Xie Ruhe held her hand and walked toward the elevator.

Shu Nian’s expression was dazed as she unconsciously followed him. Thinking of the scene just now, she turned her head and couldn’t help glancing in Lin Qiqi’s direction again.

Lin Qiqi was still standing in the same place, her expression thoughtful. Noticing Shu Nian’s gaze, she suddenly curved the corners of her eyes and waved at Shu Nian in a friendly manner.

The unfriendliness she had sensed earlier seemed to be just Shu Nian’s imagination.

Lin Qiqi’s reaction made Shu Nian feel that she was perhaps being too petty. She forced a smile.

Because of the act of turning around, the hat on Shu Nian’s head fell off again. She withdrew her gaze and bent down to pick up the hat. Xie Ruhe stopped beside her to wait.

Shu Nian freed her hand and dusted off the dirt on the hat.

Xie Ruhe looked over: “If it’s dirty, don’t wear it.”

Shu Nian lowered her head without looking at him and said softly: “It’ll be fine after dusting it off.”

Not knowing why she was unhappy, and feeling it wasn’t really because of the hat, Xie Ruhe thought it might be another sudden mood drop, so he didn’t ask further. He thought for a moment and asked tentatively: “Would you like some pudding?”

Hearing this, Shu Nian raised her head, looking at him with her round eyes.

Xie Ruhe asked again: “Ice cream?”

“…”

“Rice balls?”

Shu Nian didn’t respond.

Just then, the elevator arrived.

Xie Ruhe led her into the elevator: “You don’t want any of them?”

Apart from the two of them, there was no one else in the elevator. The space inside was small, and even a single word seemed to echo.

Shu Nian sniffled, not answering his question, feeling gloomy. She struggled for several seconds, then asked, pretending to be casual: “What did Lin Qiqi say to you just now…”

At this moment, Xie Ruhe was checking nearby food options on his phone, looking focused and serious. Hearing her words, his expression paused, as if he hadn’t heard clearly, and he turned his head: “Who?”

Shu Nian was also taken aback: “The person who was just talking to you.”

Xie Ruhe realized: “Your friend?”

“Not a friend.” Shu Nian thought for a moment and honestly said, “Just met her a few times at the recording studio, then added each other on WeChat, but we rarely chat. She seems to not remember me.”

That was normal.

A girl like that, naturally outgoing and cheerful, would be liked by many people and would know many people. She wouldn’t pay much attention to someone as quiet and dull as Shu Nian, who had only exchanged a few words with her.

They reached the first floor and exited the elevator.

Xie Ruhe guessed: “Are you upset because she doesn’t remember you?”

“No.” Shu Nian had gathered the courage to ask him a question, but he didn’t answer and instead asked her so many questions in return. She was a bit angry and muttered, “I just asked what she said to you, and you won’t tell me.”

“…”

“And you asked me so many questions.” Shu Nian frowned, getting angrier as she spoke, her words carrying accusation, “I told you everything, but you won’t tell me.”

Xie Ruhe was stunned by these sudden words. He recalled for a while and hesitantly said: “I’ve been to this recording studio before. That person just called me Teacher A’He, so I thought she was a staff member here.”

Not expecting such an answer, Shu Nian instantly fell silent.

Xie Ruhe hadn’t paid much attention and couldn’t quite remember now, speaking slowly and uncertainly: “She said her phone was out of battery and asked if she could borrow my phone to make a call.”

Shu Nian gave a soft “Oh”: “Then what did you say?”

Xie Ruhe said bluntly: “I said no.”

Shu Nian: “…”

Xie Ruhe really couldn’t remember anymore, but afraid that Shu Nian would be unhappy, he could only admit softly: “I don’t remember what happened after that, I wasn’t listening carefully.”

Shu Nian licked her lips, her expression doubtful: “You don’t know her?”

Xie Ruhe said: “No, I don’t.”

“She’s the one, from that drama before, the one I was going to watch with you, the lead actress from that drama.” Shu Nian gestured with her hands, but couldn’t recall the name of the drama, “Don’t you remember?”

