Their eyes met.
At that moment, as if understanding human speech, the background music from the television conveniently faded away. The surroundings became so quiet that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard, plunging them into an extremely awkward situation.
Wen Yifan calmly averted her gaze.
However, her inner emotions surged like turbulent waves.
Hugged. Me.
Kissed. Me. Once.
Hug.
Kiss.
These two words nearly set Wen Yifan ablaze.
Wen Yifan could feel her cheeks burning, completely out of her control. She wanted to calm herself down, trying to analyze the possibility of this situation rationally.
Then quickly give him an appropriate response.
But Sang Yan didn't give her that time at all. His gaze still fixed on her, he drawled, "Hey, why are you blushing?"
Wen Yifan replied nonchalantly, "Oh, am I red?"
As if discovering a new continent, Sang Yan scrutinized her. "Yeah, you are."
"Maybe it's because I ate something too spicy tonight," Wen Yifan lied with a straight face, speaking unhurriedly. "My friend also said my face was very red earlier."
Sang Yan tugged at his lip, obviously unconvinced. "I see."
Wen Yifan didn't care whether he believed her or not; being able to deal with the situation for now was enough. After the initial shock, upon further thought, she felt that what Sang Yan said wasn't quite right.
If he had only mentioned hugging her once, Wen Yifan might have thought it was true.
After all, the difficulty level of that action wasn't high.
But adding a kiss...
Wen Yifan thought it more plausible that she had sleepwalked and beaten him up than what he was claiming.
"About this matter, don't you think," Wen Yifan said in a soft voice, choosing her words carefully, "you're exaggerating a bit? I might have just accidentally bumped into you while sleepwalking, resulting in some physical contact."
"Oh. So you mean," Sang Yan's tone was languid as he directly called her out, "I'm deliberately slandering you."
"…" Wen Yifan immediately said, "That's not what I meant."
"I'm not trying to blame you either," Sang Yan's messy hair fell across his forehead, his expression relaxed. "But I'm the one who was taken advantage of here. You can't just turn around and accuse me like this, can you?"
Wen Yifan had no memory of this and now felt like a mute eating bitter melon. She found his words extremely unreasonable and couldn't help saying, "If such a thing happened, why didn't you tell me before?"
"How did I not?" Sang Yan said. "But didn't you say it was a special circumstance?"
"…"
"And I'm not that petty of a person."
This statement made Wen Yifan pause for a moment, recalling the inexplicable thumbs-up emoji she had received from Sang Yan the morning after returning from Zhao Yuandong's place.
Wen Yifan fell silent, beginning to doubt herself.
Sang Yan mischievously added salt to the wound. "But this is nothing."
Wen Yifan looked up.
"What you think about during the day, you dream about at night—" Sang Yan drawled, then added a word, "walk?"
"…"
Wen Yifan held back. "Can I ask you a question?"
Sang Yan replied, "Go ahead."
When he first mentioned this situation, Wen Yifan wanted to ask this question but felt it was too embarrassing and would push the current situation to an even more awkward level.
So Wen Yifan had been holding back.
But now, provoked by his attitude, she couldn't contain it anymore. "Where exactly did I kiss you...?"
"…" Sang Yan's expression froze.
The ambiguity seemed to dissolve into the air with these words, fermenting and spreading.
As soon as the words left her mouth, Wen Yifan somewhat regretted it. But words spoken are like water spilled; they can't be taken back. Her brain tensed like a taut string, yet her gaze rested calmly on him, pretending to wait patiently.
Sang Yan raised his eyes and casually pointed to the right corner of his lips.
"What?"
"The position you're pointing to, given our height difference, I should—" Wen Yifan paused for two seconds, unable to say that word, and changed her phrasing, "not be able to reach."
Sang Yan stared at her for a while, then said magnanimously, "Fine, it's okay if you don't admit it."
"…"
Wen Yifan suddenly stood up. "How about this."
Sang Yan looked up.
The next moment, Wen Yifan blurted out, "Why don't we reenact the scene?"
"…"
Sang Yan laughed. "You want to take advantage of me a second time?"
"I won't touch you," Wen Yifan said good-naturedly. "I just think the possibility you mentioned is quite low and want to verify it. So that when you stay here in the future, you'll still feel your safety is guaranteed."
"…"
Wen Yifan looked at him. "Could you stand up for a moment?"
Sang Yan leaned back against the sofa, tilting his head slightly, observing her for a while. He didn't say much, just put his phone aside and stood up, as if compromising.
Their positions were instantly reversed.
Sang Yan was almost a head taller than her; her head barely reached his chin. Following his movement, Wen Yifan's gaze moved from bottom to top, watching as he went from looking down to looking up.
From this angle, it seemed impossible to reach the spot he had mentioned.
"See?" Wen Yifan stared at the corner of his lips, immediately feeling relieved. "I can't possibly reach it, so there must be some misunderstanding... Unless I stood on tiptoe, or you bent down—"
Wen Yifan was speaking as she looked up, meeting his gaze.
