Trending topic alert: The mysterious fan site administrator of a top celebrity has been exposed.

Zhou Ai was shirtless, the bruises on his back appearing even more gruesome in the firelight. He picked up the dry short-sleeved shirt, not looking at Chu Yi, but keeping a step's distance, and handed it to her, his voice slightly strained: "Your clothes."

After saying that, she quickly looked away. Chu Yi took the soft cotton short-sleeved shirt and said, "Thank you."

After getting dressed, Chu Yi looked up and saw that Zhou Ai was still shirtless. "Don't get dressed yet."

Zhou Ai paused, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Chu Yi pointed to the spot next to him: "Your back injury is quite serious, it needs to be treated. Squat down over here, with your back to me."

Zhou Ai hesitated for a moment, but still walked up to him as instructed, and slowly squatted down with her back to him.

This position exposed his broad back completely to Chu Yi's gaze and the light from the fire, making the bruises, a mixture of blue and purple, look even more horrifying.

Despite the pain in her ankle, Chu Yi shifted her body and reached out to pull her rescue pack over.

After carefully searching the bottom of the bag, I finally found a small brown glass bottle containing a dark-colored medicated oil for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.

"Go wet the towel with rainwater, but not too wet, wring it out a bit," Chu Yi instructed, while opening the medicine bottle, and a strong herbal smell instantly filled the air.

Zhou Ai silently did as she was told, walked to the cave entrance, soaked the towel with the rainwater flowing down from the rocks, and wrung it out until it was half dry.

Chu Yi took the damp towel but didn't apply it to him immediately. He picked up a twig, draped the towel over it, and carefully held it over the fire to warm it. The damp towel emitted wisps of white steam as it heated up, and he only withdrew his hand when it felt hot to the touch but not hot enough to burn the skin.

"It might be a little hot, just bear with it," Chu Yi said softly, carefully placing the heated, damp towel on the center of the bruise on Zhou Ai's back.

"Hiss—" The sudden high temperature caused Zhou Ai's muscles to tense up and he gasped for breath. But soon, the heat penetrated his skin and began to dispel the stagnation and cold inside, bringing a strangely soothing feeling.

Chu Yi gently pressed the towel between her palms to allow the heat to penetrate more evenly. She repeated this several times, reheating the towel before applying it again, until Zhou Ai's skin on her back turned slightly red and her blood circulation noticeably increased.

Then, he poured the medicated oil into his palm, rubbed his hands together vigorously until they were hot. Looking at Zhou Ai's taut back muscles, Chu Yi reminded him again, "It'll hurt a little from here, bear with it." He then firmly placed his oil-soaked hands onto the bruises on Zhou Ai's back.

"Ugh!" Zhou Ai's body trembled violently, and she let out a muffled groan. The pressure was considerable, carrying the pungent irritation of the medicinal oil, precisely pressing on the most painful spot of the injury, as if trying to knead and dissolve all the bruising. The intense pain instantly spread throughout her body, and fine beads of sweat immediately appeared on her forehead.

Chu Yi could feel the stiffness and trembling of the muscles under his hands, but he didn't stop. His palms were pressed tightly against Zhou Ai's skin, massaging the wound in circles, from light to heavy. His fingertips would occasionally brush against the other intact skin on Zhou Ai's back, bringing a shiver down his spine.

After Chu Yi thoroughly rubbed and warmed the bruises on Zhou Ai's back, Zhou Ai was already covered in sweat.

"Are you alright?" Chu Yi patted Zhou Ai on the shoulder and handed her a bottle of water.

Zhou Ai took the water, drank a sip, took a deep breath, and remained squatting for two minutes before she came to her senses.

Chu Yi used the back of her hand to test the temperature of his back. "You can put on your clothes now, the medicine has dried."

Zhou Ai nodded silently, got up, found a long-sleeved shirt in her backpack, and struggled to put it on. She then turned to Chu Yi, who was sitting by the fire unable to move, and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Chu Yi was poking at the burning flames with a twig when she heard Zhou Ai's question. She turned around and pointed to her bag, "There are cookies under my bag."

The two sat facing each other, each holding a box of cookies and eating them dryly, with a blazing fire between them, and neither of them spoke.

