecurities.

Lost in her fantasy, she had already hooked up with Liu Jun several times in less than half a month. Now, while Liu Jun showered, she lounged lazily on the bed, reminiscing about their earlier activities while scrolling through her phone.

Suddenly, a QQ message popped up. She clicked it open absentmindedly—it was Ding Peng trying to arrange a meeting.

That fool, confident just because he’s handsome? Thinking he can charm her? Who does he think he is! A toad dreaming of eating swan meat—delusional!

Luo Siyu ignored him entirely, not bothering to reply. Ding Peng persisted, sending multiple photos of himself partying with friends, including women dressed provocatively despite the freezing winter weather.

What was Ding Peng trying to prove? That he was charming? Trying to make her jealous?

Please.

She had long since dismissed him as a low-class brute with muscles but no brains.

Disdainfully closing QQ, her phone rang again. It was her mother, Gao Xiang, likely asking where she was and telling her to come home.

She rejected the call outright and turned off her phone after several more attempts.

Finally, peace.

She refused to return home. Lately, Gao Xiang and Zhou Lei had been constantly arguing. Though they closed the door to muffle their fights, she wasn’t stupid. The tense atmosphere at home weighed heavily on her.

After all, this was a remarriage. Life wasn’t meant to work out between them. Zhou Lei’s true colors had emerged—he had grown impatient with both her and her mother. Gao Xiang cried day and night, seven months pregnant but still barely gaining weight. It was pitiful.

Luo Siyu vowed never to live such a life.

She would never be the other woman or settle for leftovers. She wanted a promising, future-oriented man—a proper marriage with someone of means. She wouldn’t allow herself to fall into a chaotic, miserable existence.

As Luo Siyu pondered this, Liu Jun emerged from the shower. After another round of intimacy, she got up to take her turn in the bathroom. Unbeknownst to her, as soon as the bathroom door closed, Liu Jun’s phone lit up. A contact named “Sunny” sent a message, marked with a little red heart in his contacts list.

Seeing the message, Liu Jun’s eyes brightened, and he eagerly responded with a lengthy reply. But the other party didn’t respond warmly, leaving him feeling dejected after waiting for a long time.

Ten minutes later, Luo Siyu emerged from the bathroom. Liu Jun naturally turned off his phone and pulled the young, pretty junior into his arms. The two cuddled affectionately, appearing like an inseparable couple.