Xia Miao didn’t bother answering his question. Instead, she scrambled to her feet and pushed open the warehouse door. Outside, the dim hallway was bathed in the eerie glow of green emergency lights, the scent of disinfectant lingering in the air—nothing different from before.
The warehouse had long since regained power, and everything was calm again. The journey that had transcended time and space now felt like nothing more than a dream.
Xia Miao turned to Duan Shou. "We just witnessed something from the past, didn’t we? You remember it too, right?"
Duan Shou nodded frantically. "Yeah, I even saw you dragging some white-haired kid around."
Now that the child was nowhere in sight, Duan Shou guessed that Xia Miao must have separated from the boy to return to the present.
Still shaken, Duan Shou couldn’t help but imagine what might have happened if he hadn’t made it back to the warehouse in time.
Xia Miao stepped out of the warehouse.
Duan Shou called after her, but she didn’t respond. He wanted to chase after her, but the inventory work wasn’t finished yet, and he feared punishment if he left it undone. So he stayed behind.
The hallway was barely lit, and the howling wind outside the windows added to the unsettling atmosphere, making it feel even more sinister.
Xia Miao walked through the shadows, her figure so fragile it seemed as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.
After a while without encountering anyone, she finally called out, "Bai Chi!"
A figure dropped upside-down from the ceiling.
"What is it?"
The boy had the presence of mind to hold onto his long white hair to keep it from falling into his face. Swinging gently in front of her, he would’ve looked like he was on a swing if not for his inverted position.
His eyes were bright and innocent, completely unaware of how startling his sudden appearance was.
The moment Xia Miao called his name, he had appeared.
Xia Miao resisted for a second before giving in, reaching out to poke his cheek. "Get down here and talk properly!"
He let out an "Oh," then dropped down. In an instant, he was standing properly in front of her, his posture neat and composed.
He released his hair and instead reached for Xia Miao’s hand—one wasn’t enough, so he used both to envelop hers, as if trying to encircle her completely.
Xia Miao frowned. "Don’t you have anything better to do than wander around at night?"
"I wasn’t wandering. I was secretly watching you."
His answer was straightforward, without a hint of shame. In his mind, secretly watching the girl he liked wasn’t something to be embarrassed about.
Xia Miao focused on the coolness of his hands for the first time, momentarily distracted. Then she asked, "Why were you watching me?"
"During the day, you kissed me and then ran away."
"So?"
"I want another kiss."
Xia Miao met his guileless gaze, her face burning. "Could you at least be a little more subtle?"
He thought for a moment, then amended, "I want your lips to touch mine again."
That wasn’t any better!
Xia Miao hesitated, fidgeting without making a move.
Bai Chi tilted his head. "Don’t you want to kiss me anymore?"
She stomped her foot. "Why don’t you just kiss me first?!"
Since when was it the girl’s job to always take the initiative?
Bai Chi’s eyes lit up with realization. Leaning down, his crimson gaze fixed on her flushed lips. "I’m going to kiss you now."
He was considerate to a fault—even giving advance notice for something like this.
Xia Miao was too flustered to muster any more half-hearted scolding before his lips met hers. The contrast in their temperatures sent a shiver through her very soul.
He lingered at the surface, his eyes sparkling as he pulled back just enough to murmur, "Soft. Feels nice."
Now Xia Miao’s ears burned a deep red, as if they might drip blood at any moment.
She couldn’t take it anymore. Biting his lip lightly, she hissed, "Shut up!"
But that bite seemed to flip a switch in him. His excitement flared, and he released her hands only to cup her face instead.
Mimicking her, he gently "bit" her lower lip—though it was more of a teasing graze. The slight drag of his small fangs sent an itch spiraling through her chest.
Xia Miao thought this was absolutely lethal. She tried to pull away, but the moment her lips parted, he seized the opportunity. Something slipped into her mouth, quickly warming to match her own heat.
One arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him until she was practically molded into his embrace.
Clearly, he enjoyed this kind of kiss.
Xia Miao was overwhelmed. Who knew this clueless boy could learn so fast?
In the end, Bai Chi was the one who escorted Xia Miao back to her room.
Burrowed under the blankets, Xia Miao curled up like a caterpillar, her face hidden.
The white-haired, red-eyed boy crouched beside the bed, slipping his hands under the covers to grasp her warm fingers. Resting his chin on the mattress, he blinked up at her and asked softly, "Miao Miao, didn’t you like kissing me?"
"Was it uncomfortable?"
"Was it because I—"
"Shut up!" Xia Miao emerged from the blankets, her cheeks flushed a vivid pink. "We are not talking about this anymore!"
He let out an "Oh," taking her response as a sign she wasn’t angry. Satisfied, he tugged at the edge of the blanket, hoisting himself halfway onto the bed before Xia Miao shoved at him.
"Your clothes are filthy! Don’t get on my bed—go sleep in your own room!"
Bai Chi’s eyes darted thoughtfully. Without hesitation, he undid his belt and shrugged off his outer robe, tossing it aside before climbing onto the bed again.
"Miao Miao, my inner clothes are clean."
Despite his youthful appearance and apparent naivety—especially when it came to matters between men and women—his movements were firm as he crowded into her space, leaving no room for refusal. He claimed two-thirds of the bed, forcing her to press closer unless she wanted to roll off.
Xia Miao tried to push him back, but when she glanced up, her expression froze. After a pause, she reached out, her fingers lightly brushing a jagged scar that ran along his neck.
Mistaking it for play, he chuckled and hummed in response.
In one swift motion, Xia Miao straddled his waist. Before he could react, she yanked open his inner robe, exposing his chest—a canvas of crisscrossing scars that made her breath catch.
Finally, a flicker of shyness crossed his face. He peeked at her, then discreetly tried to tug the fabric over a certain exposed spot, but she caught his hand.
"Does it still hurt?"
Bai Chi went still. Something seemed to strike his barren heart, softening it instantly. A strange, tingling sensation spread through his body, as if countless tiny things were crawling beneath his skin, leaving him unbearably warm.
He no longer felt the pain, yet he murmured inexplicably, "It still hurts a little."
Then, with hopeful eyes, he added, "Hold me again, and the pain will go away."
