After speaking, Xie Ru He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Shu Nian pulled her thoughts back, said goodbye to Huang Li Zhi on the other end of the phone, and then hung up. She climbed down from the bed and walked to the door, listening for Xie Ru He’s movements.
She couldn’t hear any sound.
In the time it took to answer a phone call, Shu Nian’s anger had completely vanished without a trace. She licked her lips, stood back on the chair, and felt around the top of the wardrobe for Xie Ru He’s toothbrush.
But just now Shu Nian had pushed it in forcefully, and at this moment she couldn’t find it despite feeling around for a long time.
Shu Nian stood on her tiptoes, struggling to reach further inside. After struggling for a few minutes, she stood back down dejectedly, staring at the top of the wardrobe, and helplessly uttered two words.
“It’s gone.”
She remained frozen for several dozen seconds.
Shu Nian looked around and fixed her gaze on a book on the bedside table. She picked it up, rolled it into a small rod, and probed around the top of the wardrobe blindly like a visually impaired person.
Just as she finally touched the toothbrush, the sound of the door opening came from behind her.
Accompanied by Xie Ru He’s voice: “Nian Nian, it’s time for your medicine…”
Perhaps seeing her in this position, his words came to an abrupt halt.
Shu Nian’s movements paused, and she looked back slightly.
Her eyes met Xie Ru He’s directly.
Caught in the act, she swallowed and momentarily didn’t know how to react, maintaining her original position stiffly, stammering: “I know.”
Xie Ru He stared at her thoughtfully, also standing still in place.
Shu Nian slowly withdrew her hand, considering whether pretending nothing had happened would seem awkward and forced. Before she could decide, Xie Ru He had already walked over and lifted her down from the chair.
“Couldn’t get it down?”
“…” Shu Nian was quiet for a few seconds, then resignedly nodded, “Mm.”
Xie Ru He stared at her expression, his lips curving upward, unable to hold back a laugh. He stepped onto the chair and easily retrieved the toothbrush that had been rolled to the very back: “Don’t stand so high, next time hide it in a lower place.”
Shu Nian glanced at him, stubbornly saying: “If it’s too low, you’ll see it right away.”
Xie Ru He made an affirming sound, saying casually: “Then I’ll pretend I didn’t see it.”
“…”
When she moved to Xie Ru He’s home, the temperature was still in the single digits, so most of the clothes Shu Nian brought were winter clothes. Although the seasons had changed several weeks ago, because she hadn’t gone out much, she didn’t feel like she lacked clothes to wear.
The next day, the two of them returned to Shu Nian’s small house.
Although this house had been uninhabited for more than a month because Deng Qing Yu occasionally came over to help Shu Nian clean, it looked clean now, and the air didn’t smell bad.
The last time she came, Shu Nian only took a small portion of the necessary things, and she didn’t bring many things to Xie Ru He’s place.
At that time, she thought she probably wouldn’t stay at his house for too long.
Just a matter of a few days, no need to bring too many things.
But in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.
Shu Nian always had the feeling that she would still be living there for a long time.
She thought for a moment, took out all her clothes, and stuffed them messily into the suitcase. Then she looked around the room, throwing whatever she wanted to take into the box as if wanting to empty the place.
Finally, Shu Nian struggled to zip up the suitcase and left the room.
Hearing the noise, Xie Ru He came over and took the suitcase for her.
Shu Nian looked around the living room once more and said softly: “I don’t think there’s anything else to bring.”
Xie Ru He nodded: “Then let’s go.”
Shu Nian walked in front to open the door, talking to herself: “Maybe I should rent out this house, it feels useless just sitting here… but I also feel…”
Before she could finish speaking, footsteps sounded from upstairs, accompanied by a woman’s humming voice: “I thought it was stars being knocked down by rain… looking up… it was you appearing…”
Shu Nian was so familiar with this song that she could recite it backward and immediately looked toward the source of the sound.
A woman stood in the stairwell on the third floor.
Noticing other people present, the woman instinctively closed her mouth. She was dressed simply in shorts and a short-sleeved top, revealing a section of fair, slender waist and fair, long legs. Her curly hair was scattered behind her.
With a bare face, she still looked considerably more outstanding than ordinary people.
It was Ke Yi Qing, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time.
Ke Yi Qing twirled keys in her hand, looking carefree: “Shu Nian?”
Shu Nian blinked: “Why are you here?”
“I moved to the fourth floor here.” Ke Yi Qing said with a smile, “I just finished filming a drama recently and am taking a break. What about you? Aren’t you with…”
Before she could finish speaking, she noticed Xie Ru He standing behind Shu Nian.
“Ah, coming back to get things?”
Shu Nian nodded: “Yes.”
“Hey, by the way. I want to ask you something.” After speaking, Ke Yi Qing glanced at Xie Ru He, noting the suitcase in his hand, and added, “Are you two in a hurry?”