“…”

Shu Nian stared at the small red spot he was pointing at. Her lips moved slightly as if wanting to say something. But noticing that He You was still standing nearby, she immediately closed her mouth and said vaguely, “I’ll put some medicine on it when I get back.”

Xie Ruhe gave He You a cold glance, and then said, “Mm.”

He You didn’t notice his gaze. Listening to their conversation, he found their clinginess unbearable. He remained silent for a few seconds, looking quite speechless. “Um, may I ask, is this serious?”

Seeing that Xie Ruhe’s expression was indeed not looking good, Shu Nian hesitantly nodded.

But she didn’t know what to say.

Seeing this, He You looked in Xie Ruhe’s direction. He suddenly realized something and curled his lips, saying with an ambiguous meaning, “Then you should go to the hospital quickly.”

“…” Shu Nian forced out two words, “Alright.”

Xie Ruhe didn’t make a sound.

Just then, He You’s phone rang. He didn’t bother them anymore, saying “I have something to attend to, so I’ll leave first,” and then walked ahead.

He didn’t look at the caller ID and directly answered the call, unconsciously looking back.

He saw Shu Nian saying something to that man, but because the voice was too low, he couldn’t hear clearly.

The height difference between them was significant.

One had a clean and warm temperament, while the other was gloomy and cold.

Yet they looked exceptionally harmonious standing together.

The man’s expression had softened as if explaining something to her, though still appearing somewhat stiff. His back was slightly hunched, and after speaking, his lips straightened as he lowered his head to listen to her.

Like a predator retracting its claws to reveal soft paw pads.

The next moment, a woman’s voice sounded in his ear, with a teasing smile: “Hello, officer, someone stole something from me. Can you file a case?”

Hearing this familiar voice, He You withdrew his gaze, twitched his lips, and perfunctorily said, “What thing?”

“My… heart.”

“…”

As if extremely speechless, He You took a long breath: “Then you should call 120 (emergency medical services).”

The woman laughed, deliberately extending the final syllable, like tickling someone’s heart: “I just had a glimmer of hope, wondering if I could get it back from this thief?”

“Ah, okay. I understand your situation.” He You said flippantly, “Sorry, can’t file a case. Lost property report error—I think it’s your brain that’s been stolen.”

“…”

“Also.” He You’s expression was casual, “Miss Ke, let me tell you something seriously.”

Ke Yiqing: “?”

He You said, “If you keep calling me every day, saying things that make me uncomfortable…”

Ke Yiqing feigned composure: “…What?”

“I’ll have to file a report and accuse you of sexual harassment.”

“…”

After He You left.

On the other side, Shu Nian grabbed his hand again, rubbing the red spot on his hand with her fingertip, and said tactfully: “This seems to be just a red mole.”

Xie Ruhe also lowered his eyes to look, and said with an unchanged expression: “It seems so.”

“…” Shu Nian didn’t know what he was thinking, finding it strange and inexplicable, “Besides, the weather is so cold now, there usually aren’t mosquitoes.”

Xie Ruhe nodded: “Mm.”

Shu Nian couldn’t help but ask again: “Why did you think you were bitten by a mosquito?”

Xie Ruhe pressed his lips together, his mood not very good, and his tone turned low and cold: “Because I kept hearing the sound of mosquitoes just now.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian was stunned for a while. She stood on tiptoe to touch his ear.

“Can you still hear it now?”

Her hands were small, white like jade, with a touch of coolness.

Xie Ruhe instinctively lowered his head, the displeasure in his eyes somewhat dissipating: “Not anymore.”

Shu Nian guessed: “Maybe some insect flew by earlier?”

Xie Ruhe made an affirmative sound.

Shu Nian looked worried: “Do you still feel uncomfortable?”

Xie Ruhe said: “No.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian felt slightly relieved, but still stared at his ear, murmuring like a child: “Don’t get sick.”

Xie Ruhe said: “Hm?”

