"Cough, cough!! Cough, cough!!"
Liu Chen was so startled by these words that she instinctively swallowed, only to choke on her saliva and start coughing.
The three things in the world that are hardest to hide:
Coughing, poverty, and love.
For some reason, as Liu Chen coughed, this sentence she had seen in her previous life flashed in her mind.
At that time, she had only deeply understood poverty, but now, she felt a deep connection to the other two.
Ren Yu got up to fetch a glass of warm water and handed it to Liu Chen.
After Liu Chen's coughing gradually subsided, Ren Yu continued:
"So, don't worry, as long as you need me, I will always be behind you."
Liu Chen felt as if her head was on fire, dazed. She even wanted to ask, were these words just to placate Old Master Chen, or did he truly mean them.
Her lips parted, but Liu Chen ultimately backed down.
She was afraid Ren Yu would say he was only looking after his sister, afraid Ren Yu would say he was only saying this to appease Old Master Chen.
Thus, Liu Chen silently cradled the warm water glass in her hands, taking small sips, her little face etched with thoughtfulness.
Seeing Liu Chen so calm, a flicker of panic crossed Ren Yu's eyes.
Liu Chen seemed to have no reaction to her confession?
Could she not tell that he was confessing?
For a moment, an awkward silence filled the living room.
"Crash!"
The sound of breaking glass came from the study. Liu Chen quickly put down the water glass in her hands and rushed towards the study in her slippers.
Even though the house had underfloor heating, Liu Chen still preferred to wear fluffy slippers in winter. As she ran, her slippers flew off her feet and hit the ceiling on the smooth tiles.
With one foot losing balance, Liu Chen stumbled towards the study door.
Fortunately, due to years of practicing Baduanjin, Liu Chen had excellent balance. In the moment of falling forward, she was already preparing to brace herself with her hands on the floor.
However, she was fast, but someone was faster.
The instant Ren Yu saw Liu Chen slip, he took a large stride forward and grabbed the back of Liu Chen's pajama top.
After stabilizing Liu Chen, who was leaning forward, he stepped forward and helped her up from the side.
"Is someone here?"
As Ren Yu forced a smile while saying this, there was a hint of jealousy that even he didn't notice.
Liu Chen felt it and immediately turned to look at the stern-faced Ren Yu. She smiled, and her earlier anxiety and doubts seemed to find their answers.
As her mood relaxed, Liu Chen felt like teasing Ren Yu: "Yes, someone is here, hiding a treasure of mine."
Hearing this, Ren Yu's smile froze. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes, deep as the night sea, met hers.
"Chenchen, this joke isn't funny. It hurts me."
Liu Chen looked at Ren Yu's face, which had suddenly loomed close and resembled Lee Byung-hun, and heard these words by her ear. She could no longer pretend to hear nothing.
Her heart pounded "bang, bang, bang."
Her head felt as if it was heating up.
"I..."
Their eyes met. They could clearly see that in each other's eyes, there was only their own reflection.
Liu Chen felt her throat tighten. The words she wanted to say seemed stuck in her throat. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
The distance between them at this moment was only a fist's width. Liu Chen could even feel Ren Yu's breath as he looked at her.
"I..."
"I'll go check the study!"
Liu Chen fled again. But this time, seeing Liu Chen's slightly reddened earlobes, Ren Yu smiled.
Inside the study.
As soon as Liu Chen opened the door, she saw He Siyu picking up shards of a vase from the floor. Liu Chen quickly stepped forward and pulled her up:
"Are you hurt?"
He Siyu shook her head obediently: "No."
After checking her, Liu Chen taught her:
"When something breaks like this, don't pick it up with your hands. Use a broom to sweep it."
As Liu Chen was teaching He Siyu these common sense tips, she saw Ren Yu enter with a broom and nonchalantly sweep the shards from the floor out of the corner of her eye.
"Sister Siyu, this is..."
Liu Chen was about to introduce him as her godmother's son, but recalling the ambiguous atmosphere between them just now, her mind turned, leaving herself some room.
"This is my friend, Ren Yu. He's a third-year student in the Computer Science department at Shuimu University. He's starting his own business now and is quite successful."
Hearing Liu Chen introduce him as a friend, Ren Yu's smile deepened. He nodded slightly towards He Siyu:
"Hello, Senior Siyu."
He Siyu looked at Liu Chen, then at Ren Yu.
Despite being a little shy, she still responded earnestly:
"Hello."
At this moment, Liu Chen saw He Siyu and remembered what she had overlooked.
Although He Siyu had improved significantly over the past half month, tomorrow she and Hu Xingfa would be participating in an interview. Hu Xingfa was bound to do some bizarre things, and what if Sister Siyu got scared?
Liu Chen told Ren Yu her concerns. Ren Yu rubbed her head and smiled:
"That's easy. I'll have Shen Hong take her to the library for a while. After our interview, we'll pick them up."
"Brother Shen Hong is also in C City? Why didn't he come up with you earlier?" Liu Chen asked, then suddenly realized.
This wasn't right. Ren Yu and Shen Hong returned to C City together. Given Shen Hong's personality, he wouldn't have made so much money and still queued for a taxi at the airport.
Most likely, they would have had someone park the car somewhere to wait for them, and they would have gotten straight into the car after getting off the plane.
Not a taxi, so they just needed to tell the security guard at the community entrance, and they could drive directly into the underground parking garage.
So...
When he opened the door just now, the snowflakes on Ren Yu's shoulder were deliberately left there by him?
Just to make her pity him?
Realizing this, Liu Chen found it both amusing and exasperating.
Seeing Liu Chen's expression, Ren Yu knew she had probably guessed that he had deliberately stayed outdoors earlier. He became even more brazen:
"I didn't want him to delay my business. I sent him to a nearby hotel to stay. It's a business trip on the company's dime, and the company reimburses all expenses."
Hearing Ren Yu so directly state his intentions, Liu Chen was instantly overwhelmed.
She turned her head away to avoid Ren Yu's fervent gaze.
"Sister Siyu, would you prefer to spend time at the library with Brother Shen Hong tomorrow, or would you like to go to the television station with me? I have an interview tomorrow, but the scene might be a bit unpleasant."
Unexpectedly, after hearing the latter part of the sentence, He Siyu's eyes showed a hint of eagerness, and she clearly stated:
"Television station."
Liu Chen hesitated, but ultimately respected He Siyu's choice, after all, she had promised Teacher He Long.
After arranging tomorrow's schedule, Liu Chen's eyes fell on Ren Yu, who was sitting comfortably on her sofa.
Ren Yu, however, remained unfazed and said, "Didn't Aunt Liu tell you? My mother isn't in C City recently, and the house is empty. It takes seven or eight hours for the underfloor heating to warm up the inside of the house, so I'm staying at your place tonight."
"What?!"