Chapter 7

Chapter 7

He Wei had no idea what Yan Huai was thinking at all.

He was used to keeping a cold expression. His handsome face was hidden within the lingering smoke that hadn’t dispersed, presenting a deep, inscrutable look.

He Wei didn’t dare look closely. She glanced at him once and quickly withdrew her gaze, nodding slightly toward him, polite and proper. “Goodbye, President Yan.”

Her voice was soft, and she spoke quickly — the standard tone of a subordinate speaking to a superior.

After speaking, she didn’t expect Yan Huai to respond and quickly turned around.

The man behind her remained silent. Only when He Wei reached the entrance hall did she let out a breath.

Aunt Yun came over to open the door for her, repeatedly reminding her to be careful on the way. Looking at He Wei’s young, lively face, wrinkles piled up at the corners of her eyes. “Miss He, you’re the first girl the young master has brought home.”

He Wei smiled faintly and silently tightened her scarf again.

Aunt Yun couldn’t see through her thoughts at all and continued speaking well of her young master. “You can tell the young master really cares about you.”

He Wei turned her head to glance at the night outside and gave a light cough to interrupt her. “I know, Aunt Yun. It’s getting late…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Aunt Yun was clever enough to understand the hint. She hurriedly patted her forehead. “Look at me getting muddle-headed. I kept Miss He talking and forgot the time. Rest early after you get home.”

He Wei nodded. Just as she turned to go out, Aunt Yun, standing at the doorway, let out an “Eh.” “Eldest young master, are you going out this late?”

The man’s voice sounded from behind, an extremely indifferent “Mm.”

“I’ll go call the driver—”

“No need,” Yan Huai fastened his coat buttons, then glanced sideways at He Wei. “Where do you live?”

He Wei was stunned for a moment, then reported the name of another residential complex near her home. “Lanting Apartments.”

Yan Huai didn’t grow suspicious. After giving an “Mm,” he fastened the last button. “On the way.”

He Wei didn’t understand what he meant by those two words. Only after she left the Yan residence courtyard did she open the rear car door and sit down. Her seat hadn’t even warmed when the door on the other side was suddenly opened.

The man bent down and got in, bringing a chill with him.

He Wei smelled the alcohol on him again. She stared straight ahead, not daring to turn to look at him, not even daring to frown to show her inner thoughts. She pretended to be calm and indifferent, telling Uncle Liu the address.

Uncle Liu turned to Yan Huai. “Young master, where are you going?”

The man lowered his eyelids slightly, thin lips parting as he named a clubhouse.

“Then I’ll send Miss He first. Young master, is that okay?”

“Mm.”

He didn’t speak again.

Seeing that he didn’t look very energetic and had closed his eyes to rest as soon as he got in the car, Uncle Liu played a piece of light music to relax the nerves and started the car.

The back seat of the luxury sedan was spacious enough. He Wei and Yan Huai sat on the left and right, with enough space between them for two more of her, yet she still didn’t relax at all.

This scene felt extremely familiar, as if time had suddenly turned back to her previous life.

That night, He Wei had also been sitting in the back seat with Yan Huai. Her clothes were soaked through, clinging coldly to her body. Rainwater dripped onto the leather seat with soft “drip” sounds. Yan Huai told the driver to turn the heater to the maximum.

Then he spoke, his voice cool and gentle. “Cold?”

He Wei curled up on the seat and nodded lightly.

Then she was pulled into Yan Huai’s arms.

It felt as if yesterday had been recreated.

In this life, even just sitting in the same car with him, He Wei seemed to still feel the scorching warmth of the man’s embrace lingering on her body. She felt a bit short of breath. When she pulled down her scarf, she opened her mouth and took a deep breath.

At some point, the music in the car had stopped. Uncle Liu turned and called her, “Miss He, we’re here.”

He Wei didn’t hear him.

Uncle Liu coughed again. “Miss He?”