She just said softly: “Being sick is uncomfortable.”

After these words, Xie Ruhe noticed that her mood had dropped considerably. He was a bit worried, afraid that he had gone too far and made her associate with something.

He was about to say something.

At the same time, a man carrying a bag approached from the opposite direction. Perhaps due to the poor quality of the plastic bag, or perhaps because the items in his hand were too heavy, the next moment, the bag suddenly broke, and the oranges inside fell out.

Rolling all over the ground.

One of them rolled to the front of Shu Nian, hit her toe, and then bounced away.

Shu Nian looked down at the orange thing, her breath suddenly stopped, as if recalling something.

Standing beside her, Xie Ruhe instinctively bent down, wanting to pick up that orange. Shu Nian immediately grabbed his hand, pulling him in another direction, muttering: “Can’t pick it up…”

Xie Ruhe was stunned: “What’s wrong?”

Hearing his voice, Shu Nian only stopped after walking several more steps, woodenly looking at him. Her eyes suddenly reddened again, and then she lowered her gaze, her breathing becoming rapid: “I want to go home.”

She seemed to be frightened again, her body trembling.

Xie Ruhe stroked her head, his movements uncertain yet careful.

“Okay.”

Afterward, he held Shu Nian’s hand and walked toward the outside of the residential area.

Shu Nian rubbed her eyes, and lowered her head without looking at the road, lost in thought.

After a long while, she suddenly asked: “Do you like to eat oranges?”

Xie Ruhe paused, recalling her reaction earlier, and said softly: “I don’t like them.”

Shu Nian replied glumly: “I don’t like them either.”

She didn’t say why.

Xie Ruhe didn’t ask.

“Nian Nian.” Seeing that she remained silent, Xie Ruhe thought for a moment and actively brought up a topic, “In a few days, the movie ‘While He’s Still Here’ will premiere. Do you want to go see it?”

Shu Nian asked dully: “What?”

Xie Ruhe patiently reminded her: “I wrote the theme song for this movie, and you sang it. You also dubbed the voice for the second female lead. Don’t you want to go see it?”

“…” Shu Nian lowered her head and said softly, “Let’s not go.”

Xie Ruhe’s Adam’s apple moved, feeling that her emotions had been very unstable lately.

He recalled the clinical manifestations of PTSD he had learned about before.

Patients experience emotional numbness, and interests they used to enjoy become uninteresting. They can’t get excited about anything and intentionally distance themselves, whether from people or things.

Shu Nian continued talking to herself: “I know what I recorded and how I sang. There’s no need to go see it, and there will be many people at the cinema.”

Xie Ruhe fell silent.

Shu Nian looked at him and timidly asked: “Do you want to go?”

Xie Ruhe met her gaze and said softly: “Yes.”

Shu Nian clenched her fist.

“I’ve watched all the film and TV clips you’ve dubbed.” Xie Ruhe’s voice was gentle, trying to spark her interest, “This is the first protagonist you’ve dubbed. Don’t you want to see it?”

Shu Nian seemed somewhat swayed but still said rigidly: “We can watch it at home.”

Hearing this answer, Xie Ruhe’s expression relaxed slightly, and he kissed the back of her hand.

“Mm, then we’ll watch it at home.”

Back at Xie Ruhe’s home.

Shu Nian dragged her suitcase to the room to organize her things.

Xie Ruhe walked to the kitchen, thinking about how to handle dinner. It wasn’t that he couldn’t cook; when his family’s conditions weren’t good before, he often helped Season Xiangning with cooking.

But it had been many years, and now Xie Ruhe felt unfamiliar even holding a knife.

He opened the refrigerator.

Inside were ingredients bought by the housekeeping auntie, as well as some fruits. Noticing the oranges placed in one corner, Xie Ruhe paused, put them in a storage bag, and hid them in a cabinet up high.

Still feeling uneasy, he used several boxes to block them from view.

Xie Ruhe cooked rice and took out a bunch of ingredients from the refrigerator, not knowing where to start.

