Chapter 7: Don't Touch Me

The moment Lin Xi saw Qin Yu, she felt utterly unwell. Her irritation was written plainly between her brows. "Did you two plan this together?"

At this point, if anyone claimed Cheng Si wasn't being deliberate, she wouldn't believe it for a second.

Qin Yu pushed open the car door, his long legs stepping out as he rose. "He asked in the group chat if anyone was free, and I happened to have time."

Perhaps to help her move, he had changed his car for the day and even brought his assistant with him. The assistant gave her a nod and a smile, stepping forward to take her suitcase.

Before Lin Xi could say a word, her vision was suddenly blocked by Qin Yu's figure, casting a shadow over her. He drew close unexpectedly, making her instinctively hold her breath. As she realized what was happening, a faint scent of perfume drifted into her nose—not a man's cologne, but a rose fragrance women would like.

But it wasn't hers...

Qin Yu had always been discreet in his private life, never intimate with women. With his current attire, it was obvious he hadn't come from home. For him to carry another woman's scent...

She couldn't quite name the feeling that washed over her. She stepped back, wanting to put distance between them. There were stairs behind her—Qin Yu, afraid she might fall, reached out to steady her.

His fingertips were cool as they sought to clasp her delicate wrist over the smooth beads of her bracelet. Before he could tighten his grip, Lin Xi, panic-stricken, shook off his hand. "Don't touch me!"

Her movement was so abrupt that the bracelet flew off her wrist, landing heavily on the ground.

Qin Yu's expression darkened instantly. Ignoring her resistance, he grabbed her arm with one hand, the other slipping around her waist to pull her forcefully into his embrace.

She had lost her balance and was falling backward, but now she tumbled straight into him.

"You—"

He released her hand, his large palm sliding up to grip her face, thumb and forefinger pinning her chin, forcing her to look straight at him.

He tore off the mask of politeness he'd worn these past days, his voice suddenly harsh. "What are you playing at, hmm?"

Lin Xi glared at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, lips pressed tightly together.

"Years apart, and your temper has certainly grown," he chided, but his tone quickly softened. "You're always so well-behaved with Cheng Si and the others, but with me, you make an exception and bully only me?"

She fell silent.

How had she never realized before how shameless Qin Yu could be? He had once trampled on her sincerity, and now he turned the tables as if she were the one at fault.

Who was bullying whom here, really?

Lin Xi didn't want to engage with him, shoving at his shoulder.

But the man didn't budge. The hand at her waist tightened imperceptibly. "Say something."

"Who in the capital would dare bully Third Brother?" Lin Xi forced a smile, nearly gritting her teeth as she spoke.

"I'd say you're bold enough."

"That's hardly fair, Third Brother. Whenever I see you, I can't get away fast enough!" That much, at least, was true.

Her words provoked a cold glint in Qin Yu's eyes, a dangerous aura radiating from him. His thumb pressed harder against her lower lip, leaving a reddened mark.

"Qin Yu!" she snapped, calling him by his full name.

Confronted with her fury, the chill in his eyes melted away, his lips curving into a slow smile. "Not calling me Third Brother anymore?"

Lin Xi was momentarily stunned.

During that period when she had lost her voice, it had been Qin Yu who stayed by her, trying to coax her to speak again. At first, he only taught her two words—his name.

Each time, she'd stumble through the syllables with him.

Normally, the younger ones in their circle, if close, would call him Third Brother. Those less familiar addressed him as Mr. Qin or Young Master Qin. Given his family background, he was practically royalty in the capital. Other than close elders, no one dared call him by his given name.

But back then, she seemed to have a special privilege, a favored exception. Every time she called his name, he would smile instead of frowning, praise her voice, and even reward her with a small gift.

For reasons she couldn't explain, Lin Xi's nose stung with sudden emotion, her voice trembling. "Let go of me first!"

Afraid to make her cry, Qin Yu released her obediently.

Freed, Lin Xi immediately put distance between them. This time, Qin Yu didn't seem angry. He simply turned and walked to the other side.

He was tall and lean, his narrow waist accentuating his graceful figure—a mere glimpse of his back was enough to make countless women swoon. Lin Xi's gaze followed him, wary, until she saw him pause, bend down, and pick up the bracelet from the ground.

She quickly lowered her head.

Today, she wore a long dress with puffed sleeves, but her wrists were so slender that the cuffs kept sliding down, revealing a stretch of pale forearm. Now her wrist was bare—the precious agarwood bracelet gone.

She hadn't even noticed when she lost it; her attention had been fixed on Qin Yu just moments before. Glancing up, she saw that on Qin Yu's left wrist hung a bracelet that looked identical to hers.

No one else would notice, but Lin Xi knew—the one on Qin Yu's wrist now was merely a replacement. The original, the true one, was the bracelet she had just dropped.

That bracelet had its own story. Qin Yu had worn it since his teenage years, never taking it off. She'd heard it was specially sought out by his grandfather when Qin Yu was born sickly, even blessed by a temple.

Traditionally, it shouldn't be given away, until that year—

At dusk, outside the school gates, Qin Yu sat in the driver's seat, leaning over to adjust her hearing aid.

"What are you staring at?"

She'd been lost in thought, gazing at his bracelet, until he gently tapped her forehead. Looking up, she saw him shake his wrist. "This one?"

He moved closer, the scent of agarwood filling her senses. Every time she smelled it, she calmed, her mood lifting.

She nodded at him eagerly.

Seeing how much she liked the bracelet, Qin Yu met her eyes at her level, coaxing softly, "Did you forget what I taught you?"

"If Xixi wants something, you have to say it out loud."

"As long as you say it, you can have anything."

She hesitated, but he was patient, just waiting.

She didn't know how long she took, but finally, she got her wish. Qin Yu lowered his eyes, smiling as he took off the bracelet, slipped it onto her wrist, and held her hand.

"With this, I believe you'll get better soon."

"Mm!"

Later, when she learned the story behind the bracelet, she regretted it and tried to return it. He hadn't looked pleased at all. "It's not so serious. You're not old—why are you always overthinking things?"

"I gave it to you, so it's yours. Keep it safe. Don't lose it."

—

Across from her, Qin Yu had already straightened and was slowly walking back, carefully wiping the bracelet with a handkerchief.

When Lin Xi came to her senses, she saw him take her hand, returning the bracelet to her wrist. His voice overlapped perfectly with the one from her memories:

"Keep it safe. Don't lose it again."