When Mo Yao returned home late that night, she opened the door to find Xia Chuan cooking in the kitchen.
"I'm back."
Ever since Xia Chuan started cooking at her place, these words had become routine.
"Welcome back!"
"Fan... Fan Yin fei lai!"
Xia Chuan had secretly taught Qian Yu this phrase, but for a two-year-old, it was still too difficult.
Still, little Qian Yu’s adorable attempt made Mo Yao laugh. She rushed over to play with her.
Watching the warm scene between mother and daughter, Xia Chuan felt an unexpected warmth in his chest.
*This way, Mo Yao will gradually forget that incident. She’ll return to a normal life.*
*Then I can step back gracefully. After all, I can’t stay with them forever.*
At that thought, Xia Chuan’s eyes dimmed slightly.
---
"Dinner’s ready!"
Xia Chuan placed dish after dish on the table. Though just simple home-cooked meals, his skill made them fragrant and inviting.
In a lightning-fast move Mo Yao didn’t notice, she snatched a slice of meat and popped it into her mouth.
"So good..." she mumbled, chewing happily.
Xia Chuan hadn’t seen the theft, but her blissful expression gave her away. As a self-respecting homemaker, he couldn’t let this slide.
"Did you even wash your hands? Dinner’s about to start, and you’re sneaking food? You’re not a kid anymore—act your age."
"Sorry, sorry!" Mo Yao pressed her palms together in apology, though her grin held zero remorse.
Living with her had revealed she wasn’t the gentle, refined woman he’d imagined. Sometimes she was downright mischievous—fitting for a girl her age.
What Xia Chuan didn’t know was that this playful side only surfaced around him. To everyone else, she remained the picture of grace.
Xia Chuan quickly served the rice. The aroma finally overwhelmed him, and he began eating.
"Xia Chuan, aren’t you joining your school’s sports day?" Mo Yao asked suddenly while feeding Qian Yu.
"Yeah. Didn’t I tell you already?"
"But your injuries..."
"It’s fine. Everything’s healed except the cut on my back. And I’m only running—no problem at all."
"Good..." Mo Yao sighed in relief. She’d been terrified his wounds might reopen.
Then she remembered something else. "Oh! Is your school open to visitors on sports day?"
"Of course. They want to show off their students. It’s fully open all three days. Why?"
"To cheer you on with Qian Yu, obviously!" Mo Yao beamed.
"But won’t you need to work?"
"I’ve saved up leave days. Just need to ask Auntie Tian."
"Well... that might not be best." Xia Chuan hesitated. After the recent mix-up where Mo Yao was mistaken for a child’s father, showing up with Qian Yu again would make his reputation impossible to clear.
"Why? Are you ashamed of me?" Mo Yao’s voice turned small and wounded.
*Xia Chuan cursed inwardly.* After everything she’d been through, her confidence was still fragile beneath the surface. His refusal had clearly cut deep.
He rushed to explain: "Are you kidding? Someone as stunning as you gracing our school? It’d be like the heavens opened! If you cheer for me, I’ll start wondering if I saved the entire galaxy in my past life."
Flattery poured out effortlessly.
"Really?" Anyone could tell he was laying it on thick, yet Mo Yao didn’t call him shameless. Instead, she pouted and whispered, "You mean it?"
"Really." At this point, denial was impossible.
"Hmph. You’d better remember that." Her expression softened, a flicker of satisfaction lighting her face.
Xia Chuan exhaled. *So she’s still just a girl at heart. A few compliments, and she’s happy.*
*Guess I’ll need to flatter her more often.*
What he didn’t realize was that not just anyone’s praise could make her smile like this.
---
Mo Yao finished washing the dishes quickly. Their deal was clear: Xia Chuan cooked, she cleaned. He’d tried to help before, but she always refused.
"Well, I should head out," Xia Chuan said, checking the time.
"So early? Where to?" Mo Yao frowned. He usually stayed at least an hour later.
"Sports day practice. Thought I’d jog around the neighborhood."
"Oh. Be careful then!"
"Got it."
---
Haiyu City was a coastal town that never quite leveraged its seaside location. Stuck as a second-tier city, it sprawled only half the size of average urban areas, its streets quiet from lack of opportunity.
Xia Chuan liked it anyway. Low living costs. Less pollution. On clear nights, the stars still pierced the sky—denser here than in smog-choked metropolises. Gazing up always calmed him.
*If nothing drastic happens, I’ll never leave Haiyu.*
*Yeah. Nothing drastic.*
---
Xia Chuan soon reached a nearby park. Jogging on main roads was out of the question.
At this hour, the park buzzed with life—mostly square-dancing aunties. Thumping music matched their energetic moves. *They must’ve been dance queens back in their day,* Xia Chuan mused before shaking off the thought. He picked a starting point and began running.
He was fierce in fights, but raw grit couldn’t replace stamina. Ten thousand meters? The school hadn’t even had this event until some insane teacher added it, pushing students to "embrace the challenge."
Xia Chuan estimated the park’s outer loop at roughly 500 meters. *Twenty laps. Let’s see if I can even finish one.*
---
Predictably, ten thousand meters was inhuman.
Xia Chuan pushed himself to exhaustion—and barely covered three thousand. *Okay, maybe sprinting full-speed from the start was dumb. But seven thousand left...*
Gasping, he stopped to rest. He knew better than to sit immediately after running. Only after pacing awhile did he collapse onto a stone bench.
His watch read 8:00 PM.
Fatigue seeped into his bones. *I can’t do this. Better quit now than humiliate myself on race day.*
*"But... Xia Chuan in track gear, sprinting across the field? He’d look so cool."*
Mo Yao’s offhand comment echoed in his mind.
*Damn it. She’s coming to cheer for me. How can I chicken out? Ten thousand meters? I’ll run a hundred thousand for her!*
He shot up, fire in his veins.
"Damn it!" he growled, ready to sprint—
—then stumbled back after three steps.
*...Maybe five more minutes of rest first.*
---
Haiyu’s summer nights were mild. The breeze brushed his cheek like a lover’s caress—until it vanished, leaving him starkly aware he had no lover.
Xia Chuan slumped on the bench, wishing it had a backrest. Even if it did, he couldn’t lean back; his wounds still throbbed.
"Xia Chuan? Is that you?"
A voice cut through his daydream. He looked up. A young man and woman stood nearby.
*Him?*
Xia Chuan froze.
He didn’t recognize the woman. But the man—he knew all too well.
This was the guy he’d saved weeks ago.
Liu Ziyang.
The one Liu Yixia liked.
