Han Pei stopped before things could spiral.
His lips left hers, but his forehead stayed pressed against hers, close enough that Qin Shu could still feel the heat of him. His voice was low, like he was forcing himself to be reasonable.
"Go change. We're running. Now."
Qin Shu was already plotting. A bite to his lip. A little tug. One more kiss.
He shut it down before she even tried.
She blinked at him, caught her breath, then nodded like a good girl.
"Okay."
She turned and went upstairs.
Han Pei stood there for a second like his brain lagged. He watched her disappear into the dressing room, then finally looked away and went back to the sink.
He always thought his self-control was solid.
But just now, if he hadn't had dish soap on his hands… if he'd been holding her properly…
They wouldn't be going for a run tonight.
Because the moment he kissed her, he didn't just want her.
He wanted her like she belonged to him.
Half an hour later, they were downstairs, dressed for the cold. Phones only. No bags.
The second they stepped out of the building, Han Pei reached for her hand.
Qin Shu instantly brightened and started circling him like a playful cat, dragging him left, then right, then left again.
Han Pei squeezed her fingers.
"Walk properly."
She ignored him.
He sighed, amused and helpless. "You're trying to make me dizzy."
"Maybe I want you dizzy."
She said it like a joke, but the way she looked at him made his throat tighten.
They walked further and further away from the residential area. Qin Shu eventually realized the road was wrong.
"This isn't the way to Z University," she said. "Aren't we running on the track?"
Han Pei didn't even pause.
"We're going somewhere else."
Qin Shu stared at him for two seconds, then understood.
Qiu Lan.
Of course.
He didn't want to see her.
Even on Christmas Eve.
That tiny realization tugged something strange in Qin Shu's chest. Not jealousy. Not exactly. More like… pity. For Qiu Lan. For every girl who kept clinging to someone who would never turn around.
And for the version of herself that used to do the same.
Meanwhile, Qiu Lan sat in her car at Z University, staring out at the track like she could summon Han Pei by sheer willpower.
It was already 9:30.
No sign of him.
She had rejected every invitation tonight. Dinner with men she didn't like felt pointless, and she hated leading people on.
Han Pei never let work interfere with his workouts.
Health was his religion.
So why wasn't he here?
Her phone rang.
Yin Yiqiao.
Qiu Lan answered immediately. "What?"
Yin Yiqiao laughed. "Still waiting for your sweetheart?"
Qiu Lan rolled her eyes. "Get lost."
"Are you stalking Han Pei at the track again?"
"What else am I supposed to do?" Qiu Lan snapped. "He's busy during the day. And he hates women using work as an excuse to approach him."
Yin Yiqiao's voice turned wicked. "Then catch him when he's sleeping. You can rest together."
"Yin Yiqiao!"
"I'm serious," Yin Yiqiao said, laughing. "You should ask him out directly. If you don't, you're really going to wait for him to come to you? And you told me yourself—he's not officially with that blind date yet."
Qiu Lan pinched the bridge of her nose.
She didn't dare ask directly.
Because if Han Pei rejected her to her face… she didn't know if she could handle it.
And worse—what if it ruined their future cooperation?
She had pride too.
Chasing a man and winning was fine.
But chasing a man and failing?
That was a lifelong shadow.
Yin Yiqiao sighed. "I'm going to say something mean. He might be having a cozy little night with his blind date right now."
Qiu Lan's heart sank.
She forced herself to laugh. "Why aren't you celebrating with your husband? Why are you calling to torture me?"
"He went back to the company after dinner," Yin Yiqiao said. "A client wanted to discuss something."
Qiu Lan instantly asked, "Male or female?"
Yin Yiqiao laughed harder. "Female."
Qiu Lan groaned. "You have the heart of a saint."
Yin Yiqiao's tone sharpened. "If a man wants to cheat, you can't stop him by watching him. If he dares, I'll make him regret it."
Then she changed the subject. "Guess who I ran into at the restaurant?"
Qiu Lan guessed instantly. "Your ex-husband."
"Bingo," Yin Yiqiao said. "He Jingnan. Having dinner with a woman. Probably a blind date."
