As the layers of restraint were peeled away, it was like a blooming flower shedding its withered petals, revealing a tender bud within.
Long legs like stems—straight and pale.
Arms like scallions—smooth and glowing.
Straight shoulders, a slender neck—the girl resembled a plum blossom blooming defiantly in the snow.
Standing amidst frost, red tassels scattered like fire.
Xie Dingyuan’s pupils contracted sharply. The next second, as if scalded, he averted his gaze—but his hands didn’t stop moving.
Disinfection, spray cleansing, secondary disinfection, ultraviolet sterilization.
Jiang Fuyue cooperated with his every movement. Only after passing through the buffer zone, when Xie Dingyuan had also removed and properly disposed of his protective gear, were they finally safe.
Inside the sterile room, the two faced each other.
Now that the danger had passed, the delayed awkwardness gradually surfaced.
Xie Dingyuan was doing okay—at least he was still clothed. Jiang Fuyue, on the other hand…
She turned away, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
All that was left visible was a pale, delicate back. Because of her posture, the outlines of her shoulder blades stood out even more.
Xie Dingyuan also turned away at the same time, not daring to look. But that luminous, snow-like image kept flashing through his mind, burning him red-eyed and breathless.
Silence filled the air—one man, one woman, standing with backs to each other.
Xie Dingyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “We still need to stay ten more minutes. You… how are you feeling?”
Jiang Fuyue shivered. “Cold…”
She tried to suppress the trembling, but her voice still betrayed her.
Xie glanced toward the exhaust vent. The turbine was spinning rapidly, spewing out cold air.
This phase was meant to eliminate bacteria and viruses intolerant to low temperatures, just in case.
He began unbuttoning his shirt. Taking it off, he handed it behind him. “Here, put this on.”
Of course, that meant he was now bare-chested.
When she didn’t take it, he furrowed his brow, edged back a bit closer to hand it over.
“Take it. I—”
Suddenly, he froze.
He had touched something warm. In this environment, the only warm thing could be… her skin.
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to!”
Still facing away, he held the shirt behind him.
“Why didn’t you take it?”
Jiang Fuyue stood still, on the verge of tears. It’s not that she didn’t want to take it, but—
“I can’t move.”
“What?!” Xie Dingyuan’s face changed. He immediately turned around and walked to her.
Everything he had tried to ignore earlier now came into painfully sharp focus.
He took a deep breath, draped the shirt over her shoulders, then gently took her right hand, checking from fingers to forearm. “…Do you feel this?”
“No feeling in the fingers. I can feel my arm though.”
“Can you hold your arm up using your bicep without letting it drop?”
She bit her lip. Though cold, her forehead was dotted with sweat. “I’ll try…”
He let go.
Her arm immediately dropped.
“Sorry. I can’t control it.”
He didn’t respond, just began checking the left hand—same steps, same issues.
She cooperated patiently, answering earnestly.
The left side was slightly better—it could at least stay suspended briefly.
Then came the legs. He crouched down. She instinctively shifted away.
Awkwardness with a hint of tension simmered between them.
Xie’s voice was cold. “Good. Your waist still moves.”
Jiang Fuyue clenched her teeth but finally complied. “Is it a bacterial infection?”
“You have no external wounds—unlikely.”
“Then a virus?”
“No. Onset was too rapid. Viruses need time to replicate and overwhelm the immune system.”
She frowned. That only left…
Xie Dingyuan: “Toxic gas.”
She paused. “From when we exited?”
“Mm. A chemical reaction between the spray disinfectant and something else created chlorine gas and another harmful compound.”
“So right now…”
“Luckily you got out quickly. You didn’t inhale too much. Only caused varying degrees of limb paralysis, no neural damage. But ten minutes won’t be enough—we’ll need to stay at least half an hour.”
Jiang Fuyue’s teeth chattered. She was already freezing. Another half hour…
Suddenly, her eyes locked on his bare chest. “Aren’t… aren’t you cold?”
Was he cold?
The air was only getting colder. His pores were tightening like mad.
“No,” he lied calmly.
Jiang Fuyue didn’t call him out—just pulled the shirt tighter around her.
Silence returned.
She stood with her legs close together, pale skin almost gleaming. Her proportions were stunning.
The shirt barely reached the tops of her thighs. At 1.73 meters tall, she was already statuesque. Her feet pressed to the ground, toes curled slightly from tension, revealing the fine bone structure underneath.
Despite her vulnerability, her expression remained clear and composed—reason and calm etched into every line of her face.
Compared to her, Xie Dingyuan was clearly the one losing composure.
His gaze flickered. He couldn’t meet her eyes.
It felt like she was in control—and he was the one flustered and scrambling.
Ten minutes passed.
Jiang Fuyue shut her eyes tightly, then forced them open, exhaling a puff of white breath.
Another five minutes went by. Feeling slowly returned to her limbs. The cold and tingling climbed from her ankles to her thighs, then spread to her abdomen—her body started to shake uncontrollably.
“You okay?” Xie Dingyuan asked.
He stood in the furthest corner, his back still turned—a clear attempt at maintaining distance.
“I’m… okay…” Her voice was hoarse.
After a beat, he said, “Stop pretending. There’s still fifteen minutes. It’s only going to get colder. You won’t make it like this.”
“I will make it,” she gritted out.
Xie Dingyuan frowned hard in the corner. “You’re a girl. You don’t have to be so strong.”
Jiang Fuyue smiled faintly, trying to talk to distract herself. “So what? Collapse on the floor? Cry? Or break the seal and risk releasing whatever’s in here to the outside world?”
“…”
“You see? You can’t even think of a better option,” she sighed. “Persevering is the best path.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you in.”
“My suit tore on the interlock door’s alloy latch. That’s on me.”
She looked at him again. “Are you cold?”
Xie Dingyuan: “…No.”
“Liar.” He gave her his clothes. Of course he was cold.
Jiang Fuyue said, “Studies show that when attention is diverted, the strongest sensations can be ignored. In our case, that could translate to 80% subjective resistance to cold. Want to try?”
“Sure. How do we distract ourselves?”
“Conversation?”
“Okay. What do you want to talk about?”
“Nothing too brainy. Too much thinking burns energy.”
“Alright.”
“How old are you?”
“…”
“That hard to answer?”
“…28.”
“You’re exactly ten years older than me.”
“…You didn’t need to point that out.”
“Your turn to ask.”
He hesitated. “Do you like Zhong Ziang?”
“In what way?”
“Romantically.”
“Not right now.”
“Not right now?” His brows nearly twisted into knots.
“Yeah. Who can predict the future? I don’t now—but that doesn’t mean never.”
“You might like Zhong Ziang?!” His voice spiked.
Jiang Fuyue, ever calm: “Relax. I won’t affect his studies or college entrance exam.”
“…You can’t like him.”
“Why not?” she blinked. “Arranged marriages aren’t really a thing anymore, are they?”
“…You just can’t.”
She didn’t answer.
“Why won’t you promise?”
“No need to.” She wouldn’t swear love or denial to anyone. No one had that right.
He bit his lip, drawing a hard line.
Too bad she couldn’t see it.
Now it was her turn: “What field does your girlfriend research?”
She was genuinely curious. What kind of woman could match a genius like him?
Surely someone interdisciplinary, brilliant in every area.
Xie Dingyuan fell silent.
“If it’s not convenient to say—”
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said slowly, clearly.
