The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

downstairs.

Bai Ci stood on the side of the villa, looking up at the second-floor window.

The entire villa was quiet. The lights in the living room on the first floor were off, and only a dim wall lamp was lit at the end of the corridor on the second floor.

He took a deep breath, took off his coat and draped it over his shoulder, took two running steps, and stepped onto the drainpipe.

The moment his fingers gripped the tube wall, he felt the weakness of his body. His arms were trembling, his knuckles were aching, as if he would lose all strength at any moment. But he did not let go. He used both his hands and feet to climb up step by step.

There was rust at the joint of the drainpipe, which stained his sleeve with a rusty color. His knee hit a crack in the brickwork, and he winced in pain.

When he reached the height of the second-floor window sill, he put one leg over the cement eaves and hung on the edge of the window sill.

The window was closed, but the latch wasn't locked. He used his fingertips to pry open the latch and pushed the window open.

The window frame creaked sharply, a sound that was particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Bai Ci's heart tightened, and she stood frozen in place for two seconds, listening, but there was no response.

He breathed a sigh of relief, rolled over and climbed inside. His upper body had just reached through the window, his arm braced on the windowsill, and one leg was still hanging outside. His posture was as pathetic as a rabbit stuck in a hole.

Just then, the room lights suddenly came on.

A blinding white light suddenly shone through. Before Bai Ci's eyes could adjust to the light, she heard a voice, cold and low-pitched, as if she had just been awakened:

"What are you doing?"

Bai Ci froze, still half-hanging on the window, and turned his head with difficulty.

Shen Tinglan stood in the center of the room.

He was wearing a black silk robe, the belt loosely tied, revealing a section of his collarbone and fair chest.

Her hair was slightly messy, with a few strands falling over her forehead, as if she had just gotten out of bed. Her eyebrows and eyes were very beautiful, with slightly upturned corners and deep pupils, like obsidian tempered with ice.

Shen Tinglan stared at the dusty figure in the window, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

The light shone directly on Bai Ci's dusty little face. The wisps of hair on her forehead had been neatly trimmed, and her entire face was exposed to the light without any obstruction.

His light brown pupils resembled startled amber, his nose was high and straight, his lips were a pale pink, a streak of gray smudged on his cheeks, and his forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

Her skin was so white it was almost transparent; when the light shone on it, you could almost see the light blue veins under her temples.

Shen Tinglan's gaze paused for a moment. Bai Ci? The person he had never remembered what looked like was now hanging on his bedroom window, half of his body still outside.

"Bai Ci," Shen Tinglan's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, "What are you doing?"

"I..." Bai Ci's voice was barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz, "I was climbing through the window."

"I can tell," Shen Tinglan said in a frighteningly calm tone. "What I'm asking is, why were you climbing through my window?"

Bai Ci paused for a moment, then turned to look at the room's furnishings: a large black bed, dark gray bedding, an open book, and a stylish table lamp on the bedside table.

This isn't his room; his room is on the west side, this is on the east side.

He climbed through the wrong window.

"Xiao Qi!" he screamed inwardly, "Why didn't you remind me?!"

"You're climbing so fast I can't keep up!" Xiaoqi panicked. "Your room is on the west side! On the west side!"

"You're only saying this now because you don't think it's too late!"

Bai Ci's face turned red at a visible speed, from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.

He was still hanging on the windowsill, one leg outside and one leg inside, his school uniform covered in dust, his hair disheveled by the night wind, and he was holding his coat in his arms.

He looked as disheveled as Santa Claus who had fallen down a chimney. No, at least Santa Claus had presents; he had nothing.

Shen Tinglan looked at him and remained silent.

Then, he said something that made Bai Ci want to die even more: "If you keep hanging there, I'm going to take a picture with my phone."

Alarm bells rang in Bai Ci's mind, but before he could react, Shen Tinglan had already walked over.

He reached out, grasped Bai Ci's wrist with a light but steady touch, and pulled Bai Ci down from the window.

Bai Ci's legs landed, but they were terribly numb. Her knees buckled, and she fell forward, her forehead hitting Shen Tinglan's shoulder.

The silk robe has a cool, refreshing feel and a faint sandalwood scent.

