The baby slapped me, and I said, "Sit on my lap and slap me."

In that instant, all the questions about the past, the subtle grievances and melancholy in Su Qingyao's heart suddenly vanished.

Yes, it's all in the past now.

No matter how vague feelings of affection existed, no matter how much comfort those companions provided, it all belongs to the past.

I was so helpless and lonely back then that I regarded any bit of warmth as light.

But now, everything is different.

She pulled herself together, able to support her mother and also live the life she wanted.

She has things she likes, ideals she wants to pursue, and true friends.

Also, Wenyu.

Wen Yu, who is completely devoted to her, is domineering and childish, but also cute, pure, and a little mischievous.

"Yaoyao?" came Song Yunyan's gentle inquiry over the phone.

Su Qingyao withdrew her gaze, her voice returning to calm, even carrying a hint of relaxation.

"Hey Yunyan, I'm here. Add me. See you when you get back. Be careful on the road."

She hung up the phone and gave a sweet smile to the figure striding towards her.

Wen Yu was restless all day.

He forced himself to finish dealing with the company's tedious affairs, and then used some means to postpone Zhou Yibei's return to Beijing before he could finally calm down.

But I always kept that tension in my heart.

He desperately wanted to rush to the baby's side, but he had just let the baby out that morning... He was afraid of startling her.

We can only endure it, endure it.

He waited until her tutoring session ended before sending her a message, but no one replied.

The silence on his phone made him uneasy.

It wasn't until I saw through her location tracking that she wasn't returning to her apartment, but instead heading towards the Kyoto University dormitory, that the suppressed unease finally broke through the critical point.

He couldn't wait a moment longer, so he grabbed his car keys and sped off.

The wind rushed in through the lowered car window, but it couldn't dispel the suffocating anxiety in his chest.

As soon as the car came to a stop, he saw Su Qingyao in the distance.

She stood under the streetlight, holding her phone, her brows relaxed, and even chuckled softly to the person on the other end of the line.

That laughter stung his eyes.

The string of reason snapped in an instant.

He didn't even remember how he ran through that patch of light and shadow.

Before she could react, he was already standing in front of her, and before she could say anything, he pulled her tightly into his arms.

Su Qingyao gasped softly in surprise at the sudden force of his impact.

She was startled when she felt his chest heaving violently.

The hand that had been suspended in mid-air slowly fell and gently wrapped around his back.

This hug acted like a floodgate, instantly stopping Wen Yu's emotions from overflowing.

Those surging darkness, unease, and violent impulses are calmed and dissipated in this action.

His rapid breathing gradually calmed down, and his clenched arms slowly loosened their grip.

Wen Yu stepped back a little, but his arms were still wrapped around Su Qingyao.

Under the streetlights, he looked down at her, his lips pursed, his voice filled with deep grievance and hoarseness.

"Baby...why aren't you replying to my WeChat messages?"

"Baby, are you angry with me?"

Su Qingyao was taken aback by his question and her eyes widened slightly.

"I didn't..."

She instinctively retorted, her voice tinged with confusion, "It was clearly you who didn't reply to me."

As she spoke, she unlocked her phone and opened WeChat directly.

The red notification dot only appeared belatedly the moment the screen lit up.

Dozens of unread messages, all from my dear husband who's pinned to the top of my chat list.

"Has the baby finished class?"

"It seems to be getting windy outside, are you cold?"

"Shall I come pick you up?"

……

"Why isn't my baby replying? Didn't she check her phone?"

"Reply to me when you see this message."

"...Baby, pay attention to me."

The last few lines were spaced closer and closer together, revealing an anxiety that could no longer be concealed.

Su Qingyao's fingertip stopped on the screen, stunned.

She had been waiting for a message on the bus for a long time, but the only thing in the chat box was the rabbit emoji she had sent.

She was disappointed for a little while because of this.

Su Qingyao looked at Wen Yu, bit her lip, and said, "I don't think I've received my phone yet."

She turned the screen towards him, her fingertips tracing the long string of unread messages, a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

"See, it only popped up now. I didn't mean to ignore you."

Wen Yu slowly raised his gaze from the screen and landed on her somewhat bewildered face.

His tense shoulders relaxed for a moment, and the dark look in his eyes was replaced by more complex emotions.

It was a lingering fear.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice lowered, becoming slightly hoarse.

"I thought... I thought the baby didn't want to talk to me anymore."

It looks just like a beautiful little dog that's been rained on, with droopy ears and wet eyes full of cautious exploration.

Su Qingyao's heart softened at the sight, and her hands itched to reach out and gently stroke his soft gray hair.

It feels really good.

She squinted and smiled, "No, I didn't ignore you. I even sent you a little bunny."

Wen Yu let her ruffle his hair until it was a little messy, and strands of hair brushed against her fingertips.

"Baby, you only sent me a little bunny?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"But I sent you so many messages."

He raised his eyes, looking directly into hers with a hint of accusation.

Su Qingyao felt a little guilty under his gaze, her fingertips curled slightly, and she explained softly, "I... I don't really know what to say."

"Baby, you can't do that."

Wen Yu grabbed her hand, which she was trying to pull back, and gently held it in his palm, his fingertips stroking her knuckles.

"You're making me feel really wronged and scared. I thought you were still angry about this morning, angry that I made you..."

"Stop talking!" Su Qingyao's cheeks flushed instantly, even her ears turned crimson, and she hurriedly interrupted him in a low voice.

"I...I'm not angry with you at all. I agreed to it this morning too."

The voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Why are you so well-behaved?

Looking at her neck, which was flushed a light pink, Wen Yu felt as if a soft feather had gently tickled his heart, making it itch and ache.

How could he possibly let go of such a wonderful baby?

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer, his chin resting gently on the top of her head, his voice muffled in her hair.

"Baby, that's too much! You only sent me one message... You have to make it up to me."

Su Qingyao nestled obediently in his arms, then looked up at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes, "Compensation?"

"Mm." Wen Yu looked down at her, his eyes shining brightly. "Let's go see the aurora borealis, in the next few days."

"So sudden?"

Wen Yu nuzzled the tip of her nose.

"It's not sudden. Didn't we agree yesterday? My baby, you should enjoy your university life."

Su Qingyao blinked, then suddenly remembered something and frowned slightly.

"But... I promised to pick someone up in a few days."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

From an angle unseen by Su Qingyao, Wen Yu's fingers slowly tightened, his knuckles turning white from the force.

His face still held a gentle expression, but a dark, murky mist welled up in his eyes, and his jawline tightened.

He lowered his eyelashes, concealing the gloomy storm raging in his eyes.

When he looked up again, his voice remained steady, only deeper, each word sounding as if it were slowly grinding between his teeth.

"Picking someone up?"

He paused, his gaze fixed on her. "Who are you picking up?"

Su Qingyao didn't notice the undercurrent in his tone. "A neighbor from when I was a child, who used to help me a lot. He's been abroad for the past few years, but he'll be coming back to China in a few days."

Wen Yu's fingers loosened slightly, his voice revealing little emotion, and he simply asked, "Male or female?"

"A boy," Su Qingyao answered truthfully.

……

Wen Yu's slightly relieved mood suddenly sank.

He's a man, a neighbor from when I was a child, and I helped him a lot.

Damn, isn't this just childhood sweethearts?