Soon, Shu Nian’s footsteps sounded behind him.

She was holding her phone in one hand and had changed back into her clothes—a dress that reached the middle of her calves, revealing a pair of thin and delicate ankles. She wore his slippers, which made walking particularly difficult.

Shu Nian asked: “Need any help?”

Xie Ruhe thought for a moment and said: “Come here.”

Shu Nian shuffled over in the slippers, obediently walking over.

The next moment, Xie Ruhe picked her up and placed her on a clean spot on the countertop: “Sit here.”

Shu Nian was dumbfounded: “Huh?”

Xie Ruhe took her phone: “May I use this?”

Shu Nian still couldn’t quite react but instinctively unlocked it for him.

He lowered his eyes, searched for a recipe online, found the simplest method, and then returned the phone to her: “Help me read the recipe.”

“…” Shu Nian responded with an “Oh,” “Start now?”

“Mm.”

Shu Nian read carefully: “Clean the fish and cut it into fillets. Mix the fillets with a little salt, cooking wine, cornstarch, and egg whites. Mix evenly and marinate for half an hour.”

By the time she finished reading, Xie Ruhe was still washing the fish.

Shu Nian sat idly watching him wash the fish when her phone suddenly made a sound. She looked down.

It was Ke Yiqing.

Shu Nian opened it to look.

Ke Yiqing: [By the way, I’m thinking of moving recently.]

Ke Yiqing: [Are there any houses for rent near your place?]

Ke Yiqing: [Preferably in your building.]

Shu Nian hesitated for a moment, then replied: [I’m not sure.]

Shu Nian: [But the security in that community isn’t very good. My place had a break-in recently. I think you’d better not move there and find another place instead.]

Ke Yiqing: [Oh? Are you okay?]

Ke Yiqing: [Then do you want to move…]

Shu Nian: [It’s fine, I’ve already moved.]

Xie Ruhe’s voice sounded in her ear: “Does it say how much seasoning to add?”

Shu Nian quickly looked up and reopened that page: “Just add a little salt, it doesn’t specify how much, one spoon of cooking wine, and one egg white.”

Xie Ruhe made an affirmative sound.

Seeing him turn away, Shu Nian reopened WeChat.

Ke Yiqing: [Did you move in with Teacher Ruhe?!!!]

Ke Yiqing: [You two must be a couple!!!!!]

Not knowing how she guessed it, Shu Nian felt a bit lost and didn’t know how to respond. Whether to admit or deny seemed inappropriate either way. She was particularly hesitant, her fingertip hovering over the screen.

Lost in thought, Shu Nian became somewhat absent-minded.

Xie Ruhe asked again: “How much cornstarch?”

Shu Nian was still staring at the screen, not hearing him clearly, and raised her head numbly: “Hm?”

“How much cornstarch.” Xie Ruhe repeated, seeing her dazed expression, he raised an eyebrow, “Who are you chatting with?”

As he spoke, he walked to Shu Nian’s side.

He happened to see the content on the screen.

Xie Ruhe stared at it for a few seconds, then looked up: “Not going to reply?”

Shu Nian licked her lips, feeling that since he was a public figure, such things shouldn’t be casually admitted. Under his gaze, she hesitantly typed “No, I’m not.”

Before sending it, Xie Ruhe took her phone.

Their gazes met.

Xie Ruhe’s eyes were clean and black, with slightly upturned corners. He asked softly: “May I use it?”

Shu Nian made a sound of surprise and stuttered: “Y-yes.”

She didn’t know what he wanted to do and watched foolishly as he held her phone and pressed the voice message button.

Seeing this, Shu Nian’s eyes widened a bit.

She didn’t think to stop him.

Xie Ruhe curved his lips, smiling at Shu Nian, his eyes showing several traces of affection. He lowered his voice, making it sound lazy and casual, yet somehow carrying a serious emotion.

“We are indeed a couple, thank you for your concern.”