"Mr. Bai."
The young girl called out again. Her eyelashes were wet, and soft strands of hair were blown by the wind, making her face appear very fair. She wore a black sweater, almost transparently white, with a slender neck and lips as red as roses.
Her voice was hoarse, as if she had been crying for a long time, seeming very sad. A misty haze appeared in her dark, moist eyes, and her lips were pressed together.
It was as if she were smiling, and yet as if she were crying.
She called him out in a hushed tone.
Calling out his title.
Mr. Bai.
Her tone was very soft, tinged with faint sobs and a sense of grievance.
A sudden pang shot through Bai Yanzhe's heart, his entire chest feeling as though it would tear apart, his throat itchy and dry.
He opened his mouth, speaking with difficulty, his voice trembling, "It's me."
The girl stood in place, her face very pale, with a somewhat precarious, drifting feeling.
She fell into a warm embrace, the subtle scent of men's cologne, expensive and pleasant.
The girl looked up at him dazedly. The man's gaze was calm and unwavering, his handsome face seemingly unmoved. Being looked at by him, however, gave a fleeting impression of extreme gentleness.
He touched the girl's cold cheek and took off his trench coat, draping it over her.
The man, impeccably dressed in a three-piece suit, remained perfectly composed.
He held the person in his arms gently. Countless streams of traffic flowed by on the overpass, yet they did not disturb the two of them in the slightest.
The girl's body was rigid, as if she found it unbelievable. She did not struggle, allowing the man to hold her obediently, even seeming to cling to the warmth of his embrace.
Her complexion was ashen, almost transparent, "Mr. Bai..."
Bai Yanzhe could feel that the girl's emotions were not quite right. He cupped her face, making her look into his eyes.
"Will you come back with me?"
His deep, magnetic voice was as soft as water.
Bai Yanzhe did not scold her or blame her. He remained gentle, which only made Shen Yue feel more pained, more suffocated.
Because Bai Yanzhe was Bai Qingzhen's brother.
She could not bring herself to treat Bai Yanzhe with a normal mindset. She even wished that Bai Yanzhe would scold her.
Anything but like this...
She didn't know how to face Bai Yanzhe. In a daze, as if she had lost her soul, she said, "Mr. Bai, I don't have a home." Her eyelashes trembled violently, like butterflies. Her emotions were stuck at a certain point, churning intensely. She felt a sense of suffocation, and her eyelashes drooped. "No one wants to see me."
There was nothing left in this world worth clinging to.
Bai Yanzhe looked at Shen Yue's pale face. "This is not your fault."
His palm gently cradled the back of Shen Yue's head. His chest vibrated as he spoke, "I'll take you home."
"To my home."
Which is also your home.
---
The villa was heated, dispelling the cold, as warm as spring.
The girl sat on the sofa, her body gradually regaining warmth. In her hands, she held a cup of hot water, wisps of steam rising.
Bai Yanzhe had cooked a steaming bowl of noodles. He knew how to cook, but his repertoire was limited; his specialty was boiling noodles.
He had eaten out, so he only cooked one portion.
As he brought the noodles out, Shen Yue, sitting on the sofa, caught the fragrance.
Bai Yanzhe had taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a white shirt and a vest. He was tall, with a high-bridged nose and refined, handsome features.
"Yueyue, come eat your noodles."
Shen Yue was very well-behaved. She walked to the dining table and sat down, holding her chopsticks, eating quietly.
The girl ate with a pleasing grace. Bathed in the lamplight, the color of her hair seemed soft, and even her eyelashes appeared to be dusted with specks of light.
The noodles tasted very good. Her stomach, which had been aching, now felt warm and comfortable. After eating, Shen Yue looked up. Her eyes were clean and beautiful, her eyelashes long, and her pupils dark. "Mr. Bai, the noodles are delicious."
She pursed her lips, smiling as if shy.
After a pause, Bai Yanzhe looked at her. Every gaze was imbued with deep affection, intense and burning, yet also restrained and perhaps a little greedy, tracing her face inch by inch. His voice, inevitably, became a little lower, as if he were embarrassed, "Mr. Bai?"
Bai Yanzhe snapped back to attention.
The emotion in his eyes subsided considerably. He was as calm and mature as ever. "Are you full?"
Shen Yue replied softly, "I'm full."
Since there was only one bowl, Bai Yanzhe took it to the kitchen to wash himself.
Shen Yue sat on the sofa for a while, watching the direction of the kitchen. As if having made a decision, her eyelashes quivered, her fingertips tightening subtly. She stood up and quietly walked into the kitchen.
The man's shoulders were broad. The faucet was on, water gushing. His well-defined, pampered fingers were covered in suds as he diligently washed the dishes.
Shen Yue said nothing. She moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his broad back.
His dishwashing motion paused. Bai Yanzhe slowly stiffened. He froze for a long moment before turning his head. His voice, though, couldn't hide his nervousness. "Shen Yue?"
The man's voice remained gentle, with a hint of confusion.
His broad shoulders offered a long-lost sense of security.
It felt as though a great wave was crashing through her heart, leaving a vast, cold, and empty space.
Her eyelashes became a little damp, her voice trembling slightly, "Mr. Bai, Mr. Bai..."
"Can you kiss me?"
She yearned for it, like a child asking for candy.
Bai Yanzhe was stunned. He made no move. In that instant, time seemed to slow.
His lips were pressed tightly together. He spoke slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse, "Shen Yue, you cannot."
A kiss was meant for someone very important.
The girl, in her youthful bloom, deserved someone better.
A soft sob could be heard from behind her.
Bai Yanzhe let out a quiet sigh and turned around.
The girl tilted her head up, her dark, moist eyes filled with a watery mist. Tears clung to her eyelashes, sparkling like dewdrops. Bai Yanzhe lowered his head, wiping away the tears with his thumb, gently stroking her lashes.
He watched as Shen Yue softly closed her eyes. Her fair face and red lips looked so pitiful, so fragile.
"You must be well."
"Always be well."
Bai Yanzhe wished Shen Yue happiness, and that she would always be happy.
Shen Yue suddenly opened her eyes. She reached out and hugged Bai Yanzhe, as if trying to draw herself into his embrace. Bai Yanzhe couldn't bear to push her away.
He stroked her hair. "I will always be here."
As long as Shen Yue turned around, he would be there.
From this moment on, this would be Shen Yue's home.
Shen Yue hugged him tighter, feeling a surge of sadness, her voice trembling severely, "But..."
But she just wanted to prove that there were still things worth cherishing in this world.
However, Bai Yanzhe refused.
Regardless of the reason, the last lamp had been extinguished.
She was in a daze, unaware of the meaning of her current existence. Even though she was holding the man's warm body, she still felt a chilling cold.