Xinyi lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The softness of the mattress and the warmth of the blanket wrapped around her felt strangely comforting, a stark contrast to the cold loneliness she had endured for years. The scent of fresh laundry clung to the pillows, and the quiet hum of the night outside the window lulled her into a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in a long time.
She should feel out of place—this wasn’t the house she grew up in—but for the first time, she didn’t feel trapped.
Outside her room, the faint murmur of voices reached her ears.
Zhao Chen and Li Jun.
She turned onto her side, pressing her cheek against the pillow, listening as the two spoke in the living room.
“You’re really not going back to the dorm?” Li Jun asked, his voice carrying a mix of amusement and exhaustion.
Zhao Chen scoffed. “And leave her alone here on her first night? What kind of person do you take me for?”
Li Jun sighed. “I figured. That’s why I’m staying, too.”
“Wow. So protective all of a sudden,” Zhao Chen teased.
Li Jun gave him a deadpan look. “You have no right to say that. You literally bought her a house.”
Zhao Chen grinned. “Fair point.”
Li Jun leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temples. “I meant what I said earlier. We’re going back to my parents’ house tomorrow to get her stuff.”
Zhao Chen raised a brow. “We?”
Li Jun glanced at him. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
Zhao Chen shrugged. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t. Just wondering how much of a scene it’s going to be.”
Li Jun sighed heavily. “It’ll be bad. But it needs to be done.”
A beat of silence passed before Zhao Chen spoke again.
“She’s still mad at you, you know.”
Li Jun let out a humorless chuckle. “I know.”
“But she’s also happy that you came back,” Zhao Chen added. “Even if she doesn’t say it.”
Li Jun looked down, a complicated expression crossing his face.
“I won’t run away this time,” he murmured.
Xinyi closed her eyes, gripping the blanket tighter.
Even if she was still angry, hearing those words eased something inside her.
She wasn’t alone anymore.
But something told her… this wasn’t the end.
She let out a slow breath, her mind drifting back to a memory she had tried to forget.
Three years ago.
Xinyi wandered down the quiet hallway of her family’s house. It was late, and the house was silent, but her curiosity pushed her forward.
There was one room—one room in the entire house—that she and Li Jun had never been allowed to enter. Their father’s office.
She stood before the door, her heart pounding.
She shouldn’t.
But the handle turned easily under her fingers.
Inside, the office looked ordinary—dark wooden shelves, neatly stacked files, and a large desk in the center.
She stepped inside cautiously, her gaze scanning the room.
Nothing seemed unusual.
But then, her eyes landed on a file sitting slightly apart from the others. Unlike the rest, this one wasn’t tucked away neatly—it looked as if someone had gone through it recently.
Something about it made her uneasy.
Her fingers trembled as she picked it up and flipped it open.
Her breath caught in her throat.
What… is this?
Before she could even process what she was reading, footsteps sounded behind her.
She froze.
A shadow fell over her, and she looked up to see Li Jun standing in the doorway.
His expression shifted from confusion to shock as he saw what she was holding.
He stepped forward, snatching the file from her hands, his eyes scanning the pages.
His hands clenched.
His breathing turned ragged.
And then, his voice—low, shaking with anger—broke the silence.
“What… the hell is this?”
Xinyi couldn’t speak.
She could only watch as her brother’s world shattered in front of her.
That night, he left.
And she was left behind.
Xinyi shot up in bed, gasping for air.
Her chest felt tight, her heart pounding against her ribs.
She hadn’t thought about that night in so long, but now the memory felt as raw as if it had just happened.
She pressed a hand to her face, feeling the dampness of tears she hadn’t realized she shed.
What was in that file?
She had been too young to fully understand, but the look on Li Jun’s face that night…
It had been enough to tell her that whatever he saw, it changed everything.
She let out a shaky breath and wiped her eyes.
Sleep.
She needed to sleep.
But as she lay back down, curling into herself, the feeling of loneliness crept in again.
She squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself she was fine.
Then—
A knock at the door.
Her breath hitched.
A moment later, the door creaked open just slightly.
A familiar voice, soft and calm, drifted through the quiet.
“You awake?”
Zhao Chen.
Xinyi hesitated before answering.
“...Yeah.”
There was a pause. Then—
“I just wanted to check.”
She swallowed.
Zhao Chen didn’t push. He didn’t ask if she was okay, didn’t demand that she talk about it.
He just… let her be.
Somehow, that made her throat tighten even more.
She expected him to leave, but instead—
A small, soft sound.
The clink of something being placed on the floor.
“There’s water here if you need it,” he said casually. “And… if you can’t sleep, I’ll be in the living room.”
Xinyi blinked.
It was such a simple thing.
But the quiet reassurance in his voice, the unspoken “you’re not alone” in his actions—
It made her chest ache.
She stayed silent, unsure of how to respond.
Then—
“Good night, princess.”
She almost choked.
A strangled sound escaped her lips before she could stop it.
“What—”
She could hear the grin in his voice.
“What? Not used to it?”
She groaned, rolling onto her stomach to smother her face in the pillow. “Go away.”
Zhao Chen chuckled, clearly pleased with himself. “Sleep well.”
The door clicked shut.
Xinyi exhaled, her lips twitching involuntarily.
She hated him.
…But not really.
She turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling again.
Her thoughts were still messy, her emotions tangled.
But somehow… she didn’t feel as alone anymore.
And with that thought, she finally let herself drift off to sleep.