They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Jiang Han exhaled a puff of smoke and turned his head to look at Shen Qingning, who was slumped to the side.

Her long hair was spread out on the pillow, the ends slightly damp with sweat, clinging to her cheeks and neck.

His eyes were tightly closed, his eyelashes fluttered occasionally, and his breathing was long and deep.

Lin Yaoyao peeked out from the side, her demeanor completely different from Shen Qingning's.

His eyes were bright and clear, his breathing was steady, and he didn't even break a sweat.

Jiang Han stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the bedside table and turned to look at Lin Yaoyao.

My gaze swept over her from top to bottom. Her hair was still half-dry, and her expression was one of extreme smugness.

"Are you feeling pretty smug?"

"No, no." Lin Yaoyao quickly waved her hand, but she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

"I just think that Sister Qingning really looks good in those black stockings today."

"See? I told you not to waste food!"

Jiang Han didn't say anything, but simply threw off the covers and got out of bed.

He walked around the foot of the bed to Lin Yaoyao's side.

Lin Yaoyao looked up at him and blinked, still not quite understanding.

Jiang Han reached out and grabbed Lin Yaoyao's wrist, pulling her off the bed.

Lin Yaoyao exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my husband, what are you doing?"

What do you think?

Jiang Han gripped Lin Yaoyao's waist and led her toward the living room.

Lin Yaoyao staggered after him, her bare feet touching the marble floor, the cool sensation spreading up from the soles of her feet.

"Wait, wait a minute."

She tried to grab onto the door frame, but it was pulled away as soon as her fingers touched it.

The living room lights were still on.

The entire floor-to-ceiling window spans half of the curved wall.

Outside the window is the night view of Shanghai, with the colorful lights of the boats on the river casting long shadows.

Across the river, office buildings in Lujiazui still had a few lights on, and the spire of the Oriental Pearl Tower slowly turned in the night.

The Bund's collection of international buildings is outlined by warm-colored lights, while the distant traffic flows like a ribbon of light.

The evening breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window, carrying the coolness of the river.

Jiang Han turned Lin Yaoyao around so that she was facing the window.

Her hands were gently pressed against the cold glass, and she shuddered the moment her palms touched the glass.

"Husband, I was wrong!" Lin Yaoyao's voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Han stood behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder.

His lips almost touched her earlobe: "What did I do wrong?"

"I shouldn't have made fun of Sister Qingning."

"Anything else?"

"I shouldn't have let you help her put on the black stockings."

"Anything else?"

"I shouldn't have poked her shoulder when her legs were weak."

Jiang Han chuckled softly in her ear: "These aren't the important things."

"The point is, just because you see she's not doing well, you think I'm not doing well either?"

Lin Yaoyao's face was pressed against the glass, and the coolness of the window seeped through her cheeks, creating a stark contrast with the heat on her skin.

She could feel Jiang Han's breath on the back of her neck.

It came in waves, with a very steady rhythm, without any of the frantic bursts that come with exhaustion.

Lin Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no! I was so focused on seeing Shen Qingning's miserable state that I forgot to think about it carefully.

Jiang Han had clearly put all his effort into Shen Qingning, and the other party had endured unimaginable firepower, leaving her completely limp and exhausted.

Why does her husband not seem tired at all? On the contrary, his breathing is more steady and his movements are more agile than hers.

This unscientific!

Lin Yaoyao quickly recalled in her mind.

It was the same thing backstage at the dating reality show last time.

The same thing happened the night before last when I moved into my new house.

Jianghan seems to never need to rest, always at full capacity.

"Husband!" Lin Yaoyao's voice softened.

"I really will get up early tomorrow morning, I'm not kidding!"

"Seven o'clock... The director is waiting for me to re-record my lines! There are several, and my voice can't be hoarse."

Jiang Han's fingers slid down from the back of Lin Yaoyao's neck, following the curve of her spine.

Lin Yaoyao's breathing rose and fell in sync with his fingers.

When she felt a warm, moist touch on her lower back, her breathing became completely disordered.

"You were pretty arrogant just now."

"I don't…"

"You were quite pleased with yourself when you made Qingning work harder."

Lin Yaoyao pressed her forehead against the glass, and that moment of clarity was shattered.

"Honey, really! I can give in, right now!"

"It's too late."

Outside the window, cruise ships slowly passed by on the Huangpu River, and several more lights went out in the office buildings across the river. The night grew deeper.

Jiang Han remained as vibrant as ever, while Lin Yaoyao's voice gradually changed tone.

She was asked to use her top-notch voice, honed since childhood, to imitate a girl from an anime.

Japanese, Chinese, and even embarrassing lines only found in the script.

Jiang Han would say something, and she would repeat it, her voice rising and falling.

The aloofness of an older woman, the softness of a young girl, the arrogance of a queen, and the shyness of a junior.

Four different vocal tones switched seamlessly within her throat without a single pause.

By the time the last sound escaped her throat, she could no longer stand.

I don't know how much time passed.

The cruise ships outside the window have already sailed far away, leaving only the sound of the river water lapping against the embankment.

Jiang Han picked up the limp Lin Yaoyao; her toes could barely touch the ground, and her calves were trembling.

"Are you still going to jump?"

"I'm not jumping anymore."

"Really not jumping anymore?"

"I really won't jump anymore! Sister Qingning is a good person, I will never bully her again."

Jiang Han put her down, and Lin Yaoyao steadied herself by holding onto the wall.

I glanced back at the floor-to-ceiling window; two wisps of mist, rounded and symmetrically distributed, were reflected on the clear glass…

Jiang Han followed her gaze and laughed.

Lin Yaoyao hurriedly grabbed a few tissues from the coffee table and frantically wiped the glass.

My legs were still shaking, and I almost lost my balance after wiping them twice.

Jiang Han bent down, picked her up, and carried her back to the bedroom.

Shen Qingning remained in the same spot, fast asleep, completely unaware of what had just happened in the living room.

Lin Yaoyao turned her head to look at Shen Qingning's profile and reached out to brush away the hair that was falling across her face.

"Sister Qingning, thank you for your hard work."

Shen Qingning hummed softly in her sleep, probably an unconscious reaction after being extremely tired.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the French windows, and the thin mist over the Huangpu River had not yet dissipated.

Lin Yaoyao woke up as soon as Jiang Han's arm moved slightly.

She turned over and reached for her phone; the screen displayed a notification from the director.

"Qingning, get up!" She nudged Shen Qingning beside her.

"Weren't you going to school with Jiang Han today?"

Shen Qingning slowly sat up, propping herself up on the mattress.

She looked down at her legs and tried to move her toes, feeling a familiar soreness in her inner thighs.

Fortunately, I can walk without any problems.

Jiang Han had finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, changing into a dark gray shirt.

He glanced at the two women struggling to get off the bed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The three of them left one after the other.

A black minivan was already waiting at the hotel entrance.

Principal He specially arranged a car to pick him up last night; the driver was an old man in his fifties.

The car passed through the Bund Tunnel, emerged from Pudong, turned onto the elevated road, and the gate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy came into view.

Several students who got up early to practice their singing stood by the flower bed and began to sing, their voices carrying far through the morning mist.

Principal He was already waiting at the door. When he saw the car stop, he quickly walked over and shook Jiang Han's hand.

"President Jiang, the venue is all set up. The students heard you were coming and all the spots were snapped up. Folding chairs have been added to the aisles."