Fate cannot be escaped.

On summer nights, the clouds sometimes gathered and the wind blew hard enough to wash away half the heat.

The girls had drunk too much, so they took a taxi home.

After Jiang Yuan and Ye Qingqing got into the car, they specifically told the driver not to leave yet, and stayed with Ye Mian by the bridge, waiting for someone.

Ye Mian took out her phone, hesitating over whether to disturb Jiang Chen. It seemed he was out entertaining clients today.

Just as she was thinking perhaps she should forget it and go back with her friends, the door of the bar suddenly opened.

Before Ye Mian could react, Jiang Chen was already standing before her.

Night water and a cool wind drifted in from the river, carrying a chill that was enough to wake a person up.

Jiang Chen rested one hand on the door, his posture loose, his expression faintly indifferent, chin slightly lifted, giving the impression of someone without much feeling.

Yet the moment he saw Ye Mian, the light in his eyes warmed a little, and he looked at the girl with his chin still raised.

"Ye Mian."

Under the pale streetlights, everything within sight was veiled in the haze of night.

His gaze, too, carried a faint tenderness. Perhaps because his features were deep-set and because of the alcohol on his breath, when he looked at someone, there was a power to it, an almost mesmerizing pull.

Ye Mian stared at him in a daze and asked instinctively, "Why did you come out?"

Jiang Chen tilted his head, lifting one brow. His low voice held a quiet gravity. "To see you off."

"You've been drinking. How are you supposed to see me off?" Ye Mian looked up at him seriously. "Drinking and driving is against the law. Drunk driving is a crime."

"Come on. I won't be committing any crimes." Jiang Chen gave a soft laugh and walked past her toward the main road.

There, a black business car was parked with its hazard lights flashing. It looked understated, yet there was an unmistakable air of luxury about it.

Jiang Chen opened the door and stepped aside to motion for her to get in.

Ye Mian glanced inside and only then noticed a driver sitting in the front seat.

She was stunned. So this big shot was already using a chauffeur.

How much had he earned over the years?

He seemed even more formidable than she had imagined.

With a driver there, Ye Mian felt much more at ease. She turned back and waved to her friends not far away, then bent down and got in.

Jiang Chen walked around to the other side, got in, and shut the door.

The two sat side by side, close enough that even the sound of their breathing seemed clearly audible.

The car drove along the riverside avenue. During the ride, Jiang Chen did not look at her, only leaned back faintly against the seat to rest.

With a slight turn of her head, Ye Mian could see the clean line of his jaw and that silver earring.

She could also smell the faint fragrance on him and the scent of liquor.

It was hard to say which was stronger.

Watching the river scenery retreat past them, Ye Mian thought... he really did seem to have come just to take her home. He had not said a single unnecessary word, only wanted her to get back safely.

She trusted Jiang Chen too much as well. They had both drunk a great deal, and yet she still got into the car with him.

It was as if she had already decided that the reckless phrase drunken misconduct would never apply to Jiang Chen.

He was proper and restrained, always measuring himself by lines and distance.

He would not do such a thing, and he would not even deign to do such a thing.

A light breeze slipped in through the crack in the car window. Ye Mian lowered her eyes, a small curve touching the corners of her mouth, and with complete peace of mind, drifted off to sleep.

A few minutes later, Jiang Chen opened his eyes, took the blanket from the back seat, and gently laid it over her bare legs.

Outside the window, a fine rain began to fall, pattering softly, with signs of growing heavier.

Beside his ear, the girl's soft breathing and occasional murmurs drifted around him.

And the small sounds were drowned out by the rain striking the car window.

---

"Ye Mian, we're here."

The cool voice woke her up.

When Ye Mian came to, she first rubbed her throbbing forehead. Just as she was about to get out, she noticed it was raining outside.

After taking in her surroundings, she hesitated for a couple of seconds, then prepared to dash into the rain.

Jiang Chen seemed to know what she was thinking. The moment before she opened the door, he reached out and held her hand.

A cold touch traveled up her arm, and Ye Mian turned back in a daze.

Jiang Chen handed her an umbrella from the side. "Are you going to walk out in the rain without one?"

Ye Mian had not expected him to keep an umbrella in the car. She took it and said softly, "Thank you."

Only after the door opened did she realize the rain was heavier than she had imagined, with water constantly trying to force its way into the car. She barely had time to say goodbye to Jiang Chen before hurrying off.

The downpour beat the green leaves from the branches onto the cold, hard concrete. Puddles filled the road everywhere, and the streetlights hung overhead from straight poles.

On the way back, Ye Mian walked unsteadily, her mind full of Jiang Chen from tonight.

That earring of his was truly beautiful.

As if she had seen it somewhere before.

Her shoes splashed lightly on the ground, sending up tiny sprays of water.

She turned and entered the apartment building, only to find an unexpected person standing in the corridor.

Ye Mian felt she must have drunk too much.

Otherwise, how could she be seeing Ye Qingqing's father, her own paternal uncle, standing in the stairwell and urinating with shocking lack of manners?

She found it absurd beyond belief.

Her uncle had come from humble origins, but he had gone abroad early and accumulated great wealth. He also seemed like a very proper man.

How could he... do something so indecent?

The stairwell was silent, except for the disgusting sound of running water.

Ye Mian tightened her grip on the umbrella, turned, and wanted to leave.

Behind her came the rustle of a zipper being pulled up, followed by her uncle's embarrassed laugh. "Mianmian, you're back."

Ye Mian did not turn around. Holding the umbrella in her hand, she said, "Mm, Uncle."

The favorable impression from their first meeting was gone completely, but he was still her father's closest brother, so she could not exactly make a scene over it.

Perhaps Ye Changlin also felt awkward at being caught by his niece, for he scratched his head and said, "All right, then go upstairs. I was just going to have a cup of tea with your father anyway."

Ye Mian glanced back cautiously. Her uncle was already fully dressed again. Since it was not anything too outrageous, she simply went upstairs with him.

In the stairwell, Ye Mian walked quickly.

Ye Changlin seemed to sniff, then asked with a phlegmy voice, "You've been drinking?"

For some reason, Ye Mian felt a little unwell. "Mm."

"I had a little too, but people our age can really hold their liquor." Ye Changlin muttered to himself. In the darkness, his eyes kept drifting toward his niece's thighs.

Just as they reached the second floor, the voice-activated light in the corridor dimmed.

Ye Mian opened the door to her home, but when she stepped inside, she found the place completely dark.

They must have gone out.

Her heartbeat quickened. Having learned from the earlier incident with Zhong Qian, Ye Mian was deeply afraid of being alone in a room with an unfamiliar man.

She thought of her uncle behind her, turned around, and said, "Uncle, my dad might already be asleep. Why don't you go home first?"

She did not want to be around anyone at all, especially not Ye Changlin after he had had a little to drink.

But Ye Changlin did not leave. Instead, he looked inside suspiciously, then walked in by himself, continuing to mumble, "That doesn't seem right. Why would your father go to bed so early?"

Ye Mian held the doorknob and refused to go in, only saying calmly, "Maybe he's just tired today. You can come back tomorrow."

In the darkness, she heard what seemed to be a bump against the cabinet by the entryway.

Ye Mian lifted her head, and then in the dark she met Ye Changlin's face.