Shen Yue had just taken out her card when Qi Rui frowned and stopped her, "I said, I'll buy it for you."
The man's expression was slightly sullen, clearly displeased.
But Shen Yue still insisted, "No need, I can afford these."
Qi Rui's voice was cool, "Do we have to be so formal? You're a guest, and I have a membership here."
The word "guest" deeply pricked her heart. Shen Yue touched her pale earlobe, "These are all women's clothes..."
"Xue'er particularly likes this style."
Shen Yue's movements paused, and after a moment, she managed a strained smile, "...Alright, thank you."
She lowered her head. Qi Rui was tall, and from this downward angle, he could even see the faint bluish veins on the side of Shen Yue's neck. Her skin was almost transparently white, possessing a breathtaking coldness and fragility.
He ignored the needle-like pain in his chest and tightened his thin lips.
After paying, Qi Rui had intended to accompany Shen Yue to other shopping malls. His phone rang. He took out his phone, saw the caller ID, and a soft glow flashed in his eyes.
"Xue'er?"
The man's voice was deep and gentle.
Unsure what the girl on the other end said, the man's face broke into a smile. Shen Yue suddenly remembered that she had hardly ever seen Qi Rui smile like this in front of her.
After about a minute of conversation, Qi Rui hung up. He looked at Shen Yue, "Xue'er is nearby. I'll go pick her up."
He pointed to a nearby coffee shop, "Can you wait for me there for a moment?"
The entire mall was well-heated, and there weren't many people in the coffee shop. Shen Yue's complexion remained pale. She turned to look outside the glass, her expression placid.
Qi Rui was exceptionally handsome, tall and striking. The black trench coat made his figure appear even more slender.
Walking with Tong Xue, they were a perfect match, as if destined for each other.
Shen Yue watched this scene, feeling not jealousy, but bitterness.
Because she knew that given her status, she was indeed reaching too high for Qi Rui.
At this moment, Qi Rui seemed to sense something and looked up.
Their eyes met, and Shen Yue immediately became flustered.
Qi Rui's face was expressionless, yet the corners of his mouth still held a lingering smile, as if it were meant for her.
In a daze, Shen Yue felt that the man was smiling because of her.
Shen Yue subconsciously averted her gaze, her heart pounding like a drum, her fingers trembling uncontrollably.
A duo became a trio.
Shen Yue spoke little; most of the conversation was between Tong Xue and Qi Rui.
It turned out Qi Rui wasn't cold and taciturn. In front of Tong Xue, he was like a normal person, speaking in a deep voice about interesting things around them, smiling, and coaxing.
Tong Xue was like a girl lost in love, her fair face flushed, her eyes full of affection.
At this moment, Shen Yue felt utterly superfluous.
She felt she shouldn't be there.
So Shen Yue said to Qi Rui, who was accompanying Tong Xue to browse jewelry, "I'm going back."
Qi Rui's gaze finally settled on her completely, "Then I'll take you."
Shen Yue refused, "No, I can take a taxi myself."
Qi Rui looked troubled. He glanced at Tong Xue, then at her. After a moment of silence, he turned and said something to Tong Xue, then walked over to her.
His profile was handsome and steady, "I'll take you back."
Shen Yue knew she shouldn't, but a trace of joy still basely surfaced.
The snow was still falling, like goose feathers, large and vast, blanketing the sky.
Qi Rui walked ahead, snowflakes falling on his dark hair, also dusting his shoulders.
Shen Yue suddenly recalled a line of ancient poetry she had heard.
"If today we were to share the snow, this life would be considered a shared white-haired old age."
Alas, neither of them had yet experienced a New Year together.
Qi Rui was driving, the snow in his hair had melted.
His hands gripped the steering wheel, while Shen Yue kept looking out the car window. There was no communication between them.
It was Qi Rui who spoke first, seemingly after much hesitation, "You don't seem to like Xue'er very much."
Qi Rui was very sensitive; he could always sense when someone around him was not quite right.
Shen Yue tugged at the scarf around her neck. Her fingers were slender, her fingertips snow-white. She lowered her head slightly, her soft, dark hair gently falling to her cheek, looking exceptionally quiet and gentle.
Her voice was soft, like a spring breeze in March.
"No, I'm just not used to talking to people I don't know well."
