Due to her position, Shu Nian was slightly higher than the seated Xie Ru He. The distance between them suddenly closed. Her entire body was engulfed by his scent, and she could feel the rhythm of his breathing.
His warm breath fell on her neck, causing a slight tickle.
His features were refined and handsome, with upturned, narrow eyes and long, curled eyelashes. His skin was pale and thin, where faint bluish-purple blood vessels could be seen underneath, yet it no longer appeared sickly as before, having gained some color.
Shu Nian held his gaze for a few seconds.
The air seemed to stand still.
There was a very faint mint scent about him, mixed with the smell of Chinese herbal medicine, like an enchanting fragrance carrying a certain bewitchment. Shu Nian gradually tightened her fist, nervously remaining frozen in place.
Xie Ru He’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
It was as if an invisible force was pulling them even closer. Xie Ru He’s grip on her wrist gradually tightened, as he quietly looked at her, suddenly raising his head—
At that moment, Shu Nian’s phone, placed to one side, rang.
“…”
Shu Nian snapped back to reality, turning her head away and scrambling to climb off him. She picked up her phone, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to appear composed: “I need to take this call.”
Xie Ru He’s entire body froze, seemingly still feeling her warmth on his hand. He responded with a casual “Mm” and then lazily leaned back against the chair.
Looking at the caller ID, Shu Nian answered: “Mom?”
Deng Qing Yu’s voice came through: “Ah, Nian Nian, are you working today?”
Hearing this, Shu Nian glanced secretly at Xie Ru He: “What’s up?”
“I don’t have much to do today, so I was planning to come over and clean up your place.” Deng Qing Yu rambled on, “Seeing how you’re always running to the recording studio, I figured you probably don’t have much time to clean. But Xiao Xi took your house keys today. He was in a hurry this morning and took my set by mistake.”
Shu Nian said softly: “It’s fine, you don’t need to come.”
Deng Qing Yu asked: “You’re not at home?”
Shu Nian stole another glance in Xie Ru He’s direction.
He had his head slightly lowered, his jaw set, lips drawn into a straight line, his expression obscure. His mood seemed poor, yet also somewhat regretful. Perhaps due to the stagnant air in the room, the tips of his ears had turned red.
She looked away, feeling a bit guilty: “Mm.”
“All right then.” Deng Qing Yu said, “I’ll come over tomorrow. Take care of yourself and remember to eat. The temperature has been fluctuating lately, drink more hot water and don’t get sick, okay?”
Shu Nian nodded: “Okay, you take good care of yourself too.”
After hanging up, Shu Nian silently placed her phone on the coffee table.
The small episode that had just been interrupted left the air somewhat awkward and stiff.
Shu Nian didn’t know what to say or do, so she simply picked up the cake in front of her and began eating. She gradually spaced out, strangely recalling what had just happened.
If Deng Qing Yu hadn’t made that call, what would be happening now…
She couldn’t imagine it.
After a few seconds, Xie Ru He sat up straight and poured her a glass of warm water.
As if by mutual agreement, neither mentioned what had just happened, showing remarkable tacit understanding.
Xie Ru He looked at the television, breaking the silence first: “Are you watching a movie?”
Shu Nian responded tepidly: “I just turned it on randomly, I’m not watching.”
Xie Ru He nodded.
Silence fell again.
Shu Nian thought they should keep the conversation going. Since he had just brought up a topic, it should be her turn now. Just then, she noticed the novel she had placed under the coffee table. She took it out and suggested: “Why don’t you help me practice some lines?”
Xie Ru He looked at the cover, asking dully: “Practice lines?”
“Yes.” Shu Nian flipped to a random page, “It’s like singing for you, you need to practice, right? Voice acting skills are the same, they don’t come instantly, you have to practice continuously.”
“Mm.”
“I used to practice by myself.” Shu Nian said, “Today you can act out a scene with me.”
Xie Ru He agreed: “Okay.”
Hearing his agreement, Shu Nian felt a bit happy.
She looked at the content of this chapter, summarizing to herself: “The male lead and female lead are childhood friends. The female lead has liked the male lead since they were young, but the male lead has always been indifferent to her. This scene is about the male supporting character confessing to the female lead, which makes the male lead anxious. He speaks harshly to the female lead and then forcefully kisses her.”
“…”
Shu Nian grabbed a pen from the side and marked the book: “I’ll highlight our lines first.”
Xie Ru He was silent for a few seconds before asking: “Did you buy this book?”
“This one?” Shu Nian flipped through it, recalling, “I think I bought it before to reach the minimum order amount. I haven’t read it.”
Xie Ru He remembered flipping through a few pages of this novel when he came over before.
The dialogue was a bit exaggerated.
But seeing Shu Nian’s serious expression, Xie Ru He didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm.
Once she started doing something related to voice acting, Shu Nian would become especially serious. She made notes, immersing herself in the main character’s emotions, and understanding the character’s personality.