Chapter 1: Who Likes You?

Late autumn night.

The season had come when leaves began to drift from the roadside trees, and a fine, persistent autumn rain fell from the sky.

Jiang Yao had only just finished work. Now, she walked alone beneath a black umbrella, her steps careful on the slick path as she made her way through a quiet, secluded alley.

In her earphones came the sweet voice of her good friend, Ye Yiyi. “Yao, happy birthday! It’s a pity I can’t be there with you this year.”

Jiang Yao paused, then allowed herself a small smile. “That’s all right.”

It was all right—she had never liked celebrating her birthday anyway.

If she could erase a single day from the calendar, she would choose her birthday without hesitation.

“You’re not going to Aunt Qin’s snack shop again today, are you?” Ye Yiyi asked after a moment.

Jiang Yao lifted her gaze toward the darkness ahead. “Yes, I’m on my way there now.”

Aunt Qin’s snack shop was the place Jiang Yao visited every year on this day—though she had never truly stepped inside.

“Now? It’s already so late…” There was a note of concern in Ye Yiyi’s voice, a hesitation. “Yao, did you hear… that person’s been released.”

Jiang Yao’s steps faltered, her hand tightening unconsciously around the umbrella handle. “I heard.”

“I’m not there with you. Please, be careful.”

Jiang Yao looked up, her clear and resolute gaze piercing the curtain of rain, fixed on the endless darkness ahead. “If he dares come near, I’ll send him back in myself.”

Her tone was so light, as if she were only remarking on the weather, and she even wore a faint smile.

Only Ye Yiyi on the other end of the line knew how many years Jiang Yao had carried the weight of those words.

At the entrance to the alley, a black shadow flickered past.

Just as Jiang Yao hung up, she felt a strange stiffness at the back of her neck. Instinctively, she turned to look behind her.

The alley was empty, nothing but darkness.

Yet her heart began to race in panic, and she quickened her pace.

She had walked this road countless times, but never so late at night.

Ahead was a branching dead-end alley. She slipped quickly into its shadows, making herself invisible.

There came the soft sound of footsteps, drawing nearer.

Jiang Yao held her breath, her eyes fixed anxiously on the mouth of the alley.

A tall man appeared. Though it was raining, he carried neither umbrella nor wore a raincoat. He had a cap pulled low, a loose black jacket that swallowed his form, and a black mask that concealed his face.

Even so, he kept his head down, as if determined not to be recognized.

All of it struck Jiang Yao as oddly furtive.

Fortunately, the man seemed unaware of the narrow alley or Jiang Yao’s presence, striding past without a glance in her direction.

She let out a long breath, inwardly chiding herself for being so tightly wound, as skittish as a startled bird.

Suddenly, the man halted, as if sensing something. He turned and strode purposefully toward her, closing the distance in moments.

A chill swept through Jiang Yao. Her heart plummeted, but rather than wait helplessly, she chose to act.

“Ah!” she cried, bursting from the shadows and swinging her umbrella wildly at him, not caring where the blows landed.

The chaos was such that even Jiang Yao did not know what she had struck.

The man, unprepared for the attack, had his cap knocked to the ground. He staggered back, hand flying to his head, and looked up at Jiang Yao.

She knew she was no match for him. Taking advantage of the moment, she dropped her umbrella and turned to flee.

But suddenly, her collar tightened painfully.

With shocking speed, the man caught her by the back of her jacket.

His cold fingers grazed her neck, and Jiang Yao felt as though she had been frozen solid.

He yanked her back effortlessly, nearly slamming her against the wall.

Pain flared in her shoulder. She grimaced, still trying to escape, but a powerful hand closed around her wrist.

Though his palm was warm, Jiang Yao felt only the deepening chill of late autumn.

He held her firmly, not allowing her to move.

She struggled, but against his strength, she was powerless.

“Help!” she cried out, her voice breaking, her ever-stubborn eyes filling suddenly with fear and helplessness.

Just as she had been at fifteen.

All the old terrors surged back like a tidal wave.

Ten years had passed. She thought she had come so far, but she realized now she had never moved at all.

Weary, desperate, her plea was soft and hopeless, “Let me go. Please, let me go.”

Her gaze was that of a frightened child.

The man looked into her helpless eyes, a flicker of confusion crossing his features before he froze.

It was only a moment’s hesitation, but Jiang Yao seized it, clawing desperately at him in one final bid for escape.

Her fingers tore away his mask, revealing his face.

Even in the darkness, it was plain: his skin was pale, his features sharp and striking.

Raindrops glistened in his black hair, dampening the stray strands at his brow, lending his beauty a certain fragility in the night.

Jiang Yao stared, stunned by the young, cool, and distant face before her.

He was not the person she had feared.

Her hands fell limp. She sagged against the wall, dazed and powerless, gazing at him in silence.

They were so different—yet she had mistaken him.

She truly had been too tightly wound.

But the man’s grip tightened once more. His eyes blazed as he stared her down, a mocking curve to his lips. “That’s not very nice, you know.”

His voice was low and rough-edged, calm and cold, devoid of anger but all the more intimidating for it.

He had said nothing harsh, but Jiang Yao felt the weight of his presence.

She swallowed, stammering, “S-sorry, I mistook you for someone else.”

“Mistook me?” he echoed, amusement in his tone, a mocking lift to his brows.

He clearly did not believe her.

“Miss, even if you’re fond of me, this isn’t the way to show it.” His eyes narrowed, gaze flicking over her pale face.

Fond of him?

Jiang Yao had meant to explain, but at his words she could only laugh, exasperated and bemused. “Me? Fond of you?”