Xie Ruhe remembered and suddenly understood why she had been unhappy earlier. He curved his lips and said with a drawl: “Ah, the drama where you got jealous just from watching the opening?”

“…” Shu Nian stiffly refuted, “I wasn’t jealous.”

Xie Ruhe raised an eyebrow: “Really?”

Shu Nian nodded without much conviction.

Xie Ruhe didn’t pursue the matter with her and explained: “It’s not that I don’t remember, it’s just that at the time I was thinking about how you weren’t feeling well, and you turned it off before I had seen the screen.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian looked up hesitantly: “You didn’t see?”

“Mm.”

Shu Nian’s face inexplicably grew hot, suddenly feeling that her earlier tantrum had been completely unreasonable. She was so embarrassed she wanted to sink into the ground: “I, I thought you recognized her…”

“Hmm? Don’t want me to talk to her?” Xie Ruhe chuckled, “I recognize her now.”

“It’s not that.” Shu Nian pressed her lips together and said randomly, “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just asking, you didn’t say much anyway… Anyway, just pretend I never asked you this…”

Xie Ruhe stared at her for a while, his expression thoughtful.

Shu Nian felt uncomfortable under his gaze and couldn’t help looking away.

After several seconds, Xie Ruhe said: “Alright.”

Shu Nian gave a sullen “Mm.”

Then she heard him say: “I won’t talk to her again.”

“…”

The two of them left the building.

This happened to be a commercial street.

Xie Ruhe called Fang Wencheng to go back and planned to buy something nearby with Shu Nian and then walk back. They went to a nearby brand store and, according to Shu Nian’s preferences, chose a pair of matching couple hats.

Shu Nian put a hat on him, having to stand on tiptoe because of the height difference.

Xie Ruhe instinctively lowered his head a bit.

Shu Nian arranged his hair, lost in thought, her expression hesitant. After a long while, she still couldn’t help saying: “I wasn’t in a good mood just now, that’s why I didn’t answer you.”

Xie Ruhe smoothed her bangs: “Mm?”

Shu Nian said carefully: “I want to eat pudding.”

“…”

On the way home, Shu Nian barely looked at her phone. After getting home, she opened her phone and casually glanced at it, only to find that Lin Qiqi had messaged her on WeChat.

[Did you come to the recording studio near Station Square today?]

[I think I saw you.]

Shu Nian stared at it for a few seconds and replied with a “Mm.”

Lin Qiqi replied quickly: [Ah, were you with Teacher A’He…?]

Lin Qiqi: [I heard from others before, did you pass the audition? Congratulations.]

Lin Qiqi: [You’re so lucky.]

Shu Nian didn’t know how to reply and after thinking for a long time, only managed: [Thank you.]

Lin Qiqi: [So you two are together now?]

Shu Nian didn’t want to discuss these things with someone she wasn’t familiar with, so she just sent an emoji.

Lin Qiqi: [Hahaha I’m being too nosy!]

Lin Qiqi: [Just asking! Can I get Teacher A’He’s contact information from you? My character in the next drama is a singer-songwriter, so I want to learn from him.]

Lin Qiqi: [I forgot to ask him just now.]

Shu Nian looked down and tactfully replied: [The production team should hire consultants for that.]

Lin Qiqi: [Hmm?]

Lin Qiqi: [My production team is a bit poor TVT]

Shu Nian didn’t reply.

After quite a while.

Lin Qiqi: [Are you unwilling?]

Lin Qiqi: [Then forget it. I was just asking, and won’t force you if you’re unwilling. My request was too unreasonable, I’ll ask Teacher A’He personally when I see him next time.]

Seeing this, Shu Nian breathed a sigh of relief: [Okay.]

As if unable to believe she got such an answer, after a good while, Lin Qiqi finally replied: […]

Shu Nian didn’t know what she meant by this and didn’t reply.

The two didn’t talk after that.

Shu Nian also didn’t mention this to Xie Ruhe.

Perhaps because the air conditioner in the room was set too low, and Shu Nian often kicked off her blanket at night. In this midsummer, she inexplicably caught a cold, her throat itchy, often coughing.

