5:05

The next morning, Xia Songbai woke up early, feeling a bit heavy-headed. It was probably because he had been caught in the rain yesterday and was coming down with a cold. After some hesitation, he decided not to take any cold medicine, as he disliked the drowsy, sleepy feeling that came with it.

After a hot shower, he looked into the mirror and saw his cheeks flushed from the steam. He felt he could still manage for a while. He didn’t need to choose clothes; he wore the same style as yesterday—a white shirt. It seemed Shen Zhao quite liked the pure, unpretentious, and cute "little white flower" type.

Xia Songbai was very professional—if he was to play the role of a temptress, he had to tailor it to his goal. He looked in the mirror again and put on a pair of black-framed glasses, which made him look even more like a dutiful student. He nodded in satisfaction and arrived early at the spot where he was supposed to meet Shen Zhao.

When Shen Zhao arrived, he saw Xia Songbai sitting by the window, gazing down at his phone. Xia Songbai had a high, straight nose and a slightly upturned tip. The thick black glasses gave him a scholarly air. Beneath the white shirt, his skin was as fine and white as fresh snow. The whole person seemed like a refreshing, sweet mint candy—just looking at him lifted one’s spirits.

The shop's décor was extravagant, and beyond the large floor-to-ceiling window, the city’s most decadent heart shimmered. Xia Songbai’s fresh, simple attire seemed utterly out of place, but his somewhat cold, indifferent expression turned everything else into a mere backdrop for him.

Shen Zhao hesitated for a moment, clutching the flowers in his hand, feeling he might have overstepped. Xia Songbai had a boyfriend—more than that, he was already engaged. Sending flowers like this almost made Shen Zhao feel as if he was treating Xia Songbai as a frivolous person.

But since Xia Songbai had invited him out, maybe something was wrong with his relationship with Lian Sheng. After all, Lian Sheng didn’t seem like a gentle or considerate type.

Shen Zhao, unusually anxious about the situation, caught Xia Songbai’s attention when he suddenly looked up. His round, charming eyes widened slightly, then he smiled and waved at him gently.

Shen Zhao couldn’t help but raise his hand and wave back as he quickened his steps into the restaurant.

Xia Songbai propped his chin on his hand, watching Shen Zhao approach with brisk, confident strides. He handed him a bouquet: “I saw an old lady selling flowers by the roadside, so I bought these for you.”

A clumsy excuse, clearly transparent. Such expensive, rare flowers were obviously imported; an old lady on the street wouldn’t be selling them.

Xia Songbai pretended not to notice, took the flowers, and praised, “They’re beautiful. By buying the flowers, the old lady can go home earlier. Mr. Shen, you’re really thoughtful.”

Shen Zhao’s lips curled into a smile, tinged with some guilt. “Please don’t call me Mr. Shen anymore. If you don’t want to call me Ah Zhao... since we’re both students, just call me senior.”

“Senior?” Xia Songbai smiled with curved eyes. “But I’m a senior in my fourth year—I remember you’re a junior in your third year? Right, Senior Shen~”

Shen Zhao stared at his rosy, tender lips in a daze, feeling as if they were jelly, tempting him to taste and see if they were sweet.

Hearing the teasing, Shen Zhao’s Adam’s apple moved unconsciously, and he responded half a beat late, “...You must be younger than me.”

“I skipped a grade before.”

“Then you must be very good at studying.”

Whether he was good or not was uncertain. The original Xia Songbai had always leaned toward the arts. The Xia family spared no effort in his cultivation; if this had been ancient times, he would have been the kind of refined lady skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, awaiting a suitable match.

Later, he had heard somewhere that studying finance was the way to better connect with second-generation rich kids, so during college, his family spent money to transfer him from the music department to the finance department.

They never thought that truly wealthy people often had managers handling their affairs. Most went abroad to study or pursued subjects they genuinely cared about.

So throughout his four years of university, he hadn’t met anyone suitable until by chance he got close to Lian Sheng, which saved the Xia family’s scheme from completely falling apart.

Xia Songbai smiled faintly. “It’s okay.”

—His grades were barely passing.

Shen Zhao didn’t really care whether Xia Songbai’s studies were good or bad; he just wanted to talk a bit more: “What flavor cake do you want? A friend recommended this place—they said the French pastries here are authentic. Actually, my family’s chef makes good ones too; you should come try sometime.”

His real intention was elsewhere. Xia Songbai just smiled. Shen Zhao looked away, took a sip of water from the table, finally quenching his sudden thirst.

Xia Songbai said, “Actually, I invited you out because I need your help.”

Shen Zhao replied, “There’s no need to say ‘help’ between us. Is something troubling you?”

Had Lian Sheng bullied him? Or did the Lian family scold him yesterday because of the competition?

Shen Zhao had already thought of how to stand up for Xia Songbai.

But Xia Songbai shook his head. “I want you to help me pick a gift to give to Ah Sheng.”

The smile on Shen Zhao’s face faded. After a moment, he said, “...Alright. Is it his birthday?”

“It’s to apologize.” Xia Songbai’s long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on his porcelain cheek, and his smile grew a bit lonely. “Ah Sheng doesn’t approve of me competing… He must be mad at me now.”

“So you want to buy a gift to make him happy?”

Xia Songbai nodded seriously. “You’ve known each other since childhood, and your family backgrounds are similar. The gift you choose will definitely suit him better than any I pick.”

Shen Zhao looked into his moist eyes, feeling an inexplicable heaviness in his chest.

But he couldn’t bear to look into Xia Songbai’s eyes and refuse. He could only say, “After we finish the cake, I’ll go shopping with you.”

