That night, Lu Xingyan was in her room. She had a hard time falling asleep. She turned left and right, hoping that she could find a comfortable position but to no avail. She sat up and heaved out a heavy sigh. She was not a child anymore. She couldn't just knock on her father's door and request to sleep in his room. She didn't want to trouble him anymore.

  Maybe walking around the place would help?

  She got off the bed and walked towards the door, slowly opening it.

  The mansion she was staying at belonged to Han Xukun. The hallway was quiet and only dim lights coming from the side lamps lighted the way.

  She was introduced earlier to everyone so it would be fine if she walked around for a bit, right?

  Lu Xingyan decided to head to the garden that she saw through her balcony earlier. She walked slowly and quietly, admiring the paintings of the wall.

  "Why are you still awake?"

  She was startled by the voice she heard, making her jump back a bit. She turned her head to the silver-haired man who was standing by the stairs. She wasn't able to notice him since she was distracted by the paintings.

  "I…… couldn't sleep," she answered honestly. "So…… I thought of taking a walk by the garden."

  Han Xukun's gaze softened up. He walked towards her, he took off his coat and placed it on her shoulder before saying, "it's cold outside. You will need this."

  Lu Xingyan couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up at his sudden closeness. Even her heart began to race when his scent entered her nostrils. It was a mixture of dark florals and damp woods.

  Han Xukun noticed that the girl became stiff like a stone so he ended up looking at her face just to check if she was alright but he was caught off guard when he saw the redness of her face.

  He leaned back, putting a space between them, turning away shyly, "I'm sorry……"

  "I-it's alright……" She stuttered. She held on his coat and clenched it a bit. Why was she suddenly feeling this way? Was it all because of that futuristic dream she had?

  He cleared his throat to regain his composure, "I should accompany you outside."

  "A-ah, you don't have to," she quickly retorted as she finally looked at him.

  He looked back at her, a small smile forming on his lips. "I can't let you walk by yourself."

  In the end, Lu Xingyan agreed and allowed Han Xukun to accompany her to the garden.

  Just like what he said earlier, it was cold. Dark clouds filled the sky and it looked like it was going to rain soon. The gloominess in the place only gave a creepy atmosphere. It really was a good thing that she decided to have Han Xukun come with her.

  They both were quiet while they were walking around. Just then, a loud thunderclap was heard, startling them both.

  "I think we should go back inside," he said, looking at the clouds.

  It was saddening that she wouldn't be able to enjoy the view in the garden. Ah…… it was going to be a long night for her.

  Just as they were about to return, sudden heavy rain fell on them which surprised them both.

  Han Xukun grabbed her shoulder and quickly dragged her to a nearby small stone cottage. He knocked but no one answered.

  They were both drenched by the rain, Lu Xingyan couldn't help but shiver at the cold. "I-i think we should just head back……" She had to raise her voice just for him to hear it.

  Instead of heading back, Han Xukun suddenly gave the door a strong kick. The place was aged and his kick was enough to push the wooden door open. He turned to her and said, "the gardener's out."

  "But…… the door……"

  "I'll replace it." He pulled her inside.

  There weren't many things in the cottage after all it wasn't really the gardener's home, just a temporary resting place.

  The cottage was an old smitty one-story building. The ground they stepped on was an old stone-tiled floor. There were beams on the door and the windows. On the left was a small bed where the gardener would usually take his nap. Next to it was a small storage unit where the gardening tools were usually kept.

  He went towards the fireplace to put in the woods inside. He found a lighter nearby so he lit the stick and placed it with the rest of the wood. Soon enough, the fire began to grow slowly, warming up the place.

  Lu Xingyan was covering her chest with her arms while looking around in search of something dry to wear but there was none.

  Han Xukun noticed how much the girl trembled because of the wet clothes she was wearing so he went and took the blanket from the bed. "You can use this to cover yourself after you take off your clothes. There's a bathroom over there," he pointed.

  She inwardly sighed in relief. She wasn't going to be picky. The blanket was enough.

  Just like what he instructed, she went to the bathroom. She took off her clothes, leaving her in her underwear before she went out with the blanked covered around her.

  Lu Xingyan saw the man sitting in front of the fire, half-naked. He was tending to the chimney to keep the fire going. She could clearly see his strong jawline, how well-built his body was. His biceps forming whenever he bent his arm. The man before her was hot. She never felt so attracted to any man.

  Her eyes instinctively followed the water that drip on his shoulder, traveling down to his chest then to his abs. She gulped and once again, she felt the pounding in her chest getting stronger.

  Han Xukun turned to look at her, startling her with his voice, "come, you should warm yourself up here."