The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

It was past 11 p.m. when I left the hospital.

The night breeze carried a chill, dispelling the smell of disinfectant. The city's neon lights still flickered, yet they seemed unusually desolate.

Xia Qing stretched out her right hand and yawned. Ye Shu, who was beside her and supporting her left arm which was already immobilized, said:

"Be careful, the doctor said you can't move around for at least a month."

The two hailed a taxi on the roadside.

After getting on the bus, Xia Qing probably relaxed suddenly after being highly tense, coupled with the fact that the two of them had been hurriedly getting dressed earlier.

Not long after the car started moving, her head began to tilt to the side little by little, eventually resting gently on Ye Shu's shoulder.

Ye Shu stiffened slightly and turned her head to the side.

The streetlights outside the car window flashed by like streaks of light, casting flickering shadows on her peaceful sleeping face.

She was asleep, but her brows were still furrowed slightly as usual, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, revealing a fragile tranquility rather than the assertiveness she had when she was awake.

Ye Shu slowly adjusted her posture, making her shoulders more relaxed so that she could lean back more comfortably.

Looking at Xia Qing's peaceful sleeping face, Ye Shu suddenly became engrossed, watching her lean on his shoulder, breathing softly.

The carriage was quiet, save for the low hum of the engine and the driver's occasional cough. The passage of time became blurred; only the warmth and weight on my shoulders were clear and real.

After an unknown amount of time, the car slowly came to a stop. It was only after the driver reminded her that Ye Shu came to her senses and realized that they had arrived at the entrance of the residential area.

"Xia Qing? Wake up, we're home."

Xia Qing, leaning on his shoulder, fluttered her eyelashes a few times before slowly opening her eyes. Her eyes were initially veiled with the drowsiness of just waking up as she stared blankly at Ye Shu's profile and neck, which were so close to hers.

After about two or three seconds, Xia Qing gradually came to her senses, her eyes widening instantly, somewhat caught off guard and flustered.

She jerked off Ye Shu's shoulder as if she'd been burned. The sudden movement caused a sharp pain in her shoulder, and her face contorted in pain.

"hiss--!"

Xia Qing pressed her left shoulder with her hand, and without waiting for Ye Shu's reaction, she awkwardly rubbed the car door with her right hand. She pushed open the car door and stepped out of the car with some difficulty.

Ye Shu was still holding her hand outstretched when she paused for a second before quickly paying the fare and getting out of the car.

Xia Qing practically fled, walking quickly into the residential area with hurried, fragmented steps, as if a ghost were chasing her.

I'm so ashamed! I'm absolutely too embarrassed to show my face!

Although she wasn't looking in a mirror, Xia Qing could feel the burning heat on her cheeks; they must have been so red they could bleed. The night breeze, though cool, did nothing to cool her face.

How could this happen?! How could she have fallen asleep?! And not only that, but why...why did she lean on his shoulder?!

She was screaming internally, but what really made her panic wasn't the fact that she had fallen asleep next to him.

But...

It happened the instant she opened her eyes, when her consciousness was still in a half-dreaming, half-awake state.

Before her was Ye Shu's profile, so close she could almost touch it, bathed in a hazy glow from the sunlight streaming through the car window. His jawline, his slightly bobbing Adam's apple, his quietly lowered eyelashes… In that instant, her first thought wasn't to push him away, wasn't embarrassment, but rather…

Instead, I wanted to get closer... to lean in and give him a kiss.

Fortunately, she regained consciousness before her body began to act.

Xia Qing! Are you crazy?! What are you thinking?!

Xia Qing didn't dare to face Ye Shu behind her, nor did she dare to face the sudden thought in her heart. She could only lower her head, look at her toes, and walk forward quickly without saying a word.

Walk faster, walk even faster! As long as I walk fast enough, embarrassment can't catch up with me!

This speed is already comparable to race walking; any faster and it would be running.

"Xia Qing, slow down and watch where you're going!"

However, the reminder came a fraction of a second too late.

Boom! !

A muffled thud resounded, echoing throughout the quiet neighborhood.

Xia Qing bumped her head on a street lamp in the residential area, staggered back two steps, and then sat down hard on her bottom. She covered her head with her right hand and curled up into a ball.

Ye Shu was stunned. He rushed over and squatted down next to her. He found Xia Qing's defensive posture with her head in her hands somewhat amusing.

"Xia Qing, are you...are you alright? Why...did you bump into the lamppost?"

Xia Qing didn't say a word, not because she didn't want to, but because the pain was too much to bear. And... it was too embarrassing!

After a short while, Xia Qing slowly removed her hand from her forehead. In the light of the street lamp, Ye Shu could see a small red patch on her forehead, which would probably turn blue tomorrow.

Ye Shu helped Xia Qing up. Xia Qing patted the dust off her pants but still didn't look up.

Suddenly, she cleared her throat, her voice a little dry, with a forced calmness, and a slight tremor:

"Um... well... Ye Shu, thank you... thank you for tonight."

After speaking, Xia Qing secretly glanced at Ye Shu beside her. The streetlight shone perfectly on Ye Shu's face, and this face overlapped with the face she had wanted to kiss when she was dazed.

She saw that Ye Shu's expression was very complicated, showing concern, sincerity, and a desire to laugh, which he was trying to suppress.

"It's alright, there's really no need to be so polite."

Although Ye Shu felt it was a bit immoral to laugh right now, in Xia Qing's eyes, who was feeling guilty, this smile seemed to have a magical power, like a fire that was burning her reason away.

"Okay, okay! Let's hurry up and go! It's the middle of the night, I'm so sleepy!"

She practically yelled it out, trying to cover up her inner unease.

Then he abruptly turned his head away from Ye Shu, took a step, and almost ran, rushing into the building.

From behind, it looked less like he was tired and more like he had run away.

Ye Shu stood there, watching the figure sprinting away, scratching his head in bewilderment.

Why are you suddenly angry again? Did I laugh out loud?

He smiled helplessly and followed.

The night breeze brought a touch of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the faint confusion in his heart, or... a subtle warmth he hadn't even noticed himself, a warmth born from being relied upon and appreciated.

Xia Qing, who was running ahead, could only hear the whistling wind and the pounding of her own heart.

She could no longer feel the pain in her left shoulder and forehead; her mind was filled with Ye Shu's profile, as if it had been carved into her face and was frozen in time.

Xia Qing ran downstairs in one breath, panting heavily.

Oh no, oh no, oh no... Xia Qing, this time... something really seems wrong.