Her expression froze slightly, realizing their distance had unknowingly shortened.
The scene stilled.
It seemed as if the man before her might lower his head at any moment, just as she had described.
Wen Yifan averted her gaze, her heart inexplicably quickening. She pressed her lips together, taking a step back, no longer dwelling on the matter. "But that's just my guess."
Sang Yan's eyes were dark, like the endless night outside.
"You indeed have no reason to lie to me. Although this behavior was beyond my control, I still want to apologize to you," Wen Yifan thought for a moment and said sincerely. "If something like this happens again in the future, just punch me directly."
"…"
Wen Yifan held back for a long time, then reminded him, "Protect yourself."
After dropping that string of words, Wen Yifan returned to her room. She closed the door, leaning against it for a while, pondering over what she had just blurted out.
After going through it all and finding no issues, Wen Yifan finally came to her senses and walked inside.
She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the spot Sang Yan had pointed to earlier.
It seemed to be where his dimple was.
"…"
Sigh.
Could it be true?
But she had sleepwalked so many times during her four years in college, and none of her roommates ever mentioned her hugging or kissing people while sleepwalking...
But before.
She indeed.
Liked.
Sang Yan's dimple.
Wen Yifan wasn't so sure anymore.
She felt her brain was like paste, clumping together in lumps, unable to think clearly about anything. After a long while, Wen Yifan suddenly sat up, moved the chair from in front of the dressing table, and placed it in front of the door.
For the next few days, Wen Yifan's first reaction upon waking was to check if the chair was still in its original position. She remained tense for some time until she confirmed there was nothing unusual, and only then did her mind relax.
Although she couldn't prove whether Sang Yan's words were true or false, Wen Yifan always felt as if she had done something wrong. When she saw him, there was always a hint of inexplicable guilt and awkwardness lingering in her heart.
It made Wen Yifan feel that compared to before, there was something strange about interacting with him.
But Sang Yan seemed completely unconcerned, acting as if nothing had happened, his mood showing no signs of change. Because of this, Wen Yifan didn't want to appear too concerned.
She just hoped she wouldn't sleepwalk again, or do the same thing, or even more exaggerated actions.
Time flew by, and the entire month of March passed.
Wen Yifan had arranged time off with the director in advance. On the day of the Qingming Festival, she couldn't sleep well at all, so she found several horror movies and watched them all night. It wasn't until dawn was approaching that she dozily fell asleep.
But after sleeping for less than two hours, she naturally woke up.
Wen Yifan got up to wash, pulled out a black hoodie from her wardrobe, and left her room. She had woken up much earlier than usual, and Sang Yan was probably still asleep. The living room was empty at this time.
Outside was overcast, making the light in the house appear dim.
Wen Yifan had no appetite, only taking a carton of milk from the refrigerator before quickly leaving.
After checking the route, Wen Yifan boarded a nearby bus heading to the cemetery in the suburbs of Nanwu.
On previous occasions, Wen Yifan had always come with Zhao Yuandong, or with her uncle and grandmother. They had driven her directly there, so this was her first time taking public transport herself.
The location was quite far from the city center, with the round trip by bus taking four to five hours.
After getting off the bus, there was still about a kilometer to walk. This area was under construction, with uneven roads. There were no designated parking spaces, so cars were parked haphazardly.
Wen Yifan followed the directions indicated by her phone map.
Upon reaching the cemetery.
Wen Yifan completed a simple registration, then entered the columbarium, walking inward.
The corridor seemed endless, with tall, long rows of cabinets on both sides, housing countless souls of the deceased. Wen Yifan walked silently until she stopped at one of the rows.
She walked in, carefully finding the three characters of Wen Liangzhe's name.
She couldn't remember how much time had passed since her last visit.
Wen Yifan stared at the name for a long while before softly calling out, "Dad."
"…"
"Shuang Jiang is back."
It was a call that would receive no response.
Back then, Wen Yifan always felt she couldn't believe it.
How could a person who was alive just moments ago suddenly become a cold corpse? That tall, strong father, as if under some spell, had been shrunk and placed into this tiny box.
Never to speak again.
She always felt it was a dream.
That everything would be fine when she woke up.
But this nightmare persisted, no matter how much she struggled to wake from it.
Wen Yifan stood there in silence for a long time, saying nothing. At one moment, her eyelids twitched, and she suddenly noticed the dust on the memorial tablet, in stark contrast to the neighboring tablets.
It seemed no one had visited for a long time.
Zhao Yuandong had a new family now, and might only visit once every few years. Grandmother and Uncle's family lived in Beiyu, and probably wouldn't make a special trip just for this.
Wen Liangzhe's smile was etched on the tablet, forever frozen at that moment.
Never to show any emotion again.
Wen Yifan's eyes gradually reddened. She blinked hard, reaching out to carefully wipe away the dust.
