Rubbing her eyes, Shen Yue was dazed, her voice still sleepy, soft as if water could be squeezed from it.
"Have we arrived?"
The man paused, then after a long while, his voice hoarse, he said, "Yes, we're almost there."
After a prolonged period maintaining the same posture, her left neck felt very sore. As she moved slightly unnaturally, Shen Yue let out a small hiss.
The next second, a large, dry hand was placed on her fair left neck, gently massaging it.
Luo Kai's fingers were rough, calloused from years of hard and heavy labor. He hardly dared to apply much force, fearing that his calluses might scratch the delicate neck.
Shen Yue felt a bit uncomfortable with the intimate gesture and turned her head. Her fair left neck was incredibly tender, reddened by the man's calluses and even bearing a few noticeable finger marks.
"Did I hurt you?" Luo Kai, startled, withdrew his hand. His tall frame appeared timid, helpless, and clumsy.
"It's fine, it's fine, I've already arrived at my stop."
Shen Yue knew he meant well, so why would she mind his strong grip?
As she had just reached her stop, Shen Yue and Luo Kai were sitting in the same row. She was seated on the inside, and the space was very cramped. As she got up to leave, she was bound to bump into Luo Kai's leg.
Even though Luo Kai tried to shrink himself inwards as much as possible, his tall, sturdy body did not allow him to become very small.
Thus, as she got out, their legs inevitably touched.
Perhaps Luo Kai himself didn't realize how much his hands were trembling.
Even after the slender figure disappeared, he could not withdraw his gaze for a long time.
Perhaps it was because she had napped on the bus for a while, Shen Yue felt quite energetic after getting off. She went to a noodle shop to pack a bowl of noodles.
Because she came often, the owner was familiar with her.
"What would you like today, young lady?" the owner asked with a smile. It was late, and the shop was about to close.
Shen Yue pursed her lips and smiled, her dimples appearing shallow, "The usual."
"Coming right up."
It was done in about ten minutes. Shen Yue paid and bid the owner farewell with a smile.
"Welcome back next time. Go home earlier after work. It's not safe for a young lady."
"Okay."
The owner of this noodle shop was a shrewd businessman. A bowl of beef noodles contained more beef than those in other shops, and the taste was quite good.
On the way back, the system informed her that someone was following her. At first, Shen Yue was very nervous and scared, but after realizing that the person following her had no malicious intent, she became more relaxed.
What else could she do? Shen Yue had considered calling the police, but she had no evidence and hadn't seen anyone behind her. If she could only rely on her intuition, it probably wouldn't be useful.
The weather was gradually turning colder, and the temperature difference at night was significant. The cool breeze carried a hint of chill, and Shen Yue put her hands into her pockets.
Winter was coming soon.
—
The coffee shop's customer traffic would increase every Saturday and Sunday, and during busy periods, it was almost impossible to attend to everything.
Due to Shen Yue's good image, she was usually placed at the front of the house or sent out to distribute flyers.
Luo Kai, wearing a bulky mascot costume, was a clumsy and cute big bear with brown fur. Holding flyers, children passing by liked to tease this brown bear, running around it and hitting or kicking it with their fists from time to time.