Chapter 33: Moving In
The warmth of the coffee shop returned, the chatter of the other patrons fading into background noise as they turned their attention away from the unusual pair, focusing on their own affairs.
The waitress, finally seizing the opportunity, brought their two large cups of coffee, one of which was pure milk, cream, and sugary syrup, its aroma enticing.
The waitress didn’t dare say much, just gave Xiang Er a worried look, silently offering assistance. But Xiang Er smiled and nodded, saying:
“It’s fine, I’m okay.”
Only she knew that when Shen Yuhe had gripped her chin, although it seemed forceful, it had actually been very gentle, not causing any pain. Even after Shen Yuhe released her, there wasn’t a single red mark on her skin.
Xiang Er understood Shen Yuhe’s behavior perfectly. She had been cruelly rejected just yesterday, and now, receiving an olive branch from Xiang Er, a little playful retaliation was perfectly normal.
Xiang Er knew that her actions must have seemed hurtful to others. Rejecting someone one day, then saying the obstacle was gone the next, as if it were all a game… She had her reasons, of course, but those reasons couldn’t be revealed, making her seem fickle and disrespectful.
But Shen Yuhe didn’t seem to mind, just wanting to hear her plea, even throwing a small tantrum… yet without actually hurting her.
Xiang Er was somewhat surprised by Shen Yuhe’s simplicity. It was completely different from the image of a shrewd and calculating CEO she had imagined.
She wondered how Shen Yuhe managed to be a CEO. Was she this simple in business matters as well, agreeing to requests just because someone asked nicely?
Xiang Er slowly sipped her coffee, imagining Shen Yuhe’s decisive and efficient demeanor at work, then looked up and saw that Shen Yuhe had already finished her cup of sugary milk.
Her black lipstick, probably from drinking the milk, had completely faded, and her beautifully shaped lips were now a bright red, like the skin of a lychee, plump and luscious. A white milk mustache adorned her upper lip.
Shen Yuhe, looking utterly satisfied, extended the tip of her tongue, slightly darker than her lips, and licked away the milk. Her tongue, like a playful cat’s tail, flicked gracefully.
Xiang Er looked down and took a large gulp of her coffee, almost burning herself. She suddenly wondered, if they lived together… wouldn’t she be able to see Shen Yuhe drinking milk like this often?
To see that adorable, cat-like tongue… Xiang Er’s gaze drifted, and she quickly raised her cup, hiding her face behind it.
Then she heard Shen Yuhe chuckle softly:
“This isn’t bitter. Drink this from now on.”
Xiang Er nodded, still hiding behind her coffee cup:
“Mm.”
A slender hand reached out and moved her coffee cup aside.
Xiang Er had nowhere to hide, Shen Yuhe’s beautiful, smiling face now directly in front of her:
“Let’s go. Time to go home.”
Xiang Er hadn’t expected Shen Yuhe to be so eager, wanting to move in tonight.
As they left the coffee shop, they each held another pair of heart-shaped cards. Xiang Er found them a bit childish, but Shen Yuhe carefully put them together, tucked them into her bag, and treasured them.
Night had already fallen, the city lights twinkling, the stars and moon barely visible, but still an essential part of the night sky.
As long as one could still look up and see the stars and moon, there was hope, the sky was vast, the world was wide, and there were countless similar nights ahead.
Walking beside Shen Yuhe, Xiang Er still felt like she was dreaming. Just last night, she had been on the verge of a breakdown, making a wish she didn’t even believe could come true, and today, her wish had been granted, everything falling into place so smoothly. Was this real? Or just another illusion?
The autumn wind brushed against her clothes, swirling leaves dancing around her, the moonlight soft and poetic.
She couldn’t help but glance at Shen Yuhe, who, in her all-black outfit, walked with a light, elegant gait, leading her towards her home.
The home that was now clean and empty, free of strangers and strange presences.
The stone-paved path of the residential compound, under Shen Yuhe’s feet, transformed into a vintage movie set. Her black blazer billowed in the night wind, and Xiang Er couldn’t help but smile and ask:
“What are you going to sleep in tonight? You came straight here, you didn’t bring any pajamas, did you?”
Shen Yuhe, still walking, turned slightly, her long hair swirling in the night wind, tilting her head, a playful smile on her face:
“I’ll wear yours.”
Just then, they reached a large camphor tree. Under the warm, golden glow of the streetlight, the shadows of the tree and Shen Yuhe stretched out, intertwined.
The moment felt eternal.
Like an etching in her memory, Xiang Er knew she would never forget this moment, this sweet, blissful moment.
She thought, if happiness in life had a quota, then the happiness she had missed in the past decades was now being repaid in double. And this double repayment would continue in the days to come… There were many days ahead.
For the first time, she truly appreciated the meaning of those words.
She smiled, her hair shimmering with a golden halo under the streetlight, smiling at Shen Yuhe.
Shen Yuhe looked at her, paused for a moment, then suddenly turned back, walked towards her, and took her hand.
Shen Yuhe looked down, and Xiang Er, unable to contain her smile, looked up at her with a puzzled “Huh?”
Shen Yuhe, holding her hand, suddenly said:
“Run!”
