After speaking, Xie Ru He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Shu Nian pulled her thoughts back, said goodbye to Huang Li Zhi on the other end of the phone, and then hung up. She climbed down from the bed and walked to the door, listening for Xie Ru He’s movements.

She couldn’t hear any sound.

In the time it took to answer a phone call, Shu Nian’s anger had completely vanished without a trace. She licked her lips, stood back on the chair, and felt around the top of the wardrobe for Xie Ru He’s toothbrush.

But just now Shu Nian had pushed it in forcefully, and at this moment she couldn’t find it despite feeling around for a long time.

Shu Nian stood on her tiptoes, struggling to reach further inside. After struggling for a few minutes, she stood back down dejectedly, staring at the top of the wardrobe, and helplessly uttered two words.

“It’s gone.”

She remained frozen for several dozen seconds.

Shu Nian looked around and fixed her gaze on a book on the bedside table. She picked it up, rolled it into a small rod, and probed around the top of the wardrobe blindly like a visually impaired person.

Just as she finally touched the toothbrush, the sound of the door opening came from behind her.

Accompanied by Xie Ru He’s voice: “Nian Nian, it’s time for your medicine…”

Perhaps seeing her in this position, his words came to an abrupt halt.

Shu Nian’s movements paused, and she looked back slightly.

Her eyes met Xie Ru He’s directly.

Caught in the act, she swallowed and momentarily didn’t know how to react, maintaining her original position stiffly, stammering: “I know.”

Xie Ru He stared at her thoughtfully, also standing still in place.

Shu Nian slowly withdrew her hand, considering whether pretending nothing had happened would seem awkward and forced. Before she could decide, Xie Ru He had already walked over and lifted her down from the chair.

“Couldn’t get it down?”

“…” Shu Nian was quiet for a few seconds, then resignedly nodded, “Mm.”

Xie Ru He stared at her expression, his lips curving upward, unable to hold back a laugh. He stepped onto the chair and easily retrieved the toothbrush that had been rolled to the very back: “Don’t stand so high, next time hide it in a lower place.”

Shu Nian glanced at him, stubbornly saying: “If it’s too low, you’ll see it right away.”

Xie Ru He made an affirming sound, saying casually: “Then I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”

“…”

When she moved to Xie Ru He’s home, the temperature was still in the single digits, so most of the clothes Shu Nian brought were winter clothes. Although the seasons had changed several weeks ago, because she hadn’t gone out much, she didn’t feel like she lacked clothes to wear.

The next day, the two of them returned to Shu Nian’s small house.

Although this house had been uninhabited for more than a month because Deng Qing Yu occasionally came over to help Shu Nian clean, it looked clean now, and the air didn’t smell bad.

The last time she came, Shu Nian only took a small portion of the necessary things, and she didn’t bring many things to Xie Ru He’s place.

At that time, she thought she probably wouldn’t stay at his house for too long.

Just a matter of a few days, no need to bring too many things.

But in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.

Shu Nian always had the feeling that she would still be living there for a long time.

She thought for a moment, took out all her clothes, and stuffed them messily into the suitcase. Then she looked around the room, throwing whatever she wanted to take into the box as if wanting to empty the place.

Finally, Shu Nian struggled to zip up the suitcase and left the room.

Hearing the noise, Xie Ru He came over and took the suitcase for her.

Shu Nian looked around the living room once more and said softly: “I don’t think there’s anything else to bring.”

Xie Ru He nodded: “Then let’s go.”

Shu Nian walked in front to open the door, talking to herself: “Maybe I should rent out this house, it feels useless just sitting here… but I also feel…”

Before she could finish speaking, footsteps sounded from upstairs, accompanied by a woman’s humming voice: “I thought it was stars being knocked down by rain… looking up… it was you appearing…”

Shu Nian was so familiar with this song that she could recite it backward and immediately looked toward the source of the sound.

A woman stood in the stairwell on the third floor.

Noticing other people present, the woman instinctively closed her mouth. She was dressed simply in shorts and a short-sleeved top, revealing a section of fair, slender waist and fair, long legs. Her curly hair was scattered behind her.