Qiu Lan sat up straighter. "He Jingnan is blind dating?"
"Probably."
Yin Yiqiao's voice softened for a second. "I don't feel jealous. I just… feel sorry for him. Men like him are too calm. Too rational. That kind of person is lonely."
Qiu Lan stared at the track again.
Still empty.
Han Pei still didn't come.
On the other side of the city, Qin Shu and Han Pei were walking to another school.
And it was freezing.
The wind cut into Qin Shu's ankles like tiny knives. She stomped her feet, but it didn't help.
She glanced at Han Pei's trench coat like it was a survival blanket.
He noticed immediately.
"What are you looking at?"
Qin Shu sighed. "It's cold."
Han Pei stopped walking.
"Your feet?"
She nodded.
He clicked his tongue. "Who told you not to wear socks?"
Qin Shu squinted. "Are you about to say I deserve it?"
He smiled, the kind that made her want to punch him. "At least you're self-aware."
Qin Shu kicked him without thinking.
Han Pei caught her wrist and pulled her forward. "Come. Sit."
She frowned. "Sitting is cold too."
He ignored her and dragged her to a bench. The second she sat, he crouched in front of her and grabbed her ankle.
"Han Pei—"
He took off her shoe.
Then he lifted his sweatshirt and shoved her feet directly inside, pressing them against his warm lower abdomen.
Qin Shu froze.
Not from cold.
From shock.
His warmth hit her like a wave.
Her toes curled instinctively.
Han Pei's jaw tightened. His body reacted to the icy contact, but he didn't flinch.
"Don't move," he said.
Qin Shu swallowed. "You'll get cold."
"I'm fine."
That was a lie. She saw the tiny shiver he tried to hide.
They stayed like that for a moment, staring at each other in the dark, their breath turning to white mist between them.
Qin Shu suddenly felt… soft.
She hated that feeling. It made her want to protect him.
After a few seconds she whispered, "Let's just run. We'll warm up."
Han Pei didn't move.
"I'm putting socks on you."
"Socks?"
He reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a pair.
Black-and-white striped socks.
Women's socks.
Qin Shu stared. "You… carried socks?"
Han Pei didn't even look up. "Christmas gift."
She blinked hard. "Then why didn't you give it to me earlier?!"
He finally looked up, eyes dark.
"Would you have worn them if you weren't freezing?"
Qin Shu: "…"
Damn.
He pulled the socks up over her trouser legs, almost to her calves. Then he put her shoes back on like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Qin Shu looked at him like she'd discovered a new species.
"You read fashion magazines now?"
"My cousin recommended it."
Qin Shu hummed, then casually asked, "Your cousin is around my age?"
Han Pei stood and tugged her up.
"She's a year younger than you. Law major."
Qin Shu's eyes widened. "Law? That's basically my people."
Han Pei glanced at her. "You studied law?"
"No. Elective. I already passed the bar though."
Han Pei paused mid-step, genuinely surprised. "I thought you were good at science but average at humanities."
Qin Shu grinned smugly. "I'm a professional exam-taker. CFA. FRM. I collect certificates like Pokémon."
She tilted her chin. "Compliment me."
Han Pei laughed, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her right on the eyelids.
"Very impressive."
Qin Shu wrapped her arms around his waist, and for a moment the whole world felt quiet.
They walked slowly after that.
Qin Shu kept holding his hand, sometimes even walking backwards like a child.
Han Pei asked, "You worked two years before grad school just for those certificates?"
Qin Shu nodded. "Some of them require work experience. My brother said it would help for my master's too."
She hesitated, then added more than she planned to.
"He also said… qualifications are secondary. What matters is widening your world. Becoming excellent."
Han Pei listened without interrupting.
Qin Shu laughed softly. "He said the top of the pyramid has levels. If I'm standing on the first floor, I can't reach someone on the ninth."
She reached up and grabbed Han Pei's arm.
"But look. I'm on the seventh now."
"And I can grab you."
Han Pei ruffled her hair. "Those years must've been exhausting."
Qin Shu nodded. "I cried over FRM once. I was studying and cursing my brother at the same time."
Then she grew quiet.