Qi Rui breathed a sigh of relief, his gloomy brows suddenly clearing, "Xue'er is a very approachable person. You should visit her more often. It's stuffy to stay cooped up in your room all the time."
After waiting for a moment and hearing no reply from the person beside him, Qi Rui turned his head and found the woman leaning against the car window, her eyes closed as if asleep.
Qi Rui quietly turned up the temperature and drove more smoothly.
The woman's small face was very pale, her eyelashes long. Unseen by the man, a tear slid from the corner of her eye.
---
Mother Qi had returned. She must have rushed home straight from the airport, her expression showing signs of fatigue.
Upon seeing Shen Yue, her perpetually icy face broke into a smile. She took Shen Yue's hand, "You must be Shen Yue, you're so pretty."
Shen Yue bashfully lowered her head and offered a shy smile.
"You should stay here for a few more days. Don't rush off. Stay as long as you like; it's just adding an extra pair of chopsticks."
Perhaps out of personal feelings, Shen Yue didn't want to leave just yet. She didn't quite know the purpose of her staying.
It was just...
She glanced at the man sitting on the sofa, reading the news.
Somewhat reluctantly.
Still unable to let go.
---
Qi Rui became busy again. He was always like this, losing track of day and night when he was engrossed in work, relying on his youth to disregard his own health.
One night, Shen Yue went downstairs for a drink of water around two or three in the morning and found the living room light still on.
Qi Rui was sitting on the sofa, his hair messy, wearing a bathrobe. Perhaps it was the lighting, but his entire face seemed to be shrouded in a haze.
Several white medicine bottles were on the coffee table, along with a cup of cold water.
The sound of Shen Yue coming downstairs startled him as he turned around.
As she walked closer, Shen Yue realized Qi Rui's face was pale, a dense layer of cold sweat on his forehead, and his thin lips pressed tightly together.
Her heart tightened, and she quickly walked over. First, she glanced at the medicine bottles; they were for the stomach.
Qi Rui had a stomach condition.
Shen Yue replaced the cold water on the table and placed a cup of hot water in front of him. Then she went to the kitchen to make a bowl of ginger soup.
The man was already half-lying on the sofa, his hair damp with sweat.
Shen Yue helped Qi Rui sit up, "Qi Rui, drink this. You'll feel better."
Her tone was soft and gentle, as if coaxing a child.
Upon hearing this, Qi Rui opened his eyes. His senses were blurred amidst the chaos. He instinctively did as the woman said.
The warm current did indeed ease his stomach. He hadn't slept for most of the day. The tip of his nose caught a sweet, familiar fragrance. He drifted off to sleep on the sofa in a daze.
After some time, the man began to toss and turn. Even in his sleep, his brows were furrowed.
Shen Yue knew the effect of the medicine must have worn off.
The living room was still warm. Shen Yue rubbed her hands together to warm them, then placed her warm palms on the man's stomach.
When the warmth in her hands dissipated, she rubbed them again.
When her arms ached, the man's tightly furrowed brow slowly relaxed.
Shen Yue found a blanket and draped it over him. She squatted beside him and watched for a while before quietly leaving.
---
When Shen Yue called, Qi Rui was in a meeting at the office.
The Qi family was a prestigious and influential clan. The Qi conglomerate also controlled several important economic lifelines of country A. Qi Rui himself was a resourceful and capable individual. Initially underestimated by the older executives due to his youth, he had, within six months, successfully silenced them all, earning their respectful address as "President."
Midway through the meeting, the secretary's phone lit up. She glanced at it and, seeing something that made her expression peculiar, looked at Qi Rui. After a moment's thought, she cautiously spoke, "Mr. Qi, Miss Shen has sent a message. Would you like to see it?"
Whether it was an illusion or not, everyone present felt Qi Rui's indifferent expression soften for a fleeting moment.
"Leave it for now; I'll call back later," Qi Rui said calmly.
The secretary put the message aside. However, a moment later, her phone rang with a clear, rather abrupt ringtone.
The secretary stared at Qi Rui fearfully, unsure whether to answer it or not.
"Mr. Xie, about this..."
Qi Rui said with evident impatience, "I'm in a meeting. We'll talk later."
After the meeting ended, he finally rubbed his temples with a hint of fatigue, drank a cup of coffee, and continued working. In the afternoon, the secretary entered once, saying someone had delivered a lunchbox. Qi Rui was busy then and didn't pay much attention, only thinking that this lunchbox tasted much better than usual.
