Xiao Cheng didn’t say anything—he just stared at her in silence.
“Auntie Wang should be arriving soon. I’ll head back and help her with breakfast. You keep running, Mr. Xiao—I won’t disturb you.” Being stared at like that made Lin Aiyun uncomfortable, as if she were being seen through from head to toe. She quickly made an excuse and prepared to flee.
But before she could get away, he grabbed the back of her collar. She couldn’t move forward, couldn’t move back—she was stuck right where she was.
“You want to get in shape? Starting tomorrow, wait for me at the door at 6:30 in the morning.”
Lin Aiyun’s eyes went wide. What did he mean by that?
The morning breeze blew, lifting a strand of her hair across his shoulder and neck.
Xiao Cheng was tall and strong—lifting her with one hand took no effort at all. She couldn’t break free at all. It was only when he let go of his own accord that she regained her freedom.
She turned to look at him, flattered though she tried not to show it, and asked flatly: “You want to go running with me?”
Xiao Cheng didn’t know why he’d said that either—he’d always hated trouble.
But at that moment, his mind was filled with images from countless dreams: she hadn’t lasted long before calling for a stop. With that kind of stamina, she’d need more practice. Later on…
Tch. He was probably some kind of pervert.
Wasn’t he, though? The girl just wanted to exercise, and here he was, his head full of unspeakable thoughts.
“Is my meaning that hard to understand? This place is deserted—if something happens to you, where am I supposed to find another calligraphy teacher?” Xiao Cheng’s eyes were dark and deep as he brushed her off with a flimsy excuse.
“Mr. Xiao is so kind.” Lin Aiyun’s bright eyes sparkled. She hadn’t expected such a gain today. A faint pink flush spread across her fair, jade-like face—unclear whether from shyness or the lingering flush of exercise.
Xiao Cheng held the towel in his hand, looking down at Lin Aiyun’s undisguised delight. If she knew what he was thinking at this very moment, would she still think he was a good person? She’d probably be running for the hills.
“Let’s go. We’re heading back.”
The two walked one behind the other along the quiet path. Lin Aiyun clasped her hands behind her back, happily stepping into his footprints. Xiao Cheng caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye and thought it childish—but the corner of his mouth lifted slightly nonetheless.
The way back wasn’t far, but it wasn’t exactly close either. A long stretch of silence inevitably grew awkward. Lin Aiyun fidgeted with her fingers, then quickened her pace to catch up, walking alongside him.
“Mr. Xiao, you’re looking much better lately—you’ve been sleeping well, haven’t you?” This was a question she’d been holding in for a while but never had the chance to ask. With the timing and setting just right, she finally voiced it.
They’d been living together for half a month now. The dark circles under Xiao Cheng’s eyes had visibly disappeared, and the irritable, volatile aura that had surrounded him had faded.
Simply put, he seemed much more alive.
And when she’d visited Auntie Hui a few days ago, she’d subtly probed and learned that Xiao Cheng hadn’t been back to the Liu household since last time. That meant his condition had either improved significantly or was fully resolved.
But that was just speculation—after all, no one knew if Xiao Cheng had other doctors. Only hearing it from his own mouth would put her mind at ease.
Hearing this, Xiao Cheng stopped walking. He turned and looked deeply at Lin Aiyun, as if searching for something in her face. Finally, he replied in a low voice: “Mm.”
Thanks to her, he hadn’t had a single bad night’s sleep since she’d arrived.
But the topic of sleep was too sensitive for him. Lin Aiyun bringing it up so abruptly inevitably stirred up suspicions that had long since settled.
The sudden erotic dreams, her calling his name the very first time they met, and now this question…
Her knowing his name could have been an accidental overhearing from the Liu family—easy enough to explain.
Her asking now was more likely a casual inquiry rather than a calculated move.
As for the inexplicable dreams—those were subjective and beyond anyone’s control. He couldn’t pinpoint the cause, but thankfully they were gradually fading from his life. As long as they stopped entirely, there’d be no lasting effect.
But the prerequisite for them stopping… would he have to keep her by his side?
Xiao Cheng looked at Lin Aiyun’s fair profile, his thoughts turning over and over, his gaze slowly growing inscrutable.
He never doubted his instincts or his thorough investigations. All evidence pointed to Lin Aiyun being an ordinary person, with no possible connection to the scheming factions in the capital. His trip to Lanxi County had been secret—there was no way it could have been leaked.
No one had the ability to lay such an elaborate trap right under his nose.
Most importantly, having spent time with her, the impression she gave him was one of simplicity and naivety—to put it bluntly, she was “dumb.” He couldn’t imagine any rival being foolish enough to send someone like her to get close to him.
Xiao Cheng withdrew his gaze and continued walking.
“That’s good.” So it really was fine after all. Lin Aiyun let out a breath of relief, not noticing Xiao Cheng’s momentary distraction, and certainly unaware of his assessment of her. If she’d known, she probably would have been too angry to eat for days.
