Chapter 47: Looking at Him Carefully

Tang Yu would always lose track of time whenever she worked on test papers. After finishing this English exam, she gently tapped her aching neck with her small fist. Glancing at the clock on her desk, she realized forty minutes had flown by.

She stood up and moved to the study window, parting the blinds with her fingertips to peer outside. A wild wind howled, and the rain not only showed no sign of easing but grew even more ferocious. The young saplings in the neighborhood were bent almost double by the wind, as if they might snap at any moment. Not a single person could be seen out there. Even the commercial street below, usually packed and bustling at this hour, was utterly deserted—not a single car in sight.

Rarely did Liangcheng see such a torrential downpour. From what she could tell, the water pooling by the roadside was already knee-deep. Her brows creased with worry as she suddenly recalled the freshly washed clothes hanging out on the balcony…

Her roommate would never remember to help her bring them in. Instinctively, Tang Yu reached for her phone to contact Wang Qing, hoping to ask her to check if her laundry was still safe, only to remember that Bian Yang had taken her phone.

Adjusting the blinds, she stepped out of the study and looked around—the living room was empty. From the bathroom next door came the sound of running water.

So, he was still showering. It had already been forty minutes. Do boys really take this long to shower? Tang Yu let out a soft sigh, pacing the living room with her head down, wanting to wait for him to come out so she could ask for her phone to make a call.

But five minutes passed and he still wasn’t done. Tang Yu went to the kitchen to boil water, then sat cross-legged on the carpet beneath the low table, cupping a glass of water in her hands as she turned on the television.

The news was reporting on tonight’s storm:

“At present, from 10 to 11 p.m., Liangcheng is experiencing a once-in-a-century heavy rainstorm. The north, west, and southwest are being hit by heavy to torrential rain, with some areas facing exceptionally severe downpours. Due to the combination of intense rainfall and low-pressure systems, mountain rivers in the north have risen sharply, reservoir levels have surged, and floods have formed, destroying some roads. Thirty thousand people in the flood diversion zone need urgent evacuation, with twenty thousand already affected. Rainfall continues... We urge residents to stay indoors during this period to ensure their safety…”

Liangcheng was known for its rain, but nothing like this. Fortunately, her family lived in the city’s southern, higher ground, so her grandparents should be fine. Still, with rain and wind like this, the wheat harvest this year must be…

With that thought, Tang Yu’s delicate brows furrowed once more as she sighed, her worry plain to see. It wasn’t just the wheat at home—even her grandfather’s vegetable patch was probably lost…

When Bian Yang came out of the bathroom drying his hair, he saw her sitting there cross-legged on the carpet, head drooping, a look of deep worry on her face.

Hearing him, Tang Yu instinctively turned her head, and the sight that greeted her made her pupils shrink—a blush instantly spread from the pale skin of her neck to her cheeks. She quickly averted her clear, bright eyes in embarrassment.

He had just finished showering, bare-chested, wearing only a pair of loose, light-grey pajama pants hanging low on his hips. In the lingering steam from the bathroom, drops of water still clung to the defined lines of his body, sliding down in clear rivulets.

One hand slowly towel-dried his hair while the other hung idly at his side, his fingertips long and pale. With his damp, jet-black hair falling over his eyes, he glanced her way with lazy indifference. “Finished your exam?”

His voice was slightly nasal and rough.

Tang Yu didn’t dare look up, clutching her glass and staring fixedly at the television. “Y-yes, I finished.”

“Oh? Then bring it here and let me take a look.”

She heard footsteps behind her.

He seemed to be coming closer. Tang Yu immediately sat bolt upright, her back as stiff as a board.

Bian Yang finished drying his hair and tossed the towel onto the sofa. Seeing her frozen in place, he smirked, “Tang Xiaoyu, aren’t you going to move?”

“Oh, right, I’ll go get it now.”

She set her glass on the low table. Having sat too long, she wobbled a bit as she stood, steadying herself on the table, but a strong hand caught her arm.

His palm was scorching hot.

He was less than half a meter away, and the sharp chill of his presence washed over her without warning.

“What are you doing sitting on the floor? Next time use the sofa—it’s cold on the ground.”

