4 AM.
The streets had completely quieted down. Even the energetic young boys practicing basketball couldn't resist drowsiness and had fallen asleep.
The streetlights cast a dim glow, their faint creaking accompanying the night breeze, lending an eerie atmosphere.
The night air was chilly, carrying a biting coldness.
Lan Ruoxi stole a glance at An Yi beside her, her lips curling into a sweet smile.
This path, which would usually fill her with fear at night, no longer felt terrifying.
An Yi noticed her thin clothing and asked, "Cold?"
"A... a little."
Lan Ruoxi bit her lower lip lightly.
Without hesitation, An Yi took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "It's chilly at night."
"Mhm, thank you."
Lan Ruoxi's cheeks flushed as she gave a shy smile.
This was a scene she had only seen in romantic dramas—a boy draping his jacket over a girl as they walked in sync down an empty street.
"But... you're not wearing much either."
Lan Ruoxi glanced at An Yi’s thin short sleeves and spoke softly.
An Yi replied nonchalantly, "It's fine. I’ve got another one."
With that, he pulled out another jacket seemingly out of thin air and put it on.
Lan Ruoxi: "..."
"Cool, right? It's magic!" An Yi boasted playfully.
Lan Ruoxi giggled and nodded. "Mhm, so impressive."
An Yi chuckled helplessly.
Girls were different from one another.
When he had shown this trick to the adorably clueless Shen Muxuan, she had been stunned for ages, even pestering him about how he did it for three whole days afterward.
But Lan Ruoxi was too clever—and too kind—always careful not to overstep boundaries.
Not far from the city center lay the urban district.
An area where urbanization was still incomplete, giving off the vibe of a rural-urban fringe.
Once considered an eyesore by the residents of Jiangbei.
"An Yi, I’m home. Thank you for walking me back."
Lan Ruoxi stopped in front of a modest house and turned to An Yi.
An Yi smiled at her. "Get some rest. Don’t go to the company tomorrow—take the day off."
Lan Ruoxi let out a soft laugh. "Not going to school must have messed up your sense of time. Tomorrow’s Saturday."
"Oh, right. Then rest well over the weekend. Don’t think about work for now."
An Yi watched as Lan Ruoxi entered, a faint smile on his lips. "Goodnight."
"Mhm, goodnight!"
Lan Ruoxi waved with a smile.
Just then, the slightly rusted iron gate creaked open.
"Ruoxi, why are you back so late?"
A middle-aged woman stepped out, her voice laced with worry.
"Mom! Y-you shouldn’t be staying up so late with your health like this. Why aren’t you asleep?"
Lan Ruoxi hurriedly replied.
An Yi observed quietly. He recognized her—this was Lan Ruoxi’s mother, Liu Yuefen.
Back when he had secretly treated her illness in the hospital, she probably hadn’t known it was him.
"How could I sleep when you’re out so late?"
Liu Yuefen’s gentle face was etched with concern as she frowned slightly. "Ruoxi, didn’t you say university classes were light? It’s only the start of the semester, so why—"
Mid-sentence, she noticed An Yi standing nearby and paused. "And this is...?"
Her daughter had been staying out late for days, and now she was being brought home by a boy in the dead of night—
Instantly, Liu Yuefen tensed up.
"Mom, he’s... he’s..."
Lan Ruoxi hesitated before finally saying, "A classmate."
"A classmate?"
Liu Yuefen gave An Yi a skeptical look.
Seems like Lan Ruoxi hadn’t told her mother about dropping out.
An Yi took a deep breath, his expression turning serious. "Auntie, hello. I’m An Yi. I’m... Ruoxi’s boyfriend!"
"B-boyfriend?!"
Lan Ruoxi’s face burned crimson, her heart pounding so hard she could hear it. Even her delicate earlobes turned red.
Thankfully, the dim night concealed her embarrassment.
An Yi was nervous too.
A well-behaved girl suddenly bringing home a boyfriend—most parents would have a hard time accepting it.
But to his surprise, Liu Yuefen’s face broke into a warm smile. "So you’re Xiao Yi! Ruoxi talks about you often."
"Mom! I-I don’t—"
Lan Ruoxi’s protest was barely audible.
An Yi exhaled in relief.
Lan Ruoxi’s mother was far more amiable than he’d expected.
He had braced himself for a scolding.
Liu Yuefen chuckled, looking at her daughter. "I knew it. This girl never used to mention boys, but lately, she keeps bringing up An Yi’s name. So she’s got a boyfriend now."
Lan Ruoxi’s face burned hotter.
She still hadn’t recovered from An Yi’s declaration that he was her boyfriend.
It felt like she was floating in a dream, unsure if this was real.
An Yi scratched his head. "It’s really late. Auntie, Ruoxi, I should get going."
"Mhm. Goodnight."
Lan Ruoxi nodded shyly.
"It’s so late already. Why don’t you stay the night?" Liu Yuefen offered warmly.
"Mom!"
Lan Ruoxi protested weakly.
Liu Yuefen shot her a look before smiling at An Yi. "Our place isn’t big, but we’ve got room for a guest."
An Yi rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I-I don’t think that’s appropriate..."
Deep down, he was still a reserved guy.
Night deepened.
An Yi lay in bed, wide awake.
No meditation techniques, no fear of hair loss—just pure insomnia.
Because right beside him was Lan Ruoxi, her faint, sweet fragrance filling the air.
Yes, they were sharing a bed.
As for where Liu Yuefen had said he could sleep?
Lan Ruoxi’s bed.
At first, she had said she’d find him a place.
But then she claimed the other rooms were too messy to tidy up at this hour, so he’d have to make do in Lan Ruoxi’s room for the night...
Her bed was a double, so space wasn’t an issue—but that wasn’t the point!
An Yi stole a glance at Lan Ruoxi’s graceful silhouette beside him, his pulse refusing to calm down.
Never had he imagined that he, a certified virgin and hopelessly single straight guy, would find himself torn between choices when it came to girlfriends.
Back in the ancient continent, it was simple—the more wealth and power a man had, the more wives and concubines he could take.
The more beautiful women by his side, the higher his status.
In that regard, An Yi was a traditionalist at heart.
But in Xia Country... that probably wasn’t acceptable.
Lan Ruoxi lay with her back to him, breathing evenly, but An Yi would bet anything she wasn’t asleep.
Compared to the adorably clueless Shen Muxuan, sharing a bed with the gentle and composed Lan Ruoxi gave him an entirely different feeling.
Indescribable, really.
"Uh... Ruoxi, you asleep?" An Yi whispered.
"Ah? N-no..."
Lan Ruoxi’s voice trembled nervously. "To be honest, An Yi... I-I’m not really ready yet."
An Yi: "..."