Xia Songbai smiled at him, eyes curved like crescent moons. The plump under-eye bags tinted with a peach blossom hue, and the slight upward tilt of his eyes resembled the tail of a sea nymph. A gentle flick could capture anyone’s heart.

“Thank you so much.”

Although he didn’t want to help pick a gift for Lian Sheng, Shen Zhao was more than willing to accompany Xia Songbai shopping. With utmost patience, he accompanied him through the entire first floor of the mall. Considering Xia Songbai’s family background, he recommended a moderately priced store and suggested a watch: “This one is nice.”

—“Moderately priced” here meant a watch costing seven figures.

Of course, for their wealth, a seven-figure watch was quite understated, but Xia Songbai didn’t intend to spend that much on Lian Sheng.

He just used this as an excuse to get closer to Shen Zhao and leave an impression that he was the one in trouble with Lian Sheng and urgently needed a knight to save him.

Having a bit of cunning in a crisis was nothing to be ashamed of. :D

Xia Songbai smiled wistfully. “I gave him one before, but he... never wore it.”

Shen Zhao imagined Lian Sheng’s snobbery, despising his fiancée for buying a watch unworthy of his status, and possibly mocking Xia Songbai coldly.

Shen Zhao sneered, “He has no taste.”

Xia Songbai put on a forlorn act and declared he needed to go to the restroom, then detoured to another store and bought a Montblanc pen he had just looked at.

His phone vibrated—a message from Shen Zhao saying he was going to the entrance and asking Xia Songbai to find him.

After an afternoon of shopping, Xia Songbai felt his cold worsening. Testing his forehead with the back of his hand, he seemed to have a fever.

Fortunately, the day was almost over. Xia Songbai decided to take medicine and get a good rest once he got home.

Outside the large revolving glass doors, Shen Zhao was standing there.

Xia Songbai mustered a smile and passed through the revolving door. “I bought you a gift too…”

Outside the polished glass door, Shen Zhao smiled back and approached him.

Xia Songbai reached out to hand the gift to Shen Zhao but suddenly everything went black. Before he could react, he collapsed backward helplessly...

---

When Xia Songbai regained his vision, the first thing he saw was Shen Zhao in front of him.

Shen Zhao’s face was full of concern, speaking to him urgently, but a buzzing filled Xia Songbai’s ears, making it impossible to hear clearly. Only a cold, pure, and crisp breath brushed his nose—like the eternal snow atop a high mountain.

The world buzzed and roared, yet it felt utterly silent.

Xia Songbai turned his head and found himself leaning against a man’s chest.

On the summer island, where the heat was always moist and intense, the man wore a finely tailored, expensive suit, his shirt buttoned conservatively to the top. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his pale, cool-toned skin casting shadows that enveloped Xia Songbai entirely.

When Xia Songbai looked up at him, the man lowered his eyes slightly. His narrow eyes were hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, with a delicate gold chain dangling on either side, swaying gently like a cold, flowing golden shadow.

The revolving door kept turning tirelessly. The city’s reflection shimmered on the glass, casting shifting shadows blown by the wind.

Xia Songbai felt dizzy and instinctively closed his eyes, but he seemed still to see the man’s high nose, thin lips, and the expressionless, scrutinizing gaze.

Shen Tingzong.

He had actually fallen into Shen Tingzong’s arms!

The noisy tide in his ears faded, and he could hear Shen Tingzong’s voice, cold and distant like ice drifting on the sea: “...He’s running a fever.”

Beside them, Shen Zhao anxiously said, “I’ll carry him.”

But Shen Tingzong’s hand did not loosen. “The car’s ahead. Go get someone to drive it over.”

Shen Zhao hurried away at once.

Afraid Shen Tingzong might misunderstand if he stayed in his arms, Xia Songbai forced open his eyes weakly and said, “I’m fine... I can walk there myself.”

Shen Tingzong didn’t stop him but slowly released his hold.

Xia Songbai straightened up, stepping out of the man’s embrace, suddenly feeling cold. He nearly lost his balance and almost collapsed again. The man’s hand hovered behind him, fingertips brushing together—they were icy cold.

Xia Songbai shivered, withdrawing his hand. “Thank you.”

Someone handed him a blanket. Wrapping it around himself, Xia Songbai noticed that at least seven or eight subordinates followed the man. The person who gave him the blanket was probably the secretary. Seeing Xia Songbai look over, he gave a very businesslike smile. Xia Songbai had no strength to smile back, so he weakly murmured a thank you.

Xia Songbai wasn’t pretending to be weak.

Even without touching his forehead, he felt his temperature was dangerously high.

Could this be called a kind of “warm red” fever?

His thoughts drifted aimlessly as the car finally arrived.

Once inside, he half-slept and half-fainted, vaguely sensing he was still being carried... The faint, cool breath at his nose comforted the throbbing pain of his burning forehead.

If the villainous big shot was still willing to hold him, it meant he didn’t think Xia Songbai was deliberately throwing himself at him with impure intentions!

Xia Songbai breathed a sigh of relief but also felt a bit wronged.

—Even if he had wanted to fall, he should have fallen into Shen Zhao’s arms.

That was the one he truly wanted to seduce qaq

Struggling to open his eyes, he felt a hand gently covering them.

His eyelashes twitched lightly, brushing against the cool palm with a fluttering sound like butterfly wings.

A pleasant voice whispered softly, “Sleep.”

He couldn’t explain why, but that voice carried an inexplicable aura of trust and obedience.

His chaotic thoughts calmed, and Xia Songbai curled up in the man’s arms, finally falling into a deep sleep.