Due to her position, Shu Nian was slightly higher than the seated Xie Ru He. The distance between them suddenly closed. Her entire body was engulfed by his scent, and she could feel the rhythm of his breathing.

His warm breath fell on her neck, causing a slight tickle.

His features were refined and handsome, with upturned, narrow eyes and long, curled eyelashes. His skin was pale and thin, where faint bluish-purple blood vessels could be seen underneath, yet it no longer appeared sickly as before, having gained some color.

Shu Nian held his gaze for a few seconds.

The air seemed to stand still.

There was a very faint mint scent about him, mixed with the smell of Chinese herbal medicine, like an enchanting fragrance carrying a certain bewitchment. Shu Nian gradually tightened her fist, nervously remaining frozen in place.

Xie Ru He’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

It was as if an invisible force was pulling them even closer. Xie Ru He’s grip on her wrist gradually tightened, as he quietly looked at her, suddenly raising his head—

At that moment, Shu Nian’s phone, placed to one side, rang.

“…”

Shu Nian snapped back to reality, turning her head away and scrambling to climb off him. She picked up her phone, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to appear composed: “I need to take this call.”

Xie Ru He’s entire body froze, seemingly still feeling her warmth on his hand. He responded with a casual “Mm” and then lazily leaned back against the chair.

Looking at the caller ID, Shu Nian answered: “Mom?”

Deng Qing Yu’s voice came through: “Ah, Nian Nian, are you working today?”

Hearing this, Shu Nian glanced secretly at Xie Ru He: “What’s up?”

“I don’t have much to do today, so I was planning to come over and clean up your place.” Deng Qing Yu rambled on, “Seeing how you’re always running to the recording studio, I figured you probably don’t have much time to clean. But Xiao Xi took your house keys today. He was in a hurry this morning and took my set by mistake.”

Shu Nian said softly: “It’s fine, you don’t need to come.”

Deng Qing Yu asked: “You’re not at home?”

Shu Nian stole another glance in Xie Ru He’s direction.

He had his head slightly lowered, his jaw set, lips drawn into a straight line, his expression obscure. His mood seemed poor, yet also somewhat regretful. Perhaps due to the stagnant air in the room, the tips of his ears had turned red.

She looked away, feeling a bit guilty: “Mm.”

“All right then.” Deng Qing Yu said, “I’ll come over tomorrow. Take care of yourself and remember to eat. The temperature has been fluctuating lately, drink more hot water and don’t get sick, okay?”

Shu Nian nodded: “Okay, you take good care of yourself too.”

After hanging up, Shu Nian silently placed her phone on the coffee table.

The small episode that had just been interrupted left the air somewhat awkward and stiff.

Shu Nian didn’t know what to say or do, so she simply picked up the cake in front of her and began eating. She gradually spaced out, strangely recalling what had just happened.

If Deng Qing Yu hadn’t made that call, what would be happening now…

She couldn’t imagine it.

After a few seconds, Xie Ru He sat up straight and poured her a glass of warm water.

As if by mutual agreement, neither mentioned what had just happened, showing remarkable tacit understanding.

Xie Ru He looked at the television, breaking the silence first: “Are you watching a movie?”

Shu Nian responded tepidly: “I just turned it on randomly, I’m not watching.”

Xie Ru He nodded.

Silence fell again.

Shu Nian thought they should keep the conversation going. Since he had just brought up a topic, it should be her turn now. Just then, she noticed the novel she had placed under the coffee table. She took it out and suggested: “Why don’t you help me practice some lines?”

Xie Ru He looked at the cover, asking dully: “Practice lines?”

“Yes.” Shu Nian flipped to a random page, “It’s like singing for you, you need to practice, right? Voice acting skills are the same, they don’t come instantly, you have to practice continuously.”

“Mm.”

“I used to practice by myself.” Shu Nian said, “Today you can act out a scene with me.”

Xie Ru He agreed: “Okay.”

Hearing his agreement, Shu Nian felt a bit happy.

She looked at the content of this chapter, summarizing to herself: “The male lead and female lead are childhood friends. The female lead has liked the male lead since they were young, but the male lead has always been indifferent to her. This scene is about the male supporting character confessing to the female lead, which makes the male lead anxious. He speaks harshly to the female lead and then forcefully kisses her.”

