She thought that by wiping away her tears, it would be as if nothing had happened, but her reddened eyes had already betrayed her.
Her beautiful, pale face was like a veil in the flickering lamplight. Although she was smiling, she exuded an aura of helplessness and sadness.
Shen Yue said, "I didn't cry, a mosquito flew into my eyes."
Shen Yan's fair and handsome face turned ashen. What mosquitoes could there be in the middle of summer?
He wanted to pretend not to care. After all, he and Shen Yue had no relationship anymore. Even if he suffered injustice or was bullied outside, it had nothing to do with him.
Besides, who could bully Shen Yue?
Shen Yue was the kind of person who would never let herself suffer a loss.
Shen Yan's gaze shifted to the reddened corners of her eyes, but—
Shen Yue had lost her memory.
It had to be said that Shen Yue with amnesia was like an idiot, foolish and silly, as if she would help count money even if she was sold.
Thinking this, it was as if balls of cotton were stuffed into the deepest part of his heart.
Like a pair of invisible hands, it stirred the calm lake in his heart into ripples.
Shen Yan took out his keys from his pocket and opened the door. He didn't go in immediately but slightly turned his head and said casually to the hesitant woman standing at the door, "Come in."
Shen Yue was flattered. She tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, not knowing why she was still hesitant to go in.
Her wet eyelashes drooped, and her dark, beautiful, and easily tearful eyes stared at the uneven ground.
Her voice was small and soft.
"No, no, it's late. I won't disturb you."
The young man let out a cold laugh, turned to look at the woman with her head bowed, but there was no smile in his eyes. He turned on the light and said, "After you leave, never come back again."
After saying that, he went inside without caring about the other person's reaction.
Shen Yue's face turned pale. She bit her lip hard. After hesitating for a moment, she still went in.
The room was even shabbier than she had imagined, with peeling white paint on the walls and worn-out household items.
Shen Yan went into the kitchen. Hearing footsteps in the living room, the frown he had been holding involuntarily relaxed.
He turned on the stove, took noodles and two eggs from the refrigerator, and lit a cigarette while the noodles were cooking.
The water in the pot gurgled. A cigarette was half-smoked between his fingers, with wisps of thin blue smoke curling upwards.
"Xiao Yan."
A gentle, spring-breeze-like voice came from behind him.
Shen Yan's mind went blank for a moment, and then he turned his head. Shen Yue had come up behind him at some unknown time.
Shen Yue looked at the cigarette in Shen Yan's fingers, and her delicate and beautiful eyebrows furrowed instantly. "Put out that cigarette."
Her words were decisive, which surprised Shen Yan. He subconsciously put out the cigarette, and only a moment later did he react. His handsome face turned as black as coal.
He glanced at the woman and gave a sarcastic smile. "If I want to smoke, I will smoke. What right do you have to control me?"
Shen Yue said very seriously and earnestly, "Smoking is bad for your health, and you are so young. How can you pick up such a bad habit? Hand over all your cigarettes."
Shen Yan was bewildered and inexplicably annoyed. "Are you crazy? Mind your own business!"
Shen Yue stared at him with her clear, clean black eyes, which sparkled in the dim kitchen like black pearls hidden in oysters at the bottom of the sea.
She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I am your sister."
Shen Yan's chest heaved, and it took a long time for the anger in his heart to subside. He said without thinking, "You are not my sister. I don't have a sister."
As soon as he spoke, the air seemed to flow with a suffocating oppressiveness.
Shen Yue lowered her head, her expression hidden.
Shen Yan felt he was right, but seeing Shen Yue's current state, he felt inexplicably guilty and uneasy. He turned his head and continued cooking the noodles.
However, he could always hear the movements of the person beside him.
Shen Yue stood beside him for a long time, then slowly walked away.
Shen Yan couldn't help but turn his head to look.
The woman's figure was thin and slender, wearing a black hoodie that seemed empty inside.
Shen Yan looked at the boiling noodles in the pot, frowning, his face looking grim.
The noodles were soon cooked. He served them steaming hot. Shen Yue looked at the bowl of noodles in front of her, which had two eggs on top, while Shen Yan's bowl had none.
She looked at Shen Yan.
Shen Yan seemed to understand the meaning in her eyes and said faintly, "I don't like to eat eggs."
Shen Yue almost instinctively retorted, "You're lying."
Shen Yan raised his eyes.
Shen Yue lowered her head, picked out the egg whites, and put them into his bowl.
After finishing this, Shen Yue herself was stunned, and Shen Yan stared intently at the bowl, his expression dark and unreadable.
Shen Yue tasted a bite and was pleasantly surprised. The noodles were unexpectedly delicious, even better than the ones Shen Yue made.
After eating two mouthfuls, Shen Yue asked, "Isn't Mom home?"
Shen Yan paused and said, "Mom is on a night shift today and won't be back."
Shen Yue said "oh," and the meal was eaten in silence.
After the meal, Shen Yue offered to wash the dishes, and Shen Yan did not refuse.
There were only two bowls, and they were quickly washed. Shen Yue took two tissues and wiped the water off her hands.
Shen Yan was doing his homework. He was in his third year of high school, with a heavy academic load and a lot of homework. He often didn't get home until late after his part-time job, so by the time he finished his homework, it was usually past midnight.
Shen Yue stared at the young man's back for a long time. After a while, she said softly, "Then I'll be going back now."
Shen Yan was still facing away from her, and only his extremely indifferent tone could be heard.
"It's very late. Stay here for the night."
Shen Yue's breath hitched. She widened her eyes almost incredulously, and after a long period of fumbling, she managed to suppress the excitement and joy in her heart.
She said cautiously,
"Then, then I'll sleep on the sofa..."
"You can sleep in Mom's room. Mom won't be back tonight anyway."
Shen Yue frantically shook her head. "No, no need. I'll sleep on the sofa."
Shen Yan just looked back at her faintly, said nothing, and continued writing his homework.
The math formulas under his pen were complex and tedious. Shen Yan's mind replayed the image of the woman's nervous posture, her hands and feet not knowing where to go. The corners of his tightly drawn lips couldn't help but curve into a subtle arc, which quickly fell back into place.
The sofa was hard, but Shen Yue didn't mind at all. Instead, she found it extremely comfortable.
Shen Yan was sitting beside her doing his homework, and Shen Yue could see him whenever she looked up.
Under the dim yellow light, the young man's hair was outlined with a halo of light. His back was straight and broad, vaguely showing the silhouette of an adult man.