With a bare face, she still looked considerably more outstanding than ordinary people.

It was Ke Yi Qing, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time.

Ke Yi Qing twirled keys in her hand, looking carefree: “Shu Nian?”

Shu Nian blinked: “Why are you here?”

“I moved to the fourth floor here.” Ke Yi Qing said with a smile, “I just finished filming a drama recently and am taking a break. What about you? Aren’t you with…”

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed Xie Ru He standing behind Shu Nian.

“Ah, coming back to get things?”

Shu Nian nodded: “Yes.”

“Hey, by the way. I want to ask you something.” After speaking, Ke Yi Qing glanced at Xie Ru He, noting the suitcase in his hand, and added, “Are you two in a hurry?”

Because they had chatted on WeChat recently, Shu Nian quite liked Ke Yi Qing: “Not in a hurry.”

Ke Yi Qing asked: “Where are you going?”

Hearing this, Shu Nian looked at Xie Ru He, as if asking him.

Xie Ru He answered for her: “Going nearby to buy some food, then going back.”

Shu Nian explained: “Going to take the subway.”

“Then I’ll go with you since we’re headed the same way.” Ke Yi Qing took the sunglasses hanging on her collar and put them on, then took out her phone from her pocket, “Let’s talk while walking, it won’t take up your time.”

Shu Nian walked beside her: “What did you want to ask?”

Xie Ru He pulled the suitcase, silently following behind Shu Nian.

“I was filming somewhere else recently,” Ke Yi Qing said casually. “This apartment was rented for me by my friend, you probably know why…”

Shu Nian thought for a moment, then shook her head: “I don’t know.”

Ke Yi Qing immediately went quiet. Noticing Xie Ru He standing right behind, she carefully leaned closer to Shu Nian and whispered two words, “He—You—”

Seeing this, Shu Nian also lowered her voice: “Officer He? What about him?”

Ke Yi Qing coughed lightly: “I want to pursue him.”

Shu Nian thought she had misheard: “But didn’t you say before…”

“That was just…” Ke Yi Qing didn’t know how to continue, so she changed the subject, “Has He You moved too? I’ve been here for a week and never seen him, and no one answers when I knock on his door.”

Shu Nian wasn’t very clear either: “I don’t know, but Officer He’s work hours aren’t fixed.”

“Then do you know his normal working hours?”

“I don’t know,” Shu Nian answered honestly. “Because my working hours are quite long, they probably don’t overlap with his. And when I get home, I shower and go to sleep, so I haven’t paid much attention.”

Ke Yi Qing scratched her head: “Why do I feel like he’s deliberately ignoring me?”

Shu Nian hesitated: “I don’t think so.”

Hearing this, Ke Yi Qing’s eyes brightened a bit: “Why?”

Shu Nian looked at her: “You’re good-looking.”

“That’s right,” Ke Yi Qing raised an eyebrow, unable to hold back from complaining. “I really can’t believe it, I look like this and he’s still picky, avoiding me like I’m a ghost. Is there something wrong with his aesthetic?”

Shu Nian found her way of speaking amusing, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

After speaking, Ke Yi Qing remembered something else: “By the way, the theme song for ‘While He’s Still Here’ that was recently released, you sang it, right?”

Shu Nian was taken aback, then remembered it had already been released: “Mm.”

Ke Yi Qing asked again: “You were Miao Man’s voice actor?”

Miao Man was the second female lead in the movie.

Shu Nian said: “Yes.”

“Hey, the dubbing was pretty good.” Ke Yi Qing gossiped, “This movie has been getting slammed recently, called a melodramatic trash film with wrong values, and both the ratings and box office are terrible.”

Shu Nian hadn’t been paying attention to this and made a sound of surprise: “Really?”

“Yeah,” Ke Yi Qing said. “They say they spent several dozen yuan on movie tickets, and only the song was worth listening to. I even saw a post talking about how Miao Man still uses voice dubbing on the big screen.”

“…”

“Hey, don’t mind it,” Ke Yi Qing spoke straightforwardly. “I went to see that movie, and the fact that you could dub Miao Man’s acting to that level is really impressive.”

