The next time Qin Tang met Zhang Heyear, it was in Beicheng.

Due to her work, Qin Tang needed to stay in Beicheng for one year.

October in Beicheng was bitterly cold. She arrived late in the evening, around ten o'clock. She had not been at the airport for long when Zhang Heyear called her, asking where she was.

"At exit A."

"Wait there, I'll be there soon."

Before long, Qin Tang saw a man walking towards her from a distance. He was tall and erect, donned in a training suit. He seemed more reserved and matured; had a neat short hair, well-defined facial features, a firm jawline, rarely spoke or laughed, a face that was easily recognizable. What stood out especially were his eyes, under the calm façade, there was a distance that made people keep their distance.

Qin Tang's heart couldn't help but tighten. To say that she wasn't nervous seeing Zhang Heyear after such a long time was a lie.

The man's gaze fell steadily on her, and his deep magnetic voice sounded, "Have you been waiting long?"

Qin Tang answered, her face as usual, but her heart in disarray, "No, just arrived."

It was already past ten at night. In Beicheng, the temperature difference between day and night was large. She wasn’t dressed heavily, her small face was red from the cold, her eyes moist, she looked innocently pure.

Zhang Heyear looked at her fixedly, his eyes dark and calm, yet oppressively intimidating, "Let's go."

He took her suitcase and started to walk away.

Qin Tang followed, “Sorry for troubling you to come to pick me up.”

"No need."

Once they get into the car and the heater was turned on, it was finally a bit warmer. Still, Qin Tang felt uncomfortable, her back stiff, and both of her hands rested correctly on her knees.

Zhang Heyear immediately started the car and left the airport.

She had just arrived tonight and planned to stay at a hotel first and report to the hospital the next day.

After driving for a while, Zhang Heyear asked, "Are you going to stay in Beicheng for a year?"

"Yes."

"Have you arranged a place to live?"

"I'll stay at a hotel first, and the hospital will assign a dormitory afterwards."

Zhang Heyear's hand on the steering wheel paused slightly, saying, "I have an apartment in the city center. I rarely go back. You can live there."

Instinctively, she didn't want to live in his place and politely declined, "No need to bother..."

Zhang Heyear glanced at the rearview mirror, his tone inflexible and assertive, "The apartment is not far from the hospital you'll be working at. It's a ten-minute walk."

Qin Tang twisted her fingers uncomfortably, "Really, no need, I..."

He cut her off, "Your family asked me to take care of you."

What he meant was that he was helping her because of her family and there was no other relationship involved.

Indeed, their current relationship was that of an elder and a junior. Qin Tang bit her lip. Instinctively, she wanted to keep her distance. Had it not been for her family arranging for Zhang Heyear to pick her up, she would not have told him about her arrival in Beicheng. She then said, "What if your girlfriend comes... it wouldn't be convenient for me to live there."

She remembered correctly, Zhang Heyear did have a girlfriend.

Zhang Heyear said, "Who told you that?"

Qin Tang said, "No, no one told me anything."

Zhang HENian paused for a moment, his tone slightly sinking: "Rest assured, you can comfortably stay here."

Qin Tang replied, "Then may I pay the rent and utilities every month? Would that be okay?"

They weren't exactly a real family, and there was no blood relation. She felt uncomfortable taking advantage of him.

"Qin Tang." His voice suddenly intensified as he called out her name, as if those two syllables were heavily beating on her heart. Her pulse erratically pulsed for a few beats. His voice was slightly deep, "Since when have you been so formal with me?"

Her heart clenched, and subconsciously, she wanted to hide. But in the end, she merely parted her lips and did not utter a word.

Fortunately, he didn’t say anything else, only concentrating on driving. His hand rested on the steering wheel, with the blue veins on the back of his hand distinctly visible, his forearm lines tight and slender, his wristwatch shielding a hint of strength. After a while, he asked her, "Are you hungry?"

She replied, "No, I already ate on the airplane."

