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Zhou Ai staggered back to her cramped bedroom, slammed the door shut with a soft "bang," and leaned heavily against the cold door, barely managing to support her weak body.

In the cramped space, only his heavy, disordered breathing and the pounding of his heart, like a drum, could be heard, pounding against his eardrums and making his chest tingle.

He raised a hand and subconsciously touched his left chest. Even through the thin fabric of his hoodie, he could clearly feel his heart pounding wildly at an unprecedented, intense, and almost out-of-control pace.

In the darkness, Zhou Ai's lips curled up uncontrollably, a huge, silly smile spreading silently across her face.

An indescribable mix of embarrassment and inexplicable excitement bubbled up in his chest like boiling bubbles.

He actually... just ran away like that?

Like a young boy, he blushed and ran away in a panic after being touched on the ear?

This was an unprecedented dark chapter in Zhou Ai's life and... an utter disgrace!

but……

The scene kept replaying in his mind—Chu Yi's slightly furrowed brows, her hand reaching out with concern, the cool, soft fingertips touching his burning earlobe, and Chu Yi's slightly reddened earlobes and evasive eyes when she apologized later…

"Hold!"

Zhou Ai cursed under her breath, raised her other hand, and haphazardly rubbed her short, silver-gray hair, making it even more disheveled from the shower, resembling a clump of straw.

That's so fucking embarrassing!

But it's also... so damn tempting.

Chu Yi usually seems cold and aloof, with a professional demeanor that keeps strangers at bay.

Who knew that she would wrap herself up in such a super cuddly "nest" when she sleeps in private?

And that incredibly soft nightgown, and that completely exposed collarbone...

Stop! Don't think about it anymore!

Zhou Ai shook his head violently, trying to shake off the increasingly out-of-control images and thoughts. If he continued thinking about them, he was afraid his face, which had just cooled down, would explode again.

He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his still wildly beating heart, but to little avail.

That thrill was a hundred times stronger than when he sang his most exciting song at a concert with tens of thousands of people.

Zhou Ai slid down from the door panel to the ground, not caring whether the ground was cold or not. She bent one leg, casually rested her arm on her knee, and unconsciously pressed her pounding heart with her other hand.

In the dim light, he looked down at his empty hands, his fingertips seemingly still carrying the heavy weight of the kettle, and... even earlier, the brief but clear touch when Chu Yi shoved the hair dryer and thermos into his hands.

So, was it intentional for Chu Yi to give him the same cup?

I was worried he'd catch a cold, so I gave him medicine, a cup, and even... just now I was trying to check if he had a fever.

Zhou Ai felt like a detective, desperately trying to pry out any possible trace of Chu Yi's special concern from those fragmented, perhaps even insignificant, details.

Thinking about it, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, burying his face in his arms and shrugging his shoulders slightly.

It’s over.

Zhou Ai thought.

He seems to be... quite ill.

-----

It rained all night in the mountains last night, and the sound of the rain pattering against the wooden windows became a wonderful lullaby.

Perhaps it was the cold medicine that worked, or perhaps it was the fatigue of the past few days that finally took hold, but Zhou Ai slept exceptionally soundly, and even the hard couch beneath her seemed to become much softer and more comfortable.

He was awakened by the faint sounds of conversation and laughter outside the window.

In his drowsy state, he heard Zhou Jiashu's clear, slightly excited voice: "Teacher Chu, Teacher Chu, how about this? Is this angle okay?"

Then came Chu Yi's highly recognizable, clear, and steady voice, which seemed a little gentler than usual: "That works too. Come a little closer, yes, turn to the side a little."

Zhou Ai rubbed her throbbing temples and sat up in bed. The heaviness from her cold had subsided considerably, but her throat was still a little dry.

He threw off the covers, stepped barefoot onto the cool floor, walked to the window, and pushed open the old wooden window with a creak.

Moist air, carrying the fragrance of earth and grass, rushed in instantly, refreshing and invigorating. Last night's downpour seemed like just a brief interlude; outside the window, the sky was bright and clear, a pristine blue.

Sunlight pierced through the dissipating morning mist, casting a soft golden edge on the terraced fields.

Zhou Ai opened the window and immediately recognized Chu Yi standing on the edge of the field.

Chu Yi was holding a black camera, half-squatting down, with the lens pointed at Zhou Jiashu, who was posing in front of her.

Zhou Jiashu, dressed in a simple white T-shirt, smiled brightly in the sunlight, adjusting his posture as Chu Yi directed.

To Zhou Ai's surprise, Chu Yi was dressed in a black crew-neck sweatshirt and light blue jeans.

Most notably, he was wearing a pale white beanie today, which neatly concealed his black hair.

The mountain breeze in the early morning was still cool, and it made Chu Yi's exposed ears and nose turn slightly red, like a thin layer of rouge, which inexplicably weakened his aloofness and added a touch of softness.

Chu Yi seemed completely absorbed in the filming, oblivious to the gaze cast from the window behind her.

Seeing that the sun was rising higher and higher and the light was changing rapidly, he directed Zhou Jiashu to walk to a higher ridge in the field.

He held his camera and slowly moved along the edge of the damp field ridge, occasionally raising his camera to take pictures of the scenery.

Just then, a pure white butterfly fluttered its wings and flew over, landing right in front of Chu Yi.