Shu Nian responded conventionally: “It’s normal to find voice actors when the voice doesn’t suit the character.”

“It’s mainly interesting to see her getting criticized again,” Ke Yi Qing said a lot, and once she started, she couldn’t stop. “I was on a variety show some time ago, the one I told you about before.”

“Hmm?”

Ke Yi Qing looked back at Xie Ru He, saw that he didn’t seem to be listening to their conversation, and didn’t pay much attention: “They originally invited Teacher A He, but he didn’t come. So the program team invited Xu Ze Yuan, and Miao Man was there too.”

Shu Nian didn’t know much about these things, so she could only nod in response.

Ke Yi Qing: “Those two seemed to hit it off.”

Shu Nian nodded again.

“But I feel it’s one-sided from Miao Man, sigh, she’s also a pitiful person.” Ke Yi Qing sighed, “Let’s not talk about it, it reminds me of myself.”

Shu Nian opened her mouth, thinking about how to comfort her.

“Ah, I won’t bother you anymore.” Ke Yi Qing waved at her, her enthusiasm suddenly rising, “I’m going that way, to see if I can catch him. Let’s chat another day.”

Seeing that she didn’t seem upset, Shu Nian didn’t say more, just responded with a “sure.”

Shu Nian turned back, looking at Xie Ru He who had been silent the whole way: “What are we going to buy?”

“Some toast.” Lost in thought about something, Xie Ru He’s tone was absent-minded, “Is there anything you want to eat?”

Shu Nian’s cold hadn’t gotten better, and in this hot summer, she only wanted to eat cold things. But feeling that Xie Ru He probably wouldn’t let her eat them, she just shook her head: “No.”

They walked in silence the rest of the way.

Xie Ru He suddenly said: “The variety show your friend just mentioned was broadcast recently.”

Not knowing why he suddenly mentioned this, Shu Nian wasn’t very interested, only making a sound of acknowledgment.

“Yesterday Xu Ze Yuan and Miao Man were trending.” Xie Ru He licked his lips as if laying the groundwork for something, “They say photos of them having a private dinner were captured.”

Shu Nian looked at him, saying very seriously: “I don’t care about this.”

Xie Ru He paused, then said: “Xu Ze Yuan called me yesterday.”

Hearing this, Shu Nian’s expression finally changed: “What did he want?”

Xie Ru He: “To apologize for the offensive things he said before.”

Shu Nian thought for quite a while: “Hasn’t that been a long time ago?”

Xie Ru He’s voice was emotionless: “He said he had too many schedules before and couldn’t find time.”

Shu Nian’s expression was strange: “You shouldn’t pay attention to him.”

“Mm.”

After a while.

Xie Ru He came out with another sentence: “Later he called you.”

Shu Nian didn’t react immediately: “Huh?”

“You were sleeping at the time.” Xie Ru He’s voice was very low, “So I answered.”

“Oh.” Shu Nian thought for a moment, explaining, “He’s never called me before.”

Xie Ru He pressed his lips together, lying with a straight face.

“I forgot to tell you.”

Thinking about last night, after he answered the phone.

Xu Ze Yuan’s slightly nervous voice came from the other end: “Is this Shu Nian? This is Xu Ze Yuan.”

During the time Shu Nian had moved in, he hadn’t seen her receive any calls from Xu Ze Yuan. With the gossip that had just come out, Xie Ru He could roughly guess that Xu Ze Yuan was calling to explain this.

To explain to his girlfriend.

Thinking of this, a hint of coldness appeared in Xie Ru He’s eyes, and afraid of waking Shu Nian, he walked out of the room. He was quiet for a few seconds, then replied expressionlessly: “No.”

The two had just had a phone call not long ago, and Xu Ze Yuan immediately recognized his voice, thinking he had dialed wrong: “Teacher A He? Sorry, I dialed the wrong number…”

“You probably didn’t dial wrong.” Xie Ru He said, “What do you need? I’ll pass it on for you.”

Xu Ze Yuan’s end went quiet for a moment.

“Ah, right.” Xie Ru He’s voice paused, and then he calmly stated, “The Shu Nian you just mentioned is my girlfriend.”