“…”

Shu Nian grabbed a pen from the side and marked the book: “I’ll highlight our lines first.”

Xie Ru He was silent for a few seconds before asking: “Did you buy this book?”

“This one?” Shu Nian flipped through it, recalling, “I think I bought it before to reach the minimum order amount. I haven’t read it.”

Xie Ru He remembered flipping through a few pages of this novel when he came over before.

The dialogue was a bit exaggerated.

But seeing Shu Nian’s serious expression, Xie Ru He didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm.

Once she started doing something related to voice acting, Shu Nian would become especially serious. She made notes, immersing herself in the main character’s emotions, and understanding the character’s personality.

Soon, Shu Nian handed the book to Xie Ru He, saying: “I’ve highlighted all your lines with a blue highlighter. Do you want to adjust anything?”

Xie Ru He lowered his gaze, saw the lines, and his expression began to stiffen.

Without waiting for his response, Shu Nian tilted her head and said: “Shall we start then?”

“…Mm.”

Xie Ru He’s lines were first.

Xie Ru He exhaled, his hand tightening on the book, and stiffly recited: “Didn’t you say you liked me? Your heart changed quickly. What’s so good about that man? How is he better than me? You liar, little liar.”

“…” Shu Nian frowned, unable to hold back: “You sound like you’re just reading a book.”

Xie Ru He pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

Shu Nian leaned over and pointed out: “And there’s a ‘heh’ here, didn’t you see it? It should be a flippant and sarcastic tone. Like this — ‘Heh’!”

“…”

Shu Nian looked at him: “Try it.”

Xie Ru He’s scalp tingled, but he forced out: “Heh.”

“Not like that.” Shu Nian scratched her head, muttering, “Why do you sound so lifeless?”

Xie Ru He remained silent.

Noticing his expression, Shu Nian suddenly realized and guessed: “Are you finding these lines too embarrassing to say out loud?”

Xie Ru He didn’t want to continue, and admitted in a low voice: “Mm.”

“Don’t think of it that way.” Shu Nian showed no intention of stopping, saying seriously, “You need to put yourself in the role. It’s not you saying these lines, it’s the character.”

“Shu Nian.” Xie Ru He licked his lips, tactfully reminding her, “I’m not a voice actor.”

“Ah.” After a pause, Shu Nian’s voice instantly dropped, “But aren’t you helping me practice? I can’t get into character like this… Forget it, let’s watch a movie instead.”

Shu Nian closed the book and turned to look for the remote.

Sensing her mood change, without thinking, Xie Ru He immediately grabbed her hand.

Shu Nian turned back: “What’s wrong?”

He truly couldn’t bring himself to read those lines, yet he didn’t want her to be upset because of it.

Xie Ru He kept his eyes lowered, took the book back, and reopened it. Looking at those unspeakable lines, he closed his eyes briefly and compromised: “…Teach me again.”

They spent the entire afternoon on this.

Finally, Xie Ru He managed to shed his psychological burden and managed to infuse a slight bit of emotion into his reading, barely passing muster.

Shu Nian had initially treated this as a serious exercise, but somehow the purpose shifted. Like a child finding a new toy, seeing expressions other than his usual calm on Xie Ru He’s face, her interest immediately shifted.

She knew she was being mischievous, but she couldn’t help finding it amusing.

And she couldn’t resist teasing him.

They ate dinner together.

Recalling Deng Qing Yu’s call, Shu Nian thought for a moment and told him: “My mom is coming to see me tomorrow. I haven’t seen her in a long time, so I want to spend some time with her.”

Xie Ru He remained silent, as if remembering something, and quickly responded with an “Okay.”

The next day at noon, Deng Qing Yu arrived at Shu Nian’s home.

Shu Nian was a light sleeper. Hearing movement at the door, she immediately woke up, put on a jacket, and came out to the living room.

Deng Qing Yu had brought a lot of food and was currently stuffing things into the refrigerator. Seeing Shu Nian emerge, she casually asked: “Did I wake you?”

Shu Nian shook her head and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

By the time she came out, Deng Qing Yu had left the kitchen and was tidying the living room. Shu Nian went over to help and asked: “Do you have other plans today?”

