Thursday.
Quitting time.
Feng Yan's car was parked at the entrance of the TV station.
Under the watchful eyes of her colleagues, Sang Lu slid into the passenger seat.
They set off for Yile Community.
Sang Lu rolled down the window, resting her head on her arm as she squinted into the breeze.
The wind carried away the exhaustion of the workday, reviving her energy. She initiated the conversation.
Sang Lu: "Feng Bai called me the day before yesterday, asking me to help him decide which variety show to join."
The man driving glanced at her, his expression naturally cool.
He quickly returned his gaze to the road, giving only a slight nod in response.
Sang Lu knew that was his way of saying, Go on.
Suddenly, she paused.
When had she become so adept at reading his micro-expressions?
She could even distinguish the subtle differences in his gestures and expressions across different contexts.
Since when?
The thought flickered briefly before she brushed it aside.
She continued, "He’s been approached by a ton of shows—dating programs, brainy competitions… all kinds."
She stopped, then chuckled.
"But wouldn’t you know it? Not a single rap show. Talk about adding insult to injury."
The man at the wheel paused, his eyes briefly lighting up with amusement. His voice was calm. "Hm."
"Right? You think it’s funny too?"
Encouraged by the glint in his eyes, Sang Lu pressed on.
"Guess which show I recommended to him?"
Just then, the light ahead turned red.
The car stopped.
Feng Yan lazily propped an arm on the window frame. He wore a black shirt today, the sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing lean, defined lines. He turned to Sang Lu, his voice low. "Which one?"
"Ta-da! The answer is—"
Sang Lu met his gaze, her bright eyes crinkling with mischief as she cheerfully announced:
"—a farming show."
The golden hues of the setting sun reflected in Feng Yan’s dark pupils.
His usually sharp features softened into rare bewilderment. After a beat, he repeated, "Farming?"
"It’s a new agricultural reality show from another network. I saw the pitch—great concept. A bunch of young guys, toiling under the sun, working the land. People would love it." Sang Lu grinned as she explained.
The warm glow of dusk bathed her face, casting a soft radiance over her wavy hair and the delicate curve of her earlobes.
Feng Yan didn’t comment, his deep gaze lingering on her.
Sang Lu suddenly leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "And there’s an extra benefit for Feng Bai…"
Feng Yan’s brow lifted slightly as he waited.
"Don’t you think he looks a bit… vampirically pale? All that sunlight would do him good. Even a vampire could get a healthy tan out there." She spoke rapidly, barely containing her laughter.
The moment the words left her mouth, Feng Yan looked away, a quiet chuckle escaping him, his usually stern features relaxing.
The light turned green.
With a light press on the accelerator, the car moved forward, the scenery outside the window receding behind them.
One hand on the wheel, his voice laced with suppressed amusement, he murmured, "Solid advice."
The lazy spring evening stretched on.
Sunlight slanted through the windows, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of grass into the car.
The atmosphere was easy, comfortable.
Sang Lu noticed that whenever it was just the two of them, Feng Yan spoke more often, more fluidly, without any trace of discomfort.
The thought made her want to prolong the conversation.
Partly to help him grow accustomed to speaking freely.
Partly—well, she had her own selfish reasons.
She loved listening to his voice. It was deep, magnetic, even his quiet laughter was unfairly pleasant.
"By the way," she suddenly asked, "why did Feng Bai dye his hair black?"
Feng Yan kept his eyes on the road. "I told him to. It was annoying."
Sang Lu blinked, then burst into laughter. "That explains it."
Of course. There was no way the stubborn Feng Bai would ditch his edgy hair color unless Feng Yan had intervened.
Mystery solved.
From that one offhand remark, Sang Lu pieced together more.
She guessed that after returning from Qilan, Feng Yan must have had a serious talk with the troublesome brothers.
She didn’t know the details, but she was certain he’d laid down some unbreakable rule—something like No more fighting or Next time won’t be a warning.
That would explain why Feng Bai was suddenly focusing on his career, and why Feng Yi had been unusually quiet lately.
One thing was clear: no matter how much the brothers clashed, as long as Feng Yan was around, they wouldn’t dare escalate.
But then—
Her chest tightened abruptly, her expression freezing.
A thought she’d briefly entertained before resurfaced.
In the original storyline, when the brothers had spiraled into their feud over shares and inheritance…
Where had Feng Yan been?
A cold fear gripped her.
Had something happened to him, leaving no one to rein them in?
Lost in thought, she barely registered the black Rolls-Royce pulling into Yile Community.
It came to a smooth stop near Building 2.
Feng Yan stepped out to retrieve something from the trunk while Sang Lu remained dazed.
A voice nearby finally snapped her back to reality.
"Oh! Sang Lu, you’re back?"
It was Aunt Wang, an old colleague of Lin Yueyin’s who had watched Sang Lu grow up. Her face lit up with warmth at the sight of her.
From Aunt Wang’s angle, only Sang Lu was visible near the car.
Then came the sound of the trunk closing.
A tall, strikingly handsome man emerged, standing beside Sang Lu, his hands full of gift boxes.
Aunt Wang stared, momentarily speechless.
"Sang Lu, this is…?"
Sang Lu smiled brightly. "Aunt Wang, this is my husband. We’re here to visit my parents."
"Oh! Wonderful! You’ve always been such a filial child, bringing them so many nice things." Aunt Wang’s gaze lingered on the lavish gifts in Feng Yan’s hands, her smile widening.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Sang Lu didn’t notice how Feng Yan’s fingers had tightened slightly around the boxes at her casual introduction, his expression thoughtful.
As they bid Aunt Wang goodbye, Sang Lu was lost in her own reflections.
She figured that since they were here to see her parents, they ought to act more affectionate—to reassure them.
After all, her mother had recently called, worried that Feng Yan might be mistreating her.
Just as Feng Yan took a step toward the building, Sang Lu suddenly looped her arm through his, pulling him close.
His entire body stiffened for a split second before he glanced down at her.
Sang Lu tilted her head up, beaming.
"Let’s go~"
The stairwell of the old residential complex was dimly lit.
Half of Feng Yan’s face was cast in shadow, but the faintest curve touched his lips.
Something brushed against his heart.