Only then did He Wei react. Her thoughts returned, the light in her eyes gradually focusing again. After saying thanks, she looked up — Yan Huai beside her had opened his eyes at some unknown time.

The distance between them was neither near nor far. His brow lifted slightly, and he looked at her sideways with meaningful intent.

He Wei withdrew her gaze and didn’t say goodbye to him again, directly opening the door and getting out of the car.

Inside the car, Uncle Liu looked at the girl’s thin figure. Just as he was about to turn the car, he heard the male voice from the back seat: “Follow her.”

Uncle Liu was puzzled. “Young master, what’s wrong?”

Yan Huai closed his eyes and raised his hand to press his temple. “Send her home.”

Uncle Liu turned his head and only then realized that He Wei hadn’t entered the gate of Lanting Apartments but was still continuing forward.

He became even more confused but didn’t dare ask more. Silently, he started the car again and, from more than ten meters away, slowly followed behind He Wei.

Yan Huai’s head hurt a little.

He had drunk quite a lot tonight. Just now he had forced himself to eat something, and now his stomach felt even worse. With the double discomfort, he didn’t want to say a single word.

On top of that, Cheng Yan had just called him to the clubhouse to talk business.

Talk, then talk. Coming out for some air was also good.

Yan Huai frowned. A few minutes later when he raised his eyes again, He Wei’s figure had already disappeared.

Uncle Liu said, “Miss He has already gone in.”

Yan Huai gave an “Mm” and closed his eyes again.

In the personal information He Wei provided during her audition, she had written her home address. Yan Huai had glanced at it last time — it definitely wasn’t the so-called Lanting complex.

Yan Huai couldn’t guess why He Wei had lied to him.

The only thing he knew was that this woman had lied to him twice today.

With extremely clumsy acting.

Yan Huai recalled He Wei’s earnest, innocent-looking face when she told lies. The tension between his brows eased slightly. He curled his lips and opened Yan Chen’s Moments to take a look.

He Wei was the last girl in Yan Chen’s Moments.

The caption on the photo had three words: Little Cutie.

She was indeed quite cute.

Cute enough to make one want to eat her.

The result of He Wei sharing a car with Yan Huai was that she had nightmares for several days in a row.

Again and again, it was the dream of her reloading on Yan Huai’s bed.

In the dream, the room’s walls were pure white. Aside from that, the curtains and bedsheets, even the floor, were dark blue.

An extremely cold color palette.

After showering, He Wei stepped barefoot on the floor. Her hair hadn’t dried, water dripping down drop by drop.

When she raised her eyes, the man — who had also just showered and was wearing a black bathrobe trimmed with gold — stood at the doorway. His expression and tone were equally indifferent, as if devoid of any emotion. “Yan Chen is here.”

Within half an hour of Yan Huai bringing her home, Yan Chen had rushed over.

He Wei twisted her fingers, then glanced at the clock hanging on the white wall.

11:50.

There were ten minutes left before her death this time.

He Wei exhaled and walked toward the doorway. When she reached Yan Huai’s side, she happened to see Yan Chen coming upstairs with a dark expression.

Her steps paused, and she turned to hug the man beside her around the waist.

He Wei’s thinking was simple. Since Yan Chen had already put a green hat on her, she had to return this shining green hat to him before reloading.

Reciprocity — that would be fair.

Then, as expected, He Wei heard Yan Chen’s furious voice, like catching someone in bed: “What are you two doing?”

She hugged Yan Huai tighter, so tight that pressed against his chest, she could clearly hear the steady sound of his heartbeat.

He Wei even heard the sound of the man swallowing. She silently counted the time in her heart and said softly, “I don’t want to see her.”

Yan Chen’s footsteps drew closer, followed by the household servants trying to persuade him to go downstairs, chattering all at once.

He Wei didn’t hear clearly. The next second, she was dragged into the room by Yan Huai, and the door was closed.

The man’s body pressed over her, his warmth passing through their clothes. He Wei heard him lower his voice and say, “Baby, I want you.”