"Could you get me some water?" Chu Yi's voice pulled Zhou Ai out of her daze.

Zhou Ai stood up, patted her pants, took the water bottle out of her bag, and was about to hand it over when she touched the cold bottle neck. "Why don't you wait a moment?"

After saying that, he took out the tin box containing chocolates from his bag, poured mineral water into it, and placed it in the center of the flame.

As the temperature continued to rise, the water gurgled and churned inside the tin box. Zhou Ai used a towel to remove the tin box and placed it in the ventilator. "Let it cool down a bit, then you can drink it."

Chu Yi gently squeezed the cookie box in her hand and murmured an "Mmm," and silence once again spread between the two of them.

About five minutes later, Zhou Ai got up, held the iron box in a towel, and knelt down on one knee in front of Chu Yi. The iron box cooled down too slowly and was still a bit hot to the touch. Chu Yi tried to reach out to take it, but then stepped back.

"Let me feed you while I hold it." Zhou Ai calmly held the metal box through a towel and carefully brought it to Chu Yi's face, not feeling that anything was wrong at the moment.

Chu Yi stared blankly at Zhou Ai's kneeling posture for a moment before bringing her mouth to the iron box, carefully avoiding the scalding edge, and, in Zhou Ai's posture, contentedly took a sip of hot water.

"Want another sip?" Zhou Ai remained in the same position and brought the tin box closer to Chu Yi's mouth.

Hot water is indeed much more comfortable to drink than cold water; Chu Yi felt as if her limbs and bones had been unblocked.

"Why don't you drink some while it's hot?" Seeing that Chu Yi really wasn't going to drink anymore, Zhou Ai turned around, held the hot water, and sat down next to Chu Yi, taking a sip herself.

Chu Yi used the flickering firelight to look at Zhou Ai's profile, thinking to herself that this was probably the most embarrassing day of Young Master Zhou's life.

After drinking a few sips of hot water, Zhou Ai put down the iron box and her gaze fell on Chu Yi's still red and swollen ankle.

He silently picked up the now-cold towel beside him, slowly poured the remaining hot water from the metal box onto it, soaked it, and wrung it out. Then he naturally sat down on the ground in front of Chu Yi, reached out, and gently grasped Chu Yi's injured ankle.

Chu Yi instinctively tried to pull her leg back, leaning slightly backward: "I can do it myself."

Zhou Ai didn't let go. His palm was warm and strong, carefully avoiding the swollen wound, and easily grasped Chu Yi's slender ankle. Because of Chu Yi's backward movement, her other leg unconsciously came over, and now the two of them were in a position where both of Chu Yi's legs were on Zhou Ai's legs.

Zhou Ai's gaze fell on the injured ankle, the firelight flickering in his deep eyes. "Don't move."

Chu Yi felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and the warm touch on his ankle made his heart skip a beat. He tried to struggle slightly again: "Zhou Ai, really, you don't need to..."

Zhou Ai tightened his grip on his ankle slightly, stopping him from moving. He bent down and carefully placed the warm towel on the bruised and swollen ankle.

"Shrink back a little further," Zhou Ai said, her voice even lower, "I don't mind lifting you onto my lap to hold you in place; that might be more convenient."

"..." Chu Yi froze instantly, all his struggles vanishing at those words. He stared in disbelief at Zhou Ai's lowered head, his ears burning red uncontrollably. He had no doubt that Zhou Ai would actually do that.

This person can be incredibly stubborn at times.

Seeing that Chu Yi had finally calmed down, Zhou Ai continued what he was doing. He gently pressed Chu Yi's ankle with his palm through the warm towel, allowing the heat to penetrate and relieve the swelling and pain. His fingertips would occasionally touch the cool skin on the side of Chu Yi's ankle before quickly moving away.

Chu Yi sat stiffly, not daring to move, feeling the perfect warmth and pressure on his ankle. The temperature seemed to soothe not only his sprained muscles but also spread along his calf, making his whole body feel slightly warm. He could only turn his head away from Zhou Ai, avoiding looking at her, and focus his gaze on the burning fire in front of him.

