This place was near the subway station, with a considerable flow of people.

Passersby looked in their direction, noticing the three attractive individuals with a tense atmosphere as if they were filming a TV drama. Both Shu Nian and Xie Ru He worked behind the scenes, so to passersby, they were just good-looking people.

But Xu Ze Yuan was different. His popularity had been high recently, and if any gossip were to break out now, his company would scold him severely.

Afraid of being recognized, he lowered his head and put his mask back on, tensely apologizing to Xie Ru He: “Teacher A He, I’m sorry. I spoke thoughtlessly, please don’t take it to heart.”

Noticing people nearby giving suspicious looks and beginning to whisper, Xu Ze Yuan forced himself to finish speaking: “I’ll leave first. I’ll come to apologize properly another day. I’m sorry.”

As if he hadn’t heard him speak, Xie Ru He’s expression remained unchanged. He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes fine and dense like a small fan, looking at Shu Nian, very quietly.

Yet there was somehow a sense of hurt in his demeanor.

Xu Ze Yuan didn’t wait for his response. He turned his head and said to Shu Nian in a low voice: “We’ll talk next time. Goodbye.”

Then he left, hailing a taxi by the roadside.

Shu Nian hadn’t heard what Xu Ze Yuan said and didn’t look in his direction. She was still stunned, hardly believing her eyes, and her first reaction was to comfort him: “Don’t listen to what he said. He’s talking nonsense.”

Xie Ru He took the things from her hands, his lips drawn in a straight line, his tone light.

“Are you going to meet him again?”

Shu Nian looked at him with round eyes: “Huh?”

Xie Ru He didn’t repeat himself, his jaw tense, his mood poor.

Shu Nian lowered her eyes to look at his legs and asked: “Are you better now?”

Xie Ru He was very unhappy but didn’t want to ignore her, so he said stiffly: “I can walk without support now.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian’s eyes gradually widened, and she couldn’t help bouncing a couple of times on the spot, her small face flushed with excitement: “Really? You’re amazing!”

Xie Ru He rarely saw her like this.

She seemed even happier than he was, which made the irritation in his chest gradually dissipate.

Xie Ru He pressed his lips together and looked away: “It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s not nothing.” Shu Nian seriously contradicted him, somehow seeming to be teaching him a lesson. “They said it would take two months before, but now it’s just a little over a month. You’re doing great.”

Suddenly noticing the wheelchair beside him, Shu Nian blinked: “Then why are you still coming out in a wheelchair?”

Xie Ru He didn’t answer, placing the items in his hands onto the wheelchair.

The two walked side by side.

Because of his silence, Shu Nian was puzzled. She turned her head and suddenly realized that his walking was not completely normal. He was somewhat unsteady, pausing after each step before taking the next, not as smooth as he had appeared in front of Xu Ze Yuan.

Her breath caught, and she grabbed his wrist.

It was an instinctive action, without conscious thought.

Xie Ru He stopped, not understanding why she had suddenly done this. He turned his head, the curves of his profile soft, his eyes carrying a questioning look.

His gaze was clear and pure, without any ulterior motives, inexplicably making Shu Nian feel as if she had taken advantage of him. She immediately let go of his hand, not knowing how to explain.

But she was afraid he would misunderstand if she didn’t explain.

After a moment, she swallowed and said softly: “I was afraid you might lose your balance and fall.”

Xie Ru He didn’t speak, still looking at her, his ink-like eyes seemed to be suffused with light, as deep as a bottomless black well. But he didn’t seem angry.

Shu Nian licked the corner of her mouth. She wasn’t very good with words and could only add a remedial sentence.

“But I see you’re walking quite well now… it should be fine.”

He still didn’t speak.

Shu Nian’s heart pounded, afraid he really would be angry, and said carefully: “Let’s go then…”

Xie Ru He didn’t move, appearing to be thinking, lowering his eyes to look at her thin, delicate white hand. His knuckles twitched as if hesitating, but not for long.

Soon, Xie Ru He raised his hand and took hers, placing it on his wrist.

The scene was quiet for a moment.

Noticing Shu Nian’s stunned expression, Xie Ru He’s expression also became a bit unnatural, but soon returned to normal. He looked away, saying without a change in expression: “I’m not very steady.”

Shu Nian’s mind went blank as she stared at her hand.

His sleeve was a bit short, revealing a section of his clean, slender wrist, now overlapped with her hand. If one didn’t look closely, it even gave the impression they were holding hands.

It was a nearly intimate distance.

Originally just an ordinary gesture, Shu Nian’s palm inexplicably grew hot. She was afraid she might sweat from nervousness and wanted to divert her attention.

But the more she tried to divert it, the more her thoughts lingered on it.

The more she would think about this matter.

The two entered a small path.

Shu Nian struggled to dismiss the thoughts in her mind and noticed the milk tea on the wheelchair. She proactively suggested: “Why don’t I push the wheelchair? You can drink your milk tea, otherwise it will get cold.”

Hearing this, Xie Ru He bent down to pick up the milk tea and naturally handed it to her.

Shu Nian let go of his wrist and, confused, took it: “Aren’t you going to drink it?”

Xie Ru He said: “You drink it.”

Shu Nian guessed: “You don’t want it anymore?”

Xie Ru He shook his head: “You have it.”

So the milk tea he had asked her to buy was for her?

Shu Nian didn’t ask this aloud, using the straw to poke a small hole, but couldn’t help the corners of her lips turning up. It was as if something was bubbling in her heart, turning the whole world pink.

She didn’t know if others felt this way.

Once a certain thought emerged, initially just a small, barely noticeable sprout. But as time passed, while being together with him, this sprout would gradually grow larger.

A small gesture he made might not have any deeper meaning.

But she hoped it did.

In that moment, she would feel as if it truly existed.

Shu Nian took a sip of the milk tea, chewing on the pearls in her mouth. The temperature was just right, the tea flavor was rich, and the mellow milk flavor lingered between her lips and teeth as if it could dispel all the cold in her body.

Her steps were small, and Xie Ru He walked slowly, making their side-by-side walk harmonious.

After walking a few more steps, Shu Nian suddenly remembered: “Why are you out?”

Xie Ru He said: “I happened to be nearby.”

Shu Nian didn’t ask further: “Did you come out alone?”

“Yes.”

“I bought six donuts on my way here,” Shu Nian pointed to the bag on the chair. “I was going to buy a cake originally, but I saw these donuts looked especially nice, so I bought them.”

Xie Ru He listened to her words without much response.

Noticing that his steps seemed to slow down again, Shu Nian softly asked: “Do you want to rest for a bit?”

Hearing this, Xie Ru He’s eyelids twitched slightly. He turned his head, reached out to grab her free hand, then moved upward, tightening his grip, holding her wrist.

A motion without hesitation.

As if it were very natural, a matter of course.

Shu Nian froze, looked up, and happened to see his slightly reddened ears.

Then, Xie Ru He calmly said: “No need, just holding on is fine.”