Han Pei sat on the TV screen in a crisp white shirt, long legs crossed, hands folded.
Even through the screen, his aura was oppressive.
The kind of man who didn't need to raise his voice to make a room quiet.
Yan Yan pointed at him enthusiastically.
"Look! Long legs, broad shoulders, cold face—Qin Shu, this is literally your type."
Qin Shu stared at the screen for a moment and said evenly—
"Not bad."
Yan Yan almost choked.
"Not bad?! Girl, you sound like you're buying cabbage."
Qin Shu didn't argue.
Because for the first time, she wasn't watching a man's face.
She was watching his hands.
Long fingers. Clean knuckles.
The kind of hands that signed billion-yuan deals.
Or held a chess piece like it was a weapon.
The interview ended.
Qin Shu still felt unsettled.
Not because of attraction.
But because Han Pei's thinking was sharp. Controlled. Almost ruthless.
Yan Yan, however, was hungry and went to cook instant noodles like a menace.
Qin Shu watched her eat, then went upstairs.
That night, Qin Shu lay in bed and messaged Bu Yi.
[Guess who I dreamed about?]
Bu Yi replied instantly:
[Me? 😏]
Qin Shu's fingers tightened.
[Have some shame.]
Bu Yi:
[You're just shy. If you have a crush on me, I'll reluctantly accept it.]
Qin Shu:
[GET OUT.]
A few seconds later, Bu Yi sent:
[He Jingnan?]
Qin Shu stared at the screen.
Then typed slowly:
[Yeah. Strange. It reminded me I haven't dated in four and a half years. Wasted youth.]
Bu Yi:
[You're not still chasing him, right?]
Qin Shu didn't answer.
Instead she typed:
[It's snowing heavily in Beijing.]
Then:
[When are you coming back? Christmas will be over and the snow will melt.]
Bu Yi:
[Soon. I'm stuck solving a math puzzle. I won't leave until I solve it.]
Qin Shu:
[Send it. Hurry up and come back. We're going riding.]
Two days passed.
Qin Shu's desk was full of draft paper.
The math problem was still unsolved.
She was ready to throw the pen when her phone rang.
Unknown number.
But she recognized the last digits.
It was the same number that interrupted her dream.
Qin Shu's eyes narrowed.
Fine.
She answered.
A low, calm male voice came through—
"Hello, Qiqi. This is Han Pei from Wanhe Group."
Qin Shu froze.
"…Han Pei?"
Her first reaction escaped before she could stop it.
"Why is it you again?!"
On the other side, Han Pei's expression didn't change.
But his eyes narrowed.
Because the call wasn't even made by him.
It was made by Han Cen.
His younger sister.
Han Cen sat nearby eating strawberries, laughing so hard she nearly choked.
Han Pei looked at her once.
Then spoke smoothly into the phone.
"I'm sorry to bother you."
"My grandfather wants to invite you to play chess. He originally wanted to invite Grandpa Qin, but he thought Grandpa Qin may be tired at night."
He paused, then added evenly—
"If you're free this afternoon, could I trouble you to come for a few rounds?"
Qin Shu liked Grandpa Han.
So she agreed.
Then Han Pei said, without hesitation—
"Send me the address. I'll come pick you up now."
Qin Shu: "..."
Silence.
A long, suspicious silence.
Even through the phone, Han Pei realized how insane that sounded.
He immediately shifted the call to Grandpa Han.
Meanwhile, Han Cen followed Han Pei upstairs like a little demon.
"Brother, why did you answer? You could've stayed quiet."
Han Pei ignored her.
Han Cen patted her chest dramatically.
"If you don't like her, don't drag her into this and then scare her away. Grandpa will lose face!"
Han Pei finally glanced at her.
"Congratulations. You've finally spoken like a human being."
Han Cen: "..."
She wanted to bite him.
Downstairs, Grandpa Han ended the call and said cheerfully—
"Qiqi sent the address. And she added you on WeChat."
Han Pei glanced at her nickname.
Music, Chess, Calligraphy and Painting.
His gaze paused.
Then he took the car keys.
Half an hour later, Han Pei arrived at Qin Shu's apartment.
Qin Shu walked out into the cold.
Snow hit her ankles.
Han Pei stepped out of the driver's seat.
Qin Shu was slightly stunned.
He drove himself?
He looked even more imposing in person than on TV.
White shirt.
Black coat.
Clean and restrained.
But his presence was sharp enough to cut through the winter wind.
Qin Shu walked toward the passenger seat.
Han Pei opened the rear door behind the driver's seat.
"Sit here."
Qin Shu stopped.
She smiled politely, but her eyes were guarded.
"How could I let you be my driver?"
Han Pei's hand stayed on the door.
"There's no need to be so particular."
He added, calmly—
"It just snowed. Some sections of the road are slippery."
"That seat is safer."
Qin Shu stared at the open door.
For the first time, she suddenly realized—
Han Pei wasn't just polite.
He was the kind of man who made decisions for you…
Without asking.
Qin Shu stood in the snow, staring at the open car door…because the moment she stepped in, she knew she wouldn't be able to pretend this was "just chess" anymore.