One hundred nine.

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Lu Yichen held the phone quietly, listening to her speak. That old woman was giving him instructions as if it were a final farewell, nagging him about precautions after their parting. Did she really think she could just walk away? He wouldn’t beg her to come see him; he had his pride, especially now that their relationship was distant. There was no way he would act spoiled or clingy toward her like before. He was gambling—betting on how much feeling she still had for him.

Xia Yuwei spoke softly over the phone, tears streaming down her face without her realizing. Thinking about never seeing him again, recalling countless memories from the past... The faint, restrained cough from the other end of the line only deepened her sorrow.

“All right. That’s it. Goodbye,” he said gently, then hung up.

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No sooner had he ended the call than the phone rang again. Xia Yuwei quickly held her breath, stopped her tears, and forced her voice to sound normal before answering.

“Hello...”

“Yuwei, I’ve been calling you for a long time, but it was always busy. Looks like my future wife’s phone is a hotline, hard to get through...” On the other end, Ye Lifeng chuckled softly.

“Hmm... I’m so sleepy,” Xia Yuwei said. She had always felt guilty toward Ye Lifeng. Though she had decided today to try to love him, it seemed she still hadn’t succeeded.

“In that case, keep sleeping. Tomorrow morning, I’ll wake you early so you can exercise a bit,” Ye Lifeng said warmly, hearing the weariness in her voice and trusting it without suspicion.

“Mm...” Xia Yuwei hung up.

Having been through so much, how could a young heart bear it all?

Ye Lifeng was so good to her—how could she bear it? Shouldn’t she be grateful for everything?

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Yet, she felt she was no longer herself. If she didn’t go see him, she would suffer from sleeplessness and pain. His illness seemed like an outlet for the torment and restlessness in her heart. That was all.

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Xia Yuwei arrived at Maple Leaf Building, Block B, Unit 1. She remembered it clearly.

She was about to knock when she noticed the door was ajar. Placing her hand on it, she gently tapped; the door opened. How careless—didn’t he even lock the door?

She went inside and turned on the light. The living room was quiet. Everything in the apartment was orderly, clean like a mirror. This was the style of the exacting young master Lu Yichen, who had gone through countless housekeepers because of it.

“Yichen,” she called softly. No response. She stepped further in.

The bedroom door was open. Hesitating for a moment, Xia Yuwei called out again at the entrance, “Yichen.”

“...Hmm...” A faint sound came from inside the bedroom. Remembering how seriously ill he had been last time, Xia Yuwei pushed aside all thoughts and went in. “Are you all right?” She turned on the light and walked over to the bedside.

He lay with his eyes closed. His long lashes fluttered restlessly.

Xia Yuwei sat on the bed and placed her hand on his forehead. Just as she was about to speak, he suddenly pulled her down onto the bed, overwhelming her like a swift gust.

“Yichen!” she cried, struggling. Wasn’t he sick? Didn’t he say he didn’t want to touch her? Didn’t he push her away disdainfully? What was going on now? How could his mind be more inscrutable than a woman’s?!

“You came after all. You still care about me, don’t you?” Lu Yichen held her tightly despite her struggles.

Seeing him so lively and healthy, Xia Yuwei realized she had been deceived. He was far from being unwell. The usually stubborn and straightforward Lu Yichen had also learned to lie and scheme... This was the first time she realized he could be so convincing.

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“You... tricked me...” Xia Yuwei hissed angrily beneath him, breathing hard. Did he not care if she worried? Or was he deliberately trying to make her anxious?

His heated breath brushed her neck, his warm body heat felt through her clothes, reaching every part of her. His scent was fresh, yet alluring. This feeling was both strange and familiar.

“How long has it been since I last held you, old woman... I missed you...” Ignoring her angry questions, he whispered, nibbling and licking her delicate neck, reluctant to let go of her warmth.

“You despicable man...” Xia Yuwei gritted her teeth in anger. Their sudden closeness lacked the fury it should have had.

“...Despicable? I’m the one being ‘forced’...” He lifted his head, meeting her gaze with a sly smile.

Their ambiguous, overwhelming gaze made Xia Yuwei blush deeply.

He was still as domineering as ever, but now with a touch of cunning in his bright eyes, staring straight at her as if he hadn’t seen her for ages. That straightforward look—that was still him, unchanged.

She stared back, dazed. She didn’t want to deny it—it was her heart that led her to find him. She wasn’t so kind to just anyone. Even if she had been deceived, she wasn’t so angry. In fact, she had never been an extreme person, always gentle toward others. But now... what was this? She didn’t hate him; in fact, she felt somewhat comforted! Wasn’t that terrifying?

Lu Yichen, seeing that she wasn’t as angry as he expected but rather a little dreamy, wondered what this reaction meant.

His hand slid from her collarbone under her clothes, touching her smooth shoulder and pressing gently—skin so supple and responsive.

Startled by his bold touch, Xia Yuwei snapped back to awareness and pushed him away angrily. “Get off me, you liar!”