Qiu Yu had been on edge, like a frightened wildcat, always ready to pull out the handgun tucked at her waist. When she suddenly heard the mention of Chen Ce Bai's name, her tension didn't ease, but instead, she grew more restless. Almost annoyed, she said, "Don't bring him up."
Her words could be interpreted as both "Don't mention him" and "I have grievances with Chen Ce Bai."
Péi Xī, interpreting it as the latter, asked casually, "What happened between you two?"
If it had been a private conversation, Qiu Yu might have confided in Péi Xī. But now, aside from him, there was another presence, a chilling gaze watching her from the shadows.
Qiu Yu could only swallow down her complaints, replying vaguely, "...It's nothing. You already know what my relationship with him is like, don't you?"
Strangely, after she spoke, the prying gaze vanished. It was as if it had never existed.
Qiu Yu instinctively touched the skin on her neck, still feeling the lingering pain. It wasn't her imagination.
Why had it disappeared?
Had the surveillance equipment malfunctioned?
But Qiu Yu had an odd gut feeling—whoever was watching her wasn't using any electronic devices to spy on her.
She couldn't explain why she felt this way, it was as if a rustling sound from the depths of a forest made the white-tailed deer instinctively flee. It was a primal instinct she couldn't ignore.
Her body sensed danger directly from the gaze of the watcher.
But why? How had he done it?
Realizing this didn't ease her tension; if anything, it made her even more uneasy, as though she was being watched by something supernatural, though she knew that couldn't be true.
This was a world with advanced technology; humans had already initiated plans to colonize the Moon and were exploring exoplanets. Many mechanical tasks had been fully entrusted to AI, and scientists were even considering granting AI personalities... Even Christian missionaries were using biotechnological chips for their preaching.
And yet, Qiu Yu felt like she had run into a ghost in broad daylight.
She wouldn't believe it if anyone else said it. She didn't even believe it herself.
While eating without much appetite, Qiu Yu engaged in a half-hearted conversation with Péi Xī. Sensing her lack of enthusiasm, Péi Xī chuckled lightly and fell silent, focusing on his meal. Occasionally, he poured tea for her, handed her a napkin, and always added dishes according to her taste.
Not even her father was as attentive as Péi Xī.
Qiu Yu felt a bit embarrassed. "I... I'm just not in the best state today. Don't feel like talking. When I do, I'll treat you to a meal."
Péi Xī didn't refuse, smiling. "Alright."
After they finished eating, Péi Xī paid the bill and walked her out. As usual, he reached the door first and opened it for her.
It was a normal gesture, a sign of his good upbringing. He would do the same for any woman, even a stranger.
The problem wasn't with the door; the issue was what Qiu Yu saw when it was pushed open. There, not far from them, stood Chen Ce Bai.
He was turned slightly to the side, his tall and straight figure casting a cold, handsome silhouette, drawing the attention of those around him.
This restaurant was located in the city center, frequented by many business elites. Running into a colleague here wasn't unusual.
But this was the first time she had run into Chen Ce Bai here.
He seemed to avoid places with too many "office workers."
Even at biotech conferences, he would leave early to avoid staying too long. When work ended, he would rather guide his subordinates remotely from his living room than stay at the office, collecting overtime pay.
It was clear that he disliked places like these.
So why was he here today?
Qiu Yu was confused, unsure whether to approach him—what if he was meeting someone else? It would be awkward if she walked over and stood there.
She had learned the ways of dealing with Chen Ce Bai—don't be too presumptuous.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to remain still unless he made the first move. She tugged at Péi Xī's sleeve. "Where did you park?"
Péi Xī had already seen her car, a sleek, black sports car with a low chassis and fluid dynamics design. It was available only in the European Union, and fewer than fifty people globally could own one. Qiu Yu's parents were among them.
Péi Xī glanced at Chen Ce Bai with a hint of mockery in his eyes.
If it weren't for the neuro-blocking drug Chen Ce Bai developed, someone like him would never be able to get close to a girl like Qiu Yu.
Péi Xī harbored deep animosity towards Chen Ce Bai.
This resentment wasn't just because Chen Ce Bai had taken away the girl Péi Xī had long admired, but also because of Chen Ce Bai's terrifying intellect.
The biotech field boasted the world's best scientific teams, yet they had been unable to solve the neural diseases caused by chips.
