A little after five in the evening, the setting sun painted the alleys of eastern Second Ring Road in Kyoto a warm orange.
The black rolls-royce glided to a halt outside the entrance of the crowded courtyard alley.
The moment the engine died, the everyday clamor of the neighborhood rushed in.
The clear ring of bicycle bells, the idle chatter of neighbors, the distant cries of street vendors.
The atmosphere here was completely different from that of the Courtyard House where he lived.
He had only just ended the call when a slender figure emerged from the shadows deep in the alley.
Huang Yuqi walked briskly up to the driver-side window where Jiang Cheng sat.
She bent slightly, tapped the glass with a slim finger, a playful smile even curving her lips.
Hearing the sound, Jiang Cheng turned his head and looked over.
At that glance his pupils shrank involuntarily and his breath hitched.
It was the season when spring warmth still carried a sudden chill.
Huang Yuqi wore only a fitted T-shirt.
Over it she had thrown a loose knit cardigan.
Her movement of bending to knock on the window wasn't large, yet it still loosened her collar a little.
The view inside fell without obstruction into Jiang Cheng's eyes.
In an instant Jiang Cheng resented the privacy tint on this window.
Such beautiful scenery ruined by black glass.
He couldn't tell how fair her skin was… but he hadn't expected Huang Yuqi to favor this style.
Given her personality, shouldn't it be something simple?
Yet the style in front of him resembled Qiu Yihe's.
Hah, do all women love this kind of contrast?
Speaking of Qiu Yihe, Jiang Cheng silently recalled the style from that day in the garden.
Reminiscing, he quickly took out his phone and sent Qiu Yihe a wechat.
Yes, after Jiang Cheng's firm spanking, she had finally admitted her mistake.
And re-added him on wechat.
While pressing the window button, Jiang Cheng sent Qiu Yihe a voice message.
"By the way, I keep forgetting to ask—doesn't that little string feel too tight?"
Seeing the window lower and Jiang Cheng still talking on his phone,
Huang Yuqi swallowed the words on her lips.
She said nothing, quietly maintaining her pose, smiling as she watched Jiang Cheng?
A fresh evening breeze carrying the alley's smoky scent poured in.
It also let Jiang Cheng catch a glimpse of that faint purple.
Damn!
Xu Song really hadn't lied.
Milky-white skin set off by purple underwear was indeed alluring.
Actually, Yu Xiaoxiao and Wang Yuyan often wore similar styles.
But on Huang Yuqi right now it felt completely different.
No deliberate coquetry showed on her face.
Instead she carried a raw, unpolished innocence, like a wildflower blooming quietly in the mountains.
He couldn't help it—he was a good man, born unable to resist pure beauty.
Good-looking was good-looking, though.
Barely two seconds later, the awe on Jiang Cheng's face faded, replaced by unmistakable gloom.
If at this moment Huang Yuqi had been like those green-tea Girls who rushed to pose at luxury-car windows,
Jiang Cheng would have stared without a care.
But setting aside how well he knew Huang Yuqi,
his Mind Perception Skill alone told him this Girl harbored no such thoughts.
This Girl who stayed alone at a remote Hope Primary School in Su Province
might not be ignorant of the world, but her heart was undoubtedly pure.
Jiang Cheng dared say other Girls approached him hoping to climb the social ladder, but Huang Yuqi did not.
He didn't know how to describe her.
Perhaps after too long in the mountains, used to vast nature,
her mind and horizon were larger than he imagined.
So she would never deliberately make such a revealing move in front of him.
Therefore this gesture must be unintentional.
Yet the more innocent it was, the colder Jiang Cheng's face became.
He recalled Huang Yuqi's days in Su Province.
To avoid trouble she had deliberately made herself ugly, smearing ash on her face and wearing the oldest clothes.
But apart from that deliberately dirtied face, her skin was as smooth as jelly.
Don't ask how Jiang Cheng knew.
Wasn't he looking right now?
Yet the smoother her skin, the colder his expression.
"In wild mountains and evil waters come scoundrels"—harsh but true in some places.
Su Province was closed off, its people feudal, their actions rough and unchecked.
Even though he had arranged for the school to be rebuilt and professional security brought in,
how could safety ever be a hundred percent?
Seeing Jiang Cheng's face shift from pleasant surprise to visible gloom, Huang Yuqi was instantly bewildered.
She opened her mouth to ask "What's wrong?" when, the next second, a warm hand suddenly covered her chest.
"Ah!" Startled, she tensed, cheeks flushing scarlet.
At the same time Jiang Cheng's deep voice descended,
stern yet laced with barely noticeable concern.
"Nice view, but this habit needs to change."
As he spoke, his fingertips pressed gently, pulling up her loosened collar to hide what shouldn't be exposed.
The gesture carried an ambiguous hint of presumption.
Yet matched with Jiang Cheng's taut, severe face, Huang Yuqi felt no discomfort; instead she felt she had done something wrong.
Obediently she covered her collar, straightened, head lowered, voice barely a whisper: "Sorry, I understand."
Seeing the timidity in her eyes, Jiang Cheng realized his expression had frightened her.
Relaxing the tight corners of his mouth, he softened his tone: "Is Grandma home?"
"She is. She's been looking forward to your visit since early morning."
Mentioning her grandmother dissolved some of Huang Yuqi's tension; warmth returned to her eyes as she stepped aside and pointed deeper into the alley. "Come on, I'll take you in."
Jiang Cheng nodded, pushed the door open and got out.
He casually lifted the items from the back seat.
"You brought things too? No need—Grandma will definitely feel embarrassed. She talks about you all the time; when she fainted last time, if it weren't for you I wouldn't have known what to do alone in the hospital!"
"It's nothing. I asked the hospital; these are supplements suitable for her—nothing too strong, just right for her condition…"
Seeing how thoughtful Jiang Cheng was, for some reason she found she couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from lifting.