Bai Ci's mind went completely blank. She froze on the spot, her forehead still resting on Shen Tinglan's shoulder, unsure of where to put her hands.

Shen Tinglan glanced down at him, a hint of surprise appearing in her cold eyes.

"How long do you plan to lean on my shoulder?"

Bai Ci bounced back as if burned, but her legs were still weak. She took two steps back, her knees hitting the carpet directly.

The rabbit's posture changed from "the rabbit hanging on the window" to "the rabbit kneeling in front of Shen Tinglan".

The two stared at each other, Shen Tinglan looking down at him, while Bai Ci looked up at Shen Tinglan.

The air was silent for a full three seconds.

"You don't need to go to such lengths," Shen Tinglan said.

Bai Ci wants to die; he desperately wants to die right now.

Three hundred years of cultivation, being struck by lightning, time-traveling, being beaten to the ground—none of these made him want to die at this moment.

"I didn't mean to." Bai Ci got up from the ground, brushed the dust off her knees, lowered her head, and said in a muffled voice, "I went to the wrong place. I thought this was my window. I forgot my keys. I..."

He couldn't continue; any of his reasons sounded like sophistry.

Shen Tinglan didn't speak, she just looked at him.

Bai Ci felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze and took another half step back, only to bump her back against the window frame, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

"I'm not here to steal anything," Bai Ci added quietly.

Shen Tinglan glanced at him: "Do you think you look like someone who can steal anything?"

Bai Ci: "..."

"Covered in dust," Shen Tinglan's gaze swept over his clothes, "you climbed two floors of water pipes."

Bai Ci finally managed to utter, "I'm leaving."

He turned around and started to climb towards the window.

"The door is over there," Shen Tinglan's voice came from behind.

Bai Ci froze. Oh right, there's a chance.

Why did he climb out the window?

He's already inside.

Bai Ci mechanically turned around and walked towards the door. As he passed Shen Tinglan, he lowered his head and said "I'm sorry" in the softest voice before quickly heading towards the door.

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, Shen Tinglan's voice rang out again.

Where are your keys?

Bai Ci was taken aback and whispered, "It's in my backpack... I left my backpack in the lounge."

Shen Tinglan was silent for a moment, then moved her gaze from his face to the still-open window and back again.

"There's a spare key to your room on the shelf in the common area." His tone was flat, devoid of emotion. "The housekeeper found it. It's been there for a month. Didn't anyone tell you?"

Bai Ci opened her mouth, but no words came out.

No one told the original owner of this body; no one ever told him.

Shen Tinglan didn't say anything more, walked past him, opened the door, and headed towards the common area at the end of the corridor.

Bai Ci stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly followed.

The common area is a small living space with a long table against the wall. On it are a few scattered items: Ji Huaizhou's spare fountain pen, Lu Ciyuan's cufflinks, a few unopened letters, and a small transparent tray.

A silver key lay on the tray, with a small label attached that read "Bai Ci".

Shen Tinglan didn't reach out to take it; she simply stepped aside to make room for him.

Bai Ci walked over and picked up the key.

"Thank you," he said.

Shen Tinglan didn't respond and turned to walk back.

Bai Ci didn't know what got into her, maybe she was too nervous and her brain short-circuited, but she blurted out, "Your bathrobe is quite nice."

Shen Tinglan stopped in her tracks.

He slowly turned his head and glanced at Bai Ci.

That glance had a complex meaning, which could be roughly translated as: You climbed through my window in the middle of the night, knelt in front of me, explained that you weren't stealing anything, and now you're commenting on my pajamas?

Bai Ci realized what she had said, and her face turned even redder, but the words were already out and couldn't be taken back. She could only bite the bullet and continue, "...Where did you buy it?"

Shen Tinglan remained silent for two seconds.

"Custom-made," he said. "Six figures."

Bai Ci blinked. Six figures, a bathrobe.

He looked down at his school uniform shirt, which was covered in dust, had a torn collar, and was faded from washing.

"It is indeed quite beautiful." Bai Ci's voice trailed off.

Shen Tinglan looked at him, her lips seemed to twitch slightly, but she quickly regained her indifferent expression.

