“Nianyi-senpai, let’s go sit over there and talk.”

After helping Qing Nianyi settle her coat over her shoulders, Qin Heng stepped back a little, then pointed toward the flower pavilion beneath the lights nearby.

The sudden movement brought Qing Nianyi back to her senses. Her hazy eyes cleared, and the jade-like hand she’d been resting against her chest darted behind her back, like a child caught doing something wrong. Her fingers laced together nervously…

“O-Okay. I’ll do as you say, Qin Heng-kun.”

Waaah!!!

What was I even thinking just now!?

Why did I—I want to press myself against him so badly!?

This is… way too shameless!

Guilt-ridden, Qing Nianyi turned her head away and scolded herself over and over. She’d almost ruined the image the young man had of her again, all because she’d gotten carried away in the moment…

“Right. Let’s head over first. It’s getting dark, so watch your step, Nianyi-senpai.”

“Mm, thank you. I’ll be careful.”

Qing Nianyi lifted her long skirt slightly and followed behind Qin Heng. The Big Couch-Potato Qin looked calm on the surface, but inside, he was freaking out.

Walking alone through a dark garden this late at night with a woman—no, with a gentle, mature beauty whose looks could topple kingdoms…

For Qin Heng, an eighteen-year-old virgin who’d been single his whole life, it was more exciting than words could say. As for how he’d managed to drape his coat over Qing Nianyi like some considerate gentleman just now, that was purely out of habit—

Yeah. Just a habit.

Because that Cold Snake at home had a special constitution, Qin Heng always brought a coat whenever he went out with Ning Muxuan, no matter what the weather was like. He didn’t care whether he needed it himself; it was always there for Ning Muxuan.

The Ice Snake was already in poor health, and her constitution meant she couldn’t be exposed to the cold. But she had absolutely no awareness of that.

He had to look after her every moment. Otherwise, whenever she got cold, she’d come rubbing up against him. That was one thing at home, but with so many people watching outside, it was beyond embarrassing.

He’d gotten into the habit of draping his coat over the Cold Snake years ago. So when he put his coat around Qing Nianyi just now, it came naturally, without him even realizing how “close”—or maybe “intimate”—the gesture was…

“Um… Qin Heng-kun, how’s the injury on your hand? Is it serious?”

As soon as they sat down, Qing Nianyi was the one to start the conversation. She wanted to explain things to the young man as soon as possible, and didn’t want him to misunderstand her…

But the moment she managed to speak, that “sweet and stunning” memory flashed through Qing Nianyi’s mind. A blush spread across her pretty face in an instant…

“Huh? Oh, right. I really should thank you, Nianyi-senpai. The wound had healed completely not long after I got back.”

Qin Heng held out his hand. Sure enough, on his index finger, where there should have been

a cut, there wasn’t the slightest trace of an injury anymore.

“It’s all thanks to you, Nianyi-senpai…”

Qin Heng had instinctively started to flatter and praise her, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he was doing. He began to stammer, waving his hands around as if trying to explain something.

“…Uh… yeah, well… um.”

“I-It’s okay, Qin Heng-kun… You don’t have to force yourself…”

Qing Nianyi hurriedly waved her little hands in front of her chest, the blush on her face growing even deeper.

“Ah… mm. O-Okay.”

“Mm-hm…”

The two of them suddenly fell silent. Qin Heng rubbed his hands awkwardly against his pants and let his eyes wander everywhere. Qing Nianyi wasn’t doing any better. She lowered her pretty face, the blush reaching her ears, and nervously laced her hands together over her stomach…

To anyone watching, this strangely warm and awkward atmosphere would’ve made them look like a pair of lovesick idiots who’d just started dating, still too shy to do anything but defer to each other.

…

“Um, thank you for coming all this way in person, Nianyi-senpai. I was wondering what I’d lost…”

After a silence that felt both brief and endless, Qin Heng was the first to break the awkwardness and get to the point of their meeting.

At his words, Qing Nianyi lifted her head and took a few banknotes from the little bag she’d brought with her, holding them out to Qin Heng.

“Mm. You ran off in such a hurry earlier that you left these banknotes behind. I picked them up for you.”

“There was also a receipt tucked between the banknotes. I-I only happened to see what was on it by accident. You bought stomach medicine, right?”

“Do you have stomach problems, Qin Heng-kun?”

Every word Qing Nianyi said carried a note of concern. When she thought Qin Heng might have a stomach condition, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him…

Qin Heng took the banknotes from Qing Nianyi and scratched his head, a little embarrassed.

“Yeah, it’s medicine for stomach problems, but it’s not for me. I bought it for someone in my family.”

“Is that so? I know a few leading doctors in that field. I’m sure I can help you, Qin Heng-kun!”

Hearing that Qin Heng wasn’t the one with stomach problems, Qing Nianyi finally felt some of her worry ease. But since the medicine was for his aunt and uncle, she still wanted to do everything she could to help him…

Qin Heng smiled and politely declined Qing Nianyi’s offer.

“It’s okay. Her condition is pretty much better now, so there’s no need to trouble you, Nianyi-senpai.”

Qing Nianyi shook her head.

“It’s no trouble! But if that’s what you say, then all right…”

“But! If you ever run into any trouble, you can come to me. I’ll do everything I can to help!”

Qin Heng couldn’t help feeling a little surprised by how “enthusiastic” Qing Nianyi was…

This wasn’t how the story was supposed to go… Wasn’t I the one who should be trying my hardest to build a connection with her? Why was Nianyi-senpai so eager to get closer to me instead…?

It wasn’t just his imagination. Qin Heng could feel that ever since their first exchanged glance, through their chance meeting in the hallway and right up to now, Qing Nianyi had seemed unusually “close” to him.

That was what had puzzled Qin Heng all along. Even this invitation to talk was the same. Qing Nianyi could’ve simply given the banknotes and receipt to Feng Xun and had him pass them along. Why go to all this trouble to invite Qin Heng out and get to “know” him?

Given her status, there might not even be a few people at this entire banquet worth befriending. So why him?

What exactly was she trying to do…?

She must have some reason for going out of her way to get closer to him. But what could a Big Slacker like him possibly have that she’d want?

The only thing he had going for him was that Young Master Feng was there to lend him a little prestige. But even Feng Xun had said it himself: he was nowhere near this favored daughter of heaven…

Wait… favored daughter of heaven…

Qin Heng suddenly thought of someone else: Ning Muxuan, who also possessed the noble bloodline of the Yao Clan…

They were both top talents in their respective fields, and both descended from the noble, orthodox bloodlines of the Yao Clan… Aside from their personalities and appearances, which were trivial differences, they had an awful lot in common. They really were the same kind of person…