I raised stunning young ladies, but they all wanted to possess me.

Gu Yan looked at her like that, sighed, stood up and walked over.

He picked up his coat from the sofa and draped it over Shen Youyao's shoulders.

The coat was large, covering most of her body and obscuring her exposed skin.

Shen Youyao's body stiffened for a moment, then slowly softened.

She looked up at Gu Yan, her blue and red eyes filled with tears.

"Brother Gu Yan, I...I didn't mean to..."

She couldn't continue, and tears slid down her cheeks from the blue side.

The red side had no tears; it was dry, as if it couldn't cry.

Gu Yan reached out and wiped away her tears, her fingers pausing briefly on her cheek.

"I know, it's not your fault, and it's not hers either."

His voice was very soft, so soft that only Shen Youyao could hear it.

Shen Youyao's tears flowed even more fiercely, but the corners of her mouth slowly curved up.

The arc was very small, but it was definitely a smile.

Fu Wanqing stood to the side, watching this scene, and that indescribable feeling welled up in her heart again.

The people she saved, the people she cared for, are now wiping away tears for others.

Gu Yan's fingers trembled the whole time as she helped Shen Youyao get dressed; she couldn't stop.

He first took his coat off her shoulders, and when his fingers touched her collarbone, they both froze at the same time, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

Shen Youyao's skin was cool, but the place that was touched felt like it had been burned. A faint pink blush rose on her fair skin, spreading from her collarbone outwards.

He pulled the shirt over her shoulders, his fingers sliding down her arm. The delicate, soft touch made his throat dry, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Shen Youyao's arms were so thin that he could hold them in one hand. Underneath her skin, you could see light blue veins, distributed like a spider web beneath her fair skin.

As he buttoned her shirt, his fingers brushed against her chest, and even through the thin fabric, he could feel the soft contours of her breasts, their warmth seeping through the fabric.

Her chest rose and fell slightly with her breath, and with each rise and fall, his fingers moved closer to that soft area.

His breathing became heavier, his heavy breath hitting Shen Youyao's neck. He buttoned one of her buttons askew, then unbuttoned it and buttoned it again, his fingers lingering on her chest for a couple more seconds.

Shen Youyao's body trembled slightly, like a leaf rustling in the wind, and a very soft sound escaped from her lips.

The sound wasn't a hum or an 'uh,' it wasn't any meaningful word, it was just a breathy sound squeezed out from deep in the throat.

But there was something indescribable in that breathy sound, like comfort mixed with tension, like anticipation mixed with fear, like a feeling that had been suppressed for a long time and finally couldn't help but overflow.

Gu Yan's fingers paused for a moment, hovering in mid-air, before continuing to button his shirt, pretending not to hear. But his ears turned red, burning red, and even his neck was tinged with a faint pink.

Shen Youyao froze completely after hearing herself make that sound, as if she had been acupunctured.

Her face was so red it looked like it was burning, the redness spreading from her cheeks to her ears, from her ears to her neck, and from her neck to her chest, layer upon layer of blush spreading across her fair skin.

She bit her lip until it turned white, her teeth sinking into the soft flesh, trying to stop herself from making any more noise.

The buttons on her pants were below her lower abdomen. Gu Yan squatted down to help her fasten them, her knees on the floor and her head down.

He dared not look into her eyes, afraid of seeing his own reflection in those eyes, one blue and one red. He fumbled with the buttons for a moment before finding the right spot.

Shen Youyao looked down at the top of his head, at his black hair and fair nape, where there was a small outline of his spine, slightly protruding under the skin.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, thumping so loudly that all she could hear was the sound of her heartbeat. Her chest heaved violently with each breath, stretching the fabric of her shirt taut.

After buttoning up his clothes, Gu Yan stood up and took a step back to create some distance between them. His knees were a little sore from kneeling, but he didn't care.

His ears were still red, as red as if they had been scalded with boiling water, but the expression on his face had returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

Shen Youyao stood there wearing a shirt and pants, her hair a little messy, with a few strands sticking to her cheeks, and glistening tear stains on her face.

But her eyes were bright, one blue and one red reflecting the light like two stars of different colors, the blue one clear and the red one deep and unfathomable.

Gu Yan turned to look at Fu Wanqing and noticed that her expression was off; she seemed frozen in place.

She stood beside the sofa, her amber eyes staring blankly at the ground. Her long pink hair covered half of her face, and the exposed side was deathly pale.

Her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt so tightly they were crumpled, her knuckles turned white, and her nails dug into the fabric fibers. Her lips were pressed tightly together, forming a thin line.

That expression wasn't one of anger or grievance, but rather an indescribable sense of loss, like someone at a lively party suddenly realizing they don't belong there.

Gu Yan walked over and stood in front of her, her voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Wanqing, what's wrong?"

Fu Wanqing looked up at him, a hint of panic flashing in her amber eyes, like a rabbit suddenly illuminated by a light.

"It's nothing, I'm fine."

Her voice was a little hoarse, as if something had been rubbing against her throat. After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and dared not look at him. Her long pink hair fell down and covered her face.

Gu Yan looked at the top of her head. Her long pink hair shone softly under the light. The strands were very fine and soft, like willow catkins in spring.

He reached out and gently patted her shoulder, his palm lingering on her shoulder for a moment, the warmth of his palm passing through her clothes.

Thank you for today.

Fu Wanqing's body stiffened for a moment, the muscles in her shoulders tensed up like stones, and then slowly relaxed like melting ice and snow.

She looked up at Gu Yan, her amber eyes swirling with something indescribable, like an undercurrent beneath a lake.

"Why thank me? I didn't help at all."

Her voice was still a little hoarse, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly, forming a very small arc that was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

"I just stood there all night, acting as a third wheel, the kind that's really bright and annoying."

Gu Yan smiled, withdrew her hand, her fingers gliding across her shoulder, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to make coffee, you guys wait here."

The kitchen lights are a warm yellow, like the afternoon sun in late autumn. A coffee machine and a kettle sit on the countertop, their stainless steel surfaces reflecting the light.

He opened the cabinet and found a can of coffee beans. He opened the lid and smelled it. It was the kind of dark roast Colombian beans that Shen Youyao used to buy often, with a caramel and nutty aroma.