In less than two years, Chen Ce Bai had developed a drug with noticeable blocking effects, successfully identifying the cause of the disease and perfecting a solution.
What was even more critical was that he owned the patent and authorship rights to the drug.
Péi Xī had heard enough about the inner workings of the biotech world to understand that a genius researcher without connections was often a puppet. But Chen Ce Bai had held onto the patent and authorship rights, meaning he not only understood the science but also the corporate politics.
Such intellect and means were terrifying.
Luckily, Qiu Yu and Chen Ce Bai had only a superficial marriage.
Péi Xī believed that if he tried hard enough, he could win her back. He didn't need to do anything underhanded; all he had to do was let her get used to his warmth and consideration. Once she grew accustomed to it, she would unconsciously start comparing him to Chen Ce Bai.
Eventually, she would realize that he, not the emotionless genius, was the better husband for her.
Péi Xī turned his gaze away and smiled faintly. "I came by taxi."
Of course, he had driven himself, but he had parked underground. Qiu Yu didn't like underground parking lots because they were too large and hard to navigate, so she always parked on the street.
Qiu Yu didn't think much of it. "I'll drive you back. We're not far from each other anyway."
"Alright."
Qiu Yu activated her retinal virtual page and found her car keys. The semi-transparent interface made it feel like there was a layer of frosted glass in front of her eyes, so she didn't notice someone approaching. Reflexively, she took a step forward, only to bump into someone.
At the same time, Péi Xī reached out and grabbed her wrist.
She stepped back towards him while apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, I wasn't looking."
The moment she spoke, she realized who the person in front of her was—Chen Ce Bai.
The atmosphere turned even more awkward.
She had accidentally bumped into her own husband, apologized like she would to a stranger, and then backed away towards another man.
Qiu Yu wasn't someone easily embarrassed, but it seemed like every time she felt awkward, it was related to Chen Ce Bai.
She opened her mouth, intending to greet him, but found herself at a loss for words.
What was she supposed to say?
Such a coincidence?
– It was a coincidence, but they were married.
Long time no see?
– They had just seen each other this morning.
Are you here for a meal too?
– He wasn't here for a meal. Could it be that he came to pick her up?
… It was clear that any attempt at casual conversation would only make the atmosphere even more suffocating.
In the thick silence, the first to speak was actually Chen Ce Bai.
He had a naturally low body temperature, which meant he wore a long coat that reached his knees year-round. Today was no exception—he had on a black coat over a crisply ironed white shirt.
Chen Ce Bai didn't look at Pei Xi. Instead, his gaze went straight to Qiu Yu. "Do you have plans later?"
Qiu Yu hesitated. "…No."
Chen Ce Bai didn't respond right away. His eyes flicked coldly and playfully toward Pei Xi, who was still holding Qiu Yu's hand.
Only then did Qiu Yu remember that Pei Xi was still gripping her hand. She quickly tried to pull away, explaining, "I wasn't watching where I was going just now. Pei Xi was just helping me."
But that wasn't Pei Xi's intention. He had seen Chen Ce Bai first—he'd done it on purpose.
He had expected Chen Ce Bai to act as indifferent as always, to ignore the situation entirely. What he hadn't expected was the chill in Chen Ce Bai's gaze—so cold, it made even him feel a jolt of fear.
For a split second, Pei Xi felt as though he was facing a predator—a powerful, territorial beast.
—Return what's mine, or prepare for a fight.
Pei Xi didn't want to admit he was scared.
But he let go.
Chen Ce Bai moved instantly, seizing Qiu Yu's wrist with the precision and speed of a snake striking its prey. His grip on her wrist bone was nearly painful.
But he relaxed quickly—too quickly. The shift in his demeanor was so smooth that by the time Qiu Yu looked up, the eyes behind his glasses were calm, emotionless, unreadable.
"Let's go," Chen Ce Bai said evenly, as if nothing had happened.
Only Pei Xi knew—a quiet battle had just taken place.
Chen Ce Bai had used just a few words to take back the person he loved from right under Pei Xi's hand.
Pei Xi smiled as he watched Qiu Yu say goodbye and leave with Chen Ce Bai. But his eyes had gone dark.
—Chen Ce Bai clearly wasn't as indifferent toward Qiu Yu as he appeared to be.
For some reason, he had to maintain that cold, distant facade.