He Wei’s mind wasn’t on this. She lifted her eyes — 11:57.

She closed her eyes, didn’t speak, and quietly avoided the kiss Yan Huai lowered. Second by second, she dragged out the time.

The closer it got to twelve, the harder it became for her to breathe.

The feeling of suffocation surged bit by bit. She blinked, her consciousness growing increasingly unclear.

The clock struck midnight. This time, He Wei didn’t suffocate to death on time. Then the pain of being penetrated beneath her struck fiercely.

She reloaded fifteen minutes late.

Within those fifteen minutes, Yan Huai changed three positions and called her “baby” more than ten times.

The man’s voice was low and obscure, gradually becoming clear, then slowly blurring again. He Wei suddenly woke with a start.

She abruptly sat up and opened her mouth, gasping for breath.

The system asked softly, “Ho-host, did you have another nightmare?”

He Wei answered, got out of bed to pour a cup of warm water, then went to the bathroom to wash up.

This was the fourth time she had dreamed about Yan Huai.

He Wei’s rationality gradually returned. She stared at her face in the mirror, mouth full of toothpaste foam, for a few seconds, then quickly rinsed her mouth.

She had things on her mind these past few days, and her sleep quality wasn’t good — either she couldn’t fall asleep or she had nightmares. A faint bluish shadow had appeared under her eyes.

The scenes in her dreams were vivid and stimulating. He Wei set down the cup and let out a long sigh.

She had brought trouble upon herself, playing with fire and getting burned.

He Wei couldn’t blame Yan Huai, but she was indeed resistant to him.

Anyone who died on his bed wouldn’t be able to avoid developing a psychological shadow toward him.

This time, He Wei tried every possible way to keep Yan Huai from developing thoughts about her. That’s why, a few days ago at the Yan residence, she deliberately acted coquettish and intimate with Yan Chen in front of him.

Thinking of the suffocating feeling before her last death — especially the last few seconds, when her waist hurt, her legs hurt, and her whole body ached — even now, when He Wei recalled it, her hands trembled. She took a deep breath, turned on the faucet, and splashed her face with cold water.

After coming out of the bathroom, she sent a message to Cheng Nuo:

【Nuo Nuo, did you contact Song Zhenzhen’s boyfriend?】

Today was Friday; tomorrow was the time Song Zhenzhen and Yan Chen had agreed on.

A few minutes later, Cheng Nuo replied:

【Weiwei, wait a few minutes. I’m talking to my brother.】

He Wei obediently waited.

She had nothing to do these days, and the audition results hadn’t come out yet. Early in the morning, she read through the Zhihu answers she had bookmarked a few days ago again.

She had already done the first one — pulling down her collar. Now she moved on to the second. The answer read:

“Being sick most easily makes men feel pity. When a girl appropriately shows weakness, it can enhance a man’s protective instinct.”

Ridiculous.

He Wei exited the app. Half a minute later, she suddenly felt this plan was feasible.

It could both increase Yan Chen’s favorability and allow her to avoid his closeness legitimately.

He Wei set down her phone and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower.

On the other side, when Cheng Yan received Cheng Nuo’s call, he was sitting in a five-star hotel restaurant having breakfast with Yan Huai.

Cheng Nuo got straight to the point and explained her intention clearly in a few sentences.

Cheng Yan frowned as he listened. “Song Zhenzhen’s boyfriend? I haven’t collaborated with him recently… it’s a bit awkward to invite him…”

Yan Huai had already finished breakfast. He slowly wiped his mouth. “Song Zhenzhen?”

“She’s the female celebrity who tore Weiwei’s clothes last time. Weiwei wants to invite her boyfriend, Wu Zhiyuan, but you know I can’t arrange to meet him recently…”

“Give me the time and address. I’ll invite him.”

“Huh?”

“What,” Yan Huai raised his eyes to look at him, “didn’t you hear clearly?”