“No.” Deng Qing Yu smiled, “I’ll stay until after dinner and then head back. When I was leaving, Xiao Xi was also pestering me to come over, but I sent him back to do his homework.”

Shu Nian’s movements paused, and then she said: “He can come whenever he wants.”

Hearing this, Deng Qing Yu looked at her, seeming somewhat pleasantly surprised: “That’s great then. I’ll bring him along next time I come over.”

Shu Nian curved her lips: “Mm.”

“Don’t bother with that now.” Deng Qing Yu pointed to the dining table, “I brought some porridge for you, it’s in the thermal container. Eat first, don’t go hungry.”

Shu Nian nodded and walked to the dining table to eat.

Shu Nian’s apartment wasn’t large, and being a single girl’s place, it wasn’t too messy. Just a simple tidying up, and it was quickly cleaned. By then, Shu Nian had also finished her porridge, and the two sat on the couch to chat.

They mostly talked about recent events.

Shu Nian had originally wanted to tell Deng Qing Yu about her relationship with Xie Ru He, but remembering Deng Qing Yu’s previous attitude towards him, she hesitated and ultimately swallowed her words.

The two watched TV while talking.

An entire afternoon quickly passed.

Suddenly, Deng Qing Yu’s phone rang with a WeChat notification. She picked it up, glanced at it, then sighed and put the phone aside.

Noticing her expression, Shu Nian casually asked: “What’s wrong?”

“It’s the hometown group chat,” Deng Qing Yu said. “You remember, right? That friend of yours from middle school, I think I saw you meeting with him recently. That Xie Ru He.”

Hearing Deng Qing Yu mention Xie Ru He’s name, Shu Nian felt strangely guilty and nodded hesitantly.

“Your uncle just said that his father passed away today,” Deng Qing Yu said. “Those two old folks in the Xie family kept calling for that child to come back and see his father one last time, but he never went.”

“…”

“Now the family says they’re coming to Ru Chuan to find him, calling him an ungrateful wretch, saying he has no conscience.”

Shu Nian’s mouth opened and closed, unable to speak for a moment.

“That child holds a grudge against this family, how could he possibly go?” Deng Qing Yu shook her head. “And this family, too. How is he an ungrateful wretch? Being ungrateful assumes they did him some kindness. What kindness? It was all resentment…”

While Deng Qing Yu continued rambling, Shu Nian could no longer listen.

She lowered her eyes to light up her phone, looking at the date displayed in the center of the screen.

Shu Nian’s memories began to surface bit by bit.

Eight years ago, on this day.

Ji Xiang Ning had been missing for a week.

On this day, after receiving police notification, Xie Ru He, who had been searching for her day and night, along with Shu Nian, saw her corpse.

–

Thinking about this, Shu Nian began to feel anxious, yet didn’t know how to bring it up with Deng Qing Yu. Regardless, she felt that on a day like this, Xie Ru He shouldn’t be left alone.

While Deng Qing Yu was cooking, she sent Xie Ru He a WeChat message: [Are you at home?]

After quite a while, Xie Ru He replied: [Mm.]

Seeing this response, Shu Nian couldn’t sit still anymore. She immediately went to the kitchen and said to Deng Qing Yu: “Mom, I need to go out. I can’t eat dinner with you.”

Deng Qing Yu asked with surprise: “Where are you going? Eat first, okay? I’m almost done cooking.”

“I have something urgent…” Shu Nian’s expression was guilty. “Can I visit you next time?”

“It’s fine, go if you need to,” Deng Qing Yu didn’t mind much. “I’ll leave the food on the table. You can heat it when you get back. In this weather, you don’t need to put it in the refrigerator.”

Shu Nian agreed, hurriedly ran back to her room to change clothes, and then left.

At Xie Ru He’s doorstep.

Shu Nian gathered her courage and rang the doorbell.

Someone quickly came to open the door—it was Fang Wen Cheng. Seeing Shu Nian, he was somewhat surprised: “Shu Nian? Why are you here?”

“I’m looking for Xie Ru He,” Shu Nian said softly. “Is he in?”

“Yes, he’s in his room,” Fang Wen Cheng said. “Today is Madam’s death anniversary. The young master went to visit Madam this morning, and since returning, he’s been in his room, and hasn’t come out at all.”

Shu Nian pressed her lips together and asked: “Can I go in to see him?”