"Zhou Ai, thank you... and I'm sorry too." Chu Yi's sudden apology and thanks were soft, yet they clearly reached Zhou Ai's ears. He paused in his hand, holding the towel, and looked up in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

In the firelight, Chu Yi's expression was somewhat uneasy, even carrying a rare... hint of submission?

This is not common.

The lingering resentment in Zhou Ai's heart from the severing of ties suddenly dissipated somewhat.

He deliberately softened his tone, asking with a hint of amusement, "What are you apologizing to me for? And what are you thanking me for?"

Zhou Ai paused deliberately, her gaze falling on Chu Yi's slightly pursed lips, and emphasized, "Aren't we friends?"

He enunciated the last three words with exceptional clarity, directly contradicting Chu Yi's seemingly gentle but actually ruthless statement that completely relinquished the decision-making power.

Sure enough, the word "friend" silenced Chu Yi instantly. His eyelashes trembled rapidly, as if stung by something, or perhaps because he had nothing to say.

Chu Yi was unusually silent for a few seconds, seemingly sighing inwardly, before finally repeating very softly, as if in resignation, "Alright, friend."

The way he said those two words carried an indescribable meaning; it was no longer the detached indifference of before, but it wasn't entirely warm either.

Zhou Ai got the response he wanted, though not the ideal one, but at least it was no longer an impenetrable wall. He knew when to stop and didn't press further. He gently removed Chu Yi's leg from his own and carefully placed it back on the ground.

The night air grew increasingly chilly, and the temperature inside the cave dropped noticeably. Zhou Ai stood up, grabbed her already warm windbreaker, and without a word, draped it over Chu Yi, wrapping him tightly in it.

"It's cold in the mountains at night, wear this." Chu Yi subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Zhou Ai had already turned and walked deeper into the cave.

"I'll go inside and see if there's any dry firewood left. This isn't enough to burn until dawn," Zhou Ai's voice came from the shadows deep inside the cave, accompanied by the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance.

Chu Yi watched his figure disappear into the darkness, and subconsciously clutched the windbreaker jacket that still held Zhou Ai's warmth.

The wind and rain continued outside the cave, while the firelight flickered inside. He sat there alone, listening to the faint rustling sounds coming from deep within as Zhou Ai rummaged through the firewood.

Zhou Ai carried some relatively dry branches and shrubs from deep within the cave and added them to the fire. The flames blazed up again. He dusted off his hands, walked back to his backpack, and squatted down to begin rummaging through it.

They had left in such a hurry that they had very few changes of clothes. He rummaged through his belongings and found the only slightly thicker item—a lightweight down jacket liner that could be compressed into smaller pieces. He handed it to Chu Yi almost without hesitation.

"Put them on."

Chu Yi looked at the thin long-sleeved shirt he was wearing, then at the torrential rain still pouring outside the cave, and frowned slightly: "Aren't you cold?" Zhou Ai's back was still injured, making him more susceptible to catching a cold.

Zhou Ai twitched the corner of his mouth, looking completely unconcerned: "I'm tough, I'll be fine. Isn't there a fire here?" He pointed to the blazing fire, trying to lighten the mood.

Chu Yi silently accepted the light and warm down jacket, but did not put it on immediately. Instead, she looked up at Zhou Ai, gently patted the seat next to her, and gestured for him to come and sit down.

Zhou Ai raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, but still walked over as instructed. He didn't get too close, sitting down a short distance from Chu Yi, with enough room for another person to fit in between.

Chu Yi glanced at him, said nothing, but silently and somewhat clumsily moved her hips towards Zhou Ai, completely eliminating the subtle distance between them, their arms almost touching.

Zhou Ai's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Chu Yi took off the windbreaker that belonged to Zhou Ai and handed it back to Zhou Ai: "Yours, put it on."

Zhou Ai froze, not responding: "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Yi had already unfolded the thin down jacket and placed it directly over their legs, which were pressed together. The down jacket wasn't large, but it was enough to cover their thighs, which were pressed close together.

"This way, everything will be covered." Chu Yi said softly, his gaze fixed on the leaping flames. His profile appeared calm and natural in the firelight, as if this was the most reasonable allocation plan.

