Lin An told Xu Qinghuan that he’d be heading out at eight to accompany Luo Shuishui while she practiced singing. Xu Qinghuan told him to go ahead. She understood what Lin An was thinking.

So, at fifteen past eight, Lin An arrived at the KTV Luo Shuishui had mentioned. He waited outside for a while before spotting her in a white dress, a wooden guitar strapped to her back.

“Let’s go.” Luo Shuishui gave him a slight smile.

“What made you suddenly want to sing?”

“I told my friends I’d go busking with them near the mall. Practicing at home felt a little embarrassing, so I came out here instead.”

As Luo Shuishui answered, the evening breeze lifted her skirt slightly.

Lin An hadn’t noticed it before, but there was an expensive sports car parked nearby.

“Did your family drive you here?”

“No. I came by myself.”

“But you’ve only been an adult for two months. How did you get your license so quickly?”

“Yeah, yeah.” A sly, foxlike glint flickered in Luo Shuishui’s eyes.

She led Lin An inside, moving through the lavishly decorated KTV with surprising familiarity. She seemed to notice his confusion and explained softly, “My family owns it.”

“…”

Luo Shuishui brought Lin An into a huge private room. A fruit platter, sodas, and various snacks were already waiting inside.

She took the guitar from her bag. The backing track played at a very low volume. Then she copied the song list she’d prepared on her phone and began practicing, one song at a time.

Lin An started to question why he was even there. He seemed to have come along just to make up the numbers.

Still, the watermelon on the fruit platter was sweet, so he ate a few extra pieces. He watched Luo Shuishui play and listened to her clear, distant voice.

It was neither too close nor too far away. It sounded quite pleasant.

He felt he made a perfectly suitable audience member. He also liked this kind of atmosphere.

Luo Shuishui was the sort of girl who made being together feel easy.

And Su Yuejin…

That girl had probably reached her breaking point by now, hadn’t she?

When he’d played games with her earlier, Lin An had heard the gloom and emptiness in her voice. But he couldn’t offer her any words of comfort.

They would’ve been meaningless.

Unless she willingly asked him for help.

Luo Shuishui sang for quite a while. Perhaps she grew tired, because she leaned back against the sofa. Then she pointed at the other microphone on the table.

“Sing with me.”

“What do you want to sing?” Lin An asked helplessly. Then he added, “I’m completely tone-deaf.”

“Hmm… Let me think. How about ‘What’s Wrong with That’?”

“You listen to that too?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I like it, and that’s enough.” She smiled gently.

Then she tossed the guitar to Lin An.

“My fingers are tired. You play.”

“I can’t.” Lin An looked at her strangely.

But Luo Shuishui’s expression carried a hint of threat.

“So you’re saying the two years of guitar lessons you took in middle school were completely wasted?”

“…”

Lin An knew it. She’d definitely investigated him.

He took the guitar with a helpless sigh. He really had studied guitar for a while, just as Luo Shuishui had said.

Back then, his girlfriend had wanted to hear him play, so he’d taken lessons. It had been nothing too complicated. His adoptive mother had doted on him, and their family had been well-off enough for him to pursue whatever he wanted.

Lin An played fairly well.

Luo Shuishui sang softly beside him. It was a simple little love song, one that countless people knew by heart.

Lin An liked it too.

He and Luo Shuishui got along quite happily. They seemed to have come to the KTV purely to sing, and they both enjoyed themselves.

It had been a long time since Lin An had touched a guitar. At first, he kept playing the wrong notes. Gradually, though, his fingers grew more familiar with the strings.

A sly light shimmered in Luo Shuishui’s eyes. She shifted closer until she was sitting right beside him.

“What perfume are you wearing?” Lin An suddenly asked.

“I’m not wearing perfume. I naturally smell nice.”

“Really? I don’t believe you.”

“Then smell me.” Luo Shuishui blinked at him.

Lin An actually lowered his head. His eyes fell on the girl’s slender, fair neck.

He leaned in and took a light sniff. There really was a faint floral fragrance. It smelled wonderful.

But Luo Shuishui’s face flushed slightly.

“You… You’re too close, you pervert.”

“Huh? Sorry.” Lin An hurriedly pulled away.

Around her, he often became inexplicably innocent.

She always made him remember his former self. The version of him who didn’t need to consider so many things, probe at someone else’s thoughts, or live such a… complicated life.

Luo Shuishui was like a warm light. She made people want to draw near, yet she could never quite be grasped.

“All right, all right. I want to hear you sing. What can you sing?”

“Hmm, let me think… I’ll sing you a folk song.”

With that, he selected the backing track for “Guo Yuanchao.”

Luo Shuishui sat obediently on the sofa and watched him play and sing softly. Her eyes seemed to hold glittering light.

This was pure admiration.

This was the boy from her first impression of him: distant, yet strong and gentle.

Luo Shuishui also believed that this was who he had always been—a gentle and resilient boy.

She preferred to believe that whether it was Su Yuejin or Xiao Chacha, Lin An had merely been dragged helplessly into this whirlpool.

He didn’t possess that many selfish desires.

More than anything, what he offered resembled a hand extended in rescue.

Who knew?

That was what Luo Shuishui thought as she rested her chin in both hands and smiled tenderly.

…………………………

In the bathroom.

Water droplets still clung to Su Yuejin’s body. She lay dazed in the bathtub, immersed in the water.

