Linjue didn't believe in coincidences.
Especially not when it came to people.
He noticed XinYue long before she noticed him noticing.
Back when the fake dating scandal had started—ridiculous, unnecessary—he could've ignored it. Could've clarified things publicly and moved on.
He didn't.
Because for the first time in a while, something felt interesting.
She hadn't panicked.
Hadn't clung.
Hadn't demanded explanations.
She simply looked at him and said, "We both know it's not real."
Calm. Direct. Unimpressed.
That was new.
Most people either chased attention or ran from it. XinYue did neither. She stood still and let the noise pass.
Linjue respected that.
At first, approaching her again was just curiosity.
Then he saw him.
Li Hanyan.
Quiet. Controlled. Watching everything like it was his responsibility to understand it.
The way his eyes followed XinYue without meaning to.
The way his jaw tightened when Linjue leaned too close.
It didn't take long to figure out what was happening.
Interesting.
Linjue wasn't the type to steal something that wasn't available.
But he was absolutely the type to test the air.
The book fair invitation wasn't random.
He knew she liked quiet places. He'd heard her mention it once in passing.
He also knew Li Hanyan would understand exactly what that meant.
When Li Hanyan stepped in and said, "You don't have to," Linjue almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was revealing.
Possessiveness without confession.
Jealousy without claim.
Dangerous combination.
Later that evening, Linjue leaned against the rooftop railing, phone in hand, staring at the city lights.
Did he like XinYue?
Maybe.
She was calm in a way that steadied rooms.
She didn't perform for anyone.
She didn't need to.
But that wasn't the whole reason he kept showing up.
He showed up because he wanted to see if Li Hanyan would finally move.
Some people needed a push.
Some needed a threat.
And some needed to realize that silence was a decision too.
Linjue typed a message.
> Linjue: Still thinking about Saturday. No pressure. Just thought you'd enjoy it.
He didn't add a smiley face. Didn't soften it.
Simple. Direct.
Across town, Li Hanyan stared at his phone too.
He had seen the notification preview when XinYue glanced at it earlier.
He hadn't meant to notice.
He always noticed.
Linjue exhaled slowly.
He wasn't playing a game.
But he wasn't stepping back either.
If XinYue chose someone, it would be because she wanted to.
Not because someone else was too afraid to speak.
And if Li Hanyan wanted to keep pretending this was just friendship—
Linjue would give him exactly enough pressure to prove otherwise.
---
This just raised the stakes.