"Any other questions?"

Bai Ci wanted to say "No," but her mouth moved faster than her brain, and she asked again, "Do you usually wear this to bed?"

The air seemed to freeze. Shen Tinglan looked at him as if he were an endangered species.

"I mean—" Bai Ci realized how strange her question was and quickly explained, "I mean, is this fabric comfortable to sleep in? I usually wear cotton..."

"Bai Ci," Shen Tinglan interrupted him.

"Um?"

"Are you planning to stand in my bedroom doorway and discuss bathrobe fabric with me?"

Bai Ci finally shut up; he finally learned to keep quiet.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm leaving. Goodnight, see you tomorrow. No, see you tomorrow."

Bai Ci took two steps, then stepped back: "Um, your window..."

Shen Tinglan raised her chin, gesturing for him to turn it off.

Bai Ci quickly turned back and leaned halfway out to close the window.

He closed the window, glanced back at Shen Tinglan, who had already sat back down on the bed, picked up a book from the bedside table, and turned to the page with the bookmark.

"Goodnight," Bai Ci said softly.

Shen Tinglan didn't even raise her head.

Bai Ci took a deep breath and walked out.

The corridor was pitch black. He found his room in the far west corner, pushed open the door, and found the furnishings to be simple, almost shabby: a single bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and gray curtains.

Moonlight streamed through the glass, casting a bright square on the floor.

Bai Ci hung the coat that Song Shiyu had borrowed on the back of the chair and sat on the edge of the bed.

It was quiet for a long time.

"Xiao Qi".

"Yes..." Xiaoqi's voice was cautious, as if she was afraid of being scolded.

"I just knelt down in front of Shen Tinglan."

"..."

"I was still leaning on his shoulder," Bai Ci said in a muffled voice, "for a long time."

"Bai Bai, stop talking."

"He also said he wanted to take pictures," Bai Ci's voice was muffled. "Did he take them?"

"No... I don't think so..." Xiaoqi said uncertainly.

Bai Ci was silent for a few seconds: "The phone didn't have a flash, so it probably didn't take a picture."

Xiaoqi didn't dare to reply.

"But it doesn't matter whether he films it or not." Bai Ci buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled and inaudible, "It's etched in my mind. I'll never forget it in this life, and I won't forget it in the next."

Xiaoqi said cautiously, "Actually...it's kind of cute? Like a little rabbit that got lost and wandered into someone's burrow, bumping into their shoulder?"

"Shut up."

Xiaoqi obediently shut up.

Bai Ci turned over and stared at the ceiling.

He held up the key and examined it in the moonlight. The two characters "Bai Ci" on the label were written crookedly in the housekeeper's handwriting. The key had been missing for a month, and no one had told the original owner.

Bai Ci clutched the key in her hand and shrank under the covers.

"Xiao Qi".

"exist."

"I'll go buy clothes tomorrow."

"it is good."

"We'll go to the family dinner after we buy the clothes."

"it is good."

When you see Shen Tinglan, pretend that nothing happened today.

"...Do you think he can fake it?"

Bai Ci paused for a moment: "I think he never wanted to remember today."

Xiao Qi: "..."

"That's good," Bai Ci said, then closed her eyes.

He curled up like a rabbit hiding in its burrow.

But the moment he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with that image: himself kneeling before Shen Tinglan, head tilted back, the other looking down at him. There were also Shen Tinglan's words, "You don't need to perform such a grand ceremony," and "Are you planning to stand at my bedroom door and discuss the fabric of my bathrobe with me?" and the cool sandalwood scent when his forehead bumped against hers.

Bai Ci pulled the blanket over her head.

"Xiao Qi".

"What's wrong now...?"

"Can I not go shopping for clothes tomorrow?"

"cannot."

"Then can I skip the family dinner?"

"No, not either."

Bai Ci pulled the blanket tighter around herself, her voice muffled as it came from under the covers: "Then can I go to another world?"

Xiaoqi said gently, "No, bye-bye. Go to sleep early, you still have to face life tomorrow."

Bai Ci fell silent. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, its light filling the entire room.

There's still a lot to do the next day. But tonight, let him curl up in a ball and pretend nothing happened.