Pei Xi didn't care why Chen Ce Bai kept his distance. He only hoped he would keep it up long enough…
Long enough for Pei Xi to steal Qiu Yu away.
Qiu Yu had no idea about the undercurrents flowing between the two men. She and Chen Ce Bai walked in silence to the parking space at the curb.
"Unlock it," Chen Ce Bai said in a low, emotionless voice.
It took Qiu Yu a second to react. She unlocked the sports car.
"Do you want to drive, or should I?"
"You drive. I'm a little tired." She opened the passenger door and sat down, covering her forehead with her hand, her voice faint. "Might've overused the chip lately… I've been feeling drained, distracted…"
Before she could finish, a shadow fell across her face.
A cold palm pressed against her forehead, and the damp breath at her ear raised goosebumps on her skin.
Chen Ce Bai leaned over from the driver's side, pulled out his connection cable with one hand, and plugged it into the port behind her ear.
Qiu Yu's mind went blank.
—Chen Ce Bai had just linked to her chip.
What was he doing?
They'd been married for so long… Was he just now discovering the other uses of a shared chip?
But did he have to do it here, on the street?
The car door wasn't even closed!
Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Chen Ce Bai clamped a hand over it, voice cold and commanding:
"Don't talk."
He looked seriously displeased.
She had no idea who had pissed him off.
Realizing he wasn't trying to "share" the chip, Qiu Yu obediently shut her mouth, blinking as she stared into his eyes.
Their faces were inches apart.
But Chen Ce Bai wasn't looking at her—his eyes gleamed with inorganic silver light.
He was reading her bio-monitoring data.
Qiu Yu blinked, confused. Why was he suddenly so concerned about her health?
Normally, a full scan took only a few seconds.
But Chen Ce Bai kept holding her chin, scanning her for over ten minutes.
By the time he finally let go, her lips had dampened his cool, dry hand.
Click.
He pulled out his connection cable.
Ten long minutes. Face to face. Breath mingling. Chip to chip.
It was the first time they'd been this close outside of bed.
Qiu Yu felt a little dazed. "Is something wrong? Did I catch a virus?"
Chen Ce Bai didn't answer.
He took off his thin-rimmed glasses and pressed a hand to his forehead, Adam's apple bobbing slightly. His eyes, hidden under the shadow of his palm, betrayed no emotion.
After a few seconds, he put his glasses back on, gripped the steering wheel, and said hoarsely:
"Use the chip less. Unless necessary, try not to use it at all."
Qiu Yu chuckled. "If I'm remembering right, that's exactly what you told me when we got married. Don't worry, I barely use it. I'll be fine. Besides, even if I did get chip sickness… wouldn't I still have you?"
She tilted her head and lightly brushed a finger through his hair—then froze.
It was slightly damp.
In those ten minutes… he had actually started sweating.
Now she was truly alarmed.
She knew his physiology better than anyone. Chen Ce Bai didn't sweat—even during intense physical activity.
There was no way he was sweating from concern. They weren't that close.
There was only one reason he might sweat like this…
Did she have some kind of terminal illness?
The next second, her wrist was suddenly seized again by Chen Ce Bai.
It was an instinct, like a predator reacting to movement—something fluttered in front of him, and he had to catch it.
Qiu Yu didn't notice the subtle shift.
She was too panicked, staring at him in confusion.
Chen Ce Bai seemed to realize he had overreacted.
He closed his eyes briefly, then gently placed her hand on his knee, his thumb brushing softly over her pulse, as if to soothe her.
The fabric of his trousers was thin, doing nothing to block the chill of his touch. Her fingers curled slightly from the cold.
"Don't be scared, Qiu Yu." He spoke at last. "You're not infected."
He took a deep breath, a dark vein briefly surfacing on his temple. Then he released her hand and massaged the bridge of his nose before turning to face her:
"But remember what I said. Use the chip less. Use independent electronic devices whenever possible. All right?"
It was clearly his first time trying to comfort someone—his tone stiff and awkward.
But when Qiu Yu met his eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
Maybe it was just her imagination—or maybe it was the way anyone in the medical field would look at a patient.
But for a moment, she had the overwhelming feeling…
…that in Chen Ce Bai's eyes, she was the only one that existed.
And that rare, undivided attention—
Was heartbreakingly moving.