Fighting the urge to look out the window, Cecilia Ye pulled the blanket over her head and reached out to turn off the light.

Downstairs, the man gazed at the window where only a sliver of warm light remained. He simply smiled, lips curving.

Good girl, going to bed so early.

Even though he'd told his grandfather that he would make Cecilia forgive him, Xavier Foster still didn't quite know where to start.

The car window was open, his lean arm draped idly along the edge, a cigarette held between his fingers.

The faint scent of tobacco enveloped him. Only when he was smoking, with something to occupy his hands, did his heart feel even slightly at ease.

It was the only way he could restrain his urge to go upstairs and pull the person he couldn’t stop thinking about into his arms.

...

The next morning, Cecilia Ye was woken once again by a wave of nausea.

She skipped breakfast entirely, washed up, changed, and headed downstairs.

It was Saturday. The art studio had to open early because An Ke and the others needed to practice sketching. Every Saturday, Cecilia Ye had promised to arrange a model for them.

The model was someone she'd known from her time at another studio—a guy in his twenties, well-proportioned. Though not exactly drop-dead handsome, his facial features and bone structure were striking—perfect for students to practice sketching.

She opened up the art studio ahead of time. The air in the garden carried a hint of moisture, and she turned on the hose to water the flowers.

Back in the hall, her phone rang. It was the model calling.

"Miss Ye, I’m so sorry—my car broke down on the road, and I need to deal with the traffic police. I might not make it today. I’m really sorry."

An Ke and Zhou Ya happened to come in, chatting and laughing. It was their first time doing a life drawing here, so the girls were all hyped up.

But it looked like today wouldn't go as planned. Cecilia Ye asked the model a few questions to make sure he was all right—thankfully, he wasn’t hurt—then hung up.

"Good morning, Miss Ye! Where’s the handsome model?" one of the girls called out.

Cecilia Ye looked apologetic. "Sorry, everyone, he had an issue on the road and can’t make it today."

"Oh—" At their age, their emotions showed on their faces, and disappointment was written all over them.

"Cecilia—" A slightly cool voice came from the door.

Cecilia Ye turned to see Xavier Foster standing on the threshold.

The familiar tailoring of his bespoke coat accentuated his tall, upright figure. He was holding two large bags of breakfast—the kind in paper boxes, from the place he used to buy for her all the time.

An Ke’s eyes lit up. She tugged at Zhou Ya and whispered, "Whoa, he really is Miss Ye’s friend—bringing breakfast like this! Don’t tell me he’s actually her suitor?"

Zhou Ya pinched her arm, signaling with a wink not to gossip.

"Have you eaten? I brought some of your favorites."

Xavier Foster didn’t move, as if he wouldn’t step in without her permission. He spoke gently, standing at the entrance.

Cecilia Ye was momentarily at a loss. Several of the younger girls peeked around curiously. It wouldn’t be polite to drive him away right now.

An Ke looked at her changing expression and whispered, "Miss Ye, I haven’t had breakfast either. Can I join in?"

Cecilia Ye gave her a look, then, resignedly, said to Xavier Foster, "Thank you."

With her permission, Xavier Foster entered, a trace of chill still clinging to him from outside. His cold eyes swept over her.

Noticing her slightly pale face, he frowned.

He took two boxes from the bag and put the rest on the refreshment table for the girls.

The girls, giggling quietly, crowded around the table.

Cecilia Ye sat at a small round table by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Xavier Foster set the breakfast boxes in front of her.

"Custard buns and red date soy milk. Eat a little."

He sat across from her. The table was small, his long legs feeling cramped. Patiently, he stuck a straw in the soy milk and handed it to her.

"Careful, it’s hot."

Cecilia Ye accepted the warm drink, hesitated, and finally spoke up. "Xavier Foster, you don’t have to come by all the time."

As she spoke, she turned her eyes toward the window, staring out at the Chinese hibiscus in the garden.

She couldn’t bear to accept such careful kindness from him.

She would rather see Xavier Foster angry, or even furious, than have him gradually creep into her life this way.

It left her conflicted, hesitant, like prey trapped in a spider’s web, layer upon layer, unable to break free.

Her eyelashes fluttered, brushing lightly at Xavier Foster’s heart.

"I’ll keep coming, no matter what you say, Cecilia. I want to be wherever you are."

The man’s cool, handsome features were utterly sincere as he confessed these words with his usual trace of dominance.

Cecilia Ye turned back to look at him, her eyes shining faintly like a startled fawn.

Not wanting to press her, Xavier Foster opened the breakfast box and set it in front of her. "Eat first."

It wasn’t the right moment for this discussion. Cecilia Ye lowered her head and took a custard bun, nibbling at it. Maybe because she’d already gotten sick earlier, it wasn’t as hard to eat now.

After half a bun, she put the rest back in the box and said, a little distant, "I’m full, thank you."

Seeing she’d eaten so little and looked even paler, Xavier Foster became concerned. He reached for her leftover custard bun.

Cecilia Ye watched, cheeks suddenly burning, as he popped her half-eaten bun into his mouth without hesitation. "You—"

He finished the other two in the box as well, calmly tidying up afterward.

A short distance away, the girls observed the two, detecting faint sparks in the air. They looked as if they wanted to rush over and start gossiping right away.

An Ke was the first, running up with a little bun in hand. "Miss Ye, if the model can’t make it, what do we do today?"

Cecilia Ye smiled at her. "We’ll work on color studies today. I’ll reschedule the model for another time."

"Aww, that’s a shame…" The girls looked disappointed, but then An Ke tilted her chin toward Xavier Foster.

"Miss Ye, is this your friend? He’d make a great model for us too! Please, please! I sharpened all my pencils just for today—I’m ready to draw a handsome guy—I mean, a portrait."

Cecilia Ye choked slightly on her soy milk at that.

Xavier Foster immediately handed her a tissue to dab the corner of her mouth.

An Ke, watching from the front row of the peanut gallery,* was internally screaming—what a show of intimacy! (*In online slang, "eating peanuts" means spectating on drama or gossip.)

The room grew a little awkward. Cecilia Ye got up, stepping away from Xavier Foster.

"No—he’s busy, he has work later," she stammered, poorly hiding her discomfort. Lying was never her strong suit; her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to think of an excuse.

Xavier Foster raised his eyebrows at An Ke and the others. "I’m not going to the office today."