Shi Yu froze. Only three people knew about this: her, Qin Feng, and her best friend, Li Yao. How on earth did He Yan find out? Sensing Jiang Yichen’s eyes locked on her, she didn't dare meet his gaze. Feigning a casual air, she asked, “You certainly have a taste for gossip. Who told you?” A wry smile played on He Yan's lips. “I can’t recall exactly. It was a long time ago, after all. I was a guest lecturer at your university back then and happened to overhear it. It only came back to me when you mentioned you were classmates.” Shi Yu forced a light tone. “Oh, is that so… It’s all in the past now. He’s a great guy. I wasn’t good enough for him.” The words had barely left her lips when she felt the shift in the air. Jiang Yichen’s face had become terrifyingly dark, his gaze a murderous glare that seemed to want to tear her apart. “The one that got away might seem like the perfect ideal. But the one you’ve been to bed with? She’s not necessarily worthy, either.” Jiang Yichen’s sudden remark sent a chill down her spine. He was right. Whether it was him or Qin Feng, she wasn’t good enough for either of them. She didn’t need him to spell it out. For reasons she couldn't explain, her eyes began to sting. She could only lower her head, hoping no one would notice the shift in her emotions. Realizing he had started something terrible, He Yan tried to change the subject, placing a piece of food onto the small plate in front of Shi Yu. “This is delicious. It’s the restaurant’s specialty.” “She has her own hands,” Jiang Yichen said, his voice cold as ice. He Yan swallowed hard. “I’m just giving her a piece of food. You’re not getting jealous, are you?” Jiang Yichen shot him a look of disdain. “Don’t be ridiculous. Just eat.” Shi Yu barely touched her chopsticks for the rest of the meal. By the end, the atmosphere seemed to have returned to normal, but it was a fragile peace, a calm surface hiding the turbulence beneath. When they left the restaurant, He Yan was the first to drive off. Shi Yu, knowing her place, took the initiative to speak to Jiang Yichen. “I’ll get a cab. Drive safe.” Jiang Yichen said nothing. He got into his car, shot past her with a roar of the engine, and quickly vanished into the night. She didn’t feel particularly lonely; it had been like this for years. Even if they were going the same way, he would never be kind enough to give her a ride. In his own words, the very sight of her made him sick. She had spent all these years trying to please him, and this was all she had to show for it. She thought back on all the times they had been intimate. Not once, it seemed, had he been sober. The impulse only ever struck him after he’d been drinking. Just as he’d said—if he weren’t drunk, why would he ever want to sleep with her? After waiting by the roadside for about ten minutes, not a single empty taxi had stopped for her. She gave up and started the slow walk back. The cool spring night breeze drifted into her heart but did little to soothe her melancholy. “Beep—” After a short while, a car suddenly pulled up beside her, the horn grabbing her attention. She turned her head. The window rolled down to reveal Qin Feng. “Why are you walking home alone? Can I give you a ride?” She felt a pang of awkwardness. “No… that’s okay. I wanted to walk for a bit.” Qin Yu’s small head popped out from the back window. “Oh, don’t say no! My brother is just a nice person, don’t overthink it!” A helpless, bitter smile touched Shi Yu’s lips. “I won’t overthink it.” Qin Feng chided his sister with a smile. “Yu, what are you talking about? Don’t be silly, and let Ms. Shi get in the car.” Unable to refuse their kindness, Shi Yu finally got in. At first, neither of them spoke, with Qin Yu doing all the chattering. It wasn’t until they were almost at the Jiang Residence that Qin Feng finally broke the silence. “This might be a bold question, but you live at the Jiang Residence, and you were just having dinner with Jiang Yichen… Are you two… close?”