Xiang Er was startled, then Shen Yuhe pulled her along, running, occasionally glancing back at her.
Her arm stretched out, and she involuntarily started running!
The world spun around her. Shen Yuhe, holding her hand, ran through the dark night, between the silent, old buildings, under the streetlights!
A wave of romance crashed over Xiang Er, her heart pounding with each step, her breath coming in ragged gasps; many of the streetlights were broken, stretches of darkness following stretches of light, but Xiang Er wasn’t afraid, her gaze fixed on Shen Yuhe’s back, as long as she followed that back, she wouldn’t be afraid, no matter what!
She ran across the uneven stone-paved path, through the alternating darkness and light, following the figure ahead, the firm hand guiding her… Her world seemed to consist only of Shen Yuhe, the slightly cool yet soft hand holding hers, the faint moonlight, and the bright streetlights.
She was running! Running towards a beautiful future! Even though her chest ached from the exertion, she laughed with joy!
“Hahaha! Hahaha!”
She laughed with pure joy! The stone path, the residential buildings, blurred past like fleeting phantoms, nothing more important than the person in front of her. She ran, she laughed, her fingers tightly gripping Shen Yuhe’s hand, her feet light as if she were flying!
Shen Yuhe glanced back occasionally, also smiling, a wide, unrestrained smile Xiang Er had rarely seen before, her usual elegance gone, her lips parted, revealing her pearly white teeth. She called out to Xiang Er:
“Are you happy?”
Xiang Er didn’t quite hear her, but she nodded vigorously! Of course she was happy, incredibly happy!
Shen Yuhe turned back and continued running. There was a small pothole in the path, and as she stepped over it, it vanished, then reappeared after Xiang Er had passed. A genuine aura of joy radiated from her, a thick blackness invisible to human eyes, spreading endlessly along with her black clothes and raven hair…
Something stirred deep within the garbage bin, breathing faintly, unnoticed.
Shen Yuhe led Xiang Er all the way back to her apartment building. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Xiang Er leaned against her knees, catching her breath, her body slowly recovering. Finally, she could speak:
“Are… are you… okay… I… I can’t… breathe…”
Shen Yuhe stood beside her, her posture still perfect, not even slightly out of breath, a smile playing on her lips, as she gently patted Xiang Er’s back:
“Rest for a bit.”
Xiang Er, feeling much better under her touch, inhaled the cold air, then, remembering the scene of them running, she couldn’t help but laugh, saying self-deprecatingly:
“This is probably the craziest thing I’ve ever done, running wildly in the street at night, laughing… If anyone saw us, they would think I’m insane.”
Shen Yuhe continued calmly:
“But is being insane necessarily wrong? We were both very happy, weren’t we?”
Xiang Er paused, her oxygen-deprived brain struggling to process such a profound question, and laughed again:
“I didn’t know… you were also interested in philosophy…”
Shen Yuhe said softly:
“I just like observing the human psyche.”
Xiang Er nodded:
“That’s a very interesting hobby. I also like observing humans.”
She caught her breath and started walking upstairs. Shen Yuhe followed, her high heels clicking against the old cement steps.
Each floor of the stairwell had only a single lightbulb, the environment dim and dreary, some of the bulbs flickering erratically, making it seem even more eerie.
Xiang Er said softly, slightly embarrassed:
“It’s not very nice here, you’ll have to bear with it.”
Shen Yuhe nodded:
“I know.”
They reached the top floor and stood in front of Xiang Er’s door. Xiang Er took out her key, about to unlock the door. The window in the stairwell was directly opposite her door, the moonlight streaming in, illuminating the door.
In the darkness beneath the door, something was hidden, slowly rising and falling, as if breathing.
Shen Yuhe glanced down at it, her lips curving into a smile, an increasingly eerie smile.
Xiang Er turned to Shen Yuhe:
“Can you… let go of my hand?”
Shen Yuhe’s smile softened, her eyes widening slightly, transforming into an innocent, guileless expression.
She had been holding Xiang Er’s hand tightly since they started running, with no intention of letting go. Just now, when Xiang Er had tried to open the door, she had pulled her hand away, but couldn’t, showing how tight Shen Yuhe’s grip was.
Shen Yuhe smiled and slowly released Xiang Er’s right hand, then quickly reached out and grasped her left hand.
Xiang Er’s heart skipped a beat. As she used her right hand to unlock the door, her left hand, awkwardly held captive, fumbled with the key, unable to insert it into the old lock. Her whole body felt stiff.
Shen Yuhe’s fingers, cold and smooth, slid between Xiang Er’s fingers as she was distracted with the lock.
With a “click,” the key turned, and the door creaked open.
Xiang Er turned to Shen Yuhe and said with a smile:
“Please come in, my roommate. Welcome to your new home.”
Shen Yuhe raised Xiang Er’s left hand. Their fingers were intertwined, pale and jade-white, seemingly glowing in the unlit room.
Shen Yuhe smiled, her voice languid and playful:
“Not mine… ours. Our new home.”
A black shadow quickly slithered through the gap beneath the door, but Xiang Er, stunned by Shen Yuhe’s words, her heart pounding, saw nothing but Shen Yuhe’s teasing smile.
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