Chu Yi's attention was immediately drawn to this unexpected little creature. His eyes lit up, and he quickly raised his camera, the lens following the butterfly's flight path. He turned slightly, trying to capture this lively moment.

He turned with the butterfly, adjusted the focus, and intently tracked it through the viewfinder.

However, as his lens swept across the direction of his own stilted house, the scene in the viewfinder froze instantly—

A pale white butterfly happened to fly by, blurring into a hazy, dreamlike patch of light in the foreground.

Behind it, in the open wooden window frame, Zhou Ai was leaning lazily against the window with her arms crossed.

He seemed to have just woken up; his silver-gray hair was a little messy, and his face still carried a hint of drowsiness from just waking up. Yet, he tilted his head and stared directly at the camera with unwavering precision.

impartial.

The angle is just right.

It was as if he had been there all along, waiting for a long time.

At that moment, the sun finally rose completely above the mountains, its magnificent and brilliant light pouring down and illuminating Zhou Ai's flawless face without reservation.

The light made his cold, fair skin almost transparent, outlining his clear features. His peach blossom eyes were slightly narrowed in the strong light, but they were still so deep that they seemed to be able to suck one's soul in.

Chu Yi's heart skipped a beat, and the moment those eyes met his through the lens, he inexplicably pressed the shutter.

"Click."

The soft "click" of the camera shutter seemed to resonate in Chu Yi's heart, making his eardrums buzz.

He instinctively and quickly moved the camera away from his eyes, looking somewhat flustered at the window, like a child caught doing something wrong.

However, Zhou Ai, standing at the window, did not seem to be angry, and did not even change her posture.

He simply crossed his arms lazily, leaning his head against the window frame. His penetrating peach blossom eyes, even from a distance, accurately caught the fleeting look of helplessness on Chu Yi's face.

Sunlight danced on his silver-gray hair, and a playful smile slowly curved his lips. His voice, still hoarse from just waking up, carried clearly through the damp morning air, drifting over leisurely:

"Teacher Chu, do I need to pay for taking photos?"

Chu Yi: "..."

Sure enough. He found out.

With Zhou Ai's keen sense of camera presence honed through years of experience in the entertainment industry, how could she not have noticed that moment?

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Chu Yi instead felt a sense of resignation, as if she had given up on everything.

He raised his head, trying to maintain a calm demeanor, even with a hint of self-righteous arrogance, and retorted, "You're the one who barged in."

"Break in?" Zhou Ai raised an eyebrow, deliberately misinterpreting his meaning, his tone even more playful. "Break in where? In your shot? Or..." He drew out the words, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over Chu Yi's reddened earlobe.

Chu Yi was taken aback by his words, and his ears turned red for a moment. He pursed his lips, not wanting to argue with him anymore, and simply said, "If you don't like it, I can delete it." As he spoke, he made a move to operate the camera.

"No!" Zhou Ai immediately stopped him, wagging his finger. "Wait a minute."

After saying that, he didn't wait for Chu Yi's reaction and quickly shrank back out the window. There was a rustling, slightly hurried noise coming from the room, as if someone was washing up and changing clothes as fast as they could.

Chu Yi stood there, holding the camera that still bore the "evidence" from earlier, staring blankly at the empty window.

Zhou Jiashu had already run to a higher ridge in the field and was waving excitedly in this direction.

Just a few minutes later, as Chu Yi adjusted his mindset, raised his camera again, and prepared to take the third set of photos of Zhou Jiashu on the ridge, a gray figure nimbly stepped onto the ridge and barged into his viewfinder without saying a word.

Zhou Ai changed her clothes. She wore a thin, stealthy gray Arc'teryx windbreaker, with the zipper only halfway up, revealing a white short-sleeved shirt underneath, and a pair of neat black sweatpants.

He had clearly tidied himself up as quickly as possible; his silver hair was no longer messy, but rather styled with a touch of casualness, and his face still had a refreshing feel from the lingering moisture.

He abruptly yet naturally slipped between Chu Yi and Zhou Jiashu, slightly turning to face Chu Yi's camera, a smile playing on his lips, his tone a matter-of-fact request: "Teacher Chu, could I take a picture of you too?"

"Hey! Brother Zhou!" Zhou Jiashu exclaimed excitedly, completely oblivious to being disturbed. Instead, he eagerly took out his phone and showed it to Zhou Ai.

"You have no idea how amazing Professor Chu's photography is! Look, look! The photos he just took of me are incredible! The composition and lighting are superb! Even better than what my team took!"

Zhou Jiashu chattered excitedly, showing off the photos on his phone and praising Chu Yi's skills.

Zhou Ai obediently looked down at Zhou Jiashu's phone screen, her gaze lingering for a moment on the photos that did indeed capture the sunlight, fields, and youthful energy. Then she looked up again at Chu Yi, who seemed somewhat helpless as he held up the camera, and slowly said, "The eyes of the masses are discerning. Teacher Chu, you can't show favoritism."

Chu Yi looked at Zhou Ai, who was posing confidently in the camera lens, waiting for him to take a picture, and then looked at Zhou Jiashu next to him with a "take a picture of him, take a picture of him" expression, and suddenly felt a headache coming on.

It seems he... dug a hole for himself.