Andrew sat tiredly in the back seat of the car, the alcohol in his system making his eyes look a little dazed.
He called for a driver. The driver asked, "Sir, where to?"
Leaning against the seat with his eyes closed, Andrew gave an address.
As soon as he said it, he froze. That was Katherine's place.
There was a fire burning in his chest—maybe pride, maybe just his refusal to admit he still cared about her.
"Not there. Go to Shallow Bay." His voice was cold and firm.
The driver didn't ask anything more. "Okay," he answered, and changed the route.
Meanwhile, Katherine and Joshua were hiking Mount Wutong.
They were only halfway up, but three hours had already passed.
Joshua walked ahead of Katherine. Seeing her in a tired and messy state, he looked at her with concern. "Katherine, are you still okay?"
Katherine bent over, panting hard, and waved her hand. "Wait, let me sit down and rest for a bit."
Joshua immediately sat down beside her, pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack, and handed it to her. "Have you not exercised at all these past few years?"
Katherine drank a few sips of water, took a deep breath, and said with a helpless smile, "You know I've never been athletic. And the hospital has been so busy, I barely get any sleep, let alone time to work out."
Joshua looked at her and smiled gently, his eyes full of warmth. "You've gotten thinner than before. No matter how busy work is, health comes first."
Katherine nodded. "I know. I'll do my best."
After a short rest, Katherine stood up and looked at the winding path ahead. She turned to Joshua and said, "Let's keep going. At my pace, it'll be sunrise before we even reach the top."
Joshua laughed, his eyes glinting with something deeper. "Sunrise is good. We can watch it from the top."
He paused, then added, "The sunrise from Mount Wutong is beautiful."
Katherine's eyes lit up. Smiling, she said, "Then I definitely want to see it since I'm already here."
Seeing her smile, Joshua smiled too. "Alright."
To Katherine, talking with Joshua was always comforting.
He was polite and gentle in everything he did, making people feel calm and at ease.
The word "graceful" suited him perfectly.
Compared to someone else, being around them only made her feel frustrated and upset.
Seeing Katherine struggle to climb, Joshua didn't rush her. He just quietly slowed his steps to match her pace.
…
Andrew got home, threw his coat onto the sofa, and headed straight to the bathroom.
He stood under the showerhead. Cold water poured down like sharp needles stabbing his burning skin.
That woman's face, her smile, her voice—he didn't know why, but all of it kept haunting his mind like a curse.
He felt like he was lost in a fog, and his usual calm and reason were completely scrambled by this wave of emotion.
The cold water made him shiver.
Still, he didn't move away. It was as if he welcomed the pain. Only through that sting could he temporarily escape the madness of missing her.
As the water kept pouring down, his body slowly went numb, but his thoughts became clearer.
He laughed at himself in his mind. What was wrong with him?
He must be crazy to still care about that woman.
Andrew reached out and turned off the shower.
Then he pulled a soft white bathrobe from the rack and draped it casually over his wet body.
The bathrobe hung loosely around his chest, revealing just enough to stir the imagination.
With steady, light steps, Andrew walked out of the bathroom.
His short black hair, still dripping, sent beads of water rolling down his broad, muscular chest. The droplets slowly slid into the robe, leaving faint, visible traces on his skin.
There was no denying it—his physique was flawless.
At 1.86 meters tall, Andrew naturally stood out no matter where he went. His long, straight legs added an air of strength and elegance to his presence.
His proportions were just right, giving him a figure full of masculine appeal.
On closer look, not even a trace of excess fat could be found on his well-defined, firm body.
Every muscle was evenly distributed and perfectly toned, radiating a unique combination of health and power.
Just then, a soft, continuous vibration came from the pocket of a suit jacket tossed casually on the sofa.
The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet room, it stood out sharply.
Andrew walked over and pulled out the vibrating phone.
His face remained expressionless as he pressed the answer button and said plainly, "Hello."
Charlotte's slightly aggrieved voice came from the earpiece. "Andrew, I just went to Mocha to pick you up, but you were already gone."
Andrew paused for a moment before replying slowly, "Sorry you made the trip for nothing. I already came home."
"Charlotte, I'm a bit tired. I'm hanging up now."
Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and tossed the phone aside.
On the other end, Charlotte's face turned darker as she gripped her phone tightly.
Her beautiful eyes were now full of anger and frustration. She clutched the phone so hard, it seemed like she might crush it.
Just now, Andrew had called her "Charlotte." What was going on?
For the past two years, Andrew had always called her Yaoyao. He had never used her full name.
Where did things go wrong?
Was it really, just like she suspected, all because of that Katherine?
Ever since he saw Katherine again, Andrew had changed completely.
He no longer showed the same care and tenderness toward her. Instead, he seemed distracted and preoccupied all the time.
The more she thought about it, the angrier Charlotte became. Gritting her teeth, she muttered fiercely to herself, "Katherine, I won't let you win. I definitely won't let you off easy."
"Aren't you proud of your career? Fine, I'll make you even more famous."
She immediately picked up her phone and made a call.
"I want you to do something for me," she said.
The person on the other end hesitated. "Miss Charlotte, this is risky."
"The target isn't easy to reach. This concerns a person's life."
"I said do it. Money isn't a problem."
"I'm giving you one month."