He didn't say anything further, and silence accompanied them for the remaining journey, until they reached their destination an hour later.

The house was a duplex type with three bedrooms and a living room. There was a heating system installed. The space was spacious, clean, and tidy. The decorations revolved around cool tones of black, white, and gray, which perfectly matched his usual style.

Zhang HENian carried her suitcase upstairs. Then, when he came back down, he said to her, "You can live in the room upstairs. Auntie will come over irregularly to clean, and there’s a spare key hanging on the wall. If you need anything, you can tell me."

She stiffly responded, maintaining politeness and formality: "Thank you. I think I have everything I need."

Zhang HENian's gaze held an ink-like depth, harboring an aggressive subtlety beneath his calm facade. He exited, "Rest early, I will go first."

Qin Tang said, "Um, take care."

The door clicked shut. Shortly after, her friend Zhuo An called her and asked, "Have you arrived? Are you settled in?"

"All settled."

Zhuo An asked, "Did He Nian come pick you up?"

"How did you know?"

"Of course, he contacted me and asked about you. I figured you're going to be in Northern City for two years anyway, and He Nian is also in Northern City. In case you ever need his help, I told him about it."

Qin Tang's heart jittered, paused for a moment, "Never talk about me to him from now on. Don't say anything."

"What's wrong? Don't like him?"

Qin Tang's heart clenched, "Don't ask any more..."

"Alright, I won't ask." Zhuo An suddenly remembered something, "By the way, has Zhou Kaiyue contacted you?"

When Zhou Kaiyue's name was mentioned, Qin Tang didn't have much of a reaction, "No."

Zhuo An tentatively asked, "So did you really break up with Zhou Kaiyue?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

She had one reason, that Zhou Kaiyue didn't take her seriously.

Three months ago, on Zhou Kaiyue's birthday, she had carefully prepared a birthday gift and was ready to give it to him at their gathering. Before she even entered the private room, she heard one of his friends ask him,

"When are you planning to marry Qin Tang? She's been spoiling you for so long. It should be soon, right?"

Zhou Kaiyue retorted, "Just because she's throwing herself at me, I should accept? She doesn't even consider her status."

"What a cold-hearted dude you are, Yue Bro."

While his pals were playfully teasing, Zhou Kaiyue remained nonchalant and said, "Women who are overly active are cheap."

"Exactly, women should preserve a bit of self-respect."

That night, she abandoned the gifts, sent Zhou Kaiyue a breakup message on WeChat, removed him from her contacts, and never contacted him again.

Before she deleted their chat, the record still showed her wishing him a happy birthday, smooth work, and all success in his will.

There were no responses, not a single one.

At this moment, the door abruptly sounded. The noise of unlocking startled Qin Tang. She subconsciously glanced back and saw that Zhang Heyan had returned.

It seemed like she was caught red-handed doing something wrong, and she panicked and hung up the phone.

Had he heard what she just said?

The sound insulation of this house can’t be that bad, right...

Zhang Heyan's face was as usual, his brows cool, "I'm back to get something."

"Okay."

She regained her composure quickly, but her eyes gave away her anxiety.

Zhang Heyan didn't expose her, he went into the room, and by the time he stepped out, Qin Tang was still standing there, her hands behind her back, leaning against the wall. She was noticeably uncomfortable.

Zhang Henian's gaze was heavy as he spoke, "You can call me if there's anything."

Qin Tang lowered her eyes, not willing to meet his gaze, "Okay, alright."

His attitude was like that of an elder towards a junior, nothing more.

Qin Tang, on the other hand, acted as if she was unfamiliar and afraid of him.

Zhang Henian didn't say anything else, he retracted his gaze, opened the door, and left.

After closing the door, he stood in the corridor for a moment, lit a cigarette, and took gradual puffs. The creamy white smoke he exhaled quickly dissipated into thin air. He had heard everything Qin Tang had said on the phone just now. As expected, she clearly had no liking for him currently.

Not just disliking, but also trying to draw a clear boundary.