Wen Shuang, I regret it.

“You dance just as well as Xia Anran,” Wen Shuang said, patting Yao Qianqian’s hand. “Dance well, and take her place as soon as you can. I’m heading off now.”

These past few days of nonstop rehearsals had left her perpetually tired and sleepy.

Yao Qianqian smiled in response.

As soon as Wen Shuang stepped out of the theater, she ran into Qin You.

She immediately tried to walk around him.

But Qin You blocked her path, refusing to let her go. “Wen Shuang, how long are you going to keep avoiding me?”

An hour ago, Xia Anran had called Qin You, complaining of a stomachache and asking him to pick her up.

But the only reason Qin You came was to see Wen Shuang! It had been so long since he’d really looked at her, and ever since he’d caught a fleeting glimpse of her a few nights before, she’d haunted his dreams. Memories of the past kept flooding his mind, almost to the point of madness.

“Qin You, get out of my way!” Wen Shuang snapped. He was the reason her family went bankrupt, the reason her father ended up in prison—she would never show him a kind face again in her life. “I don’t want to vomit up everything I ate today just because I have to look at you!”

“Wen Shuang, it’s been so long since we last saw each other. Do you have to speak to me so harshly? I just wanted to see you!” Qin You’s eyes brimmed with longing for her.

He found himself a puzzle. He’d been able to give her up so cleanly before, get engaged to Xia Anran—so why was his mind now filled only with Wen Shuang?

“But I don’t want to see you. Just the sight of you disgusts me!” Wen Shuang answered coldly. “Your fiancée is still inside with an upset stomach, waiting anxiously for you. I suggest you get back in there!”

Yet Qin You wouldn’t budge. He even reached out, trying to grab her sleeve. “Shuangshuang, please give me another chance. I truly... still have you in my heart!”

“Qin You, stop humiliating yourself! This isn’t love—you’re just unwilling to let go!” Wen Shuang ruthlessly tore through his façade. “You just want every woman in the world to revolve around you. When you see that I’m unmoved by your relationship with Xia Anran, you become resentful and try every trick to disgust me. Let me tell you, whatever we had ended long ago. The moment you climbed into bed with Xia Anran, it was over forever!”

Still, Qin You wouldn’t let go.

Xia Anran shouted, “Brother Qin, what are you doing?!”

Xia Hanyan also frowned in Qin You’s direction as the two of them emerged from the theater.

Qin You panicked and hurried to explain, “Miss Wen almost slipped on the steps just now, so I helped her. Ranran, don’t misunderstand. The only one in my heart is you.”

Bent over in pain, supported by Xia Hanyan, Xia Anran’s face was deathly pale, but her words were as sharp and venomous as ever. “Wen Shuang, why are you still pestering my Brother Qin? Don’t you have any shame?”

Wen Shuang could only shake her head in speechless disbelief. “Xia Anran, do you think I’m a garbage dump? Am I supposed to take in every piece of trash? Only a fool like you would treasure a man like him!”

Clutching her stomach, Xia Anran spat, “You bitch!”

No sooner had she cursed than a fresh wave of excruciating pain twisted her insides, forcing her to crouch down in agony. Wen Shuang, seeing her like this, felt completely satisfied.

“Xia Anran, if your stomach hurts, you should talk less. You can’t let everything out of your mouth, after all.”

Xia Anran wanted to snap back, but the pain was so intense she couldn’t utter a word.

Wen Shuang departed, feeling thoroughly pleased.

Xia Hanyan unconsciously watched that retreating figure for a moment before helping Xia Anran up. “We need to get you to the hospital, now!”

Qin You caught a frosty look from Xia Hanyan. Sensing the chill in his gaze, he immediately hurried over, scooped Xia Anran into his arms, and soothed, “Hang in there, sweetheart. Your brother and I will take you to the hospital right away.”

...

Ji Shen video-called Wen Shuang.

The moment the call connected, he demanded she bring the camera closer so he could see how her injury was healing.

Wen Shuang leaned in, showing him her face. Sure enough, it was as fair and lovely as ever.

“I thought you were going to the hospital after rehearsal. Why didn’t you listen?” Ji Shen still sounded displeased.

“Xia Anran went to the hospital too. I didn’t want to run into her,” Wen Shuang pouted adorably.

The man on the screen, dressed in black casual clothes, raised his brows. “She went too?”

Wen Shuang recounted everything that had happened that day to Ji Shen. When she got to the part where Xia Anran was in so much pain she needed help just to walk, Wen Shuang couldn’t help but smile.

But Ji Shen was focused on something else. “She actually put nails in your dance shoes? How vicious!”

Thinking about it now, Wen Shuang still felt a chill. If she hadn’t had the habit of checking her things beforehand, she would have been the one unable to perform on stage.

“But I got back at her,” Wen Shuang added. “Officer Ji, you’re not going to arrest me, are you?”

After all, he was a police officer.

Ji Shen replied, “Objectively speaking, what you did wasn’t right. But emotionally, I support your eye-for-an-eye approach.”

Wen Shuang let out a sigh of relief. “Then let’s keep it down! Otherwise, if both of us get arrested, that wouldn’t be good.”

Ji Shen couldn’t help but laugh.

She noticed he wasn’t in his room this time. The space behind him was pitch dark.

Ji Shen explained, “This suspect is hard to catch—very alert, always on the move. So we haven’t been staying at hotels. We’re taking turns keeping watch in the car.”

Wen Shuang saw the faint shadows under his eyes, the red veins, the exhaustion etched on his handsome face. It was clear he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time.

“Brother Shen, take care of yourself. Don’t catch a cold!”

This time, Ji Shen was up north, where it was much colder than the south—Wen Shuang had checked.

Ji Shen smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself. But what about you, Shuangshuang? Haven’t you been eating properly? Your chin looks thinner.”

Wen Shuang belatedly reached up to touch her face. “...Does it?”

But she really hadn’t been eating regularly lately because of all the rehearsals. She was so busy she barely had time for meals.

“Yes.” Ji Shen gazed at her intently. Even through the screen, Wen Shuang couldn’t help but shiver under the weight of his stare. “It’s because you’re not here with me that I’ve lost my appetite,” she teased.

Ji Shen suddenly laughed. “It’s the same for me—I can’t sleep, thinking about you day and night.”

His words were tender and moving.

Wen Shuang blushed ever so slightly.

But she was never one to hide her feelings. Meeting his gaze boldly, she said, “Me too.”

Ji Shen replied, “I wish I could come back and see you soon, Miss Wen. Life out here is just too exhausting.”

In that moment, they were just like any couple deeply in love. If Ji Shen hadn’t been called away again by duty, Wen Shuang suspected their call would have lasted all night.

“Brother Shen, when will you come back?”