The girl was a pleasure to watch as she ate, her soft hair catching the light, seemingly imbued with a shimmering glow even on her eyelashes.
The food was delicious, and her previously aching stomach felt warm and comforted. After eating, Shen Yue looked up, her eyes remarkably clear and beautiful, framed by long lashes, her irises dark. "Mr. Bai, this noodle soup is very tasty."
She smiled, a hint of shyness in her expression.
After a pause, Bai Yan Zhe watched her, his gaze filled with intense, burning affection, both restrained and yet profoundly covetous, tracing every inch of her face. His voice dropped, as if slightly embarrassed, "Mr. Bai?"
Bai Yan Zhe snapped back to attention.
The emotions in his eyes subsided, his usual calm and mature demeanor returning. "Are you full?"
Shen Yue murmured, "Yes, I'm full."
As there was only one bowl, Bai Yan Zhe took it to the kitchen to wash.
Shen Yue sat on the sofa for a while, gazing towards the kitchen. As if having made a decision, her eyelashes fluttered, her fingertips subtly tightening. She stood up and quietly walked into the kitchen.
The man's shoulders were broad. The faucet was running, the water gushing. His well-defined fingers, accustomed to comfort, were covered in soap as he diligently washed the dishes.
Shen Yue remained silent. She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his waist, pressing her entire body against his broad back.
The dishwashing motion paused. Bai Yan Zhe slowly stiffened. He froze for a long moment before turning his head, his voice betraying his tension. "Shen Yue?"
The man's voice was still gentle, tinged with a faint question.
His broad shoulders offered a sense of security she hadn't felt in a long time.
Her heart felt as though it were being swept by a great tide, leaving a vast, hollow, and cold space.
Her eyelashes grew damp, her voice trembling slightly. "Mr. Bai, Mr. Bai..."
"Can you kiss me?"
She yearned for it, like a child asking for candy.
Bai Yan Zhe was stunned into stillness. He made no move, and for a moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
His lips thinned, and he spoke slowly, his voice rough, "Shen Yue, no."
Kissing was something reserved for someone very important.
This girl, at her youthful age, deserved someone better.
From behind him came the sound of the girl's soft sobs.
Bai Yan Zhe sighed softly and turned around.
The girl tilted her face up, her dark, wet eyes brimming with mist, tears clinging to her lashes like glistening dewdrops. Bai Yan Zhe lowered his head and gently wiped away the tears with his fingertips, softly caressing her lashes.
He watched as Shen Yue gently closed her eyes, her fair cheeks and vibrant lips looking so pitiful, so fragile.
"You must be well."
"Always be well."
Bai Yan Zhe wished for Shen Yue's happiness, that she would always be happy.
Shen Yue suddenly opened her eyes. She reached out and hugged Bai Yan Zhe, as if trying to pull herself into his embrace. Bai Yan Zhe couldn't bring himself to push her away.
He stroked the girl's hair. "I will always be here."
As long as Shen Yue turned around, he would be there.
From this day forward, this would be Shen Yue's home.
Shen Yue hugged him tighter, her voice trembling with a hint of pain. "But..."
But she just wanted to prove that there were still things in this world worth cherishing.
However, Bai Yan Zhe refused.
Regardless of the reason, the last flicker of hope was extinguished.
She felt dazed, unsure of the meaning of her own existence. Though she held the man's warm body, she still felt an bone-chilling cold.
That cold emanated from the very marrow of her bones.
Bai Yan Zhe waited for her to compose herself, his fingers slowly clenching. He lowered his head and, with a tenderness that wouldn't alert her, gently kissed the strands of her hair.
He was not greedy; this was enough.
Shen Yue returned to her room.
Bai Yan Zhe remained alone in the living room for a long time.
Deep in the night, Bai Yan Zhe jolted awake from a nightmare, his heart seizing, a cold sweat beading on his forehead, his back drenched.
Outside, the light was beginning to break, with faint rays of dimness filtering in.
In the silent room, only his ragged breaths could be heard. He clutched his rapidly beating heart, finding no relief even after a long while.
He threw off the covers and got out of bed, pulling on slippers, intending to check on Shen Yue.
For some reason, he felt an overwhelming need to see her, his heart aching at the thought.
But as he finally reached her door, Bai Yan Zhe grew nervous.
Indeed, Bai Yan Zhe, renowned for his decisive leadership in the business world, now stood outside the door of an eighteen-year-old girl in the dead of night, anxious not to disturb her sleep.
His heart pounding like a drum, Bai Yan Zhe took a deep breath. He gripped the slightly cool doorknob and gently pushed the door open.
The curtains were drawn, the room silent and dark, devoid of any light.
Bai Yan Zhe crept inside. The bed was empty. The bathroom light was on, and the sound of water gushing could be heard.
Perhaps Shen Yue was in the restroom.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief. Bai Yan Zhe paused, not leaving immediately, but standing tall by the bedside.
He said nothing, waiting quietly for a long time.
In extreme quiet, time seemed to drag. The gushing water sounded piercingly loud.
Bai Yan Zhe didn't know how long he waited. He just felt a sense of unease, his fingers at his side trembling nervously.
He walked step by step to the bathroom door and, with customary politeness, knocked three times.
There was silence from within the bathroom, no response.
Bai Yan Zhe had always been a man of strict rules and traditions. He never entered someone's room uninvited, nor would he enter a woman's bathroom without her consent.
It was impolite.
It was not the act of a gentleman.
But now, with a mind as blank as snow, Bai Yan Zhe pushed open the bathroom door.
The sound of water grew clearer, and the flowing water spread to his feet.
And then, wisps of faint, crimson red.
Bai Yan Zhe's pupils trembled. His body froze in place, as if invisible yet heavy shackles had firmly locked his legs, piercing his flesh.
Breathing through his lungs was agonizing.
After an unknown duration, he finally moved his stiffened legs, stepping into the water, the sound of splashing filling the air.
A potent fear began to bloom, like a vine, deeply rooting itself and piercing his heart.
Bai Yan Zhe prayed silently, his steps drawing closer.
The girl lay in a bathtub filled with hot water; the faucet had not been turned off, and the water had overflowed.
One of her arms dangled outside, slender and pale, like a white magnolia bloom adorning a branch.
Blood beads gathered at her fingertips.
The cut on her wrist was chillingly stark.
Her breath had long since stopped, and her heart had ceased to beat.
A frenzied surge of energy instantaneously expanded within the air.
She was already dead.
Dead without hesitation, so decisively.
She had left no words, no signs.