By the time they returned to the villa, Auntie Wang had already started preparing breakfast. Lin Aiyun quickly washed up and went to help.
“Xiao Lin, I bought back those ingredients you asked me to get—the ones we were missing. They’re under that cabinet.” Auntie Wang mentioned it casually when she saw Lin Aiyun walk in.
“Thank you, Auntie Wang.” Lin Aiyun smiled softly, clearly in a good mood, her brows carrying a hint of joy. “No need to buy more after this—we have enough.”
Since Xiao Cheng was sleeping well now, there was no need to make sleep-aiding dishes every day anymore.
“No more buying? Alright then.” Auntie Wang caught her cheerfulness and smiled too. She knew those ingredients Lin Aiyun had specifically requested were all for soups for that Mr. Xiao. Since she didn’t need them anymore, Auntie Wang was happy to have less work—no more running around to several streets to gather everything.
Though that did mean losing a little extra income—Lin Aiyun had always paid her quite generously each time.
“Mm.”
The two chatted cheerfully as they quickly finished preparing breakfast. During that time, Zhou Jin strode in from outside, his expression serious. For the first time, he went straight upstairs without greeting anyone. Shortly after, Xiao Cheng came down with him, heading straight for the door. But halfway there, he suddenly turned back, his gaze locking precisely onto Lin Aiyun by the dining table.
“I won’t be back for a few days. Don’t go running off by yourself in the mornings.”
Lin Aiyun nodded instinctively in response, her fingers curling slightly around the bowl of congee. Her long lashes fluttered. This scene felt strangely familiar—like every time he’d gone on a business trip in her previous life.
“Did you hear me? Answer me.” Xiao Cheng frowned at her dazed look, unconvinced she’d actually listen.
“I heard you.” Getting snapped at for no reason, Lin Aiyun’s voice rose in protest, her cheeks puffing out in grievance.
A sliver of sunlight fell on the corner of Xiao Cheng’s eye but did little to soften his expression. Those deep black eyes were fixed on her, naked and unabashed, carrying a hint of scrutiny.
After a long silence, he spoke again: “Go stay at your aunt’s place for a couple of days. I’ll come pick you up when I’m back.”
Don’t think he didn’t know—during the day when she was home alone, she holed up in her room, barely setting foot outside. Staying cooped up like that for too long would drive anyone stir-crazy. Though the area was peaceful, it lacked the vitality of human company.
Hearing this, Zhou Jin looked at Xiao Cheng in surprise. Since when had Brother Cheng become so fussy? The situation was urgent—they needed to get moving—yet he was wasting time arranging trivial matters for Lin Aiyun.
“Huh? Oh—okay.” Lin Aiyun was a bit dazed too, but she nodded. Looking into his eyes, she felt her heartbeat quicken—thump, thump, thump, thump—beating faster and faster.
Only then did it dawn on her: this was probably Xiao Cheng’s way of showing concern.
The sound of the car engine snapped Lin Aiyun out of her thoughts. She hurried to the window and caught only a glimpse of the car’s rear as it disappeared into the distance.
Xiao Cheng was gone.
Having stayed here for so long, Lin Aiyun had vaguely guessed that Xiao Cheng’s reasons for lingering in Lanxi County went beyond just medical treatment. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed so long after recovering—he must have had more important business.
As for what that business was—she didn’t know.
—
In a bungalow south of Shun’an City, the capital of Jiangming Province, Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin passed through a group of burly guards and headed toward a wooden door in the corner. With a creak, the noise and clamor from inside spilled out.
Going down the stairs revealed a completely different world.
Dozens of large round tables were crammed together to form a makeshift underground gambling den. Bare-chested men roared and shouted over wins and losses. The air was thick with the heat of masculine sweat, cigarette smoke, and alcohol, making the atmosphere tense and restless.
People came and went every day—Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin’s arrival caused barely a ripple.
“It’s just ahead.” The waiter who had led them in gave a reminder. The three continued on, winding through the maze until they reached their final destination.
Here, the private room stood out as something special—anyone inside was clearly no ordinary person.
Xiao Cheng kicked the door open and swaggered in, as relaxed as if he were walking into his own bedroom.
Two lamps lit the small room, illuminating a crowd of men—all broad-shouldered and thick-necked, clearly trained fighters. They formed a semicircle around a middle-aged man seated in the center.
Surrounding him was more like guarding him.
“Wouldn’t have pegged Boss Tian for such a coward,” Xiao Cheng said, pulling up a chair and sitting across from the man, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The moment he spoke, the men behind Tian Chengfu shifted slightly, as if ready to teach this insolent young man a lesson. But just as they moved, Tian Chengfu waved them off.
Tian’s eyes darted around as he studied the two men who had come alone. They showed no sign of nerves, no fear of walking into enemy territory—if anything, it was he who seemed overly cautious and petty.
He was right. Today was about business, not life or death. No need to be so guarded.
After all, he still had a trump card up his sleeve. What was there to fear?
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