This wasn’t something Fang Wen Cheng could decide, as he was just an assistant. But feeling that Xie Ru He’s current state wasn’t good, out of friendliness, he warned: “You can, but the young master isn’t in a good mood right now. He might get angry.”

Shu Nian said: “I understand.”

Fang Wen Cheng stepped aside, making space for her: “Go ahead, I’m about to leave anyway. It’s the second-to-last room. You can go in directly. If you knock, the young master probably won’t hear you—he plays his music very loud.”

Shu Nian nodded: “Okay.”

Shu Nian changed her shoes and went in.

This house had four rooms. In Shu Nian’s memory, the innermost room was Xie Ru He’s bedroom. But Fang Wen Cheng said it was the second-to-last room. She had never been in this room and didn’t know what it looked like inside.

Although Fang Wen Cheng said there was no need to knock, Shu Nian still carefully knocked on the door.

There was no response. She hesitantly said: “Xie Ru He, I’m coming in, okay?”

Still no response.

Shu Nian gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open.

Deafening rock music instantly flooded into Shu Nian’s ears.

The room was empty, with no extra furniture. Outside, the sky was already half-dark. Even with the curtains wide open, not much light could penetrate, and the lights were off.

Shu Nian could see Xie Ru He at a glance.

He sat in the center of the room, his eyes downcast, his expression difficult to discern, like a vampire lurking in the darkness. As the door opened, a sharp beam of light suddenly illuminated half the room.

He moved stiffly, looking toward the door.

Noticing it was her, the viciousness in Xie Ru He’s eyes dissipated somewhat, but he remained seated where he was.

Yet he extended his hand toward her.

Shu Nian closed the door. The room was filled with a strong smell of cigarettes, causing her to cough involuntarily. She walked over, took his hand, and sat down beside him.

She could feel that his mood was different from usual—very poor.

Xie Ru He’s fingertips held a cigarette in his other hand, emitting a crimson glow.

Hearing Shu Nian’s cough, he extinguished the cigarette. Then he freed his hand to take the remote and turn off the music.

Beside him were winding domino tiles that had been arranged.

Shu Nian didn’t know how to comfort him, so she could only sit beside him. Just like back then when he was at a loss because of his mother’s disappearance, and she could only accompany him as they searched everywhere.

Noticing the ashtray nearby with more than a dozen cigarette butts, Shu Nian asked softly: “Do you smoke?”

Xie Ru He gave a light “Mm.”

Shu Nian didn’t know how to express herself, and stammered: “Smoking is bad for your health.”

Fine strands of hair fell across his forehead, his eyes slightly upturned, strangely alluring. He suppressed his sorrowful emotions and forced a smile, looking rather devil-may-care.

Staying alone in such a dark place, surrounded by bewildering music.

Xie Ru He felt he probably wasn’t thinking clearly at the moment. His voice carried a hint of hoarseness, rich yet clear, accompanied by a casual smile.

“Kiss me and I’ll quit.”

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Shu Nian clenched her fist, staring at him, seemingly at a loss.

Seeing her so nervous, half of Xie Ru He’s bad mood dissipated. Hidden in the darkness, he surprisingly didn’t feel embarrassed; instead, he felt a sort of pleasure in voicing his desire.

But he didn’t want to make her too uncomfortable.

Xie Ru He lowered his eyes, the phrase “I’m just joking” not yet leaving his mouth.

In the next second, as if she had made up her mind, Shu Nian suddenly supported herself with one hand on the floor and raised her head. Inexperienced, she didn’t quite find the right position, only kissing his lower lip.

Their breathing was especially clear in the room.

The dim light, the soft, moist sensation on his lips.

Like a dream from long ago.

Xie Ru He was caught off guard, his eyes widening slightly. His hand unconsciously braced against the floor behind him, touching the domino tiles. The dominoes fell in sequence, making a rustling sound.

He froze completely, staring at Shu Nian, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

In just a moment, Shu Nian pulled back. Her eyes were round and bright, with naturally downturned corners, like a puppy pleading with its owner, clearly reflecting his face.

The ambiguous, enchanting atmosphere began to ferment.

Xie Ru He’s mind went blank.

They remained silent for who knows how long.

After a long while, Shu Nian said softly: “There, I kissed you.”