Entering the house, Shen Qian saw You Ran on the phone. He was wearing a brown long robe today, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his lean yet muscular arms. He nodded frequently, occasionally saying “uh-huh,” and only after hanging up did he say, “I understand.” After hanging up, You Ran glanced at Shen Qian, who was standing there in a daze, and couldn’t help but laugh, “What are you standing there so silly for?” Shen Qian stuttered, unsure why she was standing there watching him on the phone; she quickly tried to find an excuse, her eyes darting around, only to notice the ring on You Ran’s middle finger that didn’t match his usual style. At the same time, Shen Qian blushed, quickly changing the subject, “Have you eaten?” “No, waiting for you.” You Ran smiled slightly. “Then I’ll go cook.” Shen Qian hurriedly headed towards the kitchen, but You Ran grabbed her arm in time, a gentle smile on his face, “No rush, I want to discuss something with you.” Shen Qian paused, “What is it?” “Sit down.” You Ran pulled Shen Qian to sit beside him, then called over Shallow and the cat. What was this? A family meeting? “Shallow, your salary at the pet hospital isn’t much, right?” Shen Qian nodded, puzzled by what You Ran was getting at. You Ran paused, then continued, “Why don’t you consider changing jobs?” “I only know this field; I’m clueless about anything else.” Shen Qian was confused by You Ran’s questions. “I have a friend who’s a military doctor; why don’t you go work with him?” Shen Qian was shocked and quickly waved her hands, “No, no, no, I studied veterinary medicine, I treat animals, how can I treat people? And these are great soldiers? That would be sinful.” Hearing this, You Ran burst into laughter, “You’re overthinking it; there are veterinarians in the military too, for military dogs.” “Ah? Uh…” Shen Qian pondered for a moment, then looked up to meet You Ran’s gentle gaze, not feeling pressured, and immediately looked away, “Why is Mr. You so considerate?” “After the accident, I went blind and was discharged. Recently, my father has been hinting at me returning.” “Ah? That’s great, I heard pilots make a lot of money, paid by flight time, six dollars a minute, so flying once could earn you ten to twenty thousand, and if you fly every day, you’d make a fortune.” Shen Qian remembered a friend telling her about the benefits of being a pilot, the high status, the excellent food, and the best treatment from the state, which would rather lose a plane than a pilot. However, becoming a pilot was very hard without connections. Hearing this, You Ran was at a loss for words, “I’m not short of money.” Just the Sunshine International Hotel his grandfather gifted him was enough for a lifetime of extravagance. Shen Qian also thought of You Ran’s grandfather, who owned a Rolls-Royce Phantom; would he lack the money made from flying? You Ran pursed his lips, “If I go back, it’ll be hard to come out.” Shen Qian looked at You Ran in a daze; if he became a pilot again, they might not see each other much. Shen Qian knew You Ran was different from Li Meili’s husband, Gao Changfeng, who was a SWAT officer capturing armed criminals. Pilots had a much greater responsibility. “I want to take you away with me.” You Ran’s words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Shen Qian into a daze. Was this… a confession? Shen Qian panicked, stammering, “Mr… Mr. You, although you’ve always taken care of me, I’m very grateful.” Shen Qian couldn’t meet You Ran’s eyes, avoiding his gaze, and finally mustered the courage to look at him, only to find him looking at her with a half-smile, as if waiting for her to speak or not, his gaze intense, making her swallow her words. “Our Shallow is about to give birth, she can’t do without you.” You Ran suddenly said this chilly sentence, causing Shen Qian’s heart, which had been hanging, to crack… Her eyebrows twitched, and she gave a dry laugh, “Actually, it doesn’t have to be me.” “No, it has to be you.” You Ran turned his gaze to Shallow, who was obediently lying to one side, “Right, Shallow?”
Shen Qian was under a lot of pressure. Mr. You had started calling her “Qianqian,” but his dog was also named Qianqian. How could one endure such confusion? “Mr. You, please don’t call me Qianqian anymore. When you call your dog, I might think you’re calling me.” Yu Ran suddenly smiled, focusing intently on her, while petting Qianqian, he asked, “Then what should I call you?” “Miss Shen is fine. Hehe.” Yu Ran frowned slightly after hearing this and said in a low, serious tone, “I’m not used to it. I’ve gotten used to calling you Qianqian.” “Ah?” “How about I call you Qianqian Number Two from now on?” Shen Qian couldn’t help but twitch her eyebrows, “No.” Yu Ran put on a look of deep thought, his long eyelashes fluttering as he blinked, a slight smile lingering at the corner of his mouth, revealing his dimples. Suddenly, he showed his white teeth, looking quite charming as he said, “I know what to call you now.” “Hmm?” “I’ll still call you Qianqian.” “…” Shen Qian was at a loss for words; wasn’t that the same as saying nothing? “I like Qianqian, I can’t change it.” Shen Qian interpreted this as him liking the nickname, but for Yu Ran, it meant he liked her and couldn’t change that. As their conversation concluded, Shen Qian was about to go cook, but Yu Ran grabbed her again, “We’re out of groceries; I was waiting for you to come back so we could go shopping together. Let’s go.” Without waiting for Shen Qian’s response, he pulled her out the door. Yu Ran didn’t plan to drive or take the bus to buy groceries; he just wanted to walk with Shen Qian. She tried to pull her hand away, but Yu Ran held it tightly. “I’m afraid I might get lost, please understand.” Yu Ran turned and smiled back at her, his charm overwhelming. Faced with such an excuse, Shen Qian found herself speechless; to refuse would seem petty and inconsiderate, especially since he was recovering from a serious illness. Thus, she complied, though she wondered how someone as familiar with the neighborhood as Yu Ran could get lost, and it seemed like he was leading the way.
As they walked hand in hand out of the Jiangxia community, the security guard saw them and cheerfully remarked, “Are the mister and missus going for a stroll?” Shen Qian was about to explain when Yu Ran nodded and smiled, “We’re going shopping for groceries.” The guard looked envious, “What a good relationship.” Shen Qian shot Yu Ran a look, “Why did you say…” “Wasn’t I right? Aren’t we going shopping? Hmm?” Yu Ran maintained his smile, looking at Shen Qian. Shen Qian bit her lip and decided to keep quiet; Yu Ran was stating facts. She felt that his smile had a sharpness hidden within.