Zhou Ai looked down at the shared, bulging down jacket on her lap, then at the windbreaker Chu Yi had handed back, and then at Chu Yi's profile, illuminated by the firelight and so close to her. Her heart felt as if it had been suddenly struck by something, and she felt incredibly weak and sore.

He didn't refuse again, silently took the jacket, and put it back on. The sound of the zipper being pulled up was exceptionally clear in the silent cave.

The two sat side by side, their legs touching, sharing the warmth of a down jacket.

The leaping firelight cast intertwined shadows on them, and the air was filled with the crackling of burning firewood and the sound of water outside the cave.

Zhou Ai could clearly feel the body temperature emanating from the person beside him, warm and real even through the thin fabric. His stiff body slowly relaxed, an indescribable sense of security enveloping him, even overshadowing the pain in his back and the harshness of the environment.

Chu Yi didn't say anything more, just sat quietly, occasionally poking at the fire with a branch.

As night deepened, the sound of rain outside the cave gradually faded into a light drizzle, leaving only the curtain of water at the top of the cave still gurgling.

After extreme fatigue and fright, the relaxed nerves are easily overwhelmed by sleepiness.

Chu Yi had been quietly leaning against Zhou Ai, but as time went on, his head began to nod slightly, and his body unconsciously tilted slightly. Zhou Ai was staring blankly at the flickering flames when he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

He was startled and turned his head sharply, only to see that Chu Yi had fallen down without any warning, her entire weight leaning against his side, her forehead gently resting on his shoulder, her breathing even and long—she had actually fallen asleep just like that.

Zhou Ai's body stiffened instantly, and even his breathing subconsciously became softer. He lowered his eyes, looking at the sleeping face so close to his, and his heart felt as if it had been gently bumped by something, both soft and numb.

Chu Yi was fast asleep, his long, thick eyelashes casting deep shadows beneath his eyes, trembling slightly with each breath like two small fans. Perhaps because of the warmth, his fair cheeks had a faint pink tinge, and his lips, which were usually pursed and somewhat aloof, were now slightly parted, revealing a hint of his white teeth. He looked completely unguarded, even... a little docile and cute.

A few strands of black hair softly clung to his forehead and temples, making him look much younger than his actual age. He had shed all his calm and composed exterior, leaving only a pure softness.

Zhou Ai's heart began to race uncontrollably. He hesitated for a few seconds, then carefully reached out and gently pulled Chu Yi into his arms, allowing him to lean against him in a more comfortable position.

Zhou Ai gently pulled the down jacket out from between the two of them and wrapped it tightly around Chu Yi, making him look like a wrapped rice dumpling. Then she tightened her arms again, completely encircling him in her embrace.

In her sleep, Chu Yi seemed to feel an even warmer and more comfortable source. Unconsciously, she snuggled closer to him, searching for the most secure spot, and finally pressed her cheek completely against Zhou Ai's chest. Her warm breath, penetrating the thin fabric, soothed Zhou Ai's skin.

Zhou Ai's muscles tensed, and he dared not move. He could only clearly feel the softness and warmth of the body in his arms, as well as the rhythmic rise and fall of its breath. Chu Yi was lighter than he had imagined; it felt almost weightless in his arms.

After doing all this, listening to Chu Yiqing's light breathing, Zhou Ai felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

This was the first time he had ever embraced Chu Yi so clearly.

By the flickering firelight, he lowered his head and gazed at the sleeping face of the person in his arms. As if guided by a divine impulse, he raised his other free hand and gently touched Chu Yi's long, thick eyelashes with his fingertips. A subtle tickle ran through his fingertips, like a feather lightly brushing against his heart.

Zhou Ai's Adam's apple bobbed, and she chuckled very softly, almost inaudibly: "Heh...not bad."

His fingertips seemed to have their own will, slowly moving downwards, brushing past the tip of her upturned nose, and finally hovering above her slightly parted, pale lips. His fingertips could almost feel her warm breath.

But just as his fingertips were about to land, Zhou Ai suddenly pulled his hand back as if he had been burned, clenching it into a fist.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and finally simply rested his chin gently on Chu Yi's soft hair, inhaling the faint scent of rain and herbs mingling with the fragrance. He then completely embraced Chu Yi, shielding him from the possible chill with his body, and closed his eyes.