He worked until late at night before checking the time and preparing to leave.
Qi Rui lit a cigarette and took a few puffs. While waiting for the elevator, he took out his phone to check it. Upon opening his phone, he saw a red dot next to a contact in his address book, reminding him that Shen Yue had called him today.
With the cigarette still dangling from his lips, Qi Rui listened quietly to the phone's ringing.
He dialed her number. The ringing went on for a long time.
The elevator arrived just then, and he entered it.
Just as his patience was about to run out and he was about to hang up, the call was answered.
"Hello?"
A soft, muffled voice, still tinged with grogginess, as if she had just been woken up, carrying a heavy sleepiness, like a newborn kitten.
Yet, this simple utterance inexplicably made Qi Rui feel a dry mouth and a racing pulse.
Qi Rui removed the cigarette that was sticking to his lips, took two more puffs, then stubbed it out and tossed it on the ground. Perhaps it was the confined space, but he suddenly felt very hot. He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, but still felt stifled, so he unbuttoned two more, revealing his prominent Adam's apple and slender neck. The strictness on his face diminished somewhat, adding a touch of humanity.
"Why did you call me?"
Shen Yue on the other end of the line seemed not fully awake. It wasn't until Qi Rui called her name that she reacted a bit.
Shen Yue's voice was still nasally, "It's nothing."
After a pause, she said warmly, "Are you not off work yet?"
With a click, he lit another cigarette. Qi Rui closed his eyes and took a drag, his tone perfunctory, "I'm off. Preparing to head back."
"Did you have dinner?"
His smoking paused. Qi Rui frowned slightly.
He finally sensed that something was not quite right. Shen Yue seemed to be treating him exceptionally well. Could Shen Yue have feelings for him...?
As he thought this, Qi Rui became increasingly alarmed, because he realized this wasn't just a baseless assumption; Shen Yue's attitude towards him was indeed very intriguing.
Before, she would sometimes wait for him at home in the evenings, like a wife waiting for her husband, and she always cooked for him and worried about his health. Now, she even called personally to ask when he would get off work!
Every word and action revealed strangeness.
How could a person be so good to another without any reason?
Qi Rui's heart pounded, his ear tips turning red.
He felt a sense of unease and found it difficult to accept. Shen Yue knew he had a girlfriend, yet she was still acting like this towards him... like this...
This was wrong.
Regardless of whether it was for Shen Yue or Tong Xue, Qi Rui would absolutely not betray Tong Xue.
Moreover, he hadn't known Shen Yue for very long. Perhaps he had given Shen Yue the wrong impression, causing things to reach this point.
Just as Xie Jiangdao was about to hang up the phone, Shen Yue spoke again, "Qi Rui, you've grown up. You need to learn to take good care of your body."
The woman's voice was very gentle, like a gentle breeze blowing past, instantly dispelling the heat he felt.
Qi Rui glanced at his phone. The call had already been disconnected. He put it back in his pocket and expressionlessly finished the cigarette.
---
At some point, Qi Rui had developed the habit of eating breakfast at home.
His mother had already looked towards the stairs for the third time.
According to this time...
Light footsteps sounded. Shen Yue walked down wearing a thick sweater, her exposed neck displaying smooth, graceful lines.
Her delicate skin was pale and almost sickly, with even the bluish veins on her neck clearly visible.
Her eyelashes were dense and long, like butterfly wings.
She looked truly thin, her features exquisitely drawn, possessing a kind of morbidly fragile beauty.
*Bang*—
The sound of porcelain clinking.
Qi Rui looked down. His clean, neat suit was splashed with some congee, leaving several white spots. He picked up the silk handkerchief beside him and wiped it clean.
Shen Yue sat opposite him. The congee emitted steam, making her beautiful and gentle eyebrows even more delicate and refined.
She took a sip of porridge and, seeing Qi Rui still struggling with his suit, said, "If you can't wipe it clean, go upstairs and change."
"Mm..."
Qi Rui didn't know where to put his hands. He stood up, too abruptly, the leg of the chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound that was particularly piercing in the silent living room.
He fled almost as if escaping.
The next day, Shen Yue realized she had caught a slight cold. Her forehead was burning, and her limbs felt weak and powerless.
She found a packet of cold medicine, casually brewed it, and fell asleep in a daze.