It was ice-cold, but she slowly grew used to it.

A small utility knife rested beside the tub. Its tip gleamed with a faint, chilling light.

She raised one pale arm high. With her other hand, she gripped the little knife and slowly lifted it.

Her eyes shimmered with a hazy, dim light.

The scar had healed long ago. She hadn’t cut it open again, but it looked terrible.

Especially ugly.

She stared blankly at the scar. Her hand gradually lost its strength.

Large, scalding tears poured from her eyes. They fell onto her slender, delicate collarbones and slid down over her chest.

The girl’s shoulders trembled as she wept soundlessly.

The tears kept falling, one after another, until her voice turned hoarse and no more tears would come.

But crying did nothing to release the strange emotions inside her.

As if seized by a sudden frenzy, she thrashed her arms and long legs through the water. Large splashes struck the sides of the tub.

At last, she stared blankly at the phone beside her.

She grabbed it and found Lin An’s number, but her fingertips kept trembling. She didn’t know whether she should call.

She didn’t want him to see her like this—fragile, sensitive, and unable to understand what had driven her into such madness.

Would he think she was even more troublesome?

She lowered the phone again, but the tears continued to fall.

Finally, as though she had made some decision, she dialed the number with trembling fingers. She raised the phone to her ear.

Her voice was still broken by sobs.

“Lin An… Lin An… Could you come keep me company? Please… Come drink with me… Talk with me… Anything is fine… Please, come be with me, okay…?”

A song seemed to be playing on the other end.

The voice sounded a little like Luo Shuishui’s.

Su Yuejin waited only a second after saying those words.

What she received in return was even greater panic.

Was he on a date with Luo Shuishui? Or with someone else…?

She must’ve interrupted him.

She must look ridiculous.

Like a complete idiot.

Su Yuejin hung up.

…………………………

Lin An had heard every word Su Yuejin said.

He set down the guitar and looked at Luo Shuishui. She had still been singing and hadn’t heard the call.

“I have to go, Shuishui.”

“Go where? It’s only ten. Are you tired?”

“I’m going to find Su Yuejin. She needs me. At least, she needs me right now.”

Luo Shuishui stared blankly for a second or two. Then she tilted her head slightly.

“Couldn’t you have made up some excuse? You had to be this blunt in front of me…?”

But Lin An didn’t wait for her answer. He had already left the private room.

Or rather, he had run out.

Luo Shuishui watched his back, slightly lost. Still, she packed up her guitar and followed him.

She reached Lin An just as the elevator arrived. She followed him inside and looked at his anxious expression.

“Is something urgent?”

Lin An forced himself to calm down. He gave a quiet hum.

He had to remain calm. He had no idea what condition Su Yuejin was in right now.

But he’d already guessed it before.

Su Yuejin’s emotions must have been flawed somehow. Otherwise, her love wouldn’t have lasted so long.

That sweet affection could make her excited and intoxicated.

But when her emotions sank, the same love could become poison.

After they went downstairs, Lin An finally saw the world outside drowning in torrential rain.

He grew anxious and couldn’t help cursing under his breath. He stepped outside and looked around, but there were barely any taxis on the road.

“Shuishui.”

“I know, I know. Just tell me the address. I’ll take you there.” Luo Shuishui looked at his eyes helplessly. Her voice remained gentle.

She opened an umbrella and hurried with Lin An to the car. Then they got inside, with Lin An taking the passenger seat.

Lin An gave her the address.

Luo Shuishui’s flat shoes pressed down on the accelerator with surprising force. The engine roared, loud enough to sting his ears.

Her expression remained calm as she entered the address by voice command and sped toward their destination.

She really did drive steadily.

She also drove fast—much faster than Lin An had expected.

Ten minutes later, they arrived beneath Su Yuejin’s apartment building. Luo Shuishui stopped the car and handed Lin An the umbrella.

“Don’t forget that you owe me a favor.”

Lin An nodded and thanked her. Then he threw open the door and dashed toward the building without taking the umbrella.

He took the elevator upstairs, unlocked the door, and shouted into the apartment:

“Su Yuejin!”

Lin An didn’t even have time to change his shoes. He rushed inside, but Su Yuejin was nowhere in sight.

The living room lights were still on.

He ran to the bathroom and opened the door.

Su Yuejin slowly raised her head.

She was still gripping the little utility knife. This time, however, its tip was pointed at her slender, fair thigh.

Thankfully, she hadn’t brought it down yet.

Lin An walked toward her, one step at a time.

Su Yuejin’s shoulders trembled slightly as she stared at him blankly. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“How… How did you get here?”

“I couldn’t stop worrying about you.” Lin An sighed softly.

“Give me the knife.”

Before Su Yuejin could answer, he seized the knife from her hand and met her eyes.

“I’m sorry… Lin An… I’m sorry…”

“It’s not your fault.”

Lin An crouched beside the bathtub.

Su Yuejin leaned toward him, and he pulled her into his arms. He gently stroked her hair.

“It’s not your fault… It’s not your fault, you idiot, Su Yuejin.”

“I’m here. Don’t be afraid. Whatever you want to say or do, I’ll stay with you.”

“You’re not alone. You still have me.”

In the end, he chose to step into that whirlpool.

He had already known it existed the moment he saw the scar on the inside of Su Yuejin’s arm.