Tomorrow she started work.
And that meant… less time.
"I won't be able to see you as much once I start working," she said.
Han Pei didn't even hesitate.
"We'll still date."
Qin Shu blinked. "You're not busy?"
"I'm busy," Han Pei said calmly. "But I always make time to exercise. I'll wait for you on the track every night at ten."
He paused.
"It doesn't have to be ten. Whenever you're free. But no matter how busy you are, you need an hour. Walk. Run. Anything."
Qin Shu stared at him.
Her heart did something stupid.
"…Okay," she said, forcing her voice to stay casual.
After the run, he escorted her home.
At her door, before she could open it, Han Pei stepped forward and lifted her straight into his arms.
Qin Shu grabbed his neck instantly.
She looked down at him, eyes bright. "Is this your new goodnight ritual?"
Han Pei nodded. "Five minutes."
Qin Shu kissed him immediately, soft at first… then she bit his upper lip gently.
Han Pei's breath turned rough.
In the quiet corridor, the only sound was their tangled breathing.
He held her for three minutes.
She kissed him for three minutes.
They didn't separate once.
Finally, Han Pei put her down.
Qin Shu's arms stayed around his neck. "Five minutes went by fast."
Han Pei's voice was hoarse. "Yeah. That's… about it."
Because if he kept holding her, something bad would happen.
"Go inside," he murmured. "You have to wake up early."
He kissed her eyelid again.
Qin Shu went inside.
Han Pei walked away like a man escaping a fire.
Back home, Han Pei took a cold shower.
Then he went to his study, reached for cigarettes—
And remembered he'd thrown them away.
He stood on the terrace for a while, letting the wind cool him down.
Then he went downstairs.
The Christmas tree lights were still blinking.
The gift boxes still filled the living room.
On the piano, the roses Qin Shu had left behind sat like a reminder.
Han Pei stared for a moment.
Then he took one of his favorite books, placed it on the piano, angled everything perfectly, and took a photo.
Roses. Piano. Book.
A quiet confession.
He uploaded it.
Changed his profile picture.
Changed his cover photo too.
Then he sat back like nothing happened.
But his heart was beating too fast.
The next morning, Qin Shu woke up at six and arrived at Haina Building at seven.
In the parking lot, she ran into Zhao Mandi.
"Qiqi!"
Zhao Mandi rolled down the window, smiling like they hadn't been apart for years.
Qin Shu froze, then broke into a grin. "Sister Mandy?!"
Zhao Mandi nodded. "Yeah. I'm in Hainan too."
Before they could talk more, a car honked behind them.
"I'll park first," Zhao Mandi said. "We'll talk properly later."
Qin Shu watched her drive off… then noticed the car behind her.
And the smile on her lips faded.
He Jingnan.
He got out of the car, calm as ever, and greeted her first.
"Good morning."
Qin Shu gave him a polite nod. "Good morning, Teacher He."
The three walked into the building together.
He Jingnan asked Zhao Mandi, "You two know each other?"
Zhao Mandi smiled. "A long time."
There was a strange silence.
He Jingnan glanced at Qin Shu. "I didn't expect you to pass FRM."
Qin Shu's smile stayed polite. Her tone didn't.
"Nothing is impossible."
Zhao Mandi's eyes flickered. "President He, you know Qin Shu?"
He Jingnan smiled faintly. "She used to be my student."
Zhao Mandi blinked, then said quietly, "No wonder."
They entered the private elevator.
As the doors were closing, someone hurried over.
"Wait—thank you!"
A well-dressed woman stepped inside.
Yin Yiqiao.
Qin Shu recognized her immediately—sharp aura, clean beauty, the kind of woman who looked like she'd never lost an argument in her life.
Yin Yiqiao extended her hand to Qin Shu first.
"Hello. You must be Qin Shu. I'm Yin Yiqiao."
Qin Shu shook her hand. "Hello, President Yin."
He Jingnan watched that exchange silently.
Because Yin Yiqiao never greeted people first unless she wanted something.
When Qin Shu opened WeChat later that morning… Han Pei's new profile picture hit her like a love confession—public, unmistakable, and impossible to ignore.