Because of this, when Shu Nian first walked toward the kitchen, Xie Ruhe reminded her: “Shu Nian, don’t eat ice cream until your cold is better.”

This stopped Shu Nian, who had been planning to get ice cream, in her tracks, and she glumly walked back to her room. After half an hour, she came out of her room again, hoping to grab some while Xie Ruhe wasn’t paying attention.

But she found Xie Ruhe sitting on the sofa, holding her last box of ice cream in his hand.

Shu Nian was surprised, her eyes widening: “Why are you eating my ice cream?”

Doing this for the first time, Xie Ruhe also felt a bit guilty and licked his lips.

“Afraid you’d eat it secretly.”

“But you, you…” Shu Nian indeed had this intention and couldn’t righteously refute, “How could you eat it… That was the last box…”

Xie Ruhe didn’t dare to touch it anymore, put down the spoon in his hand, and said softly: “I’ll buy you more when your cold gets better.”

Shu Nian was still unhappy and immediately turned back to her room. She kept a straight face, thought for a moment, and defiantly locked the door.

She didn’t hear Xie Ruhe’s footsteps following her.

Shu Nian felt even worse, reopened the door, and looked outside. She predicted what Xie Ruhe might do next, tiptoed to the bathroom, and took out his electric toothbrush.

Then, Shu Nian returned to her room, wondering where would be the best place to hide it.

She scanned the room and saw the closet, which was over two meters tall, not far away.

Shu Nian carefully moved a chair in front of the closet, laid the toothbrush flat, and hid it at the far end of the top of the closet. After hiding it, she got down from the chair and observed from various angles.

It couldn’t be seen from any angle.

Shu Nian suddenly thought of the height difference between her and Xie Ruhe.

Just as she was about to climb onto the bed to check.

At that moment, Shu Nian’s phone on the bedside table rang.

She set aside her thoughts and went over to look.

It was a call from Huang Lizhi.

Shu Nian hadn’t received a call from her teacher in a long time, and her emotions instantly dispersed. She blinked and immediately answered the phone, greeting: “Teacher.”

Huang Lizhi laughed: “Mm, Shu Nian. I’ve returned to Ruchuan these days.”

Shu Nian nodded: “You’re not staying at the dubbing factory anymore?”

“No.” Huang Lizhi said, “I’ve set up a voice acting studio with some friends and wanted to ask if you’d like to join our team, as a member of my studio.”

Shu Nian was flattered: “Me?”

Huang Lizhi said: “Yes. It’s a new studio, and it’s not easy to develop, so you can think about it, and it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to go.” Shu Nian agreed immediately without considering. After saying this, she hesitantly added, “But I’m not feeling well recently.”

Huang Lizhi said “Ah”: “What’s wrong?”

Shu Nian said vaguely: “Just, anxiety and such have gotten a bit worse.”

“…” Hearing this, Huang Lizhi seemed to think of something and sighed softly, “That’s alright. Just give me a call whenever you want to come over, and we’ll sign a contract.”

Shu Nian obediently said: “Okay, thank you, Teacher.”

“Nian Nian.” Huang Lizhi suddenly said, “The bad things are in the past, you need to move on yourself. Don’t let yourself become unhappy for things that aren’t worth it.”

Shu Nian’s breath paused, and she said softly: “I know.”

The next moment, Xie Ruhe knocked on the door outside.

Shu Nian glanced in the direction of the door but didn’t respond.

After half a minute, Xie Ruhe opened the door. As if he had just taken a shower, his hair was wet, and water droplets hung on his face. His gaze swept around the room, lingered on top of the closet for two seconds, and then looked at Shu Nian.

Shu Nian covered the mouthpiece of the phone and said softly: “What is it?”

Xie Ruhe was silent for a few seconds: “I can’t find my toothbrush and wanted to ask if you had seen it.”

Shu Nian immediately lowered her head, glancing guiltily at the closet: “No.”

Another few seconds of silence.

Just as Shu Nian thought she had been discovered and was hesitating whether to confess.

Xie Ruhe spoke.

“…Then I’ll keep looking.”