She arrived home a bit earlier than her usual work finish time.
Wen Yifan habitually glanced around the living room and second bedroom; Sang Yan didn't seem to be back yet. She withdrew her gaze and headed to the kitchen. She hadn't eaten much all day, and her stomach was uncomfortably empty.
Wen Yifan first cooked some porridge. She rummaged through the fridge and took out some ingredients, planning to make a simple soup to go with the porridge.
Turning on the tap, Wen Yifan peeled and washed a winter melon. She lowered her gaze, picked up the knife, and deftly cut it into neat small cubes. Then she took out a box of fish skin dumplings from the fridge, tearing off two rows to add to the pot.
Just as it was almost done, Sang Yan returned from outside. While taking off his coat, he glanced towards the kitchen, casually asking, "Did you skip work today?"
"There wasn't much to do, so I came back early," Wen Yifan said. "Have you had dinner?"
"Not yet."
"Then let's eat together. I've made plenty," Wen Yifan turned off the stove and brought out the soup. "Though I don't know if porridge will be enough for you in the evening. Do you want to cook something else?"
Sang Yan also entered the kitchen, rolling up his sleeves to bring out the porridge. "Too lazy."
Wen Yifan nodded.
They ate dinner in silence.
As usual, Sang Yan finished first, but he didn't get up to return to the living room, just sat in his place looking at his phone. Wen Yifan finished her porridge at a turtle's pace and stood up. "So, you'll clean up the table?"
Usually, it was Sang Yan who cooked dinner, making extra for her to eat.
Although it sounded like he was doing her a favor, out of a sense of reciprocity for eating his food, Wen Yifan would always help clean up the table. It was quite easy; there was a dishwasher at home, so after clearing the table, there wasn't much else to do.
Sang Yan was very fair. "Sure."
Wen Yifan returned to her room, washed up, and flopped back onto her bed.
Despite having slept less than two hours the night before, Wen Yifan wasn't particularly tired for some reason. After tossing and turning in bed for a while, she gave up struggling, got up, and opened her computer to start writing a news article.
It wasn't until two in the morning that Wen Yifan yawned, rubbing her eyes that could barely stay open.
Just as she was about to go to bed, she remembered something and turned to move the chair to the door.
Blocking her only way out.
At three in the morning.
Sang Yan finished his last game and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of cold water. He unscrewed the cap, taking several gulps, and was about to return to his room when he suddenly heard a noise from outside.
His eyelashes flickered as he walked out.
He saw Wen Yifan coming out of the hallway, seemingly unaware of his presence, her steps not faltering. Her movements were slow, her expression unusually blank, looking as if she was about to collide with the nearby bookshelf.
Sang Yan's brow twitched, and he quickly walked in front of her, extending his hand to block her head.
At the same time, Wen Yifan's forehead bumped into his palm.
The movement stopped.
After a few seconds, Wen Yifan changed direction, walking towards the sofa.
Sang Yan withdrew his hand, continuing to drink water while observing her actions.
Just like last time.
Wen Yifan walked to the sofa and sat down, her gaze blank as she stared into space.
Sang Yan walked over to her, not sitting in his usual spot, but casually dragging over a nearby stool to sit in front of her.
The living room light was still off, and Sang Yan didn't bother to turn it on. Moonlight shone in from outside, combined with the brightly lit hallway, making the room not too dim.
The atmosphere was excessively quiet.
Only occasionally interrupted by the sound of Sang Yan drinking water.
After an unknown amount of time, Wen Yifan's eyes lowered, as if just noticing Sang Yan beside her. She seemed to have no ability to think, just rigidly frozen in place.
In this light and at night, it appeared somewhat eerie.
But Sang Yan found it amusing. "Finally noticed me?"
Wen Yifan didn't make a sound, her eyeballs moving slightly, stopping at the right corner of his lips.
Sang Yan said playfully, "What are you looking at?"
Seeing her gaze unmoved, Sang Yan suddenly remembered he had a dimple in that spot, and was about to suppress his smile. But at the same time, Wen Yifan, who had been sitting motionless on the sofa, suddenly bent forward.
Towards him.
Her movement was still slow but seemed purposeful.
Her gaze remained fixed on the right corner of his lips.
The distance gradually closed.
As if anticipating something, Sang Yan stared directly at her, his Adam's apple slowly bobbing. He didn't make any other moves but also didn't shy away, just staying still.
Like a predator lurking in the shadows.
Yet patient to the extreme, waiting for her to actively, bit by bit, deliver herself to him.
Wen Yifan raised her hand, hovering over his shoulder.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down.
A second felt longer than a year.
Sang Yan lowered his eyes.
He saw those eyebrows and eyes that had haunted his dreams. Her eyelashes were thick like brushes, as if tickling his heart. Her face was bare, her skin so white it was almost transparent.
Like a scene fading away.
In the next instant, as he had anticipated.
Sang Yan felt something touch the right corner of his lips.
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