As they drew closer, the person crouching on the ground seemed to sense the sharp, knife-like gaze and slowly looked up.
Sang Fan walked up to her, his dark eyes fixed precisely on her face.
Shen Yue blinked, her expression blank.
Sang Fan slowly frowned.
The girl was wearing only a thin short-sleeved shirt. Her exposed wrists were slender, her shoulders delicate, and the round neckline pulled down revealed two bony collarbones.
Her skin was pallid and unhealthy. Under the stark light of the streetlamp, she appeared even more translucent.
He asked, "Why are you squatting here?"
"Why aren't you home this late?"
The girl lowered her long lashes. Her lips were vividly red, and she looked lost. "I don't want to go home."
A dull, heavy ache pulsed in his chest, a fine, persistent pain. Sang Fan's face remained devoid of emotion.
He simply said coldly,
"Where is your address? I'll take you home."
The girl gently shook her head. "I don't want to go home."
Sang Fan looked into her eyes. His gaze, like a nail, remained fixed on Shen Yue's face, never wavering. The intense focus made her heart pound.
Unexpectedly, he was patient. "Then where do you want to go?"
Shen Yue thought for a moment, not knowing where she should go.
Sang Fan suddenly extended an invitation, "Then come back with me."
Given that they had only met a few times, Shen Yue shouldn't have agreed. It was far too unsafe.
She looked at Sang Fan.
Sang Fan pursed his thin lips. The exposed muscles of his arms were firm. Due to his strong emotions, veins bulged on his arms, and his fists were slightly clenched.
He appeared cold, as if he didn't care at all, as if he had merely made a casual suggestion. Whether Shen Yue accepted or not was completely unimportant to him.
For some reason, Shen Yue thought of a powerful Caucasian Shepherd. There was a bone in front of it, and it desperately wanted to eat it, but it maintained a superficial reserve, pretending it disdained it.
Thinking this, Shen Yue couldn't help but smile.
She met Sang Fan's dark gaze, a shallow dimple appearing on her cheek.
"Okay."
---
Sang Fan didn't know what he was thinking, but he brought the girl back with him.
Shen Yue took a general look around the house.
It was simple, with a very minimalist decor and color scheme, yet it was exceptionally tidy. Even the slippers were arranged neatly, as if measured by a ruler, not out of place by even a fraction.
The slippers Shen Yue was wearing were Sang Fan's and were quite large. Sang Fan, wearing only socks, took out a pair of slippers from the storage box. Just as he put them on, he saw the girl sitting obediently on the sofa.
So well-behaved.
Sang Fan turned his head and said to him, "I'm hungry."
Sang Fan awkwardly shifted his gaze. "There's food in the refrigerator."
Shen Yue got up and walked to the refrigerator.
The refrigerator didn't actually contain much food; mostly mineral water and sandwiches.
Shen Yue didn't like sandwiches.
Sang Fan watched from the side.
The girl wasn't actually short, but she was incredibly thin. The short-sleeved shirt revealed a patch of snow-white, delicate skin, like a fragile thing that might break with the slightest carelessness.
Shen Yue looked for a long time. Her stomach was very hungry. Just as she was considering whether to force herself to eat something to fill her stomach, the hot breath and faint scent of smoke from the young man who had just exercised suddenly enveloped Shen Yue.
It wasn't unpleasant.
It was all-encompassing.
Shen Yue subconsciously turned around. Her soft hair brushed past Sang Fan's chin, like a feather lightly tracing a path, leaving behind a subtle, tingling sensation.
It was a gentle touch, quickly vanishing, as if an illusion.
Sang Fan's Adam's apple bobbed violently. His entire body felt as if it had been electrocuted. He stumbled back several steps as if scalded.
Shen Yue was bewildered by his series of actions. She blinked her eyes blankly, her delicate and beautiful features exuding an aura of innocence.
Sang Fan averted his gaze, his ears turning red with embarrassment. Gritting his teeth, he finally managed to choke out a sentence.
"Why were you looking for so long? Don't you want to eat anything?"
The only decent options in the refrigerator were the sandwiches.
Shen Yue was silent for a moment. After all, she was staying at someone else's home, so she said with some reserve, "It's fine, I'll just have a sandwich."
Sang Fan glanced at the sandwiches in the refrigerator, then at the pitifully thin girl. Without hesitation, he closed the refrigerator door.
"I'll cook for you."
Shen Yue was a little surprised. "You can cook?"
Sang Fan nodded, taking noodles and two eggs from the refrigerator. "A little."
Sang Fan had moved out of his parents' home when he was very young and had lived alone for the most part. During training, he ate nutritional meals, but at home, he would cook according to his own tastes, and over time, he had developed decent cooking skills.
However, Shen Yue soon discovered how modest Sang Fan's "a little" was.
It was ostensibly just a bowl of noodles, but its presentation was excellent. The broth was rich and savory, the greens were vibrant and fresh, and the egg was pan-fried to a tender yellow, not a hint of char, radiating an enticing steam.
Sang Fan said, "Eat."
Shen Yue had been waiting for these words. She immediately sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite.
The taste was simply unforgettable.
The girl's eyes were bright, as if they contained finely crushed starlight. Her brows curved upwards. "It's so delicious!"
Sang Fan's heart gave a sudden, violent thump against his chest. All his nerves tensed instantly. He almost shamefacedly averted his gaze, held his breath, and clenched his fists, trying to restrain something.
Shen Yue, completely oblivious to the man's expression, ate her noodles happily, almost shedding tears of joy.
It was truly delicious.
Why could this bowl of noodles, of all things, be cooked so deliciously?
A gruff voice came from above. "Wash the bowl after you finish eating."
He then turned and went into the bedroom.
Shen Yue ate slowly, taking about half an hour to finish the bowl of noodles. She was very full and sat in her seat for a while before taking the bowl to the kitchen to wash.
It was just one bowl, and it was washed quickly.
As she came out of the kitchen, she saw Sang Fan throwing the quilt and pillow onto the sofa.
Sang Fan said without turning his head, "You can sleep here tonight."
"Okay."
The sofa was large, and Shen Yue could fit perfectly. She had sat on it earlier, and it was very soft; it should be quite comfortable to sleep on.
Sang Fan turned around and said abruptly, "My name is Sang Fan. Sang from mulberry tree, Fan from Van Gogh."
Shen Yue realized then that neither of them knew the other's name.
And she had even come home with a man whose name she didn't know.
This was probably the biggest thing she had ever done.
But she always had a feeling.
Sang Fan wouldn't harm her.
Shen Yue said softly, "My name is Shen Yue."
Sang Fan responded with a muffled acknowledgment, and then seemed at a loss for words.
He felt completely awkward and wanted to find something to do to distract himself.