Shen Qian, pleased with herself, decided she could continue to wander around at home. Placing the dishes on the table, she saw You Ran asleep, leaning on the table. His long lashes fluttered, his high nose bridge forming a beautiful line, his slightly parted lips both cute and sexy. Shen Qian quietly set down the food, sat down, propped her head on her hands, and gazed at him. For some reason, she felt his face was somewhat familiar. His bangs moved without wind, and she noticed he was frowning, seemingly not sleeping peacefully.
You Ran was very thin. Li Meili had said that You Ran used to have a perfect physique; though he was thin, he exuded a sense of solidity, giving girls a feeling of security. But now, You Ran was really skinny, with a sharp jawline and less full cheeks. His handsome features were still striking, but the sense of security they once provided had transformed into the allure of a beautiful young man. His weight loss was probably due to poor sleep. What was keeping him from sleeping well?
The chill from the air conditioning hit Shen Qian’s ‘bare’ body, causing her to shiver and sneeze. “Ah-choo…” She rubbed her nose with her finger, sniffing. You Ran suddenly woke up in a start, calling out, “Qianqian.” From the other side of the hall, Qianqian, the dog, came running and nuzzled at his feet.
Shen Qian watched the scene unfold and couldn’t help but feel helpless. Why did he always call her “Qianqian”? It was as if he couldn’t live without it. “Mr. You, I’m sorry for startling you with my sneeze just now,” she said apologetically.
Upon hearing this, You Ran furrowed his brows and admonished, “Wear more clothes; don’t try to catch a cold.” Shen Qian was taken aback, her face turning pale then red. Did he know she was only wearing underwear under her apron? Could he be that perceptive? As she thought this, Shen Qian made all sorts of funny faces at You Ran, but his expression remained unchanged, unaffected. She exhaled a long sigh of relief, thankful that he hadn’t seen anything.
You Ran suddenly stood up and walked slowly to the sofa, feeling around for the remote on the coffee table to lower the air conditioning. “Don’t set it too low in the future; you might catch a cold.” “Okay,” Shen Qian murmured, pursing her lips, “You start eating first; I’ll change and come down.” You Ran smiled and nodded. Even though he was blind, this man maintained a noble elegance that Shen Qian couldn’t help but admire, which made her feel even more sorry for his blindness.
When Shen Qian came downstairs, she found You Ran by the piano, occasionally pressing a few keys with his index finger. Unfamiliar with music, she didn’t know if this was a prelude, but she saw him smiling, transitioning from using a single finger to gently placing both hands in an egg-like shape over the black and white keys, followed by a continuous melody. Shen Qian didn’t recognize the tune, nor had she heard it before. She could only stand quietly nearby, listening. His tall figure sat on the chair, his slender back evoking a pang of pain in her heart. Suddenly, she felt this man was very lonely, perhaps wanting to be alone, standing at the edge of the world, reminiscing about his past. Was this deep affection or stubbornness? Perhaps his emotions were ingrained in his very bones, unwilling to be touched by others or to emerge himself. The girl he loved was the luckiest, but likewise, anyone falling for such a man at this moment was doomed to a tragic end. Shen Qian reminded herself not to fall in love with him, only to sympathize.
As the piece ended, Shen Qian clapped her hands and walked over, smiling, “What song is this?” “First Time.” Shen Qian was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit awkward, “Oh, how ignorant of me, I’ve never heard it, haha.” She laughed foolishly, noticing You Ran’s usual smile was absent, which made her retract her own smile, “What’s wrong?” “It’s the first time I’ve played this for her.” Shen Qian blinked, unsure how to respond. You Ran suddenly smiled again, “What did you think of the tune after listening?” “It was good,” Shen Qian replied without thinking. You Ran chuckled, “Such different personalities.” “Huh?” Shen Qian frowned, not understanding what he meant.
You Ran stood up suddenly, as if enlightened, “Let’s go eat.” “Uh…” Shen Qian felt a tightness in her chest; she was curious how the girl he referred to would have answered. But this man seemed to have emerged from his melancholy, no longer dwelling on his nostalgia. She decided to mind her own business.
Author’s Note: Hey, don’t get too excited, I always think but never act. Quitting is out of the question. Also, my story “The Vase” isn’t abandoned; it’s actually my favorite because it flowed so smoothly when I wrote it. The slow updates are because, well, I like having pressure, and “The Vase” is categorized under web novels, where the word count isn’t enough for the rankings, so I got lazy… Bamboo is coming back home after this week’s trip, and updates for “The Vase” will resume. I aim to finish three-quarters of it by December because I plan to start on an ancient-style novel. Yes, I am the king of pits – but I promise to finish them. You can check my column for all the completed cold works. I assure you of my pit integrity. Today I’m a bit verbose, o(╯□╰)o please don’t mind. I’ll post another chapter later… 88, Chapter 8…
The heatwave continued, with cicadas incessantly chirping, making the air even more noisy. Under the cloudless blue sky, the sun blazed down, and people of all ages were dressed to reveal shoulders and legs, as if flaunting their flesh. Shen Qian was on the afternoon shift; the AC in the clinic was fixed, and she felt wonderfully cool. Summer was when dogs were less interested in mating, which meant less work for Shen Qian, so she pulled out her phone to play poker.
“Knock knock.” Someone knocked politely on the door.
“Come in.” Shen Qian put away her game, tucked her phone into her white coat, and stood up. Seeing it was Li Meili, Shen Qian immediately frowned, “What’s with you today? So polite?”
“Bah.” Li Meili shook her hair, “I’ve always maintained a ladylike demeanor, you know?” Three black lines appeared on Shen Qian’s face, her smile not reaching her eyes, “What do you want now? Don’t disturb me during work hours.”
“I’m just here to say I’m off to be romantic!” Li Meili winked and smirked.
Shen Qian pouted, rolling her eyes at the ceiling, sighing lightly, “If your husband’s here, just go with him. No need to report to me.”
“Hehe, I didn’t want you to worry if you couldn’t find me after work.” “Go on then.” Shen Qian plopped back into her seat. Seeing Shen Qian’s lack of interest, Li Meili dramatically feigned tears, “Poor little cabbage, in the field, so young, abandoned, thinking only of Qianqian, but Qianqian loves only him…” Li Meili covered her face in a pitiful manner, looking at Shen Qian like a pug.
Shen Qian’s mouth twitched as she silently counted to three, “Li Meili, you’re singing a sad song just to say goodbye?” Gao Changfeng burst in, sweating profusely, his dark skin noticeably red from the sun. Li Meili didn’t even care about her husband being roasted in the sun. Li Meili immediately leaped into Gao Changfeng’s arms, “Honey, Qianqian doesn’t love me anymore.” “Alright, I’ll love you,” Gao Changfeng said impatiently, dragging Li Meili out.
Shen Qian watched this couple, feeling both amused and exasperated. Their playful bickering was part of their happy life. She then glanced at the clock on the wall, with half an hour left until the end of her shift, she decided to sit back and read some books on vaccines. Reading was a good way to pass time, and she soon forgot about the time.
