Though his lips still held a gentle smile, his deep-set eyes froze Shen Yue, instinctively sensing a strong unease.
She merely lowered her head, helpless, only to have Wei Jingzhou pinch her chin, forcing her to meet his stormy gaze.
"Afraid to look me in the eyes?"
"And you still dare deny anything happened between you two?!"
The hand on her waist moved upwards, gripping her slender neck. His rough fingertips rubbed forcefully, as if wishing to snap the elegant cervical vertebrae. The unprecedented aggression stunned the girl, sending a chill down her spine.
The girl seemed to realize the man before her was terrifying only now. Unable to bear it any longer, she questioned him with red eyes.
"Then what about you? Don't you have anything to hide from me?"
All expression vanished from Wei Jingzhou's face. His gaze felt like it could tear her apart instantly.
His voice emerged hoarsely from his throat.
"So, you admit it?"
The girl lifted her delicate chin, enduring his piercing stare, her lips trembling as she uttered another matter. "Your Wei family encountered such a huge incident, and you didn't tell me? Did you even consider me your girlfriend? You left without a word for so long, did you send me even a single message? And now you're back acting like I've been caught cheating, you just don't trust me!"
Shen Yue wasn't wrong; Wei Jingzhou didn't trust her at all, in every sense of the word. Shen Yue had said she liked outstanding people. If he became someone with nothing, would Shen Yue still be with him?
Wei Jingzhou wasn't sure. The news of his parents' deaths came too suddenly, and he was completely unprepared.
Everyone in the company was eyeing his position, each person wanting to snatch that spot.
Wei Jingzhou didn't even have time to grieve. After handling the funeral, he rushed to the company to stabilize the situation.
His youthful face couldn't suppress the old foxes; they all wanted to bring him down.
He finally managed to carve out some time to find the girl, only to witness that scene. It was like a fuse, igniting instantly and almost causing him to explode.
Wei Jingzhou released his grip, running a hand through his hair with a somber expression, and let out a deep sigh, his eyes turning red.
Not wanting to show his vulnerability in front of the girl, he covered his eyes, his jaw muscles twitching from clenching too tightly.
After a long moment, he spoke with a raspy voice.
"My parents died in a car accident."
A seemingly light sentence that sounded incredibly heavy.
The man lowered his head, his tall, sturdy frame revealing a helplessness for the first time.
Shen Yue watched him silently, her fingers clenching.
The man's thin lips formed a straight line, his rigid body trembling slightly, his voice hoarse.
"They're just gone, I didn't even, I didn't even have time to say a single word to them."
Shen Yue wanted to comfort him but didn't know how. It was all predestined; everyone had to follow their own plot.
After a while, Shen Yue asked gently, "Have you eaten?"
Wei Jingzhou lowered his hands and his head. Shen Yue saw tear stains at the corner of his eyes. "I'll go cook you a bowl of noodles."
She then went into the kitchen.
She tore open a packet of noodles and boiled half of them in hot water.
System: [Didn't you say you can't cook?]
Shen Yue: [I can't, but I can boil noodles a little. The taste might be a bit off.]
This was Shen Yue's most serious attempt at cooking noodles. Although she tasted it, the flavor was still not great, which made her a little dejected.
She served a bowl of steaming hot noodles and placed it on the dining table. She found the man standing there like a wooden statue.
She walked over, pulled the man to sit down, and stuffed the chopsticks into his hands.
"Eat. If you think it doesn't taste good, I'll order takeout."
The man lowered his head and started eating with the chopsticks. However, the noodles were still freshly boiled from the pot, emitting steam. Shen Yue's fingertips were burned red when she brought them out.
Yet, the man showed no reaction.
Shen Yue was greatly alarmed and quickly told him to spit it out, but he had already swallowed it.
She poured him a glass of cold water and, pinching his chin, told him to open his mouth.
Indeed, his tongue was a patch of bright red; she wondered if it would blister.
She touched the man's handsome face, coaxing him like a child, "Wei Jingzhou, your parents might have just gone to another world to live. You shouldn't let down their expectations; you should live well. That's what they would want to see."
At this point, Shen Yue could only say such outwardly pretty words. After all, the dead cannot be resurrected; there was no other option but acceptance.
Wei Jingzhou dug his fingers into his hair. His angular face showed no extreme emotions, yet it gave the impression that he could break down crying at any moment.
He looked at the steaming noodles and murmured, "They're just gone..."
Shen Yue stroked his hair and offered a word of comfort.
"I'm still here."
Wei Jingzhou, who had been looking down, turned to face the girl and reached out, embracing her waist, burying his face in her embrace, like a child utterly lacking in security.
He held her so tightly that it felt like his bones were digging into Shen Yue's flesh, as if he wished they could merge into one.
It was as if only this warmth could make him feel even a sliver of comfort.
"I, I only have you."
The man's voice sounded as if it were squeezed from his throat, muffled, hoarse, anxious, and lost.
Shen Yue lowered her eyelashes, concealing the emotions in her eyes, and stroked the man's short, coarse hair.
His strong arms tightened. Wei Jingzhou looked up, his eyes red, completely devoid of his usual arrogance and assertiveness.
He asked, full of expectation and vulnerability,
"You'll never leave me, right?"
Shen Yue couldn't deny it. She revealed a gentle smile, her dimples shallow. "Yes, I won't leave you."
Having received this assurance, Wei Jingzhou's emotions stabilized somewhat. He held Shen Yue, as if wanting to crush her and embed her into his bones.
This matter passed. Wei Jingzhou no longer inquired about Bai Bo, acting as if nothing had happened.
Shen Yue thought Wei Jingzhou no longer cared.
At a subsequent alumni reunion, everyone played until late. The temperature outside was very low. Fortunately, a few male classmates drove and escorted the female classmates home.
Shen Yue's apartment was quite far away. After dropping off everyone else, the last male classmate escorted Shen Yue.
After getting out of the car, Shen Yue smiled and waved goodbye to the male classmate, watching the car drive away.
Unexpectedly, she turned around and saw a tall figure not far away.
He wore a black overcoat, standing tall and handsome, his eyes dark.
He stood there silently, like a ghost.
Shen Yue was startled for a moment. When she walked closer, she recognized the man's face.