How did it end up like this?

He Yunqing pushed Jiang Yao's wheelchair over to his car.

Jiang Yao stared blankly at the open car door in front of her.

Without a word, He Yunqing deftly picked Jiang Yao up, bundled her into the passenger seat, and then stowed the wheelchair in the back.

Over the past two years, he must have lifted Jin Nana like this countless times, which explained why his movements were so practiced.

He Yunqing started the engine and asked casually, "How did you end up like this?"

"What?"

He Yunqing cast a casual, sideways glance at her legs. "Your legs."

"Oh, it's just a sprain. They'll be fine after a few days of rest." Jiang Yao absentmindedly rubbed her thighs.

Strictly maintaining the boundary between them, He Yunqing asked no further questions.

In the narrow, confined space, the silence between the two made the atmosphere even more peculiar.

"These past two years..."

They both spoke at the exact same time, only to trail off halfway through.

Jiang Yao bit her lip and said somewhat unnaturally, "Congratulations, you two."

"Hmm?"

"You and Nana." Jiang Yao forced a faint smile at the corners of her mouth.

Affection was the one thing least able to withstand the test of time, especially in the face of passage.

Two years were enough to dilute everything.

Recalling the look in He Yunqing's eyes when he gazed at Jin Nana during Elder Jin's birthday banquet earlier, Jiang Yao didn't feel a stabbing pain, just a recurring wave of sour bitterness.

He Yunqing nodded politely and distantly. "And you? Have you and Cheng Yanchi... gotten married?"

Jiang Yao smiled and waved a hand. "Goodness, no. His career comes first right now; he's coaching abroad and hasn't come back yet."

He Yunqing nodded knowingly and smoothly spun the steering wheel with effortless grace. "Why did you block me?"

Jiang Yao's mouth opened slightly. Being asked this question face-to-face was truly rather awkward.

"Uh..."

He Yunqing glanced sideways at her hesitant expression, a triumphant smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I had to ask Ye Yiyi to get your new address."

Jiang Yao found herself lost in thought as she gazed at that faint smile on He Yunqing's face.

After two years, she was finally seeing him smile again.

"Is there something on my face?" the man asked calmly. "How long do you plan on staring like that?"

Jiang Yao snapped back to reality, feeling even more awkward. "I'm sorry, I was spacing out."

"What were you thinking about?"

Faced with He Yunqing's persistent questioning, Jiang Yao scratched her head and half-jokingly replied, "I was thinking about what a traitor Ye Yiyi is."

The car drove smoothly along the damp road for about an hour before finally arriving at the apartment complex where Jiang Yao lived.

He Yunqing picked Jiang Yao up from the car once more, carried her all the way up in the elevator, and finally arrived at her front door.

Jiang Yao gently wrapped her arms around He Yunqing's neck and silently lowered her head.

The man still carried that faint, cool scent of pine.

A scent that was so proud, aloof, yet refreshing to the soul.

At the front door, Jiang Yao reached out to punch in the door lock's password, and He Yunqing very tactfully turned his head aside.

Only after the door clicked open did he turn back, pick Jiang Yao up inside, and set her down on a chair.

"Thank you. I must be heavy, right?" Jiang Yao said apologetically.

He Yunqing didn't seem to mind at all. "You're indeed a bit heavier than before."

Jiang Yao silently clenched her fists. At this moment, the two of them were no longer suited to reminisce about the past.

He Yunqing retrieved Jiang Yao's phone from his pocket and gently placed it on the nearby table. "It's a good thing I found your phone. If it had been anyone else, you wouldn't have been so lucky."

Jiang Yao remained unimpressed. "Anyone attending Uncle Jin's birthday banquet is a person of standing. Who would steal a phone like mine?"

He Yunqing nodded. "I'll go get your wheelchair from the car."

No sooner had the man stepped out of the room than the phone on the table began to ring.

From a distance, Ye Yiyi's name could be seen flashing persistently across the screen.

Jiang Yao reached out a hand, trying to grab the phone—and failed.

She leaned forward further, attempting to reach the phone again—and failed once more.

On the third try, she stretched a bit too far. Just as her fingertips were about to brush the device, the chair she was sitting on tilted sideways.

The chair toppled over, and Jiang Yao tumbled down onto the floor with it.

He Yunqing's footsteps could be heard approaching.

Anxious, Jiang Yao propped herself up on the floor with her hands, trying to climb back up.

The result was self-evident—failure after failure.

"Jiang Yao, why are you so useless!" She bit her lip hard and struck her own legs twice with her fist.

When He Yunqing walked back in, he was greeted by the pathetic sight of Jiang Yao sprawled on the floor, struggling desperately to get up.

The man immediately tossed the wheelchair aside, covered the distance in two strides, and scooped Jiang Yao up, placing her back onto the chair.

Jiang Yao was so mortified for He Yunqing to see her in this state that she lowered her head deeper and deeper, as if she wanted to sink right into the floorboards.

He Yunqing glanced at Jiang Yao and answered the call from Ye Yiyi on the table.

"Hello."

"How is it? Did you find A-yao?"

"Found her," He Yunqing said, keeping his eyes on Jiang Yao as he held the phone. "I've brought her home, but she got caught in the rain."

Ye Yiyi let out a long sigh of relief. "That's good. I'll get back as fast as I can. You have no idea what she's currently—"

"Ye Yiyi!" Jiang Yao suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs, cutting Ye Yiyi off.

Realizing she had nearly let something slip, Ye Yiyi abruptly changed her tune. "Anyway, thank you. If you still have time, could you wait until I get back before leaving? A-yao might need someone to take care of her right now."

"Hmm." He Yunqing gave a muted acknowledgment and hung up the phone.

His gaze shifted back to Jiang Yao.

Like a child caught doing something wrong, Jiang Yao lowered her head once again.

"What kind of sprain is so severe that it leaves you sprawled on the floor unable to get up?" A sharp gleam flickered in the man's eyes.

The earlier humiliation had already left Jiang Yao feeling rather mortified, and under He Yunqing's such direct questioning, her mind went blank for two seconds before she forced herself to brace up and reply.

"Well, obviously it's a pretty severe sprain. I accidentally fell down the stairs."

Wise as He Yunqing was, he could naturally tell she was blatantly lying.

The man's piercing gaze slowly swept over her, but he pressed the matter no further.

"Where are the towels? You're soaked through; if you don't dry off quickly, you'll catch a cold."

Jiang Yao pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

Before long, He Yunqing emerged carrying a large, soft towel and handed it to Jiang Yao.

Jiang Yao gave herself a careless, frantic rub-down. When it came to her legs, restricted by her immobility, the effort was even more perfunctory.

Unable to watch any longer, He Yunqing took the towel from Jiang Yao's hands.

With a motion akin to lifting her entirely, he hoisted her up and began wiping the water from her body.

Strangely enough, even with such intimate actions, the man's movements did not feel coarse at all, but rather meticulous and gentle.