Even when she called, his line was constantly busy.
She took a deep breath.
No, she had to do something.
She grabbed a coat, went downstairs, and hailed a taxi.
After she gave the destination, the driver hesitated.
"Uh, miss, in the middle of the night, are you sure...?"
"I'm sure." Seeing his fearful expression, Jiang Liuyue added, "Double the fare."
"You got it!"
The driver slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
In barely half an hour, they arrived at the destination.
Jumping out of the car, Jiang Liuyue felt a bit chilly and pulled her coat tighter around herself.
After all, coming to a cemetery alone in the middle of the night was bound to be somewhat eerie and cold.
Unsurprisingly, a dark silhouette was sitting dejectedly beside Li Xinle's tombstone, surrounded by several empty beer cans.
As Jiang Liuyue approached, she caught a heavy waft of alcohol.
Who knew how much he had drunk.
She reached out and gently patted his shoulder.
Song Hanzheng didn't turn around.
He maintained his stiff posture.
"Drinking alone is no fun. Let me join you."
As she spoke, Jiang Liuyue bent down to pick up an unopened beer can from the ground.
Suddenly, her wrist was grabbed.
Song Hanzheng's voice was icy.
"What are you doing here?"
His tone was utterly indifferent.
Acting as if she didn't notice, Jiang Liuyue used her free hand to pick up the beer can.
She pulled the tab, and with a hiss, white beer foam surged out, sticking to her palm.
It felt cold and sticky.
Just as Jiang Liuyue was about to take a sip, Song Hanzheng suddenly snatched the beer from her hand.
Tilting his head back, he downed it in one go.
Because he chugged it so fiercely, leftover liquid trailed down the corner of his lips, past his jawline, all the way to his prominent collarbone.
Song Hanzheng's shirt got wet, and he tugged at it impatiently.
With a dark, brooding expression on his face, he said.
"Get lost."
The smile on Jiang Liuyue's face faltered slightly.
However, she didn't leave.
After all, she had known all along that this target's temperament was highly unpredictable.
"I don't know how. Why don't you show me how to get lost?" The corners of her lips curled up.
Song Hanzheng's throat tightened.
He actually had even harsher words ready, but upon looking up and meeting those sparkling eyes, it felt as though his throat was stuffed with cotton.
He couldn't say a word.
Finally, he just said bitterly:
"Aren't you with Lin Yizhou."
"What are you doing looking for me?"
"Jiang Liuyue, the game is over. I don't need you!"
She knew this was the reason he was angry.
He had painstakingly prepared a lead role in a teen idol drama as a gift for her, but before he even had the chance to tell her, he turned around and saw her stepping out of the same car as his younger brother.
They had looked so intimate.
Anyone would be jealous.
Let alone a jealous jar like Song Hanzheng.
Jiang Liuyue didn't leave; instead, she pulled her cardigan closer and sat down right beside him.
She didn't even mind the dirty ground.
No one would expect two people to be flirting in a gloomy cemetery in the dead of night.
But Jiang Liuyue was in a great mood.
Pointing at the name on the tombstone, she joked:
"Did Li Xinle have a really good temper?"
Song Hanzheng paused, asking, "Why do you say that?"
"Because your temper is really rotten and weird. If someone wasn't a very good friend, they definitely wouldn't be able to stand you."
"Who says? I have friends. Sun Hao, Cen Yuan..." Song Hanzheng trailed off.
Because even those friends were initially Li Xinle's friends.
He had been stubborn and arrogant since childhood, so very few people in their circle were willing to deal with him.
But so what?
He didn't care.
The strong were destined to be lonely.
Jiang Liuyue's gaze was soft and accepting, carrying a faint, gentle smile on her lips.
"Thank you, Song Han."
The unexpected thanks caught Song Hanzheng off guard.
His initially hard, hedgehog-like defensive spikes suddenly didn't know whether they should stay raised.
A flash of awkwardness crossed his eyes.
He turned his head slightly.
From the corner of his eye, he could still see Jiang Liuyue's beautiful almond eyes curving upward in the dim cover of the night, seemingly glowing.
"I'm not just some easy woman."
"Do you think I'd agree to be kept by just anyone?" Jiang Liuyue suddenly laughed to herself.
She glanced at Song Hanzheng.
Studying him seriously, she said:
"I only fell for you because you're handsome."
A fleeting crush and truly giving one's heart were two different concepts.
Being praised for his looks again, even the currently cold-faced Song Hanzheng couldn't quite hold it back. His furrowed brows relaxed, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly.
A soft snort escaped his throat.
It sounded like dissatisfaction, yet also like an expression of disdain.
Seeing his hard shell soften a bit, Jiang Liuyue continued on her own:
"There's nothing going on between me and Lin Yizhou. We just bumped into each other while eating with friends, and he gave me a ride home."
"If you're unhappy about it, I'll make sure to avoid him."
Song Hanzheng twitched the corners of his lips.
Jiang Liuyue directly snatched the half-empty beer bottle from his hand, tilted her head back, and took several hearty gulps.
Song Hanzheng said nervously, "Don't drink so much, you'll get drunk."
"Says who? My alcohol tolerance is great."
As she spoke, her eyes curved into crescents, instantly bringing her fair face to life.
Especially when those clear, bright eyes gazed at you.
It made you feel completely noticed, watched, and cared for.
Jiang Liuyue took the initiative to reach out and hold his hand.
His rough palm was slightly cool.
Her hand was soft and warm.
The moment she held it, Song Hanzheng didn't resist. His fingertips merely trembled slightly before he obediently let her hold his hand.
"Let's make up, okay?" Jiang Liuyue's tone was gentle as she tilted her head slightly to look at him.
Song Hanzheng's brows completely smoothed out.
With such an easy way out handed right to him, he cleared his throat.
"We weren't even fighting."
"Right, not fighting. We were just chatting." Jiang Liuyue nodded in agreement.
Song Hanzheng glanced at her and couldn't help but ask, "How did you know I was here?"
"I guessed."
"You guessed very accurately."
"Because when you care about someone, you try to guess what they're thinking." Jiang Liuyue suddenly stood up, dusting off her clothes, her tone somewhat vague.
Care about someone?
Song Hanzheng's features softened a bit more.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly.
Realizing this about himself, he quickly reverted to his icy demeanor.
"Pull me up," he said.
"Mm."
Jiang Liuyue reached out her hand.
Song Hanzheng used her leverage to stand up, but because he had been sitting on the ground for too long, his legs were numb, causing him to stumble forward a few steps.
Jiang Liuyue was naturally enveloped in his broad, tall embrace.
Her head bumped against his rock-hard chest.
Her body was surrounded by his aura and scent.
The sudden embrace left both of them stunned.
After a long while.
Jiang Liuyue was just about to pull away from his arms.
But a strong hand firmly gripped her waist.
She looked up, confused. "You..."
Immediately following that, a possessive and domineering kiss landed on her forehead, the tip of her nose, and the crook of her neck.