The words fell from above her head.

Tang Yu’s body tensed to the extreme, her face buried deep, heart pounding uncontrollably. She was grateful for the sound of the television—otherwise, Bian Yang might have heard how fast it was beating.

What she didn’t know was that if she looked up at that moment, she would have seen the desire and darkness in Bian Yang’s eyes—too intense to hide.

But with Bian Yang in nothing but pajama pants, she didn’t dare. Her voice was barely audible. “There’s a carpet. It’s not cold…”

“Oh? So you’re immune to the cold now?” His lazy, magnetic voice drew out the last word. “But if you’re so hardy, why is your arm ice-cold? Still want to tell me you’re not lying?”

He tapped her on the head.

Exposed, Tang Yu’s cheeks burned. She tried to pull her arm away; Bian Yang raised an eyebrow and released her.

She hid her arm behind her back, palms clammy with sweat. “I’ll go get the exam paper now.”

Head down, she made to leave.

But Bian Yang caught her by the collar, stopping her. “Tang Xiaoyu, are you afraid to look at me?”

“Huh?” Tang Yu’s lashes quivered, but she tried to sound casual. “No, I’m not.”

Bian Yang let go, smoothing out her collar. “Then turn around and look at me.”

“But I have to get the exam paper…”

“Look up.”

It was almost a command.

Tang Yu swallowed, sneaking a sidelong glance. She caught sight of the smooth lines of his abs, immediately looked away, and her face flushed even redder.

“Tang Xiaoyu, are you seriously shy? Haven’t you seen it before? What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

He bent down, hands on his knees, leaning in to look at her, repeating patiently, “Look up.”

Tang Yu clenched her palms tightly.

Right—she had seen him shirtless before. The first time she came to find Bian Yang, he’d just finished showering too, and hadn’t put on a shirt.

Silently steeling herself a thousand times, she slowly lifted her gaze, meeting his beautiful, deep eyes.

Their eyes met.

At such close range, his dark eyes were like a boundless galaxy, with hooks hidden within, gentle light flickering, drawing her in deeper and deeper.

She saw her own dazed reflection in those eyes. Her fingers tightened; she couldn’t look away.

Only the sound of rain outside broke the silence.

After a few seconds, Bian Yang was the first to look away.

A few more seconds passed. Then he looked down at her, lifted a hand to pinch her cheek. Apparently unsatisfied, he used both hands to knead her face back and forth.

Tang Yu’s delicate brows knitted together. “Bian Yang, what are you doing?!”

She pushed his hands away, covering her cheeks, puffing up angrily at him.

Like a little pufferfish.

Bian Yang chuckled, rubbing the warmth left on his fingertips, the amusement in his eyes lazy and carefree. “Weren’t you going to get the exam paper? Why are you still standing there?”

Tang Yu was speechless—she almost rolled her eyes.

She’d been about to get the paper before he stopped her, and now he was telling her to go get it. She really didn’t know what he was up to!

Fuming, she turned and stormed toward the study. As she reached the door, she heard Bian Yang’s lazy voice from behind, “While you’re at it, grab me a shirt from my bedroom. It’s on the bed. My shirt.”

With that, he flopped onto the sofa, stretching his long legs onto the low table without looking at her, one hand propping up his chin on the sofa arm as he watched the news.

Tang Yu muttered, “Why can’t you get it yourself?”

“Tsk, are you ordering your big brother around now?”

Tang Yu fell silent.

She fetched the exam paper from the study desk, then headed toward his bedroom. At the threshold, her steps faltered in hesitation.

She hadn’t even entered yet but could already sense the same crisp scent that always lingered on Bian Yang—a faint, cold cedar mingled with woodsy notes.

From the corner of his eye, Bian Yang watched her pause, as if locked in fierce inner struggle. Just as he was about to prompt her, she squared her shoulders and walked in.

He smiled slightly, picked up the remote, and switched channels at random, his lips curled the whole while.

She’d kept her head down before, and he knew she was shy, but he just didn’t want to see her always retreating. He wanted her to look at him. Really look at him.

To see him